Chapter 3: The Trouble Begins
After Cliffjumper's death, Arcee made a habit of patrolling Jasper alone quite often, keeping an optic open for Decepticon activity. Especially after Optimus had called a meeting and discussed the information Shadebreaker had shared with him with the team. She wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it. She'd visited her once so far, but the femme seemed like she had a hard time talking to her. Arcee couldn't entirely blame her for that.
Between the likely survivor's guilt and the trauma of what the femme had been through, it was no surprise. Even Bumblebee, the friendliest and easiest to like of the team, reported having a hard time getting her to talk a whole lot. She only seemed to talk with Optimus and Ratchet about her information and medical related stuff. Arcee was sure it'd be some time before she opened up to anyone about anything personal.
Arcee was pulled from her thoughts as her scanners picked a Decepticon signature. "Uh-oh," she said, noting the location very close to the location of one of the humans Shadebreaker had said could potentially get caught up in things. "That's not a good sign."
.:Arcee to base,:. She commed base as she approached the burger joint and parked. .:Possible contact with one of the humans Shadebreaker mentioned happening. A couple of 'Cons are lingering nearby Jack Darby's place of work.:.
.:Copy that, Arcee,:. Optimus replied. .:Permission to do what you need to keep him safe. I've received reports from Bulkhead and Bumblebee about their human charges as well.:.
Already calling them our charges, huh? Arcee thought to herself as she identified the human teenager as he exited his place of work. .:What about his mom? Didn't Shadebreaker say she eventually got involved, too?:.
.:Agent Fowler is on his way to collect her as we speak,:. Optimus replied as Jack noticed her and started fawning over her alt-form. .:If the 'Cons have already identified them as our allies, their safety is more important than keeping our existence a secret from them.:.
.:Doesn't this mean our base is most likely compromised? They aren't going to be any safer with us until we move,:. Arcee replied as she watched the 'Cons closely in her rearview mirrors.
.:We will discuss that once everyone is back at base,:. Optimus replied.
.:Gotcha,:. Arcee said, just as the headlights from the 'Cons shone upon them, causing Jack to block the light from his eyes.
"Scrap," Arcee let out outloud, unintentionally revealing to Jack she was sentient not quite as she'd intended.
"Wha-?" Jack didn't get his full question out before he suddenly had to hang onto to the motorcycle for his life as Acree pulled away at high speeds, dodging between the two vehicons. "Whooooaaa!"
"Hang on!" Arcee told him as she popped a wheelie and hopped over the curb to exit the parking lot and hit the road, the vehicons directly on their tails.
"Who are those guys?!" Jack asked as they dodged through traffic in hopes of losing the two.
"Decepticons," Arcee replied.
"Why are they after us?" Jack asked.
"Because I'm an Autobot and they think you're with me," Arcee replied honestly.
"Decepticon, Autobot, are those words supposed to mean something to me?" Jack asked, voice full of panic as he looked back at them, only to duck to avoid a blaster shot.
"Scrap," Arcee cursed again and then made a hard turn down an alleyway, using some debris to jump over a dumpster blocking it, turning just right at the top to dislodge the debris so the vehicons wouldn't have a ramp to follow.
"Why do they think I'm with you?!" Jack asked.
"They saw you with me, that's all the confirmation they needed," Arcee said, realizing that herself at that moment. She wondered if by following Shadebreaker's information if it had become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It didn't matter if it was, though. The Decepticons would've acted on it with or without the confirmation. They gave little thought to killing innocent lives.
"But I didn't know!" Jack protested. Then he yelled as she made another hard turn as a vehicons cut her off at the end of the next alleyway she'd cut through in hopes to completely lose them.
"Damn it," Arcee growled. "They don't give up. Hang on, we're taking this out of town."
"Great," Jack said. "Just how I wanted to spend my Friday, running from deranged self-driving vehicles."
"You have no idea, kid," Arcee said as she pulled onto the highway.
The vehicons were hot on their tails, driving around traffic like pros until they were the only vehicles left on the highway for miles. Arcee swerved, hitting her brakes and sliding toward the side of the road and stopping near a boulder outcropping.
"Get off and stay down while I handle these goons," she ordered.
