Chapter 11: Speed Metal
A red sports car was driving along the dirt roads until his radio picked up something he was interested in.
"As metropolitan PD continues to crack down on illegal street racing, citing the danger to both drivers and pedestrians-"
Knock Out turned the radio off and continued driving. He arrived at the race and pulled up next to a black car with a tattooed driver.
"Not from around here, European design?" the driver asked. No answer. "Sure is pretty, too pretty." Then, the driver used his ring and scrapped the side door on Knockout.
Knockout inspected the damage then looked to the driver who closed his window. "Big mistake," he growled.
The referee held the flashlight in his hand and signaled for the racers to go. The four racers took off with the black car in first and Knockout in last. The black car sped up then looked to see if anyone was behind him. He smirked at the sight but then Knockout drove up behind him then rammed into the car off the road. The two other drivers took this opportunity to pass them but the driver in the Mustang was in the lead.
"Uh... dude." the tattooed driver moaned.
Knockout looked over at the driver. "You scratch my paint, I scratch yours." he threatened before joining the race.
Next day, school was over and Jack was walking down the stairs to go to the base but then he spotted Ava leaning against a wall with her arms crossed in some type of black suit.
He approached her. "Ava, what are you doing here? Don't you have school still?" he asked.
"My school ended 25 minutes ago." Ava pushed off the wall. "So, I decided to check out my hometown's school."
"Well, there's nothing to it really, just an ordinary public school," Jack said. Then Jack saw a male boy with orange hair walking up behind Ava. He growled at the sight. "Don't look now, but a bully might be coming," he whispered in her ear.
The male boy, Vince, reached out to touch Ava but she grabbed his hand before he could. She turned slightly and started gripping the boy's wrist. "So, your the bully I've been hearing about." she began.
"Yep, names Vince. Who might you be beautiful?"
"Vince, is it? If you're trying to take me out on a date, don't even try, because bullies are never my type of guy to be dating. Plus, I'm still a minor."
"So? I'm a minor."
"Like I said, bullies are not my type," Ava repeated in his face then released his wrist and walked over to her sister, Jack followed.
"Hey, nice moped!" Vince complimented sarcastically.
Ava got on Arcee with Jack getting in front. "Uh, this moped has dual carbs and goes 0-60 in 3.5 seconds." Jack defended as he and Ava put their helmets on.
After Arcee turned a corner, Vince frowned, seeing the dweeb drive off with his new target.
"Uh, Jack, a lady's vital's are her own business." Arcee scolded as they came to a stop.
"Hey..." a voice called. The two looked to see two girls standing on the sidewalk. "Nick right?"
Ava gave a small chuckle which Jack heard and glared at her. "Actually, it's Jack." he corrected.
"Sorry, Jack. I'm Sierra." she introduced.
"I know," he responded. Ava rolled her eyes.
"I didn't know you had a girlfriend?" Sierra asked.
They both stiffed. "Oh, we're not dating," Jack answered quickly. "My, uh, sister is just hitching a ride to go home." Ava nodded to confirm.
"You have a sister?" Sierra asked confused.
Just then, Vince pulled up between them. "Hey, hey, small world."
"I'm trying to have a conversation!"
"Cheer captain here might enjoy watching you take on four wheels of muscle car," Vince smirked toward Ava but looked at the other two.
"Are you challenging me? To a race?" Jack asked in surprise.
"You catch on quick, ponch, what do you say?"
"Uh..." Before Jack could answer, the light turned green and Arcee sped making Jack to yelp. "You didn't let me answer!" he yelled in frustration.
"Nope."
"Arcee, we can smoke him."
"Yep."
"You just don't get it." Jack sighed.
"I don't make the rules, Jack, Optimus does. And rule number one in case you missed it - never abuse power for personal gain... and that includes horsepower."
"I thought that was keeping a low profile?" Ava asked.
"...Whatever. No means no."
Jack groaned quietly as Vince pulled up next to them. "Vince, maybe racing isn't such a good idea-"
Vince laughs with torment. "Figured! You ride around like your bike is something special, but it's just a chunky-clunky trike... and ugly."
The light turned green and Vince made a U-turn. Ava glared in his direction. "Oh he's gonna pay, nobody insults my sister. Arcee!"
Arcee obliged and did a U-turn and went after Vince. "Whoa! What happened to rule number one!?"
"Gets bent, just this once."
Vince pulled up next to the girls walking on the sidewalk. "Yo girls! Your pal Darby, he's-"
"Ready when you are Vinny!" Jack cut him off.
