The next morning, Daphne was currently reading a book while she was sitting outside of the barn, the door open. She was taking a small break from fixing up Elita and Optimus, with Braedey working around the clock to get the two Autobots back into fighting shape, and be ready to roll out.
Daphne now saw Lucas' Mini Cooper pull up and come to a stop nearby. Lucas exits his vehicle. "I'm back!" He called.
"What took you so long?" Daphne inquired with a look. "Daddy won't be happy about you being late."
"Hey, my head hurts. I had to go to the doctor. I got a welt on my head that makes me look like a freaking Star Trek character." Lucas groaned out as he made his way into the barn with everything he got.
Daphne shook her head and goes back to reading her book. As she does, she could hear her father talking to Optimus and Elita about what they called 'the good old days', and she could tell they're reminiscing about the past before everything happened, and she cannot help but smile when she heard her father's voice speak out with enthusiasm and happiness.
But roughly about an hour or so later, Daphne could hear the sound of rumbling engines coming in fast in the distance. She stood up and she quickly made her way to the porch to look and see. Her eyes narrowed as she looks on, now seeing a trail of dust in the distance rising up from the dirt road that leads into the farm, as well as what looks to be two things in the air. Her blue eyes then widened as she could see four huge and black SUV vehicles driving at speed heading towards the house.
"DAD! We've got company!" Daphne called out.
Braedey and Lucas both heard this and they rush out of the barn, and they both can see the vans fast approaching, along with two helicopters heading towards them. Braedey looked back into the barn, now speaking out in Cybertronian to Optimus and Elita about the approaching vehicles and they have to hide. Optimus now grabs the huge slab of loose concrete from the floor. It would have taken at least six men to hoist the huge weight of it off the ground, but Optimus lifted it as if it weighed no more than a small hatchback. The concrete should help to conceal their spark signature from their technology. Elita climbed into the hole that's underneath, as Optimus let go of the concrete so that he was just supporting its weight with one arm. He also climbed in, and he lowered the concrete to hide from sight. With both the Autobots now hiding from sight, Braedey walked out of the barn calmly and casually, wiping his hands clean of the oil and grease, now walking towards the edge of the property line. Daphne stood by the porch, ready to run into the house if needed. Lucas emerged from behind a tree, his face scrunching in concentration as he looked at the approaching SUVs. There were three huge black jeep style SUVs, accompanied by two smaller sleeker vehicles that look like Rally Fighters off-road cars. Two helicopters follow closely behind them, flying overhead of the farm and starting to circle around the area like vultures.
The cars roll to a heavy stop with the dust settling around them, and almost immediately, men began emerging from the vehicles. Braedey could sense they all had the same air of arrogance about them. All walked with straight backs and raised shoulders. Men in black with rifles and sidearms exit the vans. One male individual in a black leather trenchcoat accompanied by blue aviator shades walked ahead to stand before Braedey. One could simply sense or even note of the tension among them all.
"Gentlemen. Can I help you?" Braedey started the conversation. "You all lost or something?"
"Mr. Martin, my name is James Savoy. I'm a federal agent." The individual spoke firstly to Braedey. "My men and I are trying to track down an abandoned truck." He looks around at the farm and the house around. "It's a nice spread you got here."
"Much obliged." Braedey acknowledged back. "An abandoned truck, you say? Well, Agent Savoy, I don't know what you're doing out here, but I have no clue what specific kind of truck you're talking about. Unless you mean my pick-up." He points over to the blue pickup truck.
Savoy shook his head in response. "Afraid not. You know, Mr. Martin, we had received a call from someone concerned about this truck. That wasn't you?" He quizzed and looks over to Braedey.
"Oh, no..." Braedey could hear Lucas mutter out, and the brunette instantly knew for a fact that Lucas had called in the C.I.A, and that is why they're here.
"No. And I'd appreciate if you and your men got off my property within the next few minutes." Braedey snapped calmly. "Like I said before to you, I don't know what kind of truck you're even talking about, unless you tell me what you are looking for."
Savoy then got close to Braedey's face. "The kind that cost American lives. Search the property!" He ordered to his men, all of them arming their weapons and beginning to look about the farm.
"Excuse me?!" Braedey demanded in shock. "Buddy, I don't see you with a warrant. You can't just go about my land."
"My face is my warrant." Savoy argued back.
Lucas gets on his knees. "If you guys do find a truck, we get a reward, right?" He asked.
