Chapter 2: Meet Zeke Torrance
All Transformer characters belong to Hasbro. The halfa, Clockwork, and Ghost Zone idea belong to Butch Hartman. Any real life songs, food brands, etc. do NOT belong to me. I only own this fanfic ideas and my OCs. Don't like, don't read. Everyone else, enjoy.
Sasha's house; Third Person Perspective
Sasha didn't know what to expect as those words left her lips.
She expected Zetta to pass out again, to deny her words, or worse, to have a panic attack and harm himself in the process.
But he did none of these.
Instead, he looked up at her with surprised eyes that, in spite of their new look, still had the familiar gleam as their mechanic counterparts.
He then proceeded to get up. The former Cybertronian squeezed his eyes shut as his body protested with a soreness and fatigue he never experienced. Upon getting to his bare feet, he stumbled back a little before he gained his balance. Sasha had rushed inside to retrieve something to cover up his newfound birthday suit. She returned with a crimson red towel which she tossed to her partner without looking, her cheeks a bright scarlet.
Zettabyte successfully caught the towel and wrapped it around his lower body. He then proceeded to examine his arms, hands, chest, face, and hair. Seeing her other unofficial owner completely awake, Midnight rubbed against his bare ankle. The neutral youth slowly and gently picked up the feline and stroked her dark fur, eliciting a rumbling purr from her throat.
"Wow…I can actually hold her now. I mean, I could hold her before but not like this!" Zetta breathed in awe as he looked back up at his friend. "May I...see what I look like?"
Nodding in understanding, the Goth once again went inside, retrieved a small mirror from a drawer in the supply room. She took note of the medical supplies, the wallet she lent him, and the snacks before returning to her friend.
Taking the mirror gently while carefully handing the cat off to the nature-lover, Zetta took the small hand sized mirror and stared at his new reflection. If possible, his eyes widened more as he got a real good look at his organic appearance. Just as Sasha was certain he was going to pass out, he looked up from the reflective surface and looked at her straight in the eye.
"So…this is the new me?" the sable-haired teen asked the raven-haired girl.
"Yes," Sasha answered quietly.
"I-I can't believe it," he said, plopping down on the ground, towel successfully staying on.
"Neither can I," the Goth replied, petting Midnight. "Can you remember anything? Anything that might explain how this happened?"
Zetta's mismatched eyes scrunched close as he forced his processor-turned-organic brain to recall the day's events, "I was leaving the Ghost Zone. I came upon a crashed truck. It was carrying some sort of chemical. I took the driver out and tried to move the container holding the chemical. I found a letter talking about someone named Morocco and some company. Some Vehicons rushed by, trying to escape the Autobots. I tried to get their attention but it just caused a mess."
By this time, the nature-lover had taken a seat by her partner.
"Bulkhead accidentally shot the container. I went to cover the driver. The chemical hit me in the back. I think I might've blacked out for a minute or more. Then, I just drove away. I knew I should have called Nephilus or Knock Out for help but I guess the shock, the chemical, or both impaired my judgement," the neutral youth admitted with an ashamed shrug, hugging his knees.
Sasha wrapped an arm around his bare shoulders and gave him a slight hug to comfort him.
"But…you know what? I'm…actually more excited and nervous than anything else," the sable-haired teen smiled awkwardly. "Just today, I wondered what life would be like as a human. Now I'm gonna live it."
"But?" the raven-haired girl put in, sensing that there was going to be a catch.
"But what if I can't function as a human? What if I can't become Cybertronian again? Can I still access my powers?" the mechling turned boy asked, a bit frantic.
"It's going to be alright Zee. I'm sure that Nephilus and the others can help," Sasha stated gently but firmly. "Say, where is your bracelet?"
At the mentioning of his key to get into the Ghost Zone, Zettabyte's gasped in horrified realization, "Oh no…I left it in my sub-space! I can't activate my subspace while I'm human!"
"Okay, okay! Calm down. We'll figure something out," the Goth quickly reassured him.
Suddenly Midnight, who had been sitting between Sasha's folded legs, jumped out and ran back inside the house, tail straight with alert. Exchanging looks of surprise and curiosity, both Zetta and Sasha followed their unofficial pet. They chased the feline up the stairs and into Sasha's room.
Sitting on the window sill, Midnight pawed at the window insistently, "Meow! Rowrrrr!"
The two teens looked at each other, shrugging. The neutral youth picked the bundle of fur back up as his friend opened the window. No sooner had she done it than a familiar blur of white come in.
"Baylina?!" former Cybertronian and Goth exclaimed in surprise.
The snowy owl perched herself on the black dresser as she hooted at the two teens, "Hoo hoo."
"Rowwrrr!" Midnight mewled as she batted a paw in the air, a friendly gesture, before jumping onto the dresser and rubbing against the avian.
"Hoo," Baylina chirped brightly.
Zetta reached slowly towards her. The nocturnal bird looked at him in surprise.
"Don't you recognize me, Baylina? It's me, Zetta," the former Cybertronian said cautiously, slowly still reaching his hand out.
To his relief, the snowy owl chirped before pushing her head against the sable-haired teen's outstretched palm. He gently scratched her head, smiling as her icy blue orbs closed in pleasure. The raven-haired girl took it upon herself to join her partner in petting the beautiful avian. Not a minute later, Baylina took off, flying out the window that she came through.
Shutting the window, Sasha turned to Zetta, "I think Nephilus and the others will find out about our situation pretty soon."
The nervousness that had been dwelling inside the mechling-turned-human teen's stomach had dissipated enough for him to smile.
Smiling herself, the nature-lover took his arm while saying, "Come on. Let's get you into some clothes."
At the Autobot base; Third Person Perspective
June Darby and William Fowler both shared looks of anger and disappointment as they stared at the members of Team Prime, very much like how an angry teacher stared down at a disruptive student.
It had been just three minutes ago that both adult humans had come by. While the nurse's visit was just to report that Jack was almost ready to have his bandages taken off, Fowler had come with even more shocking news. He pulled out papers showing an article on a botched robbery and the ruby and sapphire mechling's holoform. When the liaison said he wanted to them to contact Zetta so he could talk, and compliment, him about his good deed, the Autobots had no choice but to tell their older human allies what had transpired that day.
"I don't believe this," the African American man muttered in aggravation as he rubbed his forehead. "You're gonna tell me that Zetta could be in trouble and you have no idea where he went?"
"That is unfortunately correct, Agent Fowler," Optimus replied gravely. "However, rest assured, we will find him."
"Rest assured?" the Darby matriarch echoed, staring at the Prime in rage and disbelief. "Rest assured?! Optimus, how can we possibly do that when Zetta could be out there, alone and possibly critically injured?"
