Chapter 22
It was Wednesday, which meant Jack and Arcee had only a couple few days left of their vacation. Without having to worry about school, or fighting, or Miko, the pair has been really enjoying themselves lately. They had pretty much seen and done everything you can do in San Francisco, but they still wanted to stay.
Currently, Jack and Arcee are lying on the soft sand under a large umbrella, enjoying the nice weather and warm feeling from the sand. Over the course of the week, they've gotten a nice tan going, stretching from their legs all the way up to their face.
"I can't believe we have to go back on Saturday" Arcee said, looking at Jack who was lying on her right.
"Yeah, and I've been really enjoying myself. It's not every day that you get to spend all 24 hours with your hot girlfriend." Jack answered with a smirk.
"Aww, you think I'm hot?" Arcee teased, nudging him slightly.
Jack laughed. "I don't think I'm the only one who does."
He raised his eyebrow as if he was pointing in a direction. Arcee looked at where he was motioning and saw a group of boys, seven or eight of them, all around their age. They've been sneaking peaks at Arcee ever since they've arrived onto the beach and she had noticed herself, she just didn't mention it.
"Why are they watching me, it's creepy" Arcee said.
"Well, think of it like this; a hot girl around their age who has the legs of a supermodel walks onto a beach with nothing but a small two-piece bathing suit. If I didn't get to hold you in my arms every day, I'd probably be doing the same thing."
"Yeah, but if you were staring at me, I wouldn't mind. When those guys do, I feel like everything I do is being monitored."
"Downside to being a really cute human?"
"Big time."
Jack laughed again and reached over to grab her hand. Even though she's been a human for almost three months now, it still surprised him every time to see how small her hand was compared to his. He's been so used to her big hands picking him up, now that he can fit her entire hand into his, it always feels weird.
He sighed as Arcee gave his hand a squeeze. Jack closed his eyes and drifted off into his sub-consciousness. Ever since the events of that morning took place, he and Agent 000 have been taking extreme caution in what they do in their minds. They still didn't know how everything worked and they were afraid that if they did something, the barrier would break and the force would return.
Only a couple days left huh? Agent 000 said, drinking a pink cocktail. The landscape had changed to a beach side since in the real world Jack was there and that was all he could think about.
Yeah, then it's back to our normal routine.
Great, and I was just beginning to enjoy myself here.
Jack had to laugh, although his words were true for himself as well. After that morning, he's been determined to not let the events affect the rest of his vacation. The two weeks were meant to be spent with Arcee, and not spent worrying about other things. And while their barrier has done its job well, only recently has Jack finally loosened his guard a bit.
Jack was about to crack a joke until he heard footsteps approaching in the real world. He quickly jumped back to reality to see three boys walking towards them. He recognized them from the group that was watching Arcee and decided to see how this played out. His shades hid his eyes so they couldn't tell if he was sleeping or if he was awake or not. Arcee on the other hand was wide awake and was also watching them approach.
The three boys stopped in front of her, looking rather nervous as she raised an eyebrow.
"Uh... hi" the middle one said, scratching his arm.
"Hi, you want something?" Arcee asked with a little annoyance in her voice. She knew that they've been watching her for a while and judging by the way they walked, she could tell that they thought they were the 'hot shots' of the beach.
"Um... well actually..."
"You've been watching me for a while? Yeah I know that."
The teens were slightly taken back from Arcee's statement. They had thought that they were staring inconspicuously but obviously she had caught them.
The middle one scratched his head. "Yeah, sorry about that. It's just you're really pretty and we couldn't help ourselves."
"You're really hot too" the one on the left side added, getting a punch to the arm by the third boy.
"So we... I was wondering if you want to grab some coffee or something. I know a dance club around here that is open all day and I'd love to take you with me" the middle boy offered.
"Thanks for the compliments and the offer but I'm on vacation with my boyfriend" Arcee said, pointing to him.
Jack had to hold in a smile on his face and kept his 'I'm sleeping' look on. He knows that people like the three teens don't give up so easily and he was curious to see what would happen next.
The three teens looked at Jack, sizing him up and whispering to each other. Jack wasn't the most built person around but he was in no means weak. He's shown countless times that he can hold his own in fights and while he was skinny, he did have decently sized arms.
"He looks asleep to me. We'll be there and back before he even wakes up" the middle boy said.
"Are you asking me to cheat on him?" Arcee asked with some anger in her voice.