Savoy's men immediately spread out around the land. The men sprang into action, releasing small drones into the air to look about the house and the property, looking about the barn and even the back sheds nearby the house, the helicopters doing the same as they fly overhead. Braedey glances over and saw several of the agents enter the barn. He mentally hopes both Optimus and Elita stay hidden and away from these men. He mentally shifted himself right into high gear to be ready for whatever will happen, and to make sure to get him and his daughter out to safety as fast as possible.
As this was happening, unbeknownst to anyone, just on the outskirts of the farm, a red Porsche 911 off-road racer with yellow wheels and black streak markings on the doors drove up and stopped for a moment, the engine idling quietly while an individual sat in the passenger seat.
"There they are..." a voice spoke out from within the vehicle.
After several minutes of searching about the property, the soldiers began to step back out from the barn and around the house. "There's no signs. We got nothing." They informed to Savoy.
"There you go." Braedey shrugged. "Sorry you had to drag your team out here-"
"Sir, we have a live armed missile in the trash." Another agent informed to Savoy, everyone looking over at the agent with either concern, curiosity, and others in suspicion.
Lucas' eyes widened once he heard that and glared at Braedey. "Live? I carried that to the trash! You told me that was a dud, dude. I could be dead. Right?" He looked to the agents.
Braedey sighed in defeat. He has to say something. "Okay! Fine! You want me to say something? Okay. Here you go - YES! There was a truck! I brought it back here last night to do some repairs to it and get it out of here. This morning I get out here and it's all gone! That's all I know! That's as much as I know about him, I swear!"
For an agonisingly long second, everything immediately slowed down to almost a halt. Savoy removed his aviators. "Mr. Martin. Excuse me, you said 'him'." Braedey's eyes widened as he realised the implications of these words. "Widen the search parameters!" Half a dozen more drones were then released into the air and they began flying in all directions. "Take him down!"
A huge bald man roughly grabbed Daphne's arm and pulled her off of the porch. Lucas tried to run, but was immediately apprehended. Braedey saw this, his fatherly instincts immediately going into overdrive, so he struck the two men next to him with hard strikes to leave them incapacitated, and he suddenly ran over to Daphne, pushing the huge man off her like a raging Bull.
"Get your hands off my daughter!" Braedey suddenly grabs the man as if he were a professional wrestling champion, lifting him above his head, and he drove his knee right into the man's spine, a loud snap being heard as the man fell to the floor and yelled in pain. An African-American man attempted to wrestle Braedey to the ground, only for Braedey to throw the man over his shoulder and delivers severe and nasty punches to take the man down, delivering a strike to the neck. "RAVAGE, EJECT!" Braedey roared.
Suddenly, something blasts out of the roof of the house, revealing itself to be the Cybertronian jaguar Ravage as he pounced down on other men trying to get to Daphne, only for them to be gunned down by Ravage's tail cannon and his two machine guns. As this happens, Braedey charged forward and knees Savoy right in the gut before grabbing his hand that held his pistol, snapping his wrist in the process, Savoy yelling out in pain before Braedey delivered a judo throw and drove his knee into Savoy's back. He then shifted his right arm into a blaster and aimed it at Savoy's head.
"One move, and I blow your boss' brains all over the ground!" Braedey threatened, just as the agents turn and aimed their weapons at Braedey. "House Party Protocol! NOW!" He now yelled.
Suddenly, all around the yard and the farm, turrets with huge machine guns, Gatling guns, laser rifles, even rocket pods and mortar guns, all deployed around the area, from the front gate, within the tree, the bran roof, house roof and patio, even around the property fencing and from underground bunker sections, the laser sights locking onto every hostile being that's present around the house, red laser lights tracking the Cemetery Wind agents' movements. Everyone stop in their tracks, all them freezing in place as they saw they were all caught within the crosshairs of all these massive weapons.
Braedey then smiled over to Daphne, who was being protected by Ravage. "Did you think I would leave you on your own without proper security watching over you?" He said to her, and Daphne smiled at her father. "Ravage, get ready."
"Uh, sir..." one agent called out.
"We're pinned down. What do we do?" Another agent asked next, the whirring of the turret weapons ready to fire putting them on edge.
"You think... this'll stop us?" Savoy grunted out, now lifting his head slightly to look at Braedey. "You just signed your death warrant, Martin. Anything you wanna say before we kill ya?" He said.
Braedey smirked. "Just three words: Autobots, ROLL OUT!"
Everything all happened in that instant.
There was a low explosion from within the barn, and Optimus explodes through the doors in a cloud of hot fire and thick black smoke, Elita doing the same. The gun turrets and missiles all instantly open fire, the entire yard now becoming that of a war zone as gunfire, rockets, smoke, and fire rained all around, everyone scrambling for action.
