187

"Punch, hold, slide, repeat!" Shane and Cade exclaimed, confirming what Crosshairs informed. Pushing one of the levers closest to them, the guns started firing at the remaining enemy ships Crosshairs didn't get.

Bee did his best to avoid getting shot, but worked it so we were given a chance to take the enemies down. Shane and Cade quickly learned how to work the weapons, getting excited every time one got hit.

The other ships started coming in faster, and Bee lowered the ship so we were going under a bridge. Bee tried avoiding cars and being shot at; Cade and Shane tried shooting at the enemies, but it was difficult when a bunch of cars and people were in the way. They ended up taking down two enemy drones, the ships exploding and crashing. The sounds of cars honking their horns and seeing them speed past us, it was weird. Then, suddenly, Bee jerked the ship up and we crashed through the top. The Autobot tried getting control of the ship, but it ended up crashing through a truck shipping beer and the part Shane and the rest of us were on crashed on top of a car a few feet away.

Smoke and fire surrounded the area where we crashed. The piece that fell off the ship was sparking and the exposed wires were giving some sparks as well.

Cade checked to see if Tessa was OK, relieved when she didn't looked too injured.

"OK, sir?" A man came out of the car we landed on, looking a bit shaken up and angry. He didn't look severely injured. "You better have insurance."

Cade gave him a look. "Insurance?" he said. "It's a freaking spaceship." He grabbed the man by the collar. "You don't get insurance on a freaking spaceship. Good luck with that, buddy." Shoving the man away, Cade picked up one of the many beer bottles littering the ground and opened it on the man's car door. He took a sip from it, not taking his eyes from the man, before he threw it on the ground. Turning to Tessa, he said, "Sweetie, hand me my alien gun." The man looked petrified.

"Here you go," Tessa said.

The man was running down the road by the time Cade turned around.

"Trust your dad," Cade said.

Lockdown's ship was still hovering over Chicago, the sound of people screaming filled the air. After a minute or two, it flew off but a remaining part of the ship stayed, probably a mini ship.

Bee was able to find the Abby and a few of the others (Crosshairs picked up some of them, telling Bee via ComLink to pick up the rest) and drove to the location the ship that detached itself from Lockdown's landed. Crash landed would be a better word.

We all piled out of Bee, walking toward the giant ship.

"Let's give Bumblebee the good news," Crosshairs said. "We got a ship now. We're leaving."

The other Autobots stood around, not saying a single word. And I knew I wasn't the only one with a heartbroken expression. Abby had given me Saoirse and Eden, both unharmed. I refused to look at Optimus.

"You humans," he said quietly. "After all we have done...You don't know what you've wrought upon yourselves."

"What?" Cade exclaimed. "What did we do now?! What are you talking about! I mean, I'm doing stuff out of my league here!"

"You don't see who's controlling who," Optimus continued. "Within that man made prototype I fought, I sensed the presence of Megatron."

My blood ran cold. They found remains of Megatron and experimented on it? That big grey truck was a Megatron copy?

"You mean that Decepticon that started the Chicago war?" Cade asked.

"How do you think KSI built those bots in the first place, hm?" Looking to where the voice was, we saw Brains. "They had a whole mess of dead Decepticon heads and they were downloading their minds. And I was in charge of autopsy duty. They hooked me up to Megatron and that mind wasn't as dead as they thought. He fed them the science, all so they could build him a brand new body! Then he inspected it, with his evil, nasty chromosomes. KSI might have named it the slappy name 'Galvatron', but that's just Megatron reincarnated."

"You knew this and didn't warn them?" I asked.

"Little girl, you go to a pretty dark place when you're on death row," Brains said darkly. "He's been playing KSI all this time. All so that he could manipulate 'em into going after the Seed."

"Wait, the Seed?" Shane asked.

"Those nasty soldiers who were chasing us," Tessa said quietly. "I saw them board the ship and they took something that they called the Seed."

"Sixty million years ago, give or take, an eon..." Hound started.

"Thousands of planets were Cyberformed with Seeds," Optimus continued. "They turned your organic life into our elemental metals. Our Creators destroyed your world, to make us."

