tv, Train yard and Autobot Base, Patrols and Newcomers

[dens_extra_pups]

Liedherz:  *in an alternate reality to the one where she once inadvertently caused a Spychanger's death, wandering from shadow to shadow in a night darkened train yard*

Sideburn: *to Prowl* You should've seen her, Prowl. Gorgeous curves, zero to sixty in 3.4 seconds, and candy apple red, to boot! *Yup. He's found another sports car to worship*

Prowl: Be that as it may, we have a job to do, or did you forget, Sideburn?

Sideburn: Yeah, yeah... She was gorgeous though....

Liedherz:  *pauses in the shadows, invisible but for the soft glow of her horn.  Ears flick as she watches the two brothers walk past*

Prowl: *Sighs and shakes his head, before shining a searchlight down one of the gaps between the trains*

Liedherz:  *projects the thought that he saw something there, her ears moving slightly with amusement*

Prowl: *Stops short, causing Sideburn to run into him*

Sideburn: Hey! What gives?!

Prowl: I'm not sure... but I thought I saw something there... *moves to approach*

Liedherz:  *impression of something spooky to Sideburn*

Sideburn: *Steps back a bit* Uh... Are you sure you saw something Prowl? *why no, he's not scared*

Liedherz:  -All red sports cars are really Megatron clones in disguise!-

Prowl: I'm sure of it. *serious mech is serious! And coming closer to where he thought he saw whatever it was*

Sideburn: *boggling slightly and then he's giving himself a shake*

Liedherz:  *slips through the shadows to a place to one side of them and scares a cat into running toward them.  A cat which might look like a miniature red sports car to a certain blue mech....*

Sideburn: *Yelps and flails, skittering back even further*

Prowl: Sideburn? What the- *looks down at the cat* ... *and then there's a clang as he facepalms*

cat:  *they talked!  They peeps!  Runs right at Sideburn!*

Sideburn: *Yelps and now Prowl has a Sideburn hat*

Prowl: Sideburn!!! *windmills his arms to try and keep his balance*

The next morning...

Railspike:  Darndest thing, though.  I was sound asleep last night on my siding, and suddenly somebody screamed like a little girl and woke me up.  *rubs his face and has another drink from his can of fuel*

Optimus:  *quirks a brow plate from where he's leaning against the wall of the break room with his arms folded across his chest*  A little girl?

Railspike:  Yeah.  *frowns and looks over at a table near his own*  Though it kinda sounded like you, Sideburn.

Sideburn: You need your audios checked! *slight scowl*

Prowl: *no comment, is checking over images to try and find a match to what he thought he saw the night before*

Railspike:  *gives the young car bot a shrewd look*  Some red car finally fight back?

Sideburn: *more scowl mixed with a bit of a pout* No.

Railspike:  *amused snort, and then drains his can and gets to his feet*  Well, I've got a full day's work ahead 'a me.  See ya, Optimus.

Optimus:  See you, Railspike.  *watches the old one go, and then turns to give Sideburn a quizzical look*  Weren't you and Prowl patrolling the yard where Railspike sleeps last night?

Sideburn: Yeah... There wasn't anything there besides trains though! *No, he's not about to admit that Railspike heard him scream like a little girl*

Optimus:  *gives him that searching look that seems to see right into your spark, then glances at the young bot's brother*  Prowl?

Prowl: *a bit oblivious, is still comparing images*

Optimus:  *clears his throat*

Prowl: *Startles, looks up from what he was working on* Yessir?

Optimus:  Did something happen at the train yard last night?  Railspike says he heard a scream.

Prowl: What happened was that Sideburn was jumping at shadows and a cat.

Optimus:  *frowns*  Sideburn's not usually that jumpy.  *looks at the younger bot again*

Sideburn: *if looks could kill, Prowl'd be dead thrice over*

Prowl: *oblivious to the look, turns his attention back to comparing images*

Optimus:  Is something wrong, Sideburn?

Sideburn: If something was there, we missed it because Prowl saw something and just had to check it out...

Optimus:  ....  Stop and think about what you just said, Sideburn.

