EDIT - 31 01 - CHANGED UNQUOTE'S NAME AND GENDER AS WELL AS SOME OF THEIR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Raf had no words to describe what he felt in this moment. Amazement? Bewilderment? Shock? Maybe all three.
It was good enough to have seen them once; it was a bonus that it had led to him possibly making a new friend. But now, as he heard their leader, Optimus Prime, tell the story of their war, surrounded by them, in their base? It was all of his nerdy dreams come true, to be honest. Science fiction was one thing, but this wasn't fiction; talking robots that were able to transform into cars (and motorcycles, in the blue one's case) were actually here, in front of him, existing.
"Megatron has not been seen nor heard from in quite some time. But if his return is imminent, as I fear, it could be catastrophic."
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The Nemesis soared high on Earth's sky; the imposing ship hidden away from any curious humans. On the bridge the Decepticon commander, Starscream, observed wavering lines on a monitor in front of him. Behind the seeker, a curvaceous and slender red and white mech stood, optics hidden by a visor and mouth hidden by a mouthguard. He had arrived on the planet many years after the ones aboard the mighty ship had, having been called due to his reliable, although limited, medical skills.
If a human were to describe the mech, they would most likely compare him to a mythological Val'Kyr. The unofficial medic certainly looked the part, with his armor's style and his helm crest, even his twin pairs of wings and the tree flat red plates that fell from behind his helm, extremely flexible and glowing in the slight darkness of the room.
His armor was mostly red, with only his upper arms and legs being white. What little of his protoform was visible was a pale grayish-blue, almost white, and the biolights scattered across his body were glowing red; he was a contrast to the room's dark color scheme.
Besides the bright mech, the slender bluish purple mech Soundwave stood, both of them silent as they always were. Their differences were obvious, but more so were their similarities. Like brothers.
Soundwave's visor was lit with the same wavering lines showed on the monitor. The mech beside him had his own visor showcasing lines too, but in a different pattern. He stood in a rather relaxed position, one servo on his cocked hips and the other limp at his side
"Those transmissions are emanating from deep space." Starscream muttered, turning to face the mechs behind him, focusing mostly on Soundwave "I would hate to waste the energon, unless you are absolutely certain."
Soundwave nodded. The other examined his digits, seemingly uninterested. Starscream sighed.
"Then lock onto transmission coordinates, and activate the space bridge." Starscream ordered, turning to the drone working at the controls, who started typing commands into the computer.
"Vaporwave, you have done a fine job here despite your limited medical skills." Starscream said, the red and white mech snapping his helm at attention "Lord Megatron returns now; I do hope you are able to keep up the good job."
Vaporwave shrugged, mock saluting before turning and walking away. Starscream groaned, glancing back to the monitor one last time.
"I understand that he is not you, Soundwave." The seeker said, turning to said mech and shaking his head "But still I fail to see how he is your brother."
Soundwave said nothing as always.
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"And since you now know of our existence, I fear that as of last night, the Decepticons know of yours." The regal leader spoke, his blue eyes (optics?) fixed on Raf and the other two. The girl, Miko, seemed uninterested in the story she had just heard, while the older boy, Jack, just seemed to be extremely uncomfortable and wanting to leave.
"Got it, if we spot any strange vehicles call 911."He said, stepping forward "Can we go now?"
"Are you insane?" Miko questioned, turning to glare at him "I'm living a dream here in bot-swana, and I won't allow you or anyone else to shatter it!"
Raf couldn't have said better himself.
"It is better if you three remain under our watch, at least until we can determine our enemies' intentions." Optimus answered, looking between them with blue orbs.
"Optimus, with all due respect." The red and white one spoke up, turning to face his leader "The human children are in as much danger here as anywhere."
"They have no protective shell!" He continued "If they get underfoot they'll go… squish."
He stepped forwards as if to prove a point.
"Then, for the time being Ratchet, we must watch where we step." Optimus answered plainly.
Raf looked like he wanted to ask something, when an alarm went off and green lights started to blink.
"What's that?" Jack sounded panicked. Bumblebee beeped his answer, shrugging.
"Proximity sensor, someone's up top." Raf said, translating the yellow bot's speech.
"It's agent Fowler." The old robot said, looking at the camera feed on the monitor; showed a helicopter landing atop the base and a man walking out of it.
"I-I thought we were the only humans that knew about you guys?" Jack sounded confused as well as nervous.
"Special agent Fowler is our designated liaison to the outside world." Optimus said, optics on the three kids and then fixing themselves on the dark hallway for a few moments before he turned back to them "As he tends to visit only when there are issues, it may be best if you do not meet him at this time."
Jack, Miko and Raf ran to hide under the staircase to the elevator platform, just as it's doors swung open to reveal the special agent, who went on listing various traffic events and gripping on the rails on the platform he stood in.
"…and of particular note, numerous reports of a speeding motorcycle of unknown make and a black and yellow custom muscle car."
"So, anything you care to get off your tin chest, Prime?" The man asked, looking at the regal looking robot with accusation clear in his eyes.
Optimus tried in vain to assure the human that they had the situation under control; it led to a small argument between the two that led to Bulkhead breaking one of Ratchet's tools as a demonstration of controlled strength, which led to said Ratchet shrieking in anger.
