02x09 - Grill

[bunniefuu]

Special agent Fowler, please come in.

What's private Daley doing here with that camera? He will be making a record of today's session.

Soldier too close.

Sorry I didn't dress for the occasion.

Formality won't be any more necessary than usual, Bill.

But I do need to inform you that our higher-ups are on the w*r path.

They want answers regarding recent events.

Perhaps we should begin with the demise of Optimus Prime.

I thought we straightened all this out.

Prime is alive and well.

That's difficult for our superiors to accept, without the benefit of seeing Optimus and the alleged imposter.

Side by side? That didn't seem to be the wisest option at the time.

The sky jockeys were under direct orders to destroy any and all Autobots on sight.

We were in a heightened state of security.

Let's consider the positives.

We now possess greater intel regarding M.

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, particularly their leader, Silas the stage name of one Colonel Leland Bishop, ex-special tactics.

The architect of project Damocles.

Satellites in orbit f*ring laser beams at any target on Earth.

Long since mothballed, and the primary reason for Bishop's discharge.

He had other wild ideas, which he practiced with even greater abandon once he went rogue.

And still, no sign of his remains.

Of greater concern, M.

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agents, like Silas, might also be special tactics.

As in, currently enlisted? One obvious motive for hiding their faces.

I would urge a thorough investigation, and leave bigger threats to metal hands more capable than our own.

Because you've been allowed to operate at such deeply classified levels, perhaps you could provide some background.

Our transforming visitors are autonomous, robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron.

They were fighting a w*r.

Foremost, over control of our world's supply of Energon, the fuel and lifeblood of all Autobots and Decepticons alike.

Do you recall the period late in the w*r, when both sides began It's the reason Energon deposits exist on planets such as this one.

It is also the reason battles came to be waged on planets such as this one.

These battles over Energon, and its dark counterpart, continue to this day.

And you know this for certain? I've seen more than enough to make me a believer.

But I rely upon field reports from team Prime, which I, in turn, share with you.

Skip ahead, if you would, to the history of your involvement, Agent Fowler.

As you know, I wasn't overjoyed with what I assumed was gonna be a bot-sitting assignment.

Prime! Wait.

Don't tell me.

He's out pancaking a mini-mall.

But its occupational hazards turned out to be surprisingly severe.

Bring the prod.

And, by now, the bots have saved my bacon more times than I can count.

Of course, I've returned the favor a time or two Any time, fella.

Ground floor's coming fast.

sometimes exercising my authority The girl comes with me.

sometimes relying upon quick thinking.

We were just calibrating the subsystems, and we, uh, had a surge.

But it's fine now.

How are you? And I've made a few mistakes.

Ah! Not again! Ah! Not this again! If you would, Agent Fowler, provide a roll call.

So, we'll know who's who in the event another bot snaps? - Something like that.

- Well, there's Bulkhead.

Are you a car? I bet you're a truck a monster truck! Do you like heavy metal? How much do you weigh? Ever use a wrecking ball for a punching bag? Look, Miko, before I became a warrior, I was a laborer construction.

I can build stuff.

I can break stuff.

And that's it.

Of course, big foot and I don't always see eye to eye.

Don't use that phone.

It's out of order.

He may not be the most agile bot Don't look down.

And he's the first to admit he's no rocket scientist.

Come on, Doc.

There's nothing up there to scan.

Switch it back! I want to see the hoedown showdown! But his brute strength is invaluable.

Thankfully, the science angle is more than covered by Ratchet.

The Doc can be a little tightly wound.

Without my supervision?! You want them to be right, don't you? Control freak.

But he brings his "A" game when the situation calls for it.

It's all right.

I'm an emergency vehicle.

- Then there's Arcee.

- The motorcycle? Don't be fooled by the smaller footprint.

She leaves a mark.

Bumblebee's the team scout.

But the warrior-in-training seems pretty accomplished, if you ask me.

Arcee may be a bot of few words, but Bumblebee doesn't use any that we can understand.

- I-It wants us to get in.

- No, just me.

- How do you know that? - It said so.

Turns out it's with good reason.

During the w*r for Cybertron, the poor kid got his voice box torn out by Megatron.

So, the Autobots aren't quite the indestructible w*r machines we'd hoped.

Don't misunderstand.

They can take serious punishment.

But they do have their vulnerabilities.

Did you just scream like a little girl? No! Maybe This may not be the finish that we had planned, but if this is indeed the end, if we are to become one with the Allspark No.

Cliffjumper's life signal just went offline.

