… Hi…
So, I decided to update.
I know it's been a long time, years actually, and I highly doubt that I'll be able to update this again anytime soon, it's better than nothing…right?
My deepest apologies. *bows*
Oh, and I forgot to say this on the first chapter: I do not own the Transformers! If I did, Sideswipe would have his twin! SUNSTREAKER IS NOT DEAD!
"Excuse me sir, is there a Tranquility around here?"
"Yeah, in South Gate. Aren't you a bit young to be travelling by yourself kid?"
"I have money."
"Do you have enough?"
"How much would you need?"
"My guess is fifty to sixty."
Luckily my old foster family had given me $100 in case of emergencies. "Okay," I said. "Take me there."
I hadn't slept again on the plane. Obviously. I couldn't! There was no way, after a scare like that, that I'd ever be able to fall asleep on a plane again. If you had gone through that whole thing with me, you'd agree.
I swear, the rest of that flight had been terrible. At the slightest tremor, even the movement of the peanut cart passing by, (which by the way, I had some peanuts from it, and I was totally robbed of salt), I would jump a foot in my seat.
Needless to say, I had been scared out of my tiny ten-year-old mind.
Eventually the flight had ended, but I still hadn't figured out what the heck had happened. I was actually around the lines of thinking that I had actually gone crazy. Bad crazy, I mean. Like funny farm crazy. At least, that's what I had been thinking until I'd gotten off the plane.
Remember how I said that I was going to San Francisco? That's because San Francisco is close to Fresno, which is where Tranquility is. Well, when I'd gotten off the plane, I saw a sign that read "Welcome to Los Angeles". Okay, sometimes I can be very forgetful, but I swear I was supposed to be in Frisco! If you know California, you know that LA was far from where I was supposed to be.
I knew I had to get this figured out, so I decided to get my luggage quick before the crowd got too horribly large and then head up to the main desk.
Guess what? My luggage was lost. Great. Just great. Now I was all alone in LA, with nothing but my tote bag. Wait, all my security papers were in my tote bag, so I could still get this all sorted out? Right?
Wrong. They were gone too. I couldn't prove that I'd even been on the plane. I'd be arrested as a stowaway if I went to the main desk. So now I was all alone in LA, with nothing but my tote bag, which had nothing to offer. I had no proof that I gotten on the plane. Plus, no one was there to pick me up. I had to get somewhere or someone might find me and ask questions, so I Mustered up some courage and caught a cab.
While I was sitting there in the taxi, I tried to analyze my situation.
I'd read enough fanfictions online (don't worry, only K to K+) to have realized what had happened by now: I had changed worlds. Okay okay now I know that sounds crazy, but what else could it be? It was the only thing that made sense, if you could call it sense. The super shivers on the plane, the change in flight destination, and the loss of my duffel bag and legal papers all fit under that category. Although, I did wonder: since impossible things had been happening, why had just my legal papers disappeared and not the whole bag?
Now. The question was: where was I? Was I in a world I knew of, or would I be completely in the dark in this situation? I didn't know, but since as far as I knew I was the only one who had gone through that strange experience on the plane, my guess was that I was in a world that I knew. That I was here for a reason.
So, which world is it? I wondered as I paid the driver, shouldered my tote bag and left the cab. While I walked to the curb, clutching my bag tightly, I thought, I really hope this isn't Percy Jackson's world. I don't know if I can deal if the Ancient Greek gods are real-
"GAH!" I screamed as I almost walked right into the side of a police car! I jumped back quickly. It was really close to the curb, especially considering that it was running and occupied. I was afraid that the policeman inside would confront me and bring me in. I wasn't sure if they'd find anything about me, and if that was the case I'd be in big trouble. I looked at the policeman to see what he would do. He did not look too pleased with me, but he didn't say anything and didn't get out of the car. He had a strange, piercing, icy stare and a major moustache. I couldn't help but think that he looked familiar...
No, I told myself, shaking my head slightly. If I'm in another world, I won't recognize anybody.
I looked at the cop's car, and was a nice car! A very nice, Ford Saleen Mustang. Black and white of course, car #643. Why did the description of this car sound familiar also?
The policeman turned away from me and drove off. But as the car rolled away, I had just enough time to see the words printed on the side of the car.
"To punish and enslave..."
It hit me like a ton of bricks. I literally fell on my bum in shock as the world around me stopped. The only sound I heard was my own breathing, which came out in a puff of exhalation. Slowly, thinking it couldn't be true, I turned my head just in time to see the cop car disappear around the corner.
But that means that was…
Barricade.
No.
I didn't think to run; my feet were already moving. Run. That's all I could do. Run where? Run to who? I didn't know. Just run. Run away.
