"Okay, Thunderhoof, let's try walking. Easy now!"
"Blades, stop babying the 'Con."
"If memory serves me right, Bumblebee told you not to refer to him as Con, Heatwave!"
"I'll get around to it! Eventually."
"How's about yous two agree to disagree and move on?" Thunderhoof snapped, steadying himself on his pedes by leaning against the medical slab he's been stuck on for nearly a week.
"Easier said than done, I'm afraid," Boulder answered sheepishly in place of his brothers.
"Hey, it's not my fault that Heatwave doesn't listen!" Blades exclaimed.
"I do listen!" Heatwave retorted. "It's just a matter of whether I like it or not, and I still don't like any of this!"
Thunderhoof tuned the brothers out as he focused on his footing, one step at a time. It was strange, standing once again after all that time on his aft. He nearly forgot how good it felt to move around, how he could control his movements without being restricted. The only downside is the pain radiating from his injured hoof.
"Eyo, what?" Thunderhoof said, startled by his suddenly obstructed vision. He reached up, grabbed whatever was on his faceplate, and lifted it away.
"Oh."
It was Steeljaw's daughter. Her optics widened, clearly taken aback by the unanticipated action.
"What were yous doin' up there, hm?"
Thunderhoof didn't expect Steeljaw's daughter to actually answer. She just pointed to his antlers with an outstretched claw.
"What, you find 'em interestin' or something?"
The pup smiled and bobbed her helm, ears giving a little bounce.
"Eh, at least yous seem to understand what I'm sayin'."
Thunderhoof looks around and spots a Cybertronian-sized bench in a corner of the room.
"In that case, let's lay down a few rules…"
He strides over to the bench and takes a seat, placing the pup on his knee joint.
"Rule number one: DO NOT touch the antlers! Capiche?"
Steeljaw's daughter tilted her helm.
That's it.
No expression to work off of.
"Why yous lookin' at me like that?"
"Maybe she doesn't know what the word capiche means."
It took Thunderhoof a few too many seconds to realize that somebody else answered him, and that he wasn't imagining the voice coming from Steeljaw's daughter. He recognized who spoke, though.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Cody apologized. "I just wanted to check-in."
"Don't know why you would. Ain't like I'm going anywhere," Thunderhoof huffed.
Scratching at his plating brought Thunderhoof's attention back to Steeljaw's daughter. She was kneading his knee and looking pleadingly between him and Cody.
"Yous want to get down?"
Kneading intensifies.
"Alright, alright, calm yerself, bitlit."
"How come you call her bitlit?" Cody asked.
"It's another term for sparkling that stuck for some reason," Thunderhoof said.
The moment Steeljaw's daughter was free of Thunderhoof's hold, she rushed Cody and started peppering him with hugs and kisses – or more appropriately in canine terms, licks and snuggles.
"Whoa! Hey! It's good to see you, too!" Cody exclaimed, attempting to keep his balance. It's when he holds an arm up that Thunderhoof notices something.
"What yous got that she's so interested in?" Thunderhoof asked.
"Uh, just my breakfast burrito."
"Organic food…"
Thunderhoof stopped, thinking over his unfinished remark.
"Actually, that makes sense."
"How does a robot wanting to eat human food make any sense?" Kade asked, both him and Cody's other two siblings trailing him…
And all with their own breakfasts' in-hand, which quickly catches the pup's optics. She runs over and gives them the same treatment she bestowed upon Cody not even thirty seconds earlier. The older siblings, too, held their food out of reach.
"I understand the curiosity, but biologically speaking, you can't ingest anything organic," Graham said. "At least, that's what the bots told us."
"We eventually had to pass the message around the rest of Griffin Rock when they kept sending us gift baskets full of food," Chase said, joining the group.
Thunderhoof lifted an optical ridge. He was made aware of the Island's own awareness of Cybertronians living among them a few days ago, and while he is still coming to terms with such a revelation, he is no longer confused enough to question anything these humans say.
"It's a long story," Heatwave grumbled, appearing alongside Blades and Boulder. "The fact of the matter is that many of them went overboard with their gratitude."
"At least they were thankful and not trying to run us off the Island!" Blades looked on the bright side.
"They couldn't even if they tried!"
"Some certainly have the means, but only a few were capable," Boulder pointed out, rubbing his arm to calm his nerves.
"Another long story?" Thunderhoof inquired.
"A bunch…"
"So, uh, circling back to that whole interest in human food," Blades anxiously interrupted, desperately avoiding recounting their own horrible human experiences.
"Oh yeah, you never answered my question!" Kade exclaimed, completely unfazed by everything going on around him.
Thunderhoof blinked, questioning for the dozenth time why he is bothering with these humans.
"I don't know all the details, but my associate and his mate developed some sort of tolerance for organic matter…"
He pointed to Steeljaw's daughter, who was wandering around and smelling everything.
"And I'm guessin' they passed it onto her."
"Wait, so you guys can have babies?" Kade asked.
