I do not own Transformers Prime or Harry Potter
(Chapter 2)
(3 Weeks Later)
Soundwave didn't talk. That is something everyone knew, even Megatron. However, there was a common misconception about his mutism. Word around the Nemesis was that he deleted his emotions to process more information, which isn't true. The real reason he didn't talk was simple… everyone annoyed him. Starscream complains about wanting to be recognized as the leader of the Decepticons, Knockout was always looking at himself in the mirror, and Breakdown just broke things. And the servant class Decepticons were too afraid of him. So he decided not talking was better, and it was. Nobody disturbed him with pointless requests, and he could work in peace.
Currently, Soundwave was sitting on a bench in the middle of nowhere. More specifically, Jasper, Nevada. Now, why would a Decepticon like him be in a place like this? He appreciated how quiet it was. Earth was a fascinating planet. There was something about sitting down and listening to the sound of the wind blowing that calmed his circuits. Also, Laserbeak loved flying around with other birds.
Soundwave was wearing a dark purple jacket with his hood on. He always had his hood up. On his face, he wore a mask that kept his identity a secret, even from other Decepticons. The screen could project his thoughts or files stored in his processor. He was always given strange looks from the humans who saw him, but he ignored it.
Looking at the time inside his mask, Soundwave stood up. He needed to return to the Nemesis, though he'd rather just say sitting on the bench. Pressing a button on his wrist, a screen appeared on the inside of his mask, showing him Laserbeak's location. He turned to walk in the direction his pet was playing in. This was strange… Laserbeak usually returns when they need to leave.
(Meanwhile)
Jacqueline stepped out of the bookstore. Nothing had caught her eye. 'Madam Prince has a far better library. Then again, this is a muggle library.' Taking her backpack off, she unzipped it and pulled out a book on magical creatures. She was halfway through it. "At least I still have my own books." Jacqueline wouldn't consider herself an intense bookworm, but she was definitely an advent spell caster. There was something about waving her wand through the air that always made her happy.
Walking down the sidewalk, she heard a strange noise. "Huh?" It sounded like laughing. Peaking around the corner, she saw Vince and a few of his friends throwing rocks at a crow tangled on a clothesline. The crow was screeching in fear, "What are you doing?!"
Vince stopped throwing rocks and turned. He smirked when he saw Jacqueline, "Hey there, Darby, long time no see. What brings you here?"
Jacqueline didn't look impressed, "Uh, I don't know. Maybe the sound of a helpless animal being tormented by a bully and his friends."
Vince looked up at the bird, "It's just a stupid crow. Who cares?" He looked back and smirked, "You know, there is a drag race happening later. Maybe you'd like to come and give me a celebratory kiss when I win." He gave a wink.
Jacqueline glared at him, "Not even if you were the last man on the planet."
"C'mon, babe, no need to be cold. Don't worry, you'll come around." Getting in his car, he honked at his friends. "See ya around, hot stuff." Slamming his foot on the gas, the tires screeched as he drove off.
"What a jerk." Jacqueline looked up at the massive crow still tangled up. It was struggling to escape. It was caught in such a way that moving hurt it. Walking over, she stood on a trashcan and attempted to grab it, but it started screeching at her. "Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you, little guy." Strangely, the crow stopped its struggle when she unbound its broken wing. Grabbing the crow, she gently ran her fingers down its back. Its left wing was dangling towards the ground. "Aw~poor little guy. Your wing is broken. Stupid Vince, who harms such a magnificent creature?" The crow made something similar to a purr when she gave the compliment.
Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, she slid out her wand and pointed it at the broken wing, "This might hurt, little guy. Episkey." The crow struggled to escape as his wing was repaired. Once it was able to move its wing, it stopped struggling. "See, that wasn't too bad now, was it?" For the next minute, she pets the massive crow. 'I don't think I've ever seen one this big.' Running her fingers down its back, she watches it puff its feathers out. "Does that feel good?" Surprisingly, it nodded, "Now, what is such a handsome little guy like you doing in a place like this." Her compliments made Laserbeak's chest puff up in pride. He liked this human. Not only did she help him from those teens, but she clearly recognized how magnificent he looked. But how did she fix his wing? He'd have to ask his master. That would have to wait, unfortunately. This human girl was brushing his feathers in all the right places.
Jacqueline stopped petting the crow and turned around, practically jumped out of her skin. A man was right behind her, wearing a mask. He was a head taller than her and deathly silent. "Uh~hi. Can I help you?" The strange man nodded and pointed to the crow. "Oh, is he yours?" Instead of getting a response, the man just nodded, 'Maybe he's mute?' Opening her arms a little, Laserbeak flew out of her grasp onto his master's shoulder.
Laserbeak could tell his master was irritated and had likely come to the wrong conclusion. Pecking Soundwaves head, he started speaking in a series of strange sounds. When the crow stopped, Soundwave slowly tilted his head. So this human helps Laserbeak from a few teenagers?
