I do not own Transformers Prime or Harry Potter
(Chapter 3)
Arcee was standing next to Bumblebee as he explained what happened earlier, "And the cons would have been scrap metal if I hadn't been distracted by the human."
Optimus raised a brow and stopped typing, "Human?"
Bumblebee lifted two fingers, "A femme and sparkling."
"A femme and sparkling?" Optimus repeated.
Arcee shrugged, "I guess the second one caught us in action. I don't know!" He was furious at himself for messing up, "Was a little busy at the time."
Optimus thought about their options, "If the Decepticons are targeting us, anyone perceived as our ally will be at grave risk." He turned around, and Arcee was frowning. He didn't like where this was going.
"Until such time, it would be in their best interest to be brought here." Optimus watched Arcee's frown deepen.
"What?! Optimus, you can't be serious. The last thing we need here is a human here. Much less two." Arcee had minimal interaction with humans, but that was because all the ones he met annoyed him. They already had to deal with Agent Fowler every week.
There was a crashing sound by the decontamination unit. Ratchet looked livid, "You want to do what?!" The mention of having humans here was not something Ratchet wanted to hear.
Optimus was silent as he listened to Arcee and Ratchet complain about his decision to bring the humans to base. "I understand your concerns. But my decision is final. Arcee, Bumblebee, you are both to escort the humans here."
Bumblebee, who had been silent, found his spark picking up speed. They had to what? He wasn't bothered by the idea of having humans here. Rather… well… he was a nervous wreck when he was around pretty femme. And the one he saw yesterday was lovely.
(Next Day)
Jacqueline waited outside of Jasper High for Raf. Miko was right next to her, 'Did that really happen? R~raf was there, so it has to be true.' Raf and her watch muggles transform into giant robots.
Miko, who was busy sketching the car in front of her, waved her hand in Jaclyn's face, "Hey, are you okay? Hello! Earth to Jaclyn."
She snapped out of her daydream, "Y~Ya, I just… ugh, you wouldn't even believe me if I told you." Jaclyn then thought back to that guy's threat from yesterday. 'Would he really hunt me down?' How would he even find her?
The bell rang, and the students flooding out of the building. Jaclyn turned to Miko, "I'm gonna go get Raf." Miko bit her tongue and continued to draw.
"Huh? Raf? Y~ya, that's fine. I'll be right here." She was too focused on drawing.
Before Jaclyn left, she looked at Miko's drawing. 'I wish I could draw like that.' Jaclyn had only known Miko for a few days, but she still knew so little about her. Only that she was embracing a muggle lifestyle. She hadn't seen Miko cast a single spell since she arrived, besides apparating in front of her. Jaclyn spun around and saw Raf standing by a big tree, "Hey, Raf." She leaned down, "Look… about yesterday. Let's just keep this between us, okay?"
Raf looked past Jaclyn, "What about Miko?"
"Do you really want to explain to Miko what happened yesterday?" Two outcomes might happen. Either she doesn't believe them, or she'll cry in jealousy about not seeing it.
Raf thought about it, "Yeah, good call." He gave a little gasp and pulled Jaclyn's arm, "Jack… look!" The yellow muscle car pulled up beside them, and the door swung open. Inside was the strangely dressed man. He had on a solid black outfit that covered every inch of his body besides the top of his head. His hair was trimmed on the edges, but there was a bit of white hair on the top of his head.
Bumblebee waved at the two humans, though he was trying to not stare at the femme. Now that he wasn't in the heat of battle, he got a good look at the human. "C'mon, get in." A series of beeps came from his mask. "J~just you." He pointed to Raf. Behind his mask, his cheeks were on fire. He couldn't handle driving with a pretty femme next to him.
"You want us to get in?" Jaclyn gave him a bizarre look, 'He can't be serious.' She studied the man, 'Are those gloves.' His hands looked strange.
Raf looked up at Jacqueline, "No, just me. Your ride is over there, I think." He pointed across the street towards Arcee, who was on his motorcycle. They couldn't see his face because of the helmet.
Jacqueline groaned at the idea of riding with him, "I don't think… huh… Raf!" The boy jumped into Bumblebee's car, and the man quickly sped off. Bumblebee sighed in relief that Raf got in before Jaclyn did. He probably came off as rude for leaving her, but what else was he supposed to do? He had a terrible weakness in meeting femme. Jacqueline watched Bumblebee drive off. A part of her was filled with dread. 'Did Raf's mother ever teach him stranger danger!? Who jumps into a stranger's car!' She looked across the street towards the man. Jacqueline nodded her head towards the back of the school.
Arcee sighed, 'What the hell, Bee!?' Now he was going to have to drive the human. He started his engine and drove off towards the back of the school. Both Arcee and Jaclyn were unaware of Miko, who was chasing after Jaclyn. Where was she going?
Jaqueline walked down the alley, and the transforming motorist drove in front of her, "Relax. I just want to talk to you." His voice was calm.
Jacqueline scoffed, "Are you gonna threaten me again?"
"Kid, there is a lot you don't understand." He crept forward.
Jacqueline's eye twitched, "I'm not a kid. But I get it," She loathed being called a kid. If anyone didn't understand, it was him. "The first rule of robot fight club, don't talk about it." If Arcee wasn't irritated by the fact that he was gonna have to drive her, he might have laughed. "Listen, I don't need a bunch of transforming muggles bothering me." She wasn't worried about being killed. At least, she shouldn't be.
A massive mechanical hand slammed the ground next to her. Arcee transformed into his mecha and had an irritated look, "Listen, I'm not here, so you can just whine. Optimus wants us to bring you in for your safety." He took a deep breath, "You are one, if not the only humans who have ever seen us."
Jacqueline was confused by what he was saying, 'Optimus? What kind of name is that?' It took a bit of time, but she was subsequently asked a question burning her mind. "Are you an alien or something?" She felt stupid for saying something like that, but she'd never see technology like this.
For the first time in front of her, Arcee smiled, "See, now you're using that brain of yours."
Their conversation ended when Miko appeared from around the corner, "Dude, what are you waiting for? Go with!"
Jacqueline groaned and threw her head back, "Miko!"
Arcee huffed, "Scrap." He activated his earpiece, "Bee.. I need a pickup. Just get back here!"
