Starts during episode 18,some changes made obviously. Notes at the bottom.
Yeah, I'm back.
Chapter 1: Awkward...
This was supposed to be a good day for one Jack Darby. It was Saturday no school and thank GOD no KO Burger until Monday so it was supposed to be just him and Arcee testing some upgrades. And then about noon, June showed up and the day was gone with the wind. Ever since learning about the Autobots a few days earlier, June had been extra protective about Jack which caused the teenager to look over his shoulder every time he and Arcee wanted to go out for a drive. He wasn't proud of it but he was a teenager, rebellious and all that. So when on this Saturday morning his mother arrived at the Autobot base he knew things were not going to go his way and sure enough, he was right. Afer June questions how's it not safe for Miko to go with Bulkhead and it's fine for Jack to go with Arcee, the femme grows irritated and decides to go with Bulkhead to investigate a magnetic disturbance. As usual, Miko sneaks through the ground bridge with them. After Arcee called in for a immediate ground bridge she overheard the conversation between Jack and his mom.
"Why are you here mom? " Jack asked, an irritated look on his face, much like Arcee's. Deciding to ignore her son's tone she answered.
"Your tone aside, I wanted to surprise you. " before Jack could ask June continued "Your cousin is moving here. He'll be staying with us a few days until your aunt Charlotte takes care of some business and moves here. " this changed Jack's demenaor completely.
"Mark's moving here? To Jasper? " he asked in surprise "Why would anyone move to Jasper? "
"Jack has a cousin? He never told me that. " Arcee wondered mentally why that never came up.
"Charlie says they grew tired of the city life and wanted to move somewhere more quiet. " June answered simply, shrugging her shoulders.
"Ummm, okay? " Jack still couldn't understand it but decided to ask Mark when he arrived "When's he getting here? "
"Sometime today. " June answered simply "That's why I came here to get you so we could go meet him. "
"Today? " Jack asked in surprise "But I was supposed to hang out with Arcee! " now, not to appear as if he didn't like his cousin, but the last time he saw him was eight years ago at their father's funerals. Mark was a year older than Jack but so withdrawn Jack barely managed talk to him. He was also very, very sick from what his mother told him later and would always shy away from dangerous activities or anything remotely fun. They also didn't have much in common other than being cousins. He loved his cousin but Jack had no idea what to do with him. He couldn't tell him about the Autobots since that would freak him out completely, and you know, government secret and all that.
"We'll be here for a while Jack. " Arcee spoke over the com-link "You go meet your cousin and we'll talk later why you never told me about him. " Jack could tell by her voice she was a little upset with him.
"Ummm, it never came up? " he answered awkwardly but got no response.
"We should hurry Jack. Mark could arrive any minute. " June said while looking at her watch.
"I guess... " Jack agreed in defeat and made his way to his mother's car "See you later Arcee. "
"See ya'. " and the link shut down. Jack felt a little bad about not telling Arcee but it never did come up in conversation. Jack and June entered the car and were on their way back to Jasper.
"Oh, one more thing,you two will be in the same grade, isn't that nice? " June asked, hoping toget her son in better spirits.
"He's a year older mom. " Jack answered lazily as he looked out the window.
"I know that Jack but... " June took a breath and continued "He was held back a year because of his illness. Spent a year in the hospital. "
"Oh... " Jack scratched the back of his head awkwadly "That's fine, I guess. "
"I told him to meet us at KO Burger. " this caused Jack to jump in his seat.
"WHAT? Why would you do that? " he practically screamed at his mother.
"Well, he's new to town and it's hard to miss the only burger place. " June simply answered.
"Anywhere else would be fine mom! Like, the junkyard for example! " it was no secret Jack absolutely hated working there but they needed the money so he powered through it.
"You're funny Jack. " his mother laughed at her son's misfortune who grumbled in response, but the logic still applied. Mark was new to town and KO Burger was practically at the town's entrance and was pretty hard to miss "Anyway, he'll be driving a blue 69' Corvette so that's how we'll spot him. "
"Couldn't she just send you a picture? "
"My phone's old Jack, I can't view images. " before Jack could ask she continued "And I forgot my e-mail password... " she finished sheepishly. Jack chuckled lightly but knew his mom was bad with computers. The ride continued with idle chatter and before long they arrived at KO Burger. Jack groaned audiably.
