The Return of the Thylacine
Disclaimer: Transformers are the copyright of Hasbro and Takara. This work of fiction is written solely for entertainment purposes and is not intended for profit.
Author's Note(s): This story is dedicated in memory of Benjamin, the last known living thylacine who died on September 7th, 1936 at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart, Tasmania.
This story follows Season 2 of the G1 Transformers, but should also be considered AU for several reasons:
1: The setting is modern day instead of the 1980s. Some liberties have been taken.
2: Some concepts from later renditions such as the All Spark and Primus will be acknowledged.
3: The elements and subject matter of the story will deal with mature themes that would not be found in a series targeted at children.
Chapter 4: Prime and Punishment
Ratchet had his hands full in the infirmary. Beachcomber had only superficial scratches and didn't need to be hospitalized. Tracks proved fairly easy to treat since he was still under heavy sedation. His left leg sustained some damage from enemy fire, although fortunately, it was mostly external. Sunstreaker's injuries were a little more serious, but considering he took two direct blasts from Megatron's arm cannon, not as bad as they could have been. Ratchet applied a bonding substance designed to regenerate cybertronian skin, and covered the inflicted areas with energon bandages. The medic couldn't hold back laughter about the lamborghini getting shot in the Cybertronian equivalent of the 'butt'. Then there was Optimus Prime, who proved to be the most difficult patient of all. He came in complaining about a headache, which turned out to be another migraine triggered by stress.
"Even leaders need to look after their health," Ratchet scolded. "And you're gonna rest." He scanned the autobot leader's brain module.
"I'll be fine." Prime protested stubbornly.
Ratchet folded his arms. "My word is law in this infirmary. You're staying overnight!" He forced Prime to lie down and applied an energon compress to help the autobot leader's migraine.
"Consider yourself lucky you didn't get shot in the aft!" growled Sunstreaker from the bed next to them. He was lying on his stomach and not too happy about it.
Ratchet sighed. "Relax. You'll be up and moving in a day or so. Either Megatron had shitty aim today or you're one hell of a lucky autobot."
"Pfft! Whatever," Sunstreaker complained.
The medic ignored the sulking lamborghini and moved on to bandaging Tracks' leg. "Again, you're both pretty damn lucky."
"I wonder," said Optimus from his bed.
"Damn it, Prime! More resting, less thinking!" cried Ratchet, getting increasingly frustrated.
"Fine, but hear me out. Is it a coincidence for three autobots against thrice as many Decepticons and make it out with relatively minor injuries?"
Ratchet pondered the idea. "You've got a point. Sunstreaker, what do you think?"
Sunstreaker grumbled, "I'll tell you what I think. I think you both should shut up so I can get some sleep! At least Tracks has the right idea."
Ratchet face palmed. "That's different. I put Tracks under because he was in emotional distress."
"That's an understatement. The dude went berserk when Megatron tried to murder that kid, Kota," commented Sunstreaker.
Optimus sat up. "I am relieving Tracks of duty until further notice."
"Prime! Lie back down, now! Don't make me come over there!" shouted Ratchet.
Sunstreaker yawned. "Today started off so kickass. Those kids massaged us with this awesome organic wax. I ain't never looked so good as I did during the car show."
"Wax!" exclaimed Optimus as he lied back down. "You might have something there."
Ratchet took deep breaths. "Okay," he said, "We can revisit that theory later. Now both of you go to sleep before I blow a gasket!."
Sunstreaker closed his optics as Optimus did the same.
The medic turned out the lights and went to power down for the night.
Morning came dull and overcast. The rain ended sometime during the night. Optimus yawned and stretched his stiff joints. Ratchet was there bright and early to check on him. The medic nodded and permitted him to get up. Prime was migraine free and ready for his morning energon. He walked out of the infirmary and went to Teletraan 1. Beachcomber was already awake and using the computer to watch the local news. He waved to Prime and offered him some liquid energon.
"Thanks," said the leader as he joined the geologist.
All the talking heads talking about the events from yesterday. Theories were buzzing about the Decepticons working together with the protesters. Prime rejected that idea. He was of the opinion that the Decepticons used them as a diversion to get inside undetected. Sunstreaker mentioned Tracks saying they couldn't pick them up on their sensors, and the lamborghini witnessed at least two of the Stunticons disguised their appearances. Prime shook his head when Mr. Thayer was being interviewed by a reporter about the disappearance of the two interns and the missing thylacine. When asked about the Decepticons and whether or not the abduction of his chief researcher and the Kagayaku Motors engineers was related, he became irritated and said, "No comment!"
Beachcomber looked deep in thought. He pondered over the thylacine. He was almost positive he was able to learn some of her language, but he needed more time to listen and download her vocalizations to his translator. "Prime," he spoke quietly, "We shouldn't return her to that man."
"I hold your love for the Earth's creatures in high regard, Beachcomber," Optimus replied, "But I'm not sure if that's how I want to proceed-at least not until I speak with Dyani and Kota."
"I see," acknowledged Beachcomber, "I don't think she wants to go back. Last night I recorded part of her language. Not a lot, but I think she is asking us for help."
Prime put his hands on Beachcomber's shoulders. "Perhaps, she is. The Institute is looking for her and may have installed a tracking system. Wake Perceptor and see if you can locate and disable it for now. Not just for the animal's sake, but we need to protect those kids."
Kota's eyes opened to the massive cathedral-like openness of the Arc. They were taken to the area used by the Witwicky's as their living quarters. The Witwickys gave up their beds to them and settled for air mattresses. Kota stood up and noticed Dyani still asleep. He noted she looked more peaceful then last night. When Optimus Prime arrived, Dyani had been passed out in Sparkplug's arms. Kota felt bad for her. Although he was still getting used to the autobots, he had warmed up to them, especially Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. He remembered the former going away with a white robot with red accents-the doctor. Sunstreaker got hurt because of him. Sideswipe assured Kota that his twin bro would be okay.
The boy showered and dressed himself in the t-shirt and shorts Spike had given him. They were too baggy, but at least they were clean. After dressing, he decided to let the others sleep and go exploring about the place. There were robots everywhere either consuming some weird glowing substance or engaged with some activity. A handful were standing around watching a huge monitor-probably a television or a computer? It seemed otherworldly to witness robots behaving similar to humans.
A large red robot with a white face stooped down. "What's happening?" he spoke in a slightly electronic voice. "I'm Blaster!" He extended a hand.
Kota's eyes got big as he shok Blaster's index finger. His fears were starting to dissipate the more he observed the autobots. One would occasionally glance his way, but none of them seemed interested in harming him. Thinking about that brought images of that scary silver robot. Kota reminded himself these robots weren't like that guy. He felt Blaster tilt his head up.
"You okay, my dude?" asked Blaster..
Kota nodded. "Yeah. Just still kind of messed up."
"It's all good," said Blaster, "How about some tunes?" He transformed into a much smaller retro-style boombox. "What's your poison?"
"Can you play any Depeche Mode?" requested Kota.
"I can play anything playing over the radio," Blaster scanned and detected one of their tunes on a California radio station. He played it much to the boy's delight.
"So dope!" cried Kota.
