The thrill was what drew him in. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, every sense heightened to the extreme; it was the highest high, and Alec loved it. Alec's father had taken him to his first race when he was fourteen, just before he was old enough for a permit. The cars were lined up meticulously, each driver scrutinising the other drivers and their rides. Scantily clad women held glowing flags at the starting line and with a sultry swish of their hips, waved. The cars zoomed between the girls into the distance, the dust thrown into the audience's eyes.

Even then, he knew that this would be his profession. A love for cars ran in the family; engine oil was his blood. Alec's father spent the last two years of his life teaching him how to control a car rather than just drive it. Alec was lucky to have his father's blessing; most racers lived this life in the shadows, leaving their family to find out after they were dead or incarcerated. Of course, he never expected his father's willingness to allow his only child into shadowy business a hint to his forthcoming murder.

Alec had known that his dad was rich. He had known that he was rarely at work. What he did not know, was that his father's money came from dealings with local gangs. Perhaps his father had known that he had a hit on him. That would explain why the normally unorganised man had a will set up. It would also explain why the car enthusiast had driven the old buick that night. Alec had no idea about any of it until he heard the gunshot. No scream, just the sound of a gun firing.

By the time that Alec had knocked down the door, the intruder was laying dead on the floor, half of his head smashed by a heavy ornamental engine block. His father slumped in his chair, the red leather saturated from the blood leaking from the hole in his chest. "I love you, son. Take care of-" He had sputtered, as Alec held his hand. Afterwards, Alec hated the cars; The intruder had killed his father over what they represented: power. The cars stayed unused in the garage as a year and another passed. He couldn't bear to look at them, to feel their powerful engines thrum beneath his palms. But in the end, all Alec had was the cars. All he had was the rush and the memory. He might as well not waste them.

OoOoO

"Hey, be careful. He's rare and expensive; worth more than you twice over." The blond man hissed. Alec smiled anyways; his attitude was normal for the newer racers; he'd get put in his place later. For now, Alec was content to play nice and maybe score his number. Alec raised his hands in surrender and backed away from his ride, a slightly flirty smile arranged on his face.

"Sorry man, but he's a beauty. Couldn't help but take a look." Blond man smiled slightly at the compliment, his blue eyes sparkling with pride. What Alec had said wasn't a lie. The Corvette was very good looking with it's leather seats and silver paint; a lot of rookie drivers would paint their cars obnoxiously and this one hadn't made that mistake. As for his irregular pronoun, Alec could see why he used it. Most machines were called feminine pronouns, but this car looked much too masculine to use them. It had curves alright, but also angles that seemed to mimic its driver.

"Heh. Bet you couldn't. The name's Sideswipe. You are?"

"Ace. Mine's the Cayman GT4 over there." Sideswipe nodded his approval of his chosen racing name. No one around here used their real name, just in case someone got caught and decided to squeal. The sound of a long monotone horn rang through the air, startling Alec."Well, good luck and fair game Sideswipe." He waved and retreated to the privacy of his own car.

Alec ignored everyone once he entered his car. The Racemaster did not matter. Neither did the other racers. All that mattered was the speed; the prize could wait for later. The flag girl for his lane, a brunette in a tight red jumpsuit, raised the luminescent checkered flag as the Racemaster repeated the rules.

"No cheating, no accelerators above C8 level and absolutely no posting on social media. Get ready, rev your engines and...go!" She threw it towards the ground in a wide arc.

He eased the pedal to the ground in one smooth motion and was pushed into his seat with the sudden speed. The car and him had one mind, one motive: to achieve the highest speed. He turned the car into the tunnel, easing ahead of a competitor in a purple Camero. There was nothing but darkness ahead of his headlights except for the curve markers on the walls. That was all he needed. He slowed down slightly to turn the corners, and sped up in every straight section. The Corvette sped by him, balancing on two wheels to pass in the small emergency resting lane. Alec could've sworn that Sideswipe winked at him as he passed by, his eyes an unnatural blue as he sped by in a blur. He almost lost his concentration.