Vince smirked. "Dirt road by Drucker's Ranch - one hour."
One hour later...
Jack and Vince were parked side by side with their respected vehicle. Ava stood next to Sierra and her sister on the sidelines with her right hand on her hip.
"From here to the next mile marker. Ready, go!" Vince yelled quickly to which he got a head start.
"That was fair," Jack said sarcastically as Arcee took off.
Vince looked in his rearview and saw Jack behind him. This is too easy. Oh, he'll be glad that it's Jack and not someone else who knows racing all too well.
"Uh, Arcee...?" Jack asked wondering why she's lagging behind.
"Winning isn't enough, Jack. You wanna make him cry." Arcee explained her method of getting even.
Ya'll know what happens right? Let's just say that Arcee does smoke him - bad.
Jack raised his hand in victory. "Whoohoo! Outstanding! Hey, now might be a good time to offer Sierra a quick 'round the block?"
"Don't push it!"
Aboard the Nemesis, Breakdown's buffing of the comatose Megatron was interrupted when he heard Starscream enter the med-bay.
"Ah, Breakdown. Has there been any change in Megatron's condition?"
"Hm... only cosmetic."
"Well, I am sure that you and the good doctor have been doing everything in your power. Where is Knock Out?" Starscream asked when he noticed the medic was missing.
He heard the door open and Knock Out entered. "Can you believe what some skinjob did to me?" Knockout groaned as he walked toward Megatron's body as he showed Starscream a scratch on his arm.
"You have been street racing among the humans again, haven't you?
"I'm not only an automobile, I'm an automobile enthusiast."
"I do strive to run a tight shift, Knock Out. I would strongly suggest that you seek my permission next time you decide to disappear on one of your little... jaunts."
"No worries - Herr Kommandant."
"It is 'lord' to you."
"Only if Megatron takes a nosedive." Knock Out retorted with a singsong tone.
Starscream snarled in annoyance. "The day our master emerges from stasis, I will relinquish the title. But I believe that outcome is unlikely - something to do with the quality of medical care around here. So continue buffing. We do want Megatron looking his best for the memorial."
"Buff this."
After the race, Jack Ava and Arcee returned to the Autobot base. Arcee transformed after Ava and Jack got off. "Not a word to anyone," she said sternly at the two.
"Our little secret." Jack winked at her.
Arcee smiled in satisfaction before leaving the two. Ava now stood beside Jack with her helmet in her right arm when Miko came into scene making car noises. "Dude! And the winner is..."
Jack and Ava looked at each other with worried faces. "Miko, who told you?"
"You kidding?" she looked at them with disbelief. "It's all over school!"
"You beat the pants off that blow-hard bully, Vince." Raf joined in looking very happy.
Jack pulled the two into a small huddle. "You guys have to keep this on the DL - especially from Optimus."
The next day at school. Jack was kind of looking forward to seeing Ava here again. He likes her company, especially when it comes to dealing with Vince.
"Darby!" a familiar voice called his name.
Speaking of... Jack groaned and faced Vince who approached him. "What is it now Vince?"
"I don't see that little 'sister' of yours around." Vince began.
"Ugh, forget about it, Vince. She's not interested in you." Jack said.
"If you think you can run with the big boys, the circuit... tonight - 11:00 pm."
"Or what?" Jack asked.
Vince smirked. "You wanna impress your sister, right? I'd say, if you don't race me tonight, something bad might happen to her."
Apparently, he didn't get the memo when Ava grabbed his wrist without even looking. "Uh..." Jack stuttered.
"You agreed to what!?" Arcee snaps as she and Jack are on the road heading back to base.
"It was some kind of secret racing club. I don't know, I had no choice."
"You always have a choice, Jack. And what part of 'just this once' did you not understand?"
"I know, but Vince threatened to hurt Ava and she's three years younger than him."
"Jack, really? Ava may be young but she has been training under us since she began to walk. She can definitely handle a bully or two."
"Yeah, I know. But we're on right?" Jack asked hopefully.
"We are not 'on'."
Once they arrived at base, Arcee left Jack to talk to Ava about what happened. When Arcee finished explaining to Ava, the young teenager stopped her training and stormed into the bridge. When she arrived, she saw Jack talking to Bee. Probably asking for a favor. She approached him.
"So... are you in?" Jack asked.
Bee was about to answer when he heard an angry voice call his name. "Bumblebee, if you answer that question, so help me, I will make you clean this whole base with a toothbrush."
The two looked over to the voice and saw an angry Ava with her hands on her hips. "Ava? What are you doing here?" Jack asked nervously.