"And that's what Galvatron wants to happen again," Brains exclaimed. "He wants to detonate that Seed in the biggest city and kill millions. He's going to show the world 'Baby, I'm back'."

"The blast-wave will incinerate that city in molten metal," Optimus explained. "He'll have enough to build a massive army. And annihilate your species forever."

"You dumb, greedy bastards just brought extinction on yourselves," Brains said. "Not my problem, though. I'm free, at last. Everything worked out good for me."

"We gotta get the Seed," Cade said. "Before Galvatron does."

Abby and the rest of us hung back as the Autobots and Cade thought up a plan.

"They're just gonna leave," Blossom said. "It's like we didn't mean anything to them."

"Cybertronians are supposed to love deeply," Abby spat. "They don't seem to mind leaving us."

"After everything they've been through, leaving is their only option." I held Saoirse and Eden close to me, happy to finally have my girls back.

"You're OK with them leaving?" Mya asked.

"At this point, I don't care," I said. "I've been through enough emotional bullshit. If Optimus and the others are so excited to leave, they should leave."

"But what about your kids?" Rosalyn asked. "You want them to grow up without a father?"

"If he really wanted to be their father, he'd stay," I said flatly. "Now I know what he really wants. And it's not his kids."

Optimus POV

The Prime could feel the anger and pain coming from Desirée. She was giving up on him. He knew she was. His Spark ached with regret. He wished things could have turned out differently, that he didn't have to see her upset all the time.

The old Desirée Witwicky would have looked at everything positively. The Desirée he saw before him was dark, angry. He tried not to let his emotions show. Optimus had to stay strong for his soldiers, it was his duty as Prime...

But how was he expected to stay strong when his Sparkmate was in constant anger and pain? He hadn't done a good job at protecting her or their Sparklings. He'd only done a good job at protecting himself and his soldiers.

And Crosshairs...he was eager to leave earth behind. No second glances, no hesitation. Optimus felt the need to leave, as well, but he still had Desirée and his Sparklings. Some of the other Autobots had their own Sparklings and loved ones on earth, as well. His facial plates turned down into a deeper frown.

After a few hours of planning, Cade left the group. He went over to the other humans, their humans, and led them somewhere else. Optimus's optics followed Desirée and his Sparklings. Not once did Desirée Witwicky look at him.

Not once did she even acknowledge him.

Desirée POV

Since that ship crash landed near a railroad, where a bunch of old trains and other stuff were placed all over the railroads and everything, Cade found something to break the chain lock on a doorway where some trains were parked.

"Dad, I'm tired of running and stealing," Tessa said.

"A place to sleep," Cade said, dismissing what his daughter said.

"Just another break in," Shane said.

When we were all in the train, and mostly everyone found a place to sleep, Shane, Cade, and I were the only ones who were awake.

"When I was your age," Cade said, "I liked to get a little wild. I liked cars, girls...then there was Tessa. When she was born, all I wanted for her was to be happy, healthy, and safe. Somehow I thought I'd be enough to protect her. But I won't be. I'll never be. So somebody better be." He looked at Shane. "Thanks for being here today, Lucky Charms," he said.

"Well, thanks for not shooting me when you had the chance," Shane said.

"Oh I have more," Cade warned.

Shane nodded. "Yeah, I can see that."

"How's your shoulder?" Cade asked, looking at me.

I looked at them for a moment, surprised, before I shrugged.

"It's fine," I said dismissively. "Thanks."

The next morning we woke up early. We wanted this finished as soon as possible.

"We've intercepted the encrypted communications," Drift informed us. "Joshua Joyce is headed to his factory in Guangzhou, China."

Cade and Shane walked away, saying they'd be back in a few minutes. While we waited, Optimus approached the girls and I.

"Desirée..."

"I don't want to talk to you," I said sharply.

He looked down for a moment. "I know you're upset, but you must understand..."

"I understand perfectly," I snapped. "Megatron's been reincarnated, he's been controlling us for five years, humans are gonna be extinct, and you guys want to leave." Optimus looked shocked. "I know humanity messed up these past five years. We've done unforgivable things to you guys, but I never would've guessed you'd just pack up and leave right when something gets rough."

"How many of my Autobots must be slaughtered because of humanity's mistakes?" Optimus said.

