Chapter 4: New Goth On the Block
All Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. I own nothing but my OCs, Sasha and her family, Adalia, Colette, Zettabyte, and the ideas for the last names of some of the characters who lack them. Don't wanna read it, hit the back button. For the others, read on.
Warnings: Mentioned of under-aged alcohol use (not by the hands of the OCs or main characters), violence (human and Cybertronian), slight sexual content, and Cybertronian cursing.
Burial Ceremony-Cybertronian funeral Ha-talking though the phone
Sasha's Perspective
Sasha Morgan groaned as she pushed her long pitch black hair out of her violet eyes while she rode down the almost empty streets of the small town of Jasper. She kept her grip tight on the handles of her lavender and silver electric bike. The Sun, which had still been hiding beneath the horizon when she woke up, was now slowly nearing the center of the sky.
"I knew I should have put my hair up today," she growled in annoyance as she once again had to push black strands away from her pale face, her lavender helmet doing little to keep her charcoal-colored mane from whipping her cheeks.
It had been four days since she arrived in Jasper. The small suburb was a strong change of environment from the large city of New York that she had been raised in. No towering skyscrapers. No busy sidewalks. And no noisy, exhaust spewing buses, cars, or taxis. It wasn't so bad actually. The only problem was the lack of friends and family.
Just last Thursday she had been hanging with her two only friends, Chip and Raoul, at the skate park, listening to music and sipping grape soda while enjoying the last few days of their summer break. Now here she was, with no friends to walk or ride with her as she made her way to her first day of tenth grade. Anger burned in her as she thought of the troublemakers whose actions placed her in this situation.
I was just defending Chip! It's not my fault that thugs like those guys only understand the language of violence! Sasha vented in her mind angrily.
What was meant as a good intention had been rewarded with what felt like a punishment. The raven haired teen knew her parents were just trying to protect her but this method of sending her away felt…unfair. It wasn't like she was showing off for a gang initiation. She only meant to protect someone she cared about. Wasn't that why they had her take those self-defense classes so long ago? To use if she needed to protect herself or those she cared for?
The only sense of satisfaction she got was that the ones who tried to hurt Chip had been shown justice. That was also the reason she was just attending school today, on a Friday. Despite the proof that one of the other occupants of the skate park had caught on their phone, she and her friends were still required to go to court. Of course that disrupted her parents' plans to send her to Jasper before school started. At least her Uncle Ted and Aunt Lizzie had been kind enough to settle her in and show her around before leaving the last night to travel around for a few months.
With their own three children out of the house and at college, the two adults had planned to leave home to see the world. It wasn't that they didn't love Sasha, but when you have more free time than you know what to do with and a chance to go places you haven't before, you don't just trade that in to look after your niece just as your children have left the nest. And Sasha, despite her young age, was a very responsible and independent young lady. However, they couldn't just leave her alone. That's when they came up with a plan.
Her aunt and uncle's neighbors, Nora and Patrick Sanderson, lived close by enough to check on the fair skinned girl. Should they be busy with the foreign exchange student (Sasha couldn't recall her name) that they were hosting, the Sandersons could always call Sofia, the retired maid who use to work for her aunt and uncle, to check on Sasha. Once the negotiation was approved by her parents, the violet-eyed teen was sent off, but not without saying good-bye and securing some things.
By "some things," she meant storing all the stuff that she couldn't bring with her to Jasper in the storage unit that her grandmother had set up for her the day after the skate park incident. Sasha was a Goth, and a nature-loving one at that. While her grandparents and father never minded her love for anything that involved the environment or the dark, her mother wasn't very keen on the lifestyle that her daughter chose for herself. As paranoid and distrustful as it sounded, Sasha didn't trust her mother to not mess with her room while she was away.
She can paint the walls any shade of pink or whatever "lady-like" color she wants. She's not going to change who I am, Sasha told herself firmly. Being who she wanted to be was a strong lesson taught to her by both her grandmother and late grandfather. At the thought of the latter person, she felt tears sting her lilac eyes but she blinked them away fiercely. He would not want her to cry and be saddened by her situation. No, Noah Morgan, her late grandfather, would tell her to see it as an adventure. To accept the challenges that this new adventure presented. To be brave and to think of the positive side.
Feeling a renewed sense of encouragement, she allowed herself to smile a bit as she arrived at her destination. Stopping her bike, getting off, and removing her helmet and looked up at the building that she had only been to once to be given a tour and her transcript.
"Hello Memorial High School," she breathed.
Jack's Perspective
Jack did not know what was going on with the bots.
That morning, as he was riding Arcee to school, he could tell something was wrong. Jack could feel her armor taut as he sat on her seat, a sign that she was tense or aggravated about something. And the aura she emitted was dripping barely concealed anger. The onyx-haired boy had considered asking her but thought better of it. She was obviously in NO mood to talk and needed time to cool down. Jack would give her that time and her mood didn't change, he would try confronting her.
Though he did get a clue when they arrived at school. Raf was already there but Bumblebee had already left. Jack found that strange as the yellow scout would usually stay until the bell rang for his charge to get to class. Miko and Bulkhead were also there, the former already sketching in her notebook while the latter remained where he was. Once it again, Jack found it unusual as the green Wrecker would often be gone if his other team mates weren't present when he dropped off his charge. It was almost as if the buffer Autobot was waiting for someone.
Jack was proven correct as Bulkhead drove forward towards the blue two-wheeler just as Jack got off her seat.
Bulkhead began speaking , "Arcee, -"
Whatever the Wrecker had to say, the dark sapphire colored femme would not hear any of it. She made this quite clear by ferociously backing up before doing a 180 turn and speeding away, leaving some skid marks and a cloud of dust in her wake. Jack stared after his guardian in shock before turning to stare at Bulkhead. The moss-green mech may have been in vehicle form but Jack could sense his aggravation as he watched Miko's guardian drive away. Of course he didn't miss the looks of shock, confusion, and worry that plastered onto the other two teens' (well pre-teen in Raf's case) as they saw what had transpired. They stayed there until the bell rang.
This leads to where Jack and his friends are now; class. Biology class to exact. However, none of the three human youths could forget what they had witnessed between two of their Autobot friends. Raf focused on reading the chapter that the class would be discussing that day, Miko tapped rested her chin in one hand while her other hand tapped the desk, and Jack just stared at the window. His brain was still trying to process what he had seen.
Despite their different personalities, Arcee and Bulkhead always managed (mostly) to get along with each other, much like their charges. Even when the two Autobots had disputes, they always communicated as a team. And never did they see either bot spurn each other just as one was about to talk. It was actually a little frightening to see this animosity between the two metal titans in disguise. Finally, Jack couldn't keep his curiosity in.
Turning to his two friends and speaking in a tone so only they could hear him, he asked, "Did Bulkhead or Bee say anything to either of you this morning?"
Miko shook her head as she replied, "Trust me, if I knew I were tell you guys."
Raf adjusted his glasses nervously before confessing, "Bee told me a little bit."
The two teens looked at their younger companion, urging him to tell them what they didn't know.
Raf explained, "Bee told me that last night, Bulkhead…did something that cost them a would have been teammate…and now everybody is angry. That's all he told me."
Miko's mouth was gaped open before she shut it and muttered, "It couldn't have been that bad."
Jack found himself unable to give an opinion as he was surprised and confused. Had another Autobot attempted to come to Earth? If so, what could Bulkhead have done to cost them a team mate? Perhaps it was a defecting Decepticon. That could have been a reason for the moss colored Wrecker to possibly drive the unknown bot away. But then why was Arcee so angry? Surely she would not be this upset if this would have been teammate was a Con drifting from his brethren.
