Chapter 15
Autobot base…
The sound of revving engines filled the silo as Smokescreen accompanied by Jack screeched down the entrance corridor. Arcee watched their exit with eyes full of concern.
"Optimus with all due respect," she started as she turned to look up at her leader. "Agent Fowler is out relocating Raf's family because the 'cons discovered where he lives. Meanwhile Smokescreen, in all his wisdom, chooses a vehicle mode with screaming double 38's on the doors, making him an easy target. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more than concerned about Jack's safety."
"Nonetheless," Optimus replied. "Our new recruit is in need of instruction. I believe that Smokescreen's spark is in the right place, and that he now understands the necessity of protecting humanity."
Suddenly the ground trembled as a small explosion could be heard from down the corridor. They turned round to look in its direction and a few moments later Alex walked round the corner with his walking stick, the front of his hair slightly smoking and face covered in black powder.
Alex looked up at the autobots. "Was standing too close to the wall." He said simply, a mock smile appearing on his face. He quickly limped up the stairs while saying "I need coffee."
Optimus watched as Alex made his way to the small kitchen area located behind the elevator. The teenager seemed agitated ever since he had successfully stopped the Damocles satellite from crashing into the base. He was favoring his uninjured leg again, he noticed.
"Alex," he asked. "Is something wrong?"
Alex's head turned to the Prime. In doing so he set the coffee tin back onto the counter, resulting in a clang of metal against metal.
"I'm fine." Alex spoke a little too quickly. "Just tired. Sleepless night."
Optimus narrowed his optics, which made Alex seriously uncomfortable.
"On second thought." Alex said. "I think I'm more in need of some fresh air. If you'll excuse me…"
Alex walked round to the lift doors which pinged open as he pushed the button. A moment later the lift begun its ascension to the roof.
Optimus began walking towards the bigger elevator. "Optimus, where are you going?" enquired Ratchet. Optimus turned round to face the medic. "I am going to speak with Alex." He answered.
As Optimus moved off, Ratchet turned back to his console. Bulkhead shrugged his shoulders. "I say give the kid some space, he's earned it." A frown then appeared on his face. "Weird how he knew about Silas though."
Arcee who up until that point was in her own thoughts, snapped back into reality upon Bulkhead's last sentence. She turned to the former wrecker. "What did you say?"
"No when me and Smokescreen were fighting Silas, we met Alex at the canal, who referred to the 'con as Silas, not as Breakdown." Bulkhead shrugged his shoulders again. "Probably overheard Agent Fowler when he was briefing us. It's nothing."
But Arcee was thinking that it wasn't nothing. What Bulkhead had just told her, and what Jack had been reporting when overhearing Alex. This wasn't speculation or common knowledge.
She turned to Ratchet. "Ratchet," she asked. "These void particles that Alex was exposed to. Where exactly do you find them?"
Ratchet turned round to face her, raising one eyebrow as he thought for a moment. "Uh…Nowhere. At least, not in our universe. The particles exist in a place called the void. The void is theorized to be the space between dimensions."
"Are you saying that Alex jumped dimensions?!" Bulkhead exclaimed.
"No." replied Ratchet. "That is highly unlikely. The most probable reason is that Alex was exposed to a rip of some kind in the fabric of reality. However it must have been quite a rip as per the amount of void particles in his body. And if there were such a rip on this planet, we would have detected something on the scanners."
Arcee was now in deep thought mode. So, because their scanners hadn't picked up anything, it would stand to reason that Alex was exposed to it off-world.
And there was only one entity that could travel that far….
…..
Alex stood twirling his phone in his hand. The events of the previous night had left him in complete wonder and fear. He had prevented a major event and a possible disrupter to the time lines, but in doing so he may have become part of them. While the thought of him being a hero was really cool, he was no longer sure of anything. Sure, 'Legacy' might be playing out right now, but that wasn't exactly reassuring.
He heard the sound of the lift doors and of giant footsteps walking over to higher ledge Alex was standing on. He then turned to face Optimus.
"I got involved." He stated.
Optimus frowned. "What do you mean?"
Alex took a deep breath. "You agree," he started. "That the possibility of a satellite fragment destroying the base is a big deal, right."
