Five years had passed, and Elizabeth was still living in the small town of Monowi with Edmund and Elise. Still going by the name of, Beth, she had successfully avoided any government official that ever came through. She had even managed to remain as unsuspicious as she could to those who travelled through the town. Throughout the past five years, Elizabeth had developed her cooking repertoire and had also begun to help Edmund manufacture more guns that worked slightly easier than the older models that he had in his store. She had pretty much built the man his own personal arsenal in the back of his store, and he was absolutely loving every moment that he spent in there. It was late in the evening, and everyone had already retired for the evening when Elizabeth suddenly woke up from a nightmare. The moment her eyes opened, it was like the nightmare was wiped from her memory. However, when she placed her hands against her face, she was surprised to feel tears. As she pulled her hands away from her face, echoes started playing in her head. The screams of the people that were terrified and dying during the attack on Chicago, and the dying screams of her own Autobot friends were playing on repeat in mind. But, the sounds of her friends that she was pretty sure was still living echoing in her mind too. Ratchet's weak pleading voice mixed in with the rest of her friends, and she could feel a splitting headache coming on. But, she was still able to fall asleep after several minutes of silence and meditation. It wouldn't be until the next morning that she was startled awake by a buzzing sound that came from her bag. Grabbing the old burlap sack, she pulled out her old Autobot communicator and pushed away all of the dust that had accumulated on the top.
"Calling all Autobots...Calling all Autobots...Calling all Autobots!" The circular communicator repeated while blinking in her hand.
A gasp escaped her lips as she stared in surprise at the alien technology in her hand. Pressing on the side of the device, she spoke into the speaker in hopes of receiving a response from the missing Autobot Leader. However, while she did receive a response from an Autobot, it wasn't from one that she knew.
"This is a secure channel, how did you get this line?" A gruff voice spoke through her communicator.
"Who is this? I don't know you, where is Optimus?" Elizabeth grunted as she glared at the piece of alien technology.
"I don't know who you are, but if you don't stop jamming my communicator, I'll find you and kill you myself." The voice sneered before suddenly going quiet.
"Elizabeth...Is that really you?" A voice chirped through the device.
"Bee? Is that really you?" Her voice cracked.
"Where are you? I'm coming for you!" His voice was strong, even though he was using excerpts from the radio.
"It's a place called Monowi in Nebraska. Where are you?" She asked as she stood to her feet.
"Close. Be ready." The communicator disconnected shortly after.
Jumping up to her feet, she immediately grabbed her bags and started to pack them quickly. Having been provided with better quality clothes and tools, she was quick to make sure that she had everything before stepping out of her room. Looking up at the kitchen, she noticed both Edmund and Elise standing there with sad smiles on their faces.
"You're leaving now?" Elise frowned as she looked at the bags.
"I finally got a call from my friend, they're on their way." Elizabeth cryptically spoke as she glanced to the side.
"We could hear. It's good to know that the Autobots are still around and kicking. Please, tell them that we are very thankful for their service." Edmund smiled as he tossed her a biscuit.
"Thank you, thank you for everything that you've done for me over the last five years." She smiled as she brought them both into a hug.
"Anything for you, Sweetie." Elise smiled.
"Now, you should probably get a move on, Liza. Oh, and take whatever you need from the shop." The older man grinned as he gently pushed her towards the door.
Grinning widely, Elizabeth darted down the stairs and into the store that Edmund had been manning for years. Guns were lined on racks all over the place, and her prized specialties were still lined behind the glass on the back wall. Grabbing her rifle and pistol, she strapped them in their rightful place and grabbed the necessary ammo that she developed for them. Once she had everything she needed, she made her way outside and waited for Bumblebee to arrive. However, as she sat outside she began to think that she may have jumped the gun a little bit. There was a chance that Bumblebee was very far away and wouldn't arrive for another few hours, or even days, but she couldn't help but feel giddy at the prospect of seeing them again. Several minutes later, Elise and Edmund came out to join her as she sat down on the curb waiting for her friend. Of course, they knew exactly what she was waiting for, and if they were being honest, they really wanted to meet a friendly one in person. Luckily, their waiting was kept at a minimum as a black with yellow accents Camaro came speeding down the road. At first she didn't recognize the vehicle, but as it got closer, the familiar hum of the turbo-charged engine began to fill her ears. Jumping to her feet, she stood at the curb in anticipation as the vehicle came to a sudden halt in front of her.
"Long time no see!" The radio crackled as the door opened to reveal an empty driver seat.