(Timeskip)
Jacqueline was riding with Arcee while Miko was driving with Bumblebee and Raf. When Bumblebee saw Miko, he wasn't embarrassed like how he was with the other human femme. Currently, they were going through the desert, just outside of Jasper. Jacqueline was silent for a majority of the ride, "So, what's your name?" If she was going to have to hug his waist, then she'd at the very least like to know his name. She was embarrassed to admit it to herself, but he was rather buff.
He focused on the road, "Arcee." He briefly glanced back, "And yourself?"
"Jacqueline. But most people call me Jaclyn for short." She responded.
Arcee sped up a little, "They sound exactly the same."
"Trust me, when you say my name enough times, Jaclyn is just easier on the tongue." She looked towards the muscle car in front of them, "So, why are we bringing Miko?"
"Rules, Kid."
Jaclyn resisted the urge to claw his sides, "I'm not a kid. And this is Miko we're talking about. She's kind of a lot to handle."
Arcee scoffed, "And you aren't?"
"Do you wanna switch?" She leaned over to see his head better, "I'm sure Miko would love to ride with you." She went back to keeping her face behind Arcee. The sand was getting in her eyes. She released an arm from Arcee's side and waved a hand over her face. The sand on her face flew off and continued to deflect the incoming debris. It was a simple spell but very useful if you wanted to keep trash clear from your face. They drove off the road and were heading straight towards the mountain. The humans watched in fascination as the mountain opened to reveal a tunnel. 'This wasn't even hidden by magic, and I would've never expected a tunnel on the other side.' She spent so much time around wizards she'd almost forgotten what muggles were capable of. However, it started to dawn on Jaclyn that these weren't just muggles. 'A~are they really aliens!?' When they drove into the main base, they saw two giant mechs.
Arcee growled at the human holding him, "You can let go now." Jacquline got off his motorcycle, and he promptly transformed.
Ratchet, who was in his transformer, looked at the humans, "I thought you said there were two."
"Haven't you heard? Humans multiply." He said with an arrogant tone.
Jacquline frowned at the comment, "If you think we breed fast, then you should look up what a rabbit is." Or perhaps a dementor. They could multiply at an alarming rate, especially in places that were filthy or riddled with corpses.
Rafael raised his hand, "I'm Raf."
Miko, however, was struck with wonder at what she was seeing. She approached the sizeable green mech, "I'm Miko." She wasn't afraid to ask very bold and personal questions, "Who are you?"
The green mech stared at her with wide eyes, "Bulkhead." He said with uncertainty.
"Are you a car? Or is that a truck? A monster truck!" Miko started going off, "Do you like heavy metal? How much do you weigh?"
Raf and Jacqueline sighed at Miko's open personality. 'I know she's a little weird, but c'mon, Miko.' Miko's mind was an enigma she would never fully comprehend. 'Is she really a pureblood?' Jacqueline walked behind Miko and covered her mouth. "I'm sorry about her. Miko likes meeting new people."
Raf stepped forward with his arms open, "So, what are you?"
Miko broke free from Jaclyn's grip and started asking the white and orange mech a million questions. One question had the medic scoffing, "Puh~lease." Ratchet had an irritated look on his face.
Jaclyn frowned at the man piloting the giant mech, 'Are they all going to be rude?' She didn't understand why they were inside those things if they were their size. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't on edge. Who wouldn't be? Besides Miko, perhaps.
The ground shook, causing the three humans to turn around. They had to lean back slightly to see the giant mech's face. "We are autonomous technorganic beings from Cybertron. Also known as Autobots." Optimus looked at each of the humans, and his optics widened ever so slightly. He recognized one of the humans beneath him. She was the human in the photo that fell from Agent Fowler's folder.
Jacquline stepped forward, "So, why are you here?"
"To protect your planet from the Decepticons," Optimus stated.
Arcee was next to Optimus. He looked down at them, "The jokers who tried to bump us off last night."
Jaclyn nodded, "Okay… then why are they here?"
Optimus kneeled down but had yet to exit his mecha, "A fair question. They are here because our planet is uninhabitable. Ravaged by civil war."
Raf was quick to ask Jaclyn's own question, "Why were you fighting a war?"
Optimus looked to Raf, "Foremost, over our world's supply of energon. The fuel and lifeblood of all Autobots. And Decepticons alike."
Jaclyn looked at each of the bots, "I'm guessing you can't eat human food?"
Arcee gagged, "Ugh~we can, but it's disgusting. I don't know how you humans can eat that junk." The three humans looked at each other in confusion.
"What exactly did you eat? Not all human food tastes good."
Bulkhead spoke up, "Uh~I think it was called fruit cake… or something like that."
The Autobots were surprised to see the humans making similar reactions they had. Miko gagged, "Gross, why would you have fruit cake?" She ate it once at a party her parents held and nearly threw up into her napkin.
Raf clenched his eyes shut, "My Mom made fruit cake once. I couldn't eat anything for two days. Everything tasted like it."
Jacqueline shivered, "You choose one of the worst foods on Earth. I don't know anyone who likes fruit cake."
Bulkhead tilted his head, "Wait, you don't like that stuff? But wasn't it made by humans?"
"It's disgusting." That was her only response. Jacqueline turned back to Optimus, "I'm sorry. What were you saying?" They were getting off-topic.
And so, Optimus explained to them the cause for the Decepticons and their war. They believed Megatron had lost sight of his goals and became corrupted, or so they thought. What they failed to understand about Megatron was not that he'd been corrupted but desperate. Miko sighed, "Is there gonna be a quiz?" She felt like she was back at Mahoutokoro learning about the Goblin Rebellion.
Jacqueline elbowed Miko and glared at her, "Be nice." She whispered threateningly. 'If there is one thing carried over from her pureblood side, it's her lack of empathy.' She looked back at Optimus, "What does Megatron, or any of this have to do with us?"
"Megatron has not been seen or heard in some time," Optimus stated, "But if his return is imminent, as I fear, it could be catastrophic." He stood back up, "And since you now know of our existence, I fear that as of last night, the Decepticons know of yours."
