Authors note: Sorry if my spanish translations are not correct. Feel free to slap my virtual face and correct me. Speaking of, this story is going to be divided up into either two or three chapter but I hope you will enjoy the concept! :D
Chapter 10: A Prime Sort of Day (Part 1)
"Prime... Prime wake up..."
The semi-truck remained quiet and still, showing no signs to its animated existence.
"PRIME!" L yelled as she kicked his wheel.
*What?* Optimus yawned over the private com.
"Come on! A whole day! Just you and me! Let's go!" Signal replied lightly patting the grill before giving it a huge hug.
*It's 0315* he yawned again, he finally understood why Ratchet was grumpier than usual, she woke him early and kept him up all night. He may have wanted the day to catch up on needed recharge.
"So?" she giggled, "it leaves more time for us to do stuff!"
*Go back and recharge Signal* Optimus ordered.
Signal's mouth open to object before she silently closed it, she sighed and left Prime's hanger pouting to herself.
*Optimus? Optimus where are you?*
Optimus transformed to robot mode, *I am here Ratchet. Just woke up from recharge...*
*Signal's not with you?*
Optimus looked around, then remembered earlier that morning *she ran away again, didn't she?*
*She's not with me, or you, or any of the other Autobots; where could she be?*
*I"M RIGHT HERE BEHIND YOU!* L's voice boomed over the private link.
Optimus turned to see L glaring up at him with red optics, holding her daily pack and a data pad of his reconnaissance mission he planned a few days ago.
*... Alright... I'm back to work then... Signal, do you have your...*
*YES Ratchet! ... I got it while you lazy bots were still recharging. I have taken my first one and will take the latter later...* Optimus gave her a stern look, *I apologize for snapping. It was rude of me...*
Ratchet gave no reply, but Prime was pleased for her apology none the less.
"So... what do you want to do today?" he asked, bending down to look her straight in the optics. She held the data pad in front of her face. His face formed a slight frown; it was too dangerous for her, especially with her arms still in weapon mode. "No, it's too dangerous..."
She lowered the data pad with a snarl, she wanted to say more but held it in as she pivoted around and walked away, placing the data pad on some box before exiting.
*How am I supposed to spend time with Signal?* Prime asked over the private com.
*... I can't say Prime; I could never keep her busy for long. She even got her homework done for the rest of the week... I wish I had something but I don't...*
Prime only turned off the com link pinching the bridge of his nose like humans do when they are frustrated.
She didn't want to admit it, she didn't. Her pride forsook it, yet it happened anyway. She frowned as the words flowed out from her mouth, "I'm dependent... Dependent and needy on the judgment of giant alien robots, which for that matter, could care less if I existed or not..."
She wanted to punch her thigh as hard as she could, but then she remembered her arms. "FRAG IT!" She roared, standing up to go kick a tree before sitting back down. "I'm a freak... I'm a freak out of my time. I don't even know what has happened between then and now! ...They're hiding it from me! Of course! Why didn't I see it? They don't want me to know! ..." She paused, her gut felt weird like she was about to get the hiccups. She never had the hiccups after she awoke from stasis, never noticed the Cybertronian's having hiccups and had no idea if this would have her trapped in Ratchet's hanger all day... like normal. She hated it as she turned on the com link, they were the last she wanted to talk to yet she had to know if hiccups would be a problem.
*Ratchet?*
*Signal! Where are you?* Prime questioned.
Signal remained silent till she heard Ratchet come on. *Signal, where are you? Answer Prime.*
She grumbled, *at my beach, where I always am when I don't want to be berated about my anger issues. Ratchet... I think I'm getting the hic*
Ratchet and Optimus listened to the buzzing coming from Signal's end. They didn't say it but they knew what they were going to ask. Where is she NOW?
Signal couldn't believe it. She warped... or teleported... or something. She luckily was hidden in the shadows of an alleyway. She held her breath as she put on her 'disguise;' her blond wavy wig with sun hat and sunglasses. She walked into the sunlight, merging in with the people who spoke Spanish around her. It felt right, being with normal people once again. They didn't pay much attention to her, just like before. She walked along the outdoor market, listening to the people; they talked about the weather, families, and the things that she really didn't talk about with the people at NEST. She finally asked one seller where she was, Nogales, Sonora. She remembered being here; she thanked the seller before leaving. This is also where Prime wanted to do a reconnaissance mission, but at this point she wanted to see what she could learn about this new world she was in, and to check up on the existence of an old friend and business partner, Emilio Lucho.
Optimus paced back and forth as he waited for Ratchet to signal in on Signal's tracking chip. "Nogales, Sonora Mexico..." Ratchet finally replied, giving himself a small round of applause for finding her.
"That was where I planned a recon. mission... L wanted to go with me but I said no... Why doesn't she listen!" Optimus slammed his fists on Ratchet's table.
"Optimus, I believe that she wasn't trying to disobey you. I had her tracked at her beach when she contacted me on the open link. I find it interesting as to how she was able to swim then walk all the way to Nogales... She may be able to bridge herself... through 'hiccups.'" Ratchet consoled, he knew it seemed far fetched but it was the only theory he could come up with.
"Ratchet, stay here and continue to keep track of her. I'm going to Nogales to find her and if not find out about the Decepticon drug dealings there..." Prime ordered as he walked out.
"Understood Prime, Good luck!" Ratchet called, waving the leader off. 'So much for getting more recharge...'