He shook off the feeling and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The car was only an extension of himself, he thought, as he shifted into a higher gear. He breathed and the tunnel let out under a dark, sprawling sky. On either side of him was tall, featureless, concrete walls; they left no indication to where the road caution, he flattened the pedal to the floor and aimed for the slant of the walls.

He was lucky this time; Alec's car just managed to grip it and stay above Sideswipe and his ride. He was out of power to use from doing this maneuver and could do no more than keep pace. The rookie was smart about how he drove; he had managed to overtake everyone except Alec. He knew that if he couldn't get past him on a tricky area, then they would tie, which was unacceptable.

The finish line was almost visible now. The crowds would be cheering, lights flashing, cars honking from the audience. All that was between them was a jump. With his reputation and ego on the line, he decided to go for it, even though he was at an angle. The ramp was getting closer and his mind flashed to the formula of trajectory. He was going fast enough, and the angle would suffice, though he may have some damage to the car's body. And then Sideswipe pushed past him, coming close enough to risk his own car and forcing Alec to go higher. His car's wheels started to burn as it tried it's best to keep itself on the near impossible slope.

He was going too fast to stop in time, but at the wrong angle and speed to make the jump. He knew that he was going to crash and oddly enough, he didn't care. His mind was heightened from the Rush, his heart beating like a hummingbird's. Alec was all alone, but he didn't care because he was going to die doing what he loved.

He almost closed his eyes. He almost missed it.

As his car flew off of the last foot of concrete, the edge of the cement ramp disappearing beneath him, he fell and Sideswipe's car exploded. It was a burst of metallic movement too fast for him to catch, but fast enough for it to catch him. Alec's Cayman sat in it's hands for only a moment, long enough for Alec to look into it's oddly familiar eyes, before being deposited on the other side, wheel's still spinning. The robot did not reappear behind him.

The other racers were not far behind now, and though he'd had the rush of his life he could not stop; He was determined to win this race. He put metal to the pedal and crossed the line numbly, coming to a stop in the winners parking space. A few moments after he stopped, Sideswipe came in third place.

He pulled over and stepped out of the car-machine thingy perfectly fine. Not a hair out of place, the blonde waved and pointed at abandoned road sitting above the race track. Alec nodded, his eyes flickering to the car. It had naught a scratch on it. It took Alec a moment to gather his thoughts and calm his shaking hands enough to pick up his prize. Avoiding the crowd of fans that he usually spent at least some time talking to, he got back in his car and sped off. He had to know what the fuck had happened.

The drive to the bridge was short, but uneventful and Alec was thankful for that. When he arrived, the bridge was empty, abandoned a long time ago due to the inconvenience of repaving, so they were the only ones there. The blond man ran his fingers through his long hair and pulled it into a ponytail. His sunglasses reflected the stark light of the overpass.

"What the fuck was that back there man? Some government shit, alien crap?" Alec asked angrily, taking a tentative step forward. "And besides that. I know for a fact that you're not human, not with that stunt back there. So answer me this: who the fuck are you?"

The car's engine revved, loud like a growl resounding in the jungle as the man seemed to flicker on and off like faulty lighting. The man solidified again, a wide smile on his face, turning his handsome features into a cruel parody. "I am the car, you idiot and I saved your ass so shut up. The only reason I'm even bothered was because of protocol." He snarled, not at all like the sexy and possessive voice from earlier. He sounded dangerous now; instinctively, Alec took a step back.

Alec slipped his hand into his pocket discreetly and felt for the small blade he always kept there at his father's insistence. He had a gun too, but that was in the glove department and he'd rather not resort to that unless he had to.

Sideswipe's eyes flickered to his pocket and then back to Alec's eyes in a single fluid moment. "Chill. The knife isn't going to do anything. In case you didn't notice," He gestured at himself. "I'm not real."