Optimus Prime was pleased to see the young man's spirits lifted. I am glad to see Kota is beginning to trust us. He thought. I only hope Dyani can do the same.
Kota acknowledged Prime and bowed to him in Japanese-style. Without thinking, he addressed the large robot in his native language. "Ohayōgozaimasu, Oputimasupuraimu-san. Kyō wa genkidesu ka?" he asked. (Good morning, Optimus Prime. How are you today?)
"Watashi wa totemo genkidesu yo. Arigatōgozaimashita, Kota-san" the Autobot leader responded in Japanese. (I am doing very well. Thank you, Kota.)
The boy's mouth dropped open. "You can understand both English and Japanese?"
Prime nodded. "I do. We Autobots understand many of Earth's languages, but we usually speak in our own language. What you are hearing is my language being translated into your tongue through a built-in universal translation system."
Kota's head was filled with curiosity. There was so much he wanted to know about the Autobots. "How come you can turn into cars like something out of the Super Sentai shows I used to watch back in Japan?"
"Super Sentai?" asked Prime.
"It's a genre of tv shows popular in Japan. They call them Power Rangers in The States. They usually have superhero teams that power vehicles that turn robots that fight giant monsters," Kota explained.
Optimus nodded, although didn't quite comprehend the concept other than being something on television. "We are not robots in the same way that you humans understand them. We are in fact living beings from a distant world called Cybertron-Cybertronians. Transformation is a mechanism we possess so that we can blend in with technology on whatever planet we are on. Inside of me is something called a transformation cog. It is what makes this possible. A few Cybertronians like Blaster are able to shift their mass, but most of us scan and select a form comparable to our natural size. That is why I become a semi-truck."
"And the reason why Sunstreaker transforms into a Countach?" questioned Kota.
"Precisely," said Prime as he carefully lifted Kota up to his eye-level. "We can talk more later. Would you like to see Sunstreaker?"
Kota nodded. He sat cross-legged in Oprimus' palm as they walked to the infirmary. He decided he really liked the Autobots. He loved all things space and sci-fi-related, and these were alien robots from a distant planet. They entered a large room filled with sophisticated technology and a series of platforms large enough to accommodate giant robots. Sunstreaker was lying on one.
Optimus walked to Sunstreaker's bed and carefully sat Kota on the edge. "I see your wounds are healing well," he commented.
Sunstreaker shrugged. "Yeah, well, I just wish I was able to get discharged. Just wait till I get my hands on that Megatron! I'll shoot him up the aft and see how he likes it!"
"Hang in there," Prime said with encouragement.
Kota moved near Sunstreaker. "Thanks for saving my life."
"Don't worry about it, kid," said Sunstreaker. "I've been through way worse."
Prime chuckled a little. "Kota, stay here and keep Sunstreaker company. I've appointed him to be your bodyguard while you remain with us."
Kota nodded. He moved close to Sunstreaker. His stomach growled, making him aware of how hungry he was.
"I'm sorry, Kota," Optimus Prime. "I should have realized you hadn't eaten since yesterday. I'll make sure we have some food brought for you. Later we'll have some clothing and supplies for you and Dyani. Anything you need. I need to take care of some things. Ratchet, will you be discharging Tracks today?"
"Probably. He should be able to walk just fine."
Prime gave a nod and turned his back to them. With reluctance in his voice, the leader replied, "Tell him to meet me in the control room when he wakes up."
The medic nodded grimly. Even Sunstreaker seemed aware of the gravity in Prime's tone. They watched him walk away in heavy silence.
"Is Prime okay?" Kota asked, finally breaking the silence. He noticed a midnight blue autobot with a vermillion face resting in the bed across from them. Tracks? Did that mean this robot was Dyani's corvette? The boy's memories were fuzzy, but he seemed to recall seeing him too fighting the Decepticons.
Sunstreaker propped himself up. "He's fine. Sometimes a leader's gonna worry about stuff." He studied the kid. "Guess I'm a glorified babysitter. As if I had nothing better to do."
Kota bowed his head. "I'm sorry. You're in here because of me."
"Look kid-Kota, or whatever your name is, there's a few things we need to get straight. First off, stop apologizing. Getting hurt happens sometimes. It's part of the job. Secondly, where the hell is your confidence?"
"I don't have none," the boy admitted, "It's kind of hard when people don't get you."
Sunstreaker looked at him weird. "You're a human. What's not to get?"
Kota sighed. "I was born a girl, but I identify as a boy. Some people think I'm a freak."
The lamborghini turned Kota so that their eyes and optics met. "Now you listen to me. Fuck them! My kind ain't even born with a sex, but many still identify as genders. I'm a male and you're a male. If anyone tells you that you're not who you are-tell them to fuck off!"
Arms threw themselves around Sunstreaker's neck. He shrugged and accepted the affection. He decided maybe Kota was an okay human. He heard the kid say, "You're right. Why should I care what they think?"
Sunstreaker grinned. "That's the spirit. We're badasses and don't you forget that!"
"Ooooohhhhh my poor head," a voice groaned from the other bed. Tracks was waking up and feeling hung over from the lingering effects of the sleeping drug. He was also somewhat disoriented. Ratchet reached out to steady him. "Take it easy, Tracks. Give it time to wear off.."
It took Tracks around an hour to become fully awake. Ratchet checked his leg before assisting him to his feet. He observed Tracks walking a short distance before officially discharging him. "You're fine to move about, but don't think I'm giving you permission to go out joyriding. Keep that energon bandage on the wound until tomorrow. I'll have some more infusions made up later to help speed your recovery."
Tracks nodded, but his whole demeanor seemed apathetic. He started to leave when Ratchet called back to him, "Before I forget, Optimus Prime wants you to report to him." The corvette tensed up. He couldn't remember anything about yesterday, but judging by the Ratchet's tone, it wasn't good.
The corvette dreaded the walk to the control room. Inside Prime was observing Powerglide and Cosmos reporting while on patrol. "Tracks," he said without turning, "Close the door and wait until I'm ready for you." Tracks obeyed and stood in silence until Prime turned around.
Prime approached Tracks and looked at him with sincerity. "Tracks, you know how much I care for my fellow autobots. Your compassion for humankind is admirable. Therefore, it pains me to come to this decision. Due to recent circumstances and your behavior, I have no choice but to remove you from active duty. I'm sorry…"
Tracks bowed his head. Glints streamed down his optics. He turned and walked away without a word. Optimus tried to reach out only to have the corvette slap his hand away. Tracks went through the Arc, paying no mind to other autobots whose sensors seemed to pick up on the dark clouds that surrounded him. He disappeared inside the barracks and converted to alt-mode.
Darkness surrounded Dyani as she wandered through her dreams. She walked around that black abyss for what seemed hours until her eyes focused on a light. It was faint at first and slowly grew in size until it enveloped the silhouette of a black shape of a quadruped ghost-creature surrounded by golden flames. Its eyes glowed the same color and focused directly on the girl. It uttered something intelligible to her and turned away towards another figure shrouded in blackness. The shape suggested it was robotic in nature. Fear gripped Dyani as her subconscious registered the band of robots that attacked the van. The ghost-creature turned back to the girl and started running towards her.
