"I hate this planet…"

Sentinel Prime (AKA Glitch-head and Pompous Windbag Prime) sat in a parking lot in his alt mode, grumbling to himself. "Stupid planet, stupid Optimus, stupid alt-mode that isn't awesome…" He growled, frightening several nearby humans. "Stupid organics with their acid and foreign contaminants…" He added, scowling, although scowling in your alt mode is rather difficult for anyone to see.

Pulling out of the two and a half parking spaces he'd taken up, he drove away from what the humans called a 'grocery store', nearly running over several humans and cars.

---

As he drove through the city (on the wrong side of the street, mind you,) he could help but stop outside a large building teeming with younger looking organics. He really didn't like organics all together, but this place reminded him of his younger cycles, when he was nothing but a lowly recruit. His favorite sight was seeing two larger organics picking on a smaller one.

Ah, here was one of those now.

"Hey dweeb, gimme your lunch money!" A large, hulking male organic growled at a much smaller, weaker one who appeared to be wearing lenses, as other large humans crowded around their 'prey'.

Sentinel suppressed a chuckle as the larger organics began beating up the smaller one. "Ah, memories." He sighed.

A wail caught his attention. He caught sight of some female 'humans' pointing and laughing at another female, whose optics were leaking fluid in frustration. Sentinel vaguely remembered that Optimus called this action 'crying'. The Elite Guard mech thought back to his recruit days, and remembered that Elita-One would have been the one pointing and laughing.

The female bullies had taken the weaker female's possessions and were now throwing them while their target tried to get them back. Sentinel laughed as the poor girl in the middle tripped and fell. Unfortunately, his laugh had attracted the attention of the female bullies, who looked over at him.

"Hey, isn't that one of those car robots?" One asked.

"Yeah, it is!" Another said. Judging by her appearance, she appeared to be leader of this gang of bullies. "How dumb is he! He's a snowplow and it's April!"

"Yeah, I think he's the one with the big, dumb chin!" Another girl said, and they all broke down laughing.

That was the last straw. Sentinel respected these bullies, but NO ONE, especially not organic females, MADE FUN OF HIS CHIN.

Transforming and drawing his energy lance, he snarled, "You organics got a problem with my chin?!" The females promptly shrieked and ran off. "Yeah, that's right, you run away!" He called after them, transforming back into vehicle mode. How he hated organics…

"E-excuse me." A small voice said.

"Huh?" Sentinel noticed the smaller organic female standing beside him. Atop her head was a crop of dusty red 'hair' drawn into what the humans called a ponytail. Her eyes were a light blue, and they shimmered gratefully.

"Um, thank you for helping me out, Mister…?" She said, bowing slightly.

"The name's Sentinel Prime, and I only threatened them because they dared to make fun of my chin." He growled, getting ready to peal out of there, his engine revving in annoyance.

"W-wait!" The human said.

"What?"

"Um, listen…I was hoping…you'd be able to teach me to be tough like that." She said rapidly, as though she might lose her nerve mid-sentence.

Silence, then…

"HA!" The stuck-up bot laughed. Transforming, he looked down at her and sneered, "What makes you think I'll help someone like YOU? You're just a puny organic who couldn't even defend itself against bullies!"

"One, I'm a girl! And two, I want to stand up to them!" She squeaked, stepping back in a flustered manner. "And you're the only one who can teach me how!"

"Why aren't you bothering Optimus Prime or the rest of his crew about this, huh?" Sentinel asked snidely. "I'm sure they'd be better at dealing with your meaningless problems."

"I-I've tried…" she muttered. "But they're so popular and cool…they'd probably only laugh at me. Besides, I've always lost my nerve every time I try to go up to one of them…"

Sentinel snorted. "'Popular?' 'Cool?' Hah, you organics are so easily impressed. What's so special about them?"

"I don't know…But still, that's why I want YOU to teach me how to be tough!" She whined. "After all, you look much stronger than Optimus or Bulkhead, plus, you've got the attitude to match it! Please oh, please teach me how to be tough like you, pleasepleaseplease!"

"Ugh, alright, alright, enough with the pleading, it's embarrassing me." Sentinel growled. "But remember, I'm only helping you because you knew what you were talking about."

"YAY!" She squealed, and hugged his leg, which in any other case would have been potentially fatal.

Sentinel jumped three feet into the air, attempting to shake the organic off his leg. "GET OFF!" He yelled, as the girl fell off and landed on her backside. Taking something out of his subspace, he sprayed his leg with what appeared to be disinfectant.

"Um, what are you doing?" She asked.

"Making sure your organic germs to kill me!" He replied. "Next time, don't do that."

"O-ok…"

"Good. Now, what exactly do you go by, fleshy?"

"Um, my name's Alice…Alice Redcher."

"…Really? What a dumb name. I'll just call you Fleshy, then." Transforming, he paused as the human looked expectantly at him. "Well, what are you standing there for?" He asked.

"Can you please open the door, please? I'd get it, but I don't want to get you infected or anything." She said in a sarcastic voice.