Jacqueline scratched behind her head, "Sorry if it looked like I was hurting him. I saw Vince and his friends throwing rocks at your crow, well… I mean, I didn't know he belonged to anyone." She just received a nod. "Uh~well, I'm Jacqueline. Nice to meet you." She presented her hand.
Soundwave looked down at her hand. Slowly, he reached out and shook it. When he let go, he just stared at her.
Jacqueline looked over the hooded figure. She really wanted to ask why he was wearing a mask but decided against it. "So, what's your name?" He didn't respond, "Okay, what's your crow's name? I have to admit he's a very handsome crow." Laserbeak tried to say its name, but it was unintelligible to her.
Meanwhile, Soundwave still hadn't responded. Tapping her fingers, she looked around, "I should go. You probably have things you need to do." Yet, before she could walk away, the hooded figure leaned forward. His mask was right in front of her as he towered over her. It was then she heard a sound behind his mask, 'Is… is he smelling me?' A soft but deep growl soon erupted from his throat. "I've gotta go. Nice meeting you." With that, sure turned and quickly walked off.
Soundwave watched the human femme walk away and couldn't stop the growling from his throat. She was fertile, and her scent was highly intoxicating. Behind his mask, he licked his lips. It has been ages since he'd smelt a femme who was fertile. On Cybertron, running into a fertile femme was practically impossible. Watching her walk away, he stood there silently. Unexpectedly a robotic voice came from his mask, "Soundwave: Like Femme" His frame had gone rigid, he'd barely gotten a whiff of her scent, and he wanted more. He walked away like nothing happened, but his own body was producing a hormonal scent. Were she a cybertronian female, she would have been able to smell his own scent.
(Next Day)
Jacqueline patiently sat outside of the muggle high school, waiting for Raf. "He's only 12 and going to a muggle high school?" Since Raf was staying home for the following year, he was also taking muggle classes. Why Raf wanted to do this, she had no idea.
Once the bell rang, the students started to flood out of the building. Raf was one of the last students to leave. His orange clothing made him stick out. "Jack, is that you?"
Jacqueline stood up from the bench and quickly came over, "Hi, Raf. You're Mom said you were at school, and I thought I'd walk you home."
Raf blushed, "No~no, you don't need to. Wait, you talked to my Mom?"
Jacqueline nodded, "You only live a block away from me. C'mon," She presented her hand, "Let's go get some ice cream." Jacqueline couldn't help it. Just like her mother, she had a soft spot for children. Plus, Raf was one of the only other wizards in town. As they walked across the street, Jacqueline looked down at Raf, "Did you call me Jack earlier?"
Raf nodded, "Y~ya. Is that fine?"
"You can just call me Jacqueline, or Jaclyn for short. Jack makes me feel like a guy." Plus, the only person to ever call her that was her father.
As Raf and Jacqueline crossed the street, they nearly fell back when Miko appeared out of thin air. "There you are! I swear finding you is like finding a needle in a haystack."
Jacqueline looked around, and thankfully nobody noticed Miko apparated in front of them, "Miko, are you crazy? What if someone saw you?"
Miko pulled out her wand and waved it openly, "Hey, relax. I'll just do a bit of hocus pocus on them. If you know what I mean."
Raf pushed up his glasses, "You can apparate? Would one of you be able to teach me that? I've wanted to learn it so bad, but my Mom keeps saying no. Especially my Dad."
Miko and Jacqueline looked at each other a bit uncertain, "Uh~sorry, dude. I'm probably not someone you should ask for training." Miko said.
Meanwhile, Jacqueline was shaking her head, "Sorry, Raf, but you're just too young to learn how to apparate on your own. But Miko and I would gladly be willing to take you places. Right, Miko?"
Miko shrugged, "Sure, why not?"
Raf looked a little disappointed, "Aw… Well, what does it feel like?"
"Imagine having your entire body forced through a tiny tube and a bunch of flashing lights making it hard to see. And a lot of screaming. It can be a bit scary for some people." Jacqueline responded, "I'm sorry, Raf, but you're just too young to learn it. I mean, god forbid you got splinched."
Miko decided to interject, "So, where were you guys off to?"
Jacqueline nodded her head towards the Dairy Queen, "I was taking Raf out for ice cream. Wanna join us?"
"Ice cream? Hmmm… fine. Do you think you can spot me, though? I only have a few galleons, and I never got it exchanged."
Once they all got their ice cream, they sat outside, looking towards the mountain range. Jacqueline took another bite and turned to Miko, "Miko, can I ask you something?"
Miko leaned back on the bench, a massive smile was on her face, "What's up?"
"Um… don't get mad… but, uh… what's with this whole get up?" She motioned to her appearance. "Aren't you a pureblood?" She had never seen a pure-blood wizard act like this.