"Literally any place else. " Jack complained while getting out of the car.
"It'll be fine, Jack. " his mother replied and looked around the parking lot. Sure enough, a blue 69' Corvette, that looked a little worse for wear, was parked not too far, no driver inside "He's here already. That was fast. " she wondered aloud and nodded towards the restaurant "C'mon, let's go. " Jack simply nodded and followed behind his mother. They went inside and the employees greeted Jack and wonder why in God's name would he be here if he's not working. After a quick explanation the looked around and tried to find Mark.
"Alright, he couldn't have changed much. Probably my height, blonde and scrawny. Oh, and glasses. " Jack said while scanning the burger joint for his cousin "See anyone like that? "
"No. " June responded while also looking for her nephew.
"Maybe because I'm not scrawny anymore. " a strong voice said behind them.
"Hey M- " Jack said turning around but when he saw who stood before him he stopped. This was not the cousin he remembered. Mark was now about a head taller than him, standing at about 6'3'' and looked like he worked out. His blonde hair was cut short and the begginings of a stubble were beggining to form on his face. He wore a black AC/DC t-shirt and blue jeans with black sneakers. Gone were the glasses and replaced by contact lenses that let the prominent blue Darby eyes shine through.
"What's the matter, JD? " he smirked at his cousin "You look like you've seen a ghost. "
"M-Mark? That's you? " Jack asked, still not believing him even though Mark was the only one who ever called him JD.
"You look great Mark. " June said warmly and embraced her nephew who returned the hug.
"You too, aunt June. " Mark looked back at Jack "Not scrawny anymore, am I right? "
"What happened? " Jack asked, slowly coming to terms that his previously scrawny and short cousin was this guy in front of him.
"Puberty. " Mark simply answered "And a lot of it. " he put his arm around Jack "C'mon, let's sit down so we can talk like normal people. " he said with a smile and ushered Jack to a free booth then sat down.
"So, Mark, how you've been? " June asked to get the conversation started. Truth be told, she hasn't seen him or his mom since the funerals and Charlie practically closed herself off from the world.
"Pretty good actually. " Mark raised an arm to call for the waitress "School's good, mom's good, life's good. " an elderly waitress came over and greeted Jack "So, what do you recommend? "
"Leaving. " both Jack and the waitress replied at the same time which caused Mark and June to laugh.
"Ummm, let's see... " Mark went over the menu and quickly realized something "I can't eat any of this. "
"Noone can. " the co-workers replied again.
"I mean, with my health, I have to watch what I eat. Soooo... Orange juice? " he asked hopefully.
"I'll get you fresh ones. " the waitress smiled and looked to Jack and June "I strongly recommend you follow his lead. " both Jack and June nodded and the waitress left.
"I'm surprised Charlie let you drive all the way here by yourself. With your health and all. " June was truly surprised since Charlie practically held him in a bubble.
"It took a lot, and I mean a lot of convincing. " Mark replied.
"Speaking of, how is your health? " June was a nurse but his condition baffeled even the greatest doctors. Apperently it was a genetic disease never seen before.
"Better than ever. " Mark answered "Still on a gazzilion pills but... It's under control. A little healthy food, fresh air and exercise does wonders. "
"Well then you'll be glad to hear we only eat healthy at our house. " June announced proudly.
"Really? What you got? " Mark leaned over the table.
"Tofu. " Jack answered in a flat tone.
"I love tofu! " June smiled brightly at his answer but that soon changed into a frown when Mark quitely mouthed to Jack I hate tofu. This got a laugh out of Jack.
"Great, now there's two of them. " June crossed her arms, pretending to be annoyed but a smirk gave her away.
"But enough about me, what are you guys up to? " just as the question was asked, the waitress came back with their drinks "It's on me. " Mark quickly interjected when he saw both Jack and June reach for their wallets. Before either could object, he handed the waitress the money "Keep the change and run fast. " she laughed and went to take another order.
"You didn't have to do that Mark. You're our guest. " June scolded him slightly.