"Sarcasm. Huh. It's a start." Sentinel sighed. There was NO WAY he was letting that disgusting little organic into his interior…even if she was a fan! Sort of…and it was an organic…A nasty, disease-carrying little organic fan, but a fan, nevertheless. His processor buzzed with though. Should he let the nasty little thing ride in him, or should he make her walk? Choices…

"Um, Mr. Sentinel Prime? Hello?" The mech had just realized he had been just sitting there without saying anything. Apparently, it had made the fleshy nervous.

"What?" He snapped. "I was thinking!"

"Oh, sorry. But aren't you going to let me in?"

"…No. You'll infect me with something. I'm sure of it."

"Wow, you're a germophobe."

"A what?"

"Someone who's afraid of germs and infection…Man, you're worse than those girls who bully me."

"Excuse me?! It sounds like you don't want my help!"

"Nonono! I need your help! But I'm trusting you to help me…Can't you at least TRY trusting me when I say I'm not carrying an infectious disease?"

The mech did not answer that, but the girl still sensed his unease. This gave her an idea. "Y'know," she continued, "I've seen your boss from afar. I may not be an alien robot, but I know that being friendly to a young creature, organic or not, scores you big points with the boss guy. Wouldn't it be great if you could look good in front of your superior?"

"Hmmm…for an organic, you're smart." Sentinel commented after a moment of thought. After those several fiascos on this planet involving the Headmaster and that Decepticon Starscream, he could stand to risk infection if it meant he could look good in front of Ultra Magnus again. There was not much left for him to lose, right? "Very well, fleshy. But you'd better not be lying when you say you're clean."

"You can trust me, don't you worry about that."

"…Why is it that when you say that that I feel more nervous?"

Natural reaction? I don't know. Now, can't you please let me in? I'm getting tired of standing out here."

Grudgingly, the mech allowed a door to open, and he winced visibly as the teen scrambled inside his cab. Patting his dashboard, she said, "See? That wasn't too bad, wasn't it? Now, what first?"

'I swear, somewhere out there, Primus is laughing at me…' The mech though as his engine roared to life and he zoomed down the street.

--

After five minutes of very dangerous driving, backseat driving advice from Alice, and having the girl scream in fear as he ran a red light, Sentinel was finally back at the ship, where he could plan his next move. Letting the girl out, he growled, "Follow me."

For her size, she kept pace with the mech fairly well, which meant he didn't need to slow down for her. As he strode down the hall, he hoped that he wouldn't meet anyone…

"Uh, Sentinel? Do you know that a human is following you?" And there was Jazz…Great. That's the last thing he needed.

"Yes…Yes, I know." The normally pompous mech replied bluntly, not looking Jazz or the now bubbly human standing behind him.

"…And why is that?" Jazz asked, a grin appearing on his face.

"Oh, Mr. Sentinel saved me from some bullies today!" Alice giggled sweetly…a little too sweetly. "He's my hero!" She pounced on his leg, smiling. Sentinel winced, but managed a quick, painful nod.

"Hmmm…is that right? Well, good for you, Sentinel. You're finally becoming more comfortable around humans." Jazz said, striding down the hall past the blue mech. As soon as Jazz was around the corner, Sentinel shook the girl off and sprayed his leg with disinfectant.

"I though I told you not to do that!" Sentinel snarled, glaring at Alice.

The girl shrugged. "Hey, it was all in the name of making you look good. Besides, you KNOW that I'm clean. What do I look like, a germbag or something?"

"You want the truth or a sugar-coated lie?" Sentinel asked coldly.

"Ugh! You're impossible!" Alice huffed.

"Hey, it's not like I'm in this to prove I'm a nice guy! That would only be a bonus. I'm only in this to look good in front of Ultra Magnus!"

"Ok, look," Alice said in an exasperated voice, "If we can stand each other until YOU make me tougher and I help you show up Optimus Prime, then after this is all over, we never have to interact EVER AGAIN. Deal?"

"Alright, fine."

"Shall we shake on it?"

"Don't push it, Fleshy."

"Alice. My name is Alice."

"Whatever." Sentinel snorted.

"So, like I asked before, what's the first thing I have to learn?"

"Well, to be honest, I learned to be the way I am through a tough training regiment that I had to make up as I went. The first thing that you need is some subordinates to crush under your heel, but you can be friendly with every time the boss comes by for inspections. Well, that, or some sort of upgrade that makes you tougher than the other ingrates. What have you got?"

"Well, I have an A in all my classes…"

"Pfffth. Smarts? Please. That's probably part of the reason WHY you're being bullied."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah! I mean, you need to be smart in lots of tough situations, but it's knowing when to use them is what counts."

"O-kay…"

"Ugh, let me guess: You don't have anyone lower than you when it comes to your…'school', correct?"

"Sadly, no. Maybe a crippled kid, but I'm not that mean."

"Hmmm. You have a point," Sentinel mused. "Alright, let me get this straight: You have no upgrades, no special abilities, and no one to oppress. You are currently at the bottom of what you humans call a 'food chain', correct?"

"I guess…"

"Ugh. Then we've got a long way to go. Looks like I'll have to think of something then."

"Um, why can't we just work on me getting stronger? Y'know, like working out?"

"Brilliant idea! Glad I though of it."

"Um, but-?"

"Alright, alright, no need to praise me for that genius idea," The Elite Guard mech said in what he though was a modest voice. "Just be here bright and early tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you outside."