Elsewhere in the city

REV:  //Hey, Ironhide.  Look what just drove past down there.//

sweet little red Tesla Roadster:  *speeding by on a quiet side street*

Ironhide: *Chuckles* //Think Sideburn'd like it?//

REV:  *thoughtful*  //I think I like it.  Wait....//  *sounds confused*

Ironhide: //...Wait, what?// *sounds just as confused*

REV:  //It's got a life sign reading.  But there aren't supposed to be any other Autobots on Earth right now.//

Ironhide: //... Maybe it's a Decepticon...//

REV:  //No.  We know what the Decepticons look like.  I'm going to have a closer look.//  *transmits where he is and what he's doing to T-AI and then peels out of his hiding place and goes invisible as he darts along the sides of buildings*

Ironhide: //Be careful, REV. It could be a trick.//

REV:  //I know what I'm doing.  Want to try heading it off?//

Ironhide: //I thought you'd never ask.// *Transmits what he's doing and where he is to T-AI as well, before slipping into stealth mode and moving to head off the Tesla Roadster*

REV:  *lights blink with surprise a few moments later as he turns a corner and looks down at a dead end alley.  An empty one*  //What the....//

Ironhide: //... You saw it too, right? It was here...// *puzzled*

REV:  *scans.  Scans again, then transforms and points upward, to where a slender red bot is climbing the wall*  //There!  It's heading for the rooftops.  But... there's no way it could have picked us up!//

Ironhide: //... How'd it get up there so quickly?!// *not that that's stopping him from giving chase*

REV:  //I'll go ahead and cut it off.// *resumes car mode and zips soundlessly out of the alley*

Ironhide: //Right!// *Trying to play catch-up with the mystery bot*

red bot:  *scoots onto the roof, and then goes running toward the side that faces the street, rather than the other alley.  It's a small model, whoever it is, but fast on their feet*

Ironhide: *Gives chase* //I've got a visual, REV!// *Transmits an image of the bot*

REV:  //...Looks like a girl.  Hey, where do they think they're going?//

red bot:  *going right over the side of the building, yo*

Ironhide: //After her!// *and he goes WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! down the side of the building*

REV:  *whipping around the corner and decloaking just as he springs*

red bot:   *blue optics wide as they press themself to the side of the building*

Ironhide: *slliiiiiiiiides and moves to pounce from the other direction, transforming at the last second*

red bot:  *struggling in his arms.  Is light- very obviously no combat model.  Also utterly silent except for the sound of their systems running.  And wearing a small, civilian style Autobot badge*

Ironhide: *blink blink* //REV... This is a girl!//

REV:  *grill peeks around the corner of the building*  //What?//

Ironhide: *going to try and get the smaller 'Bot to move towards REV* //Look for yourself!//

red bot:  *still trying to wriggle away, to the damage of that pretty red paint*

REV:  *transforms and looks, then shakes his head and looks stern as he drops his cloak*  I'd stop struggling if I were you.  Resisting arrest isn't a small matter.

red bot:  *goes on wriggling*

Ironhide: Take it easy... We're not gonna hurt you.

red bot:  *wriggle!*

REV:  *sternness fades to a puzzled frown, and he moves closer, waving his hand at the red bot*  Hey.  Didn't you hear what I said?

red bot:  *struggling pauses and she looks up, her blue optics wide and fearful but determined.  Sees his mouth moving and taps her audio receiver, shaking her head.*

Ironhide: *blink blink* I don't think she can hear us....

REV:  *surprised expression*  Yeah... it looks like something's wrong with her audio receivers.

red bot:  *tries to reach for a panel on her side*

REV:  Watch out, Ironhide!  *grabs the red bot's hand*

Ironhide: *quick to reach for the red bot's hand as well*

red bot:  *scared expression, but still makes no sound*

REV:  None of that.  *stern again*

red bot:  *impatient now.  Shakes her head, her expression now holding frustration*

REV:  Ironhide, check that panel.

Ironhide: Right. *moves to do so while keeping ahold of the red bot*

panel:  *covers a storage compartment.  Which contains only a datapad*

Ironhide: *Blink blink* Well, it doesn't look like she's armed...

REV:  What is it?  *tilts his head*

red bot:  *nodding toward the datapad and then giving both Spychangers meaningful looks*

Ironhide: I think she wants to use it... *will let the red bot grab the datapad*

red bot:  *shakes head, and then nods to REV as though saying to give it to him*

Ironhide: *offers REV the datapad*

REV:  *takes it cautiously and scans it a few times, then activates it and reads what comes up on the screen*  *lifts his brow plates and then looks up at the red bot and frowns*

Ironhide: What is it, REV?

REV:  It says she's an archaeologist named Comet Chaser.  And that she's got a processor defect that makes it impossible for her to pick up audio signals.  *still frowning at the red bot*

Ironhide: Archaeologist? *blink* Like Dr. Onishi?

REV:  Yes, only apparently she studies the civilizations of other worlds.  *frown deepens*  But that doesn't give her leeway to walk into a war zone.