Miko laughed, "Ya, I am. So what? For the first time in my life, I'm away from my family and can chillax." She had to act all her life as a perfect lady, and now being in Jasper, she wanted to see what she'd been missing out on.
Raf, who was sitting on the other side of the bench, leaned over, "But aren't you from the Nakadai family? I thought they were like…super-rich in Japan. Your family dates back 15 generations of wizards."
"Thanks for the history lesson," Miko was uninterested in her family's past, "I didn't ask to be a Nakadai. All I ever was taught was how to be some proper lady, but I don't want that." From a young age, her parents made her do gruesome hours of practice piano and painting. Just the sight of a piano now made her want to blow it up with her wand.
Jaclyn felt Miko was keeping some information from them, "So you expect us to believe that your parents, one of the wealthiest wizards in all of Japan, let their 19-year-old daughter move to some random town in the US?" The Nakadai family had a notable reputation for their dislike of muggles and mudbloods.
Miko gave a nervous laugh, "I might have told my folks I wanted to go learn about magic in America. They were kinda easy to fool, actually." It took a lot of planning, but she eventually convinced her parents that she wanted to expand her family's knowledge of magic. "But can you guys blame me? Look at this," She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. "Would you really want me to look like this?"
Raf and Jaclyn were taken back by the woman on Miko's phone. It was her! "That's you?!" Jaclyn exclaimed. In the picture, Miko's hair was straight and lacked any form of pink pigment. "Rebellious daughter much?" she laughed.
"See, you get it!" Frankly, nothing could ruin Miko's mood. She was away from her cold and unaffectionate parents.
Raf kicked his feet back and forth, "So, where are you staying?"
Miko motioned her thumb to the end of the street, "The apartment over there. Did you guys know muggles have TV's? In their home! My apartment had two already there. A something called a dishwasher. You put your dishes in there at it comes out clean, isn't that insane!?"
Jaclyn and Raf looked at each other. Clearly, Miko wasn't as technologically savvy as they assumed. But coming from a pureblood family, it was expected that Miko likely didn't have much exposure to it. Wizards, in general, had little use for technology. Soon enough, a loud engine caught their attention. The three wizards looked back and saw a yellow muscle car racing down the street. Raf was smiling, "Cool." He hadn't seen anything that luxurious in Jasper before. Vince's muscle car was a joke in comparison to this car.
Meanwhile, Miko shared Raf's expression, "Man, imagine being in a car like that. Hey, do you guys think I could beat that guy if I was on a broom?" Some muggle cars did go overly fast.
Raf shrugged, "Maybe." Just then, his phone started ringing. "Hi, Mama," He said, flipping it open, "I went out for some ice cream. I'm just down the street."
Jaclyn smiled at Raf. He was so innocent, 'He calls his Mom, Mama? That's so adorable!'
(Two Days Later)
It was Saturday, and Jaclyn was in her mother's garage, "C'mon, you need to eat." There was a small desk in the garage, and her hinkypunk was out of its lantern. The ghostly fog made a groaning sound. Its tiny arms were holding the top of the lantern, "No, you can't go outside." It was gloomy out, the perfect weather for this magical creature.
The door leading into the house opened, and June leaned over to look in, "Hi, Sweety. What do you have there?" She walked over and leaned down to look at the strange smoke.
"Morning, Mom. I'm just feeding my hinkypunk." Jacqueline quickly pointed at her pet, "Don't even think about throwing a fireball at my mother."
June was a little concerned to hear this, "It's not going to cause a fire, is it?" The hinkypunk slowly locked itself inside the lantern. Smoke filled the chamber, but the candle still burned brightly.
"He's just a little cautious with new faces. You don't mind me having him, right?"
"So long as I don't get a fireball in my face, I think we're fine." June had her scrubs on, "I'm being called in, so I won't be home until tonight."
Jaclyn spun around in her chair, "Alright, I'll see you tonight."
However, June hadn't left, "Sweety, you know I love you. But… I just wanted to know. What are your plans now that you've graduated?"
Jaclyn's eyes widened, "Uh~I'm not sure yet. I was actually thinking about applying for magical law enforcement. But they aren't taking any new Aurors yet. I also enjoy potion making and thought about maybe being a potioneer or an alchemist. I don't really know yet." Even Jacqueline knew that being an alchemist would not provide a livable income, even for a wizard. Alchemy had no practical use on a massive scale in the wizarding world unless, of course, you could create the Sorcerer's stone, but only one wizard has achieved that feat. Alchemy was more of a hobby than a profession. 'I always did want to be the second wizard to create the sorcerer's stone.'
"Are you sure you want to become an Auror? I know you want to help people, but do you have to do something so dangerous?" June was always worried about her daughter. "In the meantime, have you thought about maybe a part-time job? I heard KO burger has an opening."
