Wohoo! Finally you get to know who the new autobots are. I hope you will like my choice ;) Have fun!
Chapter Six: Introductions and Project Wheelchair
I look around, watching the other bots come near carefully. They just seem to be as curious about me as I am about them. Optimus turn to the blue bot on the left. "This one is targetmaster Blurr." Said mech races forward with such an enormous speed that I hardly can see him moving until he stops right in front of me.
"HithereHaleyWitwicky, nicetomeetyou!" I can feel my right eye beginning to twitch as I try to figure out what just happened. "Damn it, you talk fast!" I state the obvious and he nods. "YupandIliketotalkbutIreallyt hinkIshouldn'tstartaboutthatrightnowbecau setheotherswant togetintroducedtoyouand –" Jazz steps forward. "Blurr, man, one word. Relax!" Blurr shuts his vocal processor and turns around, confused.
"IamrelaxedwhydoyouthinkIamno trelaxed?" Optimus interferes before Jazz can even figure out what Blurr answered him: "That should be enough." Blurr nods once again and backs a little off so that I can see the other autobots. "Well, as you can hear, Blurr is very fast talking all the time.", why do I belief to hear him sigh a little, "but he also is one of the fastest autobots, if not the fastest. The femme next to him is called Chromia and –" I interrupt him, eyes wide open.
"Femme? You mean she is a girl?" Chromia comes towards us. "I hope so!" she simply states. "Awesome!" I give back, trying to view her very accurately. And in fact, I really can see differences to the male bots. Not only that she is smaller but her whole body shade is… curved. And now since I noticed that, I can see that two of the other bots must be femmes themselves… or very female looking. "You, too?" I ask in their direction. "Yup. I am Arcee and she's Elita-1. We are sisters!" a rose colored femme says.
The three of them move in front of me. "So Chromia is the blue one, Arcee is the rosy one and Elita-1 is a bit darker than Arcee?" I ask in the crowd. "Affirmative!" another bot says from behind. He looks as if his vehicle mode is a police car and starts to move towards me. "Nice to meet you!" The sisters say in unison, then step back again. Optimus doesn't need to introduce this bot but only raises his servo a little higher so I am on an eyelevel (or opticlevel) with him.
"Hello Haley Witwicky. I am action master Prowl!" he tells me. I smile and say: "Hi!" and can't help but feel a bit awkward since he seems so… stiff compared to the others. I can see Sides and his twin grimace behind his back. Prowl turns around, facing them. "I would appreciate it if you two would desist on behaving like sparklings." He states coolly and steps back in the row again.
Jeez.I hope he isn't like this all the time… Optimus beckons the next mech over, another blue one even though this one is darker than Blurr. "Autobot spy Mirage!" he introduces the bot and I can't stop myself from giggling a bit. Mirage looks at me, unsure. "What's so funny?" he asks, one optic ridge raised. "Sorry, it's just that… I mean look at you! You're just as huge as the others around here and you're a spy? I bet you are very inconspicuously!" I laugh again but to my amazement, Mirage starts to grin himself.
"You would think…" he states, then suddenly… disappears! I look around, confused and don't mind the other bot's laughing at me. "Where'd he go?" I ask Optimus and with that words, Mirage appears out of the nowhere in front of me again, making me fall on my backside, making all of them laugh even more except for Ratchet. "Hey, her bones are still healing, give her a break!" he protests but (luckily!) is hardly heard by the others. I ignore the pain crawling up my body and stand up, facing Mirage again.
"That was so awesome!" I tell him, now grinning widely. "Well, thanks. I'm sure you now realize that I can be a good spy." "Without a doubt!" Mirage returns to the row, but before Optimus can speak up again, Sideswipe's twin moves in front of me. "My turn now, Sir!" he declares, then bends down a little. "My name's Sunstreaker but I'm sure Sides already told you about me. I think we might get along - as long as you don't touch me. No offense, but this is a new paintjob and I don't want any sweaty human hands to ruin it!" He turns around, not giving me time to respond and returns to Sideswipes who looks at me somewhat apologetic.