Alec stared into his cold, blue eyes. They looked alien and he did not trust them. Not at all. He mumbled. "Whatever." There was an awkward silence as Alec waited. "So, what are you then?"

He chuckled and pointed a thumb behind him. A peterbilt was pulling up behind his car, pulling to a soundless stop behind it. "My boss'll answer that."

A forty-something year old man in a plaid long sleeved shirt and jeans stepped out of the cab, the door closing behind him silently. The trucker smiled cordially as he approached, stopping a fair distance away from Alec. "Hello. My name is Optimus Prime: I am the leader of the faction that Sideswipe belongs to. We are Autonomous Robotic Organisms from the planet Cybertron, several light years away from this planet. I apologize for Sideswipe's behavior….?" The truck rumbled slightly as he spoke.

"Alec. Alec Martin." He supplied quickly, feeling awkward as he realised that he was talking to a completely new species with different mannerisms and a different culture than his own; what if he had already offended them?

"Just call us Autobots." SIdeswipe mumbled, leaning against himself. Alec pulled his gaze away reculently and focused on the neutral sight of the ground.

"It's fine, I um, I knew the risks of racing." He would have felt even worse awkward repeating Optimus' name out loud; it was such a mouthful.

"Even so, Sideswipe could have caused an unnecessary injury or caused your death if he had not caught you last minute. He will be punished for his reckless actions." A police siren sounded in the distance. "However, you also broke human laws and will be punished also under the jurisdiction of your government. Captain Lennox of the N.E.S.T. division will meet you in the morning at your house." Optimus finished speaking, a weird silence falling over them as Alec realised that the pause was for his sake.

"How're you gonna find me though? All I told you was my name and you don't even know if that's true."

Sideswipe laughed. "We'd know if you were lying, pretty boy and believe me when I say that a name is enough."

Alec glared at him but said nothing as he got back into his car. Without a moment's hesitation, he drove off. Inside, he was stunned. What was he supposed to do now? Just go home and try to sleep like this never happened? Well, he supposed he could. At least until tomorrow.

OoOo

Alec was completely alone in his house. The maid only came over when he was sleeping or out of the house and he had never asked a girl over, even if he had won rights to her for the night. Even though he hated to admit it, he was an extreme introvert with the exceptions being the races and his seldom one night stands.

Normally the emptiness was fine, but tonight it was suffocating. He wanted to tell someone about what had happened, about what would happen and what he should do. The loneliness was smothering his thoughts and for a moment, he ached for his father's steadying presence. The moment quickly passed as a car honked outside and he sighed as he peeked out the window, considering calling up someone for the night. It wasn't like he was going to sleep anyways; his adrenaline rush wasn't gone yet. He noticed that there was no one outside except for a car. Sideswipe's car. Or rather, Sideswipe was outside, sitting in his driveway.

He jabbed the button to open the gate to the inner driveway, which creaked open slowly before closing behind him. Alec took a deep breath, and opened the door. Even though he knew that Sideswipe could do it, his human avatar appearing before him suddenly was surprising.

He was wearing the same pair of sunglasses as earlier, though his hair was shorter, falling down to his chin. Sideswipe looked just as handsome as before, and as Alec surveyed the way that his brown leather jacket hugged his frame, he could feel the warmth of arousal begin to grow. Alec blushed. Sideswipe was an alien robot. He couldn't be hot.

Sideswipe nodded at him. "Sup, Alec?"

"Hey." He replied lamely, stepping aside.

As Sideswipe slid by him into the house, his arm brushed Alec's and a jolt of pleasant coolness dissipated into his skin. The alien paused a couple steps into his house, eyes carefully surveying the dusty chandelier and spiral staircase.

"So, why are you here? Thought I was being annoying earlier."

Following Alec to the den, he snorted. "You were. But someone has to make sure you don't ditch this place overnight, and uh, seeing as I'm locked out of base, it fell to me." Alec sat down on the couch, Sideswipe sat down beside him. "So, got any video games?"

