These Paths We Tread (Autobot x OC)

LXII. Tomorrow Will Be Kinder

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Even when standing inside the base, Egypt was hot. Just looking out at the sand, which shimmered in the smelting heat, was enough to tell it was bloody hot. However, in the shade of the base’s cover the heat was tolerable, although Catherine was getting a little annoyed from having to continuously wipe beads of sweat from her face. She could have gone inside to the cool air conditioning if she wanted, but she was waiting.

Barely even four hours ago their scouting team had returned. At least, the Egyptian scouting team and Brawn had. Richard’s group had remained behind with Bluestreak and Hound to keep an eye on things while the others navigated through the landscape to make it home the swiftest. The Autobots could have used their comm. links to inform Sideswipe or Springer, but Blaster had told them before coming to Egypt that it was best to play things by ear, or rather, audio receptor. Soundwave could easily be keeping dibs, and since Blaster had stayed back in D.C. to continue research he couldn’t prevent the ‘Con from listening in on them. The Egypt team didn’t seem to mind too much, although they were hot and thirsty from their trip. They were also rich with information on their target’s location.

The location was in an old, barely populated village made from clay, bricks, and plant material except for the main compound where their target actually rested. There were guards posted along the walls of the village’s edge, and they all had Cybertech weapons. Any villagers appeared to be unarmed and were living their lives out like normal people, but they would still have to be careful, if only not to harm them. The actual structure they would be infiltrating was also guarded—much more heavily than the walls. An exact count hadn’t been made, but they were definitely going to need a lot of the Egyptian soldiers and Autobot aid. Aerial support was most likely not going to be needed, but they would keep it on stand-by for sure. Of course, they were going to need their best extraction team to grab both Chris Brinston and one Kadia Somaya, who had, according to their Intel, inherited the complex from her very recently deceased father.

Things got moving fast. The Egyptian commanding officer had a full force ready in no time, and one hour later he was leading a team along with Brawn and two groups of D.C. soldiers out into the sands. It had been three hours since then and they hadn’t heard or seen anything. It was expected, although some were getting a little antsy about all of it. She knew her Air Raid was, although it was because he wanted a legitimate reason to blow something up. The others were more concerned about the possibility of Decepticons, but so far things were looking clear from the other end.

Catherine let out a deep sigh as she wiped another round of sweat from her brow. Her hazel eyes lingered over to where Sideswipe stood chatting with Springer, Air Raid, and Silverbolt. Her bond mate had done a good job of looking after her Seekers, and they had come to accept him, unlike their brother. While she hadn’t seen it for herself, the silver mech had made a few mentions of their dislike of him—glaring and making unhappy faces when Sunstreaker walked by—but she hoped they would be better about it soon enough. She was a bit better, although some animosity, she knew, would always be between them. Or, well, maybe one day things would be okay, but certainly not now. One day, though. Maybe.

“Oi!” the voice of a familiar man of wasted Italian heritage called out while his large hands clapped her back a little too hard. “What’s going on, kiddo?”

She turned to him, frowning, “What’re you talking about?”

“That face. You only have it when you’re worried,” he replied, setting himself next to her onto the crate she was on. “And if I know you, you’re worrying about the mission.”

“It’s kind of my job to.”

“Aw, well, have some faith, and just you wait—they’ll be rolling over the dunes in no time, our boy and girl in hand.”