Chapter 5

After an hour or so of waiting at the top of the hill at the edge of town, Jazz started the engine and headed into town.

"Do you want to drive?  Test out your dope driving skills?"  Jazz asked.  "I could tell ya a little more about myself.  And get you interested."

"Why do I feel like you're hitting on me?"  I asked with a smile.

"What?  Me?  Hit on you?  Nooo..."  He was guilty.

I chuckled and took hold of the steering wheel.  I pressed down on the gas pedal and turned to the left, driving onto the road and getting up to speed.  I turned onto the road that takes me to Miles' house.  I wanted to make sure everyone I know was okay.

"No need to worry, chap.  I do a nightly check on everyone that's important to you and your family," Jazz said.  I stayed quiet for a little bit.  "You don't seem to talk to much.  Tell ya what?  You owe me a ride and I'll drive you home tonight?"

I smiled slightly.  "That sounds great," I said.

Jazz turned the radio to a soft pop station.  I started to drift to sleep when Jazz arrived at the house.  "Miss Witwicky, your house awaits."

"Thanks, Jazz," I said.  "For everything today.  I probably wouldn't be here without you."

"Aww, don't think like that, lil' one.  You're almost as brave as me," he said.  "Keep that bravery and you'll die in vain."

I nodded.  "Thanks again, Jazz."

"Now get out before I starting leaking.  I'm not that kind of car," Jazz said.

I chuckled and I got out of the car, taking my keys and pocketing them.  I saw Sam-- Bumblebee in the driveway as well.  I walked up the doorstep and almost tripped.  I blushed.  Jazz must have seen that.  I opened the front door.

"Chick?  Is that you?"  I heard my mother call from the living room.

"Yeah, it's me," I said.  I locked the door behind me and took off my shoes.  "I'm going to bed.  Night."

"Goodnight, sweetheart," my mom said.

I started towards the stairs when I was in a tight embrace.  I inhaled deeply.  It was Sam's warm embrace.  I gribbed the back of his tee shirt in my hands.  I hugged him tightly.

"Come on.  Let's get you upstairs," Sam said.  He could tell I was going to fall asleep right in his arms, so he picked me up and carried me upstairs to my room.  He put me down in my bed and covered me with my blankets.

"Sam," I said.  I held out my hand for him to take it.  He did.  "Thank you."

"For what?"  He asked.  He squeezed my hand for reassurance.

"For being my older brother," I said.

I could see a faint smile.  He was happy, I was happy.  But we're getting hunted by decepticons, what Jazz calls them.

"Have a good sleep, Chick.  We'll talk about what all happened tomorrow," he said.

I nodded.  "Night..."  My words slurred.

I didn't notice Sam walk out because I was unconscious in a heartbeat.

***

I woke up to Sam shaking my arm.  I opened my eyes.  I looked at the clock.  I was only asleep for half an hour.  It was only 9:45.  "What?"  I asked.

"I went to check on my car and it opened the door.  I think it wants us to go with it," Sam said.

"Yeah, calling it an 'it' isn't cool.  His name's Bumblebee," I said.  I swung out of bed.  I was wearing my dirty clothes from yesterday.  I pulled on a different shirt and put on my black converses.  I pulled my thick light brown hair into a messy bun and the bottom of my hair line.

"How do you know his name?"  Sam asked.  He turned around so he couldn't see my changing.  Respect for me and for himself.

I shrugged.  "Half an hour ago is really kind of blurry.  I can't remember what happened after I was falling asleep in my car.  Jazz drove me home," I said.

"Yeah..."  Sam said in disbelief.  "Anyway, Mikaela's here and Bumble...  My car wants us to go with them."

I nodded.  "Let's go," I said, trying to find any excuse to talk to Jazz again.  I felt in my pockets for my keys, finding them in my front right pocket.  I tried to step by Sam.

"Do you trust them?  The robots?"  Sam asked.