"I suppose so." Optimus agreed.
"Then how come I never heard of it?" Alex asked rhetorically. "Surely that idea is important enough to make it into an episode? And even now, nobody's taking note of what happened. It's as if they are not registering it."
"But isn't that what you wanted to achieve? To preserve the 'storyline?'
Alex looked wide-eyed at the Prime. "Yes," he said. "But does mean I was meant to prevent it? Because of there being no mention of it, there is no need to mention me. Was I meant to be in the background and stop this? And if so, how many other future events that weren't documented am I part of? Am I unofficially part of the story?!"
Alex said the last sentence in exasperation. He was now scared.
A few minutes of silence, during which Alex breathed deeply. Optimus continued to look at the boy.
"Alex," he said. "Why are you so determined to preserve the future?"
Alex was confused. "What?"
"You told me that you had knowledge of events up to the 7th episode of season 3. However that implies that there are more episodes after that. Why are you trying to keep things the way they are, when even you do not know where it is ultimately heading?"
Alex was shocked by this question. Not because he was surprised that Optimus could come up with such a question, but because he had no clue what answer to give him.
"I-" he began. He went silent. Optimus continued to gaze at him, waiting for an answer.
Alex closed his mouth and looked to the horizon. He had to give an answer of some sort. A minute later he came up with something.
"You're right." He finally said. "I don't exactly know where this is all heading, but what I can tell you with certainty, is that planet Earth is safe from the decepticons."
This revelation was met with silence. Optimus looked at Alex with both eyebrows raised. "I'm sorry?"
Alex sighed. "Firstly. Autobots, Decepticons, it's the classic story of good versus evil, and good always triumphs, even the writers of this show understand that. Secondly, I may not know every outcome of every Transformers story from the past 30 years, but from what I do know, is that while the human race has always been threatened, they have never actually been destroyed. I don't see Transformers Prime as the exception to that. Besides, it's not exactly the best note to leave the show on; that all humans perished at the hands of Megatron."
Alex looked up at Optimus. The Autobot leader was gazing back at him, not sure what to say. No words could amount to the relief that the teenager had provided by revealing that information. Planet Earth was safe.
Optimus finally spoke. "Are you…certain about that?"
Alex could do nothing but shrug his shoulders. And for the second time, he was witness to a rare sight. The sight of a smile forming on Optimus's lips.
…
"And you guys aren't just a bit curious about where Alex came from?" Arcee snapped.
Bumblebee made a few clicks and whirs.
Bulkhead seemed to agree with the scout. "Of course I am, Arcee." He said. "But right now, I'm just glad that he IS here. I mean he did just save our base, didn't he?"
"Arcee," Ratchet intervened. "We lacked sufficient firepower to shoot down the fragment. If it weren't for Alex's ability…"
"Sure, but he refuses to tell us how he came by that ability, or how he knows so much about us, or why he went to talk with Megatron."
"I will agree," Ratchet said. "That Megatron did have some hand in Alex's appearance, but that does not mean that the boy is in league with the Decepticons."
More beeps came from Bumblebee at that statement.
"Bee's right." Bulkhead stated. "I mean he did say he wouldn't have told Megatron where our base was located even beforehand. And if that wasn't true, why would he have gone to the trouble of saving our base then?"
"But he knows things." Arcee persisted, become increasingly frustrated. "How did he know that it was Silas fighting and not Breakdown? That Bulkhead would make a full recovery? How does know of…certain names?!"
The other Autobots knew what Arcee was meaning with that last retort, but they chose not to answer it. However they could not present answers to the other questions.
When she received no reply from her comrades, Arcee scowled. She was about to march off in a silent fury when they were met with the sound of an oncoming racer.
"This is not over." She remarked to the others. "He knows things. He knows things…before we know about them…"
To be Continued….
Author's note (PLEASE READ!): While I will be most certainly continuing this story, I begun work on a new project. It is a crossover so it's experimental, so if possible, please give your opinion towards the idea, and decide whether it's worth following up. Your input would be greatly appreciated!
s/9486745/1/Titans-on-the-Run
Enjoy!