Dyani woke up to the sound of footsteps and the sound of plastic hitting the floor. She stretched in bed and pulled the blanket close to her. Everyone else was gone, except for a blonde girl somewhat close to her in age. Dyani recognized her as Carly, the girlfriend of Spike Witwicky.
"Good morning," she said, "I've brought you some clothes and something to eat. The autobots install showers and other facilities if you need them."
Autobots! Dyani's head hurt. She became aware of the massiveness of the place. The walls were made of some copper-colored material that looked like nothing she had ever seen before. She thought about the talking truck and Sparkplug saying they had Kota. Where was Kota, and Benni? Dyani jumped out of bed and looked around frantically for her friend. "Kota? Where's Kota?" She dashed past Carly and nearly bumped into a column of blue metal. Her eyes gazed up following it to a silver body decked out with a blue head. The girl backed away, and lost her balance.
"Steady there," the robot emitted with a relaxed voice as he caught her, "It's me, Beachcomber."
Carly leaned in. "It's okay, Dyani. He won't hurt you."
Dyani trembled, but dared to look up at the blue robot. "Beachcomber?" she asked with increasing comprehension. "The dune buggy?"
"That's right," he said, kneeling down to the humans' level, "I prefer peace over fighting. I'm a geologist." He extended a hand. "It's nice to finally say hello."
The girl mustered up enough courage to shake hands with Beachcomber.
Carly smiled. "You can trust the Autobots. They're good guys."
"Where are my friends?" asked Dyani.
Beachcomber smiled. "They're fine. Kota's hanging out with Sunstreaker. He's the golden lamborghini. The thylacine is sleeping in the crate Wheeljack and I made for her."
"You mean, the cars we detailed for the car show were robots?" Dyani pondered, "The lamborghini and the corvette?"
The geologist emitted a hearty laugh. "All robots. We're also sentient beings. We can think and feel just like you. We even have our own culture and language."
Dyani slowly approached Beachcomber. His eyes reminded her of sunglasses with a blue tint to them. She reached out to touch his face. The Autobot didn't seem to mind her curiosity. He patiently allowed her to examine him. She was genuinely astonished. "It's metal, but in some ways it feels like living tissue."
The geologist laughed. "That's because it is. As I said, I am alive."
Dyani managed a little smile. She realized she liked Beachcomber. She wondered what the other two looked like. Sunstreaker was the lamborghini and the corvette was Tracks? Whoo boy…things just got really awkward. She thought. I called that Stingray sexy and it heard that…but to be fair, I didn't know it was a robot. She tried to conceal her embarrassment by saying, "I need to freshen up and get something to eat."
Beachcomber stood back up. "That sounds like a good idea. First, Carly, did you get anything for the thylacine?"
"They're relatives of the Tasmanian devil. I know zoos feed them small mammals and fish. The latter was easiest to get without raising suspicion, so I hope it'll do," she said.
"Benni does eat fish. She'll just have to make do until…" Her words trailed off. She started to worry. "What are you going to do with us?"
Beachcomber put his hand on Dyani's shoulder. "For now we're going to keep you safe. Optimus Prime is busy planning our next move. For now, don't worry about things. When you're ready, I'll give you a tour of the place."
Carly led Dyani to the showers. They were of normal size and design for a human, much to her relief. She removed the oversized t-shirt and stepped under the running hot water. It felt wonderful on her naked skin, but she frowned when she noticed the bruises on her torso from where Dr. Patel had thrown her. She hated him more than ever. At least now they were away from that bastard. Maybe being around giant robots for a change wasn't so bad-at least some of them. She massaged shampoo into her hair and decided to push all bad thoughts out of her head. When clean, she stepped out with a towel wrapped around herself and stood in front of a mirror to comb out her hair. Afterward, she dressed herself in some of the clothes Carly provided-undergarments, a sweater, skinny jeans, and a pair of flats. Not her typical style, but she was grateful nonetheless.
Beachcomber was waiting for her. "Do you trust me enough to give you a ride?"
"I guess so," she answered, expecting him to transform, but he instead carefully sat her on his shoulder.
"This way you get an Autobot's view of things," he said with a laugh, "Hang on."
Dyani noticed Carly was gone. "Where's Carly?" she asked.
"Oh, she went out with Spike and Bumblebee," he explained. "He's one of the smallest autobots, but don't let his size fool you."
Beachcomber showed Dyani around the base and introduced her to other robots of varying size and appearance. Each acknowledged her briefly and returned to whatever they were doing. They walked by the barracks. He explained this was where they powered down for the night or whenever they needed to sleep. It was empty, except for a car. It was the corvette. It looked a little worse for wear than she remembered, but there was no mistaking that gorgeous blue color and that sic flame decal on the hood.
"Pardon me, Tracks," Beachcomber whispered. "Did Ratchet just release you from the infirmary."
The corvette made no response other than shift himself so that his back was to them. It was evident he wanted no part in any conversation.
The dune buggy frowned and walked away with Dyani. When they were some distance away, he apologized on Tracks' behalf, "He's had a terrible time lately."
Dyani looked curiously at him. "Is he okay? Do robots even have sexes?"
Beachcomber chose to be selective with his answer. "Personal tragedy," he said. "As for your other question, no, we are asexual by nature. However, we sometimes do identify ourselves by gender. Many of the Autobots currently on Earth are male or agender."
"But females exist?"
"Of course there are and sometimes we can decide to be fluid with our identities. It's up to the robot and how they feel in their spark."
Dyani was filled with confusion. She gave Beachcomber a head tilt.
"Spark is what gives us life," he went on to explain. "It's like what you humans call a soul. but it's more complicated than that. Our legends say each spark is a little part of Primus, our creator. But I think I'll save that for another time."
They headed into the infirmary. Ratchet was away in a meeting with Prime, Wheeljack, and Perceptor. Sunstreaker was propped up with Sideswipe sitting beside him and Kota seated on the edge of the bed. It became apparent they were using one of the portable monitors to play a video game. Spike had donated his console to help keep Kota and the injured Autobot entertained. They were engaged in a fighting game, one both Dyani and Kota played often, the latter being far better at pulling off technical combos.
Sideswipe seemed particularly invested in the bout. "Better watch out, bro. You're gonna get your ass handed to you."
"Shut up!" shouted Sundtreaker, trying to focus. He cursed when his character's health bar was depleted.
"Told ya so," Sideswipe laughed.
Sunstreaker jumped up to punch him, only to wince with pain. "Owww! Damn it!" he cursed.
Kota set the controller down. "Let's take a break."
"Sounds good," said Sunstreaker, "Hey Sideswipe, make yourself useful and fetch me some enerjon and see if there's any human food for Kota."
Beachcomber approached. "I'll take care of it." He set Dyani down on the bed next to Kota. Both friends hugged each other. "I'll be back soon."
Sunstreaker snorted. "Yeah, let's all congregate on my bed."
Kota chuckled. "Dyani, this is Sunstreaker and that's his brother, Sideswipe. They're both pretty dope."
Sideswipe leaned over to get a better look at Dyani. "So what does dope mean?"
Dyani was amused. "It's Kota's way of saying you're amazing."
"Jeez, bro, you seriously need to brush up on your human slang," Sunstreaker chided, "Even I know that."
