Updated - 29~06~2022
I apologize for the long waiting. I've been incredibly busy for the past months, and it's been barely few days since I was able to retake by writing projects. I'd have loved to finish this work earlier this year, since the weather and the ambience was much more adequate, but there's still much to write as new ideas show up.
Now the thing is, how do I write a winter story in the middle of the summer? Well, let's find out! ;)
I don't know when will I update again.
Hope you like it,
Enjoy!
3
The road seemed never ending, and it looked like the rain had no intention of stopping anytime soon. The crimson sports car advanced through the storm, driving way slower than what he would have loved to. After the previous event though, he contented himself with it. All he wanted was to reach a warm and dry spot where he could get rid of the odious substance he was covered into, and hope his plates would not rust due to it.
A quarter of a human hour was gone since they had resumed their path, during which only few whispered words had been interchanged between the humans. The cybertronian himself had remained quiet, giving the impression he was just an ordinary vehicle, despite the fact there was no one at the wheel.
Jack's distracted gaze was lost in the distance, as he looked through the tinted window into the void, never seen the downpour outside. His right arm was rested on the door frame, and his head tilted towards his shoulder, his mind far away in his thoughts.
At the back, Rafael had little by little recovered from the fright, and his once again curious eyes were looking back through the windshield, trying to descry anything ahead that could help the mech determine where they were. His seatbelt was no longer trapped in a tight grasp. Instead, he had let his left hand go from it to held June's one, always keeping his right where it was, feeling protected by both grownups.
Miko's eyes were closed as she comfortably snuggled in the warmth of the thick cream coat the nurse had lend her, slowly feeling she was falling asleep. The rearview mirror remained still locked onto her direction since the accident, and it was thus the mech had become the silent witness of how her shock traces had gradually faded from her expression, now replaced by calmness.
June softly smiled at the Japanese girl, tenderly caressing her hair for a moment, never disturbing her. She then turned to the youngest boy, and gently squished his hand, getting his attention. Raf diverted his gaze to lock eyes with her. He returned a timid wholesome smile, letting her know he was fine, and focused back on their surroundings. She stared at him for few more seconds, before darting her eyes towards the dashboard. Her own smile immediately disappeared, concern overtaking her.
The dark haired woman could tell the incident had altered the giant, in such way, he had just closed himself up from them all. Yet, she had the feeling it hadn't been the reason why he had grown reserved. There was something else he didn't want to give away. Knowing him well enough, she was sure he wouldn't talk about it while the kids were present. Perhaps he would feel more inclined to share his issues once he felt more comfortable to speak his mind.
She decided to leave the matter aside for the moment, distractedly turning her head to look through the window. There wasn't much to see, but something caught her attention. She twisted her body further to look backwards, her face illuminating with red shades as she did so. Her eyebrows were unconsciously lowered into a subtile frown.
The dark haired woman brought her gaze back to the dashboard, taking a quick lecture of the mech's speedometer. Thereupon, she stretched herself forwards, craning her neck in an attempt of having a look at the pedals. Although the pilot's seat did not allow her to have a clear view of them, she adverted they were both, gas and brakes, simultaneously dove down at different levels.
"Anything wrong?" The cybertronian's emotionless inquire filled the cabin, the rearview mirror adjusting to reflect her now onto it.
His sudden interaction had dragged kid's attention back to reality, as they interchanged confused looks. The nurse herself hadn't expected the question either as it had taken her by surprise, and had her blinking twice, trying to bring words to form a reply.
"No… Not really." She finally spoke, denying it. "It's just that I've noticed your rear brake lights are switched on…" She commented, signaling the elongated scarlet lamp at her back. "… And I was wondering why, despite having brakes pressed, your speed remains constant." She added, watchful.
"I'm well aware, June. Nothing to worry about." The mech shortcut it, not saying much about it. "I'm riding my brakes on purpose."
"Doesn't that hurt you?" Miko, who was now wide awake, intervened. Her words came out quiet. She didn't know if the metal giant was still upset, but deep in her eyes, a small spark of curiosity had just ignited.
There was a short silence.