"HERE I AM!" Optimus' roar echoed throughout the farm, and the birds in the nearby trees abruptly took flight.
Optimus spun to avoid the agents' attack and let off a blast from his cannon, firing to disperse, not kill. The force from his attacked caused a car to flip and at least four of the Cemetery Wind agents were knocked off of their feet. Elita leaped out and she opened fire with every weapon she and Optimus got, while Braedey kicks Savoy away and grabbed one of the dragonfly-like drones before running over to one of the trees, Daphne and Lucas taking cover there, Ravage also shooting at the agents while running up to the three humans. Another missile now struck the field on the edge of the farm as Optimus ran past, the ground shaking under his immense weight, with the turrets laying down cover fire for the Autobots and Braedey's grip.
"Braedey, they're going to kill you! Get out of here!" Elita called out.
Braedey nodded to Optimus and Elita, now picking up Daphne in a bridal hold, he and Lucas now sprinting away from the farm, Ravage following on after them. Optimus and Elita both ran forth into the neighbouring fields before they transform into their vehicle modes and tear down the dirt road, one of the helicopters chasing in pursuit. Braedey then heard a low rumble, and suddenly, the farmhouse was blown to smithereens by a volley of missiles. Braedey, using his zoomed-vision, spotted a black 30ft tall Transformer standing up on top of one of the humongous corn silos out in the fields.
'The bounty hunter himself...' Braedey thought to himself with anger, his vision returning to normal.
The heat from the blast was incredible, and the smell of thick smoke quickly filled one's nostrils. Pieces of wood fell everywhere while explosions sounded behind. Braedey, Lucas and Ravage ran as fast as they could sprint as fast as their legs can carry them; Daphne hugging herself close to her father as she could only cover her face from what is happening around them.
Three more Cemetery Wind agents now emerged from over the hill, converging in on them, leaving them no escape route to get away. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, the red Porsche 911 rally car appeared from the hill, executing a perfect jump over a large pond. One of the front tyres struck an agent in the face, knocking him out cold, everyone else going for cover. The red sportscar raced up to the four and then screeched to a halt in front of them, the lone individual in the car throwing the passenger door open.
The person inside looks to be only 8 years old, with fair skin, brown short hair and eyes, maybe the same height of Daphne, while in a black/red shirt and jeans and a headband, plus a pair of boots.
"Quick! Get in the car! Let's go!" The boy called.
All of them piled into the car. Braedey jumping into the driver's seat with the boy in the passenger seat, Daphne, Lucas, and Ravage all crammed into the back. Braedey turned in his seat to look for Optimus and Elita, but he only saw a sleek, grey Lamborghini tearing down the road that led past the farm, no doubt going on after the two Autobots. The rally car's tyres spun, sending up loose dirt and sand into the air, temporarily blinding the agents as they drive away from the farm with a cloud of dust in its wake.
"What's goin' on, Daph? Who are those soldiers back there attacking you?" The boy asked to Daphne, Braedey driving along.
"It's Optimus! Those men want Optimus!" Daphne cried out.
"Wait. Who the heck are you? How did you drive this car here in the first place?" Braedey now began to interrogate the boy. "And how do you know my daughter's nickname?"
"Daddy, it's Henry!" Daphne called out.
"Wait. Henry?! That shy kid from first grade?" Braedey asked in surprise. He didn't expect that.
"Yes, Mr. Martin, my name is Henry. And how I got here is because of him." Henry explained to the older brunette, now patting the faded Decepticon insignia on the dashboard.
"Wait a second..." Braedey took note of the logo, as well as the flashy dashboard and devices, these that did not belong within a Porsche 911 rally car. "Wait... Knockout?! Is that really you?" He asked in surprise.
"Glad to see you alive and well, AllSpark." Knockout responded over the radio. "Seems that the seven years out here in Texas has done well for you. Have you gotten stronger?" He commented.
"Wait. Dad, is Knockout one of those Decepticon robots?" Daphne now asked in concern.
"We'll get some answers when we get out of here and away from Cemetery Wind!" Braedey said back, him taking the wheel and planting his foot down on the accelerator.
Lucas looked back at the cars chasing them. "What kind of cars are those? They're so scary!"
Braedey looked back to see the Rally Fighter cars in hot pursuit of them. "There's another one coming up from the rear! Knockout, lose them in the cornfield!" He ordered.