Sideswipe put Sunstreaker into a headlock. "Yeah? Wanna knuckle sandwich?"
Kota laughed at the lambros acting like typical siblings. Dyani just shook her head. Beachcomber returned with energon and human food and drinks. Optimus Prime and Ratchet followed behind.
"Ahem!" scolded Ratchet, looking directly at both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. "Stop horseplaying. This is an infirmary, not a fraternity!"
"Killjoy," Sideswipe hissed under his breath.
The medic remained unphased. "So sue me! It's time for Sunstreaker's treatment."
Dyani gazed up at Optimus Prime. He was the largest robot she had seen so far, and definitely the most intimidating. She studied his color scheme, realizing it was an exact match with the truck. She backed slowly towards Beachcomber.
Prime's eyes gazed back at her. He pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down. "Greetings, my friend," he said directly to Dyani. "I am glad that we can finally get properly acquainted." His voice was deep, yet very kind.
"Me too," Dyani stammered. "Can…I get a better look at your face?"
The large autobot nodded and gently lifted her up with his massive hand, taking great care so as not to harm her. The blue of his optics gave off a gentleness that made him seem less scary. He allowed the girl to reach out and touch his silver mouthplate. "You really won't hurt us?" he heard her ask.
"We won't hurt you," Optimus reaffirmed. "I want to offer you our help. In order to do that, there is much we need to talk about."
He gently returned Dyani to her spot next to Kota. "First, shall we have some dinner. Energon for us and something you Earthlings call pizza for you."
Kota grinned. "Energon is what they eat and drink."
"It's also what we use for medicine, kid" Ratchet added as he finished covering Sunstreaker's injuries with new dressings and injected him with an infusion. "Speaking of which, Sunstreaker, as long as you continue to be a darling patient, I'll discharge you in the morning."
"Darling? I ain't nobody's darling!" huffed the lamborghini. He was looking forward to getting the hell away from Ratchet.
Everyone laughed except for the patient. He rested an annoyed head in one hand and glared at them.
The cybertronians drank glowing blue liquid from cubes while the humans consumed the pizza and drank soda. It was an interesting meal with each lifeform observing each others' cultural differences in dining etiquette. When they had finished, Optimus drew his chair closer to the humans.
"Okay," he said, "I understand this may be difficult for you, but it is important that you both tell me what happened yesterday." He had concern in his voice.
Each human gave his and hers account of what had happened to them. Optimus listened carefully without interruption, and only gave an occasional nod. He took all of their words into careful consideration. He narrowed his optics with anger upon hearing about Dr. Patel's threatening them.
"Does he usually treat you like this?" he inquired, making it a point not to hide his anger.
Dyani nodded. "Oh yeah," she said. "Although yesterday it reached the boiling point when he pulled out that gun."
Kota's fists clenched. "I want to kill that bastard!"
Prime touched his shoulder and said, "Revenge is never the answer, Kota. I do suspect karma may come back to bite him as you humans say."
Dyani hugged Kota. "We're away from that psycho. Prime, you can't give Benni back or let them sell off the other thylacines."
Kota fought back tears. "What about my dad? Why did those other robots take him?"
"Those robots are the Decepticons. Like us Autobots, they are always looking for energy sources. The difference between us is they will seek it without regard to your kind. I suspect Megatron-that is their leader. I suspect he may be planning to use the Kagayaku Motors engineers to harness energon through their renewable hydrogen technology." said the autobot leader. "And I've come to a decision. We will help you rescue them. Then there is the decision concerning your thylacine, Benni. I will not give her back to the institute. We will try to recover the others if we can. As I have said many times, freedom is the right of all sentient beings."
The young adults couldn't contain themselves as they both hugged the Optimus Prime, nearly falling off the bed platform in the process. Prime steadied them. "There is one other matter I wish to discuss-that of your car wax."
"I came up with the recipe," said Kota, blushing as he rubbed the back of his head. "What about it?"
Sunstreaker perked up. "You're still going on about that wax, Prime?"
"Yes I am," he said. "Because it may have saved your life. Beachcomber provided a sample for Perceptor, Wheeljack and myself. The wax has a curious effect on Cybertronian metal. It bonds with it to form a protective layer. That would explain a lot."
"Wax armor!?" questioned Sunstreaker. With a smirk, he rubbed the top of Kota's head. "You are a genius, Bro! Now we can kick more ass with style!"
"I need me some of that!" Sideswipe shouted with enthusiasm. .
Optimus nodded. "The Decepticons have new tricks up their sleeves. I think we should have our own."
"That would be gucci," said Kota. "But we lost all of our supplies to make it."
Beachcomber stood up. "Don't be so sure. Prime, we might be able to use the matter duplicator to replicate each ingredient. Do you remember that time we retrieved the corrostop from the Statue of Liberty to cure Cosmic Rust? We were able to retrieve some of the wax off of my chassis. I'll get together with Preceptor and Wheeljack to work on it at once."
Dyani looked at Kota. "You were saying you wanted to improve the recipe, right?"
"Yeah! I want to help if you think we can make everything we need," Kota replied.
"Very well," said Prime. "Beachcomber, take Kota with you to the lab."
"I think I'll go too," Ratchet said. "It might be good to have a physician's expertise."
Dyani watched the Autobots and Kota head off. It was just now herself, Optimus Prime, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. She tried to fight feelings of jealousy of Kota. He was her BFF and she shouldn't feel this way. Maybe it was that she felt useless to the robots. Sure she was savvy with cars, being the daughter of a mechanic. She was even great at detailing, but the wax formula was Kota's ingenuity. She rested her head on her knees and tried to fight off tears. A gentle touch from Optimus Prime's giant blue hand made her look up over her shoulder.
"What's the matter, Dyani?" he asked gently.
The girl shook her head, looking uncomfortable about talking around the lambros. It wasn't about them really. Dyani could tell how attached Kota was to them and she didn't want to cause any trouble.
Sunstreaker yawned. "Time for a stasis nap," he said.
"I think I'm going to get some exercise," Sideswipe said. "I'll check on you later, bro."
Optimus knelt down and offered for Dyani to climb onto his shoulder. "Would you like to come with me?" he asked.
The girl nodded and climbed aboard. She carefully balanced herself as Prime stood up to his full twenty-two feet height. It felt a little unnerving being much higher up than sitting on Beachcomber's shoulder, but Optimus took care making sure she was properly secured before he started moving. They left the infirmary and walked to the main area of the Ark.
"How about some fresh air?" Optimus Prime offered. "I know where there's a nice view of the valley."
Dyani tried to read between the lines. She had a feeling he was asking her if she wanted to go somewhere to talk away from the others. "Is it safe?" she asked.
"It's not far," Prime reassured. "I have autobots taking shifts keeping watch and on patrol. I am also connected to them through radio if they find any sign of danger."
"Okay," Dyani agreed.
Prime set her down and transformed into his Freightliner alt-mode. He opened the door and asked her to get in. Once she was inside, Optimus drove outside and headed towards his 'thinking spot'.
Dyani relaxed inside the cab. It wasn't nearly as scary as last night. She wondered about Sparkplug. She hadn't seen him all day. "Where is Sparkplug?" she asked.
