The 'Department of Health and Human Services' building over in Washington, D.C. may look like that of an ordinary and abandoned building to the regular human being outside of any government, but to those within the United States Government, it's the brand-new and state-of-the-art N.E.S.T HQ, and top location of Autobots.
Following the defeat of 'The Fallen' in Egypt, N.E.S.T now began deploying Energon detectors all around the globe. With a distinct lack of Decepticons to fight, they began to get involved in policing human affairs, such as disabling and shutting down illegal nuclear facilities in the Middle East. Within the confines of the new base, Autobots and soldiers were arriving, all of them preparing for some training or to get some tuneups, new weapons and gear, along with having the chance to talk amongst one another after the mission. As they drove in, Braedey sat in Optimus' cab, but they both did not say a word.
"All arriving Autobots, in par, training and debriefing in fifteen minutes." The voice of one of the N.E.S.T workers rang out loud and clear through the P.A system headquarters. "Dino, report to bay twenty-three." A red Ferrari 458 Italia pulled to a stop at one of the bays. "Sideswipe, bay thirty-seven for weapon assessment." Sideswipe's Chevrolet Corvette concept car rolled up to a stop in the other bay.
"Great job out there, boys. Well done." Ken called, who's assisting with upgrades and modifications for some 'Bots and machinery. "Okay. Let's get you checked out and see what needs tuning up."
"I could use some new rims." Sideswipe commented. "These ones might just need a makeover."
Ken just laughed. "You're just fine, mate. Relax."
With Colonel Lennox, he pulled up on his motorcycle. As he was getting his biker gear off, a group of what looked to be official men and women in black suits walked into the facility. The lead blonde of the group looked to be around her late 40's, wearing glasses over her eyes, and looked rather strict. This is Charlotte Mearing, the director of National Intelligence.
"Senator, I suggest you remember that when NSA wants funding, they call me." Director Mearing said on the phone. "When the CIA is gonna take out a target, they ask first for my permission. And when the President asks which members of Congress are politically vulnerable in terms of, let's say, undiscovered criminal conduct, I'm the number he dials." With that, Mearing shuts off her phone. "C.I.A is up my ass about this mystery raid in the Middle East. So, it's time to come clean. Was your unit involved?" Mearing now interrogated Lennox as they walk down the length of N.E.S.T headquarters.
"Ah... I'm not sure, ma'am." Lennox replied, and he smiled at Jennifer as he passed her.
"All right, guys. This is how you do a Decepticon head kill shot." Two soldiers now fell from above on harnesses, landing onto Bumblebee's shoulders, then they execute a tuck and roll as Bee fell to his knees, and aimed their unloaded guns at his head.
Jennifer was watching the yellow/black scout nearby. She then turned her attention from Bumblebee over to Lennox and the blonde women as they passed her. 'I wonder who she is?' Jennifer thought to herself.
"As Director of National Intelligence, I'm a really big fan of intelligent answers." Mearing stated firmly, and Lennox grasped the back of his neck.
"I can't really tell you definitively. These Autobots are like teenage kids. They like to sneak out of the house every once in a while." Lennox explained, and he glanced at Jennifer and Bumblebee, who smirked at him innocently as if they heard his words. They probably did.
"Colonel Lennox, are you in command or are you not?" Mearing asked him sternly.
"Yes, ma'am, I am. I-" Lennox was about to continue his stuttering, when Mearing interrupted him.
"Stop with the ma'am. Enough with the ma'am. Do I look like a ma'am?" Mearing asked, tilting her head to her assistant, who shook her head 'no'.
"No, ma'am. Ye- Yes, ma'am. Yes," Lennox corrected himself quickly.
"This new gun is my new invention, Ironhide." Mearing turned her head to the side to look at a white ninja-looking Autobot, as he handed a large gun to the weapon specialist of the Autobots, Bulkhead standing nearby.
"This'll work. Adds onto my armoury." Ironhide nodded.
"Neat." Bulkhead nodded his helm.
The ninja bot stood at 25ft tall. His body structure was similar to a ninja. He has two wheels as his shoulders, whilst the other two were hidden from view. His chest is shaped as his vehicle mode's cab, whilst his base colour is white. He also has his green and white highlights. He also has two wings on his back. His helm is designed like that of a samurai helmet, with two wings on both sides, and a large built spot in the middle, protruding out from the top of his helm, and out over his facial plate.
"Oh, good. You're here! My name's Wheeljack. I hope you have answers for them." Wheeljack explained to Director Mearing. "I've never seen them so upset like this."
As Mearing approached the Peterbilt truck alt-form of Optimus Prime, along with the Colonel, she noticed that all the other Autobots were crowding around their leader. She recognised a few of them from their official records; Sideswipe, Ironhide, Dino, Bumblebee, Chromia, Bulkhead, Jazz, and Elita-One.
"Optimus Prime, Braedey Martin, you remember Charlotte Mearing? Our Director of National Intelligence?" Lennox now asked to the two, but he was met with an uncomfortable silence from the two leaders of their respected teams. Braedey was still sitting inside Optimus, as he's still in alt-mode. Mearing nor Lennox can even see Braedey cause of Optimus's tinted windows obscuring their view.
"They's in a bad mood. They-a not talking to anybody today." Dino explained to the humans.
Elita glared at the red Ferrari 458 Italia Autobot. She did not like Dino, not one bit. He was very rude, his accent was totally fake, he could never take a hint, plus he declared that his twin knives were stronger simply because they were larger, and that he was better than Braedey. It was beyond preposterous!
"'They'? Major Braedey Martin is not an Autobot, need I remind you all." Mearing said firmly.
Ratchet then stepped up. "Braedey is as much as an Autobot as we are, Director. He has fought numerous battles with us." He spoke on behalf.