"No, of course not. I'm... uh just wondering if you want to have some fun... with me."
Arcee was getting really worked up right about now. This guy has the guts to just walk right up to her and ask her to get into bed with him. Not only that but she can tell that the other two boys have been staring at her legs and features and she's just about had enough. She sat up and glared at them.
"Listen here, if you want to go around asking good looking girls for sex, go ahead. You're probably not going to get a nice answer, especially if they have a boyfriend right next to them. I know you guys think you're the kings of the beach but you're not, so stop staring at girls, stop looking at my body, and stop acting like every girl on this beach is yours because we're not. Now if you don't leave me be, I'm going to wake up my boyfriend and he doesn't like guys who hit on his girl."
The three guys didn't answer, only dropping their heads and walking away. They reached their group of friends who began asking them questions.
"Come on, we're leaving."
"Why? Did you get her number?"
"No, she has a boyfriend. Now we're going."
"Where to?"
"Anywhere but the beach. She...uh, said that she'd call the cops if we didn't."
The group of boys quickly left and Arcee smiled at her handiwork. One less group of guys to hassle good looking girls and while there were always going to be more like them, it felt great to get them to leave.
"I'm proud of you babe."
Arcee looked over to see Jack sitting up, smirking.
"You were awake the entire time! You little-"
Arcee pounced onto him as he burst out laughing, pinning his arms to the ground while sitting on his lower torso.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. That was hilarious."
"Maybe I should have gone with them. You obviously don't care about what happens to me."
"Woah Cee, don't say that. Of course I care; I just wanted to see what would happen. You really laid it hard on them. I don't think they'll be going around talking to girls anytime soon."
Arcee's angry look softened up a bit and she took her hands off of his arms. Although, once he could move his arms again, Jack quickly pulled her down, locking lips with her and rolling to the side.
The former two-wheeler's eyes widened but then relaxed, enjoying the feeling of his lips on hers. She brushed her tongue on his mouth, letting him know that she wanted to enter and he gladly let her in. They're tongues played together for a bit before she broke the kiss, breathing heavily.
Arcee looked at him and smirked. "Quick, let's get back to our room so we can continue."
Jack nodded, grabbing they're things and heading for their car.
They were going to have a fun time when they got back.
...
Deep in outer space, two objects rocketed towards a familiar blue and green planet. The first one was as small dark purple shuttle, falling towards the planet from the force of gravity. The shuttle's engine was destroyed, small flames and sparks coming out form its back as it fell at an increasing speed.
The second object was larger, almost the size of a plane but with a much more alien look to it. It had folded up wings on both sides with a powerful engine underneath each. The ship looked to be battered and beaten up, it's blue and yellow paint job faded to a point where the colors are barely visible. It followed the dark purple shuttle, using its engines instead of gravity to keep up with the object.
The two alien like vehicles plummeted to Earth, not knowing where they were going to land.
...
An alarm sounded in the command center, its red signal flashing throughout the hallways. Quickly, the two men working on repairing the Genetic Exchanger stopped what they were doing and made their way up the stairs towards the computer console.
"What's going on Ratchet?" Raf asked, looking up.
The medic hastily stopped the alarm and pressed some keys, typing in a pass code before a map of Earth popped up on screen.
"It appears our scanners have picked up an Autobot signal that has just entered our atmosphere" the medic exclaimed.
"Awesome! We got reinforcements!" Miko yelled, high-fiving the two wreckers.
"Perhaps, but if our scanners are correct, it appears to be following a second signal ahead of it. This one is of Decepticon origin and they both appear to be landing near mountains residing in Russia."
"You think the Autobots shot down one of the 'cons and followed it here?" Wheeljack asked, remembering how he himself had done the same thing.
"It stands to reason that your hypothesis is very possible Wheeljack" Optimus said. "However, if we can pick up their signal, there is no doubt that Megatron is tracking them as well. We must contact our fellow Autobots before they come under attack."
"But what can we do? We're human and it's not like we can do anything" Bumblebee said.
"Do not worry Bumblebee, we still have access to the military drones that were left here. We will send these drones to monitor their status and then send a groundbridge when we are certain that they are allies."
"Optimus, I have the coordinates, activating groundbridge now."
Ratchet put in some commands onto the console and one of the drones activated, flying into the swirling green vortex ready to capture everything on video.
Suddenly, a transmission came in and Ratchet answered it.