"He left earlier with Hoist, one of my autobots to recover what is left of his things at the Expo. He also mentioned that he may also be questioned by the police."
The girl became worried. "Do they think he's a person of interest?" she asked.
"I don't know, but we must take heart," said Prime.
Dyani showed very little optimism. She gazed outside the windshield and noticed they had turned onto an old road and were driving through a forest of pines and low-lying undergrowth. Some of the massive trees arched over the road like, casting dark shadows that made it seem like they were going through a tunnel. Their branches eventually gave way to a clearing of grass and flowers. Just beyond was a cliff overlooking the rest of the surrounding forest landscape and towering mountains of The Cascades. It was here Optimus came to a stop. He transformed back to his robot form once Dyani dismounted from inside his cab. He sat down in the same spot he and Tracks had been several nights ago.
"It's beautiful!" Dyani exclaimed, admiring the view. She kicked off her shows and plopped down in the grass beside the Autobot Leader.
"Yes it is," agreed Prime, "This is my secret thinking place. I heard loggers once used these roads to access their camps. Now it's been reclaimed by nature."
The girl was thoughtful. She got the impression that Optimus Prime didn't usually bring others here with him. So, he did want to talk after all?
Optimus gazed out towards the mountain peaks. "What is said here, stays here," he said.
Dyani gave herself a moment to take in the scenery. At last, she said, "I feel useless. Kota is the real brains behind everything. The only things I am good at are auto detailing and cleaning up animal crap."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Prime gently replied. "You are a good friend to Kota. Standing up for him and what you endured took courage. Sometimes inspiring to help others is the most important quality a person can have."
"I guess that makes sense. I love Kota like a brother. We've been through so much together."
"You see, then if it weren't for you, Kota might not have created his formula."
Dyani wiped her eyes. "Right. Thank you, Prime." She embraced his arm.
Optimus gave her a nod. "You're welcome."
They sat together and watched the late afternoon sun begin its descent behind the mountain peaks, casting wide shadows over the valley below. It looked like something out of a watercolor painting. A sense of serenity came over Dyani that she hadn't felt before. She was grateful to Optimus Prime for bringing her here.
"Prime, can I ask you something?" she asked.
The large Autobot looked down at her. "You may. Is there something else on your mind?"
"Well," Dyani began with a bit of nervousness in her voice. "It's about Tracks. I was the one who detailed him for the car show. He won, but I saw him when Beachcomber gave me a tour. He seemed so sad."
Optimus' optics narrowed slightly. "I'm sorry, Dyani, but I would prefer not to discuss that right now. It's getting late. We should head back." He softened his expression when he realized his words came across a bit more harsh than he intended. "Please don't feel like I am deliberately brushing off your concern."
Dyani acknowledged his apology, but she thought it was odd that both Beachcomber and Prime evaded anything in regards to Tracks. She decided to bite her tongue for the time being, but she had an unyielding desire to see the robot behind the corvette. Why? Was it mere curiosity-or was it her desire to help others just as Optimus Prime had said.
They arrived back at the Ark just as the sun began to set. Sparkplug had returned by then. Hoist was in alt-mode, towing a trailer filled with everything they managed to salvage. Prime greeted them and headed inside. The others followed suit.
"Things are getting heated, Prime," Sparkplug sighed, "The police let me go, but Mr. Thayer's been raving around like a madman. The storm last night put a damper on the Institute tracking the thylacine, but they're doubling down between here and the desert. And now Thayer's also trying to point fingers at the ambassadors of Australia and New Guinea, making false claims that the whole protest was orchestrated by them and the Decepticons. They could even try to come here."
Optimus rubbed his chin. "That would be a problem. Let's go to the control room and check in with Teletraan 1. Dyani, stay inside unless accompanied by another Autobot. We'll be back soon."
"Wait a minute," said Sparkplug, walking over to the trailer. After rummaging through some things, he pulled out the Best in Show plaque. "Dyani, would you hold onto this for me?"
"Okay. I'll take it to the room," she said. Dyani walked the other direction from the control room. The humans' quarters were in close proximity to the barracks. As Dyani was just about to walk past them, her feelings became even stronger. She looked momentarily at the plaque. Sparkplug might have accepted the award, but it belonged to Tracks. Maybe she should try to give it to him. Dyani slipped inside. There were no other autobot around, save for the corvette. She cautiously approached him.
Tracks could see the human with his optical sensors, but he made no effort to acknowledge her presence. His anxiety increased the closer she came.
Dyani held out the plaque. "I didn't get a chance to properly introduce myself earlier," she said. "Your name's Tracks, right? This belongs to you."
The corvette turned slightly. "How kind of you to return it," he said, not hiding his sarcasm. "Now if you please, just set it down and go away!"
The girl was taken back by his snarky attitude. In her mind, she expected him to be overjoyed to have it back, but reality had just slapped her in the face. The gorgeous Stingray was coming off as an egotistical jerk. Even his voice gave off an air of snobbery.
"Are you still here? Look, I've been roughed up, shouted at, and pestered by everyone and I'm in a most foul humor. I'm in no mood for your adulation, so beat it!"
Fingers tensed around the plaque as Dyani slammed it down on Track's hood. "I came in here feeling bad for you!" she lashed out. "If I had known what a pompous asshole you turned out to be, I'd never have bothered with you! And to think I worked my butt off so you could win this damn thing!" Frustrated, Dyani threw the plague against the wall and climbed on top of the corvette's hood. She plopped down hard with arms and legs crossed.
"What the devil are you doing!? Get off!" Tracks cried in a frantic voice.
"Nothing doing!" said Dyani, glaringly. "Not until you apologize."
Tracks scoffed at the very idea. "I apologize to you!? Yeah, in your dreams."
Dyani reclined back on the hood, kicking her shoes off. "Suit yourself."
"Your feet…they're filthy! How dare you defile my hood!"
The girl closed her eyes and snickered, "Primadonna."
The corvette revved his engine. "I'll show you primadonna!"
Dyani jumped onto the roof, landing on all fours with her fingers and toes gripping wherever they could get hold of. "Good! I'll just cling to you like Spideman. Let's see what you got, hotshot! I dare you!"
Tracks started taking off. His intention wasn't to harm the girl, but he wanted to scare her enough to make her jump off before he really started accelerating. His leg still caused him a little pain, but that was insignificant compared to his current predicament. He sped off out the barracks and into the Ark's main area. Dyani held on for dear life. The car went from 0 to 60 faster than any normal corvette could and kept increasing speed. Her digits started slipping from the forward momentum. She heard tires squeal and herself being thrown into the air. She screamed and closed her eyes, bracing for impact, when the fall was broken by an energy field, and she was received by two charcoal and silver arms as the corvette transformed into a robot. The girl opened her eyes to a large vermillion head staring down at her in disbelief.
Nearby Autobots had eyes on them and were dumbfounded by what had just transpired.
"Are you crazy!?" Tracks yelled at the top of his lungs. His cyan-blue optics glared deliberately at Dyani.
As Dyani came to her senses, she found herself looking back at the large robot. His face was rather chiseled compared to most of the other autobots'. A white crest somewhat resembling the helmet of a samurai crowned his head. "Tracks?" the girl whispered. "So I finally see you…"
A bump formed on Track's forehead similar to a popping vein. He narrowed his optics. "You could have been killed! Why didn't you jump off before I got going?"
