As Alice and Jack sat with Raf to see how things were going with setting up Alice's phone to link with the comms and Miko played her videogames alone, the bots went about their business, Optimus at one console searching for energon deposits, while Ratchet was at the other looking into possible Decepticon activity. Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead were quietly discussing what could be done about Miko's behaviour at the base, and how they might be able to get all the humans to get along better, as they all needed to be here for one reason or another. They all agreed that Miko was in the wrong, but she would get over it eventually and likely actually find Alice's witchcraft interesting once she knew more about it. It was just a matter of what to do in the meantime.
Alice would soon have her phone back, but she nearly dropped it as Raf handed it back to her when the proximity alarm went off. The loud pulsating noise of the warning made her cover her ears as she looked around in confusion, though Optimus was quick to silence it for everyone's sake. Agent Fowler was here. Optimus had contacted him about the newest addition to their human companions and gave him the gist of what she was capable of. Fowler knowing that Optimus was no jokester, took his message about her seriously and had done his own research through his higher-ups as to what this could mean for the military, and for her.
Agent Fowler had taken his helicopter as per usual, he rarely drove here so he didn't leave any tracks that could be followed from the ground. As he came down the elevator, he adjusted his tie so it wasn't so tight around his neck, undoing the top button of his dress shirt as well so he could prepare for what was to come, and so that he could look a little less professional and intimidating to the new person. He had many reasons for doing this as he descended into the base. Fowler knew that Alice was at least older than Jack, as nobody had asked her age, meaning she was a minimum of seventeen or eighteen, and that she was a potent medium of sorts, not in the sense of talking to spirits it seemed, but by seeing energies, ones that were even alien to them. This could make her valuable in the military, depending on its reach, and he had partially come to try and recruit her depending on how old she was. He knew better than to try and take her away from the bots, she was probably best protected with them for now, though he did wonder who her guardian was going to be, considering their lack of bodies to provide.
Alice got up with the other kids and went to the couch area where Miko was, waiting for the agent to come in. Alice had no idea who they were waiting for, or what the warning meant, but everyone seemed to be watching the now moving elevator. "That was the proximity alarm, it usually means Agent Fowler is here. He's the bot's liaison to the human world, aside from us anyway. He handles things like evacuating certain areas that the bots need access to, or are going to be fighting in the area of. He keeps people safe." Jack explained simply as the elevator came to its final destination and the doors opened, revealing the African-American agent in his casual grey suit and striped tie that was loosened ever so slightly around his neck, the very top button of the white dress shirt undone to give his neck some relief.
Agent Fowler would approach the kids after giving a nod to the bots, looking directly at the new teen amongst them. "You must be Alice. Optimus Prime contacted me about you and said that I should meet you." Fowler explained, placing his hand on Alice's shoulder and gesturing that they walk. Alice felt more than a little uncomfortable at this gesture but quickly followed it so that he would take his hand off her. "I've heard a little about your abilities, and where they stem from. You're a practitioner of witchcraft, correct?" Agent Fowler asked as they descended the stairs and began walking through the base. Alice had little idea who this man was, and being alone with him made her uncomfortable, so she stopped when they were on the other side of the large room. "Where are my manners? I am Agent William Fowler, U.S. Military. I wanted to know more about your abilities and how far they extend." Fowler explained himself, noticing Alice's discomfort and hesitancy to move forward with him out of the room.
Alice would still be clutching her phone in one hand, moving to put it back in her bag as she studied Fowler some, reading his energy for a moment and noting the confidence he had. "Well, I can tell that you're confident about the situation that you're in, and that you have something to offer me. What that is, I don't know." Alice explained. He wanted to know about her abilities, and she had nothing to hide. She had to admit that she was curious about what exactly this agent had to offer her based on her witchcraft alone. "Using my intuition, however, based on how you're carrying yourself, and how you obviously introduced your military affiliation, I would take a guess that you're going to offer to recruit me." Alice explained calmly, looking up at Fowler a bit more confidently herself. She had no intentions of joining the military.
"Well, good guess. Based on your unique abilities, and your clear ability to execute certain aspects of the spiritual nature, my higher-ups and I think that you might be a good fit for a special Agent role in the military." Fowler explained, seeming to somewhat peak Alice's interest as she raised an eyebrow. She was curious as to what this position was, but at the same time, she didn't want to be affiliated with the military and the Autobots at the same time if she could help it, especially if Optimus was trying to protect her. "Depending on what you tell me of your abilities of course. Clearly, you can read energies and might be good with interrogations when needed, but I want to know more about your other abilities and what they might mean for the military and you if you were to accept my offer." Agent Fowler said as he tried to get Alice walking again, but this time she didn't move, crossing her arms and standing stubbornly in place.