Knockout immediately lurched forwards into the cornfield that ran parallel to what had been the Yeagers' farm. The tyres shredded through the crops that hadn't quite matured, sending them up into the air in flurries of maize and corn. The thick forest of crops helped to shield the red Porsche from the pursuing agents, but they were still being followed. A helicopter kept up with the Porsche rally car easily, no doubt relaying their location to the other Cemetery Wind cars on the ground.
"That helicopter is tracking our position." Knockout informed.
"Not for long. I'll take care of it." Braedey stated, now armed one of his blasters. He kicks open the driver's side door and leans out as Knockout drove on, and the brunette fired a missile right at the helicopter's rotor, forcing it to fly away with smoke coming from its engine as it turns away.
"Good aim." Knockout complimented as Braedey climbs back in. "That'll slow them down for a while."
"Viper 1-5, sustained heavy damage to engines. Cannot continue pursuit." The pilot called on Comms as he struggles to fly the helicopter away. "RTB."
The cornfields soon gave way to the characteristic grey of the road as Knockout and the humans that are onboard emerged into the centre of town. The huge black SUVs weaved easily through the light traffic until they were right behind them. Men now standing through the open sunroofs began firing off warning shots from the guns mounted to the car. They whistled past the red Porsche, sounding like a swarm of locusts, intent on devouring everything in their path. Knockout sped through the town at more than twice the legal speed limit, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase 'burnt rubber'. The scene both behind and in front of them is now complete and utter carnage. Cars behind us collided with each other in their efforts to avoid the pursuing SUVs while bullets rained down almost biblically. Several vans pull up behind them with mounted turrets on the back and fire at them. Braedey arms now form into multiple-barrel cannons, and he opens fire at the incoming enemy, blasting some of the guns and taking out some of the Cemetery Wind soldiers. A huge SUV opposite us cut across two lanes of traffic, causing a lorry pulling felled timber to jack-knife and roll onto its side. The straps holding the logs in place snapped and they all rolled freely onto the road. At the last second, Knockout executed a perfect handbrake turn, Daphne, Lucas and Ravage being tossed around in the back of the car like ragdolls, just as Elita's alt-mode raced in and sent that SUV flying into the air, just as she raced off to try and lead some away.
Knockout and the humans were now in a narrow alley, behind the shops and still going at full speed. Knockout drove through a fence in an effort to lose the Cemetery Wind vehicles, and as one tried to follow, it then crashed into an oak tree, the bonnet crumpling like tinfoil as the occupants in the front were thrown through the shattered windscreen and hits the ground with a thud, the body unmoving. Knockout now ripped through half a dozen more fences; tearing up peoples' back gardens and mowing down plastic lawn furniture. They emerged from the last garden into another alley; Cemetery Wind cars on either side of them.
"This may be primarily my fault, okay." Lucas admitted to his mistake as they continue to race along. "They said they were gonna bring a check! I didn't know they were gonna send a death squad!"
"Remind me to owe you a castration when this is over!" Braedey snarled darkly out, his tone actually making Knockout shiver, Ravage even bearing his fangs at Lucas for how stupid it he.
Knockout beeped his horn furiously before revving the engine and driving straight through the display window of a bingo club. The surprised players leapt out of the way and swore out when the red Porsche rally car charged on through, panicked shouts ringing throughout the room as Knockout crashed through the back entrance of the shop.
Lucas laughed. "We lost them! Good job, stranger from the cornfields!" Several more cars then appear behind them. "The scary cars are back!" Lucas stated, the happiness gone. Braedey looks back and sees this, seeing the Rally Fighters still in hot pursuit of them.
Knockout turns his wheel hard to the left, and the Porsche squealed in a hairpin turn that Bumblebee would have been envious of. They soon tore unto the industrial estate which was clearly abandoned, evidenced by the dilapidated buildings and numerous broken windows. Bricks and other rubble fell from the buildings, landing just a few feet away from us. Braedey now cranes his neck to try and see what had caused them to fall, and he could see Optimus and the black Lamborghini Transformer locked in a fierce brawl up on the rooftops. Optimus seems to have the upper hand, knocking the bounty hunter over with a mean right hook before grabbing the cable from a nearby crane and tangles him up in it. The hunter tried to follow Optimus as he scrambled up a huge chimney, but only succeeded at suspending himself in mid-air from the side of the building. Braedey then looked back and saw the remaining Cemetery Wind vehicles gaining fast. There was no more than two hundred yards between them, and they were gaining with each passing second.