"KO Burger, Mom, really?" She just got her degree from Hogwarts, and her mother wants her to work part-time at a fast-food joint? "There is an apothecary in the next town over. I think the owner is hiring." The wizard who ran it was very old and frail but seemed kind enough. "It's not as exciting as an Auror, but it's better than KO Burger."
"Well… I'm just letting you know. Besides, I'd be able to come and visit you." June was smiling.
Jaclyn smirked and raised a brow, "So that's why you want me to work there. Because it's close to your work." She stated the obvious.
June waved her hand, "I don't know what you mean. I have to go, Sweety. Please be careful. I don't want to find you on a gurney because of one of these street racers." She got into her car and left the house.
With her mother gone, Jaclyn turned back to her hinkypunk, "Welcome to the family."
(Autobot Outpost Omega One)
"Bulkhead, I needed that!" Ratchet shouted as Bulkhead and Bumblebee broke the console he was using. The two men were lobbing with a giant metal ball... again.
"Aw, C'mon, Ratchet, lighten up." Bulkhead grabbed the metal ball. "You should thank me. I swear you spend too much time at the computer. Heck, even Optimus could use a break." Bulkhead looked up on the second level and saw Optimus typing away at the holographic screen.
Optimus said nothing as he listened into Ratchet and Bulkhead. "Optimus to Cliffjumper."
Cliffjumper's photo appeared on his monitor, "Whatcha' ya need, Prime?" In the background, Optimus could hear the sound of Cliffjumper's car. Though the machine he was piloting was far more sophisticated than that.
"I am detecting an energon reading 10 clicks north to your location."
"I'm on it." Cliffjumper responded, "I should be there in about 20 minutes."
"Remain alert. I am detecting abnormal readings from the area." In fact, all of Jasper, Nevada, had a strange reading. It wasn't anything like energon… it was… something. Every time Ratchet attempted to make sense of it, his data would change. Optimus stepped away from the console and turned to the mechs still in the base, "Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Ratchet. I have located four separate energon readings from different parts of this planet."
Bulkhead slammed his fist into his hand, "And you want us to split up and get it, right?"
Optimus nodded, "Yes. Given our limited number, we will need to scout these locations. Be vigilant of any Decepticon readings or presence."
Bulkhead started laughing, "C'mon, Optimus, the cons haven't been seen in over three years. At least no major Decepticons besides a few scouts."
"And that, Bulkhead, is why I am troubled. Every day we draw closer to their inevitable return." Optimus walked down the steps and went towards his truck. Getting inside, the vehicle started folding around him until there stood a gigantic robot with blue optics. Cybertronian sparks allowed them to operate advanced mechanical robots.
Bulkhead looked up at Optimus's robotic face, "Changing already, Optimus. You expecting a fight when you walk out?"
Meanwhile, Ratchet activated the ground bridge, "I've locked on to the coordinates you've set, Optimus." The ground bridge abruptly turned off, and the screen had a red check box on it. "Blasted Earth tech!" He slammed his fist onto the console, and it switched back on.
Optimus stepped through the portal. On the other side, he was exposed to the long stretch of desert. "Optimus to base. I have arrived at the coordinates." The green portal behind him closed as he changed from the giant mech to a Peterbilt truck. As a Prime, his mech was only able to be controlled by him. Optimus gripped the steering wheel and pressed his foot onto the peddle.
(A few minutes later)
Optimus stopped his vehicle and stepped out with a scanner in his hand, 'The energon readings are low, but still there.' Brushing through the tumbleweeds and sand, he spotted a small amount of energon. It was covered in dirt, giving it the appearance of stone, but he recognized this crystalized shape all too well.
Stopping in front of the energon, Optimus took a brief moment to view the landscape before him. Earth was a beautiful planet. A clear blue sky, similar to Cybertron, but what he fancied the most was the natural beauty this planet had to offer. Cybertron was similar in that it had a small number of plants but nothing to the degree of Earth. As techno-organics, they did not require a high amount of oxygen like humans, but even they were not immune to the vacuum of space. After Cybertron's atmosphere became too polluted, they were forced to abandon it.
"If only I had stopped Megatron when I had the chance… would the fate of our people have been different." Optimus thought aloud. As he kneeled down to harvest the energon, a small photo slipped from his pocket. He reached down and picked it back up. It was the same photo Agent Fowler had dropped from his folder. Optimus had seen his fair share of beautiful femme on Cybertron, but there was something about this femme's complexion that just made it difficult for him not to admire her. 'Perhaps she is Agent Fowler's sibling?' If that were the case, Optimus knew he had to return the photo. He unwittingly frowned at the idea.
As Optimus removed the energon from the ground, Arcee's voice erupted from his earpiece, "Arcee to Optimus! The cons are back. Cliff might be neck-deep in scrap."
He swiftly pressed his earpiece, "Understood. Ratchet, do you have Cliffjumper's coordinates?"
