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When Cade returned, he had scanned a photograph of one of KSI's employees with the mini drone. Bee was able to scan the picture of the guy onto a blank card Cade planned to use to sneak into their headquarters.
He said the full plan would take place early tomorrow morning, but he'd do a quick look-around to see what we were up against.
Taking Drift with him, Cade spend thirty minutes, maybe an hour, doing a quick look.
"Couple times a day these guys are moving in vehicle shipments into KSI for something called 'scanning'," Cade explained when he came back. He discarded of his now useless drone. "Major security all over." Drift was able to make a holographic projection of KSI's layout, we all stood over and watched, minus Hound, who was cleaning his weapons. "Our best chance of getting in is the classified research entrance. I'm gonna drive in with Bee tomorrow morning."
That night, everyone settled in. Optimus hadn't transformed, just watching to make sure everyone was doing OK. Cade fixed himself a glass of water. Tessa and Shane had found some candles and somehow lit all of them before settling on a nearby couch; Tessa basically laying on top of her boyfriend.
When Cade saw them in that position, a slight scowl came on his face.
Clearing his throat loudly, he called, "Excuse me! There's no smooching in front of me, OK?"
Optimus crossed his arms over his chest, amused at the sight. Tessa and Shane separated, but not before Cade's daughter put her two cents in.
"You're so square," she said. "Who even says 'smooching'?"
I gave an airy chuckle.
"No respect," Cade said to Optimus. "It's just impossible sometimes."
"Yeah," Optimus said with a slight shrug. "I went through that with Bumblebee."
"I'm actually jealous of you," Cade murmured. "Your girls are still young. They won't be obsessed over boys for a couple years."
"They're not dating at all," I scoffed. "Not until they're thirty."
Cade laughed at that; Optimus gave a rumbling chuckle. Saoirse and Eden were sleeping with their twin cousins in Bee's vehicle form. The scout Autobot offered to let them rest with him and the others, and Optimus and I didn't mind at all.
"Shouldn't you be resting, Desirée?" Optimus rumbled.
I gave a sloppy shrug. "I'm not tired," I said nonchalantly. "Besides, I want to spend some time with you guys." I didn't want to tell Optimus it was because he'd probably be leaving the plan it once Lockdown and KSI had been finished; he didn't need me putting my worries on him.
Cade gave me a friendly smile. "I should probably be heading to bed," he said, yawning. "Gotta big day tomorrow."
"G'night," I said. He waved his good night before finding himself a place to rest.
Tessa and Shane had found themselves separate places to rest, but close enough to each other where they wouldn't get in trouble. I rolled my eyes at that.
"You're worried," Optimus rumbled, kneeling down to look at me.
"I'm scared," I corrected.
Optimus reached out and gently stroked my hair, a sensation I hadn't experienced in a long time. I shuddered at the feeling, it was pleasant.
"Why?"
"This whole mess scares me," I said, trying to avoid the real reason. "Lockdown's hunting you, KSI is melting Autobots to make new things...I'm scared."
Optimus didn't say anything, he just looked at me. His optics studied me closely, as if checking to see if I had lied. Transforming into his new truck form, he activated the Holoform. I had almost forgotten he could do that.
The Holoform approached me, his large hands gently cupping my face. "What's the real reason?" he murmured, brushing his lips against my forehead.
"When this is all over, when you guys have finished your plans to stop KSI, are you guys going to leave?" I asked softly.
"Leave?" Optimus looked at me for a minute, as if he were trying to comprehend what I said. "What do you mean 'leave'?"
"Leave the planet," I clarified. "Are you all planning on leaving the planet?"
Optimus's shoulder sagged. His eyes looked down. "I don't know," he said softly.
I pursed my lips, forcing down the emotions I felt. "Oh."
"Desirée..." Optimus began.
"I'm tired." I shoved his hands off of me, backing up a bit. Optimus looked pained, trying to find the words to say. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
I turned and left.
The next morning I woke up early, telling Cade that I was joining them on their little journey to KSI. Cade seemed hesitant, asking if Optimus would be upset with that.
"I just want to help," I said curtly. "Abby and Blossom agreed to watch the girls; Optimus will be occupied anyway."
Cade nodded slowly.
In the end, Shane, Cade, and I were the ones who went with Bee. Shane's face had been used on the ID so we'd get in without any trouble; I made sure to wear something somewhat professional (a nice pair of blue jeans, a nice white long sleeved shirt, and a dark blue jacket).
Bee, who hadn't chosen a new form, would be used as a decoy for "scanning" while Cade looked around.
As we came to a checking point, men in uniforms holding guns inspected any oncoming vehicles.
We came to a stop, a few cars ahead of us were being inspected.
"Calm down, calm down," Shane murmured to himself. He was wearing sunglasses, his hands trembling as he tried attaching his ID to his jacket.
"You know, at a time like this, the idea is to keep cool, not look cool; so why don't you lose the glasses?" Cade kept his voice level, looking straight ahead.
Shane quickly took off his sunglasses, trying to calm himself down.
"About a month ago, the middle of the night, I thought I heard noises in my house, was that you?" There was a tone in Cade's voice that only a father would have. That tone of 'I'm-gonna-kill-you-if-I-find-out-you-touched-my-daughter' tone. I looked at Shane before I looked at Cade; he was trying to hide the anger in his expression.
"What?" Shane hissed. "Come on, no way."
"Don't lie to me, kid," Cade said. "You see that guy with the gun?" The question was vague, but I knew Shane was getting even more frightened by Cade's interrogation, his fatherly protection mode.
"There's so many guys with guns," Shane said, trying to calm himself down.