Before the onyx-haired boy could ponder on it any longer, the bell rung and he watched as the biology teacher, Mr. Parker, entered the room. Mr. Parker was a middle-aged man with fawn-colored hair that had a few grayish-white whisps in it and blue eyes that were always bright with enthusiasm. He had a bit of a pot belly often wore jeans, loafers, and collared shirts. He was well-liked for his fun projects and lessons.
Speaking in a booming but friendly voice, he said, "Class before I begin today's class, I would like you all to meet our new student, Sasha Morgan."
It was then that Jack noticed the girl who stood beside him. She was about Miko's height, if a bit taller. Her skin was pale and deeply contrasted with her pitch black mane that went more than a few inches past her shoulders. Her eyes were a purplish violet, a rare color, and as Jack squinted his eyes, he could see that there were rings of blue near the pupils. They were definitely NOT contacts. The only make up she wore was black lipstick. She wore a black long-sleeved shirt with a purple Spanish skull in the middle that had accents of neon green and aqua blue, a red plaid skirt that reached down to her knees, and black rubber combat boots with long black socks peeking out. Her backpack was a deep plum color and had a spider motif. By the way Miko fidgeted, Jack knew that the new arrival's school bag was making the Asian girl's arachnophobia was acting up.
Something about Sasha' last name sounded familiar. Just as Jack was about to raise his hand, the obnoxious voice of Vince rose up from the back.
"Morgan? Like Chrissie, Ruby, and Jeremy Morgan?" the red-headed bully inquired, voice too curious for Jack's taste.
That's when the onyx-haired boy realized that's exactly why the last name sounded so familiar. Ruby, Jeremy, and Chrissie Morgan were siblings that had gone to Memorial High together. All three had been born a year apart with Jeremy being the eldest and Chrissie being the youngest. Their father came from the wealthy Morgan family that owned the chain of auto shops, all called Morgan's Modest Auto Shop. Their father, Ted, worked at the auto shop as a way of income and to show devotion to his family's business. Their mother, Elizabeth or "Lizzie", was both a homemaker and a creative woman. She made countless decorations in any form she could which she sold to the people in town or to customers online.
Despite their rich heritage, the three Morgan siblings had been very good-natured and considerate students and each had their own interests; Jeremy with baseball, Ruby with the violin, and Chrissie with her interest in anthropology. All the students present in Mr. Parker's classroom only knew Jeremy from seeing him in town and watching his games, as he already gone off to college by the time they entered ninth grade. His sisters were a different matter; Chrissie was a social butterfly while Ruby was a loner with only one or two friends. Both were friendly and hard-working young ladies who graduated; Ruby, two years ago and Chrissie, one year ago.
Miko leaned over to Jack and whispered, "I heard of her. My host parents told me about her last night. Asking me to help her if she needed it and to be nice to her."
Sasha just nodded coolly to the class, "Yes. They're my older cousins."
"Perhaps, Sasha would like to share some more about herself instead of any family that came to this school, wouldn't you Sasha?" Mr. Parker inquired gently while shooting one of his rare stern glances at the class.
The raven-haired girl smiled gratefully at her teacher before speaking in a calm and civil voice, "Well I was born and raised in New York-"
"The Big Apple?!" a boy in the back exclaimed.
"Pete, need I remind you that we keep silent when someone is talking to the class?" the biology teacher spoke, shooting the boy glare.
Sasha continued, "Thank you Mr. Parker. So I was sent here by my parents to get away from the thugs in New York. As you can see, I'm a Goth. NOT an emo. I also don't eat meat. I care for the environment. I'll probably be staying here until late spring. And NO, I won't lend money to anyone. If anyone says that my cousins did otherwise, then I'll know you're lying. My aunt and uncle taught them better than that."
Mr. Parker nodded in approval, "Now Sasha, why don't you have a seat in the front."
Sasha obeyed, taking a seat in the front, just a few seats from Isabella and Sierra, eyes glued to the board as the lesson began. She was unaware of the three kids behind her who continued to sneak a glance or two every few minutes.
Four and a half hours later; Sasha's Perspective
Sasha sighed as she sat down on a lone table in the cafeteria and pulled out her purple and black lunch tote.
She had focused on her classes throughout until the mid-morning break. Not feeling ready for socializing just yet, she went to the library to relax and read in the corner. The nature-loving Goth had also taken the time to check her phone to see what her grandmother and friends were up to. Her grandmother had e-mailed her, saying that she would be attending a block party with her parents that night and wouldn't be able to web chat with her. Raoul was accompanying Chip to the birthday party that Chip's parents were throwing for his grandmother and would also be unable to web chat. She couldn't help but feel a little abandoned.
I shouldn't be bummed out. I should be happy that they're still having a good time, she thought to herself, pushing the loneliness down as she took out her lunch.
While her aunt and uncle weren't strict vegetarian/vegan like she was, they were health conscious. Her grandmother had e-mailed them a list of foods to buy for Sasha, which they obliged with no complaint. She even was given some vegetarian and vegan recipes to make by her Aunt Lizzie. She took out a Tupperware bowl of edamame, peas, carrots, and rice, a tofu, red pepper and avocado wrap with dark green veggies, mixed fruit with unsalted nuts for crunch, two Quaker Chewy S'mores Granola bars, homemade peanut butter cookies, and a can of lemonade.
Just as she started digging into her meatless lunch, a shadow fell across her table. Looking up Sasha wanted to groan in disgust. It was that Vince guy.
Smiling in a way that seemed crossed between flirtatious and forced friendliness, the red-head spoke, "Hey there. Whatcha eating?"
Rolling her eyes, Sasha said in an annoyed tone, "Well if you had been listening when I talked in class, you would know I don't eat meat. Hence all of this is either has fruit, grain, veggies, nuts, or peanuts."
Vince didn't seem to care, just nodding his head as he spoke in a disgustingly sweet tone, "Cool, cool. Listen I need to ask a favor. A friend of mine who's throwing a party this weekend and he needs me to buy booze. Problem is that my ID is expired so I was thinking-"
Sasha interrupted him with a snarl, "So you were thinking you would just walk over here and ask me to buy alcohol for you? That way, when you get caught driving drunk by the cops you can throw me under the bus, right?!"
"W-What?! N-No! I-I was just-," Vince stuttered, seeming to be startled by the raven-haired girl's sudden aggravation.
But Sasha wasn't done as she continued her verbal assault, "Just what? Thinking that just because I'm a Goth that I'm careless enough to help jerks like you get drunk or get others drunk enough so they can get alcohol poisoning or drive and end up killing someone or themselves?! Well you thought wrong. Now. Leave. Me. Alone."
Vince regained his composure and snarled at her, "Who do you think you are, you little-"
"Is there a problem here?"
Both Goth and bully turned to look at the one who intercepted the argument. The teen who had intervened was African American and looked to be sixteen. His black hair was shaved close to his head and his dark brown eyes narrowed dangerously at the red-head. He wore a dark orange jacket over a white shirt with dark blue jeans and pale tawny colored sneakers.
"Back off Sawyer. This is not of your business," Vince snapped.
The teen, Sawyer, just glowered and said coldly, "It is my business when you're hassling someone who obviously doesn't want to listen to whatever it is you have to say. Now I believe she was asking you to leave her alone."
The red-headed ruffian teen stood his ground.
Sawyer scowled, "Beat it. Now. Or I'll tell Adalia to send the video recording of the littleconversation you were having with the new girl to the principal."
For emphasis, Sawyer pointed at thumb at another table. Sitting at it were two girls who were also glaring at Vince. Both looked fifteen like Sasha. One had green-blue eyes with long, wavy, deep auburn hair and fair skin. She was wearing a red flutter-sleeve blouse and pale blue denims. The other girl looked to be of Hispanic heritage, as she had darkened skin, dark chestnut brown hair, and eyes the color of warm chocolate. She had on a lavender chiffon vest top and white capris. The Hispanic girl was holding up a phone, aiming it at Vince with a smug smirk.
