Ok! We're finally getting somewhere lol! I know these last chapters haven't been super exciting, but this one kicks off some action, so be prepared! :)
I hope you guys are enjoying this little journey! Cus I love writing it!
God Bless and Happy Holidays!
~The Lupine Sojourner
The morning routine of yesterday repeated, Mayfly tapping excitedly on my window.
"Good morning." I greet, yawning as I open the window.
Mayfly tilts her head. "Good…morning."
"It's a greeting we use for the morning, which is when the sun comes up. When it reaches its zenith and past it, we call that afternoon, and when it gets close to sunset, we call it evening." I explain.
"You humans have terms for everything." She chuckles.
"We do." I agree, grabbing a floral 3-quarter-sleeve tunic and black capris with black flats, as it looked like it was going to be a warm day. This time, Mayfly remembers I'd said I didn't want her watching me get dressed, so I pull the curtain closed as she turns toward the driveway, chuckling until I opened the curtain again. She still didn't get why humans value privacy, but I suppose when you don't have to put on clothes every day, that wouldn't make sense to you.
Either way, I head to the kitchen, open the window, and make a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast with fresh strawberry jam from a farmer's market as the coffee brews.
"So what happens if B-127 isn't at Charlie's house?" Mayfly asks, head nearly completely filling the window.
"Easy." I call, worried. "Can you back up just a little?" If she scuffs up the sill, Uncle Jack will notice, even if I clean the sill. He's got a sixth sense, I swear. She moves back a little. "Now, to answer your question, I figure we'll just try the junkyard. If he's not there, we'll look around used car dealerships-where you scanned your vehicle mode-and if he's not there…I'm sure you know how to thoroughly search an area like this." I shrug.
Mayfly laughs. "I do have some search routines we can follow, but I'd need some more information on the roadways to configure search patterns." She agrees.
"Well, you'll have time to figure it out." I muse. "I forgot it's Friday, so I work a few more hours today. But I'll be out as fast as I can."
Mayfly sighs. "And you're just now telling me?"
"Sorry! I've been a little distracted!" I reply, laughing. "But like I said, I'll come out as quick as I can and if my coworkers ask, I'll say Charlie finally got back to me. Then we go look for B-127 til we find him."
"Sounds good." Mayfly nods, smiling. "I know I've said it before, but I do appreciate you trying to help me." She says, getting serious.
"Of course." I pat her cheek. "I'd hope you'd help me if I were in your shoes, so I want to help you if I can. I just wish I could do more."
"I do, too, but there's not really anything else we can do, either of us." She slumps briefly, then straightens. "But we'll find him, somehow."
"We will." I assure her. "Some way, somehow." I grab my purse and drink the last of my coffee. "Oh, I gotta get lunch ready!" I squeak, having nearly forgotten. "Uh…I think we have spaghetti and meatballs somewhere." I dig in the fridge and grab the food, then I grab a container and a fork. Soon, I toss the container and fork in my lunchbox with an icepack. "Normally, I don't bring much food cus I'm only working about 4 hours, but today I'm working later, so I need more food." I explain, feeling Mayfly's eyes watching me curiously.
"Hmm…and how many times do you need to eat in a…day, you said?"
I nod. "Uh…about three meals like you've seen me eat. Why?"
"Just curious. We only need Energon occasionally." Mayfly explains.
"Huh." Knowing the difference in how our species kept track of time and perceived it, that could mean a year, ten years, or even fifty years. There's no telling. Regardless, I jog back to my room to put on a necklace and grab a jacket in case it's cooler than I thought at work or later today while we're driving around. "Alright, let's go!"
The drive is the same as it's been the last few days, the two of us mentally forming plans for later that day.
"The internet might help me learn the town's roadways, just in case." Mayfly muses.
"Maybe." I agree. "And maybe I can find a map of the town at the library. We have pamphlets of local attractions so we might have a map."
"That would also help, but I might need to transform to scan it, depending."
"Well then, once we've gotten to Charlie's house, we can maybe let you transform so Charlie knows I know about Cybertronians."
"Good thinking, but won't her family be concerned if two giant robots are suddenly at their house?"
I shrug, chuckling a little. "Well, I figure she's got a big garage. Might be big enough for you to transform in, just maybe not move around much, especially if B-127 is there."
"I see. Well, we'll figure it out when we get there."
"That we will." We pull into the library parking lot and Mayfly parks where she had yesterday. "I'll be out as soon as I can." I remind her as I grab my things and open the door.
