Transformers Short Story

Police Bot

Bluetrack flipped over the obstacle, chuckling to herself as the younger recruits copied her, right on her pedes. Bluetrack dodged one of the swinging sets and rolled gracefully to the side, jumping along the wall to gain some traction as she pushed herself closer to the finish line.  Another recruit jumped to the same spot, watching her movements with sharp optics. Bluetrack smirked, leaping to the ground and twisting in her pose, rushing to throw herself across the finish line. She dusted her frame off, turning to watch the other bots complete the course. Wedge fidgeted with his servos, watching the rest of the recruits pass the line in various forms of success, "Is everyone okay?" The blue femme who had been right on Bluetrack's tail smiled, buzzing with excitement, "That was awesome! We should have Bluetrack visit more often!" Her classmates shared looks before agreeing halfheartedly. Bluetrack chuckled, "That's just one of the courses we had to complete at the Police Academy." A orange mech groaned, "You mean there are more of those?" Bluetrack's optics crinkled kindly, "A few more but the Academy prepares you for them." The blue femme hung on Bluetrack's every word, prompting the police bot to send Wedge an amused look; the professor sheepish. Bluetrack checked her internal chronometer before winking at the drained students, "It looks like schools out for the day! It was nice getting to meet all of you. I hope you learned something about Police work this Career Week." Wedge nodded, tapping a few buttons before the course dissipated and some of the students let out ex-vents as it disappeared into the familiar white training simulator. Bluetrack hummed in amusement, watching the students rush out of the room to enjoy the start of their weekend. The blue femme lingered at the door, glancing back to her peers before hesitantly asking, "Do you think I could apply to the Police Academy?" Bluetrack smiled, "Of course, we take any and all willing recruits." The blue and white stripped femme opened her subspace and placed a challenge coin into the smaller femme's servos, winking at her, "Here, one of the Police Academy Coins, you've earned it. I saw your moves back there, you'd make a great Police Bot...when it gets closer to your graduation come talk to me at the station." The femme's optics went wide as she looked over the coin in awe. She cycled her optics before nodding excitingly, squealing, "Thank you!," before running after her fellow students. Wedge rubbed at the back of his helm with a thoughtful look, "She was really excited for you to come here, you know." Bluetrack rolled out her neck cabling with a small vent, "Well it isn't often "new blood" get to do some recruiting work, usually they send the retirees...puts it into a different perspective for them." Wedge nodded with a small chuckle, "I guess it does...how's the station treating you?" Bluetrack shrugged, "Not bad but definitely not where I want to stay...they've got me working under Strongarm." Wedge blinked, "Strongarm, really?" Bluetrack smiled at his wry tone, "Yeah, she's whipped me into shape, that's for sure...I honestly think the rest of my class are sitting cozy, pulling traffic tickets, while I'm out there chasing "cons."" Wedge quirked an optic ridge, "That sounds...exciting." Bluetrack rolled her optics, "Yeah not exactly what I had in mind, but I can't complain too much." Wedge nodded, perking up as another bot sidled into the open training room, "Hotshot! How'd the meeting go?" Hotshot rolled his optics, "A helmache that's how it went. Heatwave wants us to add more water rescues to the curriculum." Wedge tilted his helm, "Did you tell him we already have five more planned." Hotshot slumped down against the wall, his servos dragging across his face plates, "Yes!" Bluetrack chuckled at his display, "Still think it was a good idea to get hired on under Heatwave?" Hotshot groaned, "If he'd just retire already, he's getting old-" "-old?" Hotshot jerked up in surprise as Heatwave peeked his helm into the training room, his optic ridges quirked. Hotshot held his servos up in surrender, "Professor Heatwave! Old, what? I didn't say that? I was joking..." Heatwave rolled his optics at the sullen excuse, "It's just Heatwave, Hotshot and you're lucky I let you stay around." Hotshot huffed, "Well when you act like that all I can think of was when you were our teacher." Heatwave shook his helm, "Don't remind me." Hotshot blanched, "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Heatwave sent him an unimpressed look, "Don't you have papers to grade, Professor?" Hotