Chapter One
Wheeljack met Optimus, playing it cool. He knew the larger mech was one he wanted to fight beside, but on his own terms. As much as he liked the Autobot crew, he preferred to march to his own orders, so to speak. He was not a creature that liked to be ordered around.
"I'm honored to have met you all, but I really must be going. There are a lot of 'Cons out there to crush." Wheeljack chuckled, giving them a short salute before turning to go. He nearly stepped on Miko and May, the two humans having got right under his pedes.
"Can't you stay a little while? We barely got to say a thing to you!" Miko mewled, fussy as always. Bulkhead did nothing to stop her this time around, also wanting Wheeljack to stick around for a little longer. He knew his old friend was not one to be tied down by anything, but he thought it would be good for the mech to get some time around his comrades.
"I-"
"Can't you stay a little longer? Just for a few Earth days?" May begged, giving him the best pleading look she possibly could muster. Wheeljack groaned and leaned against one of the base's walls.
"Alright, fine. But you have to let me go after a few days. I have a lot of important things to do."
"Glad you're here with us, Jackie." Bulkhead laughed, clapping his friend hard on his back plating, nearly denting it. "Now let's have some fun!"
***
Wheeljack played along, trying not to crush some of the humans by accident as he sparred with Bulkhead. He wasn't sure what made the little creatures so annoyingly stupid when it came to getting to close, so he decided if he stepped on one, it was their fault, not his.
'Aww, you can't mean that! The one they call May is kinda cute...' Wheeljack thought, dodging a hard hit from Bulkhead's fist. 'I wouldn't want to step on her. And if I messed up Bulkhead's pet he would probably be pretty angry...'
"Hey, Jackie. You okay?"
"Huh?" Wheeljack asked, coming out of his daze. Apparently he had been so clumsy the other mech had noticed.
"You seem to be distracted."
"Well, you know how it is...I have a lot of stuff on my mind, Bulk. It's just how I am."
"How about a drive, then? I am sure May and Miko would like that." Bulkhead laughed, seeing the two girls watching them closely. Wheeljack tried to ignore the look from May, not wanting her to think he was too interested.
"Alright, alright, we can go for a drive." he laughed, seeing Miko out on the poutiest face he had ever seen anyone-human or Cybertronian make.
The little group made their way out of the training room to be met with shouts fro, the other Autobots. Apparently they had an unwanted member of the Decepticons hadn't right for their base. Wheeljack drew his swords and rushed outside, leaving Blukhead and the humans behind for a few moments.
"Starscream." he growled, watching as the sly aerial transformed and stumbled a little, one leg mangled pretty badly and his left wing hanging at a nasty angle. Whatever fight he had gotten into hadn't gone over well for him. He gave Wheeljack a nervous look, skittish as ever.
"Please! Have mercy on me! I just barely escaped!" Starscream mewled, wringing his long claws as he limped a little closer. Wheeljack wasn't going to buy it, keeping his swords pointed at the dangerous mech.
"And you really expect me to believe that kind of slag? We all know you're Megatron's glitch..."
"I am NOT!" Starscream yelped indignantly, unharmed wing pulling back to show he was aggravated. It didn't take much, it seemed. "I am just here looking for help now that I am a rogue. Optimus Prime certainly wouldn't turn me away. He had a good spark, unlike some." Starscream said nastily, aiming the insult at Wheeljack who merely shrugged it off.
"Well, we can't all be perfect. But since Prime isn't here to save you, I can put you out of your misery nice and quick. How does that sound, 'Con?"
"No! Please!" Starscream squealed as Wheeljack lunged at him, only to he held back by a strong servo.
"That will not be necessary, Wheeljack. I will take things from here." Optimus's powerful voice declared, offering a servo to Starscream who was now giving them the most pitiful expression he could muster.
"I need your help." he said softly, trying to be as innocent and cute as possible. It made Wheeljack sick but it seemed to work well enough on the Prime.
"There is always a place to stay in our ranks." Optimus assured, leading the way back to base with Starscream in tow and Wheeljack taking up the rear. "Once you have been repaired we can discuss the next course of action." he advised, somehow finding it in himself to trust the mech that was so well known for being traitorous. Primus help them.
'Ya know, we might even need Unicron to help us. Anything we could get to rid ourselves of this menace would be nice.' Wheeljack thought as he shut the door to the base tightly behind him.
