Rating might go up depending on how the story goes…..
This chapter does include foul language, you have been warned.
Oh and if you haven't guessed, I don't own transformers, if I did I'd be busy running people over in Ironhide because I'm an evil person like that.
Thanks for the reviews!
L33Tbunny: Hope I can keep you interested and thanks!
SomeReallyRandomPerson: Again thanks for the review and you're on the right track with Jazz All thought there are a few surprises I plan on throwing in concerning that. Also, this will be explained later on, once the Autobots are known to Josh, Nick and co. but of course, they couldn't simply leave Jazz's remains for any Decepticon to come across, hence having his remains with them…again more of that will be explained in the story.
Windwalker: Thank you for your review! Looking back you've got a very valid point, I tried to make her so unlike me that well…you've read the results, I'll be attempting to correct that in future chapters, not dumbing down the character but rather trying to give each of the original characters their own turn at dominating a chapter. Much like the movie, there is the main story, and several sub stories. Thanks again, your comment made me rethink my original plot ideas (hopefully for the better).
Frog1: thanks for the review, hope I can continue to keep it interesting for you!
Elita One: XD I wasn't sure if I was going to give the Autobot's names or not, but for that I did use myself, I name everything, just for fun really, the old camper we have is big Betty, the maple tree I planted out front is Fred etc. Sam's a crazy kid as far as Nick remembers, considering they'd met for all of a week.
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Joshua Abrams Macarthur didn't scare easily. Sure he lived the life of a small town teen but he figured he had more thrills than most big city kids did. His summers had always been spent off roading, ATVing, dirt biking, any other terrain sport that could occur in the mountains of Colorado. Winters were the time for snowmobiles, he loved the speed they could get gliding across sheets of snow and ice.
Most teens begged, and saved for their first car, Josh saved for ATV's and it irked him a bit that he hadn't yet been able to try out his new 4 wheeler. The first day he'd had it, it rained and much as he loved mud flying everywhere after a good long ride, he didn't want to catch a cold and have everyone and their mothers giving him the 'I told you so' line. For the week that followed that he'd been 'grounded' by his father. Sure, he was eighteen, he'd graduated high school in the previous spring, he was by all accounts, an adult.
However, he did still live at home, living at home meant that he had to follow the rules set down by his parents, if he didn't like it, legally they could kick him out as his father had reminded him several times already, though Josh was certain he was just joking when he said it, or rather he hoped. Having been too worked up over his new ATV Josh had forgotten several key chores one day, to include mucking out several stalls in the large barn his parents owned. After a week he could still feel his father radiating anger so he decided the best course of action was to lay low and avoid the object that had started the whole mess. At least until the whole thing had blown over, and then he'd be hitting the nearest trail to break in the ATV that was still a little too clean in his opinion.
All of this, the fast paced, dangerous, thrill seeking activities might lead one to believe that it would take a lot to scare Joshua, well they'd be wrong.
Showing up for work he found the truck stop eerily silent, heading for the garage he soon found out why. Apparently Nick had showed up in a very good mood that morning, not that she was in a bad mood every day, but that a surprising good mood was rather rare-especially when it lasted for a few hours. Making a quick retreat before being spotted he headed for the general store, waving to his aunt who was seated behind the counter. She was as stubborn as they came, though seeing how most of the town's older generation was Josh figured it was some sort of trend, perhaps he too would end up like them, but merely shrugged off the thought as his aunt motioned him over.
"Bit late today aren't you Josh?" She questioned while reaching for a small piece of paper, not even bothering to listen to his reply, or excuse, she continued, "Little busy here, so be a dear and let Nick know that Rick called." She commented before handing him the little note upon which she'd written down the details of the message Rick wanted passed along.
"But…" Josh frowned, taking the note gingerly as if it would suddenly come to life and drain all the blood from his body, glancing around he noticed that there wasn't even a single person besides the two of them in the supposedly 'busy' store.