Jack obeyed, looking too terrified to do anything else. Once Arcee was sure he was going into his hiding place, Arcee moved away a bit and then transformed into her bipedal mode. The vehicons stopped a few feet in front of her, sitting in vehicle mode for a moment. She got into a battle ready position and then made a "come on" motion with her hand.
They transformed, pointing their blasters at her. They took some shots, but she was easily able to dodge them, firing off her own. She missed a few, but she caught one on the shoulder as she charged at them. She deployed her arm blades and sliced the barrel of that one's pistol and then kneed him in the chin. His partner went to grab him, but was suddenly knocked over by a yellow muscle car with black racing stripes ramming into him.
"'Bee!" Arcee called, glad to see her friend.
Bumblebee whirled, skidding to a stop not far away. He transformed, holding a small human in his hands that he set on the ground and nudged toward the same outcropping Arcee had told Jack to hide in, whirling to him. Then Bumblebee joined the fight with the vehicons, charging in and punching one of them in the face before it could get a shot off on Arcee.
Arcee was locked in a melee battle with the one whose pistol she'd sliced. She knocked away a punch and then jumped up to kick off his chest, flipping in the air, pulling her own pistols out to double tap him in the chest. The vehicon stumbled back, but didn't quite go down yet. She didn't let him get a chance to recover, taking a shot at his helm, hitting the target easily.
Once that vehicon was down, she turned to check on Bumblebee, see him standing over the Decepticon, a fresh hole smoking from the mech's spark chamber.
"Thanks for the assist, 'Bee," Arcee said as she walked back toward him, aiming for the outcropping where their human charges were hiding.
Bumblebee whirled in response, walking with her toward the outcropping.
They gathered their human charges from outcropping, relieved they had stayed there as they had been ordered and not run off. Both were clearly a little shaken and had questions, but after Arcee promised they would get answers at base, they agreed to go with them without much more fuss.
They called for a bridge, just in case there were 'Cons lingering around to catch them going into their base. They didn't need the 'Cons finding their base any faster if they hadn't found that information among what they had pulled from Shadebreaker already. They had no way of knowing how much of her information they had pulled from her or how they were sorting through it. The more precautions they took, the better, which meant they had entirely axed entering and exiting the base by manual means. Even Agent Fowler had agreed not to use the helicopter pad anymore.
"Mom?" Jack asked as they pulled into the ops center to see not just Bulkhead and his charge were there waiting, but Fowler was there with Jack's mom.
"Jack? Why are you here? What's going on? What have you gotten into?" Miss Darby was asking, running up to them as he was getting off Arcee's motorcycle form. "And why aren't you wearing your helmet?" She was pointing an accusatory finger at him now.
Jack shrugged as soon as he was off. "It's not like I planned to be riding a motorcycle today, mom," he said, even as Arcee transformed behind him. "I know as much as you do right now."
Arcee knelt behind him. "You must be Miss Darby," she said. "I'm Arcee, the Autobot assigned to keep your son safe."
"Wait, you were assigned to me? You weren't just at my work by coincidence?" Jack asked, not sure what to make of that.
"Jackson Darby, Miss June Darby, Rafael Esquivel, Miko Nakadai," Agent Fowler said, stepping forward as the four new humans gathered together. "We've gathered you here today because we had reason to believe your safety is at great risk."
"And after what happened today at your work, that confirms it," Arcee said, bringing their attention back to her. "Those 'Cons were there before I was. That was no coincidence based on the information we've been given."
"But why would they be after us?" Rafael asked, adjusting his glasses.
"Yeah, we've done nothing to them," Miko said, sounding somewhat offended. "I mean, this is exciting and all, but we just found out you existed today!"
The gathered bots all shared a look, not sure how to explain it to the humans without making it seem like Shadebreaker's fault they were targeted. Optimus stepped forward then, kneeling in front of them.
"The Decepticons came upon some information that led to you four as possible allies to us," Optimus told them. "And then we received information that your lives may be in danger as a result and acted accordingly."
"And may we ask how you came about that information?" Miss Darby asked, crossing her arms as she glared up at the bots.
"I'm afraid that's classified information," Optimus replied.
There was silence for a moment as the humans all looked at each other.
"So, what now?" Jack finally asked. "Are you guys just going to follow us around 24/7 in case of another attack?"