Vince looked between them and Sawyer before growling, "This isn't over."
As the red head stomped away, Sawyer walked up to Sasha, "You okay?"
Sasha felt something flutter in her chest but she ignored it as she smiled gratefully, "Yeah thanks."
Sawyer smiled, "Don't mention it. And don't worry about Vince. He's just asking for trouble. I'm surprised that the school hasn't expelled him yet."
"They're probably waiting for karma to get him to him first," Sasha laughed.
Sawyer snorted, "Oh I'd love to be a fly on the wall when that happens."
"The same goes for us," the Hispanic girl said with a slight Spanish accent as she and her auburn-haired friend came up to Sasha.
The auburn-haired girl snickered with a bit of a French accent, "That has got to be the first time I've ever seen Vince be taken off guard by someone's retort."
Sasha laughed, her smile turning into a widespread grin, "Thanks."
"I'm Colette by the way. Colette LaChance," the auburn-haired girl stated as she shook the Goth's hand.
The Hispanic girl was next, "I'm Adalia Gonzalez. Feel free to call me Addie."
Sawyer then officially introduced himself, "And I'm Sawyer Storm."
"I'm Sasha Morgan. You probably knew my cousins," she proclaimed politely.
Sawyer nodded, "Your cousins were awesome people. But we wanna get to know you."
Colette nodded eagerly, "Yes. We heard that they have several cousins but we never thought we meet one of them."
Adalia grinned in encouragement, " C'mon chica, tell us all about yourself."
Sasha felt her spirits brighten. Looks like she would have a nice time here in Jasper after all. But unnoticed to the four teens, a certain foreign exchange student had been watching and listening from behind the cafeteria doors.
Two hours later; Third Person's Perspective
"You dudes should have seen it! Sasha totally told Vince off!" Miko chirped to her two friends as they were preparing to head to their last class of the day.
It had been a few hours since the rebellious exchange student had seen Sasha go off on the red-headed terror. Granted, she had seen a few students snap at Vince but never did they have the same ferocity and sense of moral as Sasha had. To say that the metal music lover was impressed was an understatement.
Raf smiled a bit, fixing his grip on his backpack as spoke, "I'm not surprised. She is the cousin of Ruby and Chrissie."
"Yeah, those two had a way with guys like Vince that didn't take no for an answer," Jack snickered as he remembered one example.
It had happened last fall, with Chrissie being a senior and Vince a sophomore. He had made a bet with his crony friends that he could get a senior to go with him to the Fall Formal. His target had been the youngest Morgan child herself. Unfortunately, Vince's idea of "asking" was grabbing Chrissie's behind and asking her if she would like to have it "broken in" after he took her to the dance. Unfortunate for Vince that is.
Chrissie's response had been grabbing his manhood in a death grip and growling, "Do that to me again, and I'll pluck grapes. Or raisins in your case. Got that?"
Vince had nodded with a whimper before she let him go so he could curl on the floor in pain. Suffice to say, Vince lost that bet and didn't go to the dance.
"Hey, I got an idea! I should bring Sasha to the monster truck rally this evening!" Miko said grinning. However, Jack and Raf didn't share her enthusiasm.
The onyx-haired boy rubbed the back of his head as he spoke, "I don't know about that Miko. A monster truck rally isn't really a Goth thing. Sasha may not like it."
"Plus with all the exhaust that those monster trucks release makes it the exact opposite of what nature lovers call a good time," the computer prodigy put in sheepishly.
However, Miko only disagreed as she continued, "Please. Anyone with enough guts to stand up to Vince will love a hard core event like monster trucks."
Raf was about to continue dissuading his female friend when Jack placed a hand on his shoulder with a defeated shake of his head. The older boy knew better to disagree with their foreign classmate when she was this determined. The two could only hope that Miko didn't do anything drastic.
Forty-five minutes later; Sasha's Perspective
Sasha stuffed her books into her backpack as the bell ceased its ring that signaled the end of the day. Unsurprisingly, the rest of her peers had already exited the class. Obviously they wanted to be out of the building as quick as possible to start their weekend plans. Just as she was finishing putting away her materials, she saw a pair of pale tawny sneakers in the corner of eye.
Slinging her backpack over her shoulders, Sasha smiled at her friend, "Hey Sawyer. What's up?"
Sawyer grinned at her, "Hey. The girls and I were talking and we wanted to know if you would like to watch that new thriller movie, The Gift, tomorrow night?"
Grinning excitedly, Sasha nodded, "I'd love to."
"Great! Do you think you can give me your address so I know we know where to pick you up?" Sawyer asked, having a delighted expression himself.
The Goth nodded as she took a scrap of paper and a pencil from the front pocket of her backpack and scribbled down the address before handing it to her friend, "There you go."
Sawyer took it, nodding, "Hey do you need me to drive you home?"
Sasha shook her head as she responded politely, "No thanks, I got my bike. Maybe another time."
Nodding in understanding, Sawyer smiled, "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then."
Sasha grinned and nodded as she headed out the class door first while giving him one last, short wave goodbye. Before leaving, she made her way over her locker to get the other books that she would need for the homework from other classes. As she twisted the combination and opened her locker, something slipped out and fluttered to the floor. Reaching down to pick it up, she realized it was an envelope.
It was made of recycled paper that was colored bright green and sky blue. It had "To: Sasha" written in black marker and had been sealed with a sticker that had the recycle symbol on it. The Goth felt a strong need to open it but decided to wait until she was home. Slipping the envelope into her book bag, Sasha double checked to make sure she had all the books she needed before closing her locker and making her way to the front of the school. Making it past the crowd of students still lingering, Sasha made it out the front doors and descended down the stairs. However, she noticed something strange.
Parked at the curb were three vehicles that she hadn't see there when she arrived to school. There was a golden yellow and black muscle car, a dark sapphire motorcycle with pink highlights, and a strong looking , moss-colored SUV. What was even more peculiar was the way they were parked. The muscle car and motorcycle were spaced a good two or so meters from the SUV. Almost as if their owners wanted to be as far from the SUV as possible. Shrugging it off as just awkward parking, Sasha continued her way towards where she locked her bike.
When she saw her bike, she stopped. Something was off about her bike. It was leaning against the side of the rack she had locked it in and it seemed to have lowered closer to the ground. That's when she saw the tires. They looked to be squished at the bottom and slightly saggy. And that's when she realized that they were flat. A closer inspection revealed that someone had let the air out of them.
Sasha growled, "Oh you've got to be kidding me!"
Third Person Perspective
The three kids jumped as they turned to look at the Goth. All three had just been in the middle of getting into (onto in Jack's case) their guardians' alt. modes when their new classmate let out a yell of anger. Looking in her direction, they saw that she was examining her electric bike's tires with a look of aggravation. The three high school students shared swapped looks of silent agreement with each other before heading over.
Raf was the first to ask, "Is everything okay?"
Getting up from the ground, Sasha huffed, "Someone let the air out of my tires. And I think I know who."
"Vince," Jack concluded with a growl. The red-headed menace was known for doing cruel things when he didn't get what he wanted but that didn't make them justifiable.
"You're not the first, girl," Miko stated calmly.
"And you won't be the last," Raf added as gently.
Sasha sighed as she looked at her bike, "I didn't even bring my bike pump with me, so I can't inflate them."
"If you want, I can take it back to my place to inflate it and then you can come get it," Jack offered kindly.
Sasha looked at him curiously, "I would like that but what about that motorcycle you were about to get on?"
