This story has been inspired three fantastic ladies who dragged me to the movies to see Transformers 3. I owe all I am writting right here to them. A special thanks the real E. for sharing her unending knowledge of Transformers with me and gently nudging me the right direction. Finally, I do not own Transformers and never will. This takes a little different spin on the original plot. Everything stands the same up until the end of the third movie. After that...well...lets just say life gets a little bit more interesting. Thanks to all the readers for taking the time to look this "thing" over. Give it some time, it will become something.

Read and enjoy! Codywolf

"Come on, Kara!"

"Let's go, slow poke!"

"We don't have all summer!"

The insistent honking outside brought a frown to the young woman's face as she listened to the voice from the phone pressed to her ear. She waved to the man sitting on her couch then nodded to the front door. He nodded and moved outside and the noise disappeared.

"I'm sorry, sir. You were saying," she grabbed a pen and an envelope from nearby. "Really? Okay. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

She paused as the man came back in, moving to her side and reading the envelope her pen was tapping against, a frown coming to his face.

"I will, sir. Thank you for this opportunity. I won't let you down, sir. Bye, sir," she placed the phone back in the cradle and looked down at the envelope. "It's happening, Dad. I made it."

"You're gonna have to tell them," Dad wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"I know…..they're gonna hate me," she folded up the envelope and stuffed it into her purse, scoping up the duffel bag off the floor. Dad grabbed a set of keys off the counter.

"They won't hate you, hon. Take old Thunder. I sent your friends ahead," Dad gave her a hug.

"Thanks, Dad," she smiled, hugging him back before rushing out. If you had told Carolyn Marie Williams, or Kara, as she climbed into the old Dodge out front that by the time set her best friend would be her worst enemy, she would've laughed in your face before decking you for even hinting that her best friend was going to hate her for more than six hours. Of course, six hours later, she wouldn't be laughing anymore.

"You what?" Erika Ann Nettles, or Captain, hissed, glaring at her best friend as she threw a piece of wood onto the fire. Kara looked up, her eyes filled with hurt.

"I got accepted. I leave in three weeks. I could have been made to ship out tomorrow, but I've been accepted into officer training," Kara looked at the other two sitting around the fire. It was a Friday and the four friends from Wisconsin were planning on enjoying a long weekend at the beach and drive-in movies. Well, that was the plan. Not anymore, not after the huge news Kara had just dropped on them.

"Um…" Emily Naomi Tokamura, or Em, glanced between her two friends. Kara was the newest to the group, having only been with them since sixth grade, but she was their rock, the gang's center. She kept them out of trouble and on the ground. What was going to happen if she was halfway across the country?

"Good for you, Kara, but is that really what you want?" Amanda Charlotte Michaels, or Scotty, frowned, trying to mediate. She, Captain, and Em had been friends since kindergarten. They could read each other like a book, but then this new girl showed up in sixth grade and suddenly their lives were changed forever. Forgotten dreams and dashed hopes were realized. Scotty was headed out to Hollywood at the end of August to start an intership beneath a famous photographer. Em was headed to Madison to start studying to become a doctor. Captain had her first book about to be published in a few months. They all thought Kara was going to go to the local tech school to get a mechanics degree, not go play GI Jane.

"Yeah, I do. It's a good thing for me, "Kara sat back in her chair, watching Captain.

"A good thing? Last I checked a good thing wasn't getting yourself blown up for a blind man's war!" Captain snapped.

"Really? We're starting this again?" Kara snapped right back. Em and Scotty would have backed down, never wanting to go a round with the Captain. Kara didn't care most days. "Go sing your tunes to someone who cares, Erika. I need to support my dad, not the other way round. This is going to bring me good money, dead or alive."

"There are plenty of other SAFE jobs right around here you can do and still make good money!" Captain snapped back. Kara was getting serious when she started using first names.

"They aren't going to be enough! Look, your daddy and mommy are always gonna be there to give you a little extra pocket money or a "get well" present," Kara gestured towards the nice shiny Mustang convertible sitting next to the old Dodge. "The rest of us have to work for what we get!"

"Guys, how about we go swimming? I hear Troy's gonna be at the party tonight," Em watched the two friends, worry etched into her thin, geeky features.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea!" Scotty jumped up. "I'll bring my camera!"

"Yeah, Cap, Troy. Number what? Three?" Kara stood, moving to the Dodge. Em and Scotty froze as Captain's face paled.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm going home. The Colonel had said something about an earlier class. Have a good summer," Kara climbed in. Troy was the high school's quarterback and local dreamboat. Kara had had a crush on him for years. Unfortunately for her, she had walked in on Erika having a little fun with him. Neither had noticed, but Kara had felt betrayed. She had spent the last three years of her life going to school, working at her dad's shop or bailing Erika out of jail after her parents paid off her latest fine for protesting. Enough was enough. She'd had to do this for her mom till she had finally gotten caught jacking some richies car and Kara had finally been able to live with her dad. She wasn't going to go through this again.

"Kara, stop! Nothing happened!" Captain raced after her as Kara started up her truck.

"Nothing happened, my ass. I saw you two! Have fun with the rest of your life," Kara shot her a glare before racing out of the campsite. Captain stood there for a few minutes before flopping down into her chair, glaring at the fire.

"Aren't you going after her?" Em moved closer.

"If she's not back by the morning. Kara and her temper tantrums," Erika huffed. Em looked at Scotty. Scotty shrugged. None of them noticed the asteroid race across the sky just above their heads. Kara did as she blinked back tears, racing home. A shooting star was what she thought and she wished on it. She wished with all her heart for something good to come out of all of this. Something that would turn her entire life around.

None of the girls that night realized that what had just transpired set their fates down a path they could now not turn back from. All they thought was that they would never be friends again. None of them saw the true meaning. None of them saw that they were now racing towards their true destinies. None of them ever thought they would save the world with a little help from some new best friends….their cars.