"Knockout, punch it!" Braedey yelled, now forming a missile launcher from his right arm, opening fire as Ravage also does the same.
"Braedey!" Optimus launched himself from the building, straight into the path of the oncoming cars.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion then. As Optimus fell, he twisted so that his back was to the Cemetery Wind cars. His right arm came down and swatted one of the huge SUVs as easily as if it had been nothing more than an annoying insect. The car flipped onto its front, coming to a totally dead stop. Optimus manipulated his lower leg so that it made contact with one of the cars; this time his right foot going straight through the windscreen, sending the agents within flying out of the vehicle. As the rest of Optimus' body made contact with the ground, his landing caused the buildings to shake on their foundations and the car to rock on its wheels.
Only two cars remained out of the several that had been chasing them, and Knockout quickly manoeuvred himself into an abandoned multi-storey car park. Henry leaned forward in his seat. "Take 'em upstairs!" Knockout followed in response to his instruction, the cars struggling to make it up the steep incline of the ramp. Gunshots began to sound again, the bullets deflecting off of Knockout in quick succession. "Do that thing, Knockout! Do the thing!"
"What thing?!" The rest of the humans ask in unison.
"Mr. AllSpark, what we're about to do will be scary – best you all strap in." Knockout advised to them, the others all putting on the safety harness belts. Knockout immediately jerks his handbrake upward, turning himself to an area of open wall and he accelerated right for the open wall!
"No, no-no-no-no!" Braedey called out.
Lucas started to scream. "NO EFFING WAY!"
They drove out of the building, managing a graceful leap and they fall through the air before landing on an old ramp down below. The last two cars followed, but did not enjoy the same landing as did Knockout. They explode behind them as they hit the ground with heavy thuds and impacts, rapidly engulfed in orange flames and thick acrid smoke.
"Whoo! Nice one, Knockout." Braedey laughed, Henry and Daphne smiling back, just as Knockout slid to a stop, opening his doors to let the humans and Ravage out.
"That was fun." Henry laughed, he and Daphne smiling. "Let's not do that again."
Just then, Optimus, now once again a Marmon truck, skidded to a noisy halt not too far away from them, his tyres sending up white smoke. He honked his air horn to draw their attention and both doors fell open.
"There's Optimus! Come on! Let's go!" Braedey called, he and the others climb out of Knockout and sprint forth.
"My foot's stuck! Wait, Braedey!" Lucas pleaded. "Wait! Wait!" For a few seconds that lasted a lifetime, he struggled with the belt before finally coming free, just as Knockout raced away with a growl of his engine.
"Lucas!" Braedey turns and looks up, now seeing the Lamborghini Transformer, who had now just disentangled from the cable. "Lucas, above you!" The robot then grabbed and launched a grenade right above their heads. "RUN!"
Explosions rocked the air around them, sounding in one's ribs and behind them. Braedey immediately grabbed Daphne and held her close as he, Henry, and Ravage ran as fast as their legs can carry them. Daphne glances over her father's shoulder, now horrified to see a thick, orangey-black substance that was almost like that of lava creeping along the ground as if like a wave. Braedey pushed his legs harder still, willing and urging them to move faster. Braedey's face was flecked with soot and sweat. Still, the explosions sounded, and they could feel the heat from the liquid fire snapping at their heels, but they managed to get clear and made their way over to Optimus, Braedey putting his daughter into the cab of the Marmon truck, Ravage also jumping in after them.
"C'mon, Luc-!" Braedey didn't finish his sentence, looking on in horror as Lucas desperately tried to outrun the smoke and fire. It engulfed him easily, obscuring him completely from view.
One could only look on in horror as Lucas was frozen to the spot in mid-stride. As the smoke dissipated, Lucas' body now came back into view... but it was something horrific. The flesh had been completely burnt away from his body, leaving behind only that of a charred, black skeleton. The tattered remains of his flannel shirt blew limply in the faint breeze.
The pungent smell of burned flesh filled Braedey's nostrils. Bile rose in Braedey's throat, but he swallows it back down, retching internally. Braedey and Henry both jump in, settling themselves into the seats quickly as Elita and Knockout drove up. Daphne climbed into the sleeper with Ravage, whilst Braedey sat in the driver's seat and Henry settled on the passenger's side.
Optimus' low voice rumbled over the speakers as they race away. "We must move. We have a small head start and we must not waste it." He reported.
"Lead the way, Prime." Knockout said back to Optimus.
Optimus executed a swift U-turn and peeled out of the industrial estate with Knockout and Elita alongside him, all of them heading off for the highway.