Jack froze for a moment before trying to stutter out a response, "W-Well, you see uh-"
"What Jack meant is that my friend in the yellow muscle car will let us put your bike in his backseat so we can transport it to Jack's house," Raf spoke up immediately.
The onyx-haired boy nodded quickly, "Yes! Exactly what I was going to say."
Sasha stared at them for a moment before smiling, "Thanks. I'm Sasha."
"I'm Jack," Jack said, nodding with a smile.
"I'm Raf," the smaller boy said politely.
"Miko. You've probably met my host parents, the Sandersons," Miko stated, her voice rich with eagerness.
Sasha felt something click in the back of her head, "Oh yeah, now I remember! You're the foreign exchange student they've taken in."
Miko smirked, "So they did mention me."
"They told me your name," Sasha said, leaving out the part where it looked like they were holding back winces.
"You could hitch a ride with me. My friend will drive us home and your house is just a few feet away. My host mom did say to help you if you needed it and this looks like the right time," Miko said as Jack and Raf were already hauling her bike into the muscle car.
Seeing no other options, Sasha shrugged, "Okay. Thanks."
Miko grinned, "No problem. I'll just go talk to my friend."
Sasha nodded, not seeing the winces of concern the boys exchanged as Miko gave them a wink.
Elsewhere; Third Person Perspective
Zettabyte was not having a good day at all.
The night before, after leaving the Nemesis, he had driven until he came across an old, abandoned gas station. However, his recharge was not a pleasant one. The chilly desert night and fear of being found by Bulkhead caused him to wake up every time he was just settling into recharge, only to wake up shivering or nearly having a spark attack when a Earth vehicle passed by. As a result, he hardly got any rest. He now regretted not staying on the Nemesis to get use to his new berthroom.
On top of that he still had yet to find an Earth alt. mode to scan. Most of the vehicles that passed him were either gaudy muscle cars or dull-looking pick-up trucks. He didn't want to look like those punk, rebellious students on the Haven, but there was no way he was going to scan a vehicle that looked like something that was only meant for loading and delivery.
"This is hopeless," Zettabyte sighed in slight annoyance. He had been hiding behind the gas station for a good chunk of the day, only peeking out to see the passing vehicles. Sadly, none of them were anything interesting.
He had considered following them in hopes of finding better vehicles but thought better of it. With his Cybertronian vehicle alt. mode, he was sure to stick out. And if Silas or a M.E.C.H. soldier didn't spot him, a human civilian would. Remembering Optimus' warnings and recalling his own experience with foreign species, the ruby and sapphire mechling felt unsafe. He thought about contacting Soundwave so he could ask Breakdown or one of the drones for help but that idea seemed too…needy. He didn't want the Cons, or any Cybertronian for that matter, to think he was overly dependent. Just as he was about to cut his losses and drive back out onto the desert, he saw something.
A bisarca had stopped just a few a few meters from the gas station. Zettabyte heard the sound of a car door open and slam shut as a burly man walked to the front of the large transporter and began wiping the grill with an old rag.
"Darn bugs," the man hissed as he tried to rid his truck's grill of the dead insects.
Zettabyte paid no mind to what the man said, his focus on the bisarca. He didn't care for the cars on it as they too didn't look right for him. He was staring at the single space near the end of the first level on the transporter truck. It was just big enough for him in his alt. mode form. Perhaps this transport could take him to an area with more vehicle options. Feeling firm with his decision he quickly transformed and drove onto the spot.
He froze as the driver said loud enough so he could hear, "What?"
Zettabyte exhaled a sigh of relief as the man laughed a bit and said, "The heat's getting to me. I've earned a cold drink when I get into town."
The man soon entered the trunk and drove on unaware of the extra-terrestrial stowaway he harbored.
Meanwhile; Sasha's Perspective
To say Sasha was upset was an understatement. She. Was. Furious.
It had all started when she had gotten into the SUV. She hadn't looked up at Miko's so-called "friend." The big, muscular arms that could snap necks with ease made her too uneasy and distrustful to even say hello. She had been so deep in thought about how much she wanted to strangle Vince that she hadn't notice Miko's gigantic grin. Nor had she noticed that the direction they were driving in was NOT going towards her house.
When they stopped, she had finally taken notice of their surroundings. What greeted her sight was far from pleasant. They were in a large parking lot of an even larger stadium. The scent of exhaust, smoke, and burnt rubber was so thick, it was suffocating. Far off in a second parking lot, the raven-haired Goth could see a separate parking lot filled with rugged-looking vehicles with monstrously giant tires. One look at the dirty, sign with the name Monster Truck Rumble Stadium confirmed what she feared. She was at a freakin' monster truck show.
And judging by the look of pure glee that Miko was directing at her, Sasha knew that the Asian girl had meant to bring her here.
"Are you kidding me right now?!" Sasha snapped.
The punkish girl didn't seem to hear as she hopped out of her seat and grinned, "Isn't awesome?"
Sasha couldn't believe this girl. No wonder the Sandersons had looked so uncomfortable when they mentioned the foreign child. She was a total liar! How dare she trick her into coming here?! Sasha despised monster trucks for two reasons. One, of course, was the fact that they polluted the air with their noxious fumes from their tailpipes and mufflers. Then there was the car crushing issue. She may have not have been a big car fanatic as her great-grandfather had but she had some good vehicle knowledge. Like how the old, worn cars being used for crushing could be taken apart for any components that other cars might need instead. And a good portion of the cars that were old but still intact and working could be spruced up to look and work like new. Basically, to Sasha, monster trucks were an insult to the environment and to her family's business.
"It is NOT cool! I HATE monster trucks! What makes you think I would want to come to the show about them?" Sasha growled, obviously angry.
"I just thought that you would like to see something real awesome," Miko shrugged, smile having lessened a bit but not by much.
"Well I DON'T think this is awesome! It's the opposite of awesome to me! Tell your friend to take me home, I-," Sasha was interrupted by the roar of the moss-colored SUV's engine. She twisted her head to see her only option for transportation take off and leave the parking lot in a matter of seconds. The Goth noticed that Miko looked a bit put off.
The look didn't last long as Miko grabbed her arm and dragged her to the stadium, giddily saying, "Monster trucks here we come!"
Sasha felt nothing but annoyance and dislike for the Asian girl as she was pulled towards the stadium.
Two Earth hours later in the far part of the desert; Breakdown's Perspective
Breakdown watched as the Vehicons sliced the Energon crystals before hauling them into large Cybertronian mine carts that were to be picked up by more Vehicons from the Nemesis. It was a moderate amount of Energon that was still sure to boost their stocks up quite a bit. But Breakdown's thoughts weren't on the Energon or the work of the drones. It was on Zettabyte.
Thinking back now, the Stunticon had wished that he, or someone else, had encouraged the mechling to stay. The poor kid was still new to this planet and its ways. He didn't even have an Earth vehicle alt. mode yet. Worry crept around in Breakdown's processor. Did Zettabyte manage to find a vehicle to scan? Was he safe? Or was he in the clutches of the enemy? The ex-Wrecker's thoughts suddenly became angry as he remembered that the ruby and sapphire mechling told them that Bulkhead chased him out.
It made Breakdown's Energon boil at the idea that his former friend had been so cruel to such a gentle kid. Yes the fact that Zettabyte had been raised by Sentinel was a shocker but the kid was nothing like his adoptive sire. The way he spoke to the Decepticons and their leader was respectful and his mismatched optics had a look of kindness. The mechling didn't see his saviors as a threat but as equals. The one-eyed brawler just couldn't comprehend how his ex-teammate could act so aggressively towards the mechling.
Sounds like Bulk-for-Brains is defying his leader's ethics, Breakdown thought sourly.
