Chapter Thirteen:
Lt. Jack Murphy stood stock still, his wife clutching his arm as they both gawked at the giant robots in front of them. This had turned into one strange effing night. He turned his attention to the human military members present among the alien species and wondered to himself exactly how much had been kept from the American public.
He, of course, had heard about the Mission City incident, and then the strange rumors about a boy named Sam Witchiky, or something like that, but the government had been tight-lipped after both incidents, and the giant alien robots such as the ones that stood in front of him had been vehemently denied in the news reports. He and Janet had always wondered, especially after how close they had become to Maeve and what they had heard during her nightmares, but to see it all in the flesh was stranger than he had ever thought possible.
And frankly, he was terrified the 'Bots would step on him. He really didn't want to become a pile of human goo.
A clean-cut military man with brunette hair and light brown eyes walked towards the Lieutenant, his automatic weapon held loosely at his side. He cleared his throat and nodded to the couple.
"We are to escort you home, and to debrief you."
"Wha- what?" Janet barely croaked out. The military man looked significantly uncomfortable and shifted on his feet.
"We need to make sure you will not disclose what happened tonight to anyone else."
Jack cocked an eyebrow and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "So, what, ya gonna try to brainwash us or what? Do you really think we're going to just forget all of this?" He swept an arm out towards the 'Bots.
The man cleared his throat again and rubbed a hand against his cheek before dropping it to his side.
"All right, let's just start this over, okay? I am Major William Lennox, and as I'm sure you've gathered; your patrol car, Ms. McWilliams' patrol car and Ms. McWilliams herself aren't exactly what they seem."
"No effing shit." Jack mumbled darkly, and Lennox shot him a sharp look.
"We're not going to brainwash you." Lennox couldn't help a sarcastic snort. "As if we actually could. All we ask is that you sign a nondisclosure form in which you promise to not speak of this again." Lennox really hated his job sometimes as he looked over at the couple. This was not going to be easy; Lennox could already tell. Trouble would come from this man in the future, that was certain.
Jack had a mischievous smile plastered upon his face while Janet looked dubious. Screw the form, he'd tell Maeve's team exactly what Maeve had told him to.
Jack barked out a laugh at Lennox's facial expression. "Right, 'cause you know, her team is just totally going to forget that she's suddenly disappeared because I told them to. Yeah, they're not going to wonder where she ran off to. Are you always this naïve?"
Lennox couldn't help but look confused. "Her team?"
"Yeah, her team. Do you even know anything about the woman those aliens just tried to kill? Man, for working with aliens and having all the government shit in the world at your fingertips, you sure are stupid."
Ironhide couldn't help but growl at the Lt.'s tone, but Jack ignored him. Major Lennox twitched but kept a glare on the man.
Jack Murphy was not fazed by the glare, or Ironhide's growl.
Jack continued, "She's the squad leader of Tranquility's SWAT Tactical team one, and believe me, they aren't going to let this go quietly and they WILL be questioning what happened to her even if you do make us consent to a lifetime of silence." Jack's smile was growing ever wider.
Lennox groaned. This night was just not going to get any easier. "Who exactly is Ms. McWilliams?"
Janet giggled. "The one you're going to have one hell of a time finding."
Jack looked at his wife and shushed her. Janet glared at her husband, her skin flushed. She didn't particularly like her husband shushing her, but went quiet anyway. Jack would have an easier time of explaining Maeve to these military men better than she would.
Jack stared back at Major Lennox and studied him hard.
"Maeve is not one you will find easily. You already know, now, what she is to the SWAT team. She is respected among quite a few officers in Tranquility, and she is also a senior patrol officer, which is not exactly easy to explain 'away' without her actual consent that she's disappeared for awhile. You might want to tell your robots over there that they've got some heavy-duty shit waiting for them when it comes to her."
Jack scowled as he continued, "Especially the one that blew up her house. God help him if she ever gets the chance to rant at him. He won't like the results."
Will laughed, albeit a bit nervously, as he shifted again on his feet. Jack didn't miss the anxious look that quickly crossed the Major's face or the slight glance towards the black robot with the cannons that had destroyed Maeve's home and had threatened her.
Jack sobered. He knew he had needled the man enough, but clearly these military guys and alien robots didn't realize what they had just done.
"Look, Major Lennox. Maeve and Barricade are gone. The guys are going to wonder where she is, and they will do their best to look for her from here. We'll sign your damn form, but I can't promise anything about her team finding out about this. I can guarantee you, she will be in touch with them and you won't be able to stop that."