Whatever Arcee was about to say to console her partner's mother stopped as she felt her spark freeze in fear and her intakes hitched.
"Heavens knows what kind of toxic substances were in that chemical that splashed onto him. And what if he hadn't been there, hmm? Who knows who else could have been affected," the obsidian-haired woman snapped.
"Hey, it's not our fault that he jumped in front of us, screaming and waving his arms around like a crazy bot," Bulkhead retorted.
The look the female human gave him made him wish he hadn't said anything.
"He was trying to protect innocent human lives from something that could have turned lethal to them," June spat, face glowing a dark cherry red with rage.
"You should be thankful that the passersby who came across it had a good enough sense to call 911 for the driver and someone to take care of the spill. AND you should be thankful that Zetta managed to get the Decepticons to flee instead of fight," Fowler put in defiantly before throwing up his hands in utter and complete frustration. "Thankfully, the hazard team was able to do their job quickly and efficiently."
"Maybe he's back on the Nemesis," the Wrecker guessed.
"How is that any better?" Ratchet snapped, smacking the stronger but younger mech upside the helm. "With his frame covered in a foreign substance, those fraggers probably have that mechling locked in quarantine with limited contact like a diseased turbo-fox."
"Then we have to storm the place and get him out!" the two-wheeler said determinedly, a fierce glow in her optics.
"We cannot storm the warship without knowing whether Zettabyte is on board or not. Such actions would cause a retaliation that could end with a loss that is more than we can handle," the former archivist stated firmly.
[Then how do we find out whether he's there or not?] Bumblebee asked worriedly.
"Rushing our decisions won't help Zettabyte. First, we'll contact Sasha to see whether or not he's at her residence. If he is, we'll bring him in and examine him. If he isn't, we'll search for him. If our searches bring up nothing, we'll resort to getting on the Nemesis," the cherry red and ocean blue mech explained coolly. "But no matter what, we won't stop searching until we do locate him."
[What do we tell Sasha if she asks why we're calling to see if Zee's there?] the team scout asked his leader and medic.
Ratchet looked at Optimus and waited for his old friend to nod before the Autobot CMO answered, "Lie. We don't want her to scare her…But if she approaches us later on, we must tell her the truth."
Meanwhile at Sasha's house; Third Person Perspective
"You look good Zee," the raven-haired girl stated with a smile.
Midnight, who had been washing her face on the floor, looked up and purred as if to agree.
She had gone into Jeremy's room and sifted through the old articles of clothing that he hadn't taken with him, donated to Goodwill, or given as hand-me-downs to the younger children on the Morgan's side. Thankfully, she had foundnd a baby blue polo shirt that he hadn't wore since his picture day in eleventh grade, an old but clean pair of jeans, some clean white socks, a light gray undershirt and, with embarrassment, dark gray underwear. She had sent him to the master bedroom to get dressed.
Thanks to the knowledge that he had collected when he was Cybertronian and the videos that his charge had showed him, it was practically easy. A few minutes later, he came out. The clothes were a little loose but not too much. And with his handsome skin tone and pitch black hair, he looked quite attractive.
"You think so?" her partner asked curiously as he examined his wardrobe.
"I know so," she replied back with a sincere grin. "It's almost time for dinner. You hungry?"
Before the sable-haired teen could say anything, his stomach rumbled, as if answering for him.
The Goth laughed at his blush and she continued, "I'll take that as a yes. C'mon, I'll prepare dinner."
Just as they got downstairs to the kitchen, the house phone rang. Making a 'one moment' gesture to her newly turned human guardian, the nature-lover proceeded to answer the call.
"Hello, Morgan residence," she said, speaking into the receiver.
"Hello Sasha. It's Ms. Darby," came the gentle voice of her classmate's mother.
"Oh, hello Ms. Darby. How are you? How is Jack? Are his burns almost healed?" Sasha asked politely.
"Oh, I'm well. And so is Jack. His bandages should be ready to take off by tomorrow night. Sunday morning at the latest," came the nurse's response.
"Well, that's good to hear," the nature-lover commented whole-heartedly.
Zetta, having heard it due to being close,
"Yes it is. I can't thank you and Zetta enough for helping him," the Darby matriarch's voice stated kindly and sincerely. "Say, Zetta wouldn't happen to be there, would he?"
This caused both teens to freeze in panic. What were they suppose to say? They couldn't possibly tell her the truth. It wasn't that they were afraid that she would accuse them of lying, how could she, but what if she told the Autobots? Or Agent Fowler? What would they do?
Suddenly, Zetta had an idea. Mouthing 'I'll be right back,' he ran off to fetch what he needed.
"Sasha?" probed the obsidian-haired woman's voice. "Are you still there?"
"Yes! Sorry, I was, er, having a panic moment so I kind of zoned out. I was looking through my backpack when you called and I thought I left one of the books that I needed for homework at school. But I found it!" the Goth said quickly. "Now what was the question?"
"Is Zetta there?" the nurse asked again, still polite but now a bit startled.
"No, he's not. To be honest," the nature-lover began but stopped as her partner returned.
She looked it over before looking at him to make sure to which the neutral youth nodded in encouragement.
"To be honest Ms. Darby, Zetta isn't going to be home in a while. You see, I've been really busy with school, the Earth Club, and everything. I didn't want him waiting on me so I told him to go travel a bit. He has access to any place on Earth with the Decepticon Groundbridge. So I told him to use it to his full advantage. He told me that some of the places he's going to can block out his comm. signal but I told him it was okay. He's my friend and I trust him. It's just gonna be for a few days. I got my electric bike and Sawyer always offers me rides. Plus, I want him to see the world. To fully experience all that Earth can offer," Sasha finished explaining, fingers crossed in anticipation as she waited for the single mother's response.
"I see," came the obsidian-haired woman's calm reply, not sounding at all suspicious.
"Yes. Was there a reason, why you wanted to know if he was here?" the raven-haired girl asked carefully.
"No. I was just curious. Have a goodnight," the nurse quickly responded.
"You too, Ms. Darby," Sasha said before hanging up the phone and breathing a sigh of relief.
"That was close," Zetta stated.
"Yeah, no kidding," his friend nodded as they went into the kitchen.
"Alright. Come on, Midnight," the former Cybertronian said as he picked up the feline who had been sitting at his feet before following the Goth.
Back at the Autobot base; Third Person Perspective
As June put away her phone, she gave the bots a withering look that even made Optimus and Ratchet feel a sliver of apprehension.