If Cliff's gone, standing around here sulking won't bring him back.

We learned that the hard way when we lost Cliffjumper.

And, for the record, Cliffjumper was the last Autobot casualty? I told you.

The lifeless Autobot you have in storage isn't Prime.

It's a knockoff! We have only your word to go on without any trace of Silas or the alleged technology M.

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utilized to control said knockoff.

A clean scrub is M.

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's M.

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You and I both know it! Your last debriefing indicated that Optimus Prime had joined the Decepticons.

Not willfully! Prime had amnesia.

I know I was clear on that.

But you can see where outside observers might connect the dots to the recent att*ck on our base.

Bill, the five-stars have grown nervous that we've been placing our trust in beings who could so easily inflict harm if they chose to turn on us.

That's why I've been asked to determine whether I should bring you before a tribunal.

Tribunal? They could shut down our operation put me in jail.

General Bryce, Prime is no loose cannon.

He's anything but.

The bots may be big, but they watch where they step.

- Heck, even the kids - Kids? Uh that's what we call our "in-house support team".

I wasn't aware you were utilizing any of our resources other than yourself.

They're not enlisted.

You've involved civilians in a classified operation? Highly accomplished civilians who contribute specialized expertise in computer science medicine uh communications.

I love breaking stuff! Twisted.

Bring the hurt! Nerd alert.

Duh.

Zombie! Smackdown in outer space.

That was cool.

So, they know how to take orders.

You could say that.

Welcome to K.

O.

Drive-In, where every patty's a knockout.

May I take your order? But what they lack in m*llitary discipline, they more than make up for with outside-the-box problem-solving.

Nothing.

Gee, imagine that.

The fourth dimension has lousy cellphone reception.

Wait, guys, guys, guys.

The phone rang.

We're getting a signal.

Maybe the Autobots can't see or hear us because we're moving at hyperspeed or something.

Their courage is to be admired.

Hold him still! They've proven, time and again, that they're willing to put their lives on the line for their country and their planet.

So, your civilians have made enemy contact.

I never forget a face even that of a human.

You double-cross anyone, mine is the face you'll never forget! Never!! They've pretty much seen it all.

- Miko, look away! - But Turn your head away! Rest assured, the safety of these humans of all humans remains the primary concern of the Autobots.

They have no protective shell.

If they get underfoot, they will go squish.

Then, for the time being, Ratchet, we must watch where we step.

And our colleagues wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm living a dream here in "bot"-swana.

And I will not allow you or anyone else to shatter it! They've forged meaningful bonds with the bots.

Where's Arcee? Why don't you just marry her?! I'm right behind you.

And they provide valuable assistance whenever I'm otherwise engaged in the field.

You've reached special Agent William Fowler.

I'm currently on an intensive training retreat and unavailable until Tuesday.

I hate talking to machines.

But their involvement was never intended to be anything other than humanitarian to provide the Autobots with the means of better understanding life on our planet.

A scout should be silent but deadly.

What? Maybe it needs one of these doohickeys.

You're a motorcycle, Arcee.

Shouldn't you know how to build a motorcycle engine? You're a human, Jack.

Can you build me a small intestine? You want me to not only bridge you into a confined space but one traveling at 90 miles per hour?! I can't even count the number of ways that can go wrong mass displacement, trauma, twisted limbs, metal burn.

Well, maybe not the last one.

Sadly, we haven't begun to take full advantage of their science.

I mean, I can pilot my v-tol without ever having to wear a flight suit.

What keeps your organs from exploding? A modification Ratchet performed on the cabin-pressure regulator.

- I like to be comfortable.

- We may be getting off track.

Please address why we haven't yet been served Megatron's steel head on a silver platter.

No! The leader of the Decepticons has nine lives, plain and simple.

Well, I'm staring right at him.

Good news is, Megatron isn't exactly staring back.

It's not like we haven't tried.

The sick part is, the moment we might have pulled it off, we needed him.

Megatron actually helped us save humanity.

Optimus, our past alliances Autobot, Decepticon no longer matter not while Unicron lives.

Elaborate.

We found ourselves facing an even greater thr*at than M.

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or the Decepticons.

Literally an enemy within Unicron.

I know this is gonna sound crazy, but what if I had told you our planet's core isn't made up of what science has led us to believe it is? Agent Fowler, I'm sorry to say I'm forced to discontinue this debriefing until you undergo a full psychological evaluation.

Seriously? As a representative of the United States Government, I believe that you may have lost your sanity.