Signal knew she was being followed, she couldn't pinpoint their exact location but she knew; she felt it. Signal tried to bluff them off by walking tall and confident instead of feeble and paranoid but the trick didn't work as planned. It brought them closer, allowing her to see the two young men dressed like the new 'gangsters' Lennox described to her once. She looked ahead, she knew where she was, how to get around the area. There! There in that alley was a high, brick wall that she always was able to scale easily. Epps told her once as she went through an obstacle course that she was 'Free-Style Running:' the supposed sport where you do crazy stunts like scale alley walls. She told him that back in her day, she called it 'bluff running.' By doing those little tricks, it discouraged anyone who was chasing her to stop. She bolted into the alley, stepping on a garbage bin then jumped for the wall. She jumped too soon, if she didn't make it, she'd be trapped. She reached her arm out, "Come on, COME ON!" she growled, praying that it would change back to normal. It did, grasping onto the ledge allowing her to vault over with an added spin then landing perfectly on the other side. "Yes!" she hooted, wiggling her fingers as she ran, only to catch up with more of these gangsters. They shouted, "It's her! The hybrid! Shoot!" They began to fire at her. 'How did they know?' She looked at her arms. The bandaging was ripped to shreds and her disguise was completely gone. 'Of course,' she growled in her head as she jumped onto another alley wall then clambered up on the roof of a building. They figured she jumped over and left to find a way around. She was able to get a good look at them; one of them had El Alacrán gang symbol tattooed on his arm. They were the rival to Emilio's gang Locust, "Good. Where I have enemies, I have friends!" L carefully fell to the ground, and then she ran out, grabbing whatever she could to hide her cyborg parts. She stole a light, long sleeve shirt, some worn out leather gloves, and sunglasses. She then purchased a bandanna and covered the metal band that looped around her head. She was walking to where Emilio use to live when she heard Optimus.
*SIGNA-L!*
"Prime," she called out, forgetting about the communication links. It grabbed attention but luckily her chasers weren't around. *Prime! I know what you must be thinking, that I ran away again but I didn't, truly I didn't!*
*I know L, Ratchet thinks that you can bridge through your supposed 'hiccups.'*
*Prime... I... I'm being followed, and they know that I'm a hybrid. Prime... I do know how or...*
*It's fine, I need to know where you are so then I can take you back to the base.*
*Meet me at Emilio's place at... BZZZZZZZZZZZZ*
Optimus listing to the static on the other end; Dear Primus when will this end? He thought to himself. Who was Emilio anyway? How did she know someone here? He drove down the streets trying to identify her through the mass of people. He remembered an older mission with Ironhide and NEST operatives here an Earth year ago, they found the Insecticons. They were only able to locate and capture Shrapnel and Bombshell, when asked about Kickback they either remained silent or merely shrugged their shoulders. Kickback had to be out there somewhere, trying to free the others, which led him to the drug wars here: reports of a gang having 'non-human' weapons. It had to be the work of Kickback, it had to be.
She roared out, angry at this ability that she couldn't control, she didn't even feel the hiccups. "Where am I now!" She turned to see Emilio's home. For some crummy drug lord, he had a really wonderful home. 'Okay,' she wisped in her head, 'I can get use to this.' She jogged up the steps, fixed her disguise then knocked politely on the door. Finally a young man answered, "¿Sí?"
"Hola. Mi nobres es Elena Child. ¿Emilio Luchas aún viven aquí?" (Hello. My name is Ellen Child. Does Emilio Luchas still live here?)
They young man stared awestruck at her, till he finally spoke, "Yes. My grandfather still lives... What did you say your name was again?"
"Elena Child. May I speak with your grandfather please?"
"Yes. Of course, come in," he stated opening the door for her, "You know my grandfather spoke much about an Elena Child he knew. Are you of relation?"
"Yes, you could say that," she replied, "I don't think I received your name though..."
"Oh, how rude of me. I am Rico Luchas. My grandfather is downstairs, if you would follow me..."
She shook his hand carefully, then quietly followed him down the stairs. She could walk those stairs blindfolded and backward if she wanted to. She helped herself into the door, her optics immediately adjusted to the poor light, where she saw the aged Emilio Luchas with a Decepticon. She was ready to run, they didn't see her, then Emilio spoke, "Elena?" He strained his glazed eyes toward her. Rico pushed her in and locked the door behind him. She was more worried about this insect-like Decepticon who now was looking right at her and obviously knew she was a hybrid.
"Yes Emilio," she sighed, removing her sunglasses, "It's me. It seems age has favored me more, despite my sins."
Emilio gave a raspy laugh till he covered his face with an oxygen mask. He was old, not the young man she remembered him to be, except for his eyes, those evil eyes that would have been far more bloodied then the Decepticon's.
"So you are a hybrid. A cyborg." His chaffy voice commented, "I wish I were that lucky. But with the help of my new advisor, I will be in such luck."
L only laughed back, "Oh please Emilio! I still remember you after all these years, cut to the chase. What is it that you want me to do?"
He laughed again, the Decepticon's optics sharpened, they didn't trust each other.
"Locust, you know what it is that we need. Tell her, she is the best, and just as reliable as before!" Emilio stated, ushering the Decepticon on.
"You are still with the Autobots," Locust hissed.
"HA! You must be the comedian of the Decepticons. Those Autobots had me imprisoned! I just now escaped and needed assistance with this tracking chip in the back of my neck." L snarled back, flaring her iris' to a burning crimson color.
They stared at each other till Locust tried to whisper to Emilio, "How do we know that she isn't... soft?"
Emilio roared out, "Elena? Soft!? Oh my good amigo, Elena has done things that even I could not do!"
Signal suddenly pulled out a knife, and before Locust could shoot she reached behind her head and cut the chip out. She then tossed the dripping tools on the table, stabbing the chip with the knife. "Does that prove anything to you... Locust?"