"Sasha has no idea that her partner could be in danger because she told him to go use his Groundbridge privileges to travel around. She probably thinks that he's safe and sound somewhere in another part of the world. But in reality, he could be in dire need of medical aid," the single mother snapped before she proceeded to walk to her car. "You all can kiss spending time with the kids this week goodbye. You know why? Because you are all going to use every minute of unused time you have to look for Zetta."
While she spoke to them like a parent speaks to misbehaved children, her tone made them nervous. The Darby matriarch was leaving no room to discuss her decision and the Autobots, especially Optimus and Arcee, knew she had the right. And they knew better to talk back.
As she got into the driver's side of her car and shut the door, she gave the Autobots one last disappointed and angry look, "You know, maybe if you all would, just once, listen to the things Zetta tells you, things would turn out a lot better for you and everyone around you."
And with that, she drove away.
An awkward silence stretched for a minute.
"I need to get going," the government agent said, breaking the silence. "But if I were you Prime, I would get an immediate start on looking for the kid…And think about what Ms. Darby said."
He too left Team Prime to do their own work.
Back at Sasha's house a few minutes later; Third Person Perspective
"Are you sure you don't need any help?" the mechling-turned-human teen asked as he played with Midnight, waving a stick with glittery string that ended in feathers and laughing as she chased it.
"I'm sure. It's your first day of being human. Relax. Besides, you and Midnight just started playing," the nature-lover responded from her position at the stove.
"Mew," the bundle of dark fur mewled sweetly.
The raven-haired girl focused her attention back on the sesame tofu and vegetable stir fry she was making. She was unsure of how her partner would like the food. She remembered what he said about not being fond of meat eating if he was human but she still couldn't help but worry. The nature-lover was all for encouraging people to eat non-meat alternatives but she felt a bit off about making something for someone who had never even eaten any organic sustenance before. And while she was sure that he had learned enough about Earth cooking to not cause a house fire, she wanted him to relax before he consumed his first taste of human food.
When the veggies and tofu were done, the Goth called out, "Dinner's ready!"
Zetta had immediately come into the smaller dining room and parked himself in his seat before his friend placed his plate in front of him. After pouring him a glass of ice water, she sat down and began consuming her own serving of the meatless cuisine.
Zetta picked up the fork, as he had seen the nature-lover do, and looked down at his plate. The vegetables included zucchini, broccoli, baby corn, and peppers. Both the vegetables and tofu had a tinted brown coloring from the seasonings, marinade, and cooking. It emitted a scent that reminded him of the meals Nephilus or Riversong often brought for him when he went to train. Feeling his mouth salivate, he stabbed a piece of tofu and broccoli with his fork and brought it to his mouth. As he consumed the food from his fork and began chewing, his eyes widened upon swallowing.
"Zetta, is everything alright?" Sasha asked, worriedly looking at the neutral youth.
Her question was answered as he proceeded to pick up a larger fork full of veggies and tofu and happily chow down. It was delicious. The different textures went well with the various flavors that were well combined with the flavors of the seasonings and marinade. He stopped to take a gulp of water and relished in the cold, refreshing feeling of it going down his throat.
"Guess that answers that," Sasha chuckled with a smile.
"This great! I can't believe some people don't like this," Zetta said, almost done with his plate. "It's healthy and you can flavor it however you like."
"Well, some people just like meat. Sometimes it's because of medical issues, like they need lots iron and protein or they're allergic to soy. To each their own" the raven-haired girl responded with a shrug. "I saw the potato chips and the Milky Way with the medical stuff in the supply room. I'm guessing that's from when you stopped the robbery in Salt Lake City, right?"
"Oh, yeah…you heard about that?" the sable-haired boy asked slightly in embarrassment.
"I'm not mad. I was proud…but a little scared for you. Now that you're human, you gotta lay low. Just until we get you back to normal, alright?" Sasha asked patiently.
"Of course," the former Cybertronian nodded sincerely.
Both teens were torn from their conversation when they heard Midnight mewl. They looked down at and laughed when they saw that she had food on her nose and whiskers. Yes, this was going to be an interesting week.
On the Nemesis; Third Person Perspective
Breakdown, Knock Out, and several Vehicons stood before their leader solemnly.
"Still no sign of him, Lord Megatron," the ex-Wrecker said sadly.
"Send the next search group out," the silver mech thundered his command. "I want Zettabyte found and brought back. If by some chance you find evidence that he is in enemy hands tell me. I will personally plan the rescue. And if the explosion has caused him to…pass on early, we will return the pain with full-force to the Autobots."
"Yes sir," Breakdown nodded grimly and quietly as he and the Vehicons left to tell another group.
All the while, the Stunticon was planning the painful lesson that he was silently promising to teach the Autobots, specifically Bulkhead.
Knock Out looked up nervously at the Decepticon leader and spoke, "Lord Megatron, you don't think that Zetta is really…gone, do you?"
The vain mech was certain that he, his partner, and a good chunk of the Vehicons would be devastated if something had happened to the young Cybertronian they had all come to care for.
"You saw how he fended off Optimus' Wrecker oaf soldier. I have every confidence that he's still alive," the ex-gladiator stated firmly. "But if the incident today has caused lethal harm to Zettabyte, I will make sure that false-Prime pays the price…starting with the life one of his own."
Three hours later back at Sasha's house; Third Person Perspective
After finishing dinner, cleaning the dishes (Zetta was a quick learner with the dishwasher), watching Small Soldiers in the family room (Sasha had already finished a majority of her homework during her lunch periods and decided to finish the rest tomorrow), and a bit more time of playing with Midnight, they decided to call it a night.
Thankfully, the Goth was able to find a spare, unopened toothbrush package for him. He chose a green and blue toothbrush. Like dressing, he seemed competent with his brushing, following Sasha's example. Zetta found the sensation odd but not bad, though he did like how the mint flavor was sharp on his mouth. After he finished, she showed him to the room that was extra bedroom that was combined with an office. Midnight had climbed onto the foot of the bed, curled up, and promptly fell asleep. It would seem that the small mammal had chosen to sleep with the neutral youth tonight, almost as though she meant to comfort him during his first night in a human body. Neither former Cybertronian or nature-lover minded. Bidding each other goodnight, they went to slip into bed. Well, Zetta did.
The raven-haired girl was burdened. She couldn't keep Zetta hidden like she had been doing with Midnight at school. However, if she wanted to take him around in public, she'd have to come up with a new, temporary identity for him. A new name, background, explanation for presence, and so on.
Pulling out a notebook that she used as a sketchbook and a black pen, she sat on her bed and began brainstorming.
The next day; Third Person Perspective
Sasha walked into the room just as Zetta was awoken by Midnight's licks to his nose.
Laughing, the mechling-turned-teen boy awoke, "S-Stop! That tickles! Hehe!"