"Because I thought it was the only way to get through to you," Dyani confessed, feeling rather stupid.
"Get through to me!? That you think I'm a sexy corvette? What the hell is wrong with you!?" chided Tracks furiously, as his face turned redder than usual. This caused a roar of laughter from the other Autobots.
Equally red faced, Dyani slugged Tracks on the side of his noggin. "You idiot! That was when I thought you were an ordinary car, not some pretentious giant alien robot with a massive ego!" she exclaimed angrily. Hot tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
Tracks felt like a fool. He sighed and spoke calmly, "'I'm sorry."
"You seemed so sad," the girl sobbed. "I know what it's like to close yourself off to the world when you feel like you lost everything. Don't be like that. You've got to let it out or else that sadness will destroy you and your family."
Family? Tracks looked upon the others gathered around. For being the stick-in-the-muds that they were, but the human was correct-they were like family. He put the girl down, not knowing what to say.
Footsteps came from the directions of the lab and control room. "What in the name of Primus is going on here!?" an exasperated voice shouted from Prime, as he, Sparkplug, Kota, and the science Autobots rushed into the room. They heard the commotion, half expecting to find Decepticons attacking. Optimus stared wide-opticed at the fresh skid marks on the floor and the smell of burnt rubber. The sudden tension in the room was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Prime's anger made even the stoutest autobot stand at attention.
"All of you clear out and make better use of your time before I lose what's left of my temper! Now!" Turning to Tracks and Dyani, his optics narrowed. "You two, what is the meaning of this!?"
Dyani bowed her head in shame. She decided to take full credit for the blame and proceeded with telling Optimus Prime her side of the story. She pulled no punches when explaining her own stupidity and how Tracks saved her life.
Kota ran up and slapped her, more out of hurt than anger. "Dyani!" he hollered. "Don't you ever try that again! I don't know what I'd do if I lost you! Don't you ever do anything so stupid ever again? Do you hear me!?"
Sparkplug walked up to Tracks, pulling the robot down to his level. Tracks didn't put up a fight. Red eyed and nostrils flared, the man scolded him, "You should know better than to drive off with her on top of your roof like that! Take a good look at yourself! Aggression towards other autobots, reckless behavior, rage, putting the lives of others in danger. Sunstreaker's laid up in the infirmary right now because you freaked out and started sprayin and prayin! You're scaring all of us. Do you know how many times Prime has been in to see Rachet for migraines this week alone? He of all people has tried to do everything within his power to help you, yet you keep hurting him worse than any Decepticon ever could! I think it's best for the rest of us to excuse ourselves! That goes for you too, Dyani!"
Tracks felt a flood of emotions burst through the dam of his own stubbornness and flow freely. He knelt at the feet of Optimus Prime. He sobbed, "I couldn't save him…I should have been there. Everything is so messed up. I'm hurting you, everyone else…I'm selfish…and Raoul…I couldn't save him. Everything is my fault!"
"It wasn't your fault," Optimus whispered as his anger melted away and was replaced with empathy. He held the grieving Tracks and rubbed his back. "It wasn't your fault. Do not be afraid to cry, Tracks. I'm here for you. I'm here…"
It was some time before Tracks stopped crying. For the first time in days, he felt like a weight had been lifted. The pain was still there, but he began to understand everything Prime had done was to be there for him, even if it meant putting his best interest over what he wanted.
Still holding Tracks, Prime realized the others had left them alone. He helped Tracks to his feet. "Tracks come with me back to the infirmary."
The corvette nodded.
Optimus walked with Tracks to the infirmary. Ratchet gingerly examined the injured leg. "It's doing fine," he said with relief. "It'll stay that way if you don't pull another stunt like that. I'll give you an energon infusion. Prime, that goes for you too. I don't have to be a genius bot to know you've got another headache."
Prime groaned. Not this again.
Ratchet started preparing the medicine. "I won't keep you overnight, but both of you lie down until it's ready."
Tracks and Optimus Prime lay down on side-by-side platforms so they could talk. Prime placed his arms behind his head and closed his optics. He felt like he could finally relax.
"Tracks, how do you feel?" he asked.
The corvette was reclining on his side. "Better, but it still hurts. I also realize I shouldn't close myself off to others."
The Autobot leader gave an affirmative nod. "Healing takes time. You've taken the first big step."
"It would seem so. It took two humans to knock some sense into me."
Prime thought about his conversation with Dyani about her qualities. He couldn't condone her decisions, but he understood them with clarity. If it hadn't been for her and Sparlplug, Tracks might still be slipping further and further away from them. An idea came to him. The kids needed protection. He appointed Sunstreaker as Kota's bodyguard because the autobot had risked his own life to save the boy's. Dyani also needed a protector. He spent much of the day thinking over who it should be. Beachcomber had been his first choice. The dune buggy was loyal and willing to fight when necessary, but he preferred to avoid it. Besides, he had already thrown himself into communicating with the thylacine. Prime thought about Tracks. He put the girl in danger with his own behavior-no, they were equal to blame. Even so, Tracks had also protected her. Should he be her guardian? As upset as he had been with them, it seemed Tracks was the most logical choice.
"Tracks," said Prime. "We need to talk."
The corvette gave his leader his full attention. "I'm ready for any punishment."
Optimus broke out into laughter. "Relax. First thing's first. You're still not permitted to return to active duty, but I have a job for you."
"A job? Like what?"
"You are going to serve as Dyani's guardian. Sunstreaker is Kota's. I fear that those two are in more danger than they realize. I've decided they must stay within the confines of the Ark at all times. It's up to the both of you to keep them safe."
Tracks nodded with acceptance. The girl was a conundrum, a particularly irritating one at that, but he needed something to keep his mind occupied.
Optimus stretched his arms. "One last thing. You and Dyani are going to clean those skid marks off the common room floor tonight. And while I'm thinking about it, you might as well clean the entire space. I want to see everything sparkle."
"Figures you'd throw a punishment in there," remarked Tracks. "But fair enough."
Ratchet came and injected them with the now ready infusions. "Give these babies half an hour to work their magic."
Soon both autobots felt the invigorating effects of the tonic. They were back on their feet. Prime stopped by Sunstreaker's bed to check on him. He had already powered down for the night.
"Rest well, my friend," whispered Prime. "I'll send Kota back here shortly."
Tracks became aware of the extent of the lamborghini's injuries. "That poor devil," he remarked. "Of all the places to take laser fire."
"It's kind of funny if you think about it, but he'll be okay. He'll probably be thrilled to finally get away from me," Ratchet jested with a hearty laugh.
Optimus nodded. "I'm sure he will. You should go into stasis soon yourself, Ratchet. Tracks, let's get going."
They met up with the humans and scientists in the lab. Kota and Dyani stood apart from each other, for Kota was still upset with her. He promised they were still best friends, but he needed some time to cool off. Dyani said she understood and would honor his wishes.