"Who said you could stay inside?" Alec said, passing the extra Xbox control to him as he restarted his game of Galactic auto-vehicular thievery.

"You don't have a choice," Sideswipe said, a smirk playing on his lips. "Enough stalling. I'm going to beat your high score so hard, you'll never get placed again."

"Mmhmm. We'll see about that."

They probably would've played until the sun rose if Alec hadn't have dozed off. He couldn't remember when, just his frustration and joy at playing the game with the handsome man and being equal in skill.

When he woke up, the sun was slipping through the curtains and his doorbell was chiming. He could hear the door being opened as he sat up. Wiping a line of dried drool from his mouth, he ran his fingers through his hair, though he couldn't do much else about his appearance. It was that military guy who was supposed to visit him, wasn't it? He walked to the hall. A man in his early thirties with the stiff disposition of a soldier on duty glared at him as he turned away from Sideswipe. Sideswipe face quickly changed from indifference to amusement as Alec shifted uncomfortably.

Sideswipe snickered before being silenced by the man's oppressive glare. The military man, Lennox, wasn't it? offered his hand. As Alec shook it, he introduced himself. "Hello Alec. My name is Major Lennox. I'm part of the military unit that works with Cybertronians. I'm here to discuss the implications of what happened last night."

He nodded and led him to the kitchen; he was going to need some coffee before he could actually understand any of this shit. He turned the coffee on as Major Lennox produced a folder. He sat down in the kitchen chair stiffly and opened it.

"Want some coffee?" Alec asked as he pulled a mug from the cabinet.

Lennox shook his head. "No, thank you."

Alec shrugged. More coffee for him then. Quickly fixing his mug, he joined the two at the table. Several documents were already spread out on the table, most of which had several signature lines.

"You have violated Article three code seven of the non-carbon species displacement laws by associating with Sideswipe without prior government approval. However, the blame for that action falls squarely on Sideswipe. Normally, you would excused for your actions in breaking this law. However, you were breaking several laws by street racing including trespassing and money laundering. Since you have yet to endanger another individual with your driving, except for what might be considered the norm, you will not be charged or sent to jail. That can change if you decide to refuse this offer."

Alec leaned forward, wondering why they even bothered to keep him around. Wouldn't it be easier to simply throw him jail, or a crazy house? It's not like anyone would believe him.

Lennox continued, his face still annoyingly impassive. "Work for us by continuing to race in order to look for Cybertronian racers or spectators as well as being human backup on certain missions. These missions have a low fatality rate and you will be compensated accordingly. Do you agree to these conditions?"

It was going way too fast for him. Was a deal that was worth it? Or was he getting played for a fool? Alec sipped his man looked at him expectantly. Sideswipe gazed at him with could have been a tinge of worry or indigestion. He sighed inwardly. Even if he did have a choice, he'd probably still answer the same. "Yeah. I mean yes."

The man smiled tightly. "You will officially be an employee of the United States government once you sign these documents." He passed him a pen.

Alec knew that he wouldn't understand the paper even if he read it. His hand did not shake as signed in clear letters. He was now property of the government.

OoOo

Racing was supposed to be the same as it had always been, except now he was required to wear what appeared to be a watch but was actually a Cybertronian tracker. Lennox didn't tell him how it worked and he didn't ask. He just did what he was told, which was to talk to each racer and wave the watch by each car. If it started to beep, Sideswipe would call Lennox who would then call a team to collect it. Him, he corrected. He didn't think there were any females.

The Racemaster amplified a car horn, signaling that the race would begin in the next five minutes. He sighed and walked back to his car. He hadn't finished going by all of them yet, and he wondered what the punishment for that would be. It wasn't his fault either, he thought as he walked by a refurbished police car. The sirens were taken off, which was the only reason why they hadn't scattered as soon as the racer had arrived. Sideswipe had made him late, wanting to drive through a car wash on the way there. Twice. And Alec didn't really know how to say no without being rude. The watch buzzed as he walked by the grill. Alec tried to look into the car to see the driver, but there was no one. The engine started and lights turned on.