"Call this a little thank you for letting me stay with you until mom arrives. " he took a sip of the juice "Tastes like orange. That's good. " Mark took another sip "Where were we? Oh! How have you two been? "
"Oh, you know. " June began "Working, paying the bills, trying to raise Jack into a responsible young man. "
"I wish you the best of luck. " Mark said in a teasing tone which made Jack frown.
"I'll have you know I'm a responsible young man. I even have a job. " Jack said and took a sip of his juice "It really does taste like orange juice. Weird... "
"Just messing with you JD. "
"I know, but... It's weird. " this caused both Mark and June to raise a brow "Last time I saw you, you barely said a word. I know it was... " Jack took a deep breath "I know it was a funeral, but you were so... Not like this. "
"Was that a compliment? " Mark asked scratching his head.
"I mean, it's good that you've opened up but it's still weird for me. " Jack sighed.
"I admit I was a little quiet in my younger days. " Jack raised a brow "Okay I was quiet as a church mouse but then things happened and here we are. "
"Guess it'll take some getting used to. "
"Then lucky for you, we'll have at least a month to bond, roomie. " Mark answered with a smirk.
"Just don't leave your dirty socks around the room and we'll be fine. " Jack answered and began to drink his juice.
"And what if I find your porn collection under the bed? " this caused Jack to nearly choke on his drink and made June laugh.
"Dude! "
"What? I'll let you look at my collection. " the blush forming on Jack's face caused June to laugh even more.
"You're sleeping on the floor. " Jack glared at his laughing cousin but wasn't really angry with him. He was happy that Mark opened up as opposed to last time. Perhaps this will be a fun experience after all.
"All jokes aside, I need to make a few stops before we go home. " Mark announced and took out a piece of paper.
"Don't you dare say the video store. " Jack said, carefully bringing the drink to his mouth.
"You do know there's internet now, right? " Jack only raised a brow and continued with his drink "Anyway, I need to buy some things I didn't bother packing. "
"Like what? " June asked and Mark handed her the list. June went over the list and realised it was mostly toiletries, medicine and reminders to check in at the doctor, school application and so on.
"We should be able to get most of this done today. " she said while reading "The doctor will have to wait until Monday though. "
"That's fine. I've seen my fair share of doctors. " after another sip of juice he added "This is good juice. "
"Spit-free, like it's supposed to be. " Jack answered with a smirk.
"You spit in the drinks? " June asked horrified.
"Not all of them. " Jack's smug reply got him a glare "I'm kidding mom! I'm kidding! " then he mouthed to Mark I'm not kidding. This got the group to laugh and continue with idle chatter. After they finished their drinks, the group decided to leave and went out to the parking lot.
"So, where to? " asked Mark while going to his car.
"To the mall, it has every store we need. " June said while getting into her car "Leave your car here,we'll drive you there. " Mark looked a little uncomfortable by this.
"Yeah, I don't like leaving her alone. " this caused June to raise a questioning brow.
"Her?" she asked.
"Well, you know, boys and their toys. " he laughed nervously "Fixed her up myself. When I found her at the junkyard she was a rusted piece of scrap. And now look at her. A classic! " he smacked the roof of the car and the door swung open, hitting him on his backside "Still needs some work, apparently. " Mark shut the door rather harshly and Jack thought the gag was timed too well.
"Well... If you say so. " June shrugged and closed her door, Jack just getting in. When they started their engines, the Corvette's roared so loud it sounded like it had 500 horsepower more than it needed. Both looked at him in surprise.
"New exhaust! " he answered and Jack swore he sawMark scold his car.
"Weird... " Jack said to himself.
"What's that? " June looked at her son.
"I-It's nothing, mom. Let's roll. "
"You've been hanging out with the Autobots too much. " she said with a laugh and took off "Don't think I don't know what scrap or frag means. " and there's another thing. Mark said scrap. It could just be a concidence but the way he said it made Jack wonder...
"Nah... " he quickly dismissed the thought and bukled his seatbelt. June took off for the mall and Mark followed closely behind. Looking in the rear-view mirror, Jack was now convinced Mark was talking to his car. Then again, he could also be singing but it still looked weird. They arrived at the mall and Jack saw the carof his nightmares. Vince was here "Figures... " then again, he was with his mom so Vince'll probably behave in front of her, as all jackasses do.