The older woman narrowed her eyes slightly, "Be a dear.." She repeated, her tone of voice even, Josh got the picture, either deal with his aunt's wraith, or Nicks. Silently he weighed his options, while Nick could, most definitely cause more bodily harm ( he figured he could after all, outrun his aunt), his aunt had far more blackmail material on him.
Sighing he turned and trudged out of the general store like a man on death row, heading for the garage.
Once inside he paused several feet from the rig she was working on, noticing that, for the moment she was still oblivious to his presence there, and that Manny, an older trucker who worked in the shop from time to time when he didn't have a load to take, was also there. Good he'd have a witness! Unless Nick took out Manny too…
Shaking his head from the thought he spoke up, "Hey Nick?" When she turned he flinched on reflex, as if expecting the wrench in her hand to be launched in his general direction. When no pain came he blinked, realizing that she was silently waiting for him to continue, "Oh, uh, Rick called, said the shipment came in, but he won't be able to get it up here for at least a week..." Again he flinched, Rick ran a loading station about an hour away, and all spare parts for the Aker's truck stop showed up there before making their final journey to the garage. Normally Rick had a worker drove the load up to the truck stop but he'd been rather short handed recently and couldn't spare the body or the time it'd take to get it done.
Nick did frown then, they were running low on several of the bare essentials and it wasn't as if she could simply pick those particular pieces up at any auto zone. Sighing she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and, oddly, Josh noticed the silver like bracelet-though wisely decided not to question it. "Hey Manny? Can you put the belts back on this guy when you're done over there?" She questioned, patting the rig as if to indicate which one. "Josh and I are gonna go get those parts."
Looking up Manny frowned slightly in confusion, though like Josh decided it was better not to question, he'd been around the block several times, little lady or old woman he knew when to keep his mouth shut, "Sure thing, you two hurry back now, I'll be needing a few of those parts on the next truck." He commented before wisely going back to his work.
Only once they were headed back into the Aker's property in the old pick up truck, Nick at the wheel and Josh sitting on the far side, did he speak up, "Hey Nick…Just wondering how you plan on getting the entire load when this hunk of junk barely makes it across town…and the fact that we're headed in the wrong direction?"
Fingers taping on the steering wheel Nick sighed softly, clearly debating something, "Alright Josh…I knew you'd find out sooner or later, so better sooner so I can at least explain a couple rules."
Completely at a loss Josh merely frowned and continued to watch her as the Aker's home passed by and they continued on through the property. "Remember about ten years ago? My dad had that girl friend…she had her family reunion out here?"
He nodded slowly not really seeing the point, "Yeah I think so..she was real nice, but her relatives were kinda weird." He commented, having been on the property more than once during the week reunion.
Nodding in agreement Nick continued, "You remember that bee kid?"
"Hell yeah! I'd never heard such a girlie scream from a boy in my life! It was fun messing with him." Josh smirked, okay so maybe he'd put a couple of beetles and other harmless bugs near the Witwicky kid, it was harmless fun.
Nick smirked but rolled her eyes as if disproving of his comment and past actions, "Yeah well turns out he won the lotto…and he either blew it all real fast or he won a lot." She paused as she parked outside the hanger, only continuing once they'd both gotten out of the truck, "He called up the other day and asked if he could store some cars here, and Josh, they are nice." She stated as she moved to block his way slightly.
Josh was already beginning to think of just what could possibly wait behind the door, how nice did these cars have to be if even Nick seemed excited about them, explained her good mood anyway.
"Let me make this clear, you are not to touch them. You are not to drive them. Ever. Do you understand? I've got plenty of property to hide another body on." Nick threatened, joking as she did so after all there wasn't really a body hidden anyway on the land, at least not one she knew of.
