Exiles
00000
X - Ghost Hunt
VOICE CAST:
Porter C. Powell - Don Cheadle
Henry Masterson - Alexander Polinsky
Ron Witwicky - Kevin Dunn
Washington D.C. - December 4th, 2011 - Sunday - 6:00 am (EST)
Agent Fowler sat behind his impromptu desk in his impromptu office just two blocks from the White House.
He took a private emergency jet there as soon as the terrible news came.
He hadn't slept a wink since.
How could he?
And it was time to call in his one big favor.
And some old friends.
The call was made.
Now to tie up some loose ends.
Checking and double checking every loose end, looking over any and all possible connections to whoever could have done what was done to Sari, Agent Fowler's investigation had been fruitless.
Whoever it was, they were clearly professionals, whoever it was that entered Sari's home.
And shot her in the back.
And Sari had been undergoing emergency surgery for the past ten hours.
Fowler's door opened and three men entered.
Optimus, Jazz and Bulkhead, all in their human avatar forms.
Fowler didn't need to look up from his desk.
Government clearance had already been given to the Autobots since they got their avatars.
Now they could talk with Fowler directly, therefore decreasing the risk of their comms being tapped.
"How did it happen?"
Optimus Prime's voice was thick with thinly-veiled wroth.
Fowler's blood turned to ice.
He had heard Optimus use this tone before, after what happened to Raf when Megatron shot him and infected with Dark Energon.
But this was so much more volatile.
Fowler would have to choose his words carefully, de-escalate this as best he could.
"Someone infiltrated the penthouse and escaped, after shooting her. No sign of the shooter, no trace of the shooter anywhere. No sign of any of the locks being forced or any of the windows being broken into. Whoever did this was practically a ghost."
Jazz clenched his fists. "Groundbridge? The Cons?"
"Hold it Jay," Fowler protested. "Why would the Cons send one of their own to try and kill a kid? This was a standard caliber of bullet. Not Energon based weaponry. Doesn't add up."
"MECH?" Bulkhead suggested.
"No way," Jazz said. "A groundbridge like that would be way too advanced, even for MECH to duplicate. I doubt even the Cons could pull it off, not in such a way that we wouldn't be able to detect it."
Optimus closed his eyes, released a long-bated breath and he spoke in a low, dangerous voice. "We need to keep Sari under careful watch. And we need to find whoever had access to the Sumdac building, lock it down. No gets in or out. Not until we find whoever did this to Sari and make them pay."
Those last words were so cold and lethal, even Jazz was stricken silent.
Autobot Base Omega Two - Denver, CO - 8:00 am (MTS)
Bumblebee, face buried in his hands, wept like a child.
Sideswipe held him in his arms.
Arcee, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, Eject, Rewind, Steeljaw and Ravage were not there.
They were in Detroit with their (impromptu) charges and performing extra duties since their respective guardians were not available or presently of mind to do their job.
"It wasn't your fault, Bee," Sideswipe said gently.
Bumblebee screamed through what functioned as his tears. "She still almost got killed, Swipes! Because I couldn't protect her! Sari! SARI!"
Bumblebee's voice was past hysterical now.
In the throes of his despairing grief, he started thrashing and howling in agony.
A very grim and very tired Ratchet pulled out a long syringe.
"Percy, assist me please."
The Chief Mechanic grimaced.
"Bumblebee, I am very sorry about this."
With Sideswipe's help, both he and Perceptor held Bumblebee as he continued to thrash and cry.
"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!"
He screamed these words between his wounded sobs.
Ratchet wasted no time administering the sedative into Bumblebee's neck.
It was a terrible procedure he had administered thousands of times, but it was never easy.
And it was like a knife was thrust into his spark when he was forced to do it to a bot he loved like he was his own.
Bumblebee went limp, his face wet with tears.
"I am truly sorry, Bumblebee," Ratchet whispered, his own optics beginning to fill with miserable tears as well.
Sideswipe and Perceptor carried Bumblebee to his berth so he could sleep off the sedative.
Ratchet covered his face, muffling his stifling breaths, trying desperately to keep from sobbing.
How could this happen? To Sari of all people? Why? Why?!
"I have failed…again."
