When All Lights Go Out I (TFP)

Chapter 21

Raf nodded in agreement. "Student interns!

"Uhh...earning extra credits in robotics!" Jack finished, with Miko also speaking up enthusiastically, even though their story was extremely unconvincing.

Fowler shook his head and walked down the stairs. "Okay, let's move." Azura gasped as the man spoke and she was immediately worried that her friends would get into trouble. "I'm taking all three of you into federal custody. It's for your own protection."

Bulkhead lifts his foot and stamps it down in front of the man. "We're protecting them!"

Fowler was startled by the bot, but he quickly composed himself and glared at the bot. "Is that so?" He turned away and walked towards the telephone with his hands clenched. "Well, maybe you can explain that to my superiors at the Pentagon?"

Fowler picked up the phone and dialled a number. "Don't use that phone..." Bulkhead began before leaning down and pressing his finger onto the keys, squashing the box itself and making it unusable. "It's out of order."

The man threw the phone down in frustration. "This isn't over, big foot! Not by a long shot!" He stomped up the stairs and looked at Azura as she reached the floor and walked towards the tunnel. "I still have a hunch you're a partly to do with this, Azura." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Regardless, this is not by the book and Optimus is the one who had the final say. He will be hearing it from me!"

Fowler stomped his way to the elevator and hit the button to head up to the top. Azura heard Bulkhead sigh while the kids' glance at each other in confusion. They were confused as to why Azura was being spoken to as though she was meant to live with the autobots. They had seen the day before Fowler knew of Azura's existence, but as the man had wanted to take the three of the kids into custody and not her was a little strange.

"Why would Fowler think that I had anything to do with Jack, Miko and Raf being here?" Azura asked softly as she held the bags against her with a worried expression. Bulkhead turned around and softened his expression. "That...does not make sense."

"My guess is Fowler assumes you might have unintentionally said something at school," Bulkhead explained to her, stepping forward and dropping to one knee. "You know as well as I that it isn't your fault. Fowler's a jerk." She raised an eyebrow at him. "He does do good, but he's still a jerk."

"Okay...I'm going to put my clothes away." She glanced up at the other bag before looking at Bulkhead. "You guys still have the fridge and freezer, don't you?"

Bulkhead nodded and stood up, reaching for the bag. "Of course." He saw the bag was open and looked inside. "Ice cream, eggs, milk, butter, yogurt, cheese...seems like you only have one frozen thing, which is good."

"I did go grocery shopping, but I guess some of the stuff might not have been good when Fowler retrieved them," Azura said with a shrug. "Which is fine. I don't mind, I can always get more. There are some biscuits and sweets in there, including chocolate."

"I see them." Bulkhead smiled at her. "I'll put these away for you."

"Uh, before you go and do that, I do have a question." Jack stepped forward with a curious expression. He looked at Azura as she listened to him. "Why did Fowler not take you into custody like he was trying to do with us?"

She tensed at his question. "Uh, um...well...my situation was a little...different." She saw him raise an eyebrow and she swallowed nervously. "You see...uh...the reason why I am living with the autobots, because...um..."

"Let's just say the reason is something you will learn about eventually," Bulkhead said as he interrupts Azura, making Jack look up at him with a frown. "This is a lot to do with Azura and Optimus, that is all I will say."