The Goth chuckled as she laid down the new set of clothes and foot wear in front of him, "Welcome to how I get up on the weekdays. She's second to my phone alarm."
"I can see why," the neutral youth gasped once he stopped laughing and began unfolding the new clothes Sasha brought. "I'm really grateful that you are allowing me to use clothing that belonged to your family. Are you certain your cousin won't mind?"
"I'm sure. Jeremy hasn't worn these since his junior year of high school," the nature-lover reassured with a smile. "Get dressed and come down stairs. I think you'll like what we're having for breakfast. And you get to help me make it."
Her partner nodded excitedly as he began dressing as she went downstairs.
A few minutes later; Third Person Perspective
Zettabyte came down in his new attire; a dark ocean, short-sleeved shirt with a pale blue eagle on it over a bluish teal long-sleeve shirt and navy blue jeans. He also wore black and socks with violet and black sneakers. Midnight was following right behind him. Sasha was already down in the kitchen, dressed in an indigo turtleneck with royal purple skull, dark gray skinny jeans, and long, dark iris purple and cyan socks with her combat boots. In front of her were bowls, measuring cups, and ingredients for breakfast.
"Good morning. So what are we making?" the sable-haired boy asked his friend.
"Good morning to you too. And we're making chocolate chip pancakes," the raven-haired girl said with a grin.
"Chocolate? As in the dopamine inducing, pleasurably sugary substance that is practically gobbled down by mostly all the humans on Earth?" the former Cybertronian asked rather shocked but mostly excited.
Sasha giggled, amused by her partner's eagerness to try another human dish, "Yes. A lot of people love it. Both chocolate and pancakes. Especially together. You can make all sorts of combinations. People love to combine food. The trick is to know what combinations taste good and which ones…may not. Like, some people love to mix salty items like nuts, pretzels, or even potato chips with chocolate. Sometimes they love to add spice to it, like adding a little chili powder or cayenne pepper to both savory and sweet dishes. However, while paprika might taste good in soup or main course, I'm not sure how the spicy-sweet lovers may like it…unless they're pregnant."
The former Cybertronian laughed, "Cybertronian food is the same way. Except most of our ingredients and fuel is manufactures or mined. Not a lot of it is grown or gotten from a member of Cybertron's fauna."
His friend smirked in a confident and friendly manner as she held up an unopened bag of Nestle Toll House semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, "Well get ready to have a taste bud experience."
"Mrowr," the female feline purred, situating herself on a chair, ready to watch the show.
A few minutes later
After several minutes of mixing ingredients, carefully ladling generous amounts of batter into a heated pan greased with butter, flipping, and stacking the pancakes onto plates, breakfast was ready. Yes, there had been a sneezing fit due to a flour mist flying up a bit. Plus they had to stop and feed Midnight when she grew bored and hungry of watching them. And maybe the two teens did have trouble stifling the urge to nibble on the remaining chocolate chips so they can use them as garnish. But otherwise, they had succeeded.
"And now the finishing touches," Sasha stated as she grabbed two bowls, one filled with slices bananas while the other with fresh sliced strawberries that had been coated in sugar, a can of whipped cream, and maple syrup.
Zetta watched in awe as his charge doused both stacks in syrup, spray a dollop of whipped cream, spooned the bananas and strawberry slices, and finally sprinkling the remaining chocolate chips over them. The moment the both sat down, they dug in. The neutral youth cut into his stack with his fork, making sure to get pieces of fruit with his pancake pieces, before inserting the fork into his mouth. His eyes widened, nearly making Sasha laugh but she fought against it in favor of eating her food.
"You like it?" she asked with a knowing smile.
"Like it? I love it! It's no wonder ancient civilizations like the Mayans thought chocolate was a gift from their gods! The fruit is so refreshing and they add to the buttery flavor and the texture of the pancakes too! And don't get me started on the maple syrup," the sable-haired boy stated giddily as he hungrily devoured another bite of the sweet breakfast.
"Well, I'm glad you like it," the Goth smiled. "And I think now is a good time to talk about your story."
Zettabyte looked at her with confusion as he swallowed his food and wiped his mouth a cloth napkin, "Story?"
"Yes, a background for the human you so you don't have to jump and hide when someone I know sees you with me," the raven-haired girl explained logically. "You ready to hear what I have?"
"Sure," the former Cybertronian nodded, ready and willing.
"Well for starters, your human name is Ezekiel 'Zeke' Torrance. You're the son of one of my maternal grandmother's estranged cousins," the raven-haired girl stated.
"Zeke Torrance…it sounds really cool," the neutral youth agreed with a smile and a nod.
"Your mom is a community volunteer and a part time special education teacher and your father is a government man who helps oversee both war and science departments. You move around a lot because of his job. But due to your high IQ, you skipped a grade, finished all your required high school classes, and you're now just doing online electives," the Goth explained further. "Your mom and dad are currently doing some business in Utah. Your mom heard that I'm staying here and decided to send you to stay with me so you can hang out with family and socialize away from a hectic environment. You're gonna be staying here for a few days or weeks, depending on when your dad is finished with business. We'll go shopping for clothes and other things today when Sawyer picks us up."
"I like it," the neutral youth nodded as he took a sip of his milk. "But what if the teachers try to look at my background through the web and they don't find it? Plus what if your parents call and ask why you're spending your money on items for a person of the opposite gender? And lastly, I think we'll need a pretty good, scientific explanation to explain my unusual heterochromia."
"Well, I was thinking we could ask my friend, Chip for help with that. Although we may have to lie about a few things," the raven-haired girl said, wincing when she saw her partner's uncomfortable look. "I don't like lying to my friends from back home either but unless push comes to shove-"
Her sentence was cut short as Midnight, who had been lapping water, shot her head up with her ears twitching and meowed loudly, "Rowwrr."
She then leaped onto the counter top and looked out the window located where the sink was. At that moment, both teens saw a familiar snowy white shape with two piercing icy blue eyes staring in. Zetta got up and unlocked the window before opening it.
Baylina remained on her perch but crooned as the sable-haired boy scratched her head, "Hoo."
"Well good morning to you too," the mechling-turned-human teen smiled with a chuckle.
As Sasha came over to greet the avian herself, she and Zetta noticed the flat but wide cream-colored box in the beautiful snowy owl's soft and powerful right wing. Taking the envelope whilst Baylina climbed onto "Zeke's" arm, the nature-lover opened it, her "cousin" peeking over as well.
Their jaws dropped as they saw what was inside.