"Well, yeah.  They saved us last night. More importantly you," I said.  I walked down the stairs quietly and went outside quickly.  Mom and dad were awake and hopefully they wouldn't hear us.

Sam disappeared into the bathroom and got Mikaela.  I waited at the door for them.  When I saw Sam come out, pulling Mikaela by the hand, I opened the front door quietly and held it open for my brother and his girl.  I shut the door, locking it and then released the screen door.  I hopped down the front steps and rounded the new Ponitac Solstice.  Sam's Camaro was still that old faded paint job.

Jazz opened his door for me.  I smiled and touch the top of the car as I crawled inside.  I reached out and shut the door.  I put the keys in the ignition.  "Does this count as a ride?"  I asked Jazz.

The mechanical robot voice replied.  "No, because you have no idea where you're going."

I chuckled.  "But if Bumblebee leaves first, I can follow him," I said.

"Oh, nah.  I'm not letting the radio-talker get in between our alone time," Jazz said.  I could hear a smile in his voice...  If Autobots smile.  He pulled out our driveway slowly and quietly, trying not to wake my parents.  When he was up the road a little bit, he revved his engine and picked up speed.

I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw Sam and Mikaela inside Bumblebee.  Jazz drove onto the highway, going into the tunnel.  Behind us, I saw Bumblebee brake and turn to a stop.  Sam and Mikaela got out and stood on the side walk.

"Jazz, stop," I said, tapping the dash board.  Jazz slowed to the side.

I opened the door when there was no traffic coming and looked at Sam and Mikaela.  "What happened to him?"  I asked.

"He got pissed off and ditched us," Sam said.

I looked behind him and saw Bumblebee, but a different...  Newer yellow Camaro.  It was a fifth generation Chevrolet Camaro.

"What?"  Sam said.

Bumblebee drove up and stopped in front of Sam and Mikaela.  Sam opened the door and Mikaela got in, followed by Sam.  The new improved yellow Camaro drove around Jazz and I and drove off.

"Let's kick it," Jazz said.  I got back into the car and closed the door.  Soon, we were right behind Bumblebee.

***

Jazz and Bumblebee drove into a renovation place.  Somewhere we weren't supposed to go.  Jazz told me to get out of the car.  I did and I sat on the hood of the car.  I looked up at the sky and saw three different comets dropping out of the sky.  One hit the earth less than a kilometer away.

"Come on," Sam said to Mikaela and I.  We followed him, running towards the ball of fire.

We got there and stared at the metallic ball transform into a robot.  "Sam..."  I said.

"No, no.  It won't hurt us," Sam said.  "Come on.  Let's get back."

I nodded.  Mikaela glanced at me, then took Sam's hand.  We jogged back to Jazz and Bumblebee who were awaiting our arrival.

I got into the grey Pontiac Solstice and we followed Bumblebee to where it was we were going.  We drove down an alleyway, parked then got out.

Sam pointed down to the other end of the alley.  "Look," he said.

I followed his gaze and saw a transport truck with orange flames, a GMC truck and an Emergency vehicle.  They spread out around us.  The transport truck started turning into, probably another robot.  On it's hood, where ornaments usually go, there was the same Autobot symbol, like in Sam's Camaro and in my Solstice.

I was too busy watching the flamed truck transform into a 30 foot robot to notice that the other four cars turned into robots too.  My car, Jazz did some flips and rolls.  He was a dancer.  And the smallest one there.

The flamed truck started talking as he kneeled down to face us.  I immediately stepped back, thinking he was going to hurt us.  Sam grabbed my arm and looked at me with reassurance.

"Are you Samuel James Witwicky and Cassandra Chick Witwicky, descendants of Archibald Witwicky?"  He asked.  His mechanical voice was a lower pitch than Jazz's.

"They know your names," Mikaela gasped.

I looked at Sam, waiting for his response.

"Yeah," Sam said, skeptical.

"My name is Optimus Prime," he said.  "We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron."

The emergency vehicle spoke up.  "But you can call us Autobots for short," he said.  He was yellow and shorter than the so called Optimus Prime.