"Ratch, ya know that ain't true," Blaster said, placing a hand on the older boy's shoulder.
"I should've considered it," Ratchet said, his voice breaking slightly. "Sari got her home back and her father's company. I should've guessed her enemies would take advantage of this apparent victory. We got careless, and left Sari unprotected."
Blaster's voice was gentle yet solid, but his optics betrayed a certain brokenness which made it clear that he was just as wounded by the events as of late. "Sometimes these things happen, Ratch and they happen no matter what we do. These things are outta our control sometimes. But Sari's alive. She's strong. I'm sure she'll pull through."
Ratchet tried to keep it together.
But the images of Sari being found in her bedroom in a pool of her own blood, unmoving and unbreathing, it was too much.
Ratchet keeled over, head bowed, as shuddering sobs escaped his throat.
Blaster held the old medic steady so he wouldn't fall.
"Easy, Ratchet."
"She's…she's just a child. Why? Why did they do it?"
Rubbing at them furiously, Blaster's eyes narrowed into slits. "I don't know Doc, but make no mistake, we will find them. They're going to wish they never met us."
Detroit, MI - 9:00 am (EST)
Porter C. Powell, in his luxury apartment in a secluded section in the city, more of a safehouse than a loft, furiously and desperately packed a few bags.
Sweating profusely, he was yelling into his Bluetooth earpiece.
"Just make sure my jet is ready, I gotta get out of town and fast! They'll think I'm the one that shot the girl! I'm the prime suspect! No! Of course I didn't do it! I'm a lot of things but a child killer is not one of them! I told you already! I don't know who did it! I don't even know how they did it! How?! How as in how did they get into the Sumdac Penthouse?! That place is supposed to be as impenetrable as Fort Knox! It's impossible! Unless…"
Suspicion entered Powell's mind and cold terror filled his veins.
It can't be! They wouldn't! They'd know all fingers would point at me as the prime suspect! Unless…they want to remove me from the board!
"Just get it done! By the time I hang up this phone, my plane better be fueled and ready to go!" Powell screamed as he hung up.
He picked up his bags and headed for the door.
Before he could touch the doorknob however…
A voice pierced the silence, a deep voice brimmed with malevolence and contempt.
"You crossed the line you fat sack of slime."
Powell never had the chance to scream before something thin and metallic wrapped around his middle.
And he was hurled screaming across the room and through a window.
In the terror of his plummet, Powell's mind mercifully shut down.
Three seconds later, his eyes opened.
He was looking down at the city below him.
He did not plummet to the pavement.
And in the distance below, he could see his luggage falling at terminal velocity.
Confusion filled his mind.
What was keeping him suspended like this?
Powell looked up.
And his heart seemed to stop as he saw a silhouette of something catlike leering death down at him from the broken window in the shadow of the moonlight.
All he could see with accuracy were two burning red eyes.
Powell's mouth dropped open in a silent scream.
He saw that his legs were suspended by what appeared to be the tail of a metallic lion, who was now bearing its teeth at him.
This time, the paralysis of his vocals wore off and he really did scream.
He screamed bloody murder.
"I DIDN'T DO IT! I DIDN'T SHOOT THE GIRL! I SWEAR!"
"I didn't say anything about you shooting the Sumdac child, did I?" Steeljaw growled.
"It wasn't me! It wasn't me!"
"Then why were you preparing to leave the country?"
"I knew I'd be suspected, so I was going to leave until the heat died down!"
Powell was crying now.
The sight of his tears sickened the Cybertronian lion.
"Who shot the girl?"
"I don't know! I don't know! I swear I don't!"
Steeljaw unfurled his tail.
And Powell screamed as he fell.
Steeljaw scurried after him at the rate of a locomotive, scaling down the steel/concrete wall of the building like a spider.
He equaled the speed of Powell's terminal velocity.
"Ground is coming real fast, Powell!" Steeljaw called out over the sound of the air resistance of Powell's descent.
"I DON'T KNOW WHO DID IT! NO ONE'S EVER BROKE INTO THE SUMDAC PENTHOUSE BEFORE! IT SHOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE! BUT-BUT-BUT I THINK I KNOW WHO DID IT OR COULD'VE DONE IT!"
