"Don't worry, kid," Leo said, patting Sam's shoulder. "I guarantee that once you step inside, you'll forget your girlfriend's name in five seconds. Now, let's move!"
The auditorium had been transformed into a massive dance hall. The music was heavy, rhythmic, and deafeningly loud. Young men and women were swaying in the strobe lights, dressed in outfits so skimpy it looked more like a water park than a college campus. The air was thick with the scent of hormones and expensive perfume, sending adrenaline spiking through the crowd.
"Too cool!"
The four roommates dodged servers carrying trays of drinks and made their way to the edge of the dance floor.
"Check her out!" Leo's eyes went wide, his face flushing. "You guys stay here and kiss your phone screens; I'm playing for keeps tonight."
Shasky and Fabinder exchanged excited looks, their enthusiasm matching Leo's. "Let's get to work then!"
The group scattered. Sam, having no particular target, drifted toward the buffet table. Just as he reached for a slice of cake, he saw something strange. Glyphs and data streams began scrolling across the icing.
"What the...?" Sam closed his eyes and shook his head hard.
What's happening?
When he opened them again, the symbols hadn't vanished. Instead, they were scrolling faster, growing larger and floating toward him as if trying to crawl into his retinas. Compelled by a sudden urge, Sam dipped his finger into the frosting and began frantically sketching the glyphs onto the tabletop.
"Are you okay?" A girl in a green sundress noticed his erratic behavior and approached.
"Huh? What?" Like waking from a dream, Sam blinked rapidly, looking down at the meaningless frosting patterns he'd just drawn. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm good."
"You're Sam, right?"
"Yeah. Sam. Sam Witwicky."
"Hi. I'm Alice."
Alice picked up two glasses of an amber liquid and stepped closer, her red lips curving into a smile. "Let's have a drink. And then, maybe a dance. Just the two of us."
"Like a couple?" Sam took the glass, his hand brushing his pocket where his phone seemed to be vibrating. "Listen, I... I don't think I can. I have a girlfriend. I can't really..."
"HEY!!"
The pounding music suddenly cut to a dead silence. Every head in the room turned toward the roar. A muscular guy in a white varsity jacket burst through the doors.
"Whose Camaro is out on the lawn?! Get down there and move it right now! It's blocking the entire main entrance!"
Being near the window, Sam instinctively glanced down. One look was all it took to make his blood run cold. There, parked sideways across the main thoroughfare, was a very familiar yellow Camaro.
"Sorry, excuse me." Sam set the glass down and bolted for the exit.
Alice watched the drink he'd left behind. She picked it up, walked to the corner, and poured it into a trash can with a cold expression.
"Hey, beautiful, that's a waste of a good—"
"Get lost."
...
Sam sprinted downstairs and threw himself against the driver's side window of the Camaro. "What are you doing here, Bee?!"
"We have trouble, Sam. I need one night of your time."
"Please," Sam grabbed his head, groaning in despair. "Can't you guys just give me one day? This is my first day of school!"
"I know, but—"
"Hey, what's the deal?" The guy in the varsity jacket followed Sam outside. "Is this your car?"
"No, no," Sam waved his hands frantically. "It's a friend's. He's... uh, he's inside changing."
"Bull. We already ran the plates." A short, stocky guy stepped out from behind the athlete. "Tell the truth, or I'm going to kick your freshman butt."
Sam's brain short-circuited. "What size shoe do you wear?"
"Smart-ass. You want a piece of—" He started toward Sam.
"Wait, wait! I was joking!" Sam scrambled into the car and slammed the door.
"Get out of the car, kid!"
"Whoa! You actually have a car?!" A shout of amazement came from the side. Leo, Shasky, and Fabinder had followed the noise outside.
Fabinder, holding a beer and letting out a burp, nodded. "I love muscle cars. Bro, why didn't you tell us you were rolling in a Camaro?"
"We've only known each other for three hours," Sam said, buckling his seatbelt and rolling up the window. "Sorry, guys. Family emergency. Gotta go!"
The Camaro's tires shrieked against the asphalt, leaving the crowd behind in a roar of high-octane engine noise.
VROOM!
In his rush to leave, Sam didn't notice a silhouette on the second-floor balcony watching him and the car with predatory intensity.
...
The next morning, as the first rays of dawn touched the horizon, Bumblebee pulled into a quiet cemetery near Diego Garcia.
"I am truly sorry, Sam," Optimus Prime said, stepping out from behind a massive stone monument. He looked down at the boy with a look of genuine regret. "The situation is dire. I had no other choice."
"What happened?" Sam asked, stepping out of the car.
"The final shard of the AllSpark was stolen last night."
"What? Was it the Decepticons?"
"Likely," Optimus's tone was heavy with sorrow. "We followed the protocols. We gave the shard to your government for safekeeping. Yet your leaders still insist that our presence is what brought the war to your world."
"But what does that have to do with me?" Sam still didn't understand why he was here.
After a long silence, Optimus spoke. "Earth must not suffer the same fate as Cybertron. It must not become a wasteland of displaced souls. You are a person trusted by both our kinds. I need you to be our bridge—to remind them of the stakes."
"I know," Sam sighed, waving his hands. "I want to help. I really do. But I'm not an ambassador. I'm not a superhero with powers. I'm just a guy." Sam looked up at the Prime and shook his head, backing away. "I just want to do what I'm supposed to do. I'm sorry. I really am."
"Sam, we cannot sit idly by as things spiral toward disaster. We cannot wait for fate to change itself. I need you..."
"No," Sam interrupted, stepping down from the platform and walking back to the Camaro. "You're the invincible Optimus Prime. You don't need me."
Sam opened the car door. He didn't mention that he still had a shard of his own; he was done with this world. "Goodbye, Optimus."
The Camaro sped away, leaving only tire marks on the gravel. Optimus watched the boy go, his metallic face etched with worry. "Sam... I need you. You just don't know it yet."
...
Alaska: Base One.
The quiet of the base was broken by the arrival of an uninvited guest.
"Ravage. Where is the shard?"
Skygnaw sat in his command chair, looking down at the metallic panther with interest. Earlier that morning, he'd received a message from Soundwave. The orbital officer wanted Skygnaw to lead a team to confirm Megatron's status.
He'd been given the coordinates of the abyss where the leader lay. If the remains were viable, the shard was to be used to resurrect him immediately.
"My apologies, Lord Skygnaw," Ravage rumbled. His tone was respectful, but his words were firm. "Lord Soundwave has decreed that the shard must not be handed over. It stays with me for the duration of the mission."
"Oh? Is that right?" Skygnaw smiled thinly. He didn't press the issue.
Decepticons were built on intrigue. Given that this involved Megatron, he couldn't blame Soundwave for being paranoid. Besides, his interests currently aligned with Soundwave's; resurrecting Megatron was better than following the erratic whims of the Fallen and fighting a war of attrition with the Autobots.
"Go find Scalpel. He will be joining the mission."
Skygnaw's optics sharpened as he stared at Ravage. "You are responsible for his safety. If anything happens to him, I will hold you personally accountable. Understand?"
Scalpel was his Chief Medic. He was far too valuable to lose.
Ravage bowed his single red eye. "Understood, Lord Skygnaw."
"Good. Move out."
As Ravage left, Skygnaw leaned back into his throne. So, Soundwave is putting Megatron's resurrection in my hands.
He wasn't surprised that Soundwave found the location or stole the shard, but he hadn't expected to be the one tasked with the oversight.
Whatever, Skygnaw thought, starting the ship's engines. With Megatron back, the Fallen might stop obsessing over us Commanders and focus on his old apprentice. A familiar leader is always better than a new one.
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