It wasn't the first time that an Autobot turned their backs on the morals that Optimus had tried to influence his faction with. Some Autobots had thought of their leader as too soft and would break some of the codes he established, resulting in them being killed by the enemy, punished by a superior, or cast out by their own faction. Breakdown felt no pity for those mechs and femmes. Nor did he, or any other Decepticon, took the opportunity to try to goad the bot to come to their side. The Stunticon had no doubt that Bulkhead, if continuing with his attitude towards Zettabyte, would meet the one of those fates like those bots. The former Wrecker's thoughts were interrupted as his comm. link beeped, signaling that he was being messaged.
Pressing two digits to the side of his helm, Breakdown answered, "Breakdown here."
[Breakdown, it's Knock Out. Soundwave just picked up a lone Autobot signal heading your way. If the Autobots discover our little mining party, they'll barge in and steal our Energon,] Knock Out proclaimed through the link.
Breakdown felt a rush of anger, as he growled, "Not if I lure them away and give them a good beat down."
Knock Out snickered over the link, [Tell me how it went when it's over.]
"Got it," Breakdown confirmed before ending the comm. and transforming before driving off, shouting a "I'll be right back" to the Eradicons guarding the area. He was only hoping for two things; that the Autobot wasn't the scout and that it was Bulkhead.
Near the area around the town; Bulkhead's Perspective
Bulkhead didn't think, that when he came online that morning, that his day would be so rotten. Less than okay maybe, due to the harsh lecturing that Optimus gave him the night before, but not totally terrible.
Upon coming out of his berthroom, Bulkhead discovered that everyone else had been awake before him. Bumblebee had left to take Raf to school but Arcee was still having her morning Energon, optics focused hard on her cube as if she was having a silent, heated debate with it. Optimus and Ratchet were watching the console quietly together.
Everything seemed fine until he had greeted them all in a large baritone voice, "Morning!"
Only the medic and Prime had turned to nod at him. The dark sapphire and pink femme, however, just tightened her grip on her cube harder without looking up. The moss-colored mech had tried to start a conversation with her, but she remained silent up until he went to go take Miko to school. Bulkhead had tried not to be offended when he discovered that Bee had already left after leaving his charge at the front of the school. He wasn't expecting her to abruptly drive off as soon as she dropped Jack off. That's when he started to get annoyed.
It was one thing for his teammates to still be angry at him, but to show it openly where the kids could see it. That was just humiliating for him. He felt like a juvenile mechling who was being given the silent treatment by a femmenet he liked in front of a group of classmates he wanted to impress. Now here he was; doing patrol alone. Bee was staying at base to help Ratchet with something, Optimus had gone to speak with Fowler and his superiors, and Arcee had done patrol alone earlier that day and was now in her berthroom doing Primus knows what.
What did they want him to do? Apologize to Zettabyte? Slim chance of that as he had no fraggin' idea where the mechling ran off to. It was just a moment of misplaced aggression. Besides, they didn't know what difficulties that the caste put him through. Working day in and day out, sometimes getting injured due to fallen debris or displeased, violent clients. Yet, Bulkhead knew that his team and leader had a right to be angry.
Ratchet had basically lost a would-have-been protégé, Bee lost a chance to have a teammate who was just about the same age as him, Optimus had basically gotten a front seat to the Wrecker's unprovoked tantrum, and Arcee…Arcee had the most right to be angry. Despite her cool, undaunted attitude, she had a soft spark for youths, hence why she was so relaxed around the kids and Bee. Like many bots, Arcee had wanted a family prior to the war. When the war started though, that plan was forced on hold. Now she was barely clinging to the hope of ever finding a mate, let alone having sparklings. But to see her own teammate act so viciously towards a mechling who was just voicing his ideals…that was not acceptable.
Bulkhead sighed as he continued driving. He probably should admit that what he did was wrong and unfair to Zettabyte, if only to make up with his team. As he was deep in thought, he didn't notice the blue armored truck charging at him until it was too late.
"UUNGHH!" the moss colored Wrecker grunted loudly in pain as he was forced off the road and turned over several times, transforming into his bipedal mode once he stopped. Looking up he saw the blue armored truck now stood in front of him before transforming into the mech he once called brother.
"Aw Bulkhead, you've gone soft. Back on Cybertron, you would have reacted before I could even touch you," Breakdown mocked cruelly, a smug grin plastered on his dark orangey-red faceplates.
The ire Bulkhead felt just minutes before came back at full force as he growled, "Didn't even know you were still capable of packing a punch. Thought you would have retired after our match for the Polarity Gauntlet."
Breakdown's smirk dropped a bit as he snapped back, "I may have not have great depth perception anymore, but I can still beat you into the ground. Just like how I can beat you at speed!"
Before the Wrecker could even do anything, the Stunticon transformed back into his alt. mode and drove the way Bulkhead had came. Transforming himself, the moss colored mech was hot on his rival's bumper. As he continued pursuing his enemy, Bulkhead realized where place that he and Breakdown were nearing.
They were two miles from the stadium.
At the Stadium; Sasha's Perspective
Sasha' mood had not lightened up since she arrived at the stadium. In fact, it seemed to have worsened.
She growled silently as Miko let out an ear-splitting whoop of ecstasy as a large shocking yellow and sickly green monster truck trampled a row of old model Fords and Sedans. And here Sasha thought that she found a kindred spirit. Well, maybe not a kindred spirit but perhaps a decent companion or friend. Boy was she wrong. Miko may not have been girly or bubble-headed, not completely anyway, but her thoughtless deception and unwavering persuasion reminded Sasha of the girls who her mother use to set her up on play dates with.
The nature-lover hugged her backpack close to her body, glad that she had decided to bring it with her instead of making the mistake of leaving it in the SUV. However, as paranoid as it sounded, she didn't trust the Asian girl to swipe it if she relaxed her posture or her grip. A thought then struck the Goth. She had the Sandersons phone number. She could easily call them to pick her up. She mentally kicked herself for not thinking it up earlier.
Except I can't do it around Miss High-Strung over here, Sasha thought angrily. She would need to make the call away from the trickster. An idea hatched in her head. She was a bit unsure but it was worth a try.
Getting up with a stretch, Sasha said casually, "Well all this excitement has made me hungry. I'm gonna head to the concessions for a snack. You want anything? It's on me."
Hearing the offer of free food, Miko spoke without looking away from a vehicular carnage, "A cheesy chili dog with fries and a large Dr. Pepper."
Sasha nodded as she descended down the stairs, silently patting herself on the back for playing it cool and thanking whatever higher power there was for the small streak of luck. As she snuck behind the stadium seating, she didn't notice the two large vehicles that had disappeared to the far left side of her.
On the outer left side of the stadium; Third Person Perspective
As the two mechs transformed into their bi-pedal modes, they lunged at each other. Bulkhead found himself on his back first, as his rival was larger and heavier than him. He was dazed for a moment but he regained composure just in time to see Breakdown's hammer heading towards his helm. He rolled out of the way and Breakdown's hammer met the dusty ground. The moss colored mech got up and charged at the blue Stunticon, arm raised to punch the ex-Wrecker.
However, Breakdown immediately saw this and was prepared for it. He grabbed his former teammate's arm and twisted it with a sickening crunch. A malicious grin spread across his faceplate as Bulkhead yelled in agony. The Decepticon brawler took the opportunity to knee his opponent in the abdomen before backing away and delivering an upper cut punch to the distracted mech's chin. The moss colored mech was sended smack into the back of the stadium before crumpling to the ground. Bulkhead once again found himself on his back as Breakdown loomed over him ominously. The blue Stunticon pressed his pede down hard on the Wrecker's chassis, as he lifted his hammer high over his helm. Just as he was about to bring it down on Bulkhead's helm, his comm. link pinged again.
