Hellooooooooooooooo my friends! I present to you chapter eleven!
Also, this story has now reached over 2,000 views! Once again, my thanks are out to everyone who has read, faved, reviewed, and followed! You guys are amazing!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Transformers Prime, only my OCs.
Enjoy!
Metropolitan City
Within the outskirts of Metropolitan City, a familiar black and red exotic sports car was driving up the road, listening to the radio. "As Metropolitan P.D. continues to crack down on illegal street racing, citing the dangers to both drivers and pedestrians-" Burnout shut the radio off and increased his speed, driving off toward bright lights in the distance.
Three modified cars were at a makeshift start point, a light purple Camaro, a green and yellow Charger, and a black Hot Rod with an air scoop on the hood. A man with a flashlight stood in front of them. Burnout pulled up alongside the Hot Rod. "Not from around here, European design?" The driver of the Hot Rod asked, unaware he was talking to an alien robot. He scowled when he didn't receive an answer. "Sure is pretty, too pretty." The man reach out and used the skull ring on his finger to make a long scratch on Burnout's door. Pleased, the man rolled up his window.
Burnout adjusted his side view mirror on the scratch, then at the human. Unlike a certain Decepticon medic, Burnout didn't really care much about his paint job, but he wasn't about to let this human get away with scratching him. "You're gonna regret that, meat sack." Burnout hissed as he shifted gears.
The ref raised his flashlight into the air, and the drivers instantly gripped their steering wheels in anticipation. When the light flickered on, engines roared and tires screeched before the four vehicles took off at high speed, three of them going for a win, one out for payback.
The Hot Rod was in the lead, with the Charger being second, the Camaro third, and Burnout last. But not for long. The man driving the Hot Rod smirked when he pressed his foot down on an alternate pedal. Flames shot out of the exhaust pipe and his speed increased greatly, leaving the competition behind. Or so he thought. The sound of tires squealing forced the man to look at his rear view mirror and saw Burnout come from nowhere. The man expected the black and red car to pass, not to ram his rear bumper. "HEEY!" The man shouted after he thrusted forward in his seat, panicking.
He slammed his foot on the pedal, hoping to outrun the car that's out for his blood… but to no avail. Burnout slammed into the Hot Rod full force, sending the vehicle flying off the cliff and crashing down into the valley below. "…Oh… dude." The man said before falling unconscious.
"You play dirty, I'll throw it right back at you." Burnout boasted as he peered over the cliff side. He then reversed and took off, disappearing into the darkness of night.
Jasper High School
School had ended for the day, and everyone was eager to head home to unwind. Well, mostly. Jack placed his helmet after getting on Steelstrike, then backed up before kicking in the kick stand. They were about to drive off, but a voice stopped them. "Hey, cherry moped."
With a glare, Jack turned to the speaker, a boy around the same age as himself, with red hair, wearing a green jacket and jeans, and was leaning against the rear bumper of his black muscle car with yellow flames. This is Vince, widely known as the school bully and a hot head. "Uh, this moped has dual carbs and go zero to sixty in three point five seconds." Jack retorted before driving off and took a left turn, leaving Vince glaring at him.
The pair came to a stop at a red light. "Uh, Jack? I'm flattered that you defended me, but a lady's vital stats are her own business." Steelstrike told her companion.
Jack sighed in response, then a familiar voice to his right caught his attention. "Hey!" Jack look in that direction and was surprised to see Sierra with her friend Sarah on the sidewalk. "Nick, right?"
"A-actually, i-it's Jack." Jack corrected.
"Jack, right, sorry. I'm Sierra." Sierra told him.
"I-I know." Jack replied.
"You once offered to take me for a ride." Sierra reminded him.
Jack took a trip down memory lane to that awkward conversation before he and Steelstrike were chased by Structs. He was also glad he was wearing a helmet, so Sierra couldn't see him blushing a scarlet red. "Of… course. I- I did. A-anytime." He stuttered.
"I'm your guardian kiddo, not your wingman." Steelstrike whispered, much to Jack's disappointment.
"So… how about now?" Sierra asked.
"Uh…" But before Jack could give a proper answer, a familiar muscle car pulled up alongside his right.