"Stay close, don't want you to get lost on your first day. " june motioned the boys to follow.
"Yes ma'am. " Mark nodded and both he and Jack followed. A question needed to be asked.
"Who were you talking to in the car? " Jack asked and Mark flinched.
"Uhh, noone. I was singing. " Mark replied, a little too casually but it seemed to satisfy Jack. The shopping went pretty much as expected, boring. Mark got everything he needed from the supermarket and then went to the pharmacy. He came out with a pretty big bag.
"Wow, you really weren't kidding when you said you were on a gazillion pills. " Jack looked inside the bag "What are these for? " he asked, pulling out an empty plastic container.
"I throw in the pills I need and down them in one go instead of carrying around 10 boxes. "
"Is that safe? " June asked a little concerned.
"Doc' says it's fine so... " he shrugged nonchalantly and continued "Okay, I think we have everything. I'll go drop this off and we can go for Ice cream. "
"You go and help him Jack, I have some shopping of my own to do. "
"We were just in the store mom. "
"It's supposed to be a surprise, if you must know. " she haned the bags she was carrying to Mark and Jack "I'll meet you here in a couple of minutes. " June left and let the boys as they were. The two simply shrugged and went to the cars. Once they arrived, Jack noticed that Mark opened his trunk and passenger door without using a key.
"You left it unlocked. " he saied while putting the bags into said trunk.
"Lock's broken. " Mark simply replied. Shrugging it off as another quirk by his cousin, Jack continued to load the bags when he heard the most annoying voice in the universe. Starscream didn't even come close.
"Hey, Darby! " as he lifted his head he saw Vince and his gang approaching, Sierra among them. Man that girl was hot "See you got yourself a new clunky piece of junk. " out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Mark gently placing a hand on the roof of his car.
"It's mine, actually. " Mark answered.
"Who are you supposed to be? " Vince asked in annoyance.
"His cousin. " Mark simply replied and walked to Vince and extended his arm "Name's Mark. " Vince accepted the handshake.
"Vince. Quite a grip you got there. " he tried to hide shaking his hand from Mark's firm grip.
"Wish I could say the same. " this caused Vince's friend to snicker behind his back "That yours? " Mark pointed to the black coupe with flames and walked towards it.
"Yeah. Best set of wheels you'll find in this lousy town. " Vince announced rather proudly and followed Mark.
"Custom Chrysler 300C coupe. " Mark said while inspecting the car "5. 7 liter V8 Hemi. Gives what, 300 horses? "
"380 actually. " Vince answered with a smug expression "Did a little tuning myself. " he said while inspecting his fingernails. Why do people do that anyway?
"I can see that. Then I guess the childish flames were your idea? " Vince's smug expression quickly turned sour and his crew laughed again.
"Shut up! " he yelled at them and they quickly stopped.
"Fit for a kid I'd say. " Mark's comments were making Vince angrier by the second. Jack could only think of the disasters Vince will unleash on him "All in all, big, heavy and powerful. Overcompensating much? " the crowd had to try real hard to keep from laughing.
"That's it! " Vince got in Mark's face "You! Me! Race! Right here, right now! "
"Mmmm yeah, no. " Mark simply turned and walked away leaing a dumbfounded Vince just standing there "I just got here and have more important things to do. "
"You chicken? " Vince taunted but Mark didn't react.
"If it helps your ego, yes. " Mark shrugged and closed the trunk of his car while Jack did the same with the passenger door. Vince was about to explode but Sierra intervened.
"Let's go Vince. I'm sure we'll find something better to do. " Vince looked at the cheer-captain and smirked.
"Yeah, anything is better than to stick around these guys. " he wrapped an arm around Sierra "Later losers! " they walked away and the crew stopped at Vince's car and talked among themselves.
"I can take him. " Mark simply said and headed towards the mall.
"Mark,don't. "
"Just saying. "he shrugged inresponse.
"I'm serious. I got into a race with him one time and it ended badly. " Jack couldn't tell him the truth of what happened so he left it at that.
"Really? " Mark stopped and a grin formed "The responsible young man JD got into a street race? "
"Please don't tell my mom. " Jack said pleadingly.