Ava approached the two. "I was going to ask you the same thing." she glared at Jack.
"Uh-"
"Jack, let me make myself clear - if anybody threatens my family or has the intent of using them for personal gain, know this: no one, and I mean no one, is safe from punishment." Ava leaned closer to Jack. "And I will make you regret ever going to that street race," she warned before heading back to her training.
"Well, that was a bummer," Miko stated as she and Raf joined the two.
"Miko, how much did you hear?" Jack asked.
"Enough to know that Ava basically grounded you from street racing," Miko answered.
"She doesn't get it." Jack began.
"If you think that Ava doesn't get it, your sadly mistaken." Bulkhead began. The three looked at each other before looking back at the Wrecker. He sighs before he tells a story. "About 7 years ago, she and Optimus were on patrol one late night scouting for energon, when suddenly, a missile hit Optimus. As Optimus pulled Ava into his chest to protect her, the Decepticons showed up.
"Daddy, what's going on?" Ava asked.
"Don't worry sweet spark. I will protect you." Optimus assured his daughter as he made his battle mask appear.
He looked forward and saw a jet transforming in front of him and immediately Optimus knew who it was. "Hand over the human Prime and I might let you live."
"Never Starscream." Optimus rejected. He pulled Ava closer to his chest and equipped his blaster then shot at the seeker.
"What does that have to do with street racing?" Miko asked.
"I was getting to that," Bulkhead said. "After that little encounter with Starscream, little Ava decided to start learning about how to drive cars. After a few months have gone by, she was already beginning to street race. She found that racing was in her blood and she continued to do so but it didn't get pass Optimus. One night, she was headed out to a street race when Optimus caught her in action.
"Ava?" the kid stiffened at her father's voice. "Where are you going at this hour?"
Ava turned around and faced her father. "Uh... going to a New Year's party."
Optimus lifted his brow in suspicion. "To what location?" he asked.
Ava knew she was caught so she hung her head. "Outside."
"Outside where?"
Ava pulled her helmet from behind her. "On the road."
"How long has this been going on?"
"Several months."
"Whoa. I did not see that coming." Miko said.
"Yeah, after that, Ava explained to Optimus why she was racing and he surprisingly let her continue to but only if they were legal racing. Though, she still got grounded." Bulkhead finished.
"So, she's speaking from experience," Raf stated.
"Exactly."
"Experience or not, I'm going to that race to protect Ava from Vince." Jack stated stubbornly. "Come on Bee!"
"Jack, Ava can take care of herself." Raf tried to reason with him.
"Let him, Raf. Once Ava hears that Jack stubbornly dismissed her warning, she'll make him regret it. Trust me." Bulkhead said.
In the training room... Ava has been training with her father and is extremely quiet than normal. Optimus noticed this and became worried.
"Ava, is something wrong? You seem more quiet than normal."
Ava punched the punching bag. "Just thinking." she gave a few punches.
"About?"
She stopped and glanced at the floor. She faced her father. "Why did the Decepticons come after me when I was a baby?" she asked.
Optimus was quiet for a moment before answering. "I do not know. But you must have something that caught their attention, something powerful. The Decepticons wouldn't have if you didn't give off a surge."
"But, how would I be connected to Cybertron? I am in no way shape or form like a Cybertronian."
"That may be so, but it appears that the Decepticons think otherwise."
"I just don't get it, why would someone attack a defenseless baby just to gain power over their enemies?" she asked rhetorically. She growls and used all her strength to give one last punch and made the bag to fall off.
Everyone was surprised to see a yellow muscle car pull up. Vince sat patiently at the starting line as the yellow car rolled next to him. He looked over and widened his eyes in shock as he saw Jack sitting in it.
"Bike's in the shop," Jack said.
Vince glared at him and Jack returned the glare. Just then, Sierra walked up in front of the drivers and saluted him.
"Circuit drivers, are you ready?! Make it mean but keep it clean!" an announcer spoke as the race was about to start. Engines revved online. As the drivers were getting prepared to race, Knockout joined in the last second. "Fire 'em up in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1!"
Sierra threw her hands to the ground and crouched low as the cars drove off. Jack and Vince didn't care about the other racers and went to first place. But Knock Out catches them fast.
"Hm, the Autobot they call... Bumblebee," he said to himself.
He then rams himself into Vince's car and caught up to Bee.
"Uh-oh," Bee said.
"What was that Bee?" Jack asked.
"We got company," Bee answered.
Jack didn't respond but he did look in the rearview. "I know that car," he said.