"I'll see you later, Robyn." Mayfly replies. I wave in acknowledgement and walk into work.
Of course, time went by at a crawl, my eagerness to go look for B-127 making time feel unbelievably slow.
A few coworkers, including my supervisor, notice I seem 'on edge' or 'fidgety', as they put it, and I just say I'm excited to celebrate my birthday with Charlie when I get off and they accept that explanation.
When my break comes around and I can eat my lunch, I decide to take my food outside, telling anyone who notices I want to enjoy the fresh air.
I grab a map pamphlet as well.
"Are you done already?" Mayfly asks when I sit down in the driver seat.
"No, I'm just going stir-crazy in there." I retort, blowing on my food to cool it. "Plus, I figure you might be bored, too."
"Actually, picked up some interesting law enforcement conversations. They put out something called an APB on a 'yellow beetle', whatever that means, that was speeding down a roadway and, to quote the report, 'driving its damn self'. The officer was most insistent on that point."
I chuckle. "A Beetle is a kind of car, and an APB means All Points Bulletin. Means they really want to find that car. You thinking what I'm thinking?" I ask.
"Yeah…so much for being covert." Mayfly sighs. "They're still looking for him, and if they find him we'll have to bust him out of wherever they take him."
"Or he'll bust himself out." I point out. "But if he's as capable as you, he shouldn't have a problem evading the police."
"Fair point, and thank you for the compliment."
"Of course." I eat in silence for a while. "By the way, do you think the others would be ok meeting me when they get here?" I set my lunch aside. "I'd love to meet them. Especially Optimus."
Mayfly hums in thought for a moment. "Perhaps. I'll talk to them either way. I've notified Optimus about our slow progress and he agrees we need to find B-127 sooner than later, especially with those Decepticons on the loose." The car vibrates as if Mayfly is shuddering. "I hate to think what they might be doing…"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." I reply, eating the last of my lunch.
"That's an interesting saying." Mayfly chuckles.
"It just means we'll worry about that when it comes to it, basically." I explain shortly.
"Hmm. I like it."
"Me, too. I don't have a lot more time for lunch, but I get off at 6:00 tonight."
"Good to know. And how would I-oh. These numbers on the audio system?"
I nod. "Yep. When they say 6:00, I'll be out."
"Alright."
"I need to wash this container, so I'll head back inside, but I'll see you soon." I remember the pamphlet and grab it. "Oh, yeah! Here's the street map."
"Good. Hold it up, please."
The same light that showed when Mayfly scanned the car briefly shines from somewhere in the radio system, then she hums a little. "I'll figure this out while I'm waiting for 6." She says.
"You know the cardinal points, right? North, south, east, west?"
"Of course."
"This map is showing to the north, so rotate the map as needed."
"Good to know. Now, you should go. Don't want to hold you up." She opens the door.
"Thanks." I walk back inside.
To pass the last few hours, I shelve books around the library, which does pass the time a bit, then I'm checking things in and setting them on carts in alphabetical order and soon, I'm half an hour away from walking out to Mayfly.
"Hey, Robyn, you're still meeting your friend for your birthday, right?" Elizabeth, another coworker and assistant to the supervisor, asks.
"Uh, yeah, act-" A car alarm interrupts me. Elizabeth and I go to the nearby big window and- "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Mayfly has her headlights flashing and the car alarm going. "Uh…must've told my friend the wrong time to pick me up. I'm sorry. She's being rude!" My cheeks flush red in embarrassment.
"No, it's fine. I was about to say we can cut you a little early since we're slow. Grab your stuff."
I do so quickly, apologizing again as I walk outside. Mayfly whips around to pick me up.
"What the hell was that?!" I snap, tossing my things in the passenger seat and fuming as I buckle in. "Why would you-"
"I found him!"
"Wait what?!" I lean forward. "How?"
"He must've gotten a dose of Energon or something and got a surge of energy, but didn't remember to keep his signal dampened. I don't know, but I have the coordinates and thanks to your map, I know how to get there."
"Can you show me the coordinates?" I ask. When she does, I can't help a laugh. "I knew it! That's Charlie's house!" I fist pump. "I knew she was helping him!"
"Your hunch was correct!"
We speed down the roads and I have to remind Mayfly there might be police. She reluctantly follows traffic laws (something I realize I forgot to teach her but she seems to know, probably from accessing the internet and learning them that way) til we get close to Charlie's house.