"Autobots," I said.  "So that symbol on the hood of you...  You're car form...  That's the Autobot symbol?"

"Yes.  We will get to that part in a minute," Optimus Prime said.

"What's cracking, little bitches?"  Jazz said from behind me.  I turned and smiled at him.

"My first lieutenant.  Designation, Jazz," Optimus said.  "And also Chick's guardian."

Jazz did a twirl in the air and landed on his knee.  "This looks like a cool place to kick it," he said.  He swung his leg around and sat down on the hood of another car.  Oh, his humour.

"What is that?  How did he learn to talk like that?"  Sam asked, pointing at Jazz.

"We've learned Earth's languages through the World Wide Web," Optimus Prime answered.  Optimus pointed behind Sam.  "My weapons specialist, Ironhide."

I turned around completely and saw Ironhide's arm guns pointed at me.  "Whoa, whoa!"  I yelled I duck and rolled to the left where Jazz stood.

"You feeling lucky, punk?"  Ironhide asked, his voice creeping me out.

"Easy, Ironhide," Optimus Prime said.

"Just kidding.  I just wanted to show 'em my cannons," Ironhide said.  Ironhide was as tall as the emergency vehicle.

"Our medical officer, Ratchet," Optimus Prime said.  Ratchet was standing across from Ironhide and beside Jazz and Optimus Prime.

Ratchet sniffed.  "The boy's pheromone level suggests he wants to made with the female," he said.

I tried not to laugh.  I looked at Jazz who was trying to hold back something too.

Optimus pointed to Bumblebee.  "You already know your guardian, Bumblebee," he said.

I looked over and saw Bumblebee jogging on the spot.

"Bumblebee, right?"  Sam asked.

The radio in Bumblebee turned on.  'Check on the rep.  Yep, second to none.'

"So you're my guardian, huh?"  Sam asked.

Bumblebee nodded sweetly.

"His vocal processors were damaged in battle.  I'm still working on them," Ratchet said, holding out his right arm and blasting Bumblebees neck, causing him to cough.

"Why are you here?"  I heard Mikaela ask.

I turned to watch Optimus Prime's answer.  "We are here looking for the All Spark.  And we must find it before Megatron."

"Mega-what?"  I asked.

Before I knew it, Jazz picked me up and held me in his metallic hand.  "Don't fall," he said.

"Aww, looks like someone cares for a human," Ironside's slick voice said to Jazz.

"Shut up, Ironhide before I grill you to pieces," Jazz said.

I smiled and held on tight to Jazz so I didn't fall off of his hand.  The ground around Sam and Mikaela broke and hot volcanic lava.

"Our planet was once a powerful empire, peaceful and just, until we were betrayed by Megatron, leader of the Decepticons," Optimus Prime said.

"So the good guys and the bad guys?"  I asked Jazz for clarification.

"Yes.  We're the good guys," he said.

Everything around us must have been what Cybertron had looked like.

"All who defied them were destroyed," Optimus Prime said.

"That's not a happy ending," I said.

"Our war finally consumed the planet and the All Spark was lost to the stars," he continued.  "Megatron followed it to Earth, where Captain Witwicky found him."

Sam chuckled.  "Our grandfather," Sam said.

"It was an accident that intertwined our fates," Optimus Prime said.  "Megatron crash landed before he could retrieve the Cube.  He accidentally activated his navigation system.  The coordinates to the Cube's location on Earth were imprinted on his glasses."

"How'd you know about his glasses?"  Sam asked.

"Oh, no..."  I said, putting my head in my hand.

"eBay," Optimus Prime said.

"eBay," Sam repeated, looking at me.

"If the Decepticons find the All Spark, they will use its power to transform Earth's machines and build a new army," Ratchet said.

"And the human race will be extinguished," Optimus said.  "Sam, Chick Witwicky, you hold the key to Earth's survival."

"Please tell me you have those glasses," Mikaela said.

