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fandomweekly2021-09-13 08:48 pm
autobotscoutriella) wrote in fandomweekly2021-09-13 08:48 pm
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[#108] A Guardian Is Never Late (Transformers)
Theme Prompt: 108 - After Midnight
Title: A Guardian Is Never Late
Fandom: Transformers Bayverse
Rating/Warnings: G / None
Bonus: No
Word Count: 999
Summary: Mikaela's Autobot guardian arrives at an inopportune time.
The text arrived at two o'clock in the morning, with the distinct 'brrrring' that sounded exactly like her alarm clock. Mikaela hated that text alert. Groaning, she rolled over and grabbed at the phone, fumbling to get it open and squinting at the dim glow.
Your guardian has arrived. She didn't recognize the number, but the fact that they were texting instead of calling probably meant it was one of the Autobots. Their numbers tended to change with every text, so there was no point in saving a contact.
"What, now?" Mikaela groaned and buried her face in her pillow. "Can't the aliens land on the planet at a reasonable hour?"
Another text arrived with an all-too-cheerful 'brrring'. Someone will arrive to pick you up at 0215.
"Come on." Mikaela yawned and rubbed both hands across her face. "Come on. This couldn't wait until morning?"
But one didn't argue with the Autobots, or the US military, so she rolled out of bed with another groan and began fishing clothes out of the 'clean' pile on the desk chair. Out of habit, she left the light off, even though at two in the morning her aunt was still at work.
She had barely had time to dress and grab her purse from the coat rack when headlights appeared in the street outside. "Don't honk, don't honk, I'm coming," she muttered, belatedly hoping that it wasn't Bumblebee. If they'd contacted Bumblebee, then they had probably also called Sam, and Sam was legendarily frustrating between midnight and nine am.
It was Ironhide, with Captain Lennox in the driver's seat. Mikaela pushed her hair ruefully out of her face - maybe she should have tried to put it up - and said, "This couldn't have waited until morning?" when the passenger-side door opened.
Lennox shook his head. "We've had increased 'Con activity around Tranquility in the last few weeks. Sam and Bumblebee are the most likely target, but you're in danger too. We would've set you up with a guardian weeks ago if any of the Autobots had an alt-mode that could hide in your neighborhood."
"The secret agents you had following me couldn't keep it up at least until the sun came up?" Mikaela let her head drop back against the seat, stifling another yawn. "Yeah, I noticed them. The black car with the government license plates isn't super-subtle."
"Which is why we need an Autobot protecting you," Lennox said firmly. "If you spotted them, so could the Decepticons, and humans aren't as much of a deterrent as an Autobot."
Mikaela couldn't argue with that. She did like being alive as much as the next girl. The rest of the half-hour ride passed in exhausted silence, and Mikaela had almost dozed off when Ironhide's voice rumbled, "There they are."
Mikaela sat up, straining to catch a glimpse of her new Autobot guardian, and blinked at the sight that greeted her. "We're doing this in a Wal-Mart parking lot?"
"Our intelligence indicates that suspicious activities are far less noticeable in these locations," Ironhide said. Mikaela's eyebrows rose practically to her hairline.
"I mean...yeah, but I don't think that extends to literal alien robots. Even if none of you transform, anyone who drives by is going to assume this is some kind of really involved drug deal."
The group waiting for them included Optimus Prime and Ratchet, both in vehicle mode, and three motorcycles in pink, blue, and purple. Mikaela resisted the urge to run over and examine them - it would have been rude, but those were nice bikes.
"Welcome, Mikaela," Optimus said. "This is your guardian, Arcee."
"Uh...hi." Mikaela raised a hand in an awkward wave, though she wasn't sure who to look at. "Sorry, which one...?"
"All three." The voice was feminine, but oddly replicated, as if multiple people were speaking in unison. The pink motorcycle transformed, straightening up into a small, delicate-looking Cybertronian. Mikaela blinked and rubbed at her eyes, wondering if exhaustion was confusing her.
"So you're...Arcee?"
"I am," the pink motorcycle said. "Or we are, if that's easier. I have a combiner form, but it lacks an alt-mode."
"There's three of you?" Mikaela stifled another yawn. "No offense. It's really, really early in the morning. I thought I was just getting one guardian. The house only has two parking spots."
Lennox turned to Optimus. "She's right. One motorcycle was plausible. Three appearing overnight..."
"Not to mention explaining three motorcycles to Aunt Leda," Mikaela muttered.
"Concealment will not be a problem," Arcee assured her. "I'm a good multitasker. We'll choose one body to be your primary guardian and remain with you. The others can patrol town or find cover elsewhere."
That sounded like more than multitasking to Mikaela, but she was too tired to comment reasonably at the moment. "Okay. Arcee, was it? Look, we'll have to work out logistics in the morning. Or better, afternoon, 'cause I got a chemistry exam and I should be in bed."
Arcee looked confused. Somehow, even as a truck, so did Optimus. Lennox sighed. "Introductions made, and she's right, this isn't the subtlest thing for us to be doing. Get your new ward home, Arcee. Mikaela, call that number that texted you in the morning if things become a problem. Understood?"
Mikaela eyed the motorcycles doubtfully. "I didn't bring a helmet."
"I don't crash," Arcee said, indignantly. Mikaela wondered if she'd offended her, and decided she was too tired to care.
"Okay then. What's a little law violation at three in the morning?" She half-expected Lennox to comment. When he didn't, she shrugged and stepped forward, swinging a leg over the pink motorcycle's seat as soon as Arcee transformed. "I'll give you directions."
"I know where you live," Arcee said, which sounded thoroughly ominous under the circumstances. "Hold on tight."