Inside was what look to be a birth certificate, a citizenship card, a credit card, a smaller box, school papers, a iPhone, and several other things needed for the now human Zetta to prove his existence. There was even a picture frame featuring the mechling-turned-human teen with his "mother and father. A woman with the black hair and deep blue eyes in a pale lilac pantsuit and a man, with icy blue eyes and hair that was almost silver, in a dark-gray suit standing beside a smiling "Zeke." To say the two teens were shocked would be an understatement. Picking up the smaller box, the former Cybertronian opened it. Inside he found a folded up piece of paper, a small silver whistle with gold thread and strange glyphs on it, and a small bottle of some dark blue liquid.
Unfolding the paper, they looked at what it read.
*Dear Zettabyte and Sasha,
We know about your current situation. Rest assured, we have done all the needed arrangements so as to help you adjust to said situation. We are planning to talk with you later on tonight. Don't try to activate your ghost side, we'll explain why. We will say that the physical changes you have obtained, such as faster reflexes, enhanced strength and speed, and intensified senses, are still with you in your new form. The small whistle will allow you entrance into the Ghost Zone when you come back from your day out. For now, enjoy it.
P.S. The contents of the bottle was made courtesy of Venomarra. Just drink it and the eye problem will be solved.
Sincerely, Nephilus and Co.
Mismatched eyes met violet ones.
"Well, this is convenient. Strange but thoughtful," the Goth said with a small smile.
"Gotta love the powerful allies who got your back," Zettabyte said cheerfully.
"Meow," the female feline mewled.
"Hoo," the snowy owl hooted before taking flight.
Five hours later; Third Person Perspective
Sasha had just finished the rest of her homework, with a bit of Zetta's help, when she heard a knock at the door.
"Wait here," she told him gently.
While a bit apprehensive, the neutral youth obeyed.
The raven-haired girl got up and walked to the door. Upon opening it, she was greeted by the faces of Sawyer and the Sandersons.
"Good afternoon Sasha. We just came over to check on you," Patrick said politely.
"And I came to get you, of course," Sawyer chuckled with a smile.
"Of course. I'm ready. Wait here a moment," she said before closing the door quietly but quickly.
Grabbing a large black purse where she put her phone, wallet, a jacket, and her relaxed feline companion (who she planned to drop off with Sawyer's grandmother), she looked at her sable-haired male counterpart, "It's time. You got your phone and your wallet?"
"Yes I do," he said, patting both pockets as he followed her towards the door.
True to the letter's word, drinking the elixir made his mismatched eyes an exotic deep ocean blue.
Opening the door, she peeked out and said to the small audience, "I would like you guys to meet someone."
Their looks turned into ones of curiosity and shock as she stepped out of the house, quickly followed by Zetta, "This is Ezekiel Torrance. He's my cousin on my Grandma Marguerite's side."
"Call me Zeke. It's a pleasure to meet you," "Zeke" said politely, holding out his hand to shake.
"Well hello to you too," Nora Sanderson said, smiling and shaking his hand after a moment of shock. "I have to say we weren't expecting you."
"It was a surprise to me too. He arrived really late last night," the Goth said quickly as the other shook his hand. "Zeke's dad, Meino Torrance, is a man of government and he travels a lot. Zeke and his mom, my grandma's third cousin Theodora, travel with him."
"And where are they?" the middle-aged brunette man asked with intrigued.
"They're in Utah. My mom sent me here when she heard through the family grape vine that Sasha was here. She wanted me to be in a quiet environment and to spend time with family," the sable-haired boy spoke up with a kind voice. "And you heard about what happened in a CVS in Utah yesterday? Well, I guess you can say my mom was right to send me here."
"I heard. My goodness, it's like the society can't decide on whether to be safe or dangerous," the blonde haired woman said, a hand pressed against her chest as her husband nodded.
"Guess it must be hard moving around, huh?" the African American boy said with a bit of sympathy.
"Actually, not so much. I take online classes and my mom is a part time special education teacher. She often takes me with her and I meet all kinds of kids. It's actually fun meeting different people. And it's not like I'm totally alone. I have friends. My parents pay me a lot of attention. And I get to talk with mature and intellectual people who they know," the neutral youth spoke up with a friendly smile.
"How long will you be staying?" Nora asked kindly.
"Until my dad is done with his business in Utah. He's meeting with several people. Former veterans, military doctors, a lot of people," the former Cybertronian explained.
"Sasha, does anyone else in your family know Zeke is here?" Patrick asked.
"Well, no," the Goth admitted in embarrassment. "You see…Zeke's dad-"
"Didn't come from an upper class family," the mechling-turned-human teen said immediately. "He had to work himself to the bone to get where he was. And not a lot of people were supportive when my mom married him. That's why you didn't know I existed. They kind of estranged themselves from the rest of the family. But if you wish for me to-"
"No, it's alright. We understand. Trust me," the middle-aged man said quickly, understanding what the teen was saying.
Nora Sanderson, previously known as Nora Colton, had belonged to an upper-middle class family where as he had grown up in a modest lower middle class family. Even now, many of his in-laws, he was sure, were still not too eager to call him and his kin family, with the exception of his and Nora's son.
"Will you be attending school with us? I mean, even though you have a online classes," the soccer player asked in a friendly manner.
"I finished all my required classes. Now I'm just taking online electives, like music appreciation," "Zeke" replied modestly.
"My, you're an intelligent young man, aren't you," Nora cooed in a soft tone.
"Thank you. I'm sure Scott is the same way. Sasha told me he's in Japan. It's a shame I can't meet him in person. You must have raised him to be cultured and equally educated for him to be allowed to travel to another country. But that shouldn't be a surprise, considering how he was brought up by such kind and sophisticated adults as yourselves," Zetta stated with sincerity and gentleness. "You must be proud to know that all your hard work will lead to him becoming a compassionate and focused individual such as yourselves."
"Why thank you. That means so much," the blonde haired woman said gratefully.
"I gotta admit, it's nice that he's learning about independence and how other cultures work. Especially considering how some boys, like that Vince kid, seem to think that street racing is a sure fire way to get through life rather than focusing on a scholarship," the brunette man huffed, shaking his head in disgust before asking the sable-haired boy. "How about you, Zeke?"
"Well, I'm more of a out doors activities person. Hiking, climbing, jogging, swimming, all of that," the former Cybertronian stated. "But in all seriousness, my main interest is science. I want to help people through technology and medicine."
That earned him an approving nod from the couple.
"Hey, I've seen those clothes before. Aren't those Jeremy's clothes?" Sawyer asked with confusion.
"Yes, they are," Zettabyte answered honestly. "Somehow on the bus ride here, the suitcase that held most of my clothing was misplaced and it's taking them a while to find it. Sasha was kind enough to lend me Jeremy's clothes. Don't worry, I plan to buy new clothes for myself today. I really don't want to bother my parents. Trust me, their schedules are busy enough."