"Hey, hey. Small world." Vince commented casually, as if he and Jack were on good terms.
"I'm having a conversation." Jack said in a somewhat annoyed tone as Vince stood up on his driver seat, folding his arms down on the top of his windshield frame.
"Cheer captain here might enjoy watching you take on four wheels of muscle car." Vince challenged in a subtle sentence as Sarah whispered into Sierra's ear.
"Are challenging me to a race?" Jack asked knowingly.
"You catch on quick, panch. What do you say?" Vince inquired.
"Eh, I…" Jack trailed off. He looked at Sierra, who gave him a look of encouragement.
But before anyone could speak, the light turned green, and Steelstrike took off, catching Jack by surprise. "You, you didn't let me answer." Jack said with wide eyes.
"I know." Steelstrike replied as Jack shook his hand.
"Steelstrike, we can totally smoke him." Jack told her, since cybertronian earth vehicles had much better performance than regular earth vehicles.
"I know we can." Steelstrike answered simply.
Jack sighed in defeat, knowing Steelstrike wasn't going to agree to this. "You just don't get it."
"I don't make the rules, Jack. Megatron does. And rule number one, in case you missed it, never abuse power for personal gain, and that includes horsepower." Steelstrike informed him as they came to another red light.
It was at the same time that Vince pulled up. "Oh." Jack began. "Vince, I don't think racing is such a good id-" He didn't get to finish when Vince started laughing.
"I figured. You ride around like your bike's something special, but it's just a chunky clunky trike… and ugly." Vince commented, unaware he had just insulted an alien robot.
"UGLY?!" Steelstrike roared in her mind, enraged.
As soon as the light turned green, Vince's tires squealed and did a U-turn and went back down the street, leaving smoke behind. "Oh, that's it." Steelstrike growled. "The yahoo's going down." She then did a U-turn herself and followed after Vince.
"Whoa, what happened to rule number one?" Jack asked, surprised by Steelstrike's sudden change of mind.
"Gets bent, just this once." The two wheeler answered, eagerness evident in her voice.
Sierra and Sarah were walking down the sidewalk when Vince pulled up. "Yo, girls." He began, standing up on his driver seat. "Your pal, Darby, he's-" He didn't get to finish when he heard tires screeching behind him.
"Ready when you are, Vinny." Jack said, knowing he and Steelstrike can win.
Vince half smirked. It would seem calling the fast food junkie's motorcycle did the trick. "Dirt road by trucker's ranch, one hour."
One hour later, Vince and Jack were at the location, lined up and ready to burn rubber. Sierra and Sarah were on the left side of the road. "From here to the next mile marker. Ready, go!" Vince said before he suddenly took off, tires screeching. Steelstrike accelerated and followed after him.
"That was fair." Jack remarked sarcastically. He should have expected something like that.
The two vehicles breezed by Sierra and Sarah, the wind forcing them to keep their skirts down. Vince looked at his rear view mirror and smirked when he saw Jack behind him. "Uh, Steelstrike?" Jack asked his Decepticon guardian, noticing she wasn't making an attempt to catch up.
"Winning isn't enough, Jack. You want to make him cry." Steelstrike said before accelerating, easily catching up with the black muscle car.
Vince looked at his rear view mirror again, and panicked when he saw that Jack was no longer behind him. Worried about losing, he looked around and spotted Jack on his left side. Jack waved at him before performing a wheelie, then zipped in front of Vince before accelerating even more, leaving the bully behind in utter defeat. "Wha…" Vince trailed off with wide eyes.
As soon as Steelstrike passed the mile maker, Jack shot his right arm into the air triumphantly, as the two wheeler blared her motorcycle horn. "Whoo! Outstanding!" He exclaimed, then remembered something. "Um, hey, now might be a good time to offer Sierra a quick once around the block?"
"Don't push it." Steelstrike shot his hopes down, causing the teenager to sigh in defeat again.
The Prowler
Fracture was in the medical lab of the Prowler, slowly and carefully moving the coasting buffer across Shadowsaber's frame, removing dust and grim from the warlord's frame. The medical berth was at a proper angle and the life support cables have temporarily removed from Shadowsaber, allowing Fracture to work more efficiently. Although he would rather be doing anything else, Fracture had to admit he was fascinated by Shadowsaber's condition. Despite being mere inches away from a violent space bridge explosion, her frame remained intact instead of being reduced into millions of pieces, with only a hole in her spark chamber. How truly strong, she is.