Be calm. Be calm. He thought as he jogged away. He wondered if the car knew what he was doing. He shook the thought away. Exhaling deeply, he settled got into his car and adjusted the mirror. He had nothing to do but win the race. He didn't even have to tell Sideswipe. The watch had already alerted Sideswipe to the presence.

A new woman, a busty spanish wearing a bikini, waved the flag and the cars raced by her, covering her in dust and exhaust. Alec's car propelled itself ahead of the others on the sharper turns, using the tight control in the wheels to keep him from sliding or crashing. His heart beat quickly, moving the addictive feel of adrenaline through his body. It sharpened his senses, and gave him an edge. Tonight they were especially useful. As the police car sped by him, the windows too dark to see into, he could feel it's speed. It was too close. Much too close.

Alec mashed the gas pedal to the floor, likely hurting the car but for now he didn't care. If he kept at his current speed, the police car would run into him. He sped up as they came to a jumping ramp, but still let him pass; he had no desire to repeat the previous night's events. He watched as the car jumped higher than humanly possible before landing gracefully on the other side.

Alec eased into his highest speed and flew over, heart beating even louder as he watched the ground disappear behind him. The memory of falling ran through his mind before he pushed it away and tightened his hands on the steering wheel. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding as he landed safely. In a quick and slightly numb moment, he was past the finish line, skidding to a stop at the second place circle. Sideswipe was watching from beyond the finish line, he knew that much; he didn't know how he was planning to contact the alien. This place was too crowded and almost any area big enough nearby was to be the home of a rave. Alec supposed it didn't matter; His job was to race, and he did. Now he was going to go home and chill.

He collected the money he was due before driving off. He took the scenic route, the one he rarely traveled because it brought back too many memories from the times he had with his father. Alec decided to go this way anyways; he deserved the view after driving so far to get track was farther away than usual; he would have to drive almost an hour to get back home. His mind kept wandering back to the Police cruiser with the evil aura. Was he one of their enemies or something? He looked into the mirror as his watch beeped. Behind him, the police car was tailing him closely. He was less than a foot away from his bumper. The street beyond that was empty.

Was he being tailed? Possibly, he thought. It did seem like the car had known that Alec was doing something, though it was also a possibility that they were just going in the same direction; however, there was no reason for him to be so close. The watch continued to beep. Alec glared at it and threw it in the backseat. He eyed the car with darkened windows one more time before turning the music up.

His phone rang. An unknown number, he thought as he answered. "Yes? This is-"

"Alec, you need to run." This was a stark distance from the joyful mood he had been in the last time he'd seen him. Sideswipe's voice was tight, the sound of a rapidly accelerating engine in the background.

"That police racer is tailgating me." Alec said, glancing into the back view mirror.

"That's why you need to go. Now. Drive as fast as you can and try to get to a populated area. He won't try anything there."

"I'm nearly an hour away!" He sputtered. He was in danger, and wasn't supposed to be. This was supposed to be easy!

"Well you better get there fast!" Sideswipe replied, the phone line cutting off. Alec was alone again; this time he had to handle it on his own.

He took a sharp turn onto an old driveway that led to a highway. His car was getting dirty, but somehow that didn't seem as important as it would've been otherwise. The police turned behind him, skidding off into the grass for a moment before getting back on the pavement. He tried to go faster, only to find his car protesting; it was using too much fuel going at the speed it was at.

As he was about to take the turnoff onto another street, the car sped across the grass, stopping sideways in front of him. The street was too narrow to go around and there was no way that he could drive at a fast enough speed backwards. He was trapped.

"What do I do now?" He hissed into his phone. Sideswipe didn't answer, dammit; he forgot that the line had dropped.