"So if you have a problem with addressing Braedey as one of us, then you have a problem with ALL of us." Ironhide added, now clenching his fists for emphasis.
Mearing was slightly taken aback at Ironhide's threat. She turned to Optimus as he was still silent. "What is this; the silent treatment?" She asked.
"We've seen that, and this is not that." Ironhide explained.
"Definitely not." Wheeljack agreed.
"Nope." Elita agreed, making Mearing look to her.
"This is worse. Prime! Braedey! Make something of yourselves!" Ironhide then pounds the top of Optimus's roof. Braedey opened Optimus' door and shot a glare at Mearing that would've given even Megatron a run for his money, just as he slams the door shut. "They're pissed." Ironhide muttered.
Optimus now began to transform. However, the way he does so, it seems rather abrupt and jarring to bear witness to. Once he obtained robot mode, he pounds his hands down on the ground. "You lied to us. Everything humans know of our planet we were told had been shared." Optimus stated firmly, then he pointed down at the engine part that they have recovered from their mission. "So why was this found in human possession?" He demanded.
"I'd advise YOU come clean and tell us the truth, 'Director'." Braedey added, folding his arms over his chest, with Optimus hovering overhead of him.
"We were in the dark on this also. It was Director Only clearance at Sector Seven until now." Mearing explained.
Braedey pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's all about Sector Seven, for spark's sake." He grunted in exasperation.
"Watch your mouth, Major." Mearing turned to face her assistant. "The bag." She ordered sharply.
Braedey noticed that the poor assistant was struggling with several bags. "Which bag?" The poor assistant asked.
"Hermès. Birkin. Green ostrich! My God." Mearing sighed through gritted teeth, the assistant passing her the bag and steps back. "This is a secret few men knew, and fewer still remain alive." Mearing said vaguely, as she removed something white from the bag. "Allow me to please introduce to you two of NASA's founding mission directors and astronaut Dr. Buzz Aldrin, one of the first two men to step foot on the moon." Aldrin and the directors walk in as Mearing shook Aldrin's hand. "Sir? Optimus Prime." She introduced.
Aldrin looked up at Optimus in amazement. "From a fellow space traveller, it's a true honour." He said to the Prime with a smile.
"The honour is mine." Optimus nodded in respect, kneeling down to Aldrin's level.
Braedey walked over to the former astronaut and shook his hand. "Dr. Aldrin, a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I've read so much about the Apollo 11 mission. When I was a kid, all I wanted was to be an astronaut." He greeted.
Aldrin laughed slightly. "The trip up was fun, Major. It was the re-entry that wasn't as smooth as most would think." He reminisced about the mission.
"Our entire space race of the 1960s, it appears, was in response to an event." Mearing now began to explain to everyone as she stood up on a balcony to be eye-level with the Autobots.
"Our astronauts investigated a crashed alien ship. No survivors on board." One of the NASA directors added in next.
"We were sworn to secrecy by our Commander in Chief." Aldrin stated to the Autobots and everyone in the room present.
"A total of 35 people knew the real plan at NASA." The NASA director continued. "Soviets managed to land unmanned probes. Somehow they must've picked up that fuel rod." The director added.
"We believe the Russians deduced that the rod was a fissionable fuel assembly. Believed they had it mastered, and tried to harness it at Chernobyl." Mearing added in.
"Which then resulted in the nuclear disaster in 1986, leaving to Chernobyl being abandoned and left to decay." Braedey deduced, cupping his chin in thought.
"We landed six missions in all." The NASA Director relayed next. "We took hundreds of photos and samples. We locked them away forever, and the moon program was shut down."
"Well, did you search the crash vault?" Ironhide now asked to the humans. Mearing, Aldrin, and the NASA Directors were all silent, all of them not sure as to what the Autobot weapons specialist was talking about. What did he mean by 'crash vault'?
"Ironhide, what do you mean?" Braedey asked.
"This ship's name was the Vanguard." Optimus now explained to everyone, all eyes and optics looking to the Autobot leader. "I watched it escape Cybertron myself. It was carrying a prototype Autobot technology which would've won us the war and restore our own planet. And its captain."
Braedey now climbed up the ladder to the balcony and stood next to Mearing. "Who was the captain, Optimus?" He asked.
"The great Sentinel Prime, the technology's inventor." Optimus explained. "He was commander of the Autobots before me. It's imperative that I find it before the Decepticons learn of its location." He looks to Mearing. "Our Autobot spacecraft has the ability to get us there. And, you must pray it's in time."
Braedey smiled and patted his hand. "You'll find the Vanguard, Optimus. As well as what Sentinel has onboard that ship up on the moon." He then descends from the ladder. "As much as I'd love to go with you, I actually have to go get my wife from work. Bee! Let's roll!" He called. Bumblebee whirs in response with a nod, as he followed Braedey out.
"Whoa! Who in the hell gave you clearance to just randomly leave whenever you wanted?" Mearing demanded from Braedey. "You can't just do that!"
Braedey stopped and turned to glare at Mearing. "Optimus' orders outrank yours. You are inferior despite your ranks. Nobody's orders outranks Optimus Prime's."
Bumblebee now transformed into vehicle mode, Braedey and Ravage both climbing into his seats, and the three drove away and out of the base, leaving Mearing to glare at the departing Camaro.
As Bumblebee leaves the base, outside of the doors to the base, there is a statue of what looks to be Jetfire's cane. It stood tall and mighty, sitting on top of a large block on concrete, whilst a plaque is bolted onto the concrete block. The plaque reads:
'In Memory Of'
'Jetfire'
'2000 B.C - 2009'
'The Autobot who gave the ultimate sacrifice to save the Earth and Cybertron from imminent destruction'