"I'm down with that. I was planning to buy a couple new clothes myself," the soccer player nodded.
"I see. Well, there's no harm," the blonde woman responded. "I just hope you choose proper clothing and nothing that has inappropriate writing on it."
"Yes ma'am," both African American teen and sable-haired boy promised in unison.
They stared at one another in surprise before they both laughed.
"Sasha, I think I'm gonna like your cousin," Sawyer smiled, wrapping an arm around "Zeke's" shoulders.
"And from what Sasha has told me about you, I know the feeling will be mutual," the neutral youth laughed.
"Well, you kids better go off and do whatever it is that you planned for today," the brunette man nodded. "Be safe though."
"We will," the nature-lover promised as the three teens began making their way to the SUV.
Thirty-five minutes later; Third Person Perspective
"So Zeke, how well does your mom know Sasha's paternal family?" Adalia asked, trying to keep herself from smacking into him as her fellow culinary enthusiast drove the SUV.
Sawyer had stopped by his house to leave Midnight with his grandmother before they all went to pick up the other two. It was there that he allowed his French female friend to take the wheel.
"She only knows them by reputation. As you can guess, it's kind of hard for her to interact with them when we're moving from place to place," Zettabyte said with a shrug. "But she knows they're good people."
"I'll say. Jeremy and his sisters use to help set things up for events at school, like the dances, or community events, like the block parties," the soccer player said from where he was bouncing involuntarily in the passenger seat. "Easy, Colette."
"And their parents were always at every PTA meeting with great ideas and really good snacks, from what my parents told me," Colette added, thankfully never taking her eyes off the road.
"You know, Sasha tells us that you're a vegetarian and sometimes vegan yourself," the young Latina put in.
"Well, I guess you can say that traveling the world and seeing all the different creatures of nature kind of nullifies your taste for burgers or anything that is made through killing livestock. Especially if they're mistreated," the sable-haired boy answered with a affirmative nod. "Plus, my mother herself was big on healthy eating."
"Well, that's fine by us. You do what you do," the African American teen looked back at him with a smile which the former Cybertronian returned.
Sasha grinned as she watched her "cousin" interact with her human friends, feeling a nearly overwhelming sensation of joy and pride. It made her happy to see the people she cared about mingle peacefully. The pride came from the fact that in spite of Zetta's lack of proper socializing with the adolescents of his own kind for so long, he was able to converse with her companions in such a friendly manner.
Meanwhile Zetta himself was feeling giddy by the fact that he was meeting the people that his charge spoke so highly of. Granted, he was a bit unnerved by the auburn-haired girl's slightly unskilled driving, but he couldn't really complain. His new organic digits twitched in anticipation, impatient for them to arrive to their destination.
Just as he was sure that he was about to go mad with eagerness, he saw where they had arrived at. A large strip mall came in to view. While, to Zetta at least, it looked to be just one large, horizontal building, the signs and window displays showed that each had its own style and personality. Colette managed to carefully pull up into the parking lot and parked under the shade of a small tree. A familiar group of kids approached the vehicle. The group included Juliet, Kenya, Lacey, Amanda, Alan, and Joaquin.
The moment the mechling-turned-human teen opened the door and stepped out, shock ran through the club members.
"This is my cousin, Zeke. He's gonna be staying with me for a bit. I invited him to hang out today," Sasha quickly explained.
"Hello," "Zeke" said kindly as he stood by his "cousin."
Not a minute passed before the looks of shock turned into looks of curiosity and friendliness. They all shook his hand eagerly, introducing themselves individually.
"So, where should we go first?" Colette asked.
"Well, I think we should check out the book store," the Goth suggested helpfully.
The others nodded and they walked to a building that had a red sign that read Louisa's Book Emporium. Entering the store, they were welcomed by the jingle of a bell and the scent of paper and some sort of faint scent that was akin to perfume or coffee. The floor was covered in a biscuit-colored carpet and the walls were a faded light blue. Wooden, two-sided bookshelves were scattered about, plastic papers labeling the different genres. A few bean bags and tables with chairs dotted the back of store, no doubt a place for the customers to sit and read, rest, or talk. Today, it seemed empty. The group went their separate ways to search for anything that piqued their interest.
Zettabyte walked over to the space between two bookshelves, labeled horror and mystery. Just as he was about to grab a book, he heard a mewl. Looking down, he was surprised to see a tiny pitch black kitten with baby blue eyes staring up at him.
"Mew," the small feline meowed again, before pawing at his leg.
"Well, hello there," the neutral youth smiled as he bend down to pick up the tiny bundle of fur.
However, the kitten didn't give him a chance. Just as his fingertips were about to touch the soft black fur, the baby cat bounded away.
"Wait!" the sable-haired boy called out in a whisper, as not to call attention to the small animal which probably wasn't allowed in the store.
He chased the creature around the store, careful to keep an eye out for employees and other customers. Seeing, the tip of a small black tail disappear behind a rather tall and wide bookshelf, Zetta followed.
He nearly gasped at what he saw.
The woman, the same one who had helped him yesterday to stop the robbers, held a black-haired and blue-eyed boy, no older than three-years-old, in her arms. Beside her, was a tall dark-haired man with tanned skin and dark brown eyes. The man was dressed in a white, buttoned down collar shirt and ivory slacks. The woman was dressed in a cream-colored skirt and pale peach-colored short-sleeved blouse. And the little boy was in tan shorts and a white cotton shirt.
The woman seemed surprised. Her eyes squinted at the neutral youth before they widened in what looked like realization. Then she smiled.
"Zeke, did you find anything you like?" Adalia asked as she and the others came over.
That's when they saw what "Zeke" was staring at.
"Zeke, who are these people? Do you know them?" Joaquin asked with confusion.
"In a way. We have crossed paths with Zeke before," the woman spoke, voice like silk.
"We are the Fellidays. My name is Gillian," the man said with a polite nod and a smile.
"I'm Liliosa," the woman added before bouncing the young boy in her arms. "And this is our son, Cyrill."
"Well, it's nice to meet you," Sasha stated, trying to keep the nervousness growing in her stomach down. "How do you know Zeke?"
"We rode on the same bus together," Liliosa explained. "Some ruffians who were sitting behind us kept harassing us."
"And this young man was brave enough to alert an off-duty cop who was right beside him," Gillian finished as he patted the mechling-turned-human teen's shoulder.
Zettabyte blushed and gave an embarrassed smile as the group other nodded in approval and complimented him.