"WHO?!"
The ground was just three-hundred meters below.
"MY CONTACT, HE CALLS HIMSELF PATHOS! I DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS! HE'S THE ONE WHO'S BEEN HELPING ME GET AHEAD IN SUMDAC'S COMPANY! NOW PLEASE SAVE ME! I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT HIM! JUST SAVE MEEEEEE!"
Steeljaw leapt off the building and caught Powell with his tail around the waist.
He scaled up another building and landed on top of it.
He dropped Powell on the gravel of the building's roof.
"Start talking. Start to finish."
Steeljaw said this as he dug his claws into the gravel of the roof.
Powell swallowed hard. "Pathos contacted me three years ago, right after I was made the Chairman of the Board. He wanted updates on Dr Sumdac's projects, particularly those of alien origin."
Steeljaw stared hard at the disgraced CEO. "You did not seem surprised to see me."
"I'm not. I know who you are and I know what you are. You are a Transformer."
Steeljaw chuckled darkly. "Then I'd better make sure you can't talk, Powell."
He opened his jaws as fire and smoke began to pour out of his mouth like a furnace.
Powell paled. "You wouldn't!"
"Why not? Whether you knew or not, you played a role in all this. I can burn you up in such a way that no one on this planet can identify you. More than what you deserve I'm thinking."
Powell whimpered as he tried to claw away.
"I didn't want her to get hurt."
"You would've left her to die in the streets if you thought you could get away with it. That makes you a murderer and a child murderer at that."
"I said I'd tell you whatever you want!" Powell begged.
Steeljaw shrugged his shoulders. "That will not undo what has been done to the girl. She may be dying, thanks in no small way to your meddling."
Steeljaw opened his maw as he was beginning to unleash his fire-breath, smoke erupting like the mouth of a furnace.
Powell came close to losing control of his bladder.
"It was Pathos! It must've been! I don't know who else could've shot the girl and disappeared without a trace!"
"How do I find him?"
"I don't know!"
Steeljaw resumed igniting his flamethrower, its smoke rekindling.
"Nononono! I swear I don't know! I never met him! I only ever talked to him over the phone!"
"Tell me everything you know about him."
"He knows about you guys. The way he talked, it's like he not only knew about you guys but also about the war you guys fought. And he seems to want to hurt you both, I don't know why."
Steeljaw furrowed his steel brow as he thought this over.
"Did he say anything else, anything out of the ordinary? Anything stand out?"
"Well, in our first meeting, he said at the end of our call till all are gone. I thought it sounded like a chant or something."
Steeljaw's red eyes opened wide with alarm.
Hmm. It seems that the odds have gotten worse.
00000
"This is John Denver calling Mufasa, do you read me?"
Optimus' voice.
"This is Mufasa, the fat cat is secure."
Steeljaw's voice.
"Did he talk?"
"Still talking. Moving to drop off point. Next objective?"
"After you drop him off, rendezvous with Zira. Make sure she remains calm."
"Affirmative. Easier said than done. What is the status of Starfire?"
Optimus' voice sounded hoarse and very sad.
"Still alive but progress is steadily improving."
"Good. Sir, there's something I must report, but not on the line."
"Very well. Tell me everything when you get back."
"Will do. Mufasa out."
Steeljaw grimaced.
Using codenames when addressing each other so to confuse whoever may try to tap into their comm lines was a good idea.
Should've picked better codenames. Can't believe I got named after a dead king.
00000
Henry Ford Madison Heights Hospital - Detroit, MI - 10:00 am (EST)
None of Sari's friends slept.
How could they?
One of their dear friends was shot and may die.
Raf took it the hardest.
He didn't even cry.
He just shut down on the spot.
It was difficult for him not to have someone close to his age to be friends with, to relate with, even if it was a girl.
Sierra and Miko cried all night.
Katie locked herself in her bedroom.
Vince stormed out and picked a fight with some street punks who were already stirring up trouble.
He won.
Jon and Jack stayed at the hospital, waiting for everyone to get back.
No one had heard from Captain Fanzone.
Agent Fowler believed he was out hunting a trail for whoever it was that tried to murder Sari.