Lennox looked skeptical at that point, and Jack sighed.
"She's with your enemy, right? Another giant alien robot - "
"They prefer the term Cybertronian, and they are Autobots. Barricade is a Decepticon." Lennox corrected.
Jack waved it off. "Whatever. Either way, she's with him, regardless of faction, and from what I saw of him today, he's not exactly a dumbshit. You're going to be real lucky to keep this under wraps when it comes to Maeve. And by the way? You might want to tell your impatient boy there with the cannons to stop pissing her off."
Ironhide, who like all of the other Autobots had been discreetly listening in to the conversation, couldn't help but express outrage. "What?"
Jack laughed and couldn't stop laughing for a good five minutes. Ironhide looked more murderous as time went on. Jack wiped the tears from his eyes as he stared at the Major and the giant black robot. "Really? Did ya'll do any research before going after her?"
Ironhide grumbled, his cannons activated. He was pissed. This human was aggravating him, and he was prepared to send him to Primus or whatever god this human prayed to. He hadn't done wrong this night... he hadn't! He glared at the human.
"Be quiet, human." He demanded, and Lieutenant Murphy glared at him.
"Like McWilliams said... NO."
"You insufferable fleshling, I'll show - "
"'Hide, cool it." Lennox shot a dark look at Ironhide, who scoffed and finally turned away. Major Lennox turned back to Lt. Murphy. "Why do you say that about the woman?"
Jack Murphy laughed. "You really have no idea what you've gotten yourself into when it comes to her." He sobered again. "Let's just say there's a damn good reason why she's not scared of him, or any of the 'Bots or Barricade for that matter, like she said, and he'd do well to remember that. And he did blow up her house, remember? Now, we'll sign your damn consent form, but then you take us home and leave us and our family be. But don't be surprised if you have one pissed off SWAT tactical team showing up on your doorstep in the near future."
Will Lennox sighed as he showed the couple to one of the military vehicles as the Autobots looked down at them in interest and curiosity. Or, in Ironhide's case, anger. Yeah, Will could tell that the next few weeks were going to suck.
Damn it, Bumblebee! Did you have to go after a SWAT squad leader? And Barricade just HAD to proclaim himself her guardian, and then the whole Prowl shit. Just HAD to make my life more difficult than it had to be, huh? Ugh. Major Lennox shook his head.
Maeve sighed as Barricade sped east down a dark and deserted two-lane highway. The arid desert landscape around her blurred as Barricade sped ever faster from Tranquility. She had no idea where they were headed, and frankly she didn't care. The past few days' events could not stop replaying in her mind. All of it was almost too much to take. Memories she had repressed for years had gradually begun to resurface, exacerbating her overall discomfort with the entire situation.
She shifted on the black leather seat, leaning back as she tried to get comfortable again. She was exhausted, various parts of her body still hurt, and she could feel the dried blood on her head and uniform. Frankly she needed a shower, or at least somewhere to wash up. She also could feel the need to drink creeping up on her, and it aggravated her.
Barricade had been silent so far, and she had allowed him that as she stewed in her own thinking.
Honestly, she was flabbergasted the Autobot0s had allowed them to leave. She had seen the yellow Camaro that had tried to kill them both near the end of the crowd of Autobots and human military personnel as Barricade had tore out of her property. Aside from the Camaro; the one called Ironhide, as well as the silver Corvette and yellow Lamborghini, were clearly hostile to them leaving.
And yet, the one the other Autobots referred to as Optimus, whom she now assumed to be the leader of that faction, had clearly given them the order that Barricade and Maeve were allowed to leave, and no Autobot was to follow.
Still, that didn't stop Barricade from speeding at twice the legal limit, nor did it stop Maeve from looking behind her every five minutes, expecting the yellow Camaro to come flying over the pavement towards them, or the giant black one named Ironhide to come speeding towards them, shooting his deadly cannons.
Maeve couldn't help but wonder where Barricade was headed and when they'd ever stop. Being human had its drawbacks as her stomach rumbled particularly loud.
She bit her tongue though. His silence, though not oppressive, was intimidating. She sighed again as she shifted her body on the seat yet again, wincing as she brushed her broken wrist against the door panel. At some point she needed to get a splint or something, at least.