"Well that depends. "
"On what? " Mark placed his hands on his shoulders.
"What do you offer? " he asked a bit too happy about the revelation.
"Blackmail? Really? " Jack asked in a deadpan tone.
"I want to see your porn collection. " Jack continued to stare with a blank face "It's under the bed, isn't it? "
"I don't have a collection. " Jack answered.
"Relax JD. I'm messing with you. " Mark let go of his cousin and continued towards the mall.
"And it's still weird. " Jack answered in return. Just as they were about to enter the mall, June came out "Weren't we supposed to meet inside? "
"Yes, but then I remembered, if we're going for ice-cream I know this great little place just down the street. " June looked to the two boys, waiting for an answer.
"Um, sure why not. " Jack answered and looked at Mark who nodded. Making their way back again, they got into their respective vehicles. Sure enough, the engine of the Corvette roared so loudly it gave Vince and his gang a jump scare. Jack just had to laugh at Vince's dumbfounded expression. Mark simply waved to the bully and followed after June.
"What was that about? " June asked as they were driving, Jack looking in the mirror and seeing Mark apparently singing again.
"What? "
"Please Jack. I'm not that clueless, I know when boys measure their sticks. " Jack sputtered in surprise.
"M-mom! "
"That's the expression isn't it? " she asked nonchalantly.
"What? No! Please don't ever say something like that again! " Jack still couldn't believe his ears.
"Is that boy bullying you? " Jack's lack of response gave June her answer "You should talk to someone, Jack. "
"To whom? He's the schools golden boy, the teams quarter-back. " Jack crossed his arms and grumbled "Guy's better protected than a panda. "
"Well, perhaps now that Mark is here, he will lay-off a little. " June answered as she stopped at a red-light.
"What makes you say that? "
"Mark does present an imposing figure. " she looked at the rear-view mirror and saw Mark waveing to her with a goofy smile "Then again I could be wrong. " green came on and the drive resumed "From what I've seen, Mark's got your back. And, it'll make highschool more bearable with another friend around. "
"I guess you're right. " he looked back at Mark who was swaying side to side and still singing "He does seem a lot more cheerful than the last time I saw him. "
"I for one am glad he became more open and confident. " June looked at Mark behind them "Reminds me of his dad a little. " she smiled fondly "He was also a loudmouth. " Jack chuckled at the comment "And you Jack, you are like a mini version of your father. " Jack looked at his mom, trying to get every bit of information he could about his dad since he remembered very little about him, what with being young and his dad mostly traveling for work "Not just the looks, but... You're depandant, reliable, the voice of reason. I swear, those two were ying-yang personified. Sam was the lovable goofball and your father was the coolheaded responsible one. " a small tear escaped her but she quickly brushed it away "Sam and John. The Darby brothers wreacking havoc in college. "
"That's how you met? " Jack asked.
"Not officially. " she said smiling at the memory "I just started college and got invited to this party. "
"Never took you for a party girl. " Jack said in amusement.
"Hey, I was young once you know. " she said in mock hurt "Anyway, that's when I first saw the two. Sam was doing a keg stand and your father was timing him. "
"I thought you said dad was the responsible one. "
"He is but, again, college. " she shrugged in answer "And don't get any ideas. " she gave him a look which he quickly understood "I wrote them off as regular jocks but... My friend told me they were actually top of the class. "
"Engineers, I remember. " Jack responded and continued listening.
"So one thing lead to another and your father and I began dating. Once he finished college though he enlisted in the army. " June smiled fondly "He said he needed to help anyway he can. Sam said his brother was lost without him so they both enlisted. If you ask me, Sam was the one who was lost. " both chuckled at that "Eventually they came home, got office jobs for the army, Sam met Charlie, John and I got married, Mark was born and then you came along. "
"They weren't married? " Jack asked in surprise since from what he knew it was the right thing to do.
"Sam and Charlie didn't need a piece of paper to know they love eachother. "
"And I guess dad, being responsible, proposed? "
"And I said yes. " June was smiling again "Nothing fancy, just the two of us, a picnic under the stars. " she got lost in thought for a bit and almost missed the little ice-cream shop. Mark parked beside them and they went in. The ice-cream was good, like, really good. They stayed there for about an hour when June decided to call it a day.
