Chapter 14: One lap to freedom
One hour after the court battle….
Optimus Prime had pleaded guilty to charges accusing him and his Autobots of destroying Radiator Springs, the rest of the Autobots however revolted at the decision and it was agreed that a one lap race around Willy's Butte would determine if the Autobots would walk free, or be put in chains and rebuild the town they destroyed and if time was wasted on making new buildings, who knows what the Decepticons might get up to in the Autobots absence.
"Drive like a Cadillac, sting like a Beamer." Said Lightning as he did warm up hops for the race ahead of him.
Hot Rod was doing the same except he was stretching his joints in robot mode then adjusting his wheels so they would serve him better in the race.
"Remember Hot Rod just blitz for it, get to that finish line so we can get out of here." Whispered Sideswipe to his young colleague.
"Don't get overconfident though kid, Kup would kill me if you got hurt and I think those Earthlings might have some back up plan." Said the worried Ironhide.
"Relax old timer, I already told you this guy will be starting when I finish." Replied Hot Rod.
"Huh, arrogant young punk" grunted Ironhide.
"Alright gentlecars please make your way to the starting line" said Sheriff, Lightning was already there and Hot Rod transformed to car mode and readied himself at the starting line.
"Man no matter how many times I see that I get so jealous" said Ramone.
"Alright racers, this will be a one lap race around Willy's Butte, there will be no Cheating, no biting, no spitting, no cursing at the racers, in other words this is a fair race and if I see any you boys play naughty its to the pound with you!" said Sheriff.
"Oh Magnifico! I am hosting yet another race again!" said a jubilant Luigi kitted out in Ferrari merchandise along with Guido jumping up & down pronouncing "Pit stop?"
"Sure Guido, my wheel bolts could do with tightening." Said Lightning and Guido as fast as Lightning screwed all the wheel caps on all of McQueen's four tires. This impressed the Autobots especially Ratchet.
"That was fast" said the Autobot medic.
"Pit Stop?" Guido asked Hot Rod.
"No thanks I'm ok" he replied.
"Oh please sir, allow Guido of-a-having the honor of giving his first pit stop to a visitor from Outer Space!" asked Luigi.
"No I'm ok really, do you mind I'm trying to concentrate!" said Hot Rod.
"Hmph" said Guido and drove off.
"Now you hurt-a-his feelings, but anyway let's get this race started." Said Luigi and the two opponents lined up.
"Tre, Due, Uno, VA!" shouted Luigi, but the two cars didn't start, they didn't know that Luigi was saying three two one in Italian.
"That's three two one go" he said "Let's start again, Three, a-two-a, one, GO!"
And as soon as that was said Hot Rod erupted in a cloud of dust as he sped ahead like a school child running for home after the final bell. The Autobots cheered on (except for Optimus, he just watched) they cheered 'Come on Hot Rod!' 'Blow him away with your speed kid!' and other supportive chants.
However to the Autobots surprise Lightning hadn't even moved, he was completely motionless, his engine hadn't even started. The only people that weren't surprised was the RS citizens, they knew what McQueen was doing now, except for Mater.
"Dangit this is the second time this has happened, first Doc now McQueen? They must need their engines repairing!" said Mater.
"Oh dear, it would seem I'm off to a poor start, oh well better late than never." Said McQueen.
"Kid you really are cruel sometimes." Chuckled Doc.
"I learn from the best grandpa car." Replied McQueen "Come on Mater I'll need your help."
"Me? Dang I'm having Déjà vu again, this same thing happened when you raced Doc…" said Mater he still hadn't clicked on to what was happening.
Hot Rod in the meanwhile was a speed demon, going so fast he was almost flying.
"Ha ha this is easy, that Earthling is no where in sight!" he said happily, then came the final turn…
"One more turn and Optimus and the rest of us are all Scot free." He said, the turn got closer and closer and Hot Rod turned his wheel left…only to find himself going forward…
"AAAGGGHHH what's happening, the ground is moving under my feet!" he shouted in shock and before he knew it he was flying into a cactus ditch, except unlike McQueen who rolled down, Hot Rod flew the entire chasm and hit the other side of the ditch.
He barrel rolled down a few times and was in a nest of cactuses.
"Owowowowowow!" he shouted.
Above Hot Rod Lightning & Mater looked down at the Autobot.
"Well have fun fishing Mater." Said McQueen.
"Oohh I get it now, haha fishing of course, just like yer race with Doc haha." Laughed Mater as he hooked Hot Rod right in the rear bumper.
"WOAH! Watch where you put that hook!" screamed Hot Rod embarrassingly, he had a feeling of personal invasion as Mater hooked his rear bumper.