"Bumblebee! I thought I would never see you again. After Dino -" Elizabeth began to sob as she clutched the strap to her bag.
"Shh, I know. But we should...Really get a move on...The others are waiting." Bumblebee's radio switched stations.
"Right, thank you for everything, Edmund, Elise." Elizabeth smiled tearfully as she gave the two one last hug.
"Anytime!" Elise cried as she hugged the younger woman tightly.
"You and the other Autobots better take very good care of her!" Edmund spoke firmly as he held onto the woman.
"You have my word...Sir." The radio switched.
Taking another few moments to finish saying goodbye, Elizabeth finally sat in the driver seat of the car. Bumblebee waited until she was comfortable before slinging the seatbelt across her chest and clicking into place. Zooming down the street, Elizabeth barely caught a glimpse of the two siblings waving goodbye. Leaning back in her seat, she watched as the open fields flew by as Bumblebee raced down the highway towards the Autobot rendezvous. The drive was surprisingly quiet as they went, and soon the rolling greens turned into desert and large rock structures. She recognized some of the structures from pictures that she had seen of Colorado, and she began to wonder if the others had been camped out so close to where she was. Barely awake after the long drive, Elizabeth felt the ground change from smooth asphalt to rough, rocky gravel. Peeking her eyes open, she noticed that Bee was cruising down a dirt and gravel path which was leading them further from the main highway. The speed in which the young Camaro was going had also decreased exponentially as they approached their destination.
"Where are we?" Elizabeth groaned as she sat up straight in her seat.
"Colorado...We're meeting the others...Boss Man will meet us here soon." Bumblebee answered with assurance.
Before she could say anything else, Bumblebee came to a stop and opened the door to let her out. Grabbing her bags, she took a few steps away from the mech so that he could transform into his bipedal form. She kept her eyes on the larger being as he slumped his shoulders and started to walk a few paces forward before glancing up at the sky. Suddenly, the ground began to shake and the rumbles of vehicles approaching came to her ears. At first she was excited to see who all had survived these last five years, but the moment three vehicles appeared, she began to feel apprehensive. As the three Autobots approached, she watched as they all transformed into the bipedal modes. Sadness filled her heart when she realized that she didn't know any of these mechs that had appeared before her.
"Who is the human?" The largest of the three grunted as he dropped a gun hazardously to the ground.
"I don't know, but it definitely doesn't belong here." The green one sneered as he stepped slowly towards her.
"It has a name...Elizabeth...Is our most precious friend." Bumblebee immediately stepped in as he positioned himself between her and the others.
"That name...Could it be that she is the Elizabeth Witwicky?" A samurai like bot spoke quietly from the side.
"I am. But who are all of you?" Elizabeth frowned as she eyed the group.
"I am Drift. It is a pleasure to finally meet the one that helped our comrades so much." The blue samurai bowed.
"You can call me Hound! That sourpuss right there is Crosshairs, don't mind him." The large mech boomed as he dropped onto his butt.
"We don't need any backstabbing humans with us. This is ridiculous, because now we have to babysit." Crosshairs spat.
"Well when you start to fall apart, don't come crying to me." The woman snapped backed.
"Oi! You-" Crosshairs stepped closer but was ultimately interrupted.
"You need to breathe and find your inner compass. Besides, Optimus Prime would not be happy to find out that we abandoned his friend." Drift pacified the angry Autobot.
Everything quieted down shortly after and Elizabeth stuck with Bumblebee for her own protection. It was already late in the evening, so everyone decided that a good recharge would be great idea. Making a small fire, Elizabeth sat down and watched the stars slowly moved across the sky. She didn't get any sleep that night as she watched the sky and the sun begin to rise. The day itself was quiet as all of the Autobots remained in recharge. It wasn't until about mid-day that everyone began to stir and Bumblebee prodded for Elizabeth to join him for a drive around the area.
"Where are we going now, Bee?" Elizabeth asked as she kept her eyes on the sky.
"We are...just cruisin' around...keeping an eye out." The radio switched.
"Okay, so we are pretty much just looking to see if Optimus is nearby." She nodded as she dropped in her seat.