"What exactly does he think he's going to find?" Fowler had said. "Whoever did it can't possibly be found by natural means. If the assassin and whoever they work for don't wish to be found, they more than likely won't be."
That did not deter Captain Fanzone for an instant.
Agent Fowler was very unimpressed with his friend. He should be by Sari's side, to protect her. But he understood.
Sari is the Captain's goddaughter.
If it had been his son, if Jon had been nearly shot to death, Fowler would probably do the same thing and use every facility at his disposal to hunt down the scum that did it.
But in his heart of hearts, he knew acting out in emotion like that would do no good. And it would leave the mortally wounded unprotected.
But Sari most certainly was not.
Sunstreaker and Ravage were carefully watching her.
Ravage was especially distraught when she found out.
Understatement.
But she hid it well.
Steeljaw was amazed how she managed to control herself and stop herself from going on a rampage.
Her spark has softened, Steeljaw thought. Vorns ago, she would have rampaged without a second thought until she found whoever did this.
00000
Undisclosed Location
It was just when Vince came back from his own rampage.
He had just walked through the door at one of Dr Sumdac's safehouses that Vince was grabbed by the scruff of his jacket and was pushed up against a wall.
A furious Wheeljack, in his human avatar, snarled at the impetuous youth.
"Are you kidding me?! Going off like that without a word?! Are you out of your mind, boy?!"
"I needed to cool off! Whatta you care?!"
Wheeljack exploded. "I care! Don't you ever do that again! You hear me?!"
Vince frowned indignantly, but there were tears in his eyes.
Wheeljack could see the boy was torn up inside.
But now he could see he was physically hurt.
Bruises and cuts riddled his face.
"What have you gotten yourself into, kid?"
"They had it coming! And they tried to beat me down first!"
Wheeljack said no more and he took the boy by the arm.
"Let's get you cleaned up. This conversation is far from over."
00000
H.F.M.H. Hospital - Detroit, MI - 12:00 pm
Captain Fanzone, followed by Bumblebee, in his human avatar form, entered Sari's hospital room.
Jack, Miko, Raf, Sierra, Katie, Vince and Jon were there.
A middle aged doctor in a white coat, salt and pepper hair and glasses stood by Sari's bedside.
Sari looked as though she had lost forty pounds.
Her red hair was concealed in a green cap.
An oxygen mask was placed over her mouth and nose.
Sierra held Sari's right hand and Raf held her left.
The only one with dry eyes in the room was the doctor.
"I want to tell you that she'll be ok but the damage to her internal organs was extensive. One of her kidneys ruptured and the bullet passed through her left lung. The bullet also nicked her heart muscle."
Raf was aghast but he spoke up. "But she survived ten hours of surgery."
"Yes, remarkable for her age. But the next twenty-four hours will determine if she'll make a full recovery."
"What can we do?" Katie asked, her voice hoarse, probably from crying.
"Don't stay too long. Sari will need her rest."
"Who will watch over her?" Jack asked. "What if the assassin has an accomplice? What if they double back?"
The doctor smiled. "Young man, this happens to be one of the most secure buildings in the city. Your friend is perfectly safe."
More secure than the Sumdac building?
Jack's skepticism was not unjustified.
Sari had to be protected.
No matter the cost.
Optimus will know what to do. He always does.
Jack looked up at Captain Fanzone.
He had the same steely exterior but there were bags under his eyes.
"Go ahead kid, I'll watch over. She's my goddaughter after all."
Jack touched Sari's hand tenderly.
"Hang in there, Sari."
Jack slipped out.
Jon, tears running down his face, was lead out by Vince, who had his arm around the crying youth.
"Let's go, bud," Vince said.
Sierra gently kissed Sari on the cheek.
"Love you," Sierra whispered.
"We all do," Katie said, kissing Sari's hand.
Miko didn't speak.
She just walked out.
Bumblebee stayed with Raf.
Both of them looked too exhausted to cry.
Until Raf looked Bee in the eyes.
And the bespectacled youth could hold in his emotions no longer.
Raf crashed into his guardian's middle and held onto him for dear life, crying uncontrollably into his chest.
Bumblebee held him close.
