Chapter 22 – a bunch of idiots I call my besties

Are You With Me
By The Potbelleez

Together, together,
We're stronger as one.
Are you with me?

Armageddon's POV

I was in hospital for five weeks total after the Peche Island thing. It had disintegrated before it sunk and washed away in the rain. Apparently I had been poisoned. The venom was unknown, but most similar to a Taipan snake's and I was in intensive care for three weeks.

Someone was always by my side, but I could barely stand to have Prowl around, so I always pretended to be asleep when he came. It wasn't him, he was a great guy, but it was bloody Chatterbox. I couldn't even look at Prowl without Chatterbox giving me extra pain. There was always pain.

When night finally came and everyone left or fell asleep on the chair by my side, when the lights in my room had gone out and I was left in darkness, the pain would grow to its strongest, and I couldn't help but cry until I fell asleep.

It was another painful two weeks until I finally got out.

oOo

"Is Armageddon there?" I heard someone say through my comm. link.

"Armageddon here," I responded, "who is this?"

"Hey, it's Jumpy," I recognized her voice now.

"How'd you contact me?"

"I tracked down your energy signature and hacked into your comm. frequency, but that doesn't matter. I've made something that might interest you."

"What is it?"

"Do know seven or more fit and stupid people around?"

'I know you, Army, and you're crazier than all your friends combined.'

"Of course I know people of that description. You're talking to me."

"How much do they weigh?"

oOo

"I call it the Sea Streaker!"

Jumpy was a very good inventor.

The Sea Streaker looked like a cross between a sailboard, a wave cutter and a sail boat. The crimson red a yellow-gold body was long and thin, with a flat top made only for standing on, the entire vessel made out of hollow aluminium, the words Sea Streaker, printed in fancy black writing on both sides. At the back was a motor with a rudder. The Streaker had a large white sail, a strong pole encircling it, leaving some room for the sail to move, which was attached to the sail by a big steel clip. It was floating on the water, anchored to the shore by a thick rope, so you couldn't see the three skis at the front and two at the back. The outer ones at the front were on an angle, so that there was always one on the water when it turned. It had no safety features on it.

'Why are we doing this again?'

Because near death experiences are fun.

"Armageddon, you're insane," Bumblebee said, staring at the invention like the small crowd which had formed around us, and the media we had called to this.

"You're all idiots, which is why you're all here," I replied, referring to the 'Bots, Grim and Echo. I wasn't stupid, just crazy, and Jumpy knew what she was doing.

"Are you sure this thing is even safe?" Optimus asked.

"Of course it isn't... maybe," Jumpy answered casually, tying her long red hair into a pony tail and detached the rope, "which is why we're taking this baby on its first ever test trial. Now get on, hold onto the rail and don't dare let go until I tell you. Bulkhead, Echo, Ratchet and Armageddon, on the right side, Bee Optimus, Prowl and Grim on the left. I'm on the rudder. Get up on the count of three."

As she directed us, we put on a pair of gloves with gripping dots, the only safety feature, grabbed the rail on our respective sides, hauled ourselves up on the count of three, and didn't let go even as it rocked dramatically.

"You'll love this, Optimus," Jumpy stated, "As you can see, this thing requires a hell of a lot of teamwork. In fact, if we don't work together, it could fall over and someone could die." What comforting words.

She started up the small motor to get us out of the crowded dock and onto open water. People in boats, on land, and the press in the speedboat stalking us stared at us and the Sea Streaker.

It was a very windy day and soon we were streaking around the open water of Lake Erie at 20 knots. Technically, we weren't wearing clothes, they were swimmers, and we were all over the place, and this thing was meant to go fast, so... in a way... it was designed for streaking. Scary. But fun as hell. Jumpy cut the engines and the only difference it made was it was a bit quieter. The Sea Streaker rose up onto its skis and sliced through the waves with very little resistance.

Jumpy instructed us well and got us to turn right. Everyone on my side leaned back as far as we could, while everyone on the left side leaned against the rail.

Of course, there was much screaming, maniacal laughter (all me), and yelling at passing boats, "How's it going, good-looking people?!" while waving enthusiastically.

Their reactions were lots of waving back, taking photos and videos, yelling responses, laughing, gasping, gawking, running to the boat, and just staring wide-eyed.

Fyro would've hated all the attention.

We loved it.

We were approaching a large ferry, and everyone on board rushed to the side to see us, causing it to tip over dangerously. To try and reverse the problem, we circled the vessel. It levelled out and didn't have a chance to roll again before we were at the back. We circled it a few more times, the media speedboat shadowing us the whole way, and were off.

Everyone on the ferry mistook Echo for the Retro Guy.

We were racing the wind and waves towards Dinobot Island. Jumpy warned us as she turned on the motor and unclipped the sail from the rail. It went limp, folding down on itself and the vessel sank down, the skies going back under the water. She slowed the Streaker down as we got closer. When it got into shallow enough water, she cut the engines and we jumped off.

We were laughing so hard, were so tired and so out of breath, that we had to get the media people, all six of them, and both people controlling the boat, to help us pull both vessels ashore.

For a minute or two, we just lay on the sand, catching our breath and eating the food we had left with the other people for safe-keeping. When we were ready, they interviewed us.

I was the second person to talk to the radio woman. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Armageddon."

"Really?"

"Yeah, that's what everyone here calls me."

"Who invented the Sea Streaker?"

"Jumpy the Jester. She's a genius when it comes to machines."

"How does it feel?"

"Unreal! The adrenaline is going through you the whole time. I don't think there's very much that comes close to going top speed on a craft with one single safety thing, a pair of gloves, with a bunch of great friends, yelling your head off to everyone you pass. It's really, really good."

"So who would be able to be part of the crew?" that was my technical question. Echo, who had been interviewed before me by her, had described it to her.

"Only eight of the fittest, strongest, most idiotic and with highest endurance can even think about going on this thing. We have the professionals here today. And one of them has to be all that, even more so, and actually know what they're doing. They'd be the person who steers, which would be Jumpy. But let me tell you, it's definitely worth it."

"Thank you, Armageddon." She finished up and started questioning Ratchet.

The conversations were basically like that. When we were done, we boarded the Sea Streaker again and headed out to open water, the press still stalking us. We went back to the dock, yelling at everyone within earshot, "This is the first trial, and it works!"

We were hyped. The people who heard us made their awe known by clapping and cheering.

We got back to the dock, packed up and headed back to the 'Bot base. It was too dark when the doors were opened. The windows were blocked and there was an eerie dripping noise.

We stepping in cautiously, but before the light was switched on, Bumblebee tripped over something. I flipped the switch and we saw what had blocked the windows, what was dripping and what he had tripped over.

We screamed.

But it was what was written everywhere which stabbed dread into my heart.