The Mech of Notre Dame:Ch 3

The Mech of Notre Dame

As everyone cheered and chanted Bulkhead's name, throwing flowers and confetti, the two guards that had helped Optimus find the Palace of Justice this morning were talking to one another.

"Think he's ugly now, huh? Watch this." The guard pulled his arm back and then threw a rotten tomato right at Bulkhead's face. Bulkhead let out a grunt of surprise before lifting his servo up to wipe off the disgusting juices off his face. Most of the crowd gasped in shock of what just happened. "Now that's ugly!"

"Hail to the king!" Another guard said mockingly before another rotten tomato at Bulkhead's face

Soon it started to turn into a domino effect, all the guards and even some of the crowd began to throw rotten food at Bulkhead. The green mech tried to avoid the food coming at him, but he slipped and fell down causing the crowd the laugh. Bulkhead knew he had to get away; he quickly got back up and tried to leave.

"Where are you going bell ringer? The fun just getting started!" Said one mech, he twirled a rope and then tossed it so that it went over Bulkhead's head and around his neck, forcing him to fall down.

Another rope soon came up and around Bulkhead's wrist, pinning his arm down to the ground. As everyone continued to laugh, something inside Bulkhead snapped. He got back up and tried to pull the rope off his neck while trying to get his wrist free as well. Everyone soon started to throw more ropes at Bulkhead and tug on them until eventually Bulkhead had no choice but to fall down again. Two mechs quickly tied him down to the pillory and then started to spin it.

As Bulkhead was spun on it, the crowd continued with throwing rotten food at him.

"Master! Master, please, help me!" Bulkhead pleaded to Megatron, but the grey mech simply looked away with an uncaring expression.

When the pillory came to a stop, the crowd continued to throw food at Bulkhead until Optimus finally asked "Sir, request permission to stop this cruelty?"

"In a moment, Captain." Megatron smiled almost cruelly "There's a lesson that needs to be learned here."

Suddenly there came surprised gasps from the crowd. Megatron and Optimus turned there attention back to the stage to see what was happening. It turns out that Jena was slowly making her way up the steps. She had came out of her tent after she was done taking off her dress and when she got out, she saw the crowd throwing food at Bulkhead. Jena had managed to push her away into the crowd and onto the stage. When she got on, Jena approached Bulkhead's form slowly, a sympathetic look in her optics. Jena bent down next to Bulkhead holding onto a towel that she had gotten from her tent before coming to the stage.

"Don't be afraid." Jena said in a calming voice, but Bulkhead ducked his head down and flinches a little. That made Jena almost frown, did he think she was going to hurt him too? "I'm so sorry," Bulkhead looked up at her again "This wasn't supposes to happen."

Jena gently proceeded with wiping off some of the gunk on Bulkhead's face till Megatron's voice called out "You, gypsy femme, get down there at once!"

"Yes, your honor. Just as soon as free this poor creature."

"I forbid it!"

Jena glared at Megatron, pulled a knife out from a secret compartment in her leg and then in one clean sweep, freed the green mech from his bindings causing some of the crowd to gasp at her.

"How dare you defy me!" said Megatron menacingly

"You mistreat his poor mech the same way you mistreat my people. You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those most in need of your help." Protested Jena, her fists now clenching in fury

"Silence!" Yelled Megatron

"Justice!" Snapped Jena, not missing a beat, throwing her fist into the air

Everyone looked at Jena with disbelief, how is it that she could stand up to Megatron like that and not be afraid? Jena turned her attention back to Bulkhead; she took a hold of his arm and helped him back onto his pedes.

Megatron glared at her with as much evil he could muster "Mark my words, gypsy. You will pay for this insolence."

"Then it appears we have crowned the wrong fool," Jena resorted taking the floppy jester crown off Bulkhead's head "The only fool I see, is YOU!" She shouted and then threw the crown towards Megatron, which landed a few feet away from him.

"Captain Optimus, arrest her!" Megatron ordered

Optimus snapped his fingers and motioned the guards to move in and capture her. Jena started to count off the number of guards around her "Let's see, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…so there's ten of you and one of me. What's a poor fembot to do?" Jena pulled out a handkerchief and pretended to cry into it. Just then Jena faked sneezing into it and just like that she disappeared off the stage in a puff of smoke.

"Witchcraft!" Megatron said in disbelief

"Oh, boys, over here." Everyone turned to see that Jena along with Bumblebee had ended up on another stage, showing only their faces next to some other masks. Jena was smiling while batting her optics in mockingly innocent way.

"There she is."

"Get her!"

Jena saw the guards coming, so she and Bumblebee ran to the end of the stage and then jumped off of it only to be crowd surfed away from them. The guards attempted the same thing, but the crowd moved away and let them fall to the ground. For a least a few minutes, Jena managed to skillfully outwit the guards whenever they tried to capture her.