Her ribs ached as she breathed in ragged breaths. One of her ribs surely felt broken. All she wanted now was a good night's rest on a comfy soft bed.
She knew that wasn't going to happen.
Barricade, of course, had noticed her increasing discomfort, and wondered why she did not speak as to what was the problem.
If there was one thing he had learned about the fleshlings, they were certainly a vocal bunch. For her to deliberately be silent, so unlike her own kind, was… intriguing to Barricade. Really though, he didn't want any "accidents" on his seats, and thus made up his mind as to what to do. If he had to stop, he had to stop, no matter how annoying it might be.
"If you need me to stop, all you have to do is ask," He broke the silence finally.
Maeve couldn't help but jump from the sound of his deep voice. She hadn't been expecting it, and Barricade chuckled in response. Maeve felt the deep rumblings under her seat as he did so and sheepishly smiled.
"Hate to be a burden, but I'm starving, I need to pick up some first aid things, and I… uh, I need to use a restroom." She blushed, bright pink reaching from her cheeks to her hairline.
"While it is certainly a burden, it is an excusable one. I shall find a place to stop out of the way where we shall not be tracked." Barricade's crisp and unemotional tone was so different from the passionate ones he had used earlier that Maeve was rather taken aback. Still, any chance she had to stop and get her bearings; she was going to take for granted.
She mumbled a quick thank you as Barricade mapped out the most tactical "pit stop". He quickly found one about fifteen minutes off the highway about ten miles ahead and sped towards it.
The Autobots had retreated to the small and deserted airstrip where Silverbolt had landed. Optimus had sent out a message to Fireflight requesting him to meet them there.
Ironhide was seething. He stood close to Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, his former students clearly agitated. They, like him, did not understand nor particularly like Optimus' order to let the 'Con and the human leave. Ironhide could not help but glare at Prowl, who was standing off by himself at the corner of the runway.
Prowl had refused to talk to anyone after Barricade and the human had sped off, and Ironhide was naturally suspicious. He and Prowl had been somewhat friends many years ago before Prowl had been sent on a mission and disappeared, but Ironhide was concerned that Prowl's twin-bond with Barricade was affecting his judgment.
Ever since Barricade had turned 'Con many years ago, Prowl had withdrawn into himself and become overly obsessed with doing his job, refusing to become close with anyone. Prowl had become a cold shadow of his former self. He refused to speak with the others about what had happened, and the Autobots had eventually learned to leave the subject alone.
Now… now, Ironhide wondered if Prowl had finally lost his mind, and his senses.
He crossed his arms and cycled his vents in anger. He loathed Barricade for what he had done, not only as a Decepticon, but also for what his defection had done to Prowl.
Damn him!
Halfway down the runway, Sam and Mikaela couldn't help but notice Ironhide's agitated state, and Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's attempts to emulate his stance. The two young humans were standing next to Will and Epps, who had returned from dropping off Officer McWilliams' superior and his wife at their home in Tranquility.
Sam turned to Lennox. "So, what was all that about Prowl and Barricade being 'brothers'?"
Lennox ran a hand through his dark brown hair and sighed. "I don't know, Sam. Ironhide is so pissed he's not speaking even to me, and nobody else is saying shit. Has Bumblebee said anything?"
"No, he won't answer any of the questions we've asked about it. It's some big secret that Ironhide just brought out into the open and we're not special enough to know the full details." Mikaela said in an irritated voice, shaking her head. Sam nodded, affirming what she had said.
"Wonderful." Epps scowled.
They watched as Ironhide stalked over to where Prowl was standing.
"Well, this should be interesting. Anybody else want to get closer to listen?" Epps offered, and Lennox, Sam, and Mikaela nodded eagerly. They moved as close as they dared, just close enough to hear the conversation between the two mechs.
The police 'Bot stiffened as Ironhide drew near; Prowl's faceplate pinched in suspicion and wariness.
"We need to talk, Prowl." Ironhide growled.
"No, Ironhide." Prowl crossed his arms and turned away, exuding an air of indifference.
"Yes, Prowl. No more running, you need to talk." Ironhide reached out and grabbed Prowl's arm, earning him a deadly look from the police cruiser.
"Take your hands off me now, Ironhide. That is an order." Prowl demanded coldly.
"No." Ironhide hissed. "If that woman is a threat and if Barricade has corrupted your processor, we need to kno-"
Before Ironhide could even finish his sentence, Optimus and Ratchet had swooped in, pulling the two mechs apart as Prowl looked utterly murderous, his cannons aimed directly at Ironhide's spark chamber.