"How many people are you going to hurt because you want to leave?" I countered. "Cybertronians love on a deeper level than humans. And you want to pack up as if nothing happened between us." I nodded. "Good luck out there. Maybe you'll find some other lucky lady to have a family with."

"How fast can that thing get us halfway around the world?" Cade asked, having finished whatever he and Shane were doing.

"Very," Drift said, smirking proudly. "It's a spaceship."

Helicopters flew overhead, catching our attention. The helicopters circled around where we were. The distant sound of sirens was added to the mix. We all ran toward where the sirens were coming from and when we found a road from where we were perched, dozens of police cars and black SUVs were driving toward us.

"If we're traveling, now's the time," Hound said, his guns ready.

"All I want is for us to have our lives back," Cade said, looking at Tessa. "It's your call, whatever you want. Are we safer on our own, or are we safer with them?"

After a few moments, Tessa turned and walked toward the Autobots. I turned and walked behind her.

"She's a keeper," I heard Shane say. "Must take after her mom."

We loaded onto the ship.

"Move," Optimus ordered. "We're retrieving the Seed. Then we're done defending the humans."

"Done?" Cade exclaimed. "What do you mean you're done?"

"It means finished, see ya, goodbye," Crosshairs clarified.

By the time the police and the other law enforcement people made it to us, we were already taking off. I sat down, keeping the girls close to me. They were enchanted by the scenery. Occasionally they'd go to Optimus, and they'd tell him how they thought everything looked cool and big. I tried to push down that warm feeling in my chest. They loved their father unconditionally. I still loved Optimus, deep down. I wanted him to stay, the rest of the Autobots, too, but they've served us long enough. Maybe them leaving was a good thing.

Cade POV

Cade Yeager sat with the alien gun on his lap. Tessa and Shane were sitting near a large window, watching the scenery. Though he wouldn't admit it, and despite his cowardice on the ship when they went to save Desirée and Tess, Cade found his daughter's boyfriend to be decent enough for his only child. He didn't completely trust the Irishman yet, but maybe he will one day. Maybe.

Glancing over, Desirée and her girls were interacting, a smile on Desirée's face. A real smile. Cade thought of Desirée as a good friend, and, in a way, filling that motherly role Tessa hadn't experienced in years. But despite that smile on his friend's face, he could see the pain. Optimus was her husband. And he wanted to leave.

Cade could see the pain on just about everyone's faces. Desirée's friends and family were broken people (and Autobots). All they've known was pain.

Optimus stood nearby, but close enough to Cade that if they wanted to talk, it wouldn't be overheard by the others.

And Cade wanted to talk.

"When you said you were done fighting for humans, you didn't mean that, did you?"

"How many more of my kind must be sacrificed to atone for your mistakes?" Optimus rumbled.

"What do you think being human means? That's what we do. We make mistakes. Sometimes out of those mistakes comes the most amazing things. When Desirée asked me to fix you, I wanted a reward. That was it. That was why. For money. And that was me making a mistake. Without it, you wouldn't be here. Desirée wouldn't have a husband, and your kids wouldn't have a father. Your kids need both parents, Prime. If you've got no faith in us, I'm asking you to do what I do. I'm asking you to look at all the junk and see the treasure. You gotta have faith, Prime."

Optimus looked at Cade warily.

Cade hoped what he said made any sort of difference. He didn't want any of his new-found friends to look so upset and hopeless.

QUICKY A/N:

Hello! I hope you like this update! Sorry it took so long to put up, but here it is. It's getting a little closer to the end of AGE OF EXTINCTION.

Sorry I didn't update yesterday, my sister took me to see that new Hobbit movie, and it was really good!

Anywho, enough of my ramblings. You already know nothing in the TRANSFORMERS MOVIEVERSE is mine. I only own my fillers and my characters. You guys know the four OC'S aren't mine, either. I shouldn't have to keep doing a disclaimer every update, but...oh, well.

Have a lovely weekend! I hope this update was to your liking, if you want me to make any changes, just let me know! I hope you liked seeing the end in Cade's POV. I might do more of that as the story progresses.

THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL.

READ, REVIEW, ENJOY!

YOURS TRULY,

~ SMITHY