Prime: Whatever It Takes

Robo-Warrior

"This is it?" Emilia asks, looking at a cheap, rundown Deli. Sunglasses and a white baseball cap cover her face, due to hers and the boys faces all over the news reports. "Are you sure?"

"Yep," Leo nods. "This is it. The Deli. Good front, right? Okay, just stay here and wait for me. I'll give you the go, no-go, alright?"

Emilia and Sam glance at each other, shrugging as they let him enter the shop. The twins are quiet, though it was clear that Sam wanted to say something.

"It's not your fault," he says quietly.

"Shut up. We're not doing this right now."

"You cried the whole way over here. We have to do this at some point, you loved him."

"Don't act like I'm surprised or didn't know that, okay? I told you, remember? And don't tell me I'm an idiot for falling for a giant, alien robot. I know I'm stupid."

"I never said that," he shakes his head. "Em-"

"Just stop," she puts her hand up, before moving forward and pushing the doors to the Deli open. Inside, she sees Leo standing across from Agent Simmons.

"No," the man shakes his head.

"You've got to be kidding me," Emilia adds.

"Alright!" Simmons yells at the customers. "Meat store is closed! Everyone out! Mama's leg is hurting, you know what that means!" Amongst all the muttering and complaining, everyone slowly filed out of the shop.

"Wait a minute," Leo glances at Emilia. "You know this guy?"

"Consider is old friends."

"Old friends?" Simmons raises an eyebrow. "You're the case that shut down Sector Seven. No more clearance, no retirement, no nothing! I can't believe I let you skip through my fingers because you look like that. Look at you, all mature and... grown."

"And you're still a pig, how surprising. And you live with your mama? Very cute."

"No, sweetheart, mama lives with me. It's a big difference. They've got your face all over the news, alien-lover."

"Yeah, I know."

"And NBE-One. Still kicking, huh? How did that happen? Don't answer. I don't know what you're hiding, but I don't want anything to do with it. So goodbye. You never saw me. I got bagels to smear, vanish."

"Look," Emilia steps forward. "Give me five damn minutes, will you? I need your help."

"Really? You need my help?"

"Listen to me!" She reaches forward, grabbing the cuff of his apron and pulling him in close. "I am on my last thread of hope! I just watch Optimus get killed and I've been cut up by the leader of the Decepticons! I have images of symbols flashing through my head like a home movie and now I'm a wanted fugitive! Give me five minutes!"

Simmons gives her a look, glancing behind her at Sam who shakes his head. "You uh... you said symbols? In your head?"

"Yes," her voice shakes a little.

"Meat locker, now!"

Simmons turns, leading the other three towards a cooler in the back. Opening it up, the smell hit them first before they were able to see pigs hanging. Emilia frowns, walking in carefully so she wouldn't touch anything.

"What you're about to see is very top secret," the older man reminds them. "So... do not tell my mother." Once again, he opens a door. This time, it leads downward, having to climb down by a metal ladder. The room underneath is filled up the walls with boxed and papers, a large map of the world on the right side of the wall.

"So, we're talking symbols," Simmons says, motioning Emilia to come around the table, which has folders filled with pictures on top of it. "So Princess, tell me, any of these look like the symbols you saw?" He began to pull out picture after picture, to which the blonde nods quickly.

"Where did you get these?"

"Before I got fired, I poach S-7's crown jewel, over 75 years of alien research, which all points to one inescapable fact. The Transformers, they've been here a long, long time. How do I know? Archaeologists found these unexplained markings in ancient ruins all over the world. China. Egypt. Greece." He reaches for a black and white photo, setting it in front of her. "Shot in 1932. These the symbols you're reading in your head?"

"Yeah, yes."

"Same ones over here, right?" Simmons motions to even more photos. "So tell me, how did they all end up all drawing the same things? Aliens. And I think some of them stayed. Check this out, Project: Black Knife. Robots in disguise. Hiding here all along. We detected radioactive signatures all across the country. I pleaded in my knees to S-7 to investigate it, but they said the readings were infinitesimal, that I... was... obsessed! Me! Can you imagine?"

"Megatron said there was another Energon source here," Emilia butts in before he gets off topic.

"Here? On Earth?"

"On Earth."

"Another source?"

The girl nods a little. "Yes. And the symbols, they're a map in my head. They can lead me there."

"You talked to your Autobot friends about this?"

"No, the source is before them. Whatever the Energon source is, it predates them."

"Well, then we're screwed, unless we can talk to a Decepticon. I mean, I'm not on speaking terms with them."

"Actual," Leo says, stepping forward a bit. "Technically, we are."