Mater heaved as he pulled Hot Rod out of the ditch, the poor Autobot was covered with pieces of Cactus, just like he'd been in a Roadrunner cartoon.
"Dang buddy, you look like a porcupine." Mater observed.
The Autobots came running to Hot Rod's aid.
"Hot Rod baby, you okay? Stuff like that can really ruin your chrome" asked 'Streaker.
Hot Rod transformed:
"What the heck happened? it felt like the road was moving beneath my wheels!"
"Hey Hot Rod!" it was McQueen shouting to get the Autobot rookie's attention.
As Hot Rod observed cringingly he saw McQueen slowly reverse over the finish line.
"Oh, it looks like I win. Guess that makes the best on planets Earth and Cybertron!" the red Car chortled, to make matters worse Doc came blitzing onto the scene.
"Which also means you lost the bet, so you all carry out your sentences as agreed!" he snorted out.
Some of the Autobots clenched their fists with great fury.
"You had this all planned from the start!" shouted 'Swipe.
"I warned y'all kids, but would you listen to old Ironhide?" said the war veteran.
"Ironhide was right, you knew exactly what would happen, I was at a disadvantage from the start!" roared Hot Rod.
Arguments broke out, but Optimus finally stepped in to quell the banter.
"Enough Autobots! Hot Rod I am sorry to say this but you're wrong. You lost the race fair and square, you failed to assess the situation and didn't even bother to think about the different terrains of Earth which you proved today, hampered your ability to operate effectively and it's that type if irrational thinking that could get you killed in battle with the Decepticons, now let this be a lesson to you, that goes for you too Sideswipe and Sunstreaker!"
"But Optimus!" shouted the three young Autobots in unison.
"No Buts! You lost Hot Rod, get over it. You're too young to understand but great lessons can be learnt from the ashes of defeat, take today on board and maybe next time you'll be that little bit wiser."
"Ah screw this" said Sideswipe "Bet or not, we don't have to let Earthlings telling us what to do, come on guys let's beat it." Sunstreaker and Hot Rod were about to follow until…
"Your not going nowhere."
"Don't tell me you agree with all this Prowl?" asked Hot Rod.
"Maybe I do and Maybe I don't. But I agree with Prime that you lost the bet fairly Hot Rod and you need to pay up. Just remember that we're all in this together and we'll help each other get through this, but if you three are going to desert us then I'll have Ultra Magnus ship you back to Cybertron to do maintenance duties, is that understood?"
The three young whippersnappers nodded in approval, they were young they wanted to be out there in the action not helping that pompous Perceptor maintain his crazy inventions.
"Thank you Prowl" said Optimus "So it is agreed, we lost the bet and we carry out our sentences as planned."
"Excellent, then you can start right now!" said Doc; this got a lot of groans from the young Autobots.
"You heard him men, let's get to work." said Optimus, he then opened a panel on his arm and tried to contact base.
"Optimus Prime to the Ark, do you receive?"
"Woah, Woah , Woah! What do you think you're doing?" asked Doc.
"I'm contacting base about our situation and there are some people who can help…" however Doc cut Prime off rather hastily.
"No, no I said that your sentence prohibited you from speaking to anybody else from the outside world!"
"I thought you just mean earthling cars?" asked Optimus.
"I said 'anybody' now turn off you phone or whatever it is, this sentence was passed down to you and these miscreants that are with you here."
"That's insane, I can't not let Ultra Magnus know of how we're doing and what happens if a Decepticon attack happens in the meantime? We'd be unable to respond to it."
"Let your men back at base worry about that" said Doc "What you should be worrying about is how to shift all this rubble and then how you're going to rebuild everything. And I don't want you in robot mode either, it creeps me out, plus it'll scare away tourists."
Optimus sighed heavily.
"Do as he says Autobots." And Prime transformed to truck mode, the other followed suite.
Prowl turned to cop car mode, but as he tried to rejoin Optimus, he was stopped by Sheriff.
"You there, Prowl is it?" asked Sheriff.
"Yes it is what is the matter?"
"Listen, I've been speaking to Doc about you. Believe it or not you're the only robot that he actually shows some respect for, during the whole highway incident. I made him agree that rather than doing building duties, you're too assume your community services at once." Said Sheriff.
"Really? Why did you ask Doc to let me off so easily?"
"Well like me you're a police car and I am the only police officer for this whole town, ever since we started getting visitors again, we started getting criminals again. While I do my best I can't be everywhere at once so Doc agreed that I could use the extra help and that extra help is you Prowl."