Which led to an event that the kids wouldn't soon forget due to both it's comedy and it's nasty words.
"WHAT THE F $K ARE YOU MOTHERF #$%S DOING IN THAT "F# $%*&G ROOM?!"
All heads and helm snapped to the hallway, most in shock.
There, arms crossed and hips cocked to the side, stood a small white bot, with a feminine figure and mostly black armor, with magenta stripes on her arms and white on her legs, with a magenta covering that started at her knees and ended a little bit above her feet. Her optics were yellow rings that burnt through all those she could see in the room. Her helm crest consisted of three triangular structures on the top of her head and three long antennae on each side of it, curled backwards in angry rolls, and the back of her helm was a vivid orange. A long and thick tail trailed behind her, sporting a scythe blade on the tip. Both her arms and legs ended in long black claws, with the ones on her feet being shorter and chubbier and the ones on her hands being longer and thinner. Her lips were pulled back into a growl, exposing some of her sharp yellow teeth.
"Not now!" Arcee growled back at the smaller bot, placing her hands on her hips.
"F #k you."
"Chalaveria, I must ask that you behave." Optimus said, seemingly unaffected by the small creature's temper "We have a guest."
Now named Chalaveria, she turned to the human man standing on the platform who was in a mix of shock and anger, and she let a smug smile form on her faceplates standing at attention and mock saluting the human.
"She's still here?" Agent Fowler asked, his anger dulling enough for him to sound uninterested. She winked at him.
"They, if you will." Chalaveria said, tilting her head to the side "M' not a femme Fowler."
Eyes and optics alike rolled. The conversation between the Prime and the agent resumed, Optimus keeping agent Fowler from calling for human involvement and Fowler warning Optimus to handle things under the radar, or else.
"Pretty big bearings." Bulkhead said after the man left "For a human."
"Agent Fowler is concerned for his world, Bulkhead." Optimus answered, optics darting between the elevator and his teammate "As he should be."
"Plus, he knows you guys are way too good." Chalaveria stepped forward, leaning against the foundation of the platform "He knows you wouldn't hurt him."
"Why 'we', Chal?" The green bot asked, eyeing her "Would you?"
"I never said that." She, no, they replied, leaning against the wall on the platform "But if he was to be found dead in an alleyway missing his skeleton …"
Chalaveria snapped their mouth shut, eyes fixed on the humans under the stairs.
"We run a daycare now?"
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An explanation later, they received a weak life from the dead Cliffjumper; a rescue mission set up to the Decepticon mine; a base left with three humans and two robots, one of them working on seemingly random chores and the other watching the humans' every move.
"What is this anyways?" Miko asked, ready to poke one of the machines on the floor.
"Broken don't touch." Ratchet warned, not even bothering to look at the girl who proceeded to poke another thing "Don't touch that either."
"Is there anything here we can touch?"
"You can touch the floor. And the walls. And the railings. And the TV." Chalaveria chirped in from their position, laid on their back under the stairs, arms under their head and one leg bent at the knee "That's more than I can touch!"
"Why aren't you helping them get your friend back?" Jack asked watching as they sat up and tilt their head.
"I'm not very useful out there. Not a fighter. Not anymore at least." They shrugged, closing their optics and gesticulating with an arm "Plus, Cliffjumper's not my friend. No one here is. Maybe Bumblebee, but they don't like me being near him..."
The three humans stared at them in confusion that turned worry when suddenly their arms shot to their lower back and they yelped "Ouch!"
" ... I think my spinal cord's cramping again doc bot." They rolled their optics, rubbing their back with both servos. Ratchet shrugged and kept typing.
"Your pins are still active. Not much I can do." Ratchet spared them a single glance over the shoulder "Get out from there and try stretching. Should alleviate some of the pain."
Chalaveria huffed but did as told, arching their back forwards until the sound of joints popping could be heard, along with a loud beep and and an error message flashing on Ratchet's monitor.
"How come you guys are using human computers?" Raf asked from his place on the platform.
"Well, it certainly isn't by choice. It was handed down from the previous tenants when we inherited this former missile silo." The old mech answered, optics fixed on the screen "I make modifications as I see fit."
Several more beeps sounded and the screen was flooded by error messages. Ratchet groaned, causing Chalaveria to let out a hearty laugh as they continued to pop their back.
"Might need to review some of 'em doc bot." They said, hands once again on their lower back as they walked closer to the much bigger bot, yellow optical rings reading the error messages "These may take a while longer to fix than the last ones."
"I think I can fix that." Raf said, reaching for his backpack.
"Really?" Chalaveria asked, leaning on the platform. Ratchet rolled his optics.
"You know this is complex technology, don't you?" He chuckled, readying himself to rid the system of the bugs "I mean, it isn't a child's play."
"Smart cookie." Chalaveria murmured, making Raf smile as he typed on his laptop, plugged to the main computer system.
"Now try." The bay said. Not a moment later all the error messages turned green and disappeared, bringing the system back online. Ratchet could only stare wide eyed at the child on the platform.
"Note to self, never underestimate you." Chalaveria poked Raf's chest with their index and middle finger gently, mindful of their sharpness. Raf giggled and pushed the fingers away, smiling.
If the boy noticed their optics flashing pink for a moment, he ignored it.