Miko giggled, causing everyone to look at her, "Pff… so scared." She said sarcastically with a smile. She'd love to see someone try and attack her. She might have been raised to be a lady, but she knew how to defend herself. At least somewhat.
Jacqueline quickly interjected, "Right, so if we see any shady cons, steer clear." She didn't want to sound so dismissive, but it wasn't safe for them to stay here. Three wizards around a group of alien refugees only spelled trouble in her mind. 'Do they even know about magic?'
It was Miko's turn to elbow her, "Are you insane? We are living a dream right now." How often was it they'd have an opportunity to be involved in an alien civil war? This was just the distraction Miko needed from her parents.
Optimus stared at Jaclyn, "It is best that you three remain under our watch. At least until we can determine our enemy's intentions."
Ratchet turned around, "Optimus, with all due respect. The human children are in as much danger here as anywhere."
"Children?" Jacqueline felt that creeping annoyance in the back of her mind. 'The only child here is Raf.' What the Autobots didn't know about wizards was that after they turned seventeen and the trace on a wizard is broken, they begin to age rapidly. Jacqueline was about to turn 20 within a few months but appeared as if she were 25. And like many witches and wizards before her, she would remain the same for years to come. Some wizards considered it a curse since they will be forced to move before anyone notices they haven't aged after a few years. An entire department within the Ministry of Magic and MACUSA focused on relocating witches and wizards after a certain number of years in muggle populated areas.
Jacqueline sighed internally, 'I think Mom is going to cry when that day comes.' She couldn't stay in Jasper forever.
Ratchet waved his hand at them, "They have no protective shell. If they get underfoot, they will go… squish." He stomped his foot on the ground.
Miko and Jacqueline looked at each other and rolled their eyes. There were giants far larger than the Autobots. They could quickly die if one of the Autobots stepped on them, but they could tell Ratchet was just rude. Jacqueline glared at Ratchet, 'Don't they walk around outside of their suit~thingys?'
Miko leaned close, "Someone doesn't get outside of that tin can much."
Optimus looked at Ratchet, "Then, for the time being, Ratchet, we will have to be extra cautious where we step." His hands were on his sides. They were already cautious when it came to where they stepped. Optimus mentally sighed. Hopefully, his oldest friend would come to accept the reality that they needed to watch these humans. The proximity sensors for the base unexpectedly started blaring as green lights flashed.
"What's that?" Jacqueline asked as she looked around.
Bumblebee, who had been silent a majority of the time, pointed to the ceiling. "Proximity sensors." Jaclyn looked at him, which caused the mech to turn away. Since when had he turned into such a flustered mech?
Miko tilted her head, "Uh~anyone get that?"
Raf and Jacqueline looked at Miko. "Proximity sensors, someone's up top. You can't understand him?" Raf asked.
"Are you kidding? All I heard was a bunch of beeps."
Jacqueline kept silent and looked back at Bumblebee, 'Strange. I can understand him.' She heard the beeps, but she could comprehend what he said. "I thought Arcee said we were the only ones who knew about you."
Optimus turned around, "Special Agent Fowler is our designated liaison to the outside world. And he tends to only visit when there are issues."
Jacqueline looked back at Raf and Miko, who shared her look of shock, 'Agent Fowler?!' She mouthed the man's name. They knew him because he was their liaison to MACUSA and Ilvermorny.
"It may be best if you do not meet him at this time." Optimus motioned his hand to the underside of the stairs.
Miko was behind Jacqueline as they leaned over, "Agent Fowler? It can't be the same guy, right?" She whispered. "Do you think they know about… uh…" Miko made a waving motion with her hand.
Raf looked at Jacqueline with hopeful eyes, "If they know Agent Fowler, can tell them?" He would love to see their reactions if they told them they were wizards.
Jacqueline gave them both a serious look, "Absolutely not!" She whispered aggressively. "Do you know what MACUSA would do to us if they found out?" They may be aliens from another planet, but the Statute of Secrecy was absolute. Nobody could know. Jacqueline slowly looked up towards Optimus and felt a little sick. She didn't fancy keeping their secret, especially since the Autobots exposed theirs, but she did this for their own safety.
Miko and Raf looked disappointed but ultimately knew Jacqueline was right. The punishment for exposing magic was severe, especially in the United States. For Raf, he could be expelled from Ilvermorny, but Miko and Jacqueline would face severe punishment. Either long-term imprisonment in Azkaban or worse… the dementors kiss. America was unforgiving for breaking the Statute of Secrecy.
"Seven wrecks, 34 fender benders, a three-hour traffic jam, and a particular note. Numerous reports of a speeding motorcycle of unknown make. And a black and yellow custom muscle car." Fowler was reporting this week's incidents. A vein was beginning to pulse on his head. "So~anything you need to get off your tin chest, Prime?"
Optimus leaned forward, "We have the situation under control, Agent Fowler." Jaclyn leanded out from behind the wall to see William talking to Optimus.
'It is William! He knows about the Autobots?' All Jaclyn could think about was how small of a world this was. Optimus and Fowler started to discuss the Decepticons, but Jaclyn had to push herself back when William looked in her direction. 'That was close.'
When he left, the three humans came out of hiding. Even Miko was quiet and unsure what to say. 'Uh… I think Jacqueline might be right.' She thought while looking at the bots. 'Gah! This is so unfair. Why do we always have to be quiet about magic!? It's not fair!' The young Japanese woman just gave an annoyed huff. What fun was magic if she couldn't show it off?
Ratchet slammed the computer he was using, "Blasted Earth tech!" A red mech's face appeared on screen, "Cliffjumper's signal popped back online."
"Who's Cliffjumper?" Miko frowned when they ignored her question. 'Hello, am I a ghost?' She felt like her mother's house-elf, who she always pitied.
Optimus stepped forward, "How is that possible?" Meanwhile, Arcee had a serious look on his face.
Ratchet looked at Optimus, "It isn't." He motioned his hand to the screen, "Another bug. The system is chocked full of them."
"Optimus, if there is any chance that Cliff is alive." Arcee gave him an intense look. He was going to go after Cliffjumper even if Optimus told him no.
Optimus nodded his head, "Ratchet, prepare sick-bay."