"I gotcha little buddy, I gotcha," he whispered.
Fanzone didn't interrupt.
He just sat down in a chair, facing his unmoving goddaughter, arms crossed his chest coolly.
Bee eyed the police captain with some alarm, of how unshaken he seemed to be.
Sheesh. This guy would give Prowl a run for his money. I mean talk about ice cold.
"What are you staring at?" Fanzone demanded.
Bee felt caught and rather ashamed of what he was thinking.
"Nothing."
Fanzone frowned. "I guess you think I'm some cold, heartless guy on account that I'm not blubbering over what happened to Sari?"
Bee was caught off guard as his mouth dropped.
"How-?"
"I'm not just a police captain, I'm also a bonified private detective. I make it my business to know what people are thinking. Your body language and facial expression, heck, the look in your eyes says it all. You're troubled that because I'm not crying my eyes out, you're thinking I have no heart at all."
Bumblebee felt even worse now.
"I don't…"
"Yes you did, it's ok."
Bumblebee looked down to see that Raf had stopped crying and was now sleeping soundly in his arms.
"Why don't you take the kid to the room next door. Take a right. It's a room they prepared for family of the patient. And right now, we're the best they got."
00000
Denver, CO - 2:00 pm (MST)
Archimedes' optics were closed.
"Prime, tell me truly. Will she live?"
Optimus, in his human avatar, bowed his head.
"That is not certain. She has survived the initial surgery, which was severe and it took a toll on her body. The doctors have assured us we will know by tomorrow."
Archimedes looked unfathomably sad.
So much so, he began to weep.
"Oh Sari!" he wailed. "How could this happen?!"
Optimus kept his head bowed, not wishing to shame the ancient archivist by seeing his tears.
Optimus was close to weeping himself.
But he had to keep his emotions in check.
For the team.
For the Autobot cause.
For Sari.
To lose control is to condemn his friends to death.
I can't lose anymore. I've lost too much. Sari, please. Be strong and come back to us.
"Archimedes, Powell mentioned this Pathos. It's a name that isn't known to me but he had recited these words, till all are gone. Does that mean anything to you?"
Archimedes' optics grew huge.
"Till all are gone," Archimedes said as though reciting a poem he had memorized in time's past. "That does ring a bell. It's obviously a play on the old words of the Primes of old, till all are one. That saying is known to me, it has often been said by the ancient enemies of Cybertron."
Optimus nodded grimly. "The Acolytes of Unicron."
"Indeed. Their history is shrouded in legends and folklore. They are said to be Unicron's shadows and his most terrible servants."
Archimedes gasped. "That's it!"
"Archimedes, what is it?" Optimus asked, slightly alarmed.
"My ship, it was shot down! It was no accident!"
Optimus was astounded. "By whom?"
Archimedes said the name slowly, his voice filled with bitterness.
"Scourge."
Optimus paused in thought. "Scourge. That is a name mentioned in the Covenant of the Primes. They say he is feared among Cybertronians and is more cruel than any enemy that Cybertron has ever known."
Archimedes nodded.
"I can fill in the blanks. Scourge is known throughout Cybertronian space as the Huntsman. He's one of Unicron's most zealous and most dangerous servants. He's as cunning as he is cruel. He has the reputation of never losing his kill and he has hunted me halfway across the galaxy. He has apparently tracked me to this system since I know for a fact that he was the one who disabled my ship."
"Why was he after you?" Optimus asked, troubled.
"Because of the ancient data cylinders I carried. Theirs is the last remnant of the Cybertron's golden age and their knowledge in the wrong hands would be disastrous, which is putting it lightly my friend."
Optimus looked hard at Archimedes. "Would one of these cylinders have contained a formula for a synthetic Energon?"
Archimedes' optics grew huge once more. "Yes! How did you-?!"
He gasped in realization. "You found it?!"
"Yes, but at a great cost. Bumblebee was almost killed and the cylinder was severely damaged. Ratchet has been spending the past few months deciphering it."
"Very good. Better that the cylinder is in your possession than the Decepticons. I find that their abilities of restraint are wanting. And it is good that I know you are worthy of trust, Optimus."
Optimus smiled but something about Archimedes' words puzzled him.