Based on the humans' bewildered reactions, Thunderhoof quickly deduced that the Autobots didn't go into much detail regarding their species' biological history.
The Rescue Bots themselves…
"No, we don't!"
"Not that I am aware of."
"Apparently."
"Really, we can?"
"It's complicated," Thunderhoof vented. "It ain't exactly common knowledge for the everyday mecha. From what I heard, the Colonies are more experienced on the subject."
"The Colonies?" Dani repeated.
"Around the beginning of the War, and even before then during the Golden Age of Cybertron, bots moved to other planets, and those planets are called the Colonies. Each one is unique and attracts a certain kind of bot," Heatwave explained.
The humans nodded, taking in the information.
Funny how an Ex-Con, the supposed enemy, is the one who brought to light information that they should already know.
"Okay, I'm getting things so far, but what does that have to do with babies?" Kade asked.
"It's basic biology, Kade," Graham said, then proceeded to explain. "The Cybertronian species originated in one set location. When things started to change, certain members of the species had to move and subsequently settle on other planets where they would have a greater chance of survival. Once in a different environment, they had to adapt to their changes, eventually replacing old, unessential traits for something new, something specialized."
"Uh, Graham, no offense, but short version?"
"Basically, the Colonies are individual habitats housing subspecies who developed specialized features and abilities after branching off from the main Cybertronian line."
"So you're saying it's a possibility that some bots can reproduce?" Dani asked.
"Unless there's something else…"
"Yous actually ain't wrong," Thunderhoof admitted, surprising his audience. "Although, I don't know where my associate or his mate came from."
"But you assume they must be from one of the Colonies, or spent a lot of time there, based on their tolerance of organic matter?" Graham replied.
Thunderhoof nodded, then jumped when the alarm started blaring.
"Huh, I was wondering when that was going to go off. Let's go, team!" Chief Burns ushered.
"Thanks for the talk, Thunderhoof!" Graham said.
"We'll be back soon!" Cody said.
If the retreating Rescue Bots said anything, Thunderhoof didn't hear them. He was more focused on their human partners being nice to him.
"Oh, I almost forgot!"
Boulder came back over and handed Thunderhoof a data pad.
"To keep you from getting bored while we're out. I hope you like it."
The green mech turned and joined his team on the elevator up to the garage, leaving a stunned Thunderhoof behind. The Ex-Con blinked a couple times, then looked down at the unexpected gift. He thumbs the smooth edge of the device before turning it on. An image pops up on the screen, confusing Thunderhoof. It takes a hot minute for him to understand and laugh.
"Of course."
He shifts in place, rolls his shoulders, and lifts the data pad closer to his faceplate. He presses a button and the screen flashes white. Just as text appears, so too does a thought.
A realization, more like.
Where is Steeljaw's daughter?
There's no sign of her anywhere!
Steeljaw is going to kill me!
Where did she go?
She could have hitched a ride with the Autobots, but wouldn't someone have noticed?
Scrap scrap scrap…
Thunderhoof stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed something that he didn't before: a large, red hatch. He decided to pry it open, revealing the entrance of a tunnel on the other side.
"Huh. Interestin'."
No way she got through on her own.
However, a small part of Thunderhoof urged him to keep going. Humans call it a gut instinct, and his own has yet to fail him.
Thunderhoof entered the tunnel, leaving the hatch slightly ajar. He followed the straight and – unfortunately – narrow path further into Griffin Rock's cave systems. He had to crouch a bit to avoid dragging his antlers across the ceiling, and the extra pressure on his injured hoof is nothing short of painfully irritating.
I don't know how, but I swear you better be down here somewhere.
After searching tirelessly for about an hour, Thunderhoof felt that he couldn't take another step without resting. He leaned against the tunnel wall and vented. The trek took more out of him than he'd care to admit. His throbbing hoof was warning enough.
Probably should head back. I'll just say I overreacted or something.
Thunderhoof moved away from the wall, groaning as he put pressure on his injured hoof.
"Did you hear that?"
Thunderhoof froze.
That ain't one of the Autobots, or their humans.
"You're just being paranoid."
"I'd prefer to think of him as overly enthused."
"Shut up, both of you! I know I heard something!"
"Whatever you say."
The ensuing argument reminded Thunderhoof that he shouldn't be here. No one else on the Island is supposed to know of his existence. He has to go. Now.
There's just one little thing that is preventing him from leaving.
Are humans even supposed to be down here?
His gut instinct starts to act up again. While he has yet to find Steeljaw's daughter, Thunderhoof knows that he can't let a bunch of strangers anywhere near his current safe haven. He needs the Rescue Bots and their humans and their home, and he needs to keep reminding himself of all of that, no matter how much he hates it.
Thunderhoof backtracked the way he came, stopping at a crossroads. He starts punching and kicking the wall, planning to construct an impenetrable barricade. Well, nearly impenetrable.
He wasn't blind to the fact that the commotion would attract attention…
"AUGH!"
He just didn't think it would arrive so quickly.