Miko jumped to the edge of the railing, "What can we do?" She may not be the most advent fighter, but her father did teach her a few deadly spells growing up. Though her wand wasn't particularly strong for combative magic.
Jacqueline sighed and shook her head, 'Miko, seriously?' To the Autobots, they were likely just defenseless humans.
"Remain with Ratchet."
Miko's shoulder's dropped, "Awww…" The guy was such a buzzkill.
Ratchet gave his own whine, "Aw-gua." He reached up and pulled the switch for the ground bridge. There were two switches, one for their mecha and a smaller one by the humans.
Optimus lifted his arm, "Autobots, roll out!" They transformed and drove down the swirling green vortex. When Optimus transformed, the three humans could barely make out Optimus's real form. Miko, however, was watching Bulkhead.
"I knew it! He was a big truck!" She was smiling at Jaclyn. The three humans heard a rattling sound and turned towards Ratchet. The chest plate of his transformer opened, and out stepped a man. Ratchet stepped over the railing and looked a little irritated.
Raf was looking between him and the portal, "What just happened?"
Ratchet raised a brow, "I transported them to the designated coordinates via the ground bridge."
"What's a ground bridge?"
Ratchet grumbled, "A scaled-down version of space bridge technology." He stated as if it were obvious.
Jaclyn was overly quiet. She knew the Autobots were their size, but she never expected Ratchet to look… well… 'Holy crap!' Her cheeks were burning like the sun. Jaclyn assumed Ratchet would look old, given his mannerisms and voice, but he didn't look a day over 30. He had short white hair with an orange streak running through it and a trimmed beard. He wore a white medical coat with the Autobot insignia engraved into the shoulder. Ratchet was a head taller than her.
Ratchet continued to speak as he approached the smaller terminal, "Since we don't currently possess the means, or energon, required for intergalactic travel."
"You're stuck here." Jacquline finished his sentence. "On Earth."
Ratchet barely turned his head, "With the likes of you, yes."
Jaclyn frowned ever so slightly. 'You don't have to be rude about it.' That attractive image of the medic was starting to shatter the more he insulted them.
"But I constructed the ground bridge to enable travel from here to anywhere on your planet."
Jaclyn turned back to look at the swirling vortex, 'That's… actually impressive.' A part of her wondered if he'd be able to open the ground bridge to somewhere like the Ministry. 'Hmmm… probably not. If we can't apparate into the Ministry, I highly doubt they could just open some portal.' Magic has its own absolute rules. Especially when it came to concealment spells. Raf was starting at the portal with wide eyes.
"Whoa! Does it work for wiza~Uh! H~Humans." Raf corrected himself.
Ratchet became a little smug, "Naturally."
Miko turned back to him, "You mean I could just shoot on over and visit my parents in Tokyo?" She was giving a hypothetical question. She'd sooner hang herself from the railing than see her parents.
"Within moments." Ratchet stood in front of them, "In fact, allow me to send you there immediately. All three of you." He smirked at the idea of sending them off.
Miko glared at Ratchet while giving him an evil smile, "Watch it Ratchet." For a brief moment, her eyes flashed. She spent most of her life being a porcelain doll, and she wasn't going to let some half-human-looking disgrace talk down to her. Miko sighed internally, 'Just let it go. I'm not my father.'
Jaclyn pulled Miko back, "So you can teleport. That's very impressive."
Ratchet gave a slight scoff, "It is a ground bridge. Teleportation… pff~ as if." The idea of teleportation was something entirely different than a ground bridge. It was a wormhole through space and time.
Jacqueline spoke carefully, "What? It isn't teleporting?"
"There is no such thing as teleportation, like what you humans think."
"What? You mean like magic?" Jaqueline studied his reaction.
Ratchet scoffed again while rolling his eyes, "Pff~magic?" He turned around and went back to work, "No such thing." Apparently, early humans believed in such nonsense. He'd been on Earth long enough to research some human history and culture. At most, the idea of magic was interesting but completely ludicrous. Magic didn't exist, only the laws of science. Ratchet almost laughed at the thought of 'potions' in some books. Did humans actually believe that boiling random things over a fire would make some sort of miracle?
Meanwhile, Jaclyn looked at Miko and Raf, "There's our answer," She whispered. The Autobots didn't believe in magic.
(Energon Mine)
Arcee was shooting his way through the cons, trying to reach Cliffjumper. He saw him on the upper levels in his transformer. 'Hang on, Cliff, I'm coming.'
(Back at Base)
Miko was looking at a strange device sitting in the corner and was about to touch it. Ratchet quickly spoke up, "Don't touch that. It's broken." She then tried to touch something else. "Don't touch that either."
Jaclyn crossed their arms, "Is there anything we can touch?" The three of them walked up the steps and immediately saw a crude-looking recreational area. There was an old tv with a video game console and a makeshift table made out of wooden planks supported by cinder blocks. Next to the table was a green couch that was probably found in a junkyard. 'Is this where they hang out?' Jaclyn looked over at Ratchet, who was a few feet away. "What's this?"
Ratchet barely looked up and started grumbling, "Grahm~ It's where Bumblebee and Bulkhead make my headaches start."
'So they're from an advanced alien planet but are using discarded Earth tech?' The gaming console had to at least be 20 years old. The only game inside was some forgotten racing game that was likely left in the console when thrown away. 'I find it kinda hard to believe they are using this for entertainment.'
"GAH! Blasted Earth tech!" Ratchet slammed his fist into the terminal. His face was starting to go red.
Raf slowly walked over and saw all the error boxes on the screen, "I think I can fix that." He reached into his backpack and pulled out his laptop.
"Reeeally?" Ratchet scoffed, "This is complex technology, don't you? I mean, it isn't a child's toy." Jaclyn kept her anger in check. She detests when people look down on others because of their age.
Raf typed away on the laptop and looked up, "Now try."
Ratchet looked back at the screen, and all the boxes disappeared. His eyes widened, and he was left dumbfounded. He had been dealing with these bugs for two years, and it was fixed by a child!? "Uh~grrr." He grumbled under his breath.
Jaclyn was leaning against the railing. Seeing Ratchet grumble like that made her blush ever so slightly. 'T~that was pretty funny.'