"No," Optimus said, shaking his helm. "We do not have the man-power for such an under-taking."
"You four are going to remain under federal protection until such a time that we believe the threat has passed," Agent Fowler supplied.
"What does that mean? We can't go home?" Rafael asked. "My mom's gonna be looking for me as soon as it starts getting dark. And are they in danger, too?"
"I will handle things with your family, Rafael," Fowler assured the boy. "As far as we are aware, they are in no immediate danger. We will, of course, have someone keeping an eye out for them, just in case, but they will be safe and they will know you are somewhere safe."
"Where are we going, then?" Miss Darby asked. "Are we staying here?"
Fowler shook his head. "Not for long," he said. "Not even the Autobots are staying for long. We've made arrangements to move everyone to a different base, one that's more secure and safe for everyone, but it's not ready yet."
"After today, Agent Fowler, I'm afraid we cannot wait if we are to keep the humans safe," Optimus said. "The attack on Jackson Darby proves the Decepticons have the information we suspected. The sooner we move, the better it will be for everyone."
"I'm-" Fowler started, but was cut off by the whole base rumbling and alarms going off.
"What's that?" Raf asked.
"Blast it! Already?" Arcee asked, standing as Optimus did the same.
"The Decepticons know we are here," Optimus said. "Bumblebee, get the humans out of here. Arcee, operate the ground bridge, you know the coordinates. Bulkhead, protect this position. I will go help Ratchet with his patient."
"On it boss," Bulkhead said, withdrawing his weapons, even as bits of the base started falling down around them.
Bumblebee transformed down and Agent Fowler ushered the four new humans into his vehicle form as Arcee opened the bridge to the location of the new base they'd been promised. Once they were through, she shut down the bridge and moved to the computer to make sure the data was wiped completely from it and set a detonation timer for after they were all out. Bulkhead stood ready to defend her in the event of any 'Cons showing up in person before the whole base crumbled and to knock away falling rocks from her frame as she worked. Some took out computers as they worked.
"Arcee!" Optimus reappeared a few minutes later, Shadebreaker in his arms and Ratchet hot on his heels, holding his right arm at an awkward angle.
"On it," Arcee said, reactivating the bridge.
The four of them ran through the bridge, Arcee hesitating just long enough to fire a shot back at the controls in order to make it deactivate just as they made it through. Then she hopped out behind the others just in time to not get caught in the vortex as it shut off. She looked around at the open grassy fields, at the buildings that were clearly just beginning to be built. There were a surprising amount of humans scattered around, working at various things. Many stopped to stare at their arrival, alarmed at their appearance, but not as surprised as one might expect.
"This is it?" Arcee asked. "Not much, is it?"
"It's secure and safe," Fowler said, walking over. "The shielding system was built according to Ratchet's specs from the best you guys used during the war and it was the first priority for setting this place up. We may not have a roof yet, but the 'Cons won't get us here."
"We've been in worse spots," Arcee said, watching as Optimus carefully sat Shadebreaker on the ground, supporting her against a stationary human tank as she grunted.
Miko ran up to her and started asking a million questions, causing her wings to shift uncomfortably before Jack pulled the eager and outgoing human away, leading her back to the others.
Arcee approached Shadebreaker as Optimus turned his attention to helping Ratchet tend his wounded arm, clearly struck by a falling piece of debris. She knelt next to the femme, who looked at her briefly, before looking away toward the ground. "How are you holding up?"
Shadebreaker sighed. "As well as one could be, I suppose," she replied. She gusted air through her systems and then glanced where the human children and Jack's mom were talking with Agent Fowler and a military man that was already on the base when they'd arrived. Then she looked back at Arcee. "I'd really hoped I was being over cautious alerting so quickly. That we at least would have more time. And now you've lost your base and four people have had their whole lives and world views completely uprooted in the matter of hours."
"It's not your fault, Shadebreaker," Optimus said from where he was putting Ratchet's arm in a brace with what materials they had on hand. "Without your information, we wouldn't have gotten them, or ourselves, to safety so quickly. You didn't give the Decepticons any of that information willingly and you are doing your best to prevent as much damage as possible."