People flashed before me one the sidewalk. Some of them looked down to wonder why a ten-year-old was running like her life depended on it from nothing, but no one did anything, and most didn't even acknowledge me.
Seeking some sort of hiding place, I ducked into a back alley. I pressed my back to the brick wall, panting for breath, before slumping to the ground and covering my head with my arms.
This wasn't happening. It just wasn't! I couldn't really be in a world where giant, evil sentient robots from outer space who thirsted for Autobot Energon and human blood existed.
Out of anxiety I had grabbed my Autobot symbol necklace with my sweaty hands. Now I looked at it in my palm. It had been hanging in front of my shirt, right smack dab in the middle of my chest, for the whole world to see. And Barricade he, his holographic projection, he had seen me. Looked at me. Had he seen it? He hadn't shown any reaction if he had, but I wasn't so sure that the projection could convey his emotions. His actual body, the car hadn't attacked me, but then again Barricade was on a mission, and in public too.
Which exactly where I wasn't.
I shot to my feet and looked desperately around the alley, and luckily there was no Con to be seen. However, if he had seen my necklace, I was definitely a target now. Me. I was small, weak, and desperately afraid. And there was a Decepticon after me.
What could I do? What should I do? I needed to calm down and think. Think. Think! I told myself desperately as I rubbed my necklace for comfort. Okay, remember both sides. If there are Decepticons, there are Autobots too. So how could I get to one? I didn't exactly have the Bots on speed dial, and I most certainly didn't have a phone. Figure out where you are. Easy; Tranquility, California. The Transformers' one, near LA. Sam Witwicky's hometown. Figure out when you are. Well since Barricade was still in public, must not have joined up with the rest of the Cons yet. So Sam hasn't been chased yet.
I looked up. So if I'm lucky, and walked back out of the alley, so very lucky, and looked to the left.
Call it luck, if that's what you like, but the way that rusty, yellow and black racing striped, 1977 Chevy Camaro drove down the street only a block away from me, billowing exhaust behind it, me at that very moment, I don't know if that's what I'd call it.
Instantly I ran after it. The car's windows were either rolled all the way down, I had seen just enough to know that the car had no driver. Which meant that Sam hadn't bought it yet.
"Wait!" I called as I ran after the Camaro, none too loud because I didn't want Barricade to hear in case he was still nearby. "Wait! Wait!" It was getting away, so I didn't have much of a choice. "BUMBLEBEE!"
His breaks were slammed at tire-screeching speed, and he came to almost a complete stop. The cars behind him braked and swerved, honking furiously before turning around the yellow car when he didn't move. Slowly, his wheels turned and he drifted slowly up to the curb, then backed up until I was staring through the window into the driver's empty seat, where he came to a stop.
"Bumblebee." I breathed in awe, staring, denying myself the urge to touch him to make sure he was real.
I shook myself out of my gawking state and said in hushed tones, "Listen! You don't know me, but I know you. Look, do you," I fumbled with my necklace and held it out. "Do you see this? I'm on your side. Have you found Sam yet?"
The radio whirred for a moment, before letting out a recording of a voice saying, "We've seen him…have yet so make contact." It reeled and switched to convey the message.
It was him. It was really him.
"I know where you need to go." I told him. "Bolivia's Finest Quality Used Cars and Petting Zoo. But you have to hurry! Barricade's here already; you have to get to Sam before he does!"
Nothing happened for a moment, then the car door popped open. "Get in." said the radio.
I stared at the door for a second. "You want me to come with you?" I asked. Sure that's what I'd wanted, and what I'd hoped for, but I still couldn't quite comprehend it.
"Don't know you…seem to know a lot…important information…too vulnerable out here by yourself…take you to the others." Splurged the radio.
After staring, for another idiotic moment, I finally, carefully, entered the car and sat in the driver's seat. There's no way this is happening, I thought as he door shut and began rolling back down the street, me with him. There's no way he could actually be here… No, I've got to stop calling him he. He does have a name. Bumblebee. Say it, Bum-ble-bee.
"There!" I said suddenly, pointing at a familiar green convertible as it pulled out of the Porsche dealership and onto the street in front of us. "That's Sam and his dad, Bumblebee!" I forced myself to say it. "They're on their way now."
Bumblebee turned up the radio, I guess to help fit in, and followed said car into, sure enough, Bolivia's Finest Quality Used Cars and Petting Zoo. I could actually hear Sam and his dad talking ahead of us.
"I don't wanna talk to you for the whole rest of this thing."
"Ha ha! Come it's just a practical joke!"
"It's not a funny joke."
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
"I'd duck if I were you." Said Bumblebee via radio.