"If you'll excuse me for asking Archimedes, but why wouldn't you think me trustworthy?"
Archimedes looked guilty.
"Because you're a Prime and I'm sorry to say that modern history has cast the more recent Primes in an extremely negative light."
So that was it.
It was not uncommon before the war that Primes were not well loved, most often because they are known to have fallen to their pride and greed.
Zeta Prime was such a case, as much as it pained Optimus to think so.
Had it not been for his hubris, his vanity, his negligence perhaps the Great War could have been avoided.
The last few Primes were no better.
Icarus. Decius. Oculus. And others.
All were known to either be vicious, greedy, or just plain idiots.
The Primes of old were known to be true, loyal, brave, noble and legends on the battlefield.
And sad to say, not many of their kind are in the world today.
"Your suspicions are not unfounded, Archimedes."
"I'm sorry Optimus."
"Apologies are not necessary, Archimedes. I understand, more than you know."
00000
Detroit, MI - 6:00 pm (EST)
Clark Park.
A middle aged man in a long tan coat walked through the treelines of the park, hands in his pockets.
"Gotta get home," he said to himself.
He walked briskly.
The sun was already setting and he didn't want to be in the park after dark.
This way was the quickest way to his home.
And if I'm late to work again, I'll get canned. Kid needs braces. And now I have to find an anniversary present to top my wife's. How could things get possibly worse?
A dirty ill-favored looking man stepped out from behind a tree, an evil smile on his face and a hand cannon in his hand.
The man in the long coat stepped back, frightened. "Please…let me pass."
The crook chuckled. "Not likely. We'll start with your wallet. Then that nice coat."
"No, please! I have a family to feed!"
The crook grinned mockingly. "You can make more money but you can't get another life." He shrugged. "And your kids can get another daddy."
A savage growl was heard in the dark shadow of the massive tree on the crook's left.
Both the crook and the man in the long coat looked to see a large African-American man, full of muscle and solid as a mountain lurch out of the dark.
The crook turned to aim but the stranger was already upon him as he, while roaring in fury, grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground as easily as though he were a baby.
The crook shrieked in terror.
And the man in the long coat, seeing he was out of danger, took to his heels.
The crook attempted to aim again but the massive stranger disarmed him and crushed the weapon in his hand as easily as crushing a soda can.
The crook fouled his pants and he fainted.
Bulkhead, in his human avatar, grimaced in disgust.
He tied up the mugger with the sleeves of his coat.
He pressed the comm in his ear.
"This is Jolly Green calling Scatman, got held up but I'm heading back to the drop off point."
"Word," said the voice belonging to Jazz. "Masterson split from the home scene. Left nothing. No trail, nothing. Gonna be a while. Maybe the little weasel is somewhere in the city, running and hiding. Later Big B."
The call ended.
And Bulkhead sat down on the ground, pinching the bridge of his nose.
I can protect perfect strangers but I couldn't look after Sari.
00000
Undisclosed Location - 8:00 pm (EST)
Henry Masterson, sweat pouring off his face, despite the winter cold, looked over his shoulder as he pulled his rolling suitcase, fighting to keep his fur hoodie over, trying to keep from getting recognized by any passerbys.
I can't believe this is happening. If that brat hadn't gotten herself shot, if she had just minded her own business, she may not be as good as dead and I wouldn't have to run out of town. And these little people, blubbering about some kid getting shot?! What the heck is wrong with these people?! It's not like their kid got shot! But who cares?! Just street trash like so many others!
In his bitter and angry inner ravings, Masterson had not noticed the shadowy figure tailing him.
The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood up on end.
And he knew he was being watched. Maybe even being followed.
Such was the nature of a very paranoid man.
Masterson quickened his pace.
Just a few more steps, my ride should be just around the corner.
Masterson did not dare to turn his head, for if he saw whoever it was that was tailing him, the terror may paralyze him and he'd be done for.
Masterson's rolling suitcase suddenly felt very heavy.
In his terror, he dropped it.
Forget it! I'll just buy new clothes with what I got in my offshore accounts!
Masterson broke into a run.
He turned a corner and his private limousine was in sight.