While Prowl didn't want to leave his comrades doing all the hard work, he decided that his skills would be better elsewhere with Sheriff, Prime had plenty of strong bots like Ironhide and Hot Spot to shift rubble, etc and the three young Autobots could do with the discipline so Prowl accepted his duties under Sheriff.
"It sounds okay to me Sheriff, just tell me what I gotta do…"
A few minutes later:
"This is it? We just stand here and watch the road?" asked Prowl, him and Sheriff were situated behind the sign that welcomed visitors to RS.
"Yup, we just stay here and watch the road for any speeders." Replied Sheriff.
"Yeah…I wonder how Prime and the others are getting on?" Prowl said to himself bored.
"AAHHH my beautiful bonnet!" screamed Sunstreaker, Optimus who was again towing Bessie, the great hulking machine spat hot oil onto Streaker's bonnet.
"Relax Streaks, it's not the end of the world." Said Sideswipe.
"Oh yeah? Then if that's not the end of the world then all this sure is the end of our freedom!" Streaker bit back.
The poor Autobots were working like they were building the River Kwai Bridge. Optimus was tugging Bessie, which for some odd reason seemed three times as heavy than the last time he pulled it. The Protectobots were shifting rubble while Blades ferried in extra building supplies from the air, the street laid with cement mixers, bulldozing shovels which could fix to the front of non-construction vehicles, Hot Spot used his fire truck ladder as a improvised crane, Hot Rod, 'Swipe, and 'Streaker were avoiding clouds of dust as they shoveled debris away, which proved hard without hands and arms to use, as they labored away, Sally and McQueen looked from the town hall.
"Man, they're giant alien robots who should be superior to us, yet they first save our lives, treat us like friends and then agree to help rebuild our town, just look at them get stuck in." said McQueen.
"Yeah, you got to give respect to Optimus, he didn't have to take Doc's accusations like that, but he unselfishly admitted his guilt for what his war had done to our town, you're right on one thing, he's superior to us yet he treats as equals." Agreed Sally.
"Yeah there's more to them than meets the eye."
"Hey stickers I like that, it's a good way to describe them." Said Sally joyfully as she continued with "Transformers, more than meets the eye!"
As if they both knew a certain song off by heart they suddenly just started singing to themselves, it really didn't have any tune at first, they sang in the same tone, like you would if you tried to make up a new song.
"Transformers, More than meets the eye, Transformers…" then they both put in a deeper tone trying to mimic a machine like voice, "Robots in disguise!" but the two songbirds were interrupted by an agitated Doc.
"What the heck are you two singing, you sound worse than Mater at Flo's karaoke!" he demanded to know.
"Oh err nothing Doc, we were just observing the Transformers, they're really working hard." Said McQueen.
"Hmph, Transformers is that what you call them? A bunch of menaces in disguise?" grunted Doc, but Sally was quick to try and make Doc see the better side of things.
"Get off their backs Doc, they're doing like you told them to, building a whole town is harsh enough, but five months of community services and denying them to return back to their base or even leave here for five months?"
"They had to be taught Sally, they can't just come waltzing onto our planet and town, fight their war which destroyed our town and expect to get away with it, but their most horrendous crime is stealing other Car's identities, see that big red lummox towing Bertha, the one that looks like Big Al? Their leader?"
"Yeah I see him Doc, you seem to really dislike him Why?" asked Lightning.
"Well that big bozo went around pretending to be someone he wasn't and it's an insult to the late Big Al!" but in Doc's frustration he let slip something he didn't want everyone to hear.
"Late Big Al?" queried Sally.
Doc let off a heavy sigh, but then eventually:
"I'm sorry I let that slip, but I didn't want to worry everybody with more sad news but I guess I can't keep it secret forever. This time yesterday I got a phone call from Leslie, Al's wife, he passed away in a hospital after suffering from axel cancer…" there was an eternal silence between the three cars.
Sally was very distraught.
"Oh Doc, why did you not tell us?" she asked.
"I already told you, we already have enough problems with giant robot freaks wrecking our town…"
"It's not their fault Al is dead."
"But he can't go around pretending to be that great resident of our town, Big Al was everyone's friend and he loved us all and we loved him and I won't have robots going around pretending to be him, its an insult to Al!" all the bickering had been caught by Optimus, he drove up to Doc.
"I am sorry you feel that way Mr Hudson. I never intended to cause you any grief over the loss of your friend, trust me I didn't know anything about him…"
"Oh really? If I didn't know any better I'd say you mechanical monstrosities murdered him first and then stole his identity!" roared Doc.
"Murder? I do not murder innocents 'Doc' and I was here the whole the time your friend was supposed to have died!" Prime shouted back.