The medical lab doors opened and in came Steeljaw, coming in to 'checkup' on the progress. "Fracture, has there been any change in Shadowsaber's condition?" The wolf like Destructicon asked, wearing a mask of concern.
"Only cosmetic wise." Fracture reported as Steeljaw came closer.
"Well, I'm sure you and Burnout are doing everything you can to-" Steeljaw trailed off when he saw that the black and red mech wasn't in the room. "Wait, where even is Burnout?"
As if on cue, the medical lab doors opened, and in came the Destructicon medic. "Can you believe what some flesh bag had the audacity to do to me?" Burnout grumbled, gesturing to the scratch on his right arm.
"You've been out street racing with the humans again, haven't you?" Steeljaw growled. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"Despite my dislike for these wretched organics, racing with them is one of my interests, and of course, showing them who the superior racer is." Burnout admitted with maniacal glee.
"I do work hard to run a tight ship, Burnout. Next time, I suggest you get my permission before you decide to run off on one of your little… excursions." Steeljaw warned. He couldn't have his underlings come and go whenever they please.
"No worries, prince consort." Burnout slyly insulted the wolf like Destructicon's title. Fracture watched the ordeal with interest, thinking it would end in a pummeling session.
Steeljaw scowled. "That's lord to you." He corrected with a growl.
"Only if Shadowsaber takes a nose dive." Burnout said, pointing to Shadowsaber's frame on the berth.
Steeljaw growled more as he got in Burnout's face. "The day our lady emerges from stasis, I will be more than happy to give up the title. But I doubt that will ever happen. And something tells me that has something to do with the medical care quality around here." Steeljaw leaned away from Burnout and began to take his leave. "So carry on with the buffing. After all, we do want Shadowsaber looking her best for the memorial." He then departed from the medical lab.
Burnout watched him leave before raising his right arm as Fracture went back to buffing Shadowsaber. "How about I buff this instead?" He called out, pulling a Knock Out.
Decepticon Base
After their very satisfying win against Vince, Jack and Steelstrike drove to the silo. The two were in the hallway junction as Jack took off his helmet while Steelstrike transformed into bipedal mode. "Not a word to anyone." She stated.
"Our little secret." Jack assured her with a wink.
Steelstrike smirked at him before leaving for the command center. Jack was about to follow her, but Miko's voice stopped him. "Dude! Vroom, vroom, vroom! And the winner is…" She exclaimed.
Jack's blood went ice cold. "Miko, who told you?" He demanded with wide eyes.
Miko's face morphed into a dumbfounded look. "You kidding?" She asked in disbelief, then her face lit up. "It's all over school!" She threw her arms into the air. Jack began to panic.
"You beat the pants off that blowhard bully Vince." Raf added as he approached them.
Jack suddenly grabbed his friends and pulled them in. "You guys have to keep this on the D.L., especially from Megatron." He warned with a whisper and Raf nodded.
Jasper High School
Jack had tried his best to avoid anything related about his little win against Vince throughout the day. Speaking of Vince, Jack had not seen the bully at all during the day, which he found a little odd. Perhaps Vince was too embarrassed of losing? Jack wouldn't put it past him, since it would certainly tarnish Vince's 'reputation.'
Anyway, he had walked out the school's front when a voice made him stop in his tracks. "Hey, I've been looking for you." Sierra said after she came out of the doors, and Jack turned around to face her. "The race, how great was that? I was like, 'Yeah! Go Jack!'"
It took all of Jack's will not to blush. "It… i-i-it was no big deal." He shrugged.
"You got that right." Vince growled as he roughly bumped into Jack. The bully stood in front of Jack as he brushed his jacket off as Sierra gave Vince a slight glare. "If you think you can run with the big boys," He then pointed his index finger at Jack. "The circuit, tonight, eleven pm."
At a crossroad, Jack looked at Sierra, who gave him a pleading look.
