A new arrival
Chapter Eleven
Better, Faster
Set before the episode "Legacy"
It was a quiet day at the Autobot base.
No Iacon relic beacons had been activated recently and quite frankly some of the Autobots and at least one human were getting bored.
Ratchet and Optimus were not affected by this idleness and neither were Arcee, Bumblebee, Jack and Rafael.
The same could not be said for Bulkhead, Miko, Rivet and especially Smokescreen.
There was only so much monster truck watching, music listening and making Bulkhead and Miko could do.
Rivet was happy to study and do laboratory work, but after weeks of doing the same thing over and over again. It was starting to get monotonous.
The bot who was affected the most however, was Smokescreen.
It had been a thrilling two days for the Elite Guard soldier, ever since he had come out of the Decepticon escape pod.
Smokescreen had met his idol Optimus Prime, had been welcomed into his team, he had helped retrieve the Apex armour; a legendary Iacon relic and had survived an attack from one of the most powerful lazers he had ever witnessed.
Smokescreen's expectations were very high but now that there was nothing for him to do he was getting restless and bored and hungry for action.
So Smokescreen resorted to asking anyone who would listen to him to race him.
"Hey 'Bee! You wanna race with me?"
Bee replied with a series of high pitched beeps, clicks and whirs.
"You're playing chess with Rafael? OK have fun with that!"
If you can. Smokescreen thought to himself
Bumblee replied with beeps, clicks and whirs in an appreciative tone.
Asking Bulkhead was out of the question because he was still injured and Smokescreen had finally gained his respect and didn't want to risk losing it.
Smokescreen never even dreamed of asking Optimus Prime or Ratchet.
Arcee was driving with Jack so that only left only one bot... Rivet.
Smokescreen hadn't really interacted with Rivet often with all the events that had occurred and he didn't really seem like the racing type but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Smokescreen walked to Ratchet's laboratory where he found Rivet looking down at a sample of synthetic energon with a microscope.
This was going to take some charm, small talk and a bit of luck.
"Hi Rivet, what are you looking at?" Smokescreen asked curiously.
Rivet stopped looking at the sample and looked up at Smokescreen, it was a welcome distraction for him.
"I was looking at a sample of synthetic energon that Ratchet has been working on lately."
"Synthetic energon?" Smokescreen asked curiously.
"It's a manufactured version of natural energon. It gives the user enhanced strength, speed and reflexes." Rivet explained.
"That sounds cool." Smokescreen remarked. His plan was going along nicely, Rivet was talking to him freely.
"It is, if you also like the side effect of personality corruption" Rivet agreed with a wry smile.
Smokescreen went silent and decided to stop the small talk, change the subject and take a more direct approach.
"Hey Rivet, I don't suppose you want to race with me by any chance?"
"I thought you'd never ask! I've been waiting to fly against someone new for ages!" Rivet burst with enthusiasm and excitement.
"Awesome!" Smokescreen exclaimed.
"I know a good place where we can race, I'll just ask Ratchet to open up a ground bridge" Rivet told Smokescreen.
Smokescreen followed Rivet as Rivet walked towards Ratchet.
Ratchet was talking with Optimus Prime.
Despite bursting with impatience and excitement and wanting to ask Ratchet straight away, Rivet held his tongue and waited until there was a pause in Optimus' and Ratchet's conversation.
"May we speak with Ratchet privately for a moment, Optimus?" Rivet politely asked his leader.
"Yes you may." Optimus Prime gave the bots his permission.
"Yes what is it?" Ratchet sighed.
"Can you please bridge us to a road,where we can race?" Rivet retorted.
Ratchet grumbled and nodded.
He entered some co-ordinates and then lowered the ground bridge lever.
Smokescreen and Rivet chatted as they walked into the ground bridge.
"I hope you didn't take that synthetic energon to win." Smokescreen insinuated.
"Of course I didn't take it. I would have shut down for ages if I did." Rivet retorted.
Not that I need Synth En to beat you Smokey. Rivet thought to himself arrogantly.
"Take your time ladies!" Ratchet shouted sarcastically as the two bots went further into the bridge.