Growling, Breakdown answered, "What is it? I'm in the middle of something!"
[Breakdown, the drones are all finished. You can play with the Autobot another time. Return to the Nemesis. Megatron's orders,] Knock Out stated in a firm tone.
Breakdown huffed in aggravation before saying coldly to the mech beneath him, "Looks like you get to live another day Bulkhead. See ya."
With that, the blue Stunticon transformed and drove away. Bulkhead, on the other hand, wasn't about to let the ex-Wrecker off that easy. Transforming himself, the moss-colored mech quickly drove after his rival. As he did so, he contacted Miko's phone.
"Miko, it's Bulkhead. Listen you're gonna have to call your host parents to pick you up. I'm a little busy with someone and I won't be able to pick you up after the show," Bulkhead claimed, half urgent, half calm.
What the Wrecker failed to notice as he left was that the large crater that he left on the back walls of the stadium had large cracks. And those cracks were spreading.
On the other side of the stadium's outside; Sasha's Perspective
Sasha had no idea what was happening.
One moment she had been trying to get a signal on her nearly phone when all of a sudden the ground started to shake. She first thought it was a mild earthquake when she noticed how the tremors seemed to be slightly choppy. It felt like something heavy was pounding the ground in weird intervals. It caused her to fall to the ground. Sasha could hear some people shouting in panic and leaving the stadium. However, it stopped after about ten or fifteen minutes. Everything seemed quiet at first. Looking at her phone, the Goth saw that the battery had died.
"Well that's just terrific," Sasha huffed with angry sarcasm as she got up from the ground. As she threw her phone into her backpack she heard a new sound. It sounded like a cross between breaking branches and creaking metal. Slowly looking up she saw that the solid part of the wall was cracking as the pipes keeping it in place trembled, signaling that they were about to give up. Her mind told her to move but her legs were having a hard time receiving the message.
Just as she was about to shake herself out of her trance and began to run, the wall began to crumble and the debris was falling towards her.
A few meters away; Third Person Perspective
Zettabyte had been parked quietly in the lower level of the transporter when it happened.
The driver had parked his vehicle a few meters from the diner he had driven to before heading in for a cold drink and a little something to eat. Zettabyte's curiosity had soon started to grow into anxiety. Not because he was afraid of being caught but because he feared the quiet of the parking lot. It reminded him of the silence during Theta's burial ceremony back on Cybertron. He couldn't exactly hum a tune or talk to himself, as he feared he would get too caught up and the driver would come out and hear it before Zettabyte could register his presence. So the ruby and sapphire mechling was forced to wait patiently for the driver to finish his meal and come back.
That was until he heard the sound of screaming.
Startled, Zettabyte drove off the transporter and zoomed away, fearing the worst. And that's when he saw the stadium. The people were scrambling out of it as large chunks of it began to crumble and fall around them. For a horrific moment, he was reminded of the day that the gladiators turned on the nobles in the audience. He could still recall the roars of rage and anguish dueling with the volume of the cries of shock and fear. He shook himself of the traumatizing memory and got closer, managing to remain out of sight.
To his horror, he saw that a lone human girl was struggling to run from a shower of debris coming towards her. Whether it was the morals he was taught by his Amma and teachers or his sense of compassion for living beings, Zettabyte went into action. Not caring if he was spotted, he dashed towards the girl who had already tripped and fallen. He was so intent on protecting her that he didn't notice the sudden sensation that flowed through him.
Nor did he notice his paintjob and optics changing.
Sasha's Perspective
Sasha didn't know what to expect when she fell. Did she expect pain of falling debris to descend upon her as her life flashed before her lives before being envelope by darkness, possibly forever? Probably. But what happened was different. The nature-lover once again felt tremors but they were different. They felt as though they were coming closer…to her! It was when she heard the sound of debris hitting metal did she open her eyes. What she saw made her heart stop and her thoughts screech to a halt.
Shielding her from the rubble…was what looked to be a robot. A giant robot.
It was crouching so she couldn't tell how tall it actually was but it was definitely taller than a house. Its body looked armored and foreign. Too well-crafted to have been built by any human hands. It was shadow black and ivory white in color. She realized that its hands, which had five pointed fingers, were cupped around her as the rest of its body shielded her from the flying debris. But what really caught her attention was its face. It was white, smooth, and had a sheen, not unlike porcelain. She didn't see any visible nose or ears. Its mouth was set in a thin line and its eyes were scrunched up. Its head had a three pointed fin like pieces and a white crest of some sort with a apple green dot in the front of the middle fin.
Sasha yelped when a brick-sized piece of rubble sailed over the robot's head and justly barely missed her head. That's when the robot's eyes snapped open. The Goth was in awe as she stared at the bright, neon green orbs that seemed to stare through her very being. Strangely enough, she didn't feel afraid. There was something…warm in those green depths. Almost…friendly.
Her jaw dropped open as it spoke to her in a young, male voice, "Are you alright?"
She found herself too stun to speak. A loud rumble of more falling rubble caused the robot to jolt up as it gently cradled the nature-lover in its, or his, large palms. Sasha saw him look in fear (she was sure of it) at the now barely standing stadium. Before the Goth could even say a word, her mechanical savior held her to his black and ivory chest before running away into the desert.
"We have to get out of here!" the metal titan said urgently.
Sasha couldn't disagree with him.
Fifteen minutes later in the outer part of town; Third Person Perspective
It wasn't until they were about a good five miles did Zettabyte finally stopped running. Seeing a sizable boulder a few feet away, he walked over and placed the raven-haired girl down. The Goth balanced herself on the rocky surface before looking up at her rescuer with sparkling amethyst eyes.
"Thank you," Sasha breathed.
Zettabyte nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He then turned to leave.
"Wait! Please, don't go," the nature-lover called pleadingly. This caused the mechling to turn and stare at her curiously and cautiously.
Sasha stumbled over her words, "I mean, uh, I didn't get to say thank you. I don't even know your name. Please stay. My name is Sasha. Sasha Luna Morgan."
"M-My name is Zettabyte and you're welcome, Sasha Luna Morgan," Zettabyte stuttered himself, his pale emerald orbs locked on her amethyst ones.
Sasha couldn't help but laugh a little bit, "You can just call me Sasha, Zettabyte."
The mechling smiled a bit. A slight awkward silence stood between the adolescent human and Cybertronian youth.
Sasha broke it by stating kindly, "I like your, uh, colors. Black is one of my favorite colors."
Zettabyte looked at her in confusion before looking down at his body and falling back with a loud gasp and a sharp thud. The raven-haired girl fell back herself at her robotic companion's sudden alarm. She watched in concern as he scrambled to stand up and leaned towards her, still in a panic.
"Do you have anything I can see my reflection in?! Please?!" the mechling begged frantically.
Sasha nodded immediately before pulling out her dead Smartphone, its void surface just clear enough to act as a mirror. He leaned in to get a better look as she held it up towards him. Not a second later did the mechanical titan reel his head back in shock. He continued to analyze his legs, chassis, and servos. The Goth was confused at first until it happened.
His armor changed from shadow black and ivory white to deep, ruby red and dark, sapphire blue. Zettabyte's optics turned from neon green to a mismatched pair; the right one was a crystal blue while the right was blood red. Even his faceplate changed from white to silver. But it didn't stop there. The mechling's finish and optics changed back and forth. In the process he almost phased into the ground several times. The alarm he had felt just moments ago had sprung into full blown hysteria as he continued to yelp and mutter incoherently. The only thing Sasha could do was plead for him to calm down.
"Zetta-!"
"Primus what is going on?!"
"Zetta-!"
"Is this some sort of bad cosmic joke?! Wait! Those humans!"
"Zetta-!"
