A/N: So last chapter I put up a poll on whether Arcee should reveal herself or not. With a tallied vote of 18 to 63, the answer is.. well, you'll see. Lets just say I'm happy the vote went the way it did because that's what I wanted to do shortly after I put it up.
Anyway, here's chapter 8. Enjoy.
Arcee remained still and silent in her alt-form. She was currently in the 'shed' behind Jaune's home. She was moved here shortly after Jaune and Joan reunited with their family the previous night. It was a touching moment that Arcee could relate to. Their family was happy that they came home, that they were still alive after going through the Pit and back.
It made Arcee think about a lot of things.
These monsters, the Grimm… how much of this world do they control? Where did they come from? Are they a natural species of this world? If so, then how did the creatures like Jaune and Joan survive? How did their civilization survive and develop? Her mind raced with possibilities.
In a way, they reminded her of herself and her fellow Autobots back home. An endless battle against a relentless enemy, yet they were able to carry on and stay strong to survive. She respected these creatures for that. They had a lot more in common with cybertronians than she thought.
Speaking of, seeing Jaune's family made her curious. Jaune and the rest of his family, all named Arc she assumed, looked very similar to one another. Some of them had different colored eyes, but their body features were similar in design and they all had the same colored fur on top of their heads.
Was it because of how they were made? It actually made her curious as to how each of these creatures came into existence. She hasn't seen any structures like the incubation chambers back on Cybertron, which she admittedly didn't fully understand how they work. But she had a feeling that these things were made in a different way.
While it was all curious and fun to think about these creatures and their civilization, in the long run it didn't matter. As much as she wanted to learn more about this world, she had to remain focused on the task at hand. Finding a way off this world was her top priority.
She had to find a way back to Cybertron. The war was still going on, and her friends and comrades were still there fighting for their freedom and right to exist. It was a war that she was a part of for many, many cycles now, one that she poured her spark and energon into. She wasn't about to abandon the fight.
The problem she had was figuring out how to get off of this world. She had to factor in and take a lot of things into consideration.
She could try repairing the ship. It wouldn't require as much maintenance as one would assume. Just as long as the engines and controls were working, she would be fine. She's seen shuttles and ships function with less if the situation was desperate enough. Cybertronian shuttles also always had blueprints and schematics stored away in a compartment. It would be a steep learning curve in the beginning, but she can learn what to do in time.
But, the main problem with that would be resources. She could scrap down most of the shuttle's hull for metal, but if she needed smaller, more complicated pieces of equipment and needed a specific type of material that she didn't have, then she was in trouble. But it wouldn't be the end.
Remnant had advanced technology, as evident by its weapons, machines, and flying vehicles. All of those metals and resources had to come from somewhere. Was it too far of a stretch to think that they had an abundant of vast resources? But that in itself outlined another problem.
Acquiring them could prove challenging. She couldn't carry much, if anything, in her alt mode. Her bipedal mode was out of the question. While she could carry a lot normally, it was too high profile for these creature's towns and structures, and she would be spotted easily. Drawing attention to herself was the last thing she wanted to do. To these creatures, she was an alien, an unknown, and she wasn't sure how they would react if whatever governing body discovered her existence.
They're so many ways for it to go down and Arcee knew she could spend several cycles just thinking of all of them. She knew what she wanted to do, but she didn't know how to do it.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the double doors opened, revealing Jaune, the younger siblings, and another figure. He looked like Jaune, but a little taller, bulkier, and more fur around the mouth and chin of his head.
Jaune led his father to the backyard shed, with his youngest twin sisters following close behind. His dad arrived back home late last night and was more than happy to express his gratitude and joy at seeing his only son safely home. His mom practically had to tear his dad him off of him before he squeezed him to death.
Because it was late at night, Jaune promised to tell his dad about what happened the following morning. After he did and all was said and done, his dad asked if he could see the motorcycle. Jade and June tagged along too because they wanted to see their big brother's cool new bike.
He lead them to the back shed and opened the door. He stepped forward and flipped the light switch. Jade and June rushed passed him and his father stepped to his side, hand on his chin.
"Hmm," Jonathan Arc hummed as he looked the bike over. "Interesting."
"This is so cool!" Jade shouted as she ran around the motorcycle.
"It's huge!" June said as she climbed up on the seat and gripped the handlebars as she made motorcycle noises with her mouth.