A few beeps of confirmation resounded from Bumblebee as they continued on their search. It was Bumblebee's plan to keep Elizabeth away from the others until the Prime had arrived. Mainly because he didn't trust any of them to actually protect her, and he sort of feared for the woman's life. It was starting to get late in the afternoon, and the sun was slowly beginning to set when they finally heard a transmission from their beloved leader. His coordinates were immediately received by all of the remaining Autobots, which was surprisingly close to where they had all be staying. Making their way back to their comrades, Elizabeth couldn't help but sit up straighter in her seat. The excitement of seeing Optimus again was beginning to radiate her from as she seemed to bounce in her seat while watching the desert fly by. Coming to a stop, Bumblebee opened the door to let her out. She stepped out, but she looked up at the mech in confusion as he shifted. Chirping in excitement, Bee reached down and gently picked her up to place onto his shoulder. Finding a comfortable position, she giggled as she listened to what the other Autobots were shouting. Coming over a small dune, she finally caught a glimpse of Optimus Prime. Her heart skipped a beat as she studied the mech standing in his full glory. However, as they got closer, she took notice of three humans awkwardly standing near the Prime's feet.
"Humans have asked for us to play by their rules. Well, the rules have now changed." Optimus speaks strongly.
"Bah! Humans, they're all a bunch of backstabbing weasels! Well, except for you of course." Hound laughed before turning to Elizabeth.
"Hound, your inner compass. Loyalty is but a flower in the winds of fear and temptation." Drift speaks with an exasperated sigh.
"Huh? What are you trying to say?" Hound grunted.
"It's a haiku." The samurai scoffed.
"That's ridiculous. Cut the shit, before I drop a grenade down your throat." Hound growls as he pulled a grenade from his chest.
"Oh my god. Just pull it, please." Bumblebee's radio crackled softly, which was followed by Elizabeth's hand smacking his helm.
"So, everyone raise your hand if you're unsatisfied with our little Earth vacation." Crosshairs sarcastically remarked.
"Who cares! Anyways, who are the stowaways?" Hound asked while pulling out a large gun and pointing it at the three humans.
"Hey! Whoa! What's with the gun?" The oldest shouted angrily while stepping in front of a young girl.
"Stop it, Hound. These humans have risked their lives for mine, so we owe them. By the way, have you been able to find any others?" Optimus asked as he glanced around the group before his eyes landed on Elizabeth.
"Nope, we're all that's left. They've been picking us off one by one." Crosshairs sighed dramatically.
"We're the pathetic, dirty foursome. Well, with you now, it makes five." Hound added with a chuckle.
"So, this is our best bet? Autobot protection program or something?" The younger man asked with what sounded like an Irish accent.
"Hey, Speedracer, you are totally welcome to leave at any time." The older man snapped.
"Okay, Superdad, for the record, I'm not hiding with you. I'm actually hiding out with the big guy." The kid snapped back.
"Sensei, with your fate not being known to us, Bumblebee has been holding command. However, with his inability and lack of anything that resembles a warrior, he's pretty much just a child." Drift sighed with a quick side-eye to the yellow mech.
"This child is about to kick your ass!" Bumblebee snapped as he quickly sat Elizabeth on the ground.
"He brings us all shame." Drift continued before getting tackled to the ground.
Immediately, the group of three humans scrambled to get away from the now brawling Autobots while the other two were egging the fight on. Elizabeth, having been abruptly yet gently place on the ground, took this time to approach the towering Autobot leader.
"Optimus?" She called, which also garnered the attention of the other humans.
"Elizabeth, I am so glad to see that you have survived this ordeal." The Prime's regal voice filled her ears as he kneeled and held his out his servo.
"Honestly, it was thanks to Dino." Elizabeth frowned but sat down on his hand.
"He was a loyal friend and guardian to you. I wish he, and all the others, could see how far we've come." Optimus spoke with what could have been a smile.
"Me too. Optimus? Did you try to give yourself medical attention again?" She suddenly switched the subject.
"Why do you ask?" The leader huffed.
"Because whatever you did sucks." She laughed.
"Hey! I take offense to that!" The older man shouted from the ground.
"Oh? You did this patchwork?" Elizabeth glared down at the man.
"Patchwork?! What you think you could do any better?!" The man snapped.
"As a matter of fact, I do. I need my bag. Would you prefer to stand or lie down?" The woman sneered before turning her attention to Optimus.
"I'll lie down." He mumbled before placing his servo back on the ground.
Quickly removing herself from his servo, Elizabeth darted to her bags and hoisted them over her shoulder. Her first bag was long and the other two were medium sized duffle bags. Obviously, the first bag contained her rifle and pistol, along with the ammo required. Her other two bags contained her new tools and clothes. These were all courtesy of Edmund, of course. Carefully placing her bags on the ground, she approached the side of Optimus' neck took out a flashlight to see more clearly. The sun had already set behind the rock structures, so she couldn't rely on the sun to provide her light. Holding the flashlight between her teeth, she first removed part of the neck plating that protected his neck before gently moving some of the cabling to the side to get a better look behind them.