"You agreed to what?" Steelstrike demanded heatedly as she drove down the street, Jack riding.
"I-it was some kind of secret racing club. I don't know. I-I had no choice. Sierra was standing right there." Jack defended.
Steelstrike mentally rolled her optics at Jack's poor explanation. "You always have a choice Jack. And what part of just this once did you not understand?"
"I know, I'm sorry. But we're on right?"
"You're as delusional as Shadowsaber was if you think we're on."
In the outskirts of Jasper, Burnout was driving down the road, once again sneaking off from the annoyingly watchful optics of Steeljaw. "Ay-yo Burnout. Steeljaw's havin' a fit about ya vanishin' again, where'd ya run off to this time?" Thunderhoof's voice came in through the radio.
"Out for a little tour of the scenery." Burnout answered. "I just drive from town to town, minding my own wee little business until…" He was cut off by the sound of a car horn. A modified car jetted past Burnout and dashed off, and the Destructicon medic beamed sadistically. "The next opportunity reveals itself." He purred before shifting into second gear and raced after the car, crossing into Jasper.
Decepticon Base
Jack walked into the lounging area of the command center, where Raf was playing a racing game on the TV. Since Steelstrike won't race a second time, he'd have to get another suitable Decepticon to help him win the circuit race. "Um, Raf?" Jack asked, getting the younger boy's attention, at the coast of him losing the virtual race, and the sounds of crashing could be heard from the TV. "Uh, is there any way I can borrow Quickbolt for an hour?" He asked nervously, pointing a thumb at the green and white mech.
"What do you need me for?" Quickbolt asked, and of course, Jack couldn't understand him.
"Jack, you know racing's against the rules. What if Megatron found out?" Raf reminded his friend, not wanting Jack to get in trouble.
Jack sighed in defeat. "But Raf, he's gotta get the girl." Miko told him, and Raf raised an eyebrow. "And beat the bully." She added.
"Well…" Raf trailed off in thought.
"Well, I'm always ready for a test of speed." Knock Out purred, having heard the conversation, and all eyes went to him.
"Seriously, Knock Out?" Breakdown asked his partner incredulously.
"I'm not only an automobile, I'm an automobile enthusiast." Knock Out crooned before directing his attention at Jack. "So, how 'bout it, Jack. Why don't we show this bully of yours some real horsepower?" Jack responded in a thankful smirk.
The Circuit
Night had fallen over Jasper. Modified vehicles from all over the small town had gathered in an old dried up ravine that will serve as the circuit. Owners of the modified vehicles showed off their rides, bragging about their performance and how they were going to win this race. Some girls that had shown up begged for rides around Jasper.
Suddenly, all eyes went to a red and white Aston Martin with golden rims that pulled in. Knock Out revved his engine loudly as he passed by the gazers. The Decepticon medic pulled up next to Vince's ride and rolled down the window, allowing Jack to bore his eyes into bully. Vince was shocked. He was expecting the silver motorcycle, not an Aston Martin. "Bike's in the shop." Jack answered Vince's unasked question. The latter half smirked in respect while the former glared.
"So that's the bully you kids talk about? He doesn't look so mean." Knock Out commented after he rolled up his window.
"Get to know him better and you'll change your mind real quick." Jack responded. He knew Vince better than most.
"Circuit drivers, are you ready?!" The announcer shout with his loud speaker as a redheaded girl walked in front of the cars. When Jack saw who it was, his jaw dropped as low as it could when he saw Sierra waving at him flirtatiously.
"Whoa, that's the girl Miko referred to back at base? You got good taste, Jackson Darby." Knock Out couldn't help but remark with a snicker as Jack blushed.
"Make it mean, but keep it clean! Fire 'em up in five, four, three…" Sierra raised her arms into the air. "Two…" But during the countdown, Jack and Knock Out failed to notice a familiar black and red exotic sports car coming in at the last second. "One!" Sierra threw her arms down and the racers blasted off past her at high speed with the sole intention of winning.
Jack and Vince were gunning for first place, but Knock Out easily out ran him effortlessly. Jack and the Decepticon medic had a good laugh at Vince's futile attempts to catch up.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Burnout chortled sinisterly when he spotted Knock Out.