Once we get there, she slows, idling in the driveway as I unbuckle. I don't see any cars except the station-wagon, but he's probably in the garage.
The front door is open as I get out of Mayfly.
"-won't even have to deal with me!" Charlie is yelling, slamming the door and bee-lining for the garage.
"Charlie-" I start.
"Not now!" She snaps, opening the garage briefly. I get a glimpse of a yellow Volkswagen Beetle inside and I swear someone else is in there, too, but then the door closes.
I get back in Mayfly. "She's upset, but I'd say B-127 is in there, alright." I report, buckling back in. "Back up. We'll follow her. She's probably going for a drive."
"But he's right there!" Mayfly protests, even as she backs up.
"I know, and once she stops, we'll talk, I promise, but until then we'll just follow her, ok?"
"Fine." Mayfly grumbles. "But I'll try the comm lines again now I locked onto his signal. You'll have to drive."
"Fair enough." I say as we start following Charlie and some other person I don't recognize.
We follow them toward the cliffs at the edge of town.
"Ergh! Primus, this doesn't make sense!" Mayfly groans.
"What is it?"
"He's not picking up the comm line!" She replies. "I keep trying but it's dead! I even lessened the dampeners so he'll pick it up easier!"
I blink, unsure how to reply. "Well, if Charlie's going to the cliffs, we're almost there." I point out. "I'm sorry, I know this is frustrating, but we'll sort this all out soon, I-whoa!" I slam on the brakes as I notice several cars ahead of us. Then, out in front of other agents, I see Uncle Jack. And he looks pissed. "Oh…shit."
"He must have picked up the signal, too." Mayfly says.
I frown. "Must have. Don't do anything, ok? Let me talk to him." I get out and immediately agents start toward me, trying to get between me and Mayfly. "Hold on!" I snap, backing up til I was practically sitting on Mayfly's hood. "I-"
"You lied to me, young lady." Uncle Jack interrupts.
I turn to him. "...I know, and I'm sorry, but please just listen to me." I put my hands up. "I know you probably met him" I gesture to B-127 "at the training site and you were understandably scared and shot first, so he had to get away, but-"
"That thing tell you all that?" He narrows his eyes, gesturing angrily at Mayfly.
"Her name is M-196, but I call her Mayfly." I explain, noting Uncle Jack's eyes narrowing almost in recognition. Weird... "She's an Autobot, or autonomous robotic organism. She's not here to hurt anyone, neither is he." I point again to B-127, where Charlie is getting out of the car.
"Robyn?" She asks, looking at me. "What is going on?" Her eyes look over Mayfly and she sees the Autobot insignia, eyes widening a little in recognition.
"I met her a few days ago, on our birthday." I reply, partly to answer her question, and partly to continue explaining to Uncle Jack, patting Mayfly's hood. "She's been telling me the situation with B-127-"
"Then you lied to me about not seeing the 'meteor' crash." Uncle Jack snaps.
"You know him?" Charlie asks.
"Uncle Jack, Charlie. Charlie, Uncle Jack." I introduce, then turn back to Uncle Jack, who is scowling at me. "These two are friendly, but there's two Decepticons out there who want to kill them." I continue.
"What?" Charlie breaths in shock. "How do you know?"
"Mayfly picked up their signals coming down as she was coming down. They landed in Texas." I reply. "Look, the Autobots are just trying to regroup. They had to leave their home, Cybertron, because the Decepticons have waged war on them for centuries, destroying the planet til it's barely habitable. They're just trying to collect themselves so they can go home and stop the war before their planet is doomed."
"No, they're dangerous fugitives and they need to be contained!" Uncle Jack snaps in a cold voice I'm not used to. "Move in!"
"No, stop!" I cry as agents start moving in again, grabbing me, Charlie, and that other guy whose name I still don't know. They have an iron grip as I struggle to not be taken from Mayfly. It doesn't work as my feet drag further from her, gravel getting in my shoes as I try to plant my feet. "Stop! Ow! Let. Me. Go!" I'm nearly thrown to the ground when suddenly, Mayfly decides to intervene, transforming into a crouch, slamming an angry fist into the ground.
"Enough!" She roars, literally flicking the agents away from me, still crouching. "Do not touch her again." She warns, leaning over me protectively, a mask covering her face and her goggles over her eyes, fingers poised to flick again.
"Whoa!" Charlie exclaims and I see B-127 has followed Mayfly's example and is protectively standing over Charlie, arm around her.
"Thank you, but you gave them a concussion!" I snap at Mayfly.