Jack yelped in surprise as Bee took control and drove along the wall. Knockout followed suit but two guns popped out from his hood and began firing at him. Vince watched in surprise as he saw the two cars drive up the wall and off the tracks.
"What the...?"
The two continue the chase on the bridge's road. "Can you lose him, Bee?" Jack asked. Bee beeped an answer. "I hope that means yes, cause I'd rather not call the base for backup," he said in worry. Mostly because of what Ava might do to him.
Back at base, the kids were playing with Bulkhead watching them. Then Arcee came to the scene.
"Anyone seen Jack?" she asked.
Miko and Raf tensed and looked at each other nervously. "Not since... we last saw them," Miko answered.
"They're racing aren't they?" Arcee assumed.
"Just this once," Raf added.
"Did you know about this?" Arcee asked Bulkhead.
"No! Maybe... a little," he confessed.
Arcee went to say something but the computer interrupted her and Bee spoke about his situation.
"That sounds like a Decepticon," Miko commented.
"Bee, do not engage, your first priority is to keep Jack safe - until I get my hands on him."
In the training room, Ava is now practicing hand-to-hand with her father's holoform.
"You know, I've been thinking-" Ava began. "since I am a spy, wouldn't it make sense for me to get training in the field."
"Ava, if this is about going out in the field, it is still dangerous for you to be left alone."
"But Daddy, if I had training I could go undercover and-"
"Ava, no."
"Please."
"No
"You said that I should be able to protect myself should I ever come under attack."
"Indeed but that should never happen unless you stay at base."
Ava didn't argue after that but when she became quiet, she didn't hear any noises. She stopped and looked toward the entrance. "Do you hear that?" she asked Optimus.
"Hear what?"
"It's way too quiet out in the main hall," Ava observed.
Miko and Raf were waiting at base. "They should have called by now. You think Bee is okay?"
"Don't worry Raf. Bulkhead wouldn't let anything happen to Jack or Bee." Miko assured him.
Then they saw Optimus enter the room with Ava on his shoulder.
"We should just tell Optimus the truth." Raf proposed.
"Absolutely not! We made a deal. Just act completely normal." Miko whispered.
"Raf, Miko. Do either of you know where the others have gone?" Optimus asked.
"Why no sir. We do not know." Miko lied.
"Miko is correct. We do not know." Raf added nervously.
"Why would we know?" Miko asked.
Optimus lifted a brow in suspicion. "Hm."
Arcee was chasing Knockout down a dusty road. She was close to him but he added more pressure to the accelerator and drove farther away. "Eat my dust." Knockout said.
Then a horn was heard. But he didn't see where the noise came from until it was driving next to him and ramming into him to make him drive to the ditch. The Mustang skidded to a stop and turned to face the scene. Knockout tried to back up but he was stuck.
"Optimus, Knockout has a hostage," Arcee informed her leader as he transformed and approached the Con.
"Understood."
Optimus lifted Knockout. The medic screamed in pain as Optimus ripped the driver's door. He carefully reached inside and pulled Vince out before he threw Knockout aside and he transformed.
"Do you know how hard that is to replace?" Knockout asked the bot after he inspected the damage.
The rest of the Autobots arrived. Knowing he was outnumbered, Knockout transformed and drove off.
Jack rolled down Bee's window. "Optimus, this is my fault."
"We must get his boy to safety, immediately. Explanations can come later, from all of you."
"Knockout! Was I not clear? You have defied my orders yet again!" Starscream shouted.
"My mistake, Commander Starscream. But I've learned my lesson...and paid the price." Knockout retorted as he rubbed his damaged arm.
"It. Is. LORD! And you have paid when I say you have paid." Starscream lifted a digit. "Don't worry, your punishment will be merely... cosmetic."
"No, please! Anything but that!" Knockout begged as he backed up into Soundwave. "NNNNNOOOOOO!" he yelled in pain.
The next day, Jack walked out of school to Arcee when Sierra approached him. "So Jack. Do you have time for that ride?" Sierra asked.
"I'm sorry, Sierra. I can't right now." Jack apologized after he looked back at Arcee.
"No problem. I guess I'll just see you around." Sierra shrugged sadly before walking away.
Ava kicked the side of Arcee which made her grunt the sigh in understanding. Arcee drove up to Jack and Ava got off. "Hop on," Arcee said suddenly.
"Whoa, really?" Jack asked in surprise.
"Just this once," Arcee answered.
Ava had her hand on her hip as she watched Arcee let Jack give a ride to Sierra which brought a smile.