"I have not been corrupted, let alone by my twin whom I share a spark-bond with! How dare you insinuate such an abomination?" Prowl seethed, his anger pushing his systems to nearly overheat, as his weapons whirred.
"The very fact that you have a spark-twin bond with that psychopath compromises your mind, Prowl! Surely you can see that, you insufferable fragger!" Ironhide spat back.
"He is not who he once was, you pit-spawned maniac!" Prowl snarled back as he struggled to get out of Prime's grip.
"Oh, yes, I'll believe that when me oil turns purple and smells like the sweetest highest-grade energon!" Ironhide retorted.
"Both of you, be QUIET!" Optimus roared, having reached his breaking point. His optics reflected severity as he glared at the two mechs.
"Like a bunch of sparklings, I swear." Ratchet grumbled as Ironhide fought with Ratchet's hard grip.
Prowl had stopped attempting to kill the cannon-toting black Topkick, and so Optimus warily let him go and stepped aside.
"Barricade said it himself, Prowl knows something! And if that woman is a danger to us, we need to know and catch them both!" Ironhide growled, refusing to back off. Optimus cycled his vents, and turned to Prowl, who had gone rigid.
Optimus was quiet for a moment, assessing his chief security officer.
Ironhide's words had some truth to them. Barricade had been adamant about the woman not being in the Autobots' care, and Optimus was just as curious as Ironhide to find out why. Unlike his weapons specialist though, Optimus was not positive that the woman was a threat. If Prowl knew something about her… Ironhide was right, they did need to know. Whether or not she was an actual threat was something they would have to determine later.
Prowl was silent, staring off at the human military members and the two young civilians who stood in the dark a few yards away. The humans were staring at them, suspicion and curiosity present on their faces. He snapped to attention when Optimus began to speak.
"Prowl, Ironhide has a point." Optimus held up a hand as Prowl tried to speak, signaling him to wait. "I do not yet agree with him that she is a danger or threat, and that is why I am asking you, old friend, what it is Barricade revealed to you about her, or his plans. If she is a danger to us, or actually in danger, we need to know now before Barricade and the human LEO disappear entirely. There is still time to find them, if it is necessary."
Prowl cycled his vents as he looked up towards the stars. When he had arrived on this planet months before, he had never expected to have found his spark-twin. He had never expected to land close to the mech whom had deserted him, to find his brother who had ripped his spark out with his defection. When they had discovered each other, it had been unbelievable, and their stated factions had led to a fight.
Fought they had, nearly killing each other, until each conceded they could not fight against each other anymore; their twin-bonded sparks aching with each of their pain. Nor had he expected to have found that Barricade had seemingly defected from the Decepticons, all because of an organic. That... had been the most interesting part of finding his brother.
Nothing could have surprised Prowl more, that his blood-thirsty and despicable brother had found the one chink in his armor, that an organic had been the one thing that had found Barricade's weakness. Prowl did not know everything about the woman, or what she really meant, but he had seen what she had done to his brother. He had seen what she had meant to his brother, had felt it through his spark. That had been enough for Prowl. It had been so long since they had been separated... he did not wish to press his brother for any more information.
Now he wish he had.
Barricade had not spoken about her much, or why she was important. In fact he had been relatively silent on the entire matter, nearly refusing to give Prowl any detailed information at all. Prowl did not know as much about the situation as Ironhide or Prime assumed. His training and logic warred with his connection to his twin. His hesitation of telling Prime what little he knew was troubling to his logic circuits, and Prowl struggled not to glitch out. His emotions were immaterial at this point.
Slag. Prowl knew what the logical course of action was. His brother would hate him for it, but it was necessary.
His optics gazed back towards Optimus. "I do not know much about the woman, or Barricade's motives. He does not fully trust me, nor I him, and Barricade did not tell me much of anything at all. Much of my knowledge comes from offhand remarks that Barricade made and secondary sources."
Prowl's attention then shifted from Optimus to the human William Lennox. The Major was speaking angrily into a cell phone, his face twisted in fury as he paced next to Sam, Epps and Mikaela. The human slammed the cell phone shut and stomped towards the 'Bots. He stared up at them, his arms crossed and his face set in a dark look.
"Optimus, we have a serious problem. And I'll give you three guesses on which slagger just seriously pissed me off."