Chapter Three

Sydney sat across from a hard looking female cop, tapping her long fingernails on the table in front of her. The cop recorded everything from apparent offenses, name, age, date of birth, place of occupation…Sydney gave her all the information she could. She wasn't surprised when the cop looked up, lips pressed together.

"Well, there isn't anything we can do to him except place a restraining order against him. I'll write it into the school system as well so he won't be able to pick Morgan up." The cop smiled gently at Sydney. Syd was thankful that a female cop took her case. She felt as though the woman was being more sympathetic to her plight.

"Now…what happens if he comes after us?" Sydney's question was asked with a bit of a furrowed brow, a sign of worried anxiety.

The cop smiled. "You give us a ring, we bring his ass in."

Sydney smiled. "Thanks, Officer Diehl." She signed the papers where the cop told her to and then stood, moving back out towards her car. She knew Kevin would be called. He'd probably get angry…she hoped that she didn't have to hear from him tonight at least.

She started the vehicle and began back towards the department store, pressing the volume knob that turned her radio on. She flicked past various Blink 182, 80's hair metal, and modern rap to get to a more classic station, an acoustic guitar strumming a tune she hadn't heard in a few years.

When the bass kicked in, she found herself tapping her foot to the rhythm, and singing along to the smooth tenor voice.

"Well I don't know why I came here tonight,

I got the feeling that something ain't right,

I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair,

And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs,

Clowns to the left of me,

Jokers to the right, here I am,

Stuck in the middle with you."

Isn't it funny, thought Sydney, how any song can fit your predicament when you're really in over your head? She laughed as the chorus rolled through, remembering a scene from a movie where the song she was listening to was being played through a torture scene.

"Well you started out with nothing,

And you're proud that you're a self made man,

And your friends, they all come crawlin',

Slap you on the back and say,

Please... Please..."

Sydney turned the volume down as she rolled into the parking lot. She was only a half-hour late, which was much better than she expected to be, but Michelle was standing by the door, looking for her. When she spotted Sydney's blue Honda, she waved, motioning for her to come in quickly.

She parked in the back lot and stepped out of her car, hurrying up the walkway to meet her friend who looked absolutely anxious. "Michelle, what's with you, is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine, no problems at school…I just want you to cover for me for a few minutes. I gotta go down to Old Desmond's Beach." Michelle didn't really realize how strange that sounded. Desmond's beach had been fenced off for over twenty years, and no one was allowed in.

"What, planning on skipping work?" Sydney asked with a suspicious grin.

"No way, sister, something fell out of the sky and landed over there, and my ass is going over there to see what it was!" Michelle was brandishing a hand.

"All right, well…you did me a favor. Just…if it involves handsome, responsible men falling from the sky, point them in my direction, would you?" Sydney joked, walking into the store to clock in.

"You know it, honey," Michelle grumbled, hoofing her way to the abandoned shore.

"Uh oh…" Rhinox mumbled as he exited the ship. His leader had left moments before him, but apparently hadn't seen the petite woman marching her way through the sand, her pretty face contorted into a look of pure anger.

Rhinox checked behind himself to make sure the ship's cloaking device was working before approaching the woman. He gave a wave and called out to her. "Excuse me! I'm lost…I'm looking for-"

But the woman cut him off. "I know exactly what you're looking for you fake-ass imposter! And you'd best start explaining why you left me here to begin with, or I'm gonna start breaking your noggin, regardless of how hot you look in those jeans—are those Levis, hon? They look greeeeat."

Rhinox stared. "I'm sorry?"

"You heard me!" Michelle snapped. "I'm one of the Axalon's crew, and obviously the only one whose internal memory survived…otherwise I'd have been contacted by now, don't you think?"

"That's probably true. I'm Rhinox," he held out his hand to shake, a gesture which he and Rattrap practiced a bit before coming to Earth.

"That's great, Rhinox, but what's your name?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. She took his hand to shake. "I know you ain't walking around calling yourself Rhinox."

"T-Tyrell," he stuttered, taken aback. She was extremely forward.

"Tyrell, that's cute. I'm Michelle, or at least that's what the humans call me. Where's Optimus?" she asked, hands on her hips. "I know he's here with you. I wanna know where he is, and when I can talk to him about getting off this rock."

Michelle stopped, a hurt look on her own face. Sydney. What about her? Sydney was so dependent on Michelle…well, she'd think about it once she talked to Optimus.

"He left. I'm sure he'll be back soon," Rhinox reasoned, trying to keep the femme-bot calm.

"I don't have time to be waiting on him, I have to get back to work! And I suggest you follow me. Maybe we'll run into him on the way."

Rhinox followed her off the beach, and he couldn't help watching her hips as she moved. She seemed to realize that his eyes had drifted because she cleared her throat loudly.

"Boy, I know you ain't looking at my ass."