"Would you like me to hold that for you?" A feminine voice questioned from behind.
"Sure, if you don't mind." Elizabeth smiled as she handed the flashlight over.
"I'm Tessa, by the way. That's my dad, I'm sorry about him." The girl flashed a friendly smile before pointing the light where Elizabeth originally had it.
"Elizabeth, but everyone calls me Liza. I'm not worried about him." She laughed as she peeked through the cables.
The man, whom Tessa finally introduced as Cade, was staring skeptically at the woman as she finally pushed her hand between the cables. She could feel his stare against the back of her head, but she paid him no mind as she continued with what she was doing. Finally, her fingers swiped past the piece of metal that was lodged against the Prime's neck and she grabbed a hold of it.
"Optimus, this may feel uncomfortable, but you have to lay completely still." Elizabeth spoke firmly.
"I understand." His voice held no worry as he relaxed.
Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth began to slowly pull the piece of shrapnel from between the cabling, while also making sure to not knick any of the sensitive parts of his neck. It took a minute, but she was able to remove the piece without causing any damage. Once she laid the piece of metal beside her, she grabbed Optimus' neck plating an immediately began soldering it back on. Finishing it pretty quickly, she took the flashlight back and climbed onto the Prime's chest.
"Hey! Are you sure you should be just, you know, walking on him?" Cade stuttered out.
"I've been doing this for years, besides, I was trained by Ratchet." She shrugged before her gaze turned towards the other Autobots.
She winced slightly when Drift managed to throw Bumblebee harshly into the ground and position one of his swords against the young mech's neck. Sitting off to the side was Crosshairs and Hound as they watched in full interest at the brawl.
"It sure looks like you've been missed." Cade sighed as he glanced over to Optimus, who was getting back up to his feet.
"Autobots, enough playing around. Lockdown is hunting us down with the help of humans. We all need to know why." Optimus spoke firmly as he watched the others give him their full attention.
"Well, look, I can't tell you why, but I can tell you who. During that whole fiasco in Texas, I was able to steal this drone and get a little look at it's recorded footage." Cade states as he holds up a small flying device in his hand.
"What kind of footage does it contain?" Elizabeth asked with uncertainty as she looked closer at the drone.
"It's in pieces, but it looks like an Autobot raid." He frowned.
"I can project it's image." Drift spoke lightly as he transformed into a Bugatti.
Jumping into the driver's seat, Cade started connecting the drone to the wires that Drift provided. Turning slightly, so that he could project the film onto the side of the rock structure, everyone gathered around to watch in anticipation. Anxiousness began to fill her stomach, as Elizabeth waited for what was to come. After a moments, the picture became clearer and the first thing they saw was a dull red Autobot being attacked by the group of humans.
"That's Leadfoot." Hound whispers.
"After all of the fighting is done, this truck comes to pick him up. It's actually the same people that designed this drone, KSI or Kinetic Solutions. Their headquarters is in Chicago too, which is where I think they were taken. But, it looks like these government guys hunt you down and then pass you off to KSI?" Cade speaks with slight apprehension.
"Is that the only footage on there?" Elizabeth asked awkwardly as she rubbed her elbow.
"No, but I don't think you want to see the other one." He answered with a side glance to Optimus.
"We all want to see it." The Prime spoke stiffly.
Giving a short nod, Cade messed with the drone for a few seconds before plugging it back into Drift's video compartment. There was a moment of silence as the quality of the picture became clearer, but the bright red paint shimmering in the light caused Elizabeth hold her breath. They could hear the fight happening through the film, and painful cries from the Autobot brought tears to her eyes. However, there was a big difference between this video and the last. They could clearly see Lockdown approaching the heavily injured mech. Elizabeth's left hand was clutching onto Optimus' plating on his leg, while her right hand clutched the front of her shirt. She could feel her heart breaking as she listened to the wheezing huffs that escaped her dear friend.
"Where is Optimus Prime?" Lockdown's voice came through the recording.
"I don't know." Came Dino's pained reply.
"Your survival depends on telling me the Prime's location." The black and silver mech sneered as he reached down and harshly grabbed Dino's shoulder.
"I wouldn't tell you even if I knew." Dino spat before he was thrown to the ground.
"Well, what about Elizabeth Witwicky?" Lockdown seemed to chuckle as he watched Dino stiffen.
"Go to hell." The red Autobot wheezed.
"I know that you have been slowly expanding your perimeter, so if I go to the center, would I find her?" The Cybertronian mercenary spoke with a sinister smile.