Vince slammed his foot on the gas pedal, refusing to be second place. He almost yelped in surprise when Burnout pulled up alongside him mere inches away. Burnout swiped the front bumper, sending Vince spinning out of control before jetting for Knock Out.
"Oh scrap." Knock Out cursed upon seeing his pursuer.
"What's wrong, Knock Out?" Jack asked.
"Hold on tight, Jack. It's about to be a bumpy ride." Knock Out warned as Burnout gained on him.
"Why?" Jack nervously asked as he looked at the rear view mirror.
"That car tailgating us is Burnout." Knock Out said before he suddenly increased his speed, making Jack yelp in surprise.
The two vehicles then drove onto the hills of the ravine, with Burnout deploying a blaster that popped out of his hood before firing at Knock Out, who swerved around to avoid being hit. The Decepticon medic then made a left turn and flew out of the ravine, Burnout following.
"What the…" Vince asked himself, completely baffled at what he just saw.
Knock Out landed on the ground first before revving up his engine and took off, Burnout following behind, still shooting. "Can you lose him, Knock Out?" Jack asked desperately.
"Don't you worry, Jack. I have some tricks up my grill." Knock Out assured the teenager.
Jack sighed in relief. "I hope so, because I would really not want to call base for backup." Jack was already imagining Steelstrike's furious face. It made him shudder.
"We might have to, though." Knock Out said as he came up with a plan to shake off their pursuer.
Decepticon Base
Miko and Raf were still in the lounging area of the command center, playing their racing game as Breakdown and Quickbolt watched them play. It had been a while since Jack and Knock Out had left for the circuit and all was going well, until…
"Has anyone seen Jack?" Steelstrike asked as she walked into command center.
Miko and Raf visibly froze. "Not since… we last saw him." Miko said in an unconvincing tone.
Steelstrike scowled dangerously. "They're racing, aren't they?" It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"Just this once?" Raf said, pointing his index finger up.
"Did you two know about this?!" Steelstrike yelled at Breakdown and Quickbolt, and the two mechs instantly flinched.
"Me? Know about Jack and Knock Out sneaking off to race and impress a girl?" Breakdown stuttered nervously as Quickbolt rapidly nodded in agreement. Steelstrike can be quite intimidating when she's angry.
Steelstrike was about to yell at them more when a beeping halted that process. "Knock Out to base, sorry to interrupt whatever you're doing, but I'm being chased by Burnout!" The medic's voice came through the com-link.
"Burnout?" Raf repeated as he hopped off the couch.
"Sounds like a Destructicon." Miko said as she stood up on the couch, clenching her hand.
"Knock Out, do not engage! Your priority is to keep Jack safe!" Steelstrike decreed. "Until I get my hands on him." She grumbled the last sentence to herself as she headed out, Breakdown and Quickbolt followed her out.
Near the Circuit
Burnout was still giving chase, still firing his blasters at the fleeing Knock Out. "Eat this, Struct." With that line, the Decepticon medic released tar from his exhaust pipes, leaving a trail of it on the road. Burnout didn't notice the tar until he drove into it, causing him to spin out of control.
"Slick, Knock Out." Jack complimented with a smirk.
"I still got it." Knock Out crooned.
The Decepticon medic drove back into the ravine and backed up until he was underneath the bridge, then deactivated his headlights and silenced his engine. Meanwhile, Burnout had recovered from Knock Out's little trick and drove onto the bridge and came to a stop, unware his target was literally beneath him. After what seemed like an eternity, Burnout shifted gears and took off, continuing his search.
Down below, both Jack and Knock Out exhaled in relief when they heard Burnout's engine become more distant. "I think we lost him." Jack spoke. But then a familiar pair of headlights lit up Knock Out's interior. "Oh you gotta be kidding me." Jack groaned as Vince's car came to a stop. This is the last thing they need right now.
"Darby." Vince growled after he exited his vehicle and pounded his fist into his palm twice, slowly but surely making his way toward Knock Out.
"Vince! You have to get out of here!" Jack pleaded, knowing Vince was in danger. "You win, congratulations, alright?! Just go!"