(Nemesis)
Megatron stood before a large deposit of dark energon, suspended behind a glass chamber that took up most of the room. "Blood of Unicron. How might I fathom the depths of your mystery." Being outside of his mecha, he leaned against the railing. They had used a tiny sliver of dark energon to revitalize Cliffjumper's transformer into what humans might call a zombie. As for Cliffjumper himself, Starscream disposed of his corpse.
The screen behind the Warlord flickered as Starscream appeared, "My lord~"
"Leave me, Starscream." Megatron looked at the seeker and glared. Starscream was a traitorous Decepticon who, on far too many occasions, attempted to steal his place. The Decepticons would fall into anarchy should he let Starscream take command. However, the only reason he kept the seeker around was that he served a tactical use… but his usefulness was starting to dry up.
"But~my Lord! Intruders have been detected in the mines."
Megatron looked forward, "Optimus?" He was the only mech who would dare launch a frontal assault against him. "I need more time to prepare an appropriate reception for my old friend." Megatron studied the dark energon and frowned. He had come too far and seen too much energon spilled to be defeated by Optimus. The Autobots consider him a mad mech waiting to seize power, but that was the farthest thing he wanted. 'If I wanted to remain in power, I would have never left the pits of Kaon.'
Everything he did… all the immoral choices he's made… was to guarantee that no mech or femme would be oppressed by the high council. They were nothing but fascist mechs who cared very little for the working class of energon miners. Megatron disagreed with the council's tactics. 'Optimus, my old friend. You were sheltered in the hall of Iacon. You will never understand the Decepticon cause.' It has been years, but a part of Megatron hoped that the young Iacon clerk he met was still in there. Before becoming a Prime, Optimus and him were like brothers. If anyone saw Megatron on Cybertron, Orion wouldn't be far behind. Then the high council decided to make him a Prime. Megatron had always had a firm hold on his emotions, but he felt nothing but rage for the high council. Unlike Optimus, he saw they were manipulating him. Feeding him false lies about the Decepticon cause, like the rest of Cybertron.
"My Lord!?" Starscream was trying to gain his master's attention.
Megatron looked back at the screen, "Ready the ship for departure."
"B~but the energon I've mined." Starscream cried, "The Autobots will seize it!"
Megatron gave the seeker a cold glare, "Then blow the mines." He turned away from the monitor and left the energon chamber. As he walked through the halls of the Nemesis, Megatron could hear an explosion from the ground below.
The vehicons that were patrolling the hall stopped to salute their leader, "Lord Megatron." It was rare to see the leader of the Decepticons without his mecha. Standing at around 6'3", the former gladiator was very large, even for a cybertronian. His face was littered with scars from years of battle. He had short silver hair with the end tied up into a small ponytail. His red optics put fear into any mech that was brave enough to look at him.
For the last three years, he had kept the Decepticon presence quiet on Earth as he made the occasional trips through the void of space. His most recent voyage led him to the discovery of dark energon. Heading towards the bridge, Megatron stared out the massive window that gave a magnificent view of Earth's landscape. He would never openly admit it, but Earth was a beautiful planet. He had seen countless worlds, but nothing could quite compare to this planet's unparalleled beauty. It was not possible to compare Cybertron to Earth because they were both beautiful in their own ways.
(Meanwhile)
Arcee was shooting his way through the Decepticon miners. Their transformers weren't entirely designed for combat, but they still proved to be a challenge given their vast numbers. But not to him. Getting to the upper level, Arcee saw Cliffjumper. His mecha was ripped in half and leaking out purple~ish energon. "Cliff!" With this much damage done to his mecha, he was likely unconscious inside.
Arcee rushed over and attempted to grab his partner when several shots came from above. The vehicons had shot the flooring around Cliffjumper's body, causing the floor to collapse. Arcee quickly rushed forward and grabbed Cliffjumper's arm, "Cliff! I've got you. Let's get you home, partner." Just as he started to pull the mech up, he nearly lost his grip when Cliffjumper looked up.
"Gwaha!" His optics were practically hollowed and glowing purple. Meanwhile, he was leaking purple energon from almost every crevice of his mecha.
"Gah!" Arcee nearly lost his grip. Cliffjumper pulled up and kept trying to attack Arcee. "Cliff, it's me!" Doing something dangerous, he opened his chest plate to reveal himself. "We're partners, remember?" Cliffjumper continued to wail with gargled moans. In doing so, a bit of the purple energon shot out of his mouth and landed on Arcee's hand. Arcee pulled back and held his hand. It was burning. Losing his concentration, his mecha's hand slipped, dropping Cliffjumper to the energon pit below.
The rest of the Autobots watched with widened optics. Optimus had a grim look on his face.
(Back at Base)
"Miko, stop." Jacqueline slapped her hand away from the computer.
"Ow," The Japanese girl held her hand, "What? Ugh~you're just like that Hatchet~guy."
The Cybertronian, a few feet away, turned to look at them, "My designation is Ratchet." He loathed when people called him Hatchet.
Jacquline rubbed the side of her head, "Miko, can you just not be yourself for five minutes?" The last thing she wanted was to be a bother to the Autobots, "No touching. And stop bothering Ratchet. He's busy." She could tell the mech was likely on the verge of shouting at Miko.
Miko looked between Jacqueline and Ratchet, "Aw~you're no fun. I swear you two were made for each other… buzzkills."
Miko's statement caused Ratchet to cough. His cheeks had a slight shade of pink, "Earthlings… pff." He grumbled under his breath and continued to work. Ratchet briefly glanced over at Jaqueline and shook his head. The human femme was rather attractive. And that is all he would admit to himself. She was still a human, and their presence was going to be bothersome to his work.
Optimus's voice abruptly interrupted them, "Ratchet, bridge us back! Use the arrival coordinates… now!"
Ratchet swiftly pulled the lever for the ground bridge. They all watched as Team Prime drove through the green portal as they narrowly escaped a blue explosion. Optimus, being the furthest behind, flipped as he landed. The three wizards could only stare with their jaws ajar.
Raf leaned close to the railing, "Whoa."
'That was pretty amazing.' Jacqueline thought as she watched Optimus stand up.
"Cutting it a bit close." Ratchet said. He was standing right next to the three humans. "How 'bout Cliffjumper?"
