We're now onto the T.M.I episode! Hope you enjoy what I got here!
Note: Characters here belong to my dear friend Tyroth Darkstorm.
Chapter One Hundred and Ten
Trusting
Another few days passed after the incident with the immobilizer, and things were calm again for a while.
Arcee was still hurt over what had happened, now realizing that not only Airachnid was one on her hit list for killing Tailgate, but it had come as a hard shock when she had realized that Starscream had killed Cliffjumper.
Sephie decided to use her psychiatrist training to talk to the femme about her feelings and she offered to give Arcee a few sessions either in her quarters or on top of the silo where she had made the memorial for Cliffjumper.
Arcee was rather hesitant to talk to the small gecko about her problems as she was always bottling them up, and even though she had spoken to her team mates about her feelings, she never went into full detail, mainly because like Optimus, she didn't want to show her vulnerability and let her emotions get in the way of them winning the war.
Arcee listened to the gecko and finally after a couple of days, she and Sephie sat next to Cliffjumper's memorial and Arcee spoke out about her relationship with the two bots and how she had been best friends with them.
"After Tailgate's death, I found it so difficult to get close to any other bot or femme, even though I had close connections and relationships with the femme unit I served under the guidance of Elita-One." she said "I felt so close with Tailgate."
Sephie nodded as she listened.
"And Cliffjumper?" she asked "What can you tell me about him?"
Arcee sighed.
"I'm not quite ready to tell the full story." she said lowering her head.
"That's alright." Sephie said softly "I won't force you to say anything you're not ready to talk about, but just know this, all that takes place here is confidential, alright?"
Arcee nodded understanding then vented as she looked at the horizon.
"I trust you Sephie." she said "In a way, I do feel, given your tone, and how you speak, I feel I can trust you..."
Sephie smiled feeling rather proud she was able to get the hardened femme open up.
Arcee sighed.
"Elita-One assigned him to join me on our missions on Cybertron, and despite his good manners and good personality, I refused to get close to him, after all I went through with Tailgate."
Sephie nodded as she listened.
"From what I hear, you didn't want to get too close, because of what happened to Tailgate." she said.
Arcee squeezed her optics shut, even though she couldn't cry tears like the organics, she had her own way of feeling sadness and she vented, her engine letting out hiccups.
Sephie could only identify this was a cybertronian's way of crying.
"Arcee." she said "There's no weakness in letting out your emotions, if you feel the need to, just do it, no-one will judge you, I promise." she placed her hand on Arcee's servo that rested on the ground.
"Let it out." she said "Don't hold back, it's not healthy to hold it in, you must let loose if you need to..."
Arcee smiled at Sephie and was about to respond when she heard Ratchet's voice in her com-link.
"Arcee? Come in!"
The femme sighed and placed a digit to her audios.
"What's going on Ratchet?"
"I need you down in the silo." the medic said "Optimus needs you on another mission."
"Be right there Ratchet," the femme said then looked down at Sephie who stood up.
"We'll arrange another session soon okay?" she asked to which Arcee nodded.
"Thanks for all you've done for me Sephie." she smiled "I do feel like a weight has been lifted off my spark, now I've spoken to someone outside my circle."
"Anytime Arcee." Sephie said "And you can always call me if you need it?"
"Thanks!" Arcee said then started to make her way back to the silo, the Gecko not far behind her.
When they arrived in the silo, Ratchet was standing at the screens almong with Optimus, Ironhide and Bumblebee whilst the Hamato Clan and Tyroth were on the raised platform.
As the Two-wheeler and Sephie arrived, they noticed neither the kids nor Bulkhead or Michelangelo were around.
"Where's Bulk?" Arcee asked.
"And the Kids?" Sephie asked.
"Culpepper arrived." Donatello said "And asked if he could take Pandora, Kemeko and the twins into the desert to show them where he took his quad bikes and cross country motorbikes to practice his moves."
"What?!" Arcee and Sephie cried at the same time.
"And Bulkhead and Mikey are with them right now." Tyroth said.
"I requested to Bulkhead to keep an eye on them, just in case of trouble, given how MECH and the Foot are still out there, as well as the Decepticons."