Three more guards on their horses came towards Jena, so she simply threw a guard's hat she found on the ground like it was a Frisbee, hitting all three of the guards and causing them to fall off their horses.

Optimus ducked as the hat hit the pole right where his head had been a moment ago "What a femme!"

A neigh was sounded off and Jena saw two more guards coming towards her. As she and Bumblebee were running, a slit walker whistled before dropping a long pole to the guards. The guards caught it, but it was too late as the pole came in contact to where Megatron was sitting, he quickly ducked, but the rest of the tent fall down on him. Megatron detangled himself from the sheets of the tent, fuming in anger.

Two more of the slit walkers helped Jena and Bumblebee onto the roof of one stage before Jena twirled around a large piece of cloth and covered Bumblebee and herself in it. When one of the slit walkers pulled it up, it revealed that both Jena and Bumblebee had disappeared into thin air.

Megatron straightened himself up before turning back to the stage towards Bulkhead, shooting him an angry glare before getting on his cyber-horse; he turned to Optimus "Find her, Captain. I want her alive."

"Yes, sir," Optimus nods before calling out "Seal off the area, men. Find the gypsy femme and do not harm her."

Megatron rode himself up to the stage were Bulkhead still stood. The green mech looked up at him only to have the grey mech shoot him a disapproving look.

"I'm so sorry, Master," Bulkhead said softly, a tear escaping his optic "I'll never disobey you again."

It started to rain as Bulkhead got off the stage and the crowd formed a pathway for him to return to Notre Dame. Bulkhead stumbled up the stairs as he walked into the cathedral, he started to close the door, and the green mech paused for only a moment before shutting the door completely.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

As the rain continued to fall, Optimus watched as a beggar in a purple cloak passed him. He could have swore for a moment he saw a flash of yellow and black underneath the cloak and decided to follow after the figure as they entered Notre Dame.

The figure that entered the cathedral as actually Jena and Bumblebee, they came into Notre Dame to take shelter from the storm. Jena allowed Bumblebee to jump off her shoulders once they were inside and sure they were safe. Jena couldn't help but look in awe at large structures and stained glass windows of the building. She felt a feeling of serenity come over her.

But what she didn't hear was the door opening and didn't see Optimus step inside and come up behind her. Optimus was just about to touch her shoulder when Jena suddenly flipped him over her shoulder and stole his axe out of the subspace in his back.

"You…" Jena said angrily, holding his axe threatingly

Optimus backed away from her till his back came in contact with one of the pillars of the cathedral "Just calm down, I just want to apologize."

"For what?"

Optimus grabbed his axe from her hand as he kicked her pedes causing her to fall to the ground "That for example."

Jena glared at him "You sneaky, son of a-"

"Ah, ah, ah," Optimus cuts her off as he stands back up "Watch it we're in a church."

Jena gets back up and grabs one the candle stands "Are you always this charming or am I just lucky?"

She swings the candle stand at Optimus, who quickly blocks it with his axe. This goes on for a little while before Optimus comments "You fight almost as well as a mech."

"Funny I was going to say the same thing about you." Jena says mockingly

"That hitting a little bit below the belt don't you think?"

Jena gives him a devious look "No…this is."

Jena aims the candle holder below and as she figured, Optimus blocked the blow with his axe, but then Jena lifted up the end of the candle holder and hit him in the face, leaving Optimus slightly dazed.

"Touché," Optimus lets out a pained grunt as Bumblebee head butted him in the stomach "I didn't know you have a kid."

"Well he doesn't take kindly to soldiers."

"Yes, I noticed. Uh…by the way my name is Optimus." Jena and Bumblebee just look at each other "And you are?"

"Is this interrogation?" Jena asked

Optimus placed his axe back into its subspace "It's called an introduction."

Jena looked at him surprisingly "You're not arresting me?'

"Not as long as you're in here, I can't."

"Huh," Jena looks him over a little before placing the candle holder back "You're not at all like the other soldiers."

"Thank you."

"So…if you're not going to arrest me…then what do you want?"

"I settle for your name."

The blue femme smiled a little "My name is Jena."

Optimus smiled back "It's nice to meet you, Jena."

The two of them just seemed to stand there for a moment, seeming just to enjoy the others company till the sound of the door of the cathedral was being opened again.

"Good work, Captain." Megatron voice boomed throughout the entire cathedral, a few guards were behind him "Now, arrest her."

"Claim sanctuary!" Optimus whispered franticly to Jena, who just narrowed her optics at him "Say it!"

"You tricked me!" Jena accused angrily

"I'm waiting, Captain." Megatron's tone was laced with impatience

"I'm sorry, sir. She's claimed sanctuary. There's nothing I can do." Optimus says quickly causing Jena to look at him in slight surprise.

"Then drag her outside and-." Megatron started to say, but then he was cut off by Ultra Magnus

"Megatron! You will not touch her!" The elderly blue and white mech comes up and places a servo on Jena's shoulder "Don't worry, my dear. Minster Megatron learned stellar cycles ago to respect the sanctity of the church."