"Let's go out and tell them we're about to break in and it's your idea," Cade said, "cause I don't care. I'm old. I've already lived long enough."
"You have a really bad habit of having these conversations at the wrong time, man." Shane gave his girlfriend's father a desperate look.
"You wanna come clean or do you want me to make a mess?" Cade threatened, looking at one of the armed men in front of us. Since Cade's window had already been rolled down, he motioned one of those men over. "Sir, can I talk to you for a second?" he began, shifting so he'd open the door.
My eyes widened when the armed man stepped forward toward Cade.
"It was me, it was me!" Shane hissed before the man got too close.
Cade told the man never mind before shutting the slightly opened door. He had a semi-satisfied look on his face.
By then, we had moved up and the armed men were inspecting Bee. I tried to avoid eye contact, making sure I had my sunglasses adjusted right. One of the armed men took a look at Shane's false ID, looking at Shane to make sure it was really him.
"Taking in for scanning?" the man asked. Shane nodded, trying to look calm and collected. "Alright, you're good."
Once the man was gone, Cade gave Shane a quick death glare as we drove on.
"I'm literally going to kill you," Cade threatened.
Once we were inside, we found a large area where some sleek looking cars were parked. Some employees, a few dressed in hazmat suits, others dressed professionally, walked by, not even glancing at us.
A larger doorway on the other side of the room was where we went through. A commercial with a woman dressed in a small white dress was on a large screen on the wall.
"We took all the alien technology, and made it better in every way. Introducing 'Stinger'..." A large pink, black, and silver robot stood in the center of the room. It almost looked like Bee...except bulkier and shinier. A model of it in car version was parked beside it. Miniaturized cranes held the humanoid version of it up.
"It kinda looks like you, Bee," I said, once we came to a park. Cade and I got out, looking around slowly.
The engine revved at that.
I honestly wasn't impressed with all the high-tech stuff. KSI was known for trying to "create the future", but it was a superficial, corrupted business.
"They're trying to build their own version," Cade said.
"At least they're making cooler cars than this," Shane said. Bee's radio chirped; the steering wheel shooting out and hitting Shane in the face, keeping him stuck in his seat.
"You never insult how Bee looks," I said, not even phased by Bee's aggression. "Especially with what's been going on lately."
"You talk to me like that?" Bee's radio said. Cade rushed to their side, trying to ease the situation. "Now get out of here."
Shane stumbled out of the driver's side, looking slightly pained.
The commercial had started up again, but with a different ending. "...'Stinger', inspired by Bumblebee, but better in every way..."
Bee's radio chirped angrily, he started driving around near the model, leaving tire marks on the clean floors. We tried to calm him down, but Bumblebee was infuriated.
When we heard voices, Bee came to a skidding halt. We all looked to where the voices were coming from, hoping they hadn't heard the commotion.
A well dressed man and a bunch of other people were walking by, the man talking to an Asian woman.
Bee kept revving his engine, interrupting their conversation.
"Hey!" the man called. "You three! Grease monkeys. The hell is going on here?" He said the last part quietly once he approached us. "What's with this vintage crap? We're not scanning collector junk. What do you think it is that we make here? We make poetry. We are poets. Alright? You work for me? Make one mistake. One. Understood?"
Cade started agreeing with him. Once the drama king walked off, leading the Asian woman and the others in another direction, Cade turned to us.
"Watch him while I see what I can find," he murmured. "Quietly get out of here."
Cade took off while Shane and I stood around Bee awkwardly. The moment Cade was out of sight, Bee transformed, looking at the mimicked version of himself angrily.
"Bee, calm down," I said.
"I'm perfectly calm," the radio played.
"You gotta breathe or do whatever it is you do..." Shane tried.
"I'm calm, I'm calm!" Bee reached up and grabbed the model's face, scrutinizing it. "I'm not touching it...I'm barely touching it, I'm barely touching it."
I ran a hand through my hair.
"Bee, please stop!" I hissed.
Shane looked just as distressed as me.
"Turn back into a car right now," he ordered.
"Get outta my face." He waved the Irishman off dismissively.
Walking up to the screen, another commercial, one interviewing different people, had started.
"So our designs started with 'The Bumblebee'...
But really, this alien's design was...decrepit and, let's face it, antique..."
Bee cursed at the screen, his hands clenching into fists.
"...kinda old and ratty and used and ugly..."
Bee's anger skyrocketed. "Oh, hell no!" he played. "You think you're...Better than me!" Bee turned and stormed over to the Stinger model, kicking it down. The wires holding it up snapped as it lurched forward.
Shane and I tried to calm the rampaging Autobot's temper, but he was beyond infuriated. When we heard footsteps, Bee transformed beside Shane and I, seemingly proud of his work.
A man and his assistants walked into the room, seeing the mess the Autobot had created.
"What did you do?" he snapped. Bee's radio started playing 'Can't Touch This'. Shane and I stood there, not sure what to do or say. "My office, five minutes!"
QUICKY A/N:
THIS IS THE LAST CH. I UPDATE FOR MY WINTER BREAK. I GO BACK TO SCHOOL TOMORROW. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO SUPPORTIVE, AND FOR ENJOYING THIS STORY SO MUCH. I HOPE YOUR HOLIDAYS WERE FUN, AND YOUR NEW YEAR FANTASTIC.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME 800+ REVIEWS, I DIDN'T THINK I'D GET THAT MANY.
HAVE A FANTASTIC 2015, EVERYONE!
THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL.
READ , REVIEW, ENJOY!
YOURS TRULY,
~SMITHY