I was about to ask why, but then I realized that it might be a bit hard for Sam to buy a car if a ten year old girl was sitting in the front seat. "Where can I hide?" I asked as I stood up in the moving, not really comfortable with the fact that I was crawling around inside someone.
The back seat popped up to reveal that common hole between the cabin of the car and the trunk. "Head on in." the radio told me. So I backed myself in feet-first into the trunk, but I didn't go in completely. Pressing my head to the bottom of the car, I closed the back seat almost all the way, but left it open just enough for me to stick some of my face out and listen to what was going on outside.
"MANNY!" I heard Bobbie Bolivia's voice crack as he yelled.
"What?"
"Get your cousin out of that d*** clown suit he's havin' a heat stroke again. Scarin' white folks."
"I'm hot makeup's melting burns my eyes."
I couldn't hear Sam, Ron and Bobby's conversation for a bit, but I couldn't help but giggle when I heard the clown honking his horn while Manny ran after him, yelling "Come back here!" In the fear and shock of finding out where I was and getting to safety, I had forgotten this scene.
Bumblebee's engine revved a bit before coming to a stop. Even though I couldn't see it, I hoped the Volkswagen Beetle, a tribute to G1 Bumblebee, was still next to him even in this world.
"Hey Mammy!" Bobby yelled, and I knew his mammy was flipping him off. "Aw don't be like that if I had a rock I'd bust your head b****-I tell you man she deaf, you know." He laughed his weird, awkward laugh. "Well ova here," I heard them all coming close enough to walk around Bumblebee. "Every piece of car a man might want or need."
"This aint bad." I heard Sam's hand run across the top. "This one's got racing stripes."
"Yeah. It got racing-…Yeah what's this what the heck is this? I don't know nothin' about this car. Manny!"
"What?"
"What is this? This car, check it out." Sam opened the driver's door and looked in and I tried to quiet my breathing.
"I donno boss I never seen that! That's loco!"
"Don't go Ricky Ricardo on me Manny find out!"
Sam was in the car now, no doubt rubbing the dirt off the Autobot insignia on the steering wheel. "Feel's good." He said.
"How much?" Ron asked.
Bobby made a 'fsst' sound and braced himself on the side of the car. "Well," he clicked his tongue. "Considerin' the semi-classic nature of the vehicle, which the slick wheels and the custom paint job,"
"Yeah but the, the paint's faded." Sam pointed out.
Bobby leaned in the passenger window. "Yeah but it's custom."
"It's custom faded?" I mouthed the line along with Sam.
"Well this is your first car wouldn't expect you to understand." Bobby stood up. "Five grand."
"Nah I'm not payin' over four." Said Ron. "Sorry."
Bobby bent down again. "Kid, come on get out, get out of the car."
"No no no you said cars pick their drivers!" Sam protested.
"Well sometimes they pick a driver with a cheap-a** father. Outa the car." He patted the side twice and stood with a grunt. "Now this one here for four g's is a beaut." He said. Hopefully it was the bug's door that he was opening.
"There's a Fiesta with racing stripes over there." Ron pointed out to his son.
"No I don't wanna Fiesta with racing stripes." Sam replied as he got out.
"Do something Bumblebee." I whispered, not knowing if he heard me or not, with a grin on my face.
"This is a classic engine right here. I sold a car the other day-" Bobby was interrupted when Sam slammed the door shut and Bumblebee opened the opposite door and smacked into hard into the bug that it honked almost in indignation as it slammed into a rack full of jugs on the other side and knocked it over. I giggled.
"Geez, holy cow." Ron exclaimed.
"Hey no no no don't worry-"
"Are you alright?"
"I get a sludge hammer and knock this right out. Ey-ey Manny! Get your clown cousin an then get some hammers and come bang this stuff out baby!" Bobby laughed that awkward laugh again.
Bumblebee's radio whirred. "Greater than man." It said as he tried to find the right frequency. I knew enough to plug my ears.
"That one's my favorite. Drove all the way from Alabammy."
"Don't let them get away." I murmured in anticipation.
That's when Bumblebee found the right frequency. I think he said "Roll." and then turned it up.
When the volume reached its high-pitched max, through my plugged ears I heard the sound of the glass of lots of cars shattering all over the place, all but Bumblebee's.
The sound-pulse he had emitted ended in a very Cybertronian sound, but since everyone was ducking for cover I don't think it was noticed. One car alarm went off and continued climbing in pitch until it turned off with a chocking-chirping sound. I think Bumblebee may have killed it.
Bobby B stumbled around a bit, gawking at what had just happened, before his voice cracked, "Four thousand!"
I bit my lip to keep from laughing, but a sigh of relief was allowed to escape. Yet I knew that if this was where I was going to be, I wouldn't have anything to be relieved about.