Raider Red

Chapter 18: Request Accepted

"Oh great. This again." Arcee huffed.

"Well, we'll just go get it." Jack said. "Besides, if we don't try, the cons will take it anyway."

Raf shook his head. "It's one thing to steal the energon harvestor from a normal museum, but it's another thing entirely to steal from the Trague. We wouldn't even get that far, we'd be caught."

"Why don't we ask our trusty government dude?" Miko asked.

"He's unavailable." Ratchet answered. "Fowler said he wouldn't be answer any calls today because he'll be at a government funeral for those who died without any family. It's bound to last most of the day."

"So do we wait or..." Jack looked at Optimus with a frown.

The Autobot leader sighed. He didn't want the children to get caught, nor did he need anyone wondering how a bunch of teens from Jasper Nevada got to Spain over the weekend. Agent Fowler might not even be able to get them out of trouble because he didn't have jurisdiction outside of the U.S.

But on the other hand, they had no idea what was inside the relic. If it was a weapon of mass destruction like the energon or spark harvestor, then their inability to stop the Decepticons could prove catastrophic.

"I can do it."

Everyone looked over at Red in surprise. She had been silent and reserved ever since she got back. Not to mention, she had no reason to help them, considering it was because they captured her that Silas made Project Trojan Horse and died.

But there she was, looking at them with her facade equipped once more. Optimus considered her offer for a moment, ignoring the others, who were profusely arguing against her help. Red didn't say a word in defense. She knew that his opinion was the one that would determine if she'd ho.

Optimus looked back at Ratchet.

"Optimus." Ratchet glared. "Don't you give me that look. You know she can't be trusted. How many times has she betrayed us? A hundred?"

"Perhaps she has not helped us an equal amount of times to her betrayals, but given the opportunity, she may." Optimus reasoned.

"He's really considering it!" Arcee exclaimed. "That's it! Optimus Prime has lost his mind!"

"I think it's a good idea." Jack said.

Arcee looked at him with a scowl. "Don't get me started with you."

"I think..." Raf looked at Red. "Maybe she is being honest."

"I trust Raf's judgement." Bumblebee said, standing next to his charge.

"I trust Optimus's judgement." Smokescreen decided.

Arcee groaned. "Fine! Fine. But if she's going, I'm going."

"No." Optimus shook his head. "Even as the smallest of us, you are still too large and conspicuous. Jack will accompany Red."

"What!?" Arcee and Miko demanded.

"Why can't I go?" Miko demanded.

"You're injured." Ratchet reminded her.

Arcee looked at Optimus with big eyes. "Jack can't go! He's emotionally unstable and Red could kill him with the flick of a finger!"

"Hey!" Jack glared at her.

"Will you protect Jack?" Optimus asked Red.

She looked at him for a short moment before nodding.

"That's all you need!?" Arcee demanded as the Prime began to activate the groundbridge.

"Yes."

Arcee scoffed. "Red is not Megatron, Optimus. Even if she was, you could never change Megatron. He got worse! What makes you think Red will change?"

Optimus's chest clenched slightly at her words, but he brushed it off and looked at Arcee calmly. "Because I have faith."

"Your faith will get Jack killed." She stated angrily before looking at Jack. "Watch your back, Jack."

Arcee took that moment to transform and drive out of the room.

Optimus looked at the others. Their emotions about the situation seemed mixed, but they trusted Optimus.

He hoped that his trust in Red was not misplaced.

The girl walked toward the railing and stood next to Jack. Bumblebee lent them a hand down to ground-level and Red looked at the groundbridge before facing her partner.

"Are you ready?"

Jack nodded.

"Good. Let's go."

▪️◾◼⬛◼◾▪️

Jack was incredibly nervous.

Here he was, about to commit a serious crime in a foreign country, where he didn't even speak the language, with a murderous teenager whose father was trying to kill his friends, and yet, he wasn't bothered at all by it.

Instead, Jack was worried about whether or not sitting on the bleachers left marks on his pants. Especially since he was walking in front of the gorgeous red-headed girl who could probably kick Agent Fowler's butt while doing his calculus homework.

She was so awesome.

"Hold." Red stated.

Jack immediately stopped moving and Red walked past him.

"The cameras have red sensors." She told him. "If we edge past them, they'll still be able to detect us."

"So what do we do? Throw a blanket over ourselves?" Jack asked.

"Do you have a wool or space blanket with you?" Red looked at him with an unimpressed frown.

"I was kidding."

Red turned back. "When I give the signal, walk along the wall toward the doors."

Jack watched as Red climbed up the Greek statue in front of the building. Once she reached the shoulders, Red leaped off, grabbing the top of the building and leaning over. She pulled out a pocket knife and carefully wedged it into one of the mini-windows above the doors.

Once Red had the window out and had Jack utterly confused, she crawled across the roof until she was near the camera and then quickly slid it over the device.

She looked at him and waved her hand.

What?

Jack looked at the camera nervously before following Red's instructions. He pressed himself flat against the wall and carefully made his way to the doors. Once he was past the camera, Red put the window on the roof and jumped down to him.

"How did that work?" Jack whispered.

"Low E glass blocks infrared." She replied, tilting her head as she looked at the lock.

"So what tricks do you have for that?" Jack asked.

"Amateur tricks." Red stated. "The used buttons on this keypad are worn down. Are they even trying to prevent theft?"

Jack grinned.