"It was good to see you again, Zeke. But we really must be on our way," Liliosa said, and before anyone could say anything, they were out the door.
A few minutes later, the other teens went back to look at the books they were interested in. All except the raven-haired girl and her sable-haired "cousin." They were still looking bewildered.
"Zetta, how do you know that woman?" Sasha hissed a bit frantically.
"She's the one…the one who helped me stopped the robbers yesterday," the former Cybertronian whispered back.
Sasha stared at her partner as if he grew two-heads before asking, "Really?! But then, how did she know who you were?"
"I-I don't know. I was following this kitten that somehow got into the store when I ran into her," Zettabyte quickly explained. "I don't know where it ran off to…unless…"
"Unless what?" the Goth asked.
The neutral youth didn't answer as he quickly strode over to the front of the store and looked out. He saw no sign of the family of three.
However, he did notice that just a few meters away. Two black cats and a small kitten, the same kitten, were trotting away from the strip mall.
Meanwhile at the Darby residence; Third Person Perspective
"Thank you for having me over Ms. Darby," Raf said politely from where he sat with Jack on the living room couch.
"You're welcome Raf. I should actually be thanking you for coming over to help Jack with all these assignment," June replied with a smile.
The assignments in question was homework that Jack got an extension on due to his injury and extra credit that the teachers gave him to help him out.
"I'll just be out in the garden if you boys need anything," the Darby matriarch said gently.
"Alright Mom," Jack nodded with a smile before his mother went outside to tend to her flowers and other tamed flora.
It's then when he noticed the look of worry in his younger friend's eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong Raf?" the obsidian-haired boy asked with concern.
"I can't stop thinking about Zetta. I wonder if he's alright," the computer protégé explained, voice filled faint sorrow and nervousness.
Not too long after his mother returned from the Bots' base, she had told him what had happened. Suffice to say, Jack was horrified and didn't dare question or counter his mother's declaration that, until the ruby and sapphire mechling was found, he, Raf, and Miko under any circumstances were allowed to hang out with their partners. The nurse had even gone to the Sandersons, told them that she was there to ask about any rumors that circulated around any hazing at the school, and had explained everything to the Asian girl once they were alone. His mother had told him that Miko had been upset but understood. Even if she hadn't, she was still grounded anyway.
"If I had known that yesterday afternoon would've been the last time I saw him, I would've done something greater than give him some dumb little thanks," the preteen whispered sadly.
"Hey, hey don't talk like that," the junior reprimanded sternly but gently. "Zetta knows how grateful you were for his deeds. And yesterday isn't the last you'll see of him! We're gonna see him again, safe and unharmed. I know it."
Jack was surprised by how assured he sounded of himself.
That surprise turned into anger. Zetta would reappear soon, that much he was sure of. But what about Sasha? Surely she would start becoming worried and suspicious in a few days if her partner didn't contact her. He dreaded crossing paths with her, knowing that he held serious information about her partner's welfare. His rage was towards himself and the bots. What had he done to deserve this? What crime had he committed that made him a carrier to the knowledge that his classmate's guardian could be in danger thanks to his own protectors? How could the Bots condemn him and his friends to a miserable, unknown length of time of seeing Sasha everyday and fighting the urge to blab to her about what happened?
The obsidian-haired boy knew it was unfair to blame the Bots, but he was scared and frustrated and wanted someone to blame who wasn't his mother or his human friends.
Raf looked at his older human friend.
Jack forced a convincing smile, "You'll see. He'll be back. And we'll never lose him again."
Back at the strip mall an hour and a half later; Third Person Perspective
"Alright, who's ready for lunch?" Alan asked the group.
After shopping for books, cooing over the animals in the pet store, and shopping for new clothes (especially in "Zeke's" case), everyone was feeling extremely ravenous. They all raised their hands and shouted "I am" before laughing. They trotted over to a small diner called, in a pale blue and white neon sign, Hal & Mel's Diner.
Entering the eatery, the scent of savory meals and the sound of Keith Urban's "Sweet Thing." The floor was composed of clean white and sky blue tiles and the seats and tables ranged from padded booths for six people to padded seats at the counter to small royal blue tables that ranged from having two to four chairs. Small ceiling lamps hung above each booth alongside ceiling fans. Zetta took a booth with Sasha, Sawyer, Colette , Adalia, and Juliet. Lacey, Kenya, Amanda, Joaquin, and Alan all took a booth right in front of them.
A waitress who looked to be in her late twenties with olive skin, honey-colored eyes, and ebony hair, came up to them menus under her left arm arm and her notepad and pen in her left hand. She wore a lovely pale blue uniform dress with a white apron. She wore a white name tag with the name Crystal.
"Hi, my name is Crystal and I'll be your server today. I'll give you guys time to look at the menus and specials. If you need anything, just holler," she said in a friendly tone before walking away to give the group some time.
"I'll think I'll get a…Sprite to drink. Is it me or does the word sprite remind me of the synonym for a fairy?" the sable-haired boy asked curiously.
That caused the others, including Sasha, to chuckle.
"I like you, Zeke," Juliet grinned.
Zetta's cheeks blushed in modesty. After several minutes, all the teens had decided on what they wanted. The drinks ranged from sodas to lemonade to ice tea. For appetizers, artichoke and spinach dip and bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers. A few of them, like the Goth and her "cousin" had gotten salads like Berry Apple Nut and a black bean and grilled peach salad. The entrees ranged from a Philly Steak sandwich for Sawyer to oven-roasted vegetables with a apricot glaze for Kenya.
Crystal had taken their orders as she said, "I'll be back in a jiff."
As the teens proceeded to conversate, the neutral youth blinked as he heard whispering. It was low but still audible. He looked behind his seat to see a woman with sandy blonde hair and brown eyes in the booth right behind theirs. She looked to be near her early forties but still very young and attractive looking. She wore glasses and a light tan pantsuit. She spoke meekly into her phone.
"What do you mean you're not going to Stacia's funeral?" the woman asked.
"I meant what I said. I'm not going. I'm glad that manipulative witch is dead," the voice of another woman snapped from the phone.
"She was our friend," the sandy-haired woman weakly protested.
"No, she wasn't. She was an egocentric prima donna who tried to control my life just like she controlled yours and the others. I moved so I could get away from that and everything that happened and start fresh. There is no way I'm gonna spoil that by going to her funeral where I'll get hounded by her cronies," the caller's voice snarled stubbornly.
"Those cronies were your friends and classmates too. I was your friend," the middle-aged woman practically begged.