"Fortunately, no." The mech answered in her same quiet tone. He sounded reserved, yet his voice carried a hint of gentleness. Seeing there was no adverse reaction from her Archnemesis at all, the young Wrecker slowly gained confidence, and dared to initiate a conversation with him.
"I guess not being a common vehicle helps, but… Wouldn't that wore your brakes away?"
It took the mech few clicks to speak up again, but when he did it, his cold distant voice was replaced by a slightly warmer one.
"You're right on the non common vehicle thing, Miko, as we can regenerate wore away pieces, but, what I'm doing right now, is also applicable to Earth automobiles." He explained, diving into a topic he felt very comfortable with. "By compressing the pistons inside my caliper, while keeping the gas pressed, creates enough friction for the brake pads to heat and dry out. If the action is correctly performed, it allows them to recover their functionality without wearing them away."
"Of course, it's a risky maneuver that should not be conducted if there's traffic, but, taking into account we're all alone… I see it fit to carry it out." He figuratively shrugged, dismissing the matter and focusing on his mechanisms for a brief instant. "I'm not satisfied with the result, though." He grunted. "There's too much water."
"By the time the pads get lightly warmer, some more of it slips through, and impedes me to fully dry them." The the pedal was released, and the red shades of the braking lights faded away into the night. "I should try it again once we reach the town… Or base… Whatever comes first."
"Still no clue of where we are?" The nurse asked concerned, looking at the steering wheel.
"No, June…" The crimson sports car heavily exvented. The passengers were met by a sudden cool air gust blown to their faces, coming from his air conditioning system. "… Not the slightest hint."
The cabin became quiet once again, although this time, the previous tension had somehow dispelled, submerging them in a much comfortable silence.
Jack was still giving a thought about something the cybertronian had mentioned, which had caught his interest. Questions began forming in his head, questions he had never set up before. Gathering some courage, he asked them.
"So you guys don't change brake pads nor… Tires?" The dark haired boy wondered at loud, giving the steering a surprised look. The mech hummed in reply.
"The same goes for the windshield wipers." He chuckled. "We don't need to change pieces unless you require a whole replacement of a damaged or missing mechanism itself." The medic professionally concreted, an edge of proudness in his voice. "Usually, the material grows back, maintaining the groove pattern as in case of the tires. That's the reason why, despite the huge amount of rubber I burn over the asphalt, you'll never se me change them."
There was another long pause.
"Knockout…" The young Wrecker called the mech by his name, tilting herself just a little to her right. As expected, that got the former 'Con's attention, now wonder what had her come up with. "Can I ask you something?" She posed the question.
"Of course you can. Nothing's holding you from doing so, but you might or might not get an answer." The alien warned. "What is it?"
The pink haired girl breathed deep once and proceeded.
"If you cannot regenerate any lost mechanisms, what did you do with the wheel you lost during Manhattan's…?"
"Miko, don't!" The dark haired boy interrupted her, alarmed. As soon as she had mentioned New York's district, Jack's body had tensed, abruptly turning his head to look at his Japanese friend. "Don't bring Manhattan up, please." He pleaded, slowly shaking his head.
"Manhattan?" June inquired, raising an eyebrow. She sensed she was missing something again, what made her dart her gaze form her son to Rafael. "What is it with it?"
"A relic hunting mission." The youngest one summarized, as he was acquaintance with the location. "Team Prime managed to secure the Phase Shifter from Decepticons, but I don't know what actually happened. I wasn't there." He shrugged, unable to provide more details to her.
Jack, as well as Miko, knew first hand how angry the cybertronian had gotten during that mission, unlike Raf and his mother. He was aware her comment could easily trigger a temper change on an already moody Knockout, and having him revive a not to agreeable memory surely wouldn't make it any better, given the situation.
"You okay, Jack?" The cybertronian trickily wondered, noticing the boy's uneasiness. "Because if you ask me, you look like you were the one who actually took a train to the face… Twice." He remarked his words with an edge in his voice, indirectly answering to June's question.
Jack tensed even further, a chill running down his spine. He couldn't deny he still felt the fear spreading through his veins every time the former Decepticon became serious.