"Prime!" came Agent Fowler's voice. "We're picking up two alien signals falling towards Russia."
"We have made the same discovery Agent Fowler. They appear to be Cybertronian ships arriving on Earth. The second ship has an Autobot signal, however the previous one is of Decepticon origin. We are sending in a drone to monitor their landing. When we know that they are an ally, we will groundbridge them to us." Optimus explained.
"Alright, I'm telling the military that its a false alarm. I'll be over there in ten. Agent Fowler out."
The transmission ended and the group of Autobots and humans looked up at the screen where the drone has set its position.
...
The purple pod came down hard, hitting the ground with such a force it skid across the mountain side, leaving a trail behind. There was dust and dirt in the air, but as it cleared, the Decepticon pod was seen clearly, stopping against a rock and unmoving. A moment later, the second ship arrived, taking it's time to land safely as its support beams came out. The Autobot ship landed gracefully behind the Decepticon pod and a small lift came down.
"Optimus, I recognize that ship" Ratchet gasped, looking at the screen.
"I agree old friend, I believe one of our loyal allies has returned" the Prime answered.
The drone moved positions to get a better look. The lift stopped when it touched the ground and a mech stepped forward. His shoulders were tall, rising over his head. His proud and sturdy posture gave him a stern look as he walked towards the pod. He looked similar to Optimus' build but not quite. With a color scheme of red and light blue, his identification was unmistakeable.
"Ultra Magnus" Optimus announced.
"Who's that?" Miko asked.
"Ultra Magnus was Optimus' most trusted lieutenant during the war of Cybertron. He's extremely tough and stern, and is a hard core by the book kind of guy" Bulkhead explained.
"So he's an ally right?" Raf asked.
"Oh yeah, there's no one else like Ultra Magnus" Bulkhead said.
Ratchet turned to face Optimus. "Should we send him a groundbridge?"
"Not yet old friend, Ultra Magnus seems to be heading for the Decepticon pod. I believe it is best if we wait and see who is inside."
The Autobot lieutenant continued to walk towards the pod and tried to find the latch that opens it up. For an Autobot, he wasn't being as cautious as he should be around a Decepticon pod and Optimus feared what would happen when he opened it up.
Eventually, Ultra Magnus found the switch, pulling it and the top of the pod shot off, flying in the air until it crashed onto the ground. The group held their breath as they waited in anticipation for the person inside to stand up.
Suddenly, a robot hopped out, jumping over the Autobot lieutenant and landing on his feet. He was smaller compared to Ultra Magnus and looked to be around Ratchet's size. He was mostly white with a few blue and red parts on his chassis and head. The Cybertronian looked to be young, much too young to be a Decepticon officer and appeared to be non-hostile.
"Who is that?" Miko asked, pointing at the screen.
"I have never seen anyone with his type of body structure" Ratchet said, zooming in with the drone. A small Autobot logo could be seen in the middle of his chest and the medic gasped when he saw it. "It's an Autobot!"
"I've never seen someone like him before, have you Optimus?" Bulkhead said.
The Prime scratched his chin, something he's picked up from watching other humans as he jogged his memory. As the leader of the Autobots during the war, he's seen all but a few of them. He knew his teammates' faces by heart and could put a name to each of them, but he just didn't recognize this one.
"I have never seen an Autobot that resembles his form before. There is a possibility that he is a Decepticon spy which would come to reason of why he emerged from a Decepticon pod. However, Ultra Magnus does not seem affected by his presence which leads me to believe that there is more than meets the eye."
The group stopped talking as they heard voices being exchanged from the two Autobots. The drone moved forward to get a better listen at what they were talking about.
"Are you alright, soldier?" Ultra Magus asked the smaller Autobot.
In response, he turned his body, stretching his limbs out as cranks turned inside of his body. After he was finished, he sighed in relief and turned to Ultra Magnus.
"I'm ok, a little bruised but nothing to be worried about. Crash landing didn't really help either but what can you do?" the bot answered. He seemed to be full of energy, bouncing around on his toes as the Autobot lieutenant had a worried look on his face.
"I apologize for shooting you down, soldier. When my scanners picked up the Decepticon signal, by protocol I had to shoot it down" Ultra Magnus explained with a stern tone.
"Hey, don't worry about it. I would have done the same... I think. So, where's Optimus Prime? You said that he should be around here somewhere?"