General Bryce, I assure you that I am quite sane.

It defies all logic, Bill.

Dark Energon? Then you go on record saying that you believe in magical horses with horns on their heads.

What? Do you deny previously reporting that Megatron helped defeat a Unicorn? That's what you Unicron! The ultimate evil! Permission to strike this from the record.

Granted.

But consider yourself on notice.

You were saying.

Megatron proved to be an ally.

The circumstances were unique.

Oddly, the 'con most likely to be of service is Starscream only be default because he may despise his team more than he despises ours.

No, master! Starscream's loyalty to Megatron has always been questionable.

If he has truly split from the Decepticons, our prisoner's knowledge of their agendas could make him a valuable ally.

Megatron tried to extinguish my Spark in cold blood! Then all that replaced me with that traitorous wretch, Arachnid, she abandoned me! Left me for scrap! So why not rat them out? But even after Megatron attempted to terminate him, Starscream still tried to win his master's faith.

Imagine Megatron's appreciation when I not only rescue him but deliver an Autobot.

I believe that would restore my stature quite nicely.

Starscream's insecurity is what makes him less predictable than Megatron and, in some ways, even more dangerous.

I make the decisions here.

I am in charge! He really needs to figure out if it's Megatron's job he wants or Megatron's approval.

I must, in turn, ask why successful termination of Starscream has not been achieved.

Air superiority continues to provide the 'Cons with the upper hand, though we manage to inflict the occasional setback.

But the fact remains Starscream has supplied valuable intel since he went rogue.

Starscream: "I have obtained information regarding your leader.

Bring medical kit.

" Not to worry The bots know better than to trust him implicitly.

One step and your previous biomech is scrap.

Fortunately for us, despite his strategic brilliance, Starscream is his own worst enemy.

What? My T-cog! You're grounded? And he isn't the only one who's taken flight from Megatron.

The spider.

Airachnid as sadistic as they come.

And she and Arcee have quite a history.

I can't help but feel the next time they lock horns, only one's gonna walk away.

Unless Megatron gets to Airachnid first.

So, the infighting among the Decepticon ranks continues.

And then some.

Megatron can't seem to keep his inner circle holding hands.

And you don't think we could take advantage of the chaos? Motivate a Decepticon to join our cause? There is one whom Prime seems to respect.

While it is unlikely that any Decepticon will choose the path of good, even they possess the potential for change.

But having witnessed Dreadwing tear up a town, I wouldn't hang my hopes on it.

So I must press the point if Optimus believes that even a Decepticon holds the potential for change, why couldn't the reverse be true? No one truly knows what went on behind the Decepticon curtain while Optimus was off the grid not you, not the Autobots.

I'm 100% with Ratchet on this one.

Being a Decepticon is a choice, Agent Fowler one that I have a hard time believing Optimus would make at any point in his life.

Orion Pax may not currently be an Autobot up here, but I must believe he will never stop being one in here.

Against all odds, suffering amnesia, Prime engineered his own escape to face down Megatron.

But is Prime capable of change? You know your problem, Optimus? For such a big, strong bot, you're soft.

You didn't pound Megatron into scrap when you had the chance many chances, in fact! You might as well use your drill to finish me.

What are you waiting for? Think of the glory? Seize the day.

Optimus would.

No, he wouldn't.

So, tell me, Optimus do you intend to take me alive or end this here and now? Prime has recently proven he's willing to go further than ever to protect humanity.

Optimus Prime is a true patriot.

He and his team continue to risk their lives, day in and day out, asking absolutely nothing in return.

If you don't survive, Optimus, I fear neither will this planet.

Very well.

The simple fact is, Prime doesn't have a bad circuit in his body.

Move it, gramps! Agent Fowler, is that really necessary? As liaison to the Autobots, I strongly caution that now would be the worst time to call Prime's dedication into question.

We're on the verge of an even greater thr*at than we faced before.

The Decepticons are on the hunt for long-buried relics from Cybertron.

Preliminary intel suggests they could be sacred objects with mystical properties or weapons of mass destruction.

- Mystical? - Uh, strike that, too! The point I'm trying to make here is Hold on! Prime? I need an assist.

Agent Fowler, have you uncovered M.

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agents? No.

They're okay.

General Bryce here just needs to confirm the state of your health and welfare.

I am fine, General Bryce.

How are you? I'm well, uh, soldier.

Bill I believe I have everything I need to make a persuasive case that Optimus Prime is, indeed, alive and well and firmly on our side.

- We appreciate your support, sir.

- Dismissed.