"Careful kids," Jonathan warned before turning back to Jaune. "It's a little fancier than I imagined it."
"What did you think it would be like?" Jaune asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, for a frontier town away from Vale proper, I imagined it would have been a dirt bike, worn down and gritty. But this one is more high end. Sleek." He turned to his son with a grin. "And feminine."
"Eh?!" Jaune's gasp got caught in his throat as he looked to his dad. His eyes narrowed when he saw his dad's grin.
Jade stopped running and turned towards them. "Daddy, what's femminane?" she asked, mispronouncing the word.
"Feminine, and it means girly," Jonathan explained.
"You mean Jaune got a girl bike?!" Jude asked, bursting out in laughter a moment later.
"Jaune's got a girl bike! Jaune's got a girl bike!" The twins started to sing as they swayed back and forth. Jaune sighed in his palms and Jonathan decided that they had their fun.
"Alright girls, that's enough," he said. "I was only joking when I said that, no need to take it too far."
"Oh… sorry," Jade said as she looked down.
"Soowy big brother," June said as she hopped down from the bike's seat. Both twins then went up to Jaune and gave him an apology hug. Jaune sighed and kneeled down so he could return the hugs. He couldn't stay mad at them.
"It's alright I forgive you," Jaune said as he gave them each a kiss on the head.
"It's not really a bad bike," Jonathan said as he walked around the motorcycle. "Slim, doesn't look too heavy, sturdy, must be good in all terrain if you drove through the woods and roads without any trouble. You nabbed yourself quite the catch my son."
"Thank you," Jaune said as he stood up and looked down at his younger sisters. "You two mind if I talk to dad, alone, for a bit? I'll play that new game with you guys later."
"Ok!" Both twins perked up and quickly rushed out.
Jaune then stood up and walked over to his dad. "I hate you sometimes, you know that?" He said with a smile to show no harm done.
"You make it too easy," Jonathan with a smile of his own. "And all of those pictures of you in dresses didn't help either."
"You're just jealous that you never got invited to Jade and Jane and June's tea parties. But getting back on track, you really think it's a good bike?"
"Yes actually," he said as he looked the bike over. "Well… it does look like a fixer-upper. A lot of dents and scratches all over it. How did you say you found it again?"
"Ummm," Jaune cupped his chin as he thought for a moment. "I found it under a little bit of rubble back in the town," he recalled.
"Hmm, will this thing must have been pretty banged up beforehand," Jonathan said as he rubbed his hand over some dents and scratches. "But for it to still be running is a testament to its durability. This thing can take a beating." He then stood up. "Have you looked inside of it yet?"
"Inside it?" Jaune asked.
"Yeah. Look at its engine."
"Oh, no I haven't yet. I guess I will now though," Jaune said. He crouched down near at the side of the motorcycle. "Guess it's behind this cover. Now how do I open it?" He felt his hand around the side, trying to see if he could feel a switch or a button. "Ah, here we go," he finally found a button latch after a few moments. He pressed and slide the button to the side, allowing him to slid the plate covering the engine to the side.
He slides the plate halfway to the side and looked at the engine. It honestly wasn't what he expected. He was expecting to see valves, rings, shafts, pistons, wires… this… "This looks like something from a spaceship!"
Jonathan whistled as he peered over his son's shoulder. "Huh, pretty advanced for a motorcycle engine. Must be an Atlesian model."
"Is it?" Jaune tilted his head.
"I have no clue. Motorcycles and engines aren't my specialties."
"Didn't you fix the car's engine when it wouldn't start a few months ago?"
"... I literally just slammed my fist on it and it started working again," Jonathan admitted. "Don't tell your mother."
Jaune chuckled. "Sure thing dad." He then put the cover back on and stood up.
"So Jaune," Jonathan said as he and his son were now standing next to each other, "I talked with your mother earlier this morning. We know that after we get this thing registered, you would most likely want to try and get her fixed up and buff out those scratches." Jaune nodded in agreement.
Jonathan then took something out of his pocket and held it up to his son. Jaune's eyes widened when he saw that his father was handing him what looked like a few hundred lien. "Though we're a little tight on money at the moment, I earned a little more on my recent missions so we were able to spare a little bit just for you."
"I… wow." Jaune was honestly at a loss for words. "I… thanks, dad." A warm smile formed on his face as he accepted the money and hugged his dad.