"Yeah yeah I got it let me see!" He practically shoved his way passed Nick as she allowed him entrance, flicking on the lights as she followed him in. Though like her, he had paused, almost frozen, "Holy shit…"
Like she had the day before Josh spend at least twenty minutes going over every car, Nick had to admit it gave her a little more time to look over the vehicles as well. When Josh approached the Solstice she frowned lightly, "That one…Sam says it's out of commission and he's right, can't get it to click or spark or anything."
Josh frowned then and upon request had Nick opening the hood for him, his face showing his surprise, "Hell Nick….this is….damn, it doesn't work? Looks brand new to me…and this isn't the regular engine either." Nick frowned a little then, while she might be a mechanic by profession her area of expertise was limited to big rigs and branched off into smaller trucks. Sports cars and racing, or high performance engines weren't her category and while Josh had never actually seen or touched an engine like this he'd studied their mechanics for some time via car magazines or even easier, the internet. He was a thrill seeker, a speed demon, he probably wouldn't trust himself around the engines, having only a basic knowledge of them, but he'd give his left arm to tinker with what was under the hood.
Sure he wouldn't boast that he could take apart and reassemble the Solstice engine but he would bet that he knew more about it's workings than Nick.
"Either way…you are not to touch it." Nick commented, almost closing the hood on Josh's wandering fingers. "Now come on, Manny will throw a fit if we're gone forever…" With that she motioned towards the Topkick.
Josh blinked lightly, "We're taking that?" It wasn't condescending, but rather unbelieving, "Shit…Nick we have to drive through down in that, I must show off!" He demanded like a little kid in a candy shop as he circled the large black truck once more, only pausing at the tailgate, "Unless you've got one we'll have to stop by my house…this thing'll need a low jack…" It was true, the jack that should have been at knee height was more or less as high as Josh's waist, a low jack was an S shaped jack, though with straight corners rather than curves, that left the ball of the jack at the proper level, he knew they had one for the tracker somewhere in the barn.
Though following Nick's gesture he moved to climb into the passenger side, and the 'climb' was literal, there were no wimpy side rails to use as a step up for this black beast. In awe he glanced over the flawless interior as Nick settled into the drivers seat, waving her wrist by the ignition he raised a single eyebrow, "Hey Nick…ya know…keys might by a good idea."
She frowned at him, "No this…" She made the same motion as before, this time they could hear the click of the ignition but the engine never turned over, she sighed a little, "Sam says this bracelet turns on all the cars, you know like those smart cars or something, toys for the rich...It worked on the semi…" She tried it once more with the same, less than useful results before having Josh fish the keys from the glove box. When those produced nothing better than a few groans from the engine she sighed.
Josh frowned likewise, the prospect of riding in the Topkick had gotten his hopes up, "Well…looks aren't everything I guess." He commented, sure the thing looked like hell on wheels but that didn't mean it had to work, take the Solstice for example. "It might look bad ass but think about it Nick, I doubt this thing could even tow the load, you'd need the semi for sure." It was a realistic comment, the Topkick was large, largest truck he'd seen that wasn't classified as a semi, but large didn't always mean strong, or great towing ability.
She sighed in response with a nod that he was most likely right, though a commercial license she did not have, so driving the semi legally was out of the question. "Yeah, you're right." Reaching to remove the key from the ignition she nearly jumped when the Topkick roared to life, her hand quickly moved away from the keys and she shot a glance to Josh who looked equally surprised.
"Maybe…just…" He frowned trying to think up a good excuse, "Bad gas?" he shook his head at the thought, "Maybe it just needed a few clicks…you did get that bracelet close to the ignition again." He pointed out and she slowly nodded that he was probably right. Shifting the massive truck into first they only went a few feet before she braked in front of the, still closed, large hanger door-after all they had entered through the smaller door.
Clearly, who had to get out and open the massive door was becoming a slight battle of the wits between them. Josh glanced out the side window as if to ignore the problem all together while Nick idled tapped her fingers on the gear shifter.
Nick looked to Josh.
Josh glanced to Nick.
She smirked, "I'm driving."
"Well shit."