"I'm locked on his signal, Optimus." The medic replied while he worked on activating the ground bridge remotely. "But our team is scattered across time zones."
"Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee. Rendezvous back at base and prepare to ground bridge." Optimus stood and quickly ran back towards his truck. Since his spark was also tied to the mech, he could control it remotely using his mind. The mecha's door swung open, and he drove off back towards base.
(Jasper)
Jacqueline waved her wand as her bed moved to the edge of the room. "I've wanted to use this spell for so long." The walls of the room expanded.
"Jacqueline, I'm home! I brought dinner." June yelled as she walked into the house.
"I'm in my room!" She shouted back.
The doorknob in her room jiggled before the door opened, "I brought KO~ Good lord!" Her daughter's bedroom was completely different from what it was yesterday.
Jaclyn chuckled at her mother's wide eyes, "So… what do you think? Too big?" While the room was expanded and the walls took on a medieval design, it was practically barren, besides the bed and dresser.
"Jacqueline Darby, If you are going to alter my house, may you please tell me? Now, what am I going to do if a guest comes over and accidentally opens your door." Her room was right next to the bathroom.
Jaclyn walked the door and tapped the doorknob with her hand, "I can hex the doorknob. You're not mad, are you?" It was hard to tell sometimes.
June looked past her daughter, "I guess I can let it slide. On one condition." she started smirking, "Do you mind doing my bedroom?"
The two Darby's started laughing, "Of course. Do you have any sort of design ideas?" They left the bedroom and went to the dining room.
"While I liked medieval architecture, I'd just like something a bit more modern." And so, the two discussed ideas about June's bedroom as they ate.
Jaclyn took a bite of her burger, "Since when did you get KO Burger. I thought you were super picky about eating healthy." Working at KO Burger and eating there were two different topics in June's mind.
June shrugged, "What? I get at least one day a month to cheat. Ugh~I envy you." She was jealous that, as a witch, it was challenging for her daughter to gain weight. "You can eat any junk food and not gain a pound."
Jaclyn finished her burger, "Well, you don't have to worry about that. I'm still scared of you showing me those pictures of people with diabetes growing up." Since her mother was a nurse, she showed her daughter very graphic images of what could happen to her body if she didn't take care of herself. While she did have the occasional sweet, it was only on occasions.
Her mother smiled, "I've missed you, sweetheart. You can't imagine how boring it is without you."
"I've missed you too, Mom." While her mother could be a stick in the mud at times, she still loved her. As they started cleaning their mess from the table, there was a knock at the door.
June looked at the door, "I've got it." When she opened it, she was greeted by a boy with red glasses and a sweater vest. "Hi there, are you lost?"
Raf pushed his glasses up, "N~no, I was wondering if Jacqueline was here. She promised to help me study." He lifted a book.
June read the cover, 'Magic in North America.' A lightbulb went off above her head, "Oh, you're that wizard who lives down the street. Please come in. Jacqueline! Your friend is here."
Jacqueline peeked her head from outside the kitchen, "Raf!" She still found the 12-year-old to be absolutely adorable. "Are you ready to study?" He mentioned to her briefly at the dairy queen that he was struggling with a few concepts.
Nodding, Raf held the book to his chest, "Ya, I brought my computer too. Is it fine if I take notes on it?"
Off to the side, June was smiling at the sight of her daughter tutoring the young boy. 'Where did I put that camera?'
Jacqueline led Raf to her bedroom, and just like her mother, Raf's eyes were filled with wonder, "Wow! So cool. This is your bedroom?"
Jacqueline nodded, "Yep! And guess what. With enough training, you could one day learn to cast the spell to do this." Raf was practically exploding with excitement. There was still so much about magic that he didn't know, but he was happy to be a wizard. Even if his siblings didn't like him that much. Ever since his family found out he was a wizard, his brother and sisters were jealous.
(1 Hour Later)
Raf rubbed his eyes. His head was hurting, "Man, this is hard."
Jacqueline smiled softly, "You're doing great. The history of magic is pretty boring. At least you don't have Professor Binns teaching you." She could tell Raf was confused, "He teaches the History of Magic at Hogwarts. He died in his sleep in the teacher's lounge and then continued to teach even as a ghost."
"I saw a few ghosts at Ilvermorny." He only went to school there for one year. "Hey, can I ask you something, Jacqueline?"
"What is it?" She started picking up the books they were studying from.
"Do you ever wish you weren't a wizard?"
Raf's question made her raise a brow, "Uh… sometimes. If I'm being honest. But we can't change what we are. Why do you ask?"
"No reason." Was his quick reply. Jacqueline wanted to keep questioning him but decided to leave it alone.
She decided to lighten the mood, "Hey, tomorrow, Miko and I were going to go check out that wizard alley over in the next town. Do you wanna come with us?"