Jacqueline saw the disheartened look on their faces. 'I guess they didn't get their friend.' She knew better than anyone how painful it was to lose someone close to you.
Miko rushed to the side of the railing, "What was that explosion? Was there a fight?" Behind her, Jacqueline and Raf had horrified looks on their faces. "Can I come with you next time?" Jacqueline quickly rushed past Raf and covered Miko's mouth.
Arcee was seething, "Look!" He was about to shout at the human girl before Jacqueline covered her mouth.
"Hey, Miko." Jacqueline pulled Miko back, "Why don't we see what the bots hide in their sock drawer."
Miko moved her hand off her mouth, "Seriously?" She looked a bit disgusted by the idea. However, Jacqueline's question had her thinking, "Wait… do they even wear socks?"
Jacqueline stopped briefly and pondered her own question, 'Do they?' Were undergarments exclusively a human idea? She shook her head, 'Maybe I don't want to know.' When they looked back at the Autobots, they saw all of the men stepping out of their mecha. Arcee was struggling to stand and sat down on a metal crate. The young witch silently peered over the railing and looked at the Autobots. This was the first time she saw all of them outside of their 'Transformers,' as Ratchet called it. Though some prefer to call it a mecha.
Raf stood on his toes as he tried to get a better look at the Autobots, "Is that Optimus?"
Jacqueline leaned over the railing slightly to get a better look. Optimus easily stood out from the rest of them. He had blue hair that was brushed forward with a white streak running through it. As for his facial complexion, he had a strong jawline with a small amount of facial hair kept at a perfect trim. Jacqueline stared at the Autobot leader with burning cheeks, 'I~I've seen men with dyed hair, but his looks natural.'
Miko looked at each of the men, utterly fascinated that these are what aliens look like. As she looked at each of the bots, 'Huh, they look more human than I thought. Aw~that was a letdown.' Even though they were technorganics, the Autobots looked human. She was expecting a bit more.
Raf innocently looked at Jacqueline, "Hey, are you okay? Your face is red."
Miko spun around to lean against the railing, "Jeez! Your face is red." Miko might not be smart, but she knew when another girl was checking out someone.
"I'm fine!" Jacqueline said quickly, "It's just a little hot in here."
Raf hugged himself, "Really? It's kind of cold for me."
Meanwhile, the Autobots were listening to Arcee explain what he saw. "Cliffjumper was covered in it. Leaking it." He lifted his hand, and there was a purple substance on his hand.
Ratchet leaned down and scooped up a sample, "What is this?" He looked at the strange substance; there was a slight intoxicating scent to it, "Go take a decontamination bath, now." Arcee shook his head. He was a little dizzy. Getting in front of the decontamination chamber, he started stripping out of his clothing.
Jacqueline's eyes widened as she witnessed Arcee take his clothing off. To her relief, he was wearing a pair of boxers. 'Thank God.' She regrettably couldn't help but stare as he stepped into the decontamination shower and was sprayed down by a white mist. Jacqueline looked away and noticed Optimus was approaching them.
Optimus stood before the three humans, "I apologize for leaving abruptly." His voice was deep and powerful, "Now that we have a moment to speak, might I ask for your names?" He was very formal.
Raf waved innocently, "I'm Rafael, but everyone calls me Raf."
Optimus smiled softly at the child, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Rafael. Ratchet has told me you fixed our systems, and for that, I am much obliged." Ratchet, who was still decontaminating Arcee, grumbled under his breath. Optimus was surprised that a young human child could fix their systems. Even he was unable to understand what the problem was. However, this is mainly because Earth technology is far more rudimentary than cybertronian.
Miko was next, "I'm Miko!" She started to motion at Optimus's head, "So, do all muggles like you have colored hair? How much do you weigh? Are~" Miko's mouth was covered by Jacqueline. This was becoming a habit.
"Forgive Miko. She doesn't make the best first impressions and is a bit of a chatterbox." She extended her hand, "I'm Jacqueline Darby."
Optimus extended his own hand and shook hers. The second his hand connected with hers, a strange force shot up his arm. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Jacqueline." The sensation that traversed his arm soon reached his spark, causing it to pulse unnaturally. 'What is this feeling?' It took more strength than he thought to let go of her hand. The second he released her, his spark was greedily demanding for the sensation to return. Optimus was a little on edge as it had been years since he's felt such pleasure. The Prime couldn't help but stare at Jacqueline. The femme was beautiful with a soft and innocent complexion. She was obviously not a child.
"This might be a little abrupt, but are you sure it's necessary to watch over us?" Jacqueline asked, "You all seem rather busy." In essence, they were going to be babysitting them, and she did not appreciate it. 'I know they're worried about our well-being, but I can take care of myself.'
Optimus nodded, "The Decepticons will not hesitate to seek you out now that you have been seen with us. I understand this situation is not ideal for any of you, but your safety is in our interest."
Raf pulled out his phone and frowned, "Um… Optimus?" He presented his phone, "I'm not able to get a signal."
"Security precaution. The silo walls isolate all radio waves." He responded. Off to the side, Jacqueline had to look away from Optimus. Hearing Optimus's voice was far more pleasing than she wanted it to be.
"If I don't call my Mom, I think she'll send the cops out for me." Raf looked terrified at the thought of facing his mother's wrath. She was very protective, and he was supposed to be home at least an hour ago.
Optimus kneeled down, "Have you broken a law?" The Prime had a soft spot for sparklings.
Miko rolled her eyes at Optimus's question, "Dude, he's 12. He's not some convict."
Jaclyn elbowed Miko, "What Miko means to say is Raf needs to get home. He is underage and has a curfew. He can't be out by himself after 10PM without his parent's supervision or knowledge."
Optimus stood back up and brought his hand to his face, "Earth customs, I hadn't considered. But the issue of your safety remains." Turning around, he looked at Bulkhead, who was approaching, "Bulkhead, you will accompany Miko home."
Miko jumped at the idea of riding with Bulkhead, "Awesome! I can't wait to see what music you listen to! It's heavy metal, isn't it?"
Bulkhead gave a hearty laugh, "What other music is there?"
"YES!"