Masterson practically ripped the door open, hopped into the backseat, and closed the door.
The limousine took off.
Masterson breathed a sigh of relief.
He leaned forward to knock on the window separating him and the driver's cab.
The window opened and the head and shoulders of a man dressed in a black suit and driver's cap was revealed.
"Airport. Make it fast," Masterson demanded.
The driver nodded without saying a word.
Masterson cocked an eyebrow.
He didn't recognize this driver.
"Where's Boris?"
"He called in sick, sir. My name is Douglas."
Henry Masterson felt his heart skip a beat.
Called in sick? That doesn't make any sense. Boris never calls in sick.
When Douglas turned onto an exit on the highway that was going in the opposite direction of his destination, Masterson's blood froze in his veins.
"H-Hey, the airport is west of 94, not east."
"I'm sorry sir but there is a traffic jam. This route will be much quicker."
"Do I look like a tourist to you?! Stop the car! Now!"
"No."
Douglas pressed the switch that closed the window to the backseat cab.
"Hey! Hey!"
Masterson, both panicked and outraged, banged on the window.
"Stop the car! Stop the car right now! Who are you?! What did you do to Boris!"
Gas suddenly aired out of the AC vents of the backseat.
"No! No! NOOOOOO!"
Masterson held his breath but his struggling was short lived as the gas seeped into his airway.
And everything went black.
Douglas smirked coldly as his blue eyes suddenly glowed a venomous amethyst.
"Till all are gone," he whispered.
00000
Autobot Outpost Omega Two - 10:00 pm (MST)
Ratchet scoffed. "The Acolytes of Unicron?! Surely Archimedes is mistaken, Optimus."
Optimus wanted to agree but his spark told him otherwise.
His instincts told him that it was worth considering that a new enemy has entered the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons.
Scourge. If he was able to track Archimedes to this system, is it possible that he may have come to Earth? What if he's still here? If that's the case, then he knows everything about the Autobots being here, including me.
Optimus' blood went cold.
Does he know about the Key?
00000
H.F.M.H. Hospital - Detroit, MI - 11:00 pm (EST)
"Doctor! She's flatlining!"
"Epinephrine!"
"Get the pads! Hurry!"
"One two three, clear!"
"Still flat!"
"Again, one-two-three, clear!"
Beep beep beep beep
The nurse smiled. "Doctor, her heart!"
The doctor sighed in relief. "We brought her back. But fragments of the bullet are still in her body. I'm concerned if we try to take it out, she might not make it."
"But if we keep it in there, she'll die."
The doctor grimaced. "If only we weren't so short staffed. We need more. We need-!"
"Excuse me."
Doctor Reinhardt turned to see a face he didn't recognize.
A man, probably in his sixties, yet sturdily built, grey hair, blue eyes, and some stubble.
But he was in a doctor's coat.
"Who are you?" Reinhardt demanded.
The man did not answer, he simply gave him a card.
Reinhardt examined the card and his eyes widened.
"Thank God you're here, doctor! Nurse!"
The nurse moved fast to put the surgical scrubs on the unexpected arrival.
"Let's get started," said the unexpected doctor.
00000
December 5th, 3:00 am
Raf typed away at his laptop.
His eyes were tired yet furious.
Standing on top of the dish of the Detroit Communication Hub,
Blaster stood by with him in his vehicle mode.
He was his escort for the moment.
Bumblebee would stay by Sari's side.
It was a very close call and if it hadn't been for the timely arrival of this 'master surgeon,' Sari would be dead.
Raf, upon hearing the news, decided that there was nothing he could do for Sari.
Nothing save track down whoever it was that did this to Sari.
And with Blaster's expertise, this state of the art communication dish, and his own skill, Raf will find that lead.
If he can't uncover the identity of the guilty party, he can at least cover ground and sniff out a trail.
In under an hour, Raf made these conclusions in his data crunching:
Powell gave no order to assassinate Sari.
Neither did Masterson, who mysteriously disappeared.
MECH would not risk further exposure by doing this.
And all of the agents who could pull this job off or even come close, they were either missing or dead.
MECH couldn't have done it, not with the measly resources they have.
And it can't be the Decepticons.