Raf seemed a little nervous, "I don't know." He didn't want to be a third wheel. He was all too familiar with that feeling.
"Please! I can't handle Miko by myself. You're the only one who understands technology better than her." She sounded a bit desperate.
Raf slowly began to smile, "Well… I guess I can come. If my Mom says yes. But are you sure you want me to hang out with you two?"
Jacqueline looked genuinely confused, "Why wouldn't we want you to come? You're fun to be around." He wasn't your average 12-year-old. Raf was like an encyclopedia on muggle technology. Jaclyn helped Raf pack his bag, "Would you like me to walk you home?"
He slowly thought it over, "Sure, and maybe on the way, I can teach you about source codes." Now it was her turn to feel lost and confused. She knew nothing about how computers worked, at least internally. And true enough, by the time they reached Raf's home, Jaclyn was utterly confused. It was as if Raf were speaking another language.
(Autobot Outpost, Next Day)
The Autobots stood silent as they mourned for Cliffjumper. They arrived too late at his coordinates. All that remained was the horn from his transformer. Arcee was handling it the worst. He saw Cliffjumper as a brother. They couldn't even give him a proper burial because his body was taken.
"As of today, only we five Autobots remain on this Earth," Optimus said while standing in front of his fellow Autobots. "We owe it to ourselves. To the memory of Cybertron. To any Autobots in any galaxy seeking safe harbor. To humankind." Arcee said nothing but continued to frown. If they weren't trying to protect humankind, then his partner would still be alive. "And we owe it to the memory of our fallen comrade to survive." Optimus watched as Arcee turned and began walking away, "Arcee."
The man's voice echoed resentment and sorrow, but he tried to act unfazed, "If Cliff's gone, standing around here sulking won't bring him back. So if anyone minds, I'll get back to protecting humankind." He stood on the platform leading into the base and descended. He needed to go for a drive and clear his mind.
Ratchet stood beside Optimus, "Optimus, helping humans will only result in more tragedy."
Optimus watched as Arcee descended into the base, "Your opinion is noted." It may be too late for his race, and perhaps he has led Cybertron and its people to an end. However, Optimus refused to let humankind suffer like they had. The matter stood; they were guests on this planet. Earth was one of the few habitable planets in the entire galaxy that could support Cybertronians. While it seemed like a hopeless dream… Optimus had a sliver of optimism that Earth could be used as a refuge for Cybertronians. If his time as leader of the Autobots has taught him anything, it was to never make enemies unnecessarily.
(Later)
Jacqueline weaved her way through the alley. She was on the phone with her June, "Hey, Mom, I have good news I got the job." Ironically, she was next to the KO burger.
June was excited on the other end, "I'm so proud. I mean, I'm not happy you're going to be working so far away. But still. Was it hard to get the job?" They were talking about the apothecary.
The owner of the apothecary was 156-years-old and struggling to maintain business. Given his advanced age, it was difficult for him to move things around. 'I'm not an official potioneer, but I think this will be a great job.' Jaclyn rounded the corner, "No, in fact, the owner was happy he found someone."
As Jaclyn talked to her mother, she barely regarded the man sitting on his motorcycle right out front of the KO burger. Arcee was blindly listening into the human's conversation and looked up. He needed something to distract him from Cliffjumper. In the window of the KO burger, he saw a help wanted sign, 'Who'd be excited about working there? Humans have it too easy.' Right now, he was trying to stay on the down-low. On his way through town, he passed two Decepticon twins. Their mecha's color was a dead giveaway.
Lost in thought, Arcee thought about the strangeness of Earth. He was jealous… jealous that humans had a place to call home. Meanwhile, Cybertron was a wasteland. 'Stupid humans. So ungrateful for what they have.' And what he personally detested the most was their backward knowledge of mating. On Cybertron, it was common for sparkmates to have more than a single mate. While on Earth, it was frowned upon, back on Cybertron, it was considered a great honor. The Great Solus Prime had 20 sparkmates. 'What femme has only a single mate?'
Jaclyn closed her phone and put it in her pocket. Not looking where she was going, she bumped into a girl with red hair, "Oof! Sorry." Her phone fell out of her hands towards Arcee. He was so lost in thought he hardly noticed the phone next to his boot.
Sierra backed up, "Hey, sorry about that. I wasn't looking where I was going."
"S~sorry, Oh!" Jaclyn recognized who she bumped into, "Hi, Sierra, long time no see."
Sierra was creeped out by this woman, "You know my name?" She looked to be 25.
"We grew up on the same block. Jacqueline Darby. We had homeroom together until fifth grade?" This was before she left to go to Hogwarts. Sierra had no idea who she was, "Nevermind." Jacqueline tapped her pocket, 'Where is my phone?' She looked around and noticed it by some guy on his bike. He had a helmet on, so she couldn't see his face. Walking over, she picked up her phone. As she got up, the man was watching her from behind his helmet. "I dropped my phone. Sorry. I didn't mean to bother you."