"Calm down soldier, you're taking this into the wrong context. I received a message from Optimus ordering all Autobots to come to Earth. Now that we are here, our first priority is to find him and his team that has been stationed on this planet."
"Sure thing." The smaller Autobot said.
"Sure thing sir" Ultra Magnus corrected, showing his authority. "What is your name soldier?"
"I'm Smokescreen, trainee for the Elite Guard. Well actually I passed my training but I couldn't graduate since the war was happening so I was Alpha Trion's bodyguard for most of my time."
"...sir" Ultra Magnus corrected again.
"Sir" Smokescreen repeated.
"Well soldier, we have to watch our backs on this planet. If what Optimus warned in the message, he said that Decepticon forces are scattered among this planet. Keep an eye out for any trouble and stick with me."
"Yes sir."
Suddenly, a groundbridge opened up and a squadron of Vehicons emerged, looking at the two Autobots and activating their blasters.
"Take cover!" Ultra Magnus yelled, grabbing Smokescreen and hoisting him behind the Decepticon pod, just in time to avoid blaster fire.
"Ultra Magnus! I know that you are here! I am happy to know that you have come all this way for me to finally end you at the mercy of my hands!"
The Autobot lieutenant looked behind cover to see Dreadwing pulling out his plasma blaster.
"We must make our way back to my ship. We're outnumbered and Dreadwing is commanding the squadron." Ultra Magnus ordered.
"Woah, Dreadwing's here? That's awesome! I mean... that's bad... sir" Smokescreen stumbled and Ultra Magnus shook his head.
"Let's move!"
He activated his blaster and shot back as he and Smokescreen ran towards the ship. Once close enough, they jumped onto the lift and entered into the cockpit where the lieutenant started to fire back with the ship's weapons.
...
While this was all happening, the group in the Omega One base watched from the safety of the screen.
"Ratchet, send a groundbridge to their coordinates" Optimus ordered.
"But Optimus, if I hold ti for too long, the Decepticons may enter through it" the medic warned.
"I understand your concern but I fear that Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen will not survive for much longer. Dreadwing is clever and will no doubt realize that he has them trapped."
"Very well Optimus, groundbridge active now."
...
From behind Ultra Magnus' ship, a swirling green vortex appeared. Smokescreen first noticed it on the scanner and pointed it out.
"Sir, there's a groundbridge. You think it's ours?"
Ultra Magnus looked at the beeping energy signal and realized no one was coming out of it, meaning it was probably not from the Decepticons.
"Hang on soldier" he said, gripping the ship's controls. In one swift motion, he spun it around, flying straight into the vortex and disappearing on the other side. Following the ship was the little video surveillance drone that just managed to make it in before it closed.
The blaster fire stopped and Dreadwing put two fingers up to his com-link.
"Lord Megatron, it appears that the Autobots have received two new allies; Ultra Magnus and an unknown younger one."
"Search the escape pod for any clues on where it came from then report back to the ship. We have made a new discovery."
...
The first thing the two new Autobots noticed when they arrived in the Omega one base was the giant Autobot enigma plastered in the middle of the command center floor. The two of them stepped off of the lift, looking around for any signs of their fellow Autobots.
"Woah! You guys look awesome!" Miko exclaimed, running over to the rails to get a better look at them.
Off of instinct, the two Autobots activated their blasters, pointing it directly at the startled girl. They saw the other seven fleshy beings and aimed their blasters at all of them.
"Who are you?" Smokescreen demanded, slightly panicking at the sight of aliens.
Optimus stepped forward, raising his hands in surrender as he started his introduction.
"I am Optimus Prime, leader of Team Prime, a group of Autobots established on this planet known as Earth. It is a pleasure to meet you Smokescreen." He said with authority.
Unfortunately, the rookie didn't take the greeting well and started to panic even more.
"You're not Optimus Prime! Where is he? How do you know my name?" he questioned.
He was calmed down to Ultra Magnus who placed a hand on his shoulder. "Stand down soldier."
Smokescreen settled down, lowering his blasters as he looked curiously at the seven organic specimens.
"It is good to see you again old friend" Optimus said to Ultra Magnus as he came closer.
"Is that you Optimus?" he asked, looking down to inspect the man.
"Yes, that is correct. About three orbital cycles ago, we accidentally activated the Genetic Exchanger that turned us into this planet's inhabitants known as humans. Unfortunately, the artifact has been damaged extensively and we are currently working on repairing it" Optimus explained.