Sephie ran up the stairs to join the others, she was feeling a little miffed that Tyroth and the others had given the okay to let the younger ones out without consulting her, even though she did trust her mate to make the right choice.
"You approved?" she asked.
Tyroth turned to his mate and stroked her cheek in comfort and reassurance.
"Culpepper arrived and merely asked, it was just a friendly outing because he was given the job of watching over our young team members, and he does enjoy their company." Tyroth said.
"And after learning more about him." Monalisa said "I do want to give him the benefit of the doubt, and with Michelangelo and Bulkhead watching over them, there shouldn't be any problems."
"And after what he learned about you yesterday Big T." Raphael chimed in "The boy wouldn't dare try anything."
"That and he's loyal to Agent Fowler." Leonardo added.
"And dedicated to his job in the military!" Donatello said.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Ratchet cut in "Now can we please get to the matter in hand."
"Right you here Ratchet." Ironhide said looking back at the screens "So what you found today Doc?"
Ratchet snorted hearing that, but he pressed a button and the screens lit up to show a digital diagram of a cylinder.
"Whoa." Raphael said as he saw it "What's that thingamabob?"
Ratchet grunted.
"That thingamabob to which you refer happens to be a Cybertronian data cylinder."
"A data cylinder?" Donatello asked, excitement in his eyes "Like what kind of data is within it?"
"That's the thing." Ratchet said "There is no telling what vast intelligence it may hold."
The Hamato Clan and the other Autobots were silent for a moment, yet Ratchet clicked another button and the screens lit up with the same image of the cylinder.
"During the Golden Age, dozens of these cylinders were created, each containing the sum total of cybertronian knowledge on any given subject."
"Like what?" Monalisa asked.
"Stella Cartography, medicine, ancient mythology, when the war broke out, the cylinders were hidden throughout the galaxies to keep them as far as possible from Decepticon reach."
"Wow..." Donatello breathed.
"And I have managed to locate one of these very cylinders!" Ratchet said.
"And you're not the only one!" Ironhide pointed out "Seems Megatron's lapdogs have picked up on it!"
"You're right Ironhide!" Optimus said "Ratchet, ready the Ground-Bridge!"
Ratchet nodded and typed in the co-ordinates before firing up the Ground-Bridge.
"Go get 'em guys!" Raphael cheered.
"Stay safe!" Splinter called out.
"Good luck!" Monalisa said.
Optimus nodded at the Hamato Clan and his battle mask slide over his mouth.
"Autobots! Roll out!" he ordered then lead the way through the Ground-Bridge, transforming as he went, the others following him.
"Stay safe." Leonardo breathed.
After the ground-bridge closed, the Hamato Clan went back to the sofas, armchairs and bean bags and sat down.
"I guess we can't do anything else except wait I guess?" Monalisa asked.
Leonardo nodded.
"Afraid so sis." he said.
Splinter picked up the remote and put the TV on which showed that his soaps were started.
"I might as well suggest Leonardo." the rat said "That you do some training with your family, being next in line as sensei until we are called?"
Leonardo bowed.
"Yes Master." he said then turned to his brothers and adopted sister along with Tyroth and Sephie who agreed.
"Sounds good enough for me." Raphael said "I need to keep busy until Mikey, Bulkhead, Culpepper and the kids come back!"
"I'm sure they're fine hun." Monalisa said "Mikey's with them, as is Bulkhead."
"And I'm sure they'll behave." Tyroth said "They better!" he added under his breath.
Meanwhile, Pandora, Kemeko and the Geckolings were in the desert at a spot Culpepper had driven them to which looked like a group of small hills and slopes.
Bulkhead and Michelangelo were accompanying them, mainly because Optimus said the organics needed to be watched over, and Raphael, Monalisa, Tyroth, and Leonardo had asked Michelangelo to keep an eye on the younger team members and Culpepper.
"Keep an especially close eye on Culpepper." Raphael had said to his younger brother, given how Pandora seemed to like the young pilot and her Culpepper had been giving Pandora the same eyes.
Michelangelo said he would.