He tried calling again, and without waiting for Sideswipe to say hello, he spoke. "What do I do now? I'm trapped."

"Try to stay alive until backup gets there. I'm on my way." He hissed.

The car folded in on itself, exploding into a humanoid form that was somehow still utterly foreign. He was more spikes than curves and completely different than Sideswipe's bot form. He placed a heavy hand on his car. The metal creaked beneath the black and white car's weight.

"Where are they hiding? Where is the allspark?"

"I dunno man! I literally just met 'em yesterday!" He replied, an edge of hysteria rising into his voice. Frantically, he unlocked the glove department and started rummaging for his handgun.

The car took no notice of him and seemed to grow more aggravated. His hand tightened on the Porsche's hood. He winced as it creaked more. His car…

"Where are they human? Where is the allspark?"

"I told you that I dunno!" He yelled back, firing his Glock 19 at the alien as he scrambled to escape the car. Maybe he could make it to the trees which were much too dense for him to continued to fire until he was out of bullets, and made it halfway to the trees when he ran out. The robot grabbed his arm, pulling him off of the ground in one swift movement. He yelled out in pain. His arm was completely numb, likely pulled from it's socket.

A car rumbled behind him, a softer and slightly more familiar sound. Sideswipe, he thought in relief. The sound of his transformation echoed behind him.

"Alec! Run." He hissed as his hands were exchanged for blades. The cop car dropped him, and his breath was forced out of him. He forced himself to get up and scurry into the trees as Sideswipe deflected the police car's attempts to stop him. However, he didn't manage to save his car.

"Too weak to fight a real mech, Barricade? Have to go after the humans too?" Sideswipe growled, punching Barricade into his car. Alec turned away, and caught his breath. His arm hung limply and he couldn't move it, though he could feel it. He shook his head. Now was not a good time to survey his injury.

Behind him, he heard the police reply with a hiss. "It does not matter what the means ars as long as I win. You know as well as I do that humans can be a worthy adversary."

Turning back to the fight, Alec caught the blur of falling metal as Sideswipe was shoved roughly away. He caught his balance, using his momentum to cut a deep gash in Barricade's neck.

Barricade fought back harder now, and much more desperately. He lashed out, almost nicking Sideswipe's armor. He redirected his force against him, pushing thw police too close to Alec for comfort.

Alec turned away and walked Dreier into the forest, following the road towards the city. He kept moving, even as his eyes grew heavy and his feet ached. The trees passed by in a blur as he continued towards the lights of the distant city. It was near six a.m. when he reached the outskirts where the businesses district started.

A lamborghini with subtle dents and scratches pulled up slowly behind him. The door opened. "You plan on walking all the way back?"

Alec shook his head, taking care to remove his muddy shoes before sitting down in the passenger seat. The door closed on it's own and Sideswipe appeared beside him with a burst of static. This time he wore a red flannel that matched the shade of his real self. His signature sunglasses rested lightly in his shoulder length hair.

He began to move again. "So, did you watch?"

"Maybe." Alec smiled a little until his arm ached again. Sideswipe's face lit up with a proud grin.

"Well if you maybe did, then maybe you saw how awesome I was. I mean, I still need repairs and all but you should've seen Barricade. He ran away like the coward he is, missing an arm and half a wheel." He laughed.

"You got surface damage or is it deeper?" He asked, thinking of the dents he had seen.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. It's not that bad. A human can fix it even."

"Well, then let me. I've had quite a bit of experience fixing cars, though that one is probably done for. Not to mention that it's partially my fault that you were that damaged in the first place." He muttered. If he had've had more cautious, he could've noticed that he was followed earlier, Barricade could have been caught before Alec was in such a rural area.

Sideswipe was silent for a moment and Alec wondered if he'd crossed some sort of cultural taboo. Then he smiled softly again. "Sure man. Your handiwork looked good. You can't make it much worse."

Alec hoped that his blush was unseen in the dark of night as they sped away.