Why Recharge When You can Race?

279 17 2
                                    

N/n = nickname

After winning the race and a small argument, Knockout and I part ways. Jack claims the whole back seat complaining of a headache from arguing with Knockout. Driving towards base I strap the three children in, preparing for an onslaught of shouting from Ratchet. I stop near the ladder and transform, placing Miko, Jack and Raf on the living room platform. Ratchet doesn't utter a single word, just looks beside me then back to me.

"Where have you been?"
"Out"
"It's been three hours, the children were missing"
"We went racing, no big deal"
"Y/n, we have been worried about them"
"Not like some random 'con will take off with them"
"Why wouldn't they? You're an easy target given your current state"
"Miss Darby, I think you should stop"

I move away from the railing and ladder, my arms crossed as I look between Ratchet and June. I look to my wheels and let out a deep frustrated sigh before letting my arms fall, relaxed.

"Ratchet give me some energon please, I'm going to recharge"
"You're not going anywhere Y/n until you explain yourself"
"Y/n, please go recharge"
"Thank you Ratchet, Goodnight Darby"

I skate off to my temporary berth room, drinking the energon cube on the way. I notice a name on each door, stating whether it's storage or a berth room. As I pass Smokey's room, I notice it empty and a note on the open door.

Y/n
If you're reading this.
I'm at the latest checkpoint race, starts at midnight.
Meet you there.
Smokey

On the back of the note is a map, marking where the race starts and the quickest route to it. I let out a small laugh as a smile plasters my face plates. I chug the last half of the energon and slowly skate back to the main room. Ratchet and June talking, most likely about me as I hear my name hushed out multiple times in one sentence. I slowly skate past and out the door as I transform, following the map I go off road to where the race starts.

"Hello Smokey"
"Hey N/n you made it"
"June annoying to you too?"
"How'd you guess"
"Long story, if she was a fly she'd be swatted"
"Oh, that's not nice"
"Meh"

I watch as the other cars line up, a briefing about what's in the race and where the finish is. A no rules race, more fun, we just have to go through every checkpoint. A guy comes around and places a camera on our hoods, evidence of us going through the checkpoints. I adjust my mirrors to see Smokey beside me and Knockout a few cars behind, I'm surprised he's here.


~~~Time skip to first checkpoint~~~


I speed round the corner sand through the first checkpoint, I notice Jack's enemy in front of me. He releases slick from under his car, I barley hit it and spin out.

"Y/n to KO and Smokey, slick ahead, I've spun out"
"Who did it?"
"Roger, first checkpoint?"
"Yes Smokey, Jack's lil friend Vince"

I try to take off but notice I'm bogged in some mud, Knockout speeds past dodging the slick, Smokescreen not far behind. I flash my headlights and Smokey stops, he reverses and drives down to where I am in the mud and ditch.

"Need help?"
"Funny, cameras are rolling though, just push me out"
"Almost forgot them"

Smokescreen pushes me out of the mud, of course he has to get stuck. I create some interference to the cameras; their blinking red light stops. I transform and help Smokescreen out, transforming back just as the lights begin blinking again.

"Couldn't you have don't that before?"
"Wasn't sure if it would work, plus there's a time limit"
"We still racing"
"Heck yeah"

I take off, leaving Smokescreen covered in mud and slick. He follows closely behind, mimicking my turns and speed. As we approach the third checkpoint, we see Vince's car in the ditch, awfully close to a tree. Only one 'con would've done that. We both stifle a laugh and race past Vince who's waving his hands in the air. I notice Knockout ahead of us, the other racers seemingly disappeared.

"Hey Knockout, where's the other racers?"
"Took a shortcut, skips two checkpoints"
"Not risking it"
"We can beat them"
"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but c'ya"

Smokescreen take off, leaving Knockout and I in his dust. After a small fit of coughing, I overtake Knockout and follow Smokey, Knockout following suit. The three of us passed the last four checkpoints, the shortcut racers still nowhere to be seen and the finish line in out sights. I dash past Smokey, the intention of wining in my helm. I notice I'm blocked in by Knockout on my left and Smokey on my right, we cross the line together. Shortly after we see the other racers come out of the bush, their cars dented and some paint missing.

"We have our winners people"
"Cheaters"
"Check their cameras"
"Where's Vince?"

The guy who put the cameras on our hoods at the start, removes them to show the race on a projector. Surprisingly Vince ran into the ditch on his own accord, befriending the tree for the rest of the race, as shown by KO's camera footage. People aww at Smokey helping me out of the mud, my camera glitching for a few seconds before showing the two of us back in the race.

"Come on out of your cars, we need to get some photos of the winners"
"Can there be three winners?"
"Don't see why not"

I activate my holoform, stepping out of my alt mode and sitting on my hood. Smokescreen and Knockout hesitate before exiting their alts in the holoforms, they walk over to me before we all fist bump.

"I won that by a second"
"No you didn't Y/n"
"Millisecond?"
"It's a three-way tie N/n"
"Dammit"

We all laugh at my childish attitude before we're crowded by the audience and other racers. A trophy is handed to me, I hold it up as the crowd cheers, Smokescreen takes it out of my hands and holds it above my head, Knockout grabs the other handle and laughs at my height. I climb onto my hood and push down on the trophy held up by the two. Multiple photos are taken before we all scram as the cops arrive.

"Hey Smokescreen, June will be pissed"
"Ratchet too"
"True, he did order for me to be recharging after giving me some energon"
"You're going to be grounded"
"Try me"
"Shall we speed through base to our berth rooms?"
"Never heard of a better idea to piss them off more"

We arrive at base, the doors barely open as we speed in single file. We dodge an angry Ratchet's pedes and speed into our berth rooms. Ratchet shouting at us to go back and explain where we've been, Optimus emerging from his room to see what the noise is as I fly past. Sadly, my berth room is beside his, I did a lap around base and skidded to a stop in Smokescreens room.

"Prime is probs pissed"
"Did a lap I see"
"And I'm not leaving"
"Good idea"

We barricade the door; Smokescreen gives me his bed as he recharges laying across the door barricade lounge. We fall asleep giggling and laughing at how much trouble we are in tomorrow.

Adventure Of A Lifetime (Transformers: Prime x Reader)Where stories live. Discover now