Wow. Now I really understand Optimus' reasons for separating the two of them… "Yeah, nice to meet ya, too! I'm sure we're gonna be best chick friends ever" I yell after him, trying to put as much sarcasm in my voice as I can. Hehe, now I am the one to score by getting the laughers! He turns around, furiously. "I'm no femme so don't call me your 'chick friend'!" "Oh I am so sorry!", I give back in my best 'I'm-so-NOT-sorry' voice, "but all this talking about your paint job really made me think you are a femme."
Blurr laughs: "ShegotyaSunny. Don'tmesswiththeWitwickygirl!" "Don't call me –" Optimus harrumphs and even this little sound is silencing everyone immediately. The only bot left moves forward and says: "Hello. I am Wheeljack, mechanical engineer of the autobots. Pleasure to meet you!" I smile. "Nice to meet you, too!" Then, everyone is quiet. So, these are our new members. Chromia, Arcee and Elita-1, Blurr, Wheeljack, Sunny-Bunny ( I am so gonna call him that!), Mirage and Prowl.
Eight more bots around. I turn around to Optimus and speak out loud the first thought coming to my mind. "Where will they recharge? I mean is there enough space for all of us?" Am I dreaming or does Optimus Prime, Leader of the autobots seem… embarrassed? "What's the matter?" He sighs a little. "There is enough room." I quietly count the unfilled chambers of the hangar which would be huge enough for autobots to stay in and come to the conclusion that only five rooms are left but not eight. Before I can tell them, my mother chirps up from the ground. "Haley dear, some of them are gonna share a room."
"Oh okay…" I talk before I think then my eyes grow huge. "WHO?" I blurt out, facing all of them. "Me an' Sunny!" Sideswipe states. Okay, that's just logical. After all they are twins and Skids and Mudflap are sharing a room, too. However, that still leaves at least two more bots that must share a room with someone else. Before I can ask, Hide speaks up, his face somewhat grimly yet happy. "Chromia will stay in my room and Elita-1 will stay with Optimus." According to these news, I sit down in Optimus' servo and think about it. "Are you guys like… um, I mean…"I stutter and feel my face becoming red. Chromia walks to Ironhide. "Yeah. Hide is my sparkmate and Elita is Optimus'." she confirms and grins up at the uncomfortable face of her mate.
"Awwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeee eee!" I squeal high pitched and hug Optimus' thumb. By now, everyone is giving me a 'WTF?!'-look (I think Prowls optic is twitching but I'm not entirely sure…) but I just can't help it. "That's just soooo cute! You guys finally got your mates back!" Elita-1 and Chromia both burst out laughing hysterically while their mates look rather uncomfortably. I wipe a tear out of the corner of my eye. "Sorry. Sorry! I'm done acting weird." Someone snorts disbelievingly from behind and I grin up at the autobot leader. "Can you please set me down? I think Ratchet's about to kill me but he's just too polite to wait for it until we're finished here…"
"That is so true, girl!" I hear him growling from behind. Sideswipe quickly hides behind his brother. The other bots look at the scenario with amusement yet confusion. "I will come back to that later!" Ratch promises threateningly in Sides' direction, then takes me from his leaders servo and brings me to his optic level. "Why. Can't. You. Just. Do. What. I. Tell. You?!" Every single word is strained from his attempt not to shout at me. "What have you done this time?" Dad asks from the ground but I don't have time for this now, I first gotta deal with the doc. "Um… sorry?" I try. Ratchet looks at me, disbelievingly and somewhat disappointed.