Before she could turn to leave, headlights were shining on them. A few feet away, there were two purple cars of an unknown make. Arcee growled, 'Scrap!' He looked at the human, "Get on! NOW!" He grabbed her with incredible speed and was quickly forced onto his motorcycle.
Jaclyn stabled herself as they suddenly took off, "W~whoa! What's going on?"
Arcee sneered in irritation behind his helmet, "Just shut up!" He revved his engine and went faster. 'Frag me, can this day get worse?' The only reason he forced the femme on his motorcycle was that she was in his way.
One of the Decepticons contacted the Nemesis, "Commander, Starscream, target sighted. Accompanied by a human woman."
Starscream shouted through the comm-link, "Destroy them both!" The Decepticons sped after them.
Jacqueline was shaking a bit when they came to an abrupt stop. She was gripping the man's waist for dear life. They were in the middle of a dingy alleyway. She quickly got off the motorcycle and backed up. "What the heck?"
Arcee grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and growled, "I don't exist. Tell anyone about me, and I will hunt you down." He pushed her away and sped off.
Jaclyn stabilized herself against the wall. She went down the opposite alley and attempted to compose herself, "What the hell was that?" A part of her was tempted to chase down the guy who grabbed her and transfigured him into a pig or perhaps a goat? Jacqueline summoned her wand from thin air and was about to apparate but stopped herself when one of the purple muscle cars turned the corner. "Hey, I'm not with that guy!" She shouted out. The car sped towards her, clearly intending on running her over.
Meanwhile, Arcee looked into his side mirror and witnessed one of the cons go after the femme. "Scrap." Optimus would kill him if he let the femme come to harm.
Jacqueline ran as fast as she could, without thinking, she flourished her want at the scaffolding and fire escapes mounted on the buildings. The Decepticon scout slammed on his brakes and slammed into the debris. All he saw was blue and white waves shooting out from the human. Arcee sped around the corner and drove through the rubble. How did the femme get across all of the fallen junk? Arcee drove up towards Jaclyn, who was running, "Hop on!" The Decepticons blasted through the debris with the cannons mounted on their mechas.
Jacqueline was timid to listen to the man who'd gotten her into this mess. She jumped onto his motorcycle nonetheless. 'I was just about to apparate! Give me a break!' At the same time, she was screaming in her head. 'That muggle saw me! He had to have seen me cast those spells. I'm dead!' She gripped the stranger's waist and looked back. Red lasers started shooting at them, "Whoa! Why are those guys chasing us?" And since when could cars have lasers?
Arcee weaved through traffic, "There is no us, kid. And they're no guys. Now stop talking."
A yellow and black striped muscle car came from the side. Doing the impossible, the vehicle rammed into the pursuers and drove backward before spinning around. "Friend of yours?"
Arcee laughed, "No. Family." Bumblebee attempted to block the cons, but they were able to get the upper hand and slam his transformer into the guard rail. Arcee went down an exit, ignoring the construction warnings.
"Vrooom!" Raf was playing with a yellow toy car. It looked similar to the one he saw a few days ago. His phone started to ring, "Hi, Mama." She wanted to know where he was, "Racing. Right up the street. Just five more minutes?" He then went back to playing with his toy car. Raf heard a strange noise and gasped when a motorcycle flew over his head. When it landed, he immediately recognized Jacqueline, "Whoa… cool!"
Jacqueline looked over, "Raf?"
Arcee looked back, "Get off!" He said aggressively. He can't activate his transformer if someone else is on it. He also didn't like to be touched in general. Especially by people, he didn't know. The woman quickly got off his motorcycle and went towards the human child. Just then, the cons who were chasing them transformed and landed a few feet away. Jaclyn and Raf watched with wide eyes as the motorcycle began to transform around Arcee, and there stood a giant robot. "This ends here cons." He sprang towards them, dodging their shots as he flipped forward. When he got to them, he kicked the closest con in the helm.
Raf could barely speak, "W~what are they?"
Jacqueline watched the blue mecha as he pummeled the Decepticons, "Guys controlling talking robots? Or cars that turn into robots?" They looked like something from a science fiction comic.
Arcee landed in front of one of the cons and started punching him in the head. Each blow fueled his unparalleled rage, "This… Is… for… Cliff!" He hit the Decepticon's helm between each word. His energon was boiling. The Decepticon scout growled and swung at Arcee. The blue Autobot started doing backflips as the cons shot at him. When he got a few feet away, a single blast hit his mecha in the chest. Inside his suit, Arcee clenched his teeth.
What humans didn't understand about their transformer was that they could still feel pain if it took too substantial damage. If worse came to it and the mecha were destroyed, it could cause severe shock for the pilot. Thankfully, a failsafe ejected the pilot before the suit could cause too much damage to the cybertronian inside. Otherwise, they would wind up brain dead. But then that could also leave them exposed. Arcee disabled his failsafe long ago. He'd rather die in his mecha than surrender to the cons.