"I'm not sorry." She replies, letting the mask slip back to wherever it rests when she's not using it, the goggles going back to the top of her head. She doesn't move away from me, glowering at the agents.
I turn to Uncle Jack. "Ok, I'm sorry she did that, but if you can let me finish-"
Mayfly lets out a scream as the sound of tasers fill my ears. She collapses with a loud thud, barely avoiding me as she writhes in pain, visible electricity coursing through her.
"Mayfly!" I exclaim, instinctively backing up, then the agents grab me again, having recovered quickly, and drag me more forcefully toward the car near Uncle Jack, arms secure around my waist and pinning my arms as I struggle to get to Mayfly. "No, stop! Mayfly!" I scream. "Don't hurt her!"
"I told you she's dangerous." Uncle Jack all but growls. Then turns to other agents who are going to do the same to B-127.
"Run!" The young man cries.
"No, don't run! Do not run!" Uncle Jack snaps back. "Especially you!" He points at me.
Of course B-127 doesn't listen and takes off with Charlie in his arms as I'm hauled to the car.
"Why won't you just listen to me?!" I snap as I pass Uncle Jack.
"They're dangerous." Is his only reply. "You can explain everything to Dr. Powell when we've contained them."
I feel my heart ache in a thousand emotions as I'm roughly sat in the car, the door slamming in my face.
Tears of hurt, confusion and betrayal start flowing as I watch Mayfly get hauled onto some kind of semi-truck equipped with a wide trailer to restrain and move her, the tasers still electrocuting her.
Why couldn't Uncle Jack have just listened? Why was he acting like this?
He always said he doesn't like to bring work home, and so I'd never seen him in action, and now I have…
It's terrifying.
I turn away as Uncle Jack and some agents get in a car, squeezing me into the middle seat, and pursue B-127, who-
"No!" I cry, more tears flowing as I watch B-127 get pounded by two more Cybertronians, who I assume are the Decepticons. They seem to have Earth vehicle modes, from what I can-that means…oh. Oh, no.
The Cons have manipulated my uncle! They lied to him! That's why he called B-127 and Mayfly dangerous fugitives! He's working with them!
I lean forward, desperate to make him understand the truth. "Those are the Decepticons, the ones I told you about!" I'm pulled back by the agents on either side of me. "You have to trust me! I don't know what they told you, but they're the dangerous ones, not the Autobots!"
Uncle Jack parks and unbuckles. "Save it." He gets out and agents tase B-127 like they did to Mayfly, who seems to have passed out, or whatever the Cybertronian equivalent is.
Charlie makes the mistake of touching B-127 and collapses.
As B-127 is loaded onto another trailer and chained down, having passed out, as well, I feel more tears flow as the realization that I can't reason with my uncle sinks in.
Whatever the Cons told him, it convinced him they're right.
The drive to the base this whole mess started near was short, thankfully, but dreadfully tense and lonely. I didn't have anything to say and Uncle Jack was not even acknowledging me.
I'm all but hauled out of the car and taken directly into the building when we arrive, barely seeing Mayfly chained up, with electric wires to keep her from moving, while she is still passed out.
The Cons are hauling Bee toward a crane hook, probably to interrogate him first.
Mayfly is starting to come awake as I leave her line of sight and I'm brought to a side room with a table and chairs, presumably an interrogation room of some kind.
I'm sat harshly on a seat at a table.
"Ow!" I hiss, adjusting myself.
"You're lucky you're not in handcuffs, young lady." Uncle Jack all but growls, arms crossed.
"What? I didn't do anything wrong!" I protest.
"Except fraternize with fugitives and lead said fugitive to assault two of my agents."
"I didn't tell her to do that! They were starting to hurt me, so she intervened! She's not dangerous!"
"Tell that to Dr. Powell." Is the only reply I get before the agents and my uncle leave the room, slamming and locking the door behind me.
I flinch at the loud noise, helpless tears welling in my eyes as a lot of emotions run through me.
Uncle Jack had never ever acted like this with me. It's terrifying! I can't reason with him! He isn't listening at all!
And now the Decepticons have B-127 and Mayfly, and Lord knows what they'd do to them to get information…
It feels hopeless. I can't do anything to stop them, locked in here.
Then a thought occurs to me. Whoever this Dr. Powell is, I could maybe convince him that the Autobots aren't fugitives and get him to talk to Uncle Jack or let me see Mayfly.
Now resolved to at least try, I sit and wait for someone to come through the door.