"Are you serious!? You got hit by a car, died, then got brought back to life; your ribs are still healing, I told you to stay in the med bay and you say sorry?!" Murmurs go through the rows of the autobots but are quickly predominated by a high pitched, hysterical voice. "WHAT? She got hit by a car!?" I freeze as Ratchet smiles a mean, triumphantly smile at me. Great! I glare at the doc bot then struggle against his light grip to get to my mother. "It's not as bad as you may think, mom! I was just pushing Annie outta the way and well… wasn't quick enough but I am just fine!" "You are fine? You are FINE?!"
My Dad grabs my mother around her waist as she now tries to climb up Ratchet to get a better look at me, much to the amusement of the bots which are now coming closer to get a better look on the weird earth creatures. "Mikaela, come on. Don't do that!" But she isn't even listening to her husband and I can see her reaching Ratchets knee plate. Man, she is strong when she's worried! "Bee, I could use some help here!" Dad gasps, legs dangling in the air, and Bee simply picks both of them up.
"Bumblebee, I swear if you don't let me see my daughter now, I will…" She doesn't even need to end her threat, Bee hurries forward and lets her get onto Ratchets servo. Traitor!
Slightly out of breath she examines me, hands on her hips and with a glare that makes me wish the ground could swallow me up. "You got hit by a car and died?" she shrieks. Everyone else is completely silent by now. I clear my throat. "Well, yes… but I still am here, so…" "Yes and thanks to whom?" she interrupts me. Hell, if looks could kill… "Ratchet!" I respond quietly. "Yes exactly. And who is your doctor?"
"Ratchet." "And who should you listen to therefore?" "Ratchet." She nods, stepping forward. "Then please will you tell me why you didn't do that?" I don't know an answer that would be fitting, so I just sigh. "Sorry." "You shouldn't tell me!" I look at her, furiously. "I already told him!"
"I am still here!" "Oh come on Ratch I already apologized." Silence. I wait for anyone to say anything but even Blurr keeps his vocal processor shut. "Um… what did I do this time?" "Don't you understand that we only want the best for you? When I tell you to stay in the med bay, I do that for your own sake and not for any other reason. Do you know what could have happened on that ride with Sideswipe? Especially with that speed?" I avoid his gaze. "You will stay in the med bay as long as I tell you. You won't leave unless I gave you the permission to do so." "Okay. Fine." I sigh, still avoiding to look at him or anyone else. Ratchet turns and heads back to med bay, then he pauses for a moment.
"Sideswipe!" It is not a question nor a statement. It is a command and as Ratch walks on I can hear someone following us and hear Sunstreaker yelling: "Good luck, bro!" I get put down again and mom stays with me, carefully watching over every of my moves. I can hear Ratchet yelling at Sides but try to blend that out. I will apologize to him, later. Now there are questions in my mind that are way more urgent. "Mom? What exactly happened when we thought you all had died?" She sits down on my left, somehow exhausted now.
"What exactly happened…" she repeats quietly for herself, as though she could better remember that way. "Well, when we arrived we first introduced ourselves just like you did. Their base was slightly smaller than ours here and Sam and I had to build up a tent when the alarm went off. There was a voice repeating: "Decepticon Intruders" and I'm not quite sure if this was Teletran-1 as well… Anyways, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe wanted to show us a way to a hiding spot when the attack began.
And then I just remember one of them picking your father and me up and racing into the below grounded cave, later it turned out that Sunstreaker was the one who saved us. Almost all of us were in this cave except for Sideswipe and Ratchet as you know and we were trapped - it took almost three weeks for them to dig us out, as you know. Then we could send a signal. Luckily we had some inventories with us otherwise I think we could have starved." I raise an eyebrow. "Wow, that's strange. Why couldn't they just locate you guys with their super advanced scan thingies?"
She shrugs. "I don't know. We lost all contact to them and no matter how hard they tried to reach them through their comlink, it was useless." "Well good thing you two had the bots with you!" I smile and rather not imagine what could have happened when the Witwicky family was living a "normal" life. Mom looks down at me, a strange mixture of curiosity and anxiety on her pretty face. "So, um will you tell me what exactly happened? I mean… you saved Annie, right? But what happened?"