Back in the moment, Acree growled as he slid against the ground. Above the overpass, a yellow muscle car drove over the edge and transformed. Jaclyn could barely make out a man with black clothing as the car transformed around him. The suit he wore was unlike any clothing she had ever seen. He had a black mask that covered the lower half of his face. 'We need to get out of here.' Jacqueline thought as the yellow bot landed and punching the cons. A few feet away, Arcee was getting back up. There was a frown on the bot's face.
Bumblebee stomped on the Decepticon and took a step back. In doing so, he heard a crunching sound. Lifting his foot, he saw the flattened toy car. Looking to his right, he saw a small child next to a rather attractive femme. "My bad." He said, but it came out in a series of beeps.
Raf and Jacqueline looked at each other. They could strangely understand what he was saying, "No problem. Really." Raf said. Though he was a little upset, his Mom just bought him that toy car.
Jaclyn was focused on the broader predicament, "Uh, hey!" She pointed towards the Decepticons. Bumblebee was knocked back by the Decepticons. The two vehicles pointed their blasters as Bee.
"Leave him alone!" Raf shouted. Jaclyn grabbed his shoulder. The giant robots were all looking at them. "Please."
Jacqueline leaned down to Raf, "Bad call. C'mon!" She pulled him towards the drain around the corner. 'We can apparate in there.' The Decepticon was right behind them. They got into the drain and ran further into the pipe. The Decepticon reached into the pipe. There was a grate not too far inside, so the humans wouldn't get far.
Raf and Jaclyn ran into a set of bars, stopping them from running further. "What do we do!?" Raf shouted while hiding behind Jaclyn.
Jaclyn pulled out her wand and aimed it at the robot, "Lumos Solem," She recited the spell, and a blinding light shot down the tunnel.
Inside his suit, the Decepticon clenched his optics shut, "Gah! My eyes!" He backed his mecha up and rubbed his eyes from within the suit. Everything his mecha saw, he did too.
Bumblebee, seemingly appearing from nowhere, punched the Decepticon. Knocking him a few feet away. He leaned down, looked into the storm drain, and saw the two humans, "Are you alright?" He beeped out.
Jacqueline quickly hid her wand as both she and Raf nodded, "W~were fine." The yellow bot made a motion with his hand. Signaling for them to stay. He stepped back and went back to fighting the vehicons.
Raf looked up at Jaclyn, "What did we just see?"
The young witch shook her head, "I don't know, but we can't stay here. Hold onto me." Raf cautiously did as she said. From outside the drainpipe, a large cracking sound could be heard, and the two humans who were previously trapped disappeared.
Bumblebee was knocked back again. Landing next to a limping Arcee, he activated his blasters. A car horn caught their attention, and they looked back to see Bulkhead speeding towards them. The wrecker transformed and slammed his hands together, "Who's ready to rumble!?" The two vehicles looked at each other and quickly sped off. They were unquestionably outmatched.
Arcee looked at Bulkhead, "What took you?" Bumblebee bent forward, clearly exhausted.
Bulkhead shrugged, "Traffic."
Arcee gave an irritated sigh, "Hey, what happened to the humans?"
"Humans?" Bulkhead asked. "Uh~oh, what did you do?" He asked with a smile.
Bumblebee pointed to the drainpipe, "They're in there." He beeped out.
The three bots walked towards the pipe. Arcee had his arms crossed, "Alright, you can come out now." There was no response. Arcee transformed out of his mecha and looked into the pipe, "I said… huh?" Nobody was there. "Bee, I thought you said they were inside the drain?"
Bumblebee, like Arcee, transformed out of his mecha. A series of beeps and whirls echoed from his mask as he rubbed his head in confusion. The humans were right there! And there was no possible way they could have run past the iron bars at the end.
Bulkhead started chuckling, "Hehe~someone's gonna be in trouble with the big O.P."
Arcee glared up at Bulkhead, "Just shut up, Bulkhead" He pressed a button on his earpiece, "Ratchet, we need a ground bridge, now."
(Author Notes)
I hope you all enjoyed chapter 2. It looks like Arcee has finally made his debut, and clearly, he is not a happy mech. I should mention that throughout this story, the use between (transformer/mecha) or (Jacqueline/Jaclyn) will be used equally or be jumping between. It seems we also get a look into Miko's life, which helps explain her crazy and exciting personality. Frankly, anyone in her position would probably do the same thing. Who'd want to be stuck with strict and unsympathetic parents as wizards who hated everyone, especially Muggle-borns?
As you can also see, mating for Cybertronians is slightly different than you'd expect. For their species, having more than one sparkmate is not uncommon or even frowned upon. This will be expanded more in later chapters. ;D