"Two eyes!" he had quipped.
He wasn't new to keeping a vigilant watch on his niece, as only three years ago he had been watching her like a hawk after those mutant Sharks came into their lives and Pandora had taken a certain liking to one of them and he had felt rather jealous.
Strangely though, the youngest of the ninja turtles hadn't felt jealous of Culpepper, yet, but like Raphael, Monalisa, Leonardo and the others, he wanted to make sure the young pilot could be trusted.
Maybe that was because unlike the Sharks those three years ago, this was a human and humans weren't to be taken likely given how many had rejected the mutants due to their appearance, seeing them as nothing but monsters.
After they had arrived at the location Culpepper drove them too, he had unloaded a trailer attached to his car which contained his two quad bikes and cross country motorbikes.
"Whoa!" Pandora said "You own two of each?"
"No exactly." Culpepper said "They're mine and dad's, but I doubt he'd mind me borrowing his for now, as long as I bring them back in one piece."
"Sounds good to me!" Loki said "And if, Gods forbid anything does happen, Uncle Don and I can fix them in a heartbeat!"
"That's comforting." Culpepper quipped as he brought out one of the bikes from the trailer, "Yet personally I'm prefer them to be in one piece after today!"
He wheeled it out to the front of the tracks and placed a dark green helmet on his head.
"This is a place I often come to to practice my cross country motorbiking, as well as my quad biking."
"Looks pretty impressive." Michelangelo said as he joined Pandora, Kemeko and the twins.
Bulkhead wasn't far behind as he transformed into his bipedal form and sat down to watch.
"Sure is." Culpepper said "Sometimes, I even come here at night to ride, just to clear my head and ride under the stars."
"Cool." Pandora said.
Culpepper then climbed onto his bike and started the engine.
"Here, I'll show you how I do this track." he said then took off and started to ride down the track kicking up dirt and dust.
Pandora, Kemeko, the twins, Bulkhead and Michelangelo watched as Culpepper drove off and drove expertly around the track, leaping off the raised hills on the track and doing a few maneuvers on the bike as he did so, twisting through the air and doing a few wheelies then did a few stunts as he flew through the air on the bike such as kicking his legs up and doing a few twists in the air before landing back on the track.
As they watched, the kids were amazed.
"He's really good!" Kemeko complimented "I'd say he's almost on Uncle Raph's level on his motorcycle skills!"
"Yes..." Pandora breathed as she watched "He's amazing." she thought, her heart beating like a drum as she took in Culpepper's skills.
Before long Culpepper arrived back at the starting point and stopped the bike before taking off his helmet and grinned.
"So?" he asked "What do you think?"
"Impressive!" Pandora said clapping her hands.
"I'd say that was badass!" Kemeko agreed.
"For sure!" Freya said.
"Totally!" Loki added.
"For a human, you got skills kid!" Bulkhead said.
Michelangelo nodded and clapped.
"I think Raph would be impressed." he said.
"Thanks!" Culpepper smiled then turned to Pandora, Kemeko and the twins "So, any of you want to have a go?"
Before anyone could answer, Pandora stepped forward.
"I will!" she grinned as she walked over and Culpepper handed her his helmet.
The twins looked at each other with knowing looks and Kemeko rolled her eyes.
Michelangelo meanwhile jumped up.
"Pandora!" he said to which the hybrid turned to him.
"Be careful alright?" he said "that bike isn't like your old man's shell cycle, and you're not on the roads of New York remember?"
"I get you Uncle Mike!" Pandora said "I'll be careful!"
She placed the helmet on her head and climbed onto the bike.
"Watch me burn rubber baby!" she cheered.
Culpepper has taken the younger members of the Hamato Clan and Chicago Knights on an outing, with Michelangelo and Bulkhead watching over them, meanwhile Ratchet has discovered a cylinder that holds some important data the Autobots could use!
Yet what does it contain? Well those who've seen the show should know!
Also, for those who saw the reference to the Sharks Michelangelo remembers, that comes from my TMNT/Street Sharks fanfic 'Sharks and Ninjas' go back to my page if you haven't read it already!