"Don't wake up my neighbors." Mikaela held on as instructed, and as the motorcycle took off, wondered if dozing off on a sentient motorcycle was really the worst idea in the world.
Title: A Guardian Is Never Late
Fandom: Transformers Bayverse
Rating/Warnings: G / None
Bonus: No
Word Count: 999
Summary: Mikaela's Autobot guardian arrives at an inopportune time.
The text arrived at two o'clock in the morning, with the distinct 'brrrring' that sounded exactly like her alarm clock. Mikaela hated that text alert. Groaning, she rolled over and grabbed at the phone, fumbling to get it open and squinting at the dim glow.
Your guardian has arrived. She didn't recognize the number, but the fact that they were texting instead of calling probably meant it was one of the Autobots. Their numbers tended to change with every text, so there was no point in saving a contact.
"What, now?" Mikaela groaned and buried her face in her pillow. "Can't the aliens land on the planet at a reasonable hour?"
Another text arrived with an all-too-cheerful 'brrring'. Someone will arrive to pick you up at 0215.
"Come on." Mikaela yawned and rubbed both hands across her face. "Come on. This couldn't wait until morning?"
But one didn't argue with the Autobots, or the US military, so she rolled out of bed with another groan and began fishing clothes out of the 'clean' pile on the desk chair. Out of habit, she left the light off, even though at two in the morning her aunt was still at work.
She had barely had time to dress and grab her purse from the coat rack when headlights appeared in the street outside. "Don't honk, don't honk, I'm coming," she muttered, belatedly hoping that it wasn't Bumblebee. If they'd contacted Bumblebee, then they had probably also called Sam, and Sam was legendarily frustrating between midnight and nine am.
It was Ironhide, with Captain Lennox in the driver's seat. Mikaela pushed her hair ruefully out of her face - maybe she should have tried to put it up - and said, "This couldn't have waited until morning?" when the passenger-side door opened.
Lennox shook his head. "We've had increased 'Con activity around Tranquility in the last few weeks. Sam and Bumblebee are the most likely target, but you're in danger too. We would've set you up with a guardian weeks ago if any of the Autobots had an alt-mode that could hide in your neighborhood."
"The secret agents you had following me couldn't keep it up at least until the sun came up?" Mikaela let her head drop back against the seat, stifling another yawn. "Yeah, I noticed them. The black car with the government license plates isn't super-subtle."
"Which is why we need an Autobot protecting you," Lennox said firmly. "If you spotted them, so could the Decepticons, and humans aren't as much of a deterrent as an Autobot."
Mikaela couldn't argue with that. She did like being alive as much as the next girl. The rest of the half-hour ride passed in exhausted silence, and Mikaela had almost dozed off when Ironhide's voice rumbled, "There they are."
Mikaela sat up, straining to catch a glimpse of her new Autobot guardian, and blinked at the sight that greeted her. "We're doing this in a Wal-Mart parking lot?"
"Our intelligence indicates that suspicious activities are far less noticeable in these locations," Ironhide said. Mikaela's eyebrows rose practically to her hairline.
"I mean...yeah, but I don't think that extends to literal alien robots. Even if none of you transform, anyone who drives by is going to assume this is some kind of really involved drug deal."
The group waiting for them included Optimus Prime and Ratchet, both in vehicle mode, and three motorcycles in pink, blue, and purple. Mikaela resisted the urge to run over and examine them - it would have been rude, but those were nice bikes.
"Welcome, Mikaela," Optimus said. "This is your guardian, Arcee."
"Uh...hi." Mikaela raised a hand in an awkward wave, though she wasn't sure who to look at. "Sorry, which one...?"
"All three." The voice was feminine, but oddly replicated, as if multiple people were speaking in unison. The pink motorcycle transformed, straightening up into a small, delicate-looking Cybertronian. Mikaela blinked and rubbed at her eyes, wondering if exhaustion was confusing her.
"So you're...Arcee?"
"I am," the pink motorcycle said. "Or we are, if that's easier. I have a combiner form, but it lacks an alt-mode."
"There's three of you?" Mikaela stifled another yawn. "No offense. It's really, really early in the morning. I thought I was just getting one guardian. The house only has two parking spots."
Lennox turned to Optimus. "She's right. One motorcycle was plausible. Three appearing overnight..."
"Not to mention explaining three motorcycles to Aunt Leda," Mikaela muttered.
"Concealment will not be a problem," Arcee assured her. "I'm a good multitasker. We'll choose one body to be your primary guardian and remain with you. The others can patrol town or find cover elsewhere."
That sounded like more than multitasking to Mikaela, but she was too tired to comment reasonably at the moment. "Okay. Arcee, was it? Look, we'll have to work out logistics in the morning. Or better, afternoon, 'cause I got a chemistry exam and I should be in bed."
Arcee looked confused. Somehow, even as a truck, so did Optimus. Lennox sighed. "Introductions made, and she's right, this isn't the subtlest thing for us to be doing. Get your new ward home, Arcee. Mikaela, call that number that texted you in the morning if things become a problem. Understood?"
Mikaela eyed the motorcycles doubtfully. "I didn't bring a helmet."
"I don't crash," Arcee said, indignantly. Mikaela wondered if she'd offended her, and decided she was too tired to care.
"Okay then. What's a little law violation at three in the morning?" She half-expected Lennox to comment. When he didn't, she shrugged and stepped forward, swinging a leg over the pink motorcycle's seat as soon as Arcee transformed. "I'll give you directions."
"I know where you live," Arcee said, which sounded thoroughly ominous under the circumstances. "Hold on tight."
"Don't wake up my neighbors." Mikaela held on as instructed, and as the motorcycle took off, wondered if dozing off on a sentient motorcycle was really the worst idea in the world.