This was way too subtle, even for Megatron.
Besides, he wouldn't go out of his way just to kill one human child, Autobot charge or not.
Plus, it was sloppy and Megatron would not leave a trace of her.
And he would make sure Optimus knew it was him.
And he wouldn't leave the relic that Sari had been wearing as a necklace.
A relic that can apparently open doors when there are none.
An immensely powerful relic that Megatron would never pass up.
The guilty party is an unknown unknown.
A ghost.
Or perhaps an army of ghosts.
A faction beyond Autobot and Decepticon.
Archie had mentioned other enemies besides the Decepticons.
But why would they want to hurt Sari?
And do they know about the relic?
These questions filled Rafael with a dread that no words from Optimus could cure.
00000
6:00 am
"Hippocrates, was the surgery successful?"
"Yes John Denver, she's stable. She'll live."
Optimus sat down in his metal chair, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he held.
"That is good, well done Doctor."
"Those online courses may be primitive but they were very thorough all the same."
Optimus smiled.
If Ratchet hadn't taken more of an interest in human medicine, not only would Sari have not made it, but perhaps Rafael as well.
"She couldn't be in better hands, Doctor. Well done."
"I would go to the ends of the universe for her, sir."
"As would I, Doctor."
"What now, Denver?"
"Stand by. Over and out."
00000
Autobot Outpost Omega Two - Denver, CO - 8:00 am
Optimus, in his Cybertronian form, black and silver color scheme and all, stood before his Autobots and human allies.
The only ones not present were June Darby, Captain Fanzone, Rafael Esquivel, Bumblebee, Blaster, Steeljaw, Ravage, and Ratchet.
It was a school day, but their school cancelled all classes for the week.
Sari Sumdac was much loved at her school in Denver.
Optimus spoke slowly in a low voice.
"As you all know, this was a security breach that we did not foresee. Sari is alive. She has survived almost twenty-fours of surgery. She should pull through."
Sighs of relief and tears were all around the room.
"She's being well watched. We still don't have a lead of who's responsible but we're certain of who is not responsible. It was not Powell, or Masterson, MECH, or the Decepticons. However, Powell gave us a name. Pathos."
"Pathos?" Jazz said. "No, that's not cryptic at all."
Optimus continued. "He has been Powell's contact for some time now. His source of intel. He is the one who has been feeding Powell intelligence of our existence."
The Autobots had looks of horror and alarm on their faces.
"But how?!" Perceptor exclaimed.
"I don't know, but I believe Archimedes might know where to start."
"How's that?" Arcee asked.
Optimus answered in a grim voice. "Arcee, have you ever heard of the Acolytes of Unicron?"
Everyone looked to one another in alarm.
Arcee looked ashen.
"Sworn servants of Unicron. But they're just a myth."
Optimus shook his head. "Archimedes is convinced of their existence and that one of them is responsible for his crash landing and the injuries that followed."
Bulkhead snorted. "The babbling of an old relic that is nothing but a head."
"Ratchet assured me that his brain, while damaged, is functioning at a capacity that he can rightfully say with complete confidence that he is as lucid as he ever was."
Bulkhead no longer looked so cocky. "Ok…and who are we talking about?"
Optimus cleared his throat. "His name is Scourge."
The Autobots gasped sharply.
None of their human charges understood.
The name Scourge was apparently known to them.
"He's real?" Sunstreaker exclaimed, voice filled with dread.
Katie looked up at him, quite frightened.
"I don't understand," Jack said. "Unicron is gone. For good isn't he? Why would his followers, why would anyone still follow him?"
"Unicron is not dead, Jack," Optimus said. "He's in stasis only. Killing Unicron will not be so simple as unleashing the contents of the Matrix."
"How do we do it?" Jack asked.
Optimus did not answer for some time.
A full minute.
Optimus feared that history would repeat itself.
He had felt it in his spark and he suspected that the Key was the very thing that set all these things in motion.
His answer terrified all concerned to their core.
"I don't know, but I believe the only one who can help us is the one who has gotten closer to Unicron than any being we've ever known."
Arcee gaped.
"You can't possibly mean-?"
Optimus nodded tragically.
"Megatron."
To be continued…