Shadebreaker was staring at Optimus the whole time he spoke and Arcee could read in her body language that she took everything he said seriously. Arcee doubted any of the rest of them could've gotten through to her like the Autobot leader. The way her frame relaxed at his words was reassuring to Arcee that the femme would be ok in the end. Then she looked out across the fields of where they landed.
"Taking notes?" Arcee asked, joking for the most part, but the look on her face reminded her of one of the officers she'd known once.
"A little bit," Shadebreaker said. "I recognize a couple of these human soldiers from a separate reality from the one I know the humans we pulled in from. I'm not sure what to make of that."
"You said yourself you didn't know if our timeline would be remotely the same anymore," Ratchet pointed out. "It's fair to assume that if there are multiple versions of us bots, there may be multiple versions of the humans as well. And we may encounter more of them now."
"That makes sense," Shadebreaker said. "It just brings up a few questions in my mind is all."
"Agent Fowler has looked into the other possible human allies already," Optimus said, clearly intending to reassure the femme. "The ones that exist in this reality are safe as well, you do not need to worry."
Shadebreaker nodded at that, sighing. Clearly that was exactly what she'd been concerned about.
Arcee placed a hand on the femme's shoulder, giving it a reassuring pat. Then she stood up as Fowler and the human soldier walked over toward them as the civilians moved over to where Bulkhead and Bumblebee were talking with some of the other human soldiers.
"Optimus," Fowler said. He motioned toward the soldier next to him. "This is Major William Lennox. He leads the men you see here at this base. It's a special squad we've been putting together to work with you bots as the need for human assistance may arise known as N.E.S.T."
"You can call me Will," William said, looking up at them in what Arcee was pretty sure was awe.
"Well met, Will," Optimus said. "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. This Ratchet, my Chief Medical Officer, Arcee, my acting second-in-command and Shadebreaker, our newest member."
The three all nodded or waved as Optimus introduced them. Then Optimus motioned toward the other two bots who were talking with a handful of soldiers and the civilians.
"The two you see over there are Bumblebee, our scout and Bulkhead, former wrecker," Optimus continued.
"Wrecker?" Will asked, watching how careful the big guy was being moving around his men.
"It's the bots' version of our black ops," Fowler told him. "He's a heavy hitter, that one."
"Ah," Will said, nodding in understanding. Then he turned back toward Optimus and the other bots immediately in front of him. "It's great finally actually meeting you. I'm sorry we weren't more prepared for your arrival. We were expecting more time to get the base put together and didn't prioritize getting any buildings put up."
"We can hardly blame you," Arcee said. "We didn't exactly plan to be here this quickly ourselves. The 'Cons kinda forced our hands. At least it sounds like you got some shielding up."
"That was top priority," Will said. "We thought it might look suspicious if they noticed a bunch of soldiers suddenly building on a remote island not on any maps. Wouldn't do you any good to come to a base if they could immediately attack you with any kind of success."
"Indeed," Ratchet said sarcastically. "I just hope your technology is up to the task."
"I've been assured there's nothing to worry about," Will said. "For now, I'm afraid, you'll be under the open sky until we can at least set up a tent large enough to cover you. We'll have to send for some larger tarps. Temporary shelter for you Autobots wasn't in the cards. An oversight now that we're here."
Ratchet grunted, clearly not surprised by this oversight.
"I told the guys at Pentagon to prepare for unexpected early arrivals," Fowler said, clearly annoyed.
"Well, you know Galloway, sir," Will said, causing Fowler to make a noise of irritation.
Shadebreaker's helm snapped toward him at that and Arcee sensed irritation ooze off her frame at the mere mention of that name. She suspected the femme knew of this human and held no good feelings toward him.
Will seemed to notice this reaction as well, cause he gave her a weird look, but he turned his attention away as Fowler took him and Optimus away to talk more privately.
"Looks like you know that Galloway person," Arcee said, amused at the femme's reaction.
"If you guys think Agent Fowler can be irritating, just wait until you meet Galloway," Shadebreaker said. "Fowler is actually a really good liaison to have, once he has a chance to understand you. Galloway, however, is the type you can't get through to, and has his head stuck so far in his own butt he can't see what's right in front of him. If he's anything like the version of himself I know, we're all gonna despise any time we have to work with him. And if what Will said is any indication, I'd stake money on it, if I had any."
Arcee chuckled a little at that as Ratchet grumbled at that.