Megatron glares at Ultra Magnus, grinding his teeth together. With a wave of his arm, Megatron motioned his guards to leave and he starts to follow close behind them, but when no one was looking, he quickly hide himself behind one of the marble pillars.

Ultra Magnus grabs Optimus's arm and proceed to escorts him out, but not before Bumblebee came up and started head butting Optimus in the back "Alright, alright, I'm going!"

Jena watched the scene with a bit of a smile on her face, but let out a gasp and then a groan as her arm was suddenly twisted behind her back.

"You think you've outwitted me," Megatron whispered into her audio. Jena jerked her face away from his at the sudden proximity, only to have Megatron move his face closer to hers again "But I'm a patient mech and gypsies don't do well inside stone walls." Jena moved her head again causing her hair to be put in front of Megatron's face. He couldn't resist burying his face into to inhale some of her scent.

"What are you doing?" Jena asked bitterly, knowing fully well what he was doing

"I was just imaging a rope…" Jena felt Megatron's fingertips caress her throat "Around that beautiful neck."

Disgusted, Jena elbowed him as hard as she could, freeing herself from his grip before she spun around to face him "I know what you're imaging!" she hissed

"Such a clever witch you are. So typically of your kind to twist the truth, to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts!" Megatron accused sharply. Jena only looked at him in confusion. "Well no matter," Megatron started to make his way towards the exit, saying over his shoulder "You've chosen a magficent prison, but it is a prison none the less." When he was at the door, he turned to look at her "Set one pede outside…and you're mine!" With that he slammed the door shut

Jena looked around a bit frantically before she ran to the door and opened it in time to hear a guard say "Megatron's orders post a guard at every door."

Jena slammed the door shut before she sat down and brought her knees up to her chassis. She looked up to see Bumblebee standing nearby "Don't worry, Bumblebee. If Megatron thinks he can keep us here, he's wrong."

"Don't act so rashly, my child." Ultra Magus said while he was lighting a few candles "You created quite a distupence during the festival." He laughed slightly before turning to look at her with a serious expression "It would be unwise to arouse Megatron's anger even farther."

"You saw what he did out there," Jena started to say, standing up again "Letting the crowd torture that poor mech! I just thought if you person could stand up to him then…" Jena sort of trailed off then before letting out a sigh "What do they have against people who are different anyway?"

Ultra Magnus places a servo on Jena's shoulder and starts leading her to walk through the church "You can't right all the wrongs in this world by yourself."

"Well, no one out there is going to help me that for sure."

"Well, then perhaps there is someone in here who can." With that, Ultra Magnus went off to continue his work

Jena stood there for a few moments looking at all the other bots kneeling at the pews praying. Jena turned to look at a statue of Primus and started to sing.

I don't know if you can hear me

Or if you're even there

I don't know if you would listen to a gypsy prayer

Yes, I know I'm just an outcast

I shouldn't speak to you

Still I see your face and wonder

Where you once an outcast too?

Back up in the bell tower, Bulkhead was still sulking over what happened at the festival when he suddenly heard a beautiful voice echo throughout the tower. Curious about whom it was, he decided to go downstairs and check.

Meanwhile back downstairs, Jena started to walk down through a line of light candles as she continued to sing.

Primus, help the outcasts

Hungry from birth

Show them the mercy

They don't find on earth

Primus, help my people

They look to you still

Primus, help the outcasts

Or nobody will

Bulkhead eventually made his way downstairs and looked over a ledge to see down below Jena walking past some other bots as they started to sing.

I ask for wealth

I ask for fame

I ask for glory to shine on my name

I ask for love, I can't possess

I ask for Primus and his people to bless me

Jena had leaned against a wall, listening to all those prayers, till she started to sing again.

I ask for nothing

I can get by

Bulkhead continued to follow the sound of Jena's voice till he found her heading towards the light coming from the large stained glass window.

But I know so many

Less lucky then I

Please help my people

The poor and down trod

I thought we all were

Children of Primus

Primus, help the outcasts

Children of…Primus

Jena held out the last note while standing in the middle of where the rose colored light was shining through the window and onto the floor. When she was done she just stood there till she felt something nudge her servo. She looked down to see Bumblebee so she dropped to her knees and hugged him.

Bulkhead just smiles as he continues to watch Jena, till…

"You bell ringer! What are you doing down here?!" Asked one of the churchgoers as he stood up from his pew. Bulkhead stumbled backwards and accidently knocks over one of the candle stands causing it to fall to the ground and Jena turned around at the sound of the loud noise. "Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"

Bulkhead started to run through the door to get back to the bell tower.

"Wait!" Jena called out, running to catch up with him. She got to the doorway in time to see Bulkhead running up the spiral staircase "I-I liked to talk to you!" But seeing the green mech continue to run away from her, Jena was left with no other choice but to follow him up the stairs and into the bell tower.