"Yes, I can still remember how my flawless finish was reduced to scrap when I became you emergency braking system…" The mech continued, grunting. "… And the long jours I spent bringing it back to its previous splendor."
He silenced for an instant and focused on the initial question.
"You know? My rims, as well as my decals, are personally designed and custom-made for a perfect fit. There are no suitable spares that can possibly replace such unique pieces. They are ir-re-place-a-ble!" He declared conclusively. "Since I wasn't looking for an upgrade back then, I couldn't allow myself to abandon such precious components behind."
"So, yeah, Miko, I came back to retrieve my wheel after your 'Bots left, just like I did with my door that other time." He resumed, huffing. The Japanese girl's lips curved up, satisfied with the answer. "Now if you please, do me a favor. Don't mention, ever again, that blasted subway or anything related to it when I'm aroun…?"
"Knockout, look!" Raf enthusiastically exclaimed, unintentionally never letting him finish. He had unconsciously leaned on his seat, extending his arm to pointing through the windshield into the void. "Rain isn't thick anymore!"
The kid was right.
The cybertronian had been so absorbed into the conversation he hadn't even notice the weather change around him. The rainfall had slowly lost its intensity, and the stabbing raindrops over his frame had transformed into a less dense misty drizzle that caressed his form as he advanced. The views were no longer blocked by the water curtain, allowing the mech to finally have a good look around him.
"Wait, it's… It's true!" Jack confirmed in surprise. A wide grin soon appeared on his face. "I can see the road again!"
"And I can see something else…" The mech replied, switching focussed. At his words, the cabin fell in an expectant silence, hoping he would carry good news.
"What is it?" June straightened up, her grip tightening onto her seatbelt, not really knowing what to expect. "Knockout, what do you see?"
"Can't be sure…" His voice denoted a frown. "… Shapes are hard to discern in the shadows." He instinctively reduced, cautious. He remained in silence as he scrutinized the darkness. "It looks like a regular sized object, placed by the shoulder." He informed, advancing slowly under the rain.
"A signal, perhaps?" The woman suggested, hopeful. "Maybe we are getting close to Jasper."
"Hmm… Let's find out." Knockout determinately responded. "Listen up. I'm engaging my low beams to try see what that thing is." He instructed. "Whenever light hits them, the droplets in suspension will act as mirrors, and it's gonna created a big flash that can momentarily blind you." He explained, professionally. "I'll try to light between particles to minimize the effect, but just in case and to be sure, look away, and cover your optics."
The passengers wasted no time doing as asked, lowering their gazes to the floor and blocking the current scarce light with their hands. The nurse was the last one to do so, making sure the kids were safe. She covered her eyes, and informed the cybertronian.
"We are good." June raised her thumb up in confirmation. She obtained no response, but she did indeed noticed the sudden luminosity change.
The crimson sports car's fog lamps faded to give way to the much brighter passing beams that now filled the ambience. The light bounced onto the raindrops, amplifying its intensity, and returned back towards him, interfering with his visibility. He had expected it though.
Knockout concentrated, studying for a moment the way the precipitation behaved around him, and it didn't take him long to find a pattern in the way the droplets fell. He immediately corrected the illumination by applying, for a fraction of a click, an almost imperceptible flickering gust to his headlights, effectively reduced the light impact onto the water particles.
With the new available light source, his attention was dragged once again onto the object, which he, in no time, recognized it.
"YESSS! I never thought I would be so glad to see that hideous thing!" The cybertronian shouted euphorically, frightening the humans in the process, who had to suppress the urge to look up due to the intense lighting. The mech realized, and engaged his dimmer fog lamps again, allowing his passengers to finally uncover their faces. "Hey, look what we've got laying ahead!" He announced excitedly. "Isn't it grand?"
His copilot, who had a clearer visual than the other humans, focused further into the semidarkness, squinting his eyes. As soon as he recognized it, his face brightened with relief, a big smile forming on his lips.
"It's Jasper's welcome sign!" Jack informed, turning his head to look back, pointing at it with a finger. There, in the middle of nowhere, the green rusted signal with the unmistakable big halfway-faded white letters withstood unchangeable against all elements, guiding travelers to safety. "We've reached Jasper!"