I was put down on the ground beside Mikaela.

Sam looked at Mikaela with a 'Yes, I have them' expression.

***

Optimus Prime led us back to our house.  I jumped out of Jazz's car form.  He was talking about random stuff probably to Ratchet or Ironhide.  Bumblebee drove to the back of the house.  I entered in the front door.

I climbed up the stairs and ran into Sam's room, shutting the door behind me.  I started searching for Sam's bag.  I looked on his shelves and under his bed.  I looked on his desk, throwing papers around.

I went over to the window and saw Sam with Mojo in his arms.  "Bad Mojo," he said.

"Sam!  I can't find it!"  I yelled quietly.

Sam groaned.  He ran underneath Optimus Prime, almost getting crushed.  "Okay, okay," Sam said.  "Shut up and go hide!"

"Just hurry," Optimus said.  He turned and stomped off to the left, coming into my view, ruining the grass.

"Did you really have to stomp on the grass?"  I asked.

Optimus ignored me.  "Autobots, recon."

I turned and saw Sam enter his room.

"What do you mean you can't find them?!"  Sam asked hurriedly.  "They were in my bag."

"Your bag's gone, Sam!"  I said.  "I searched everywhere."

Sam started rifling through everything in his room.  He flipped almost everything on his shelves and flipped his mattress up.  He ruined his room.  "Where are they?  No, no, no, no, no."  He was literally going insane.

I heard 'rrring' towards the window.  Mikaela was being elevated into the house.

"What?  No," Sam said.  "What are you doing?"  He went over and grabbed Mikaela's hand, pulling her into the room.

"They're in a little bit of a rush," Mikaela said.  "Where are the glasses?"

"I don't know.  They were in my bag, and now the bag's gone," Sam said.

"Well, they're going to be pissed, so what are you going to do?"  Mikaela asked.

Sam continued talking to Mikaela.  I wasn't doing any help so I climbed out the window and I started to climb down.  Jazz was too short, but Bumblebee knew what I wanted.  He helped me down to the ground.  I jumped off and landed in a tuck and cover position doing a roll onto my feet.

"This one will be good for war," Ironhide said.

"She's human, Ironhide," Ratchet said.

"The military have humans fighting wars, she should become part of the military," Ironhide said.

"I might be graduating this year, so that's a possibility," I said.  I glanced over at Optimus and Sam.  They were having a really advanced conversation.

"Autobots, fall back," Optimus Prime said.  I walked beside Jazz who was doing somersaults.  He did a hip hop move and I was impressed.

"Where did you learn to dance?"  I asked him.

"My family was into hip hop," Jazz said.  "That's where I learned my slick moves."

"I should show you mine sometime," I said.  I smiled.  I heard a buzzing sound of something getting zapped.  It was Ratchet.  He ran into the hydro line and fell, tangled in the line.  He went spinning and fell to the ground, causing an almost earthquake.

"Wow!  That was tingly!"  Ratchet said.  He groaned.  "You gotta try that!"

Ironhide shook his head.  "Yeah, that looks fun."  Ironhide just turned and walked away.

The lights went out on the whole street.

"Shh.  Shh," I said, listening.  'Whurrrr whurrrr, whurrr, whurrr.'

"Sam, police!  They're down the block!"  I whispered.  I went over to the window.  "Optimus!  Police!  On the road now!  Go.  You all need to go!"

Optimus looked at the road.  "Autobots, roll out!"

"And we're rolling!"  Jazz said, doing another somersault into his car.  He parked in the driveway beside Bumblebee.

Optimus, Ironhide and Ratchet transformed into car mode and drove out the back.  I ran to the front of the house where six or seven police SUVs were sitting in a row.  2 agents got out of every single one.

The car that was pulled ahead was probably the main vehicle.  A man with sunglasses came forward.  He had short black curly hair.  He pulled out his badge.  "Agent Seymour Simmons," he said.  "Sector Seven."  Then I knew we were in trouble.

***