"Anything for you, son. Now come, I think your mother will be making lunch soon."
"Slaaaaaggggggg," Arcee moaned as soon as she was certain that Jaune and his dad were out of earshot. This was not good. This was far from good.
While her cover wasn't fully blown just yet, them looking at the 'engine' and recognizing how foreign it is was just the first step. Even if they dismissed it as being 'Atlesian,' it wouldn't take them long to figure out otherwise. It was the pebble that will start a landslide. As she thought before, her reasons for remaining hidden on this world were clear. Discovery was not an option.
She would have to leave soon. She would leave under the cover of the night and head to the woods. She remembered the way back to the ship shouldn't be a problem. However, a certain thought came to her mind. 'Would revealing myself to him be that much of a bad idea?' She was about to dismiss it, but after a moment, she started to consider it.
She no doubt would need outside resources to help repair her ship, but she didn't know where to find them. She would have to scour all across this world to find them, if they even existed here to begin with. She also didn't know much about the Grimm, which she no doubt will come across constantly on this world. Staying in disguise against these creatures could also prove challenging since she would need the knowledge of how they operate and live to effectively stay hidden right under their noses.
Jaune could help her with that.
He can help teach her how to blend in and even show her how the world works. He could also get her information she needed, like how to fight those Grimm monsters or where to find supplies and metals she would need. His home was also not too far away from the shuttle's crash site, so she could use it as a safe house of sorts. In addition, since this planet's vehicles needed an operator and she currently had no way of replicating one, he can help her blend in.
Of course, this would involve revealing herself to him, and she had a strong feeling that he wouldn't believe she was a piece of Atlesian equipment and would have to reveal herself as an alien to him. It could work, so as long as Jaune could stay quiet. She was putting a lot of faith in it, but she believed she could trust him to keep her secret, she did help save his life after all.
Though, she still had her doubts. This was just one possibility she could do. There were many other factors she had to consider. It was a good plan, but it wasn't the best plan. She couldn't jump to conclusions and pick a plan immediately. She needed more time to think.
Admittedly, Arcee went into stasis a short while after thinking. Being active since she woke up in the shuttle took a lot out of her and she needed time to recharge and conserve energon. When she woke back up, presumably at least several cycles later, Jaune came back in the shed and took her out.
From there, Jaune piloted her away from their home and into another town. It was similar to the one from before, but the contrast between the destroyed town and this one were more than noticeable to her. Arcee was able to see so many of these creatures walking to and fro, across the street and on the sidewalks, and in and out of various buildings and shops.
This civilization…. this society was almost exactly like the few remaining civilian sectors of prewar Cybertron still standing in Autobot territory. Though the buildings were much, much smaller, the principles were the same. It was a wonderful sight to see, one that also filled Arcee with a little bit of envy.
Soon afterward, they pulled into a 'garage' and Jaune told the other creatures there to 'fix'er up.' And for the next few hours, Arcee remained motionless as her outer shell was repaired, polished, buffered, and repainted. It was honestly a refreshing experience and she felt as good as new when it was all done.
Jaune then got on her and twisted the throttle. She revved up the engine and accelerated, succeeding in matching her actions with Jaune's hand movements perfectly as they turned onto and drove down the street.
They soon went to a 'dmv', where Arcee waited in the parking lot for a long period of time before he came back with someone else. The other creature screwed a 'licence plate' on her and had Jaune sign something on a white square before wishing him a good day and the two took off once more.
She remembered hearing the term 'licence plate' from Winter Schnee at the military base and recalled that it was some form of registration. It felt a little uncomfortable, but if it helped with her disguise then she couldn't really complain, every little bit helps.
"Oh, shoot," Jaune mumbled out loud a few minutes later. "I missed my turn. Crap. Ok uh… oh, I can cut through this alleyway," he voiced out loud as he slowed down and turned into the alley. Arcee didn't like. It was too cramped for her liking, especially when a few large green containers seemed to further choke the path. Not to mention that it gave her a bad vibe. But she didn't have any say in the matter. Jaune steered her slowly down the alleyway, careful not hit the green containers.
It happened too fast for any of them to react. One moment everything was fine. The next, Jaune was hit off of her and Arcee fell to the wall leaning against it. 'What in the pit just happened?!' Arcee yelled internally. She looked behind her and saw Jaune forcefully thrown against the wall by a larger female creature. She held a smooth long poll, that looked like it was the same materials as those brown plants that made up the forest, and pressed against Jaune's neck.