Vince glared at Jack and slammed his fists on Knock Out's hood, and the Decepticon medic almost yelled out in anger, but resisted the urge to do so. "No, no. Start it up again, loser. We're finishing this race. Don't want to take it to the finish line? Fine! Then we got something to settle, right here, right no-" Vince didn't get to finish when a clawed servo suddenly reached down and snatched him, causing the hothead to let out a scream.
Burnout saw the headlights from Vince's car and came back. He tossed the bully into the air as he shifted into car mode. Vince dropped inside, landing in Burnout's passenger seat. Seatbelts came out and restrained him. "What's going on?!" Vince asked terrified as a prod emerged from Burnout's glove box. "What is…" The prod zapped Vince in the eyes, knocking him out cold.
Burnout revved up his engine before skidding off, just as Jack ran out from the ravine. The only thing he could do was watch as Burnout took off down the road with Vince as a hostage.
"Fracture, you'll never guess what I'm shipping." Burnout hissed gleefully into com-link while eyeing the unconscious Vince. "Knock Out's pet human, and when the Decepticon attempts to stage a rescue…"
"He falls for the trap, hook, line, and sinker." Fracture cackled.
Jack stared down the road in horror, berating himself for agreeing to this. If he hadn't, Vince wouldn't be on his way to the Prowler, where Steeljaw would do who knows what to him. Vince maybe a bully, but not even he deserves to be tortured by the Destructicons. "Knock Out, he's getting away!" Jack exclaimed as the mech in question drove out of the ravine.
"Help's on the way, Jackie." Knock Out explained.
Sure enough, Steelstrike, Quickbolt, and Breakdown drove up and came to a halt, and all four Decepticons shifted to bipedal mode. "Jack, we need to have a chat." Steelstrike chided, placing a servo on her hips.
"Later, Steelstrike. Vince got snatched by that slick, sports car Struct!" Jack said, pointing in the direction Burnout went.
"What would Burnout want with a random human?" Steelstrike asked, confused.
"My guess? Burnout took Vince as my human friend. Ha, as if." Knock Out scoffed.
"That doesn't matter! Vince is in trouble!" Jack shouted.
"Oh well, tough luck for Vince." Breakdown shrugged casually and all eyes went to him. What was that word human's use? Karma.
"Breakdown!" Jack exclaimed, aghast that Breakdown shrugged the situation off.
"What? From what I heard the guy's a jerk." Breakdown defended.
"Okay, no argument there, but the guy is also innocent. Vince doesn't deserve to be crushed by Structs." Jack shot back, guilt washing over him.
Steelstrike stared down at Jack for a few seconds before changing into motorcycle mode. "Hop on." She revved up her engine.
Decepticon Base
Raf and Miko were at the computer terminals, waiting for the others to call and give good news. That was over an hour ago, and Raf was becoming more worried as time went on. "They should have called by now! Do you think Quickbolt is okay?" The young boy stressed.
"Don't worry, Raf. Breakdown won't let anything happen to Jack or Quickbolt." Miko assured him, envisioning Breakdown pummeling Burnout.
However, they stiffened when they heard heavy footsteps coming into the command center. They looked in that direction and saw Megatron. "We should just tell Megatron the truth." Raf whispered.
"Absolutely not." Miko shot that thought down. "We made a deal. Just act completely normal."
"Rafael, Miko." Megatron began, earning the two teens attention. "Do you either of you know where Knock Out, Quickbolt, Breakdown, and Steelstrike have gone?"
"Why no, sir. We do not know." Miko responded in robotic tone.
"Miko is correct. We do not know." Raf added nervously.
"Why would we know?" Miko finished.
"Hmm." Megatron raised an optic ridge, signaling that he did not at all buy their answer.
Jasper
The hunt for Burnout brought the four Decepticons and Jack to an older section of the town. The four came to a stop at an intersection, just as Burnout jetted past them, going down the street. Jack' head perked up when he recognized the vehicle. Steelstrike revved up her engine and darted down the street, Knock Out, Breakdown, and Quickbolt following her. "Looks like Knock Out brought some friends." Burnout observed. He then made a sharp right turn and disappeared into lot.
"On your guard, boys. It could be a trap." Steelstrike warned as they slowed their speed.