"Time does fly when you have fun. " Mark said as they exited the shop. It was about 6pm.
"Sure does. " June replied and unlocked her car "Well, time to get you settled in properly. C'mon Jack. " just as she said it a message came to Jack's phone.
"Ummm, actually, you mind if I stay here and wait for Sadie? " June got the hint.
"Who's Sadie? " Mark asked and looked at Jack "Is she your girlfriend? "
"W-what? No! " Jack's cheeks went a little red.
"Called it. " Mark opened the door and got inside his car "See you later JD. " with a smirk he closed the door. This time the Corvette didn't start up like a fighter jet.
"Don't be long,okay? " June said while hugging her son.
"I won't mom. " Jack reassured her and she nodded in approval. He was in good hands. Servos. June started her car and drove home, Mark following closely behind. Jack's phone rang and he answered.
"Hey partner. " Arcee's voice came from the other side.
"Hey Cee'. Where are you? " Jack asked looking around to spot the blue motorcycle.
"Just left the base. You? "
"A little ice-cream place just down the street from the mall. "
"I'll be there in ten minutes. "
"Great, I'll see you then. Bye. "
"Bye. " and so Jack was left standing there for ten minutes not knowing what to do but walk in circles until Arcee arrived. Sure enough, after ten minutes or so he heard the familiar sound of Arcee's engine. Looking at the direction the sound came from he spotted Arcee with her Sadie hologram engaged "Hop on. I've had a rough day and I need to let off some steam. "
"Sounds good to me. " Jack recovered his helmet that was fastened to the back of the seat and put it on. Mounting Arcee they drove off towards the desert highway to let off some steam. And that meant speed. As soon as they were out of town, Sadie disappeared, Jack moved forward and they shot off like a rocket "What's got you in such a good mood? " Jack asked sarcastically.
"You will not believe the day I've had! " and so Arcee began explaining about the Polarity Gauntlet and how she was stuck to Bulkhead for most of the day "It's not funny, Jack. "
"It is from where I'm standing. " Jack chuckled once more.
"The curb? " Arcee replied.
"Point taken. " they continued the drive when Arcee decided to bring up a topic that's been on her mind since June arrived at the base.
"So... You have a cousin? "
"Ummm, yeah. " Jack answered sheepishly "Sorry for not telling you but it really never came up! "
"It's fine Jack. " Arcee answered and slowed down a little so it would be easier to talk "Still, it'd give us more to talk about. "
"As if our daily adventures weren't giving us enough material. " Jack said makin Arcee laugh a little.
"But still, he's your family and I'd like to know more. " Jack nodded in understanding "So, what's he like? "
"Very different than I remember him. "
"What do you mean? " Arcee asked, her side-mirror turnig towards Jack a little.
"The last time I saw him was at our dads funeral. " Arcee winced internally, remembering her snide comment on loss "Back then he was so closed-off from the world I barely got a few words out of him. I think it hit him more than it did me. "
"I'm sorry, Jack. " the side-mirror turned back and both lowered a little, showing she felt bad.
"It's fine, Arcee. You apologized already. " Jack gently patted her gas tank "I remember him as this scrawny, short kid with glasses and today I barely recognized him. He was so open, talkative, carefree, not to mention puberty hit him like a freight-train. "
"Things are looking up for him. "
"Yeah but it's still weird. He's like a completely different person now. " Jack sighed "I guess it'll just take a while to get used to. "
"How long will he be staying? " Arcee asked, hopeing not too long as to not ruin their driving schedule.
"About a month, then his mom arrives and they move to their own house. "
"Speaking of, who would want to move here? " Jack had to chuckle at her question.
"They're from New York, Arcee. Mom said they grew tired of the city life. And the fresh-ier air here is good for his health. "
"He's sick? " Arcee asked, a mirror looking back at him "Is it contagious? "
"It's genetic apparently. It can lay dormant for generations and suddenly pop up. " Jack took a breath and continued "Basically, the body can't sustain itself as it should. It affects most of the organs and even the blood cells. "
"Is it treatable? "
"Not as far as anybody knows. " Jack's expression grew somber "Medicine can help keep the body going but... Nobody knows for how long. " then a thought hit Arcee. If the disease was genetic, that means Jack could have gotten it as well. As if he knew what she was thinking he answered "Don't worry Arcee, I'm fine. "
"You sure? " she asked, sounding very concerned.