"Well well, what do we have here?" the thug taunted him. "A little dumb rich kid coming to the wrong part of town."
"W-w-wa- hold on a minute there, I'm not rich," Jaune stuttered out as his hands weakly struggled against the stick against his neck.
"Your bike says otherwise," she said, motioning towards Arcee. "Very nice and sleek. Looks expensive."
"I-I-I just found the bike! A-all I did was get her fixed up!" Jaune shouted.
"Aww. How nice for you to make her so clean and shiny just for me."
Arcee tuned out the conversation. She wanted nothing more than to show this floozy just what she was dealing with. But she couldn't risk anything, not in this crowded town with so many creatures that can witness her. She could help in her alt form, but the thug was too close to Jaune, it was too big of a risk that she'd hit and hurt him too.
It didn't stop her energon from boiling in anger.
What stung even more for her was that she had a similar experience in an Autobot city when she was a sparkling as well. She was running fast and got lost and made the mistake of trusting a stranger to show her a shortcut. The signs were obvious in hindsight, but she was just past the sparkling stage, how was she supposed to know any better? One moment all was well. The next, she was in a losing fight for survival as the cybertronian tried to rip her apart for spare parts. She was only still alive because someone overheard the struggle and rushed in to help her.
Before she could think about the unpleasant memory any further, she noticed Jaune slowly lifting one foot up, with the thug completely oblivious to it. "So, let's cut the bullshit. You give me your bike, and I'll forgive you for trespassing on my turf."
"That is a… very tempting offer. But I'm going to have to… pass!" He then kicked the thug in the lower chest, pushing her back as he caught her off guard and giving him an opening to run back to Arcee. She internally smiled at his quick thinking. 'Guess he didn't need my help after all,' she thought.
"Big mistake kid!" the thug shouted as she shot the brown stick out, making him trip. He fell to all fours and the thug quickly kicked him in the chest and swung the stick to his face, forcing him on his rear and back against the wall.
"You'll pay for that you little shit," the thug sneered. "So you have aura, huh? Guess that explains how you're still conscious. And it means I need to use something a little better." She then dropped the poll and pulled out a sharp, bladed weapon from her belt.
The situation just changed drastically and Arcee knew she had to act. Damn the consequences, Jaune's safety was her priority right now! She revved the engine. Before the thug or Jaune could even turn to her direction, Arcee slammed into the thug and forced her against the container. Her back hit first before her head slammed back against it, knocking her out as her body slumped to the floor.
Once she made sure she was out, Arcee reversed back to Jaune. He was standing and alternated looking at her and the knocked out thug with a hung jaw. "I… what… uh..." he tried to form words but was utterly confused at what just happened. "I don't..."
"Jaune, get on," Arcee said, making Jaune recoil back and look at her, eyes wide in shock and confusion.
"Did... d-did you just t-talk?!"
"Yes I did, now get on and let's get out of here," Arcee responded. "That thug could have friends nearby." Jaune hesitated for a bit, but then gave in and slowly got back on her. They left the alleyway and traveled back home. But Jaune was extremely wary the whole way. Arcee noticed how tense he became, and it was hard not to notice the nervous expression on his face and how he glanced down at her more than often.
Arcee inwardly sighed. She knew that he would have questions and would no doubt have to give him answers and hope that he could stay quiet. She was not looking forward to that but knew that it was going to happen soon no matter what.
Soon she noticed that they were traveling slowly on an empty back road. They were alone, and it gave her an idea. Since she knew he would want ask her questions and try to figure out what she was anyway, she decided that it would be on her terms.
"Jaune," she said as he flinched slightly and looked down at her, "we need to talk."
A/N: I didn't want to end it here, but I want to keep word count consistency and it seemed like a good place to cut off.
Now that Arcee revealed herself, we can finally get to the good fun stuff that I've been planning and wanted to do for so long! Revelations, friendships, bonding, drama, emotions, action, conspiracies, badassery, and more! I have so many story arcs planned for this and I can't wait to get to them all.
And shoutout for Cyberleader2000 for being this story's beta and being my go to nerd for transformer wiki facts and the like.
Thanks again for reading! Have a great day :)