"And remember, no shooting." Jack pleaded. Knock Out, Breakdown, and Quickbolt pulled up ahead as Steelstrike pulled over.
"Speaking of safety, here's where you get off." She said. Jack hopped off and watched his guardian join the others.
A chain link fence with a searing hole told Knock Out, Breakdown, and Quickbolt they were on track. They shifted into bipedal mode and activated their weapons as they went in cautiously. Steelstrike scaled a nearby water tower and perched herself at the top, allowing her to get a better view of her companions.
The three Decepticons had their optics roaming the lot, looking for anything that resembled Burnout. A pair of high beams got their attention and a laser bolt shot out of a nearby wall, crumbling it. Fracture, Thunderhoof, and Glowstrike came charging out of the dust, with Thunderhoof doing a downward punch. Breakdown, Knock Out, and Quickbolt jumped out of the way, making Thunderhoof hit the pavement instead. The Stunticon tackled his rival down into the pavement as Fracture went for Quickbolt and Glowstrike for Knock Out.
Thunderhoof kicked Breakdown off him and hastily stood up. Thunderhoof clenched his servos into fists and threw them at his rival, but Breakdown caught them and the two engaged in a contest of strength. Breakdown head butted Thunderhoof in the face but grabbing him by the antlers and slammed him back into the pavement before kicking his rival away. With a hateful snarl, Thunderhoof got back up and charged Breakdown again.
Fracture had deployed his hand blades and performed a spin slash at Quickbolt, who ducked under and retaliated with a punch to the chest plate. Annoyed, Fracture swung his blade horizontally, nicking the side of Quickbolt's helm. Not giving his enemy time, Fracture kicked Quickbolt in the chest plate, making the young Decepticon stumble back. Fracture attempted a forward lunge, but Quickbolt had composed himself and swerved out of the way to avoid being stabbed in the spark chamber. The Decepticon scout threw three punches, two to Fracture's chest plate, and one to his face plate before following with a backflip kick, causing Fracture to crash into a warehouse.
Glowstrike fired laser bolts out of her servos at Knock Out, who zig zagged around to avoid being hit, but there were a lot. Knock Out finally got close enough and threw a left hook, hitting Glowstrike in the face plate. Glowstrike spread her claws and slashed at Knock Out, leaving scratches on his finish. The medic glanced at them briefly. Nothing the old buffer couldn't fix. Glowstrike, on the other hand, was thoroughly surprised. From what she's heard about her opponent, Knock Out cares very much about his paint job, even the slightest scratches could set him off. Knock Out took advantage of Glowstrike's distraction and punched her square in the face plate.
Burnout watched the entire fight with interest. Vince was still unconscious and the seat belts were still wrapped around him. But then he noticed something. There were only three Decepticons, not four. "Wait, where's the two wheeler?"
As if on cue, Steelstrike landed on top of Burnout's roof and delivered a potent punch to his hood. "OW! HEY! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Burnout snarled before taking off, leaving his companions behind with Steelstrike balancing herself on him.
Jack was still waiting, growing anxious with each laser bolt and crash he heard. Screeching tires snapped him back to reality. Steelstrike was riding Burnout, delivering rapid punches. The Destructicon took a sharp, tossing Steelstrike off, who wasting no time in converting to motorcycle mode and gave chase. "That's my girl." Jack boasted proudly.
Meanwhile, Breakdown and Thunderhoof were still fighting. Glowstrike and Fracture were out cold. Breakdown back handed Thunderhoof, Knock Out came in and threw a left hook at his partner's rival, and Quickbolt finished off with a backflip kick. Thunderhoof was down and out. "Uh, Fracture, Thunderhoof, Glowstrike, in case you three are looking for me, I took off. I got this blasted two wheeler riding my rear." Burnout's voice causally said through the three unconscious Structs. The three Decepticons smirked at each other in victory before they changed into vehicle mode and drove off.
Meanwhile, Burnout was putting mettle to the pedal as Steelstrike zeroed in on him, getting closer and closer… then Burnout accelerated, leaving Steelstrike behind. She growled in defeated but refused to give up.
"See ya later, two wheeler." Burnout taunted maliciously. He was home free… or so he thought.