The group watching the thylacine exercising on a treadmill Wheeljack had made. In fact, she seemed to enjoy the contraption. When the machine stopped, the creature hopped off and reared up like a kangaroo. She gazed up at Optimus Prime and Tracks. A collar with glowing LED frequency sensors had been placed around her neck. As she opened her mouth, she uttered the words, "F-friends…big metal friends."
"Well done, Beachcomber," Optimis congratulated.
The geologist rubbed his head. "I may have learned her language, but I give Wheeljack credit for creating the translator. "Now she can communicate with humans directly."
Benni approached Prime. "Other thylacine…in danger. Big metal friend help? Please? Bad metal monsters maybe hurt them? Evil man too. Thylacine want to go to home…Not lab…ancient home of thylacine…far away. You know?"
"I know it," he answered. The thylacine language was far more primitive than Cybertronian and human speech, but he clearly understood her.
"I know too…something tell thylacine…inside. Evil man want to keep thylacine…prisoner. No want. Please help?"
Optimus Prime nodded. "We will help you, friend."
Benni nuzzled his leg, "Thank you…big metal friend. Now go…rest before eat." She headed to the crate. It closed after she went inside.
"So the thylacine know of their home without having been there?" Wheeljack pondered. "I've heard of creatures like birds being able to migrate over long distances and back, somehow knowing how to get there without navigation. Humans chalk it up to instinct, but there might be more than meets the eye-no offense."
Dyani peered into the crate. Benni was close enough to the wire door to be scratched behind the ear. It brought Dyani some comfort, but she was filled with regret.
Prime walked to the humans. "Sparkplug, the kids will be staying with their appointed bodyguards tonight."
"Okay," said Sparkplug, "Kota's in good hands with Sunstreaker. What about Dyani?"
"Tracks will be hers," Prime answered.
Sparkplug seemed unsure. "But Prime, are you serious? I mean…I would have appointed Beachcomber."
Dyani looked up. Did she hear Optimus Prime correctly? Tracks stepped forward and towered over her in silence. Benni seemed interested in what was going on. "Big metal friend," she yawned as she curled herself into a ball.
Beachcomber chuckled. "Even the thylacine approves. I think Tracks is a good choice, Prime. I trust your judgment."
"Thank you," said the leader. "Beachcomber, I want you and Wheeljack to stay here to look after the thylacine. If it gets hungry or has other…needs, please attend to them. Dyani, you and Tracks have a long night ahead of you. You're both going to clean the common room. Consider that as your apology to everyone."
Sparkplug laughed. "You're getting off easy," he said with good-natured sarcasm.
"I'll help," Kota offered.
"No, this is all on them," said Prime. He gently lifted the boy up. "I'm taking you to Sunstreaker."
"What a pickle I got myself into," Dyani sighed.
Optimus winked. "Cheer up, Dyani. Remember what I told you. Now come along, the sooner you start, the sooner you'll finish."
Wheeljack handed Tracks cleaning supplies. "Have a fun time playing custodian, pretty bot," he teased.
Tracks wasn't amused. With a huff, he grabbed the supplies and strutted out the door. "Come along, girl. It's getting too stuffy in here for me."
Dyani jumped up and followed. She almost had to run in order to keep up with the corvette's long stride.
"Is he usually like this?" Kota asked.
"Oh sure," said Wheeljack, "Actually, I'm happy to see Tracks acting more like his old diva self."
Kota giggled.
Prime laughed as well. "Okay, Kota. Off we go." They first followed Sparkplug to the human quarters to pick up sleeping bags and pillows, and then made their way back to the infirmary. The Autobot leader set Kota down next to Sunstreaker, still deep in stasis sleep.
The boy set up his sleeping bag close to Sunstreaker's head and climbed inside. "Prime," he whispered, "Are you sure he's up to protecting me?"
"Yes, Kota. Sunstreaker's as tough as nails. He's practically better now. Try to get some sleep."
Optimus closed up the infirmary. For the first night in weeks, he felt tensions melt away. On his way to the barracks, he stopped and observed Tracks and Dyani on their hands and knees scrubbing the floors. It pleased him to see them owning up to their mistakes. That was a good sign.
"I'm off to bed. I have some bedding for Dyani. I set them over by Telatraan 1," he said before leaving.
Track, who had been silent, glanced over at the girl. She was trying her best to put some elbow grease into it. He felt some guilt for his foul mood towards her. "I suppose we got off on the wrong foot," he said.
"You think?" replied Dyani, as she scrubbed. The black tire stains were finally starting to fade.
"I'll finish with that if you'll be so kind as to prepare some more cleaning solution."
Dyani obeyed. She remarked over the change in his attitude. He still had his hoighty toighty quality about him, but it was much less aggressive than before. As Dyani mixed the solution with water, she took a good look at him. She thought his robot mode was fairly stylish. She noticed earlier that his left leg was covered with glowing blue light similar to the ones on Sunstreaker's body.
"Are you hurt?" she asked.
Tracks looked up. "Oh my leg? Fortunately it's just a flesh wound."
Dyani nodded as she carried over the bucket. It sure was heavy.
"Thank you," said Tracks. "I shouldn't just keep calling you girl. What is your name again?"
"It's Dyani. Dyani Swiftwater."
"Dyani? What kind of a name is that?"
The girl shot him a glance. "Why? Do you hate it?"
Tracks rubbed his crest. "No, it's not that. It's rather unusual, is what I meant to say."
"It's a Lakota name. It means deer. My mother is Native American. She's a part of the Lakota Nation of the Black Hills region in South Dakota. What about your name? I now know Sparkplug made that story up." She cracked a smile.
Tracks had to laugh a little. "It's actually the equivalent of my name translated in your language, although I do think it's rather dignified."
Dyani went back to helping him scrub. "What do you mean? She asked, with some confusion. Wasn't he speaking English? It sure sounded like it.
"We're almost done with this part," Tracks said. He went on to explain, "I speak Cybertronian. It's being translated simultaneously so you can understand me. I know English and some of it is rather pleasant to my audio sensors. I also adore French. It's so refined."
"I don't know much French, but I'm decent at Japanese. Kota taught me. We've been friends since we were twelve. We're both nineteen now."
A brief flash of sadness passed over Tracks' face. He sat up and turned around. "Excuse me."
Dyani realized the large robot's shoulders were trembling. He sounded like he was crying. Could alien robots even cry? She got up and instinctively touched his arm. "Take a moment if you need to," she whispered to him. "I'm sorry about earlier. It's just…I felt like you needed a friend."
Tracks looked over his shoulder. "Raoul was nineteen when we first met."
"Raoul?"
There was reluctance from the corvette. He wanted to tell someone about what happened, but he didn't know how. He was having dark thoughts again, but fought them. He broke down sobbing. "He was my best friend. He…was killed."
Dyani found herself hugging the giant robot. She had some understanding of why he behaved the way he did, and the name Raoul suggested he was talking about a human, and one especially close to him. "I also had a friend who was killed," she said.