I shrug, trying to make it sound as unspectacular as possible when I answer: "We met in town to have a talk about your "death", then she was about to drive home, went across the street and didn't see the car. But I did and I luckily arrived her just in time. I just didn't want to lose anyone else…" She nods, deep in thoughts. "That was very dumb, Haley. And very brave. I'm proud of you, even though I'd wish the car didn't hit any of you two." "Well I guess that wished every one of us. You know, the most stupid thing I ever had to use is that wheelchair. I am really pitying people that are bound to it – there is no fun at all with this thing. Plus, the needles were pretty bad but I got rid of them before, much to Will's disadvantage."
I tell her the story of Ratchets ranting against poor Will and we both almost fall of the berth, laughing so hard the Ratchet begins to opticing us very accurately yet a bit pissed when I begin to imitate him. "That was absolutely necessary! Major Lennox had disappointed me badly and –" Suddenly, one of the new bot's, Wheeljack, comes in and interrupts the doctors lecturing. "Sorry to interrupt you, Ratchet, but I just happened to overhear the youngling's afflictions about that object called… wheelchair." Ratchet raises an optic ridge.
"Yes, and what do you intend to say?" He seems as interested as I am. "Well, if she doesn't need to use it now… I just wondered if I could borrow it? I have a great idea to work with and…" Now Ratchet is the one to interrupt the other bot. "Do you intend on experimentalize with it? Because normally everything you get in your servos tends to explode after a while…" Wheeljack shakes his head, smiling. "Ratchet, I just wish to help the girl with her boredom. I don't want to change this object into a weapon." I feel how a bright smile spreads on my face.
"Yes! That would be so great, Ratchet, please let Wheeljack tune my wheelchair! That would be so awesome!" The doc looks helplessly to my mother then to me and then back to my mother. "I guess if he promises to keep in mind that this "object" must be safe enough for a ki- a teenager I mean, then it's okay?" My mom isn't entirely sure about what she says but I am confident. "I want it to move automatically and it should have a playlist with all my favorite music and…" Ratchet raises his servos. "Don't give him too many ideas, these one should be enough for him." 'Jack looks at him somewhat huffy. "You know, I don't have any intentions on blowing this girl up so don't treat me like I was some crazy scientist!"
He smiles at me then. "I think I know what the result will be like and I believe you will like it. Give me a little time, about twenty earth minutes and I'll be done with it." I feel my eyes growing bigger. "You're that fast? That's not an exaggeration to impress us fleshlings, is it?" He doesn't get the teasing tone I use and responds: "Well, on Cybertron I used to work a lot faster than that. I am only that slow because I've never seen wheelchairs before… Anyways, I'll start now." He picks up his new 'guinea pig' and leaves the med bay, leaving mom and me confused. "Is he really that fast?" I ask unbelievingly.
Ratchet tilts his head. "With inventions that are as small as wheelchairs, yes." Mom shudders. "Is he really that destructive?" Ratch looks at her, his mien somewhat appeasing yet unsure. "Wheeljack is a brilliant scientist but sometimes he tends to get too excited. I'm pretty sure that he won't be reckless with Haley's welfare…" The silence that follows his explanation is broken down by the sounds of tools working on a certain object and I suddenly get really exited – I want to have a crack at the new wheelchair so badly that I start bouncing on the berth until Ratchet tells me to remain calm. The sound of Wheeljack working behind closed doors slowly allure the bot's from wherever they were before.
"What are his intentions? He is quite roisterous in there." Prowl asks, slightly confused and annoyed as it seems. Plus, I can see his right optic twitching again… very weird. "He's tuning my wheelchair." I shout excitedly back at him, beginning to bounce again until the door finally opens. "HolyPrimuswhatisthat?" Blurr wonders. "This is what the girl wished for and a bit more." 'Jack explains proudly. All the autobots stand in front of something too small for me to see from here and I yell "Hey Bee, get me over there please!" I forget to ask Ratch for permission but he seems to be so astonished about what he sees that he isn't even trying to protest.