"The blast! Is that what did this to me?!"
"Zettabyte, calm down!" Sasha shouted at him. That seemed to do the trick. His body stopped changing and remained ruby and sapphire as he stare at her, a little shocked by her outburst.
He then covered his faceplates and moaned, "What's happening to me?"
Another moment of silence stretched between them until the Goth asked carefully, "Uh, Zettabyte…I have to ask…What kind of robot are you? Where did you come from? I know you're not from Earth. And you're not a mindless machine."
The mechling stared at her before sighing, "It's…a long story."
"I've got time. I'm not going anywhere," the raven-haired girl proclaimed, sitting down on the buolder, crossing her legs and staring into his mismatched optics.
Zettabyte said thoughtfully, "Where do I begin…?"
Thirty minutes later
"So let me get this straight. You're a mechanical alien from a now lifeless planet called Cybertron?" Sasha inquired.
"That's right," Zettabyte stated with a nod.
"And the caste system that your adoptive father created started the war which is still taking place here, on my planet?" she asked.
Zettabyte reluctantly confirmed, "Yes."
"But the faction that you were going to join kind of cast you out? Then you were attacked by a group of humans called M.E.C.H. before you were saved by the faction that is labeled as the "blood-thirsty" faction but they were kind to you? Now you believe that whatever M.E.C.H. shot you with gave you…whatever this is?" Sasha inquired one last time, gesturing to his body that was ruby and sapphire…at the moment.
"You got it," Zettabyte answered, he too looking down at his body with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. Almost as though he was waiting for it to change color again.
Sasha looked into his mismatched optics, "But yet you have hope that you can end this war peacefully."
Zettabyte nodded and looked down, "I've…seen too many good mechs and femmes die…and knowing that it was my adoptive sire who caused this…I owe it to both sides."
"Sounds like your intentions are benevolent," Sasha complimented gently.
Zettabyte smiled weakly before frowning in self-loathing, "I can't say I wouldn't blame them if neither faction trusted me. Not after the caste destroyed their lives and our home."
"You're forgetting one thing; none it was your fault. The things your adoptive father, you shouldn't be held accountable for," Sasha assured soothingly, gazing up at him with soft gaze.
Relaxation fell upon Zettabyte before he sat down on the ground in front of her and saying, "How will they all react if they see what I'm now capable of. No one will want a freak on their side."
Sasha jumped up abruptly and said, "I don't think you're a freak. I think you're unique. And that you're amazing. You aren't afraid to speak your mind. You recognize that there's two sides to every story. You care for those in need of your help. You're smart, observant, and one of a kind. You want what's best for your people. You want them to treat each other as-"
"As equals," Zettabyte finished for her. They looked into one another's gazes. Both felt as though they could understand what the other was thinking. What they were feeling deep inside. A connection.
The nature-lover broke the silence first, smiling and saying, "Besides, you were willing to help me, even though you had no idea who I am. That's proof that you are a good person, er, bot."
Zettabyte smiled, "I would never let an innocent get hurt if I can prevent it."
"See! There's that good-natured streak," Sasha cheered, grinning wider when he let out a short laugh. It was then she realized just how young he sounded…how young he was. During his explanation, he had admitted that, in Cybertronian years, he was just about a year older than her. He was a teen…just like her. She then realized something.
"You know I really have to repay you for saving me back there," she told Zettabyte in a friendly manner.
Zettabyte considered it for a second before saying, "I need an Earth vehicle to scan. I was told that we need to hide in plain sight, but I can't do that while I still have a Cybertronian vehicle alt. mode. Do you think you can help me with that?"
Sasha smiled as she said coolly, "You came to the right person."
Fifteen minutes later in Jasper; Third Person Perspective
"Welcome to Jasper Nevada," Sasha claimed as they hid behind a row of buildings. Zettabyte scanned the small area with a bemused expression.
They continued to stealthily move behind the buildings as quick and quietly as they could (which wasn't easy when you have a towering, robotic alien to get somewhere without being seen). Sasha stopped him when they caught sight of a pale blue building. It was rather large and had glass doors and windows. The sign above it, which was white with black lettering, read Morgan's Modest Auto Shop. Inside you can see about three or so cars on lifts with various parts and tools on tables near them. There was only two men inside, dressed in pale blue mechanic uniforms.
"Looks like we'll have to head to the back," Sasha said as she led her mechanical friend to the back of the building which had about seven garages and a parking lot behind it. Zettabyte stared curiously at the garages.
Seeing her friends curiosity, the Goth explained, "They keep the fixed vehicles here so we don't mix them up with the ones that are still damaged. Plus they make great storages for parts, supplies and tools. The garages are kept locked but there are windows."
"I should be able to scan them. As long as I'm up close to the real thing," Zettabyte reassured as they ventured towards the first garage. Peeking in, they saw a large, orange pick-up truck. Looking at each other, they both shook their heads. Moving on to the next one they discovered that it held a black motorcycle with skulls and flames on it.
"Let's try the next one," Sasha said awkwardly as she caught Zettabyte's alarmed look. The next one was a gray Plymouth. Still not right. The fourth was a white minivan. Definitely not. The fifth was a small bright purple moped with a blue peace sign. Nope. And the sixth one was a pastel pink Porsche with yellow flowers. Absolutely not. Finally they came to the seventh and lost one.
"Let's hope this one's a winner," Sasha said, her voice sounding hopeful in itself. They peered through the window and saw what it held. This vehicle was coincidentally the same red and blue as Zettabyte. It wasn't too flashy and looked to be new and somewhat fast.
Zettabyte noticed a pensive look on Sasha's face and asked, "Is something wrong?"
The nature-lover turned to him, saying slowly, "Well it's just…I'm not sure if you would like this one. It's a hybrid."
"You mean it's a combination of two different models?" the ruby and sapphire mechling asked quizzically.
Sasha giggled a bit and shook her head before explaining, "No. It's a vehicle that runs half on gasoline and half on electricity. It's eco-friendly. You know, not so harmful to the environment?"
Zettabyte looked even more intrigued, "So basically, this vehicle doesn't cause too much damage to your planet?"
"Well yeah, bu-," the raven-haired girl wasn't able to finish as two pale green lights shot from her mechanical friend's optics and passed over the vehicle. He gently set her down before taking a few steps back and transforming. Her mouth dropped open as she saw his new alt. mode.
It was a carbon copy of the one he scanned but the ruby and sapphire areas were in different places and seemed just a bit stronger. He drove forward and back up before driving in a circle to make sure he had good control of it.
"So what do you think?" Zettabyte asked, still in his alt. mode.
Sasha grinned, "You look awesome."
Suddenly they heard one of the men shout, "I'll be back. I thought heard something outside near the garages. I'm gonna check it out."
Before the man had even finished his sentence, Sasha had jumped into Zettabyte's open passenger door and buckled in as he peeled away from the auto shop.
"Where should we go now?" Zettabyte questioned.
"Well after all this excitement, I think I just wanna go home already. I'll tell you the directions," the raven-haired girl told him.
Zettabyte had no trouble obliging.
A few miles away from town; Miko's Perspective
The foreign exchange student knew, as she sat in the backseat of her host parents' ocean blue Ford, that she was in deep trouble.
A couple of minutes after Sasha left to go get their snacks, Miko had gotten a call from Bulkhead, telling her to call her host parents to pick her and Sasha up. Of course she was disappointed but she didn't voice it or argue as the tone that Bulkhead had spoken to her in was sign that it was not up for debate. Once the call had ended, she got up from the stands to find her classmate and tell the raven-haired girl that they were going to have to call the Sandersons to pick them up. The moment she had gotten out of the row of crowded seats, the stadium began to shake.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the stadium was crumbling. Miko had already started running, only falling down after she was a good number of feet from the stadium entrance. Minutes later, ambulances and police cars arrived. The Asian girl had searched among the crowds for her gothic companion. When that failed she asked the paramedics and police officers. Still nothing. Getting nowhere she had no choice but to call her host parents and ask if they had seen Sasha. Her gut twisted when they told her no and asked why. When she explained, she heard her host mother give out a panicked cry as her host father demanded to know where she was. After she gave him her location, he said that they were coming and hung up.