Optimus turned, "Bumblebee, you'll watch over Raf." Bumblebee looked at the small boy and smiled behind his mask. He was excited to finally meet a sparkling. Bee briefly glanced at Jacqueline and became flustered. A small part of him wanted to drive her home, but he might end up making a fool of himself.
Bulkhead raised a brow, "Bee, you okay? You're acting all twitchy." Bumblebee just gave a thumbs up.
Optimus then looked over towards the decontamination chamber, "Ratchet." The medic simply waved his hand and gave the excuse that he was busy. Arcee stepped out of the chamber, soaking wet. He started flexing his arm, pretending he didn't hear Optimus. "Arcee, you'll accompany Jacqueline." If Optimus was straightforward with his spark, a part of him wished he could watch over the femme. But as the leader of the Autobots, his time was very limited.
Arcee looked at Jacqueline, "Whoa… still dizzy."
Ratchet gave a thumbs up, "You're fine. Says your physician." He grabbed a towel and tossed it to Arcee.
"Thanks, Ratchet." He said sarcastically and started drying himself off.
All the while, Jacqueline rubbed the back of her head as she tried not to watch Arcee. The cybertronian was not lacking in muscles, and it was difficult for her not to stare.
(Later)
After Arcee finished drying off and got dressed, he drove Jacqueline home. The ride home for the witch was silent. Arcee was clearly in a state of mourning, and she didn't want to set him off. She shifted on the motorcycle as she held his waist. 'This is so awkward.' Jacqueline had been trying unsuccessfully to not think about earlier. Now that she knew what he looked like without his clothing on, her cheeks were burning. 'I'm such a perv.' The man was mourning, and here she was, acting like a shy schoolgirl. Looking at the passing street lights, Jacqueline's mind took a naughty turn as she thought about the other Autobots. 'They're all pretty strong. Even Ratchet is pretty buff looking.'
Pressing her cheek into Arcee's back, she thought about her encounter with Optimus, 'At least Arcee is driving me home. If it was Optimus, I might be staring at him the whole ride home. Ugh~who am I kidding. He's their leader. Why would he waste his time watching over me?' Her thoughts drifted towards Bumblebee for some mysterious reason. Though their encounter was brief, she was fascinated by the man. 'I wonder what he looks like without that mask covering his mouth.' A part of her felt like he might be ignoring her since every time she caught his eye, he'd immediately look away. As for Bulkhead… his physique was nothing like his transformer. The man had on a skin-tight green shirt and was very muscular. Her face started to heat up as she imagined Bulkhead using the decontamination shower like Arcee. 'I feel like I just drank a love potion.'
As they pulled up towards her house, Jacqueline flicked her hand, and the garage opened. Arcee, not aware of the limits on human technology, just assumed it opened automatically for her. Jaclyn got off the motorcycle and slowly walked forward, "Arcee, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your loss."
Arcee's grip tightened on the throttle, "What would you know about loss?"
"What? You think you're the only one with problems?" His comment felt like a jab through the heart. She was grieving for months when her father died. However, it wasn't just her problems. There were wizards out there who have faced far worse losses than Arcee. 'At least Cliff died quickly, unlike some of us.'
Arcee removed his helmet and had a scowl on his face, "I'm not sure boy trouble counts."
Jacqueline's jaw locked up, and the small window in the garage started to crack. She was losing control of her magic. "I'm pretty sure my boy troubles started the night I met you." Arcee was starting to get under her skin. "And for the record, I do know how it feels to lose someone close to me. I lost my own father when I was 12 and had nobody to talk to." Arcee's eyes widened as he realized he'd crossed a line. "I was just trying to let you know that I know it's not easy to lose someone. But if you're going to be a jerk, then suffer in silence. You're not the only person in the world to lose someone you care about." Jaclyn refused to have someone like Arcee talk down to her. 'I get he's fighting a war, but that isn't an excuse to look down on humans and our problems.'
Arcee was slightly shocked by how she was talking to him. She had the same level of sorrowful rage he felt. "Look, I didn't mean to~" He stopped talking once he heard a noise. Looking back, he saw a car pulling up, "Con!" He reached into a small compartment of his mecha and pulled out a blaster.
Jacqueline quickly rushed over and put his arm down, "No... that's my mother."
June got out of her car and looked up, "Jacqueline, can you~oh! Hello. I didn't see you there." A young man was sitting on a motorcycle in her garage. She walked over and held out her hand, "I'm June. Nice to meet you." June looked at her daughter, "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"
Arcee cautiously shook her hand, "I'm Arcee." Jacqueline immediately stepped on his foot. 'Gah!' He clenched his teeth and tried to ignore how painful that was. 'What the frag is her problem!?'
June frowned, "Arcee? Is that some kind of street name?" She looked at Jacqueline, "Jacqueline Darby, you're not hanging out with those street racers, are you?" Otherwise, she didn't want her daughter hanging out with this young man.
Jaclyn shook her head, "Of course not! We both know you'd strangle me if I did. Uh~Arcee, here is his nickname~ya. He goes to Jasper Community college, and that is what his friends call him."
June didn't look entirely convinced, "And what are you doing at the college?"
"I just got back into town two weeks ago. And you said I need to make some friends, so I did. Arcee here was just kind enough to give me a ride home."
Arcee tackled onto her lie, "Ya, she said she was going to walk home, and given how late it is, I thought I'd give her a ride."
June's eyes were narrow, "Mhm~and if you don't mind me asking, where do you live? This is a small town, and I've never seen you before."
Arcee was slightly unnerved by this woman, her glare… it was worse than Ratchet, "Just two blocks east of here. I live near Jasper High." That was his quick response.
June was still skeptical but decided to stop, "Sorry for being so nosy. I worry about Jacqueline. Almost seven years abroad, and she only came back two weeks ago. I'm just concerned about who she's making friends with." She looked at the clock hanging above the wall, "I will leave you, two, alone." She stepped into the house but quickly turned around, "Before I forget, Jacqueline, I ran into Vince outside the hospital."
Jacqueline tilted her head, "Okay… and?"
"I really think you should try talking to him. You used to be such good friends growing up." She knew Vince wasn't the nicest boy in town, but perhaps Jacqueline could fix that.
Jacqueline frowned, "No, we weren't." Arcee was silent as he listened to the two talked. He strangely found himself wondering who this Vince was and why he needed to concern himself with Jaclyn.