Tracks wiped his optics. The girl was climbing up onto his good leg and turned to face him. "I told you before, I know what it's like," he heard her say. "I'm originally from L.A. You familiar with Skid Row? Well, my family lived somewhere between there and the areas rampant with drugs and gang activity. It's not exactly paradise. Anyway, I was close friends with this girl named Camila. We started hanging out with these older teenagers who seemed pretty cool. They had our backs and would beat up anyone who tried to mess with us. Sounds like a good crew, right? Wrong! After a while they started asking favors in return. Turns out our so-called friends were part of a gang involved with drugs and human trafficking. Camila started acting grown-up and walking around all night. She kept showing up with fat wads of cash and fancy gifts from her 'patrons' as she called them. She was twelve like me-a kid! I ain't too proud to admit this, but she tried to talk me into getting in on her business. I almost did, but not long after that, she was found lying in a dumpster-dead." The girl's voice started cracking as she continued her story, "It messed me up bad. I tried to take my life, but mom and dad got to me in time. They made me go to therapy all the way up in San Francisco. It probably wasn't cheap. Anyway, That's where Kota and I met. Kota's transgender. There were these kids picking on him because they don't accept him for who he is. One day I got fed up with it, so I fought them off. From that day on, Kota and I have been tight. He helped pull my life back together. Our families became friends and his pop, Hayate Shimizu, offered my dad a job as chief mechanic at Kagayaku Motors. So we moved from SoCal to San Francisco."
"Dyani…" Tracks responded softly. He placed an arm around her. "What a dreadful situation for someone so young to go through."
With a sigh, he mustered up as much confidence as he could and told her about his first encounter with Raoul in New York City, when the autobots were assisting the NYPD with breaking up a major carjacking operation between the Ghettis Brothers and The Decepticons. Tracks had decided to take a break and go out for a drive, only to fall victim to some more carjackers who blew out two of his tires, causing him to lose control and crash into a pole. Raoul found and repaired him. Raoul's original intention was to turn Tracks over to the Ghettis brothers, but had a change of heart. The two became friends and saved each other's lives numerous times during the past several years. Raoul went on with his pals. Poplock and Rocksteady, to go in together with the renovation of an old rec center in East Harlem. Since breakdancing was seeing a resurgence, they started teaching break dance classes to inner city youth. Raoul had even made future plans to start his own rec center, but his young life had been cut short by being caught in the line of fire saving some of their students from a local shooter. Unfortunately, the Autobots had not been there and he blamed himself out of all of them for not being there to save Raoul. Tracks broke down again.
Dyani hugged Tracks' arm. "You're letting it out. That's what you need to do. It's okay to be sad. It's okay to be angry. It's not okay to let it take control of you. I don't know what it's like to be an alien, but I do understand grief. You loved Raoul's didn't you? Losing someone you love sucks. Losing him the way you did sucks even more. It wasn't fair. But you're still here and Raoul will be in your heart."
"I have a spark," whispered Tracks.
"Then he's in your spark.," she said. "Look, I ain't no replacement goldfish, but I want to be your friend. Everyone needs friends."
Tracks nodded. "Thank you," he said. "We'd better get back to cleaning. We still have to polish the walls and mop the floor."
Dyani refilled the bucket and picked it up. Water and solution sloshed as she struggled with it. "Heavy…" she grunted.
"Allow me," said Tracks, lifting it with ease. "You stand on my shoulders and clean. Starting top to bottom will keep everything uniform. It's going to be a long night and I don't want it to be an even longer one." He lifted Dyani to where she could climb up onto his shoulders and reach the top. Together they were roughly as tall as Optimus.
"Teamwork makes the dream work," Dyani commented.
"Is that one of those cliche Earth sayings?"
"Something like that," laughed Dyani while polishing. "I heard companies use it for motivation. I think it's working in our case. You're right about how even the polish looks."
"Of course I am," Tracks boasted. "Why do you think I'm always so shiny-well, usually shiny."
The girl shook her head as she continued to work. "Tell me about yourself. Like if you're an alien, how come you change into a corvette? I don't think you find those in space."
The Autobot furrowed his forehead. Why was it that humans always wanted to know about stuff like that when they already had so many wonderful things on their own planet. He might as well keep the conversation going just to pass the time.
"Back in the Golden Age of Cybertron, I was a fashionista. I was a member of what you would call high society. I loved keeping up with the latest trends and gossip. Back then I had an alt-mode of Cybertronian-origin and it was beautiful. My twin sister and I were always trying to out speed one another. It was fun until the Great War. I'd rather not go into detail if you don't mind. Anyway, I joined up with Prime and the Autobots after I escaped to Earth. While here, I had to choose an alt-mode for disguise. I wanted something worthy of my stature, and so here we are. That's why I am a C3 Stingray. You seemed rather impressed with it."
Dyani clenched the rag in her right hand. "Yes, and I told you before-I thought you were just a car!" she snorted with annoyance.
"But there was that time when you bent over me during the car show. Tell me precisely why you did that? Ouch!"
Dyani's fist came down on top of his crest. "You idiot! I was upset because of what the institute was doing and needed to vent. I'm already embarrassed enough as is!"
Tracks sighed. "Could you please refrain from hitting me before you hurt yourself?"
"Only if you promise to stop asking dumb questions!" Dyani growled and threw herself back into polishing. That robot had some nerve! What next? Was he going to ask why she went to the bathroom? She wondered why she was getting so worked up over him. He was an alien, not human. Alien yes, but he could think and feel like a human. She remembered Beachcomber saying they were living beings.
Dyani looked down. "Okay, I'm sorry for hitting you. Here's the deal. Sometimes I really hate people. It's easier for me to vent to cars and animals. I've loved the C3 Stingray, ever since my dad worked to restore a 1976 model. It's on my bucket list to own one. Then I saw you and thought you were the most beautiful Stingray I'd ever seen." She blushed.
Tracks stooped down to get more polish. "I relish the compliments, but no one can own me for obvious reasons. At least I have a better understanding of your motives. As for you humans, I've seen the most appalling behavior from you, but I've also seen how much compassion you have. That's why I have quite an affection for your kind."
"I wish I had your faith in us." Dyani yawned. She was starting to get tired.
"Keep going," said Tracks. "We're halfway there."
The girl buckled down and threw herself into the cleaning. Fighting off sleep, she continues to help Tracks finish the polishing. When it came to the mopping, all the corvette asked of her was to get more water and add the floor cleaner.
"It'll be faster if I do this part," he said. "Just keep me stocked up with supplies. Hang in there."
Dyani was kept busy with the constant back and forth. It was exhausting, but much easier for her trying to use a mop many times taller than herself. She estimated Tracks was at least two feet taller than the fifteen foot length of his car model- if it was standing upright. He threw himself into the work as much as she did. It took them about four more hours to finish. By that time, Dyani could barely stay on her feet. She felt Tracks gently steadied and led her near Teletraan 1.
"I'm too tired to deal with the others tonight. Stay here." he said, having her sit down on the floor. He stepped back a few feet and converted into alt-mode. "Get in the passenger side. I'll recline the seat back so you can lie down."
The girl looked at him with heavy eyelids, only half comprehending.
Tracks opened the passenger-side door. "I'm not going to try anything. It's my job to be your bodyguard and I would feel better if you slept inside. Grab that pillow and get in."
Stumbling up on tired feet, Dyani staggered into the corvette's interior. He has already reclined the seat, allowing her to curl up and close her eyes.
Tracks closed the door and locked himself up. When he realized the girl was already fast asleep, he activated his alert system and went into stasis mode.