Thunderhoof crashed onto his back, stunned on impact.
"I got him!"
"Right, let's bag 'im and get going!"
"And how do you propose we do that?"
"We have a team on standby, kid. Try to pay attention during briefings."
"I just sent them a message, sir. Ten minutes."
Ten minutes, huh?
Thunderhoof assessed his situation. At least three unknown humans with a weapon capable of hurting a Cybertronian, quite possibly belonging to the group Bumblebee mentioned – he'll worry about that later. He needs to escape, first. The makeshift barrier is almost complete. The web of cracks in the ceiling above show that a well-placed strike will bring it all down. He spots a dislodged stone that will do the trick just ahead of him.
I can work with that.
"All I'm saying is…"
The argument ended there as Thunderhoof grabbed the stone and threw it, hitting its mark and breaking the ceiling. Rocks and gravel fell, completely sealing the humans off from their target.
"Well, could've gone worse," Thunderhoof said, panting. He pressed a servo to his chassis and recoiled on contact.
"OW!"
He forgot that's where the blast hit him. He looked down at the extensive burn, his plating cracked and sizzling.
"Okay, so the bug wasn't exaggerating. Good to know."
Gingerly draping an arm across his chassis to prevent further damage, Thunderhoof turned around and limped away.
"Thunderhoof!"
"Where did he go?"
"He didn't escape, did he?"
"Where to? Last I checked, no one reported a giant, blue, metal moose stomping around!"
"Everyone, calm down."
"Does anyone know where the sparkling is?"
"He probably took her when he left."
"Again, to where, exactly?"
"What if the sparkling wandered off and he had to go find her?"
"He doesn't strike me as the type to worry."
"He does. He just doesn't want to show it."
Everyone looked at Chief Burns, all expressing different levels of confusion.
"And how would you know?" Heatwave asked, quickly adding 'sir' at the end.
"Because I talked to him, one-on-one," Chief Burns stated.
"YOU WHAT?"
"Chief Burns, normally I wouldn't question your decision-making, however, was it wise to confront a Decepticon all by yourself?" Chase asked.
"I thought he would be more open to conversation if he didn't feel cornered, and I was right," Chief Burns explained.
"Meaning?" Heatwave questioned.
Chief Burns sighed and shook his head.
"Listen, I know that you see Thunderhoof as the enemy, and I know that will most likely never change, but if you take a moment to think about it, and I mean really think about it, you could understand why he behaves a certain way."
"Chief, I'm lost," Blades said.
"Yeah, me, too, dad," Kade said.
The other humans and bots – minus Heatwave – all agreed.
Chief Burns looked around at every single one of them and took a breath.
"If you were broken and alone and being confronted by your greatest enemy, how would you feel?"
.
.
.
.
.
"I think I'd be scared," Boulder tentatively replied.
"Exactly," Chief Burns said. "He may not show it, but I know that Thunderhoof is scared."
"Or finding his situation extremely uncomfortable, at the very least," Graham added.
Chief Burns nodded, then turned to Heatwave.
"And don't even question his supposed lack of worry for the sparkling, because trust me, he does worry about her."
"I suppose he told you?" Heatwave questioned.
Chief Burns was about to respond, but was cut-off by the emergency hatch leading to the tunnels screeching open. The Rescue Bots placed themselves in front of the humans, preparing their weapons – technically specialized tools – to attack and defend.
The hatch swings open, revealing Thunderhoof to be the one on the other side, covered antler to hoof in dirt. One arm is outstretched, supporting him against the wall, while the other is coddling his chassis. The room fills with the scent of burnt metal and the sound of labored ventilation.
"Oh my Primus, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" Blades yelled.
"I'd say ask Bumblebee, but your pal ain't too keen on sharing everythin' with yous," Thunderhoof grumbled. He took a step forward and nearly collapsed.
"I've gotcha!" Boulder exclaimed, lunging forward with tremendous speed and arms outstretched to catch Thunderhoof…
"GAH!"
Unfortunately, Boulder didn't know how bad the damage to Thunderhoof's chassis was, so when he touched it, Thunderhoof panicked and started cursing up a storm. The Rescue Team was too stunned by the words flying out of his mouth to bother getting him to be quiet.
Eventually, Thunderhoof ran out of obscenities and calmed down.
"F…Frag, that hurts."
"Sorry," Boulder apologized, placing gentle servos on Thunderhoof's shoulders. He helped the Ex-Con to sit upright, slowly.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. I just acted on instinct."
"S'fine," Thunderhoof grunted, cycling through waves of pain at every little movement.
"Okay, I'll ask again. What happened?" Blades demanded, joining Thunderhoof and Boulder on the floor.
"Like I said, ask Bumblebee."
"But you just told us not to?" Chase reiterated, confused.
"Only 'cause now he's got to tell ya the truth," Thunderhoof stressed.
"How can we believe a word of what you say?" Heatwave questioned.
"If yous think I'm lying, then call Bumblebee."
Don't say I didn't warn you.