"Like I'd let you anywhere near her!" Dino suddenly shouted as he launched himself into Lockdown's torso.
The scuffle only lasted a few moments before Lockdown killed Dino with two shots to the chest. Hearing Dino's last pained cry echo around her, Elizabeth couldn't stop herself from collapsing to her knees as sobs escaped her lips. The other three humans watched as she cried and how immediately Bumblebee and Optimus knelt beside the woman in hopes of comforting her.
"I'm sorry. I really am." Cade frowned as he pulled the drone away.
"There's no way that we can get in there without getting into a fight." Hound suddenly voiced as he tried to get the attention away from the sobbing woman.
"What if you had some human help?" Cade asked as he took a moment to look at each of the mechs.
"Wait a second! Are you guys like partners now?" Tessa suddenly scolded as she marched up to her father.
"Well, Sweetie, we're all targets now. We have to know why this is all happening or else we'll never get our lives back." The man stated firmly as he placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder.
"Autobots, I know that I swore to never kill or harm humans. But when I find out who orchestrated all of this, he is going to die." Optimus vowed as he lightly touched Elizabeth's back.
"So, now what Boss? Are we headed to Chicago?" Hound questioned as he transformed into a military jeep.
"Yes, Autobots, let's roll out." Optimus orders as he transformed and opened his door for the humans.
Cade, Tessa, and her boyfriend immediately hopped into the large Peterbilt, however, Elizabeth remained by Bumblebee. Now that everyone was prepared to leave, Elizabeth sat in the driver seat of the Camaro with her bags in the backseat. The Autobots had created an entourage as they made their way from Colorado to Illinois. Bumblebee made sure that the ride was quiet, even though the occasional sniff from Elizabeth could be heard. It took a little over half the day for the group to arrive at Chicago and split off from each other. Elizabeth and Bumblebee were in charge of finding a place that was large enough to hide the group of Autobot fugitives while Hound and the others remained outside.
"Have you guys found anything yet?" Hound's voice came through Bumblebee's radio.
"Yes, we just pulled up to this old victorian church. There's an opening at the back that's big enough for you all to fit." Elizabeth replied as they entered the building.
Roughly five minutes later, the rest of the Autobots arrived and transformed into their bipedal modes. Cade had already jumped into planning mode and started delegating jobs between himself, his daughter, and her boyfriend so that they would be all prepared for the next few days. Elizabeth was left out since she would be recognized immediately by any camera or people within the KSI company. Watching as Drift took the young couple out into the city, while Cade left with Crosshairs. Inside of the church, Elizabeth started placing her ammunition into each magazine and preparing her guns for use. Placing her rifle on the small table, she grabbed her cleaning kit from the duffle bag and started to take everything apart.
"I see you've made some changes to that rifle." Optimus stated as he leaned forward to watch the woman.
"Yes, I needed to reinforce the barrel and chamber. The ammunition is specially made for this gun and for battling against the Decepticons." Elizabeth smiled before glancing up at the mech.
"Wow! I definitely didn't peg you for a gunslinger! Let me see!" Hound speaks giddily as he moved over.
Laughing slightly at the round mech, Elizabeth dove into an explanation on why she chose to design it the way she did. Hound agreed with most of her decisions, but he did provide his own feedback on certain aspects. To her, it was almost like talking to Ironhide and Que again. It was a great feeling to discuss weapons and technology with an Autobot, even if it left a little pang of hurt from the loss of her friends. However, by the time the others had returned to the church, Elizabeth and Hound had finished their conversations and were putting away their weapons. Glancing up at the tall windows, Elizabeth noticed that it was getting really late and decided that she was going to go to bed. Heading off to a random corner, she curled up on a blanket and started to fall asleep. The others watched her in silence as she slept away from them, but they also knew that she wasn't comfortable being around Cade and the other two humans of the group yet.
The next morning, Cade left with Optimus to spy on the KSI building and get some more information on how things operated over there. Elizabeth remained at the church with the couple and the other Autobots, but she was planning their getaway from the city once they had accomplished their goals. Everyone was hyper-focused on their tasks, but at the same time, they were also starting to get to know each other better. Elizabeth started to connect better with Cade as they discussed infiltration plans at KSI Headquarters and what their escape plan was going to be. The next several days was going to be long and difficult, but they were going to be prepared for whatever the world had to throw at them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I do not own Transformers as it is owned by Hasbro and writer/producer Michael Bay.
I really only own Elizabeth Witwicky, who is Sam's cousin, and the employees of Ben's Mechanics.