"You were my friends. But you all forfeited that when you sided with her and threatened to use me as a scapegoat. I wasn't about to put up with it. You all made your beds and now you'll lie in them until the day you die," the unknown caller hissed acidly. "I don't need this bull. My youngest just went off to Yale. August and I are going to fly to the Mediterranean this weekend to celebrate his parents' retirement. I'm not going to let you drag me back into the past. If you, Leslie, Brandy, or Candice contact me, I will file a restraining order against you. Now, goodbye."
Before the woman had a chance to object, the mechling-turned-human teen heard the beep that signaled a hang up. He turned his attention back to the group, but that didn't stop him from hearing the woman's quiet sobs.
Thankfully, before he could dwell on the private incident anymore, Crystal came back with their orders.
An hour later; Third Person Perspective
As the teens paid for their meals, tipping Crystal in the process, they all began to exit the diner.
Until Lacey stopped, causing her companions to do the same.
"What is it Lacey?" Amanda asked with concern.
The mousy brown-haired girl, with a look of anxiousness plastered on her face, pointed.
Their heads all turned to look where she was pointing.
The raven-haired girl and sable-haired boy felt their hearts stop in panic.
A familiar green SUV was parked diagonal of the diner, facing away from them.
"Oh, it's that guy," Juliet sniffed.
"You know him?" "Zeke" asked in surprised, confused about how his partner's friends new his rival.
"Course we do. It's that dirty thug that Miko hangs with," Amanda spat resentfully, glaring at the offending vehicle.
"We've seen him around school a lot," Kenya added nervously. "Picking up Miko. She's never explained who he is."
"And we've seen him around town whenever there's trouble brewing," Juliet put in. "There is no freakin way that he is friends with the Sandersons or any of the adults in this town for that matter."
"My sister says she's seen that guy around, fighting with some people in these strange purple cars," Amanda shivered in disgust. "She says that Jasper might be getting a gang problem. And from the looks of it, she may just be right."
"I'm tempted to call the cops. He just scares me," Lacey stated.
"That's nothing," Sawyer suddenly spoke up. "The jerk drove Miko and Sasha to the monster truck show the first day Sasha came to school. Didn't even ask if she knew where he was taking her."
The others, excluding Addie and Colette, gasped. Sasha turned to see her "cousin" swallowing hard. Good Primus, what kind impression was Bulkhead giving the people of Jasper? What kind of relationship was Team Prime trying to build with humanity?
"Well, whatever reason he's here for, we won't let him ruin our day. C'mon guys, let's go to Lala's Ice Cream Parlor," Alan said quickly, ushering his friends out the door and to the shop just a few feet away.
No sooner had they stepped inside the shop did they start to ease little by little. A friendly looking young man with red hair and green eyes stood at the counter, dressed in his yellow and purple uniform. The only people in there was an old couple and what looked to be their grandchildren, a college-aged young couple, a pregnant woman, and one or two of the people that they saw at the diner. The most noticeable of the people was another couple; a business man on his phone who looked to be in his late thirties and a bored-looking, overly glamorous young woman who looked to barely be nineteen.
The group paid no attention as they chose their ice cream flavors, their choice of cone or cup, and their toppings. It just so happened that as Zettabyte was paying for his own ice cream, a double scoop of Rocky Road in a chocolate dipped and nut covered waffle cone with a crumbled Heath bar on top, did the young woman noticed his silver and black credit card. Her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets by how expensive looking the card itself was.
As Zetta was handed back his credit card, he pulled out a twenty dollar bill and a ten dollar one and put it in the tip jar.
The server's mouth dropped open in shock before it curled into a gleeful smile, "Thanks man!"
"No, thank you for your service," the sable-haired boy said with a friendly smile as he proceeded to follow his friends outside, licking his cone.
That certainly sealed the deal for the young woman. Checking to make sure her older meal ticket was still preoccupied with arguing with his co-manager, she prepared to slip out of the shop to woo her next conquest.
But she never got the chance.
A man in black jeans and a cobalt hoodie with black flames and black sneakers entered the shop, blocking the young woman from leaving. His head was down and his hands were in his pockets.
"Hey, move it!" she snapped in irritation.
"I don't think so…Rhonda," the guy, quite older but not by much, breathed with ice in his tone. "I know what you're planning to do…and it won't work."
Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes met his burning indigo ones.
Outside, the teens were too busy staring at the empty spot where the green SUV had been, wondering where it went.
Half an hour later in the desert; Third Person Perspective
Bulkhead growled as he was held down by the group of Vehicons and Eradicons.
He had just been parked in the parking lot of the strip mall to catch his breath after several hours of patrol and searching for Zetta with no results. Then not fifteen minutes after he parked, did three familiar purple muscle cars zoom by. He didn't hesitating. Or calling for back up.
Now, he wish he had.
Even if he could get his arms, free he had no doubt that his captors were blocking the signal. He grunted as they pressed him harder into the ground, nearly making it impossible for him to intake air. But the drones would not let it up. Their strength, fueled by the rage invoked by their enemy, was intensified.
"Here he comes," one of them said, looking forward.
Both his brethren and their captor looked up to see the oncoming form of the Stunticon's vehicle mode. The moss-colored mech ignored the dread in his spark as he heard some of the look-alike soldiers snicker in malicious glee. They all quieted down as the Decepticon brawler transformed and stomped towards them.
Unsheathing his hammer, the ex-Wrecker asked his former friend, in a seething tone, "Hello, Bulkhead. Comfortable?"
The former construction mech snarled, "Not in the slightest."
"Good," Breakdown said nastily. "I don't want you too comfy…especially with what we're gonna do to you."
"Oohh, I'm so scared," Bulkhead mocked spitefully.
Good optic glowing with rage, the Decepticon brawler leaned closer and whispered in a deathly tone, "You should be."
In one quick and powerful movement, Breakdown brought his hammer down hard on the Wrecker's left arm, eliciting a powerful crack and grunt of pain from the moss-colored mech.
"Imagine…this doesn't come close to the harm I really want to do to you," the blue mech growled. "Especially after what you did."
Bulkhead only uttered a quiet grumble from his ex-friend.
"If we don't find Zetta or if we do find him and he's far from alright," the Stunticon voice said in barely contained hate. "You won't be walking away from our little beat downs.
Here is the second chapter, finally! Sorry about the long wait and the cliffhanger, I haven't been feeling very well. But I'm getting back on track. And for those who didn't know, Joshua Joyce is the guy who owns the Transformium company, KSI, in Transformers; Age of Extinction and Thaddeus Morocco is the villain scientist from Transformers Rescue Bots. And Fellidays is the play on the scientific Greek/Latin name for the cat family, Felidae.
Once again, haters will be ignored and flamers will be flamed.
Everyone else, Happy Reading! Feel free to give well constructed criticism.