Ultra Magnus stood up tall and gave a salute. "I am sorry to hear about your unfortunate situation commander."
"Thank you for your concern old friend but the experience of looking through life with another set of eyes has become more of a gift than a curse. We have begun to learn different aspects of human life that has taught us many things about life on Earth." Optimus said.
The Prime noticed Smokescreen studying him very carefully while practically bouncing up and down. "Do you have something to address Smokescreen?" he asked the rookie.
"Well kind of. I never thought I'd meet the Optimus Prime, and definitely when you're a... what are you again?"
"Earth's inhabitants are called humans."
"...while you're a human" Smokescreen finished. He looked at the other six 'humans' behind Optimus and studied them. "So are these guys all Autobots too?"
Optimus shook his head. "Raf and Miko are our human allies and have been aiding us during our transition. The rest of us are former Autobots."
One by one, the former Autobots started to introduce themselves.
"Team Prime medical officer Ratchet" the medic declared, giving a wave.
"What's with the formality doc? I'm Wheeljack, honorary wrecker and demolition expert." He said, then he turned to Ultra Magnus. "Of course, commander over here already knows who I am."
It took Ultra Magnus a second to remember Wheeljack but then his memory clicked. "I do remember you soldier. You're the one who left the wreckers after I took command."
"That's right and you better not forget I only take commands from Optimus, not you." The wrecker sneered. He had a history with Ultra Magnus and didn't want to think to much on the topic.
"Wheeljack..." Optimus said, giving him a stern look. Wheeljack looked away as they continued the introductions.
"I'm Bulkhead, also a wrecker. I left the wreckers during the war to join with Optimus and the rest of Team Prime" Bulkhead said.
"Oh I guess I'm last. The name's Bumblebee and I'm the scout" he chirped happily. Smokescreen did a double take at the boy and inspected him closely.
"Bee?" he asked astounded. Bumblebee gave him a confused look to why he said his name again. "Come on, you don't remember me? You and I were part of the last wave of sparklings. We took combat training together before you went off to join the front lines while I stayed back and finished my Elite Guard training."
Smokescreen's mention of the olden days jogged the scout's memories and suddenly he remembered playing with a little white bot during his training and spare time.
"Smokey!" he exclaimed. Smokescreen laughed.
"Yup, that's me. At least that's what you called me. Good to see you again Bee."
"Well, I am happy to know that one of us recognizes you, Smokescreen. I have been operating as the Autobot leader for some time and I do not remember seeing you in any of my ranks." Optimus said, trying to get some information on the rookie.
"Oh, well my past is kind of weird. Like I said, I did some basic combat training before I became a trainee with the Elite Guard, which by the way is basically like a hardcore boot camp. Anyways, I passed the training process and was supposed to graduate but since the war was getting really intense, they never found time to do it. I was sent to a place called the Iacon Hall of Records where I met Alpha Trion. I was told to keep guard of the place along with him and that's about it."
Ratchet scratched his chin. "That is very interesting Smokescreen. Are you telling us that Alpha Trion became your mentor and you were meant to serve as his guardian?"
"Yeah basically" he answered, but then his face became slightly disappointed. "The thing is, I failed my job. I was supposed to defend Iacon but when the Decepticons moved in, all I remember is getting hit on the head and getting knocked out. That was the last I saw of Alpha Trion and the other guards. When I woke up, I was a prisoner on one of their warships. I managed to give the guard the slip and stole an escape pod, blasting into space towards this solar system. I fell into stasis to travel but was waken up when the pod started to rock. Turns out Ultra Magnus over here thought I was a Decepticon and when he saw me pass by, he shot me down. Lucky for me, the pod had a radio and I was able to explain to him that I was an Autobot before he blew me up."
"That is correct soldier, but I have already explained my reasoning for my actions. I was merely following protocol and did not realise you were an ally until we gained radio connection." Ultra Magnus explained.
"That is all right old friend, I would have done the same thing," Optimus said before turning to the rookie. "Smokescreen, what happened after you were shot down?"
"Well I'm pretty sure you guys already know. The pod lost its engines and started to fall towards this planet. I crashed, we were attacked, and now I'm here." He said.
Bulkhead walked over to Optimus and whispered into his ear.
"Optimus, don't you think it's a bit suspicious? I mean, first he talked about Alpha Trion being his mentor, then he said he just blacked out when they were under attack. He also said that he managed to escape from the warship and gain control over an escape pod. It's all kind of fishy to me." Bulkhead said quietly.