"What the slag is that?" Sunstreaker looks down on it with a mixture of amusement and horror. "If this thing scratches my paintjob, I swear I'll…" Bee pushes through the crowd of staring bots and I finally can see my new "vehicle" "Oh, shut up Sunny Bunny!" I interrupt his little speech and signal my best friend slash guardian to set me down. I don't consider the laughers of the bot's or Sunnys reaction over my new nickname but immediately sit down and stare in wonder.
"Oh thank you so much 'Jack, this is totally awesome! Um, but what exactly can it do? Which buttons must I press?" Which is a good question of mine because there are plenty of blinking buttons to press. The scientist kneels down. "This is the control system, you see? And this one is the flying mode button." My parents change an alarmed look. "Don't worry you two, it will only float about five feet high. Where was I… oh yes, this one is speed. It is not very fast, though, considering you humans are so fragile. Do you think you got that?" I nod, though not entirely sure. He only mentioned six buttons but there are like five more… I guess I'll just check them out.
"I think I got it. Can I try it out now? Pleeeeaaaaseeee?" At the sound of my drawn-out pleading, something strange happens: Prowl suddenly falls against Jazz who was standing behind him and now quickly catches the twitching form while Prowl repeats: "Illogical. Too long pronouncing of words." Jazz sighs. "Ah think yer have a chance ta try it out. Ratch's first gotta check on Prowler here…" Together, they carry poor Prowl to the med bay. "Always happens to him…" Arcee says to no one in particular and quickly follows them, as well as my parents, Optimus, Elita-1, Blurr, Mirage and Ironhide while both pairs of twins disappear in the rec room.
Chromia, Bee and 'Jack stay with me and carefully watch me moving around in the new wheelchair. "That's so cool. I want it to go faster!" I say, floating around Bee's knee plates. "I don't think this would be such a good idea…" "Ah come on Bee let the youngling have some fun!" Chromia interferes and I decide to like her. "Yeah, lemme have some fun!" I tease him, not any longer paying attentions to which buttons I press. Suddenly Wheeljack seems alarmed. "Not this one, Haley – oh too late."
First I don't know what he means but then the wheelchair starts to glow and suddenly races around in circles. The funny thing is: I don't mind the slightest, in fact I enjoy the ride and don't remember the last time I had so much fun. The not so funny thing is: the bots apparently don't like me having fun. And that's when they try to chase me and turn it off but for the first time in my life they can't get me. "Turn it off!" Wheeljack yells and Bee just stands there helplessly while I spin around again and again and again.
"This – is – FUUUUUUUN!" I yell back and giggle like some mad girl. I can hear the other bots come running from the med bay but all I see is their colors. A femme, I'm not sure if Elita or Arcee, shouts: "Someone stop her!" but no one actually reaches me when – "Watch out Sunstreaker!" "OUCH!" I suddenly crash into a yellow bot's leg and then go flying right into Bee's servo. Within a few seconds, all of them (besides Prowl I think but I'm not entirely sure due to the fact that my view is somewhat blurry) are convened around us, glancing down on me.
"Are you alright, young one?" I suppose it's Optimus who said that though I can't really recognize their faces while everyone's spinning around and raise a hand. "Well, apart from the fact that I really thank god or primus or whoever for all you guys living here with me I've got three words big guy. Best ride ever!"
Yeah sixth chapter already! But now, I think I could need some of your ideas - because (for now) I ran off of fantasy :o Of course, if I'll use readers ideas in the next chapters I'll also write down from who these were ;) So please, don't be shy to comment on this chapter or to make suggestions! I'll then try to upload the next chapter as fast as I can :)