"You two played together all the time."
"Forcing me to go across the street when I was eight for a play date doesn't mean we were friends. Besides, he was always breaking my things and calling me names." Arcee frowned when he heard this.
June rolled her eyes, "Well, you were just children. I think he's changed since then. Maybe not for the better, but you should give him a call." In other words, she was going to make them hang out.
When June left, Jacqueline closed her eyes and sighed, "I'm sorry you had to hear that. Thank you for the ride home."
Arcee didn't leave just yet, "Who's Vince?" There was a strange itching feeling in the back of his processor… he didn't like the idea of her hanging around another boy.
"He's just a boy I lived next to growing up. It doesn't matter." She was confused why Arcee would even care. "Like you said, boy troubles." She rolled her eyes.
Arcee nearly hit himself in the head. "Your mother just said you got back to Jasper. Where were you?"
Jacqueline gave him the cold shoulder, "Why do you care? You've made it pretty clear you don't want me around." She'd have to be an idiot if she didn't see the signs. Even before they left the base, he tried to weasel his way out of taking her home. She hated when people tried to act like they cared about her or her problems when they obviously didn't.
Arcee said nothing. 'I guess I have been an aft to her.' The whole reason she was even dragged into this was because of him. She was just picking up her phone.
Arcee's comm-link turned on as Ratchet contacted him. "Arcee, where are you? Bumblebee and Bulkhead are already back at base." He said.
"I got sidetracked," He pressed his earpiece, "I'm on my way back now." When the call ended, he looked at Jacqueline, "I have to go. I'll be here at nine to pick you up. Make sure you're ready." He started his mecha and drove off before she could respond. Jacqueline closed the garage and went straight to her room.
Plopping down onto the bed, Jacqueline slowly thought over today's event. As she drifted to sleep, her mind seamlessly drifted back to when she shook Optimus's hand. The moment she shook his hand, a strange spark seemed to travel up her arm that made her knees weak. She buried her face into her pillow as her body started to heat up. Her head was forced deeper while her cheeks turned completely red, "I~I just need to sleep this off." Though in her dreams, she would find no relief.
Back at the Autobot Base, Optimus stared blindly at the ceiling while lying in his bed. They were forced to use the bedding left in the silo, so it wasn't entirely comfortable. Closing his eyes, Optimus tried to overlook the burning sensation coursing through his body. His circuits were heating up while his servos were going into stasis lock. 'I believe my processor is fragmented. I will need to have Ratchet check this in the morning.' From the moment he touched Jaclyn's hand, his body had been set ablaze. Shifting in his bed, Optimus attempted to ignore the throbbing of his spike. He had an overwhelming desire for his body and servos to be touched.
Optimus turned to his side and clenched his teeth. The femme's innocent smile was engraved into his processor, and he couldn't think about anything else. "Need… femme." His optics were glowing brightly, "Need. sparkmate." His voice had broken into a deep groan. It didn't take long before he'd broken into a cold sweat and his body heated up to temperatures far beyond what a human could produce. The horrible events from today were practically wiped from his processor, and the only thing he could think of was interfacing. He silently longed for a sparkmate to worship. And as a Prime, he suffered from greater moments of heat than other cybertronians. The longer he went without a sparkmate, the worse his heat cycles would become. Thankfully it wasn't mating season.
On Cybertron, mating season was a special time. Lasting at least a week in human time, Cybertronian mechs would have powerful urges to find a sparkmate. Since the start of the war, no mech or femme has been able to manage their mating cycle. Not even Optimus. The war between the Autobots and Decepticons usually came to a screeching halt during this time… no mech, not even Megatron, could fight their mating protocols. Since their arrival on Earth, the Autobots confine themselves to base when their mating cycle starts.
Last year, Bulkhead was so riled up he kicked a wall down in their base. Arcee and Cliffjumper needed to be restrained, so they didn't leave the base. Ratchet broke all his tools. And Bumblebee, being an energon scout, his processor was burdened by the slightest smell that crossed his nose. Like Arcee and Cliffjumper, he had to be restrained by the week's end. As for Optimus, he suffered it far worse. He was locked in one of the steel vaults inside the base with a week's ration of energon. He managed to break down the impossible steel door on the last day, and it took all the Autobot's combined effort to hold him down. Thankfully Arcee, Cliffjumper, and Bumblebee were able to fight through their mating protocols to help.
Meanwhile, on the Nemesis. Megatron and Soundwave would force the warship to engage its lockdown. The system, designed by Soundwave, was unable to lift the lockdown under any circumstances. No one in-or-out of the ship. Not even Soundwave could bypass the ship's security once the lockdown commences. Megatron suffered worse than any other mech during his mating cycle. Unlike his troops, he was confined solely to his quarters. His chambers were torn to shreds by the end of the mating period. As for Soundwave… nobody saw the mech. He would confine himself to his private room aboard the Nemesis, and none of the other Decepticons heard a peep from him. The only liability any of them had to worry about was Breakdown. As the second strongest mech on the ship, he landed Starscream himself into Knockout's lab. The seeker made a snappy comment that he was too dumb to find a sparkmate… it took 10 Decepticon soldiers to stop Breakdown from offlining Starscream.
Breakdown, ironically, was not a mech that broke easily. But Starscream's insinuation that he was an oaf and would make a terrible excuse for a sparkmate… the Decepticon was covered in the seeker's energon within seconds. Not even Bulkhead, his arch-enemy, had gotten him so furious in all his cycles. Breakdown appeared as though he loved living life without a sparkmate, but that wasn't true. He'd only ever opened up to Knock Out, after getting drunk on high-grade energon, that he wanted a femme to call his own. Preferably one that was small and feminine.
Down the hall, away from Optimus's own room, Arcee was in his own private space, trying to sleep. Cliffjumper's death was still taking a heavy toll on him. However, he had been feeling different. His waist was burning uncomfortably. The exact same place Jacqueline had been holding him when he drove her around. Arcee was frustrated to the core. He should be mourning the death of his partner, but all he could think of was how pleasant it felt when the human touched him. It infuriated him to no end. 'I'm sorry, Cliff. I should've been quicker.'