"You're aliens! How do I know you don't have a teleporter or something which you used to…"
"Doc that's enough, you're overreacting!" it was King, he heard everything while taking shelter in the town hall.
"Keep out of this King, it's not your fight." Said Doc.
"Doc I thought you were better than this, but you're acting like a car on a mission. Your anger should be directed at the Decepticons, not the Autobots, just because they were willing to stand trial doesn't mean you can throw the entire book at them & now you're accusing them of murder? Didn't you see what happened to Sally and Mater during the fighting?"
"Yes King I did, I saw Mater being beaten to within an inch of his life and Sally being held captive!" Doc answered back furiously.
"Yes those were the Decepticons that did all that, and it was the Autobots that saved them, how many times do I and the kids have to tell you?"
"I suggest you back off Weathers, we're good friends but you're highly getting on my nerves, if I didn't know any better I'd say you and the others were working for these robots!" accused Doc, but before the argument escalated, Lightning remembered something and blurted it out like fire.
"Oh my Gosh! I've just remembered, during the fighting I saw Chick and Boost's crew."
"Chick and the DRH? Oh great what were those punks doing?" asked Doc, he remembered them vividly as crooks.
"They were helping the Decepticons!" McQueen replied and that caught Optimus' attention.
"Earthlings helping the Decepticons? Are you sure about that, what were they doing?" asked Prime.
"Yes I know what I saw, they were stealing the Dinoco from Flo's café." Replied McQueen.
"What is Dinoco?" asked Optimus.
"You never had Dinoco Prime?" it was Ironhide, he had tasted the drink before and decided to tell Optimus some important information.
"Dinoco is actually an oil brewed drink on Earth, tastes just like the oil back on Cybertron but more exotic."
"You Earthlings can actually brew Fuel and Oil into beverages?" asked Optimus, McQueen nodded back.
"No wonder the Decepticons have waited on this planet for so long, as long as Earthlings keep brewing this Dinoco the Decepticons have an unlimited energy source to attain, but why would they recruit the help of Earthlings, that bit I don't like…"
And speaking of Chick and the DRH where are they now you ask? In the almost exact middle of the Atlantic Ocean, miles beneath the surface laid the lair of the Decepticon beasts, their old ship Nemesis also survived the crash on Earth and it served as the Decepticons main base of Operations.
Starscream had been badly mauled; his punishment for failing to eliminate the Autobots, as the seeker leader hobbled out of the control room, his armor had been severely dented and breached in some areas
"Woah what the heck happened to you? You look worse than King did when I sent that loser crashing into retirement hehe…" cackled Chick, he was waiting outside with the DRH.
"Silence you primitive peace of metal, or I'll stamp on you like an Insecticon!" roared Screamer.
"STARSCREAM!" roared a powerful voice from the control room "Hurt our guests and I'll see to it that you're melted into screws now leave at once!"
The voice was enough to silence Starscream as he strode away with no further words to say.
"Man check this place out!!" said Wingo.
"Yeah these computers look like they're from the future!" said DJ marveling at the technology.
"So Chick, this is really their base of operations?" asked Boost.
"Yep, it's pretty dull without me around but even then yeah its cool isn't it?" replied the sinister car.
"I just got one thing to say, why are you in business with these bad dudes? I mean aren't these the 'bots' that smashed the highway to smithereens?" asked Boost again.
"Oh yes I forgot to tell you earlier, UNIVERSAL DOMINATION? Hello! How would you guys like to have power, total control over any living being in the Universe, entire planets as holiday destinations, forget the Piston Cup what these guys can offer me and you four is something so much greater…"
"Offer us what exactly?" asked Boost again, Chick was about to answer when the same authoritive voice called them in.
"Chick! You may come in…" the five cars drove in.
"Ahh Chick I see you found some friends, these must be the Delinquent Road Hazards you told me about, I must give you four my thanks, unlike that petty fool Starscream you five succeeded in your mission. The amount of Energon cubes you collected today was way more than satisfactory and for that I am very pleased…"
"Hey hey that's nice and all but what about this universal domination thing you keep promising me?" asked Chick spoilt like.
"Patience my dear 'Eighty-Sixter' that will come eventually, but first I need the Matrix and to do that we have to get it out of that cursed Autobot Optimus Prime…"
"So listen big guy, tell us how we can get this 'Matrix'?" asked the inquisitive Boost.
"I will, but please call me Megatron!"
El gaspo! Megatron is here? And what does he have in plan for Chick and the DRH? We'll have to find out later but back in the peace of RS the Autobots are hard at work, but they'll soon be learning of Earth based activities soon enough so they can have a little fun.