The sound of an engine startled him. Out of nowhere, Megatron in his cybertronian jet mode rammed into Burnout, causing him to spin out of control until he was stuck halfway in a ditch. He attempted to gain some traction, but to no avail.
Megatron transformed into bipedal mode midair and landed on the earth, the force of his landing caused the ground to shake slightly before cautiously approaching Burnout. "Megatron, Burnout has a hostage." Steelstrike informed her leader.
"Understood." Megatron replied simply before lifting Burnout by the back bumper. He ripped off Burnout's door, earning a screech of pain before reaching in and pulling Vince out, completing the objective.
Burnout escaped Megatron's grip and transformed. He looked at the de-paneled arm, then glared fiercely at the Decepticon leader. "Do you have any idea how much that hurt?!" Burnout snarled. But he then saw the other Decepticons approaching the scene. Knowing his was outnumbered, Burnout transformed and jetted off at high speed, engine working double time.
Breakdown, Quickbolt, and Steelstrike converted into bipedal mode. Knock Out's driver side window lowered, revealing Jack. "Megatron, this is was my fault."
"We must get this boy to safety at once. Explanations can come later… from all of you." Megatron stated. He didn't need to yell to show that he was angry. It was evident in his facial expression, and there was a deepness to his voice. Breakdown, Quickbolt, and Steelstrike lowered their helms in shame as Knock Out quietly sighed sadly.
Later, Vince finally awoke with a groan. He slowly opened his eyes, then looked around in alarm when he found himself in Jack's ride. "What? What happened?" Vince asked, desperately trying to remember.
"Some guys jumped you under the bridge. They tossed you into their trunk. It must have been some kind of initiation." Jack explained with a lie. He had enough time to come up with a good cover story.
"Really?" Vince asked, baffled.
"Yeah, I found you knocked out by the side of the road." Jack answered, and Knock Out almost blurted out in laughter at the use of his name in a pun. The Decepticon medic came to a halt at the bridge, where Vince's muscle car was still parked, allowing the hothead to get out. "Look, I got to be honest. After what I saw tonight, I think racing just isn't my thing."
"I hear ya, Darby." Vince began as he leaned down to peer in. "Hard to win a race driving a pedal car." Jack expected that.
Knock Out slammed down on the gas pedal and took off, leaving Vince coughing in the smoke. "You were right, Jack. He is a jerk." The Decepticon medic grumbled before driving back to base, both he and Jack preparing themselves for the scolding Megatron had no doubt planned for them.
The Prowler
"Burnout! Do you have a malfunction in your audio receptors?!" A furious Steeljaw roared as he stormed down the bridge toward Burnout. Thunderhoof, Fracture, and Glowstrike watched the ordeal with bated breath. "You went off on your own without my permission again!" The wolf like Destructicon finished, pointing a digit at the black and red mech.
"My mistake, Commander Steeljaw. But I've learned my lesson, and paid the price." Burnout said, looking the arm where the door Megatron ripped off was supposed to be.
"Oh, no, no, no." Steeljaw purred ominously as he stalked up to Burnout. "You don't have a say in when you have paid, I do." He raised a razor sharp digit, and Burnout flinched. "I think this will be a most suitable punishment for you." The claw glistened as Steeljaw inched it closer and closer.
"No, not that, anything but that!" Burnout begged. Thunderhoof, Fracture, and Glowstrike cringed as the sound of harsh metal scraping and Burnout's wails of pain ripped into their audio receptors. "NOOOOOOOO!"
Jasper High School
To Jack's surprise, there was no talk of the circuit race throughout the day. School had ended, and the weekend had arrived. Jack was walking toward Steelstrike when a voice made him stop. "So Jack… do you have time for that ride?" Sierra asked.
Jack's face fell when he remembered what Steelstrike said about not being his wingman. "Uh… I'm sorry, Sierra, but not today."
"No problem. I guess I'll see you around." Sierra replied before turning around and walked off.
Jack hung his head low and sighed. "Hop on." Steelstrike whispered, and Jack's face lit up.
"Whoa, for real?"
"Just this once."
Not long after, Steelstrike drove up the road, Jack and Sierra riding.
As always, thank you for reading! Until next time, have an awesome day!