~Earlier that Day~
Megatron strode onto the bridge, barely sparring the vehicons manning their posts a glance as they scrambled to follow orders they had just received. Soundwave and Starscream were at the end of the walkway, quietly conversing about some readings they had clearly picked up just before his arrival.
"Starscream," Megatron said smoothly.
"Ah-ee," Starscream jumped, clearly startled by the larger mech's sudden appearance. "Lord Megatron! You've returned! We were just, uh, ah…"
Soundwave just silently pointed at the screen in front of them, which displayed some information.
"What's this?" Megatron asked.
"Some information from Shockwave, Lord Megatron," Starscream replied. "Apparently in his, ah, scientific," he all but spat the word, for in Starscream's mind Shockwave's science borderlined on madness, though it still technically was science, "endeavors he came across a bot with some…information he thought would prove useful to us. I'm not sure how much of it will be useful. We're still trying to sort through it. I've already dispatched some vehicons to investigate some of the more minor claims."
"Hmm," Megatron hummed. He shoved Starscream aside to approach the computer himself, looking through the information pulled up. Some possible human allies, some marked as being investigated, pointless if you asked Megatron—humans were of no consequence—though he could see how it was a low risk way of confirming if the data held any merit. Also in the list as it scrolled past, however, were possible location of Autobot bases.
"And have you thought, Starscream, to investigate any of these base locations?" Megatron asked.
"Er, no, my lord," Starscream said, clearly getting more nervous as Megatron hovered closer and closer to him, his presence threatening bodily harm if his answer wasn't good enough. "I thought it might be best to confirm the information to have any accuracy first, Lord Megatron. If we attack the wrong location and the Autobots figure out we're hunting them, they could simply, move, my Lord."
"Soundwave! Which of these bases do you find most likely?" Megatron asked him, not moving away from his threatening position to Starscream.
Soundwave looked at the list and then the screen on his face showed a wavelength on it. "Commander Starscream, target sighted. Human-Autobot alliance with the human Jackson Darby has been confirmed."
"Ahh, I see," Megatron said silkily as he finally backed off Starscream. "Tell our friends to continue their pursuit, it'll keep one Autobot busy while we narrow the base down."
"That human is noted to live in Jasper, Nevada according to the information we received from Shockwave," Starscream said, as Soundwave typed on the console, hiding his unease with an air of achievement.
After going through a series of possible locations and ruling them out based on various factors, Soundwave highlighted the one he believed most likely. He looked expectantly at Megatron.
"A military base nearby that same town," Megatron said. "Depending upon the humans to hide you, old friend? How the mighty have fallen. Set course for that base! We're going to raze it to the ground."
Megatron stepped through the rubble on the base they'd just bombed to the ground, looking for signs his old friend turned enemy had indeed been here. He was more than certain they'd chosen the right base among the potential ones, he trusted Soundwave to get it right. Plus, the equipment was sparking, as if it had been powered before being taken out.
"This place was kind of small," Starscream commented as he kicked over a large piece of debris. He bent down and picked something up, turning it over in his hands. "I almost feel bad for them. Being cramped underground in such small quarters."
"Feeling sympathy for the enemy, Starscream?" Megatron asked.
Starscream shuddered slightly. "Just typical Seeker aversion to being underground is all," he said, moving away as he tossed the item aside.
A vehicon ran back to them from their own reconnaissance. "No signs of any of the Autobots being caught in the attack, my lord," the vehicon reported to Megatron. "But I did find this." He passed Megatron a datapad. "It's blinking with a message."
"Interesting," Megatron said as Starscream came over to look at it around his arm. Megatron hit the button to play the message.
The screen lit up, showing the face of a femme wearing an orange visor. The femme then held up a hand with her middle digit sticking up at them and stuck her tongue out at them. The words "Better luck next time, assholes" read across the screen. Then the message was cut off.
Megatron sneered, breaking the datapad with his grip. Something told him that Shockwave's source of information was with and helping the Autobots now. That would complicate things. That meant whatever information Shockwave had sent them, the Autobots also had access to. They had to move quickly if they were to gain any advantage.
"What now, Lord Megatron?" Starscream asked.
"Back to the ship," Megatron said. "I want to know everything Shockwave sent us in the databurst."