Ironhide: *nods, frowning* How do we get that across to her though?

REV:  *starts typing on the datapad*

Comet Chaser:  *leaning slightly to watch what he's writing*

REV:  *informing her of the situation on Earth, and that she is currently breaking the law by being here*

Comet Chaser:  *frowwwwwwwwn*

Ironhide: Should we escort her to Optimus?

REV:  We will.  *nods and adds that to what he's typing*

Comet Chaser:  *reads that and sticks out her chin stubbornly, but nods*

REV:  Let's get her back down to the street.  Do you think you can carry her?  *putting the datapad away in his own 'pocket' as he looks at Ironhide*

Ironhide: No problem. *moves to let Comet Chaser go so he can transform*

Comet Chaser:  *quick scramble to get hold of the wall, then reaches toward REV with one hand, asking for the return of her datapad*

REV:  *blinks at her, and then brings it out and types that it'll be returned when they get to base*

Comet Chaser:  *looks at it and frowns with concentration as a small light blinks on her forehead.  Before the startled REV can react words are appearing on the datapad*  This is the only way I have to communicate, and it also holds my notes and important documents.  I would rather not be parted from it.

REV:  *frowns, but then gives it back*

Comet Chaser:  *bows her head in thanks and stashes her datapad*

Ironhide: //REV, see if you can get her to climb on. It'll be easier to get her down to the ground that way.//

REV:  *gets out a hand held device and quickly types the plan*

Comet Chaser:  *gives Ironhide a Look, but isn't really a hot tempered bot, so the look isn't all that scary.  Rather it's wry and wary*

Ironhide: *waits patiently and flickers his headlights as though saying "Well? Do you want a ride or not?"*

REV:  *types*  Ironhide is a good soldier.  You'll be safe with him.

Comet Chaser:  *glances and reads, then sighs and climbs aboard the milk truck*

REV:  *reporting over the joint frequency that the Spychangers use to communicate with their commander and other teams even as he too transforms and gets ready to drive down the side of the building*

Ironhide: //Let's go!// *Moves to carefully drive down the side of the building*

REV:  //Hey, no fancy stuff while you have a passenger.//  *pulls ahead once they reach the street, and then leads the way to the garage that holds the entrance to the Autobot base*

A little later, back at base

Comet Chaser:  *has spoken to the Autobot leader, and been asked not to leave the base alone.  Is now sitting in the hallway outside the command room in alt mode wondering what to do with herself and the little grey tabby cat who is currently sitting on her hood and washing his face*

half grown kitten:  *purr purr.  Wash face.  Wash ears.  Lean down and wash car*

Comet Chaser:  -....-

X-Brawn: *Gave up trying to talk to Sideburn when he got the cold shoulder for the umpteenth time. Is making his way back to the meeting* Wonder what's gotten into Sideburn?

kitten:  *looks up, and then stands and puts up tail.  Purr purr purr!*

Comet Chaser:  *rocks on her tires a little to urge him to go to the white and teal mech and stop leaving slurp marks and paw prints on her poor damaged paint*

X-Brawn: Huh? What're you doing in here? *offers his hand to the kitten* This is no place for a tiny critter like you...

kitten:  *purr purr, rub head on big nice hand!*  ^_^

Comet Chaser:  *rocks again.  Look X-Brawn.  That's somebody, there*

X-Brawn: Huh? *raised brow ridge*

kitten:  *climbs up on the nice big hand!*  ^_^

Comet Chaser:  *transforms and holds out her datapad, screen toward the teal and white mech*  Will you please take him?  He's licking me.

X-Brawn: *Blink blink* Er... Sure... *carefully lifting the kitten and holding it in his hand*

Comet Chaser:  *switches to the file that explains who she is, and now holds the added information that she was here on Earth well before the conflict with the Predacons started*

X-Brawn: *reading, and then he's boggling slightly*

Comet Chaser:  *looks at him quizzically, waiting to see what he'll do other than hold the kitten and make that funny face*

X-Brawn: Er.... *not really sure how to communicate with Comet Chaser*

Comet Chaser:  *clears the screen on her pad and offers it to him*

X-Brawn: *carefully moving the kitten to his shoulder so he can type* My name is X-Brawn. When did you arrive?

Comet Chaser:  *remote connection light blinks*  Do you know how long an Earth year is?  *optics flick quickly to the kitten, who has sprawled on his side and is licking X-Brawn*

X-Brawn: *nods and types* 365 solar cycles.... Why?

Comet Chaser:  I arrived on this world 31.3865 years ago.

X-Brawn: *surprised* That's a long time in one place...