When they arrived they were livid. Livid and terrified. As soon as they were done speaking to the police, they ushered Miko into the car. That's when they gave her a what for. Patrick Sanderson scolded her harshly about how irresponsible she had been to bring Sasha somewhere without telling them. Nora Sanderson paid no mind to her husband rebuking their charge as she attempted countless times to call Sasha's phone.
Now here she was; quietly sitting in the middle back seat as her host parents focused on their own jobs; Patrick with driving and Nora with attempting to contact Sasha. Miko didn't dare look up, knowing that she was royally in trouble.
"Only ten percent left on the battery. Patrick, I'm going to try calling the Morgans' house phone. Hopefully she's at home already," the blonde-haired woman told her husband who just nodded as he focused on the road. Miko felt as though liquid ice was poured into her stomach. Her host mother sounded as though she was at her wit's end and about to cry. If Sasha didn't get pick up, then that meant two things; Sasha could be hurt or lost and Miko would be more than grounded.
Nora pressed the buttons in to dial the house phone before pressing the call button. Everyone in the car seemed to hold their breath as they heard the dial tone before it started ringing. One ring. Then two rings. Three rings. Then they heard the click of someone picking up before hearing voice.
"Hello?"
It was Sasha
The Morgan House; Sasha's Perspective
The first thing Sasha had done when she had gotten into her house was drop her bag near the umbrella holder, press her back against the cool wood of the door, and slide to the floor with sigh of relief. She had sat there for a minute before running to the inside door that led to the house's large garage. Grabbing the remote hidden in old fishing bucket under some rags, she pressed the red button and allowed her companion to enter, still in his alt. mode. After making sure no one had seen, she closed the garage door.
"I'll be right back," she had told him as she went back inside the house. She rushed up to her bed room to recharge her phone. As soon as she had it plugged in, she heard a ringing from downstairs. It was the house phone. Rushing back down the stairs, she grabbed the phone off its set and answered.
"Hello?" Sasha asked carefully. The Goth was startled when she heard a women let out a strangled sigh of relief. Looking at the caller ID, she realized it was Mrs. Sanderson.
"Sasha! Thank heavens you're alright," the woman practically sobbed in joy over the phone.
"Yes I'm fine Mrs. Sanderson. I just got home," Sasha said, trying to calm her neighbor.
Nora spoke again, "When Miko told us that she couldn't find you when the stadium fell apart we were so worried! We've been contacting you for a good hour!"
Sasha felt a wave of guilt hit her as she spoke, "I'm sorry. I was trying to call you at the stadium to come pick me up but I couldn't get a signal. Then my phone died. I hitched a ride with a friend from school. I didn't even know the stadium fell apart until I heard it on the radio and checked the news."
There was silence for a moment before, Mrs. Sanderson responded, "Alright. We'll be home shortly to check on you. We're glad you're safe."
"Okay. Thank you. Drive safely," the nature-lover said before hanging up. She then went over to where she dropped her backpack, picked it up, and hauled it to the front room to get some homework done and think about all that had transpired that day.
Ten minutes later; Sasha's Perspective
Just as Sasha had gotten half through her biology homework, she heard a rapid knock at the door. Getting up from the couch, she walked to the door and opened it. She was met with the relieved faces of the Sandersons and the sullen face of Miko. She didn't mind when Mrs. Sanderson pulled her into a strong hug.
"Thank the heavens you're safe," she spoke softly.
"Where were you all this time?" Mr. Sanderson asked firmly but calmly.
Before Sasha could say anything Miko piped up, "Yeah, where were you? I searched everywhere for you!"
Suddenly, the annoyance and anger Sasha felt for the foreign exchange student just hours before returned full force.
Before the Sandersons could scold their charge, Sasha began her tirade directing her conversation to the Sandersons, "I'll tell you what happened. Miko here told me she was gonna drive me HOME after some punk named Vince let the air out of my bike tires! But what she met by "home" she met the monster truck stadium which I wouldn't have ever gone to in the first place if she hadn't tricked me!"
The Sandersons stared in shock at Miko, who had taken a few steps back in surprise at the Goth's anger.
Sasha continued, "Her friend, who drove us, just up and left. I sat in that stadium for two freakin' hours watching those STUPID monster trucks and choking on the fumes they spat out! I told her I was gonna get snacks so I can sneak away and call you guys but my phone couldn't get a signal and then it died! I then saw someone I knew from school and asked him for a ride home. He had to stop for awhile because he was listening to me vent my frustrations. Then after my rant, he dropped me off and that's when I answered the house phone."
The two adults and Asian girl stood silently. For a moment, Sasha was afraid they didn't believe her story. Then Mr. Sanderson turned to Miko with a steely look.
"Mikoto Nishiyo Nakadai, is what Sasha said true? Did you trick her into coming with you to that monster truck show?" he inquired with a stony voice.
Miko gulped and said sheepishly, "I like to think of it as surprising."
His scowl only deepened as he strictly ushered her to his house, saying, "Well I hope you had a nice time at that show because you won't be going anywhere except to school for the next several weeks."
As Miko attempted to protest, Sasha walked back towards the door where Mrs. Sanderson was still standing. She gave the blonde-haired, green-eyed woman a warm smile which was returned with an equally warm smile.
"We'll check on you tomorrow. Goodnight sweetie," Nora said as she bid the raven-haired girl a farewell.
"Goodnight," Sasha said as she waved before going back inside the house.
Three hours later; Sasha's Perspective
It was a little past ten when Sasha got ready for bed. Despite eating only a baked potato and some green beans, she wasn't still hungry. She had managed to get a little more than half her homework done and promised herself that she would finish the next day. Once she had brushed her teeth, changed into her night clothes, and turned off the lights. However, as she was about to go up the stairs to her bedroom, she stopped. Sasha turned and walked to the inside door and opened it. She quietly poked her head into the garage and saw the silhouette of Zettabyte, still in his car mode. The Goth heard a rhythmic sound. Like air going through vents but more...quiet. It then clicked in her head that he was asleep.
Allowing herself to smile a bit, Sasha whispered, "Goodnight Zetta."
As she closed the door, she couldn't help but feel surprised as she recalled her first thought when she came here.
I bet nothing happens around here, she had thought. "Had" being the key word. Boy was she proven wrong. She let that sink in as she made her way up the stairs to catch some sleep.
*Dodges some angry Bulkhead fans and Miko fans.* Sorry about how long it took me to make this chapter. Anyway I got Miko's last name from the web. Nishiyo means "west generation" and I think it suits her because she obviously adores western pop culture. And I do NOT own Dr. Pepper or Quaker Chewy Granola bars, I just include them in this. The same goes for Sawyer. I also do NOT own the M.E.C.H. soldiers, I just gave them names. I forgot to mention that while Zetta has a helm crest like Arcee, it's not as tall (in fact it's leveled with the frontal part of his top helm fin *think of Knockout's helm with a small crest*) and it's silver with a blue spot. It turns white with a green spot when he's in ghost mode. For anyone who wants to know what Zetta's crest is like go here: /lexus-reveals-sneak-peek-of-new-lf-lc-luxury-sports-coupe-concept-car/.
Again I say, flamers will be flamed and haters will be ignored. Enjoy the chapter until next time.
Until then, Happy Reading.