"I understand your concern Bulkhead but I believe he is telling the truth. Alpha Trion was also my mentor at one point and he only appoints Autobots as his guards if he senses true worthiness inside of them. As the wielder of the Matrix of Leadership, I too can sense Smokescreen's potential and I assure you it is not to harm" Optimus whispered back.
"Alright then, you're the boss. But I'm still going to keep a close eye on him."
Optimus gave his wrecker a nod before turning back to the two new Autobots.
"If you would like to join Team Prime, I would happy to offer you a position. We are currently outnumbered by the Decepticons and all allies are welcome to join our ranks."
"Awesome! I get to meet Optimus Prime and join his team? This is the best day ever!" Smokescreen exclaimed, celebrating to himself. The rookie saw that everyone was giving him a funny look and he quickly got into a salute. "Um, I mean thank you sir, it would be an honour."
"I would also like to work alongside you once again sir" Ultra Magnus said, saluting to Optimus.
"Ultra Magnus, you are always welcome on this team. However, I currently have a second-in-command who has shown countless times that she deserves that title. You will remain as my lieutenant for I trust you with my life; however she will also remain as my second-in-command." Optimus stated.
"Thank you sir, I will not fail you" Ultra Magnus said.
"Wait, so there's a girl on the team? Where is she?" Smokescreen said, looking around.
The group laughed as Optimus answered his question.
"Arcee is on what the humans call 'vacation', along with her partner Jack. They will be returning in a few days and will no doubt be excited to find new members here."
"I remember commanding Arcee during the war. She was the toughest and most agile warrior and deserved the highest of honors. I do not however remember anyone named Jack" Ultra Magnus said.
"Jack is also one of human companions and has done much to help his during our time of need. He had offered us a place in his household along with his mother and has shown that he is a very responsible young man. He and Arcee share a special bond and have asked for some time off."
"Oh yeah, their bond is special all right" Miko said, emphasising the word 'special' which made the rest of the group snicker.
"What do you mean by that?" Smokescreen asked curiously.
"Arcee and Jack have developed a close relationship during their time together" Ratchet explained. "On Cybertron, we often referred to this relationship as being sparkmates; however they are currently in the stage before that."
This time, the two new Autobots were really shocked. To hear a Cybertronian and a Cybertronian become sparkmates was not unheard of, but a Cybertronian and a human developing that kind of connection? That was something they would have never thought of.
"Sorry, can you repeat that again? I think my audio-processors have been damaged from the crash" Smokescreen said, not believing what he had just heard.
"I said that Jack and Arcee have developed a relationship similar to that of sparkmates" Ratchet repeated, this time with a smirk.
Smokescreen rubbed his optics and looked at Ultra Magnus. "Are you hearing what I'm hearing?"
"...sir"
"...sir?" Smokescreen corrected.
"Yes, soldier, I did hear what the medic said. Commander, if you may elaborate, that would be greatly appreciated."
"There are many things that you both may not understand, many things that you have yet to experience or believe. Our team, this family has gone through countless battles, each with their own difficulties. There was an instance where Jack was involved, and his disappearance left Arcee in terrible mood. Her true feelings for her partner were shown and it was because of her that we were able to bring Jack home." Optimus said, remembering the battle that took place that day. It was one that haunted them all and nobody would be more affected from it, than Jack.
"You condemn the status of their relationship?" Ultra Magnus asked, still bewildered at the idea of two different species together.
"I will be the first to admit, it was tough to allow them to extend their bond further. We had many talks with Arcee, all of us, and in the end, we came to the conclusion that it would be wrong to stop them from following their hearts. However, while I do not know their status of their relationship at this moment, the thought of sparkmates has not yet been talked about and when it comes time to make a decision, that must be taken seriously."
"Are you sure that this Jack is trustworthy enough to maintain their bond?"
"Jack has the potential to be something great, but chooses to remain humble. When the time is needed, he has shown courage and bravery that I have rarely seen before. He has strengths that most dream of having and I sense the presence of a Prime in him."
The two new Autobots nodded, not really wanting to elaborate on the situation any further. They are still having trouble wrapping their heads around Jack and Arcee but they decided to wait and see it for themselves before they made any judgements.
Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen happily thanked the group for welcoming them to the team before following Ratchet and Optimus to their quarters.
Life had just made a turn for them and it has for everyone else as well.
...