"Oh right, we should change into our alternate modes now." Rivet realized.
The two bots than did so and drived and flew respectively into the ground bridge until they arrived at their destination.
Back at the base Ratchet was smiling. Most probably relishing the peace that came from the two rookies leaving.
The two Autobots arrived at a road near Drucker's Ranch.
It was the same road that Arcee and Jack had used to race Vince to impress Sierra.
So what's your maximum speed?" Rivet asked. He wanted to check, even though he was certain he could beat Smokescreen.
"150 miles per hour and you?" Smokescreen replied with pride.
"You'll find out soon enough." Rivet replied.
"Hey I like that! A mystery speed. I hope you'll be able to keep up with me." Smokescreen said.
Rivet said nothing.
It will be you, who'll be struggling to keep up with me. Rivet thought.
Rivet lead the way and hovered above a line marker.
Smokescreen drove and placed himself adjacent to Rivet.
"We'll race to the next mile marker OK?" Rivet waited for Smokescreen's reply.
"OK."
"On the count of three... 3, 2, 1! GO!"
The two bots took off.
Smokescreen's tyres screeched, the force of his movement making the air rush; blowing dirt around from the dirt road.
Rivet's propellers whirled loudly as he pushed them to near maximum capicty.
For most of the race Rivet near the same position as Smokescreen to give him false confidence.
As they passed the halfway point Rivet sped up to one hundred and sixty miles per hour and flew past the mile marker, thus winning the race.
He had beaten the bot, who thought he was the fastest. Rivet felt so proud of himself at that moment.
Smokescreen soon arrived at the mile marker, engines roaring.
He then transformed back to his normal mode.
Rivet was standing near the mile marker waiting for him.
"Hey Smokescreen, did I mention that my maximum speed is one hundred and sixty three?" Rivet nonchalantly asked.
"Now you tell me." Smokescreen ruefully said.
He had never imagined that Rivet could ever have won, so his victory was a shock to Smokescreen.
Smokescreen bent his head low in shame, he liked to think that he was the fastest bot on the team.
It was the most despondent that Rivet had ever seen Smokescreen.
The bigger the ego, the harder it falls I suppose, Rivet thought with pity.
"Don't feel bad Smokescreen, my alternate mode is an emergency helicopter. They are meant to be faster than cars so they can transport people to a hospital as fast as possible." Rivet tried to cheer Smokescreen up.
Smokescreen lifted his head up and faced Rivet.
"OK but don't tell anyone about this! I have a reputation to maintain." Smokescreen demanded.
"And I don't?" Rivet asked with a hurt expression on his face.
"No! That's not what I meant, look if anyone asks we'll say it was a tie and that I let you finish at the same time as me." Smokescreen organized a plan that would cut losses to both their reputations.
"OK, whatever makes you happy." Rivet shrugged.
If giving up his victory meant he could make Smokescreen happy, then Rivet was happy to oblige.
Rivet then called Ratchet via his com-link.
"Ratchet? Can you please open up a ground bridge?"
"You're already finished?" Ratchet asked in a tone of surprise mingled with disappointment.
"A race goes fast and we were both pretty fast Doc." Rivet remarked.
"Don't call me that!" Ratchet protested.
Hey already had to deal with Wheeljack calling him that loathsome name, he didn't need Rivet to join in.
Rivet stopped pressing the com-link and laughed. Smokescreen joined in.
"Wheeljack told me that 'Doc' is Ratchet's least favourite nick-name. So I decided to try it out. It works like a charm."
A ground bridge portal then materialized in Smokescreen and Rivet's vicinity.
Smokescreen and Rivet then entered the groundbridge and the base with huge grins on their faces.
Hi guys, thank you so much for reading.
Did you like the Daft Punk reference in the title? I couldn't resist using it after Ratchet got the Stronger, Faster title
I did some research on helicopters and I read that some helicopters can reach 200 MPH, the lowest figure I found for Rivet was 163.
It is not too fast but it is still faster than Smokescreen's 150 MPH so it fit this chapter nicely.
I couldn't find what model of helicopter Rivet was, so his actual figures may be faster.