"It skips generations. Really, I'm fine. " he said reassuringly. Looking at her dashboard Jack's eyes widened in realization "Scrap! It's almost nine! " sure enough, it was already dark outside.
"I'm not about toget you grounded partner. Hold on tight! " Arcee immediately sped up, doing a wheelie in the process.
"WOOOOHOOO! " Arcee smirked internally, happy that Jack enjoyed himself. It took them a couple of minutes to reach Jasper so they were forced to slow down, lest they be stopped by a patrol. They were a few houses away from Jack's when Arcee suddenly and harshly slammed on the brakes "Hey! What gives? "
"Jack... There's an energon signature. " Jack's brow raised questioningly "It's coming from your house. " this got his full attention.
"WHAT? Is it Airachnid? "
"I don't know. " there was an edge to Arcee's voice. She opened the comm-link "Ratchet. Possible Decepticon at Jack's house. Have the team and a ground bridge ready. "
"By the AllSpark. Optimus we have a situation! "
"What is it Ratchet?" the Prime's strong voice was heard over the link.
"Possible Decepticon at Jack's home. " Arcee leaned slightly so Jack could get off.
"But, there's nothing on my scanners. " Ratchet said confused.
"Trust me, it's there. "
"Arcee proceed with caution. We are ready. " Optimus said, Bulkhead and Bumblebee already preparing their blasters.
"Affirmative. " she closed the link "Jack, stay here. "
"No way! My mom's in there! " Jack began walking towards the house. Arcee quickly blocked his path.
"It's not safe Jack! " Arcee transformed to her robot mode, now was not the time for subtelty.
"I don't care! " Jack ran between her legs and towards his house.
"Ugh! " Arcee groaned in frustration and followed after. She hoped noone would see her since it was dark and all house lights were out. They reached Jack's house and stopped in front of it.
"I don't see anything. " Jack said while inspecting his house.
"The signature is coming from the garage. " Arcee said readying her blasters. They approached the garage and Jack pulled out his remote, also grabbing the crowbar that was used whenever the garage door got stuck, then hid behind Arcee "Do it. " Jack pressed the button to open the garage door. The door began to lift and showed an interesting scene. There stood Mark holding a rusted old pipe like a baseball bat and next to him was a Cybertronian femme. She appeared to be taller than Arcee and a faded light blue in color. The femme was holding two pistols, not transformed blasters but actual pistols aimed right at Arcee. The four stood there looking at each other before realization began to sink in.
"Jack? " Mark lowered the rusty pipe.
"Mark? " Jack said equally bewildered and lowered his weapon of choice.
"Arcee? " the femme spoke and lowered her guns a little.
"Moonracer? " Arcee did the same with her blasters.
"You know each other? " both Jack and Mark said in tandem.
"Yeah. " the femmes responded in tandem as well. Arcee retracted her blasters and Moonracer holstered her pistols.
"Ratchet, false alarm. " Arcee said over the com-link.
"See? I told you I didn't pick up anything on my scanners. " Ratchet said smugly.
"Oh it's here alright but I don't have the strength or will to explain right now. I'll see you tomorrow. "
"Arcee wa-" she closed the link before Ratchet goes hatchet.
"Jack,Arcee? Is that you? " all heads turned to the slowly opening door that lead from the garage into the house "I thought I heard transforming sounds comi- " the door opened completely and June saw her son, nephew, Arcee and a light blue Cybertronian femme having a mexican standoff. There was silence for about ten seconds.
"Awkward... " Mark said and dropped the pipe to the ground. June was looking at the four and sighed.
"I'll get the coffee started. We have a LOT to talk about. " June left without saying another word. The four had only had one thing to say.
"Frag. "
A/N
Don't ask where I've been and what happened to Iron Savior and my other stories. This will be my ONE and ONLY story, sequels included.
Leave your thoughts and questions in the reviews.
Yes I know the cover image isn't exactly Prime-style but it's the closest I could find for my vision.
See ya' next time!