Comet Chaser:  You can't study cultures in a solar cycle.

X-Brawn: *Small nod* That's a good point...

Comet Chaser:  *nods as well, and then her optics are flicking toward the corner of the corridor as Koji comes around it, a bag with a kitten on it under one arm, and a yellow, white, and black book under the other*

X-Brawn: *attention goes that way as well* *blink* What've you got there, Koji?

Koji:  Some food and stuff for that kitten that Prowl brought back last night, and a book for Comet Chaser.  *grins up at the teal and white mech, then meeps and nearly drops the bag of food as it slips.  It's rather apparent that his arm is tired*

Comet Chaser:  *just standing to one side and watching, as she's used to doing, though her optics are flicking back and forth rapidly as she takes in all aspect of the two's body language*

X-Brawn: Here. Lemme get that for ya. *reaches for the bag of food* Think this little guy'll like it? *meaning the kitten*

Koji:  *grins at Comet Chaser too, respectful kid that he is.  Then looks back up to X-Brawn as the food is taken and lifts his brows slightly*  Well, he should.  It's the best brand of dry kitten food there is.  And I got him some canned stuff too, and a bed and a litter box.  *pats his backpack, then shyly holds the book toward Comet Chaser*  And this's for you.  I thought it might help.

Comet Chaser:  *lifts her own brows as she takes the book and looks at it, and then her optics flash and she's flipping through it with great interest*

kitten:  *can smell that food.  Hear him asking about it as he peeks down from your shoulder, X-Brawn?*

Koji:  *looks toward the mews and blinks, his eyes widening with concern*

X-Brawn: I think he'll be alright... I'm not as twitchy as Prowl or Sideburn... *chuckles and gently taps Comet Chaser's hand with the datapad*

Comet Chaser:  *looks up, then nods and takes her pad, holding it up so that he can see her thanks*

kitten:  *realizes his person has the food!  Purring and rubbing and loving on you now, X-Brawn!*

Koji:  Welll, if you're sure.

X-Brawn: *nods to Comet Chaser* Aren't cats supposed to be good at balancing? *carefully offering scritches to the kitten*

Koji:  Yeah, they are.  You're just pretty tall, is all.  *digging through his backpack and getting out the food dish and one of the cans*  Where are you going to put his litter box?

kitten:  ^_^

X-Brawn: I hadn't thought about it... *looks a bit puzzled*

Koji:  Well it'll need to be somewhere that he can find it.  But not where it can get in your way.  *offers the dish and can of food, and also a book with a fuzzy baby Persian on the cover*

X-Brawn: *nods and carefully reaches for the offered items, keeping a sensor focused on the kitten*

kitten:  *balancing easily, his bright eyes focused on the things he recognizes as kitty stuff.  His purr is very loud*

X-Brawn: *Amused* That's some motor he's got...

Koji:  *laughs, and then looks at his watch and gasps about school before quickly setting the rest of the cat things on the floor and running off*

X-Brawn: *takes kitten to his quarters and pours a single serving of the  kitten food into the bowl after reading the correct portion size, then sets it on the floor*

kitten:  *looking at his person for permission even as he crouches in preparation to jumping down*

X-Brawn: *will carefully help the kitten down, since he's thinking of what Koji said about his size*

kitten:  *perked ears and a happy face as he looks up at his person's face, and then he's standing on the floor and sniffing the food with great happiness.  Only then he stops and looks around with a quizzical mew*

X-Brawn: *chuckles and moves to carefully sit down so he can watch the kitten*

kitten:  *goes and checks things out, seems to be looking for something.  Then he finally comes quickly back to where the pile of cat things are, and scratches at the bag of kitty litter.  GOTTA PEE!*

X-Brawn: *reaches to get the litter box set up and placed in a spot that's easy for the kitten to find, but not in the path of foot traffic* There you go, little guy...

kitten:  *slightly frantic expression as the litter is taken from him, but then he recognizes what his person's doing and dances and mews before diving in and doing his business.  This done, he comes out, loves on X-Brawn a bit, and then goes and starts scarfing down his breakfast*

X-Brawn: *amused* You're a funny little critter, aincha?

kitten:  *purrrr.  Crunch crunch crunch*

X-Brawn: *moves to sit down to read the kitten book and keep an eye on the little furball*

break room, a few minutes later

Comet Chaser:  *comes walking in, glances at the lone dark blue mech in the room as she goes to get some energy as Optimus suggested.  Mind on the big soldier's decree that she stay inside the base unless accompanied by one of his men.  Is rather upset to find herself to all extents and purposes under arrest when she's done nothing wrong*

Sideburn: *taking that silly fish personality test again*

Optimus:  //Sideburn, do you read me?//

Sideburn: //Yeah, Optimus, I read you....// *still filling out answers*

Optimus:  //We have a new resident at the base, who's going to need us to learn another language so we can talk to her.  I have the files right here, are you ready for a remote download?//

Sideburn: //Ready for remote download, sir.// *finishes the test* ... Bonito again?