"I have no interest in joining the military, Agent Fowler. Whether my abilities would be useful or not, I'm already involved in one war here with the Autobots. I don't want to be involved in the wars that our country is involved in too. Whatever abilities I have, are available to the bots, and depending, maybe the future holds something different. But, for now, my answer is a very firm no. You are welcome to still get to know my abilities and such, and I would be happy to perform a number of things for your study, but it will be done here where the bots can also observe and decide if such a thing could be useful for them too." Alice was firm on her decision and terms, not wanting Fowler to think that there was any chance in the world that she would be joining him and the military any time soon. Definitely not until her business with the Autobots was done, which Alice had no idea how long this war would take if it has lasted as long as she heard.
Agent Fowler would be somewhat taken aback, but he would simply nod. "I would like to see where your abilities lie in spell work and divining things, I believe the term was. Surely the Decepticons don't have protection against your abilities, so it should be relatively simple for you if what I read on your website is true." Agent Fowler had done his research into her and found her website where she receives her commissions for readings and publishes information on her journey through her path of witchcraft.
Alice frowned some, seeing that he had done his research into that, and likely contacted some of her more public clients about her accuracy, posing as what she could imagine was just another curious person who discovered her website. This made her a little angry, but she would let out a breath, releasing the anger and she would nod. "I can do that for you, but I'll need to bring my supplies from home, so we'll see about a demonstration tomorrow, perhaps? All I have on me right now are my cards. So unless you want more proof of my readings, I can't do much to demonstrate." Alice explained, deciding that she would at least give him a bit of what he wanted, even if it wasn't going to be anything grand.
Agent Fowler would nod and walk off after a moment, seeing like he wanted to make one last effort to try and recruit her, but he knew how firmly she stood. He would accept his defeat and simply walk off, leaving Alice where she stood to think and release her frustration. She took deep breaths and let them out slowly as she simply looked around, trying to occupy her mind with other thoughts. This wasn't hard considering the giant robots in the room, as well as the other kids who were watching from the platform that Agent Fowler was returning to. Alice soon followed him and walked over to where Optimus was working, sitting down on the platform with her legs hanging off.
"I need to head home soon." Alice said calmly, looking up at Optimus as she squinted some. He had said that he would be the one to take her home and watch her overnight. He wouldn't drive her to school, but she would have a ride to catch back to base with Bumblebee and Raf as she did before. It was best that he was nowhere near the school, just in case the Decepticons decided to ambush him specifically, they had done it before when he had been out on his own.
"Very well." Optimus would say, stepping back from the console after typing a few more things, likely finishing up his sentence or something, before he would transform, waiting for Alice to head down. She didn't want to head back too late, as she still wanted to say hello to her father if she could, it all depended on how fast Optimus drove or if they took the ground bridge part of the way there. Alice went down the stairs, waving to Jack and Raf as she did. They waved back, wondering why she was leaving so early. She had things that she needed to catch up on, on top of wanting to see her father.
Alice squinted as she approached Optimus, opening the door and hopping in on the passenger side, mostly out of habit, as she was rarely the one to drive anytime she got in a car. She closed her eyes once inside, as the energy of Optimus became too bright and strong for her to be able to see much through even his windshield. She rubbed her head some as they began to drive, pressing herself into the seat. "Alice, Are you alright?" Optimus would ask as he drove carefully, having remembered that she was scared of driving, though he hoped that her being in the largest vehicle on the road might help.
"Yeah, your energy is just really strong. It will take a bit before I get used to seeing it this close-up. I was only just starting to get used to seeing it from a distance. It's nothing against you, your energy is just strong and pure, it's a lot to take in." Alice explained, opening her eyes for a brief moment to look around the cabin. To her, it was all illuminated, but she could still see some of it through the illumination by squinting her eyes some and trying not to focus on the surrounding energy for once. Optimus seemed to understand as he said little else, simply carefully driving her back home, understanding that the quiet was likely best for her so she didn't develop a headache.
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The Witch and the Robot (ABANDONED STORY)
قصص الهواةAlice Thornwood is a modern-day witch who tries to live a life full of excitement and wonder, despite living in the world's least exciting and wonderous town, Jasper, Nevada. A place where nothing exciting ever happens, or so she thought. Join Alice...