Optimus:  *sends him the contents of the 'Signing for Dummies' book*

Sideburn: //Huh? Is this the language?//

Optimus:  //Yes, Sideburn.  It's called American Sign Language, or ASL.  Comet Chaser is deaf.//

Sideburn: //... Huh?// *seems surprised by this*

Optimus:  *patiently explains as he watches the screens in the command room*  //Deaf.  Her processor can't receive audio signals.//

Comet Chaser:  *behind Sideburn, over by the energon dispenser, sighs and folds up into the red Tesla for a nap*

Sideburn: ... //Huh...// *and then his attention's going to where a flash of red has caught the corner of his optic* Whoah... How'd that gorgeous thing get in here? *and now he's got a doofy grin on his face*

Optimus:  //She'll be staying at the base till we've dealt with Megatron, and I need you and all the others to make her stay here as comfortable as possible.  Do you understand, Sideburn?//

Sideburn: //Sure thing...// *Sounds a bit distracted*

Optimus:  //....//  *stops to wonder where Comet Chaser is at the moment*  //Sideburn?//

Sideburn: //Can I get back to you later, Optimus? There's this gorgeous red sports car just sitting here!//

Optimus:  *face palm!*  //Sideburn, stand down.//

Sideburn: //But Optimus, you've gotta see this sassy little thing! I think I'm in love!//

Optimus:  //That's Comet Chaser.  Stand down!//

Sideburn: *Processor comes to a screeching halt* //...//

Optimus:  *pinging Prowl and X-Brawn's frequencies to see where they are*

Prowl: *On patrol* //What's the situation, Optimus?//

X-Brawn: *is in his quarters, playing with the kitten*

Optimus:  *on the open frequency*  //Your brother just met our guest.//  *sounding exasperated*  //X-Brawn, would it be possible for you to go to the break room and play referee?//

X-Brawn: //Sure thing, Optimus.//

Prowl: *sighs and mutters something about restraining orders* //Do I need to return to base, sir?//

Optimus:  //I think X-Brawn has things in hand, Prowl.//  *calmer now*

Prowl: //Alright. If you need any additional assistance, just call. Prowl out.//

Optimus:  //Optimus out.  X-Brawn?//

X-Brawn: //I'm on my way to the break room now, Optimus.// *has also set the kitten on his shoulder again*

kitten:  *sitting and purring and looking where they're going*

X-Brawn: *making his way to the break room, snerks a bit when he sees the brain-broken expression Sideburn is wearing*

kitten:  *oh, another big person.  Purrs louder*

Sideburn: *Startles and turns to look for the source of the purring* ... *headtilt* Is that the cat Prowl found?

kitten:  *person is talking to him!  He's cat!  Perks ears and gives a little chirp*

X-Brawn: Yep. Cute li'l critter, ain't he? *It seems X-Brawn is a cat person.*

Sideburn: ... Er... sure... *still a bit brain-broken over the fact that this pretty little car is actually a lady bot*

kitten:  *stands up on his person's shoulder and walks back and forth, rubbing hard against X-Brawn's neck.  Purring is as loud as a half grown kitten can make it*  ^_^

X-Brawn: *glances at Comet Chaser, chuckles* I take it Optimus told you to leave her alone?

Sideburn: *Slumps* Yeah...

kitten:  *oh, that person sounds sad.  Chirps and pauses in loving his person*

X-Brawn: *offers gentle scritches to the kitten* Why don't you go out on patrol, Sideburn? You might see another little red sports car...

Sideburn: *blink blink.  Perk* Hey! That's a great idea!

X-Brawn: *Claps Sideburn on the shoulder* Why I saw a pretty little red Fairlady the other day on the expressway that you might be able to talk to...

Sideburn: Say no more! *Hurries off to go on patrol*

X-Brawn: *chuckles and looks to the kitten* C'mon... Let's go introduce you to Midnight Express, he oughtta get a kick outta you... *Moves to follow Sideburn out the door, intending to head off in a different direction*

Comet-Chaser:  *behind them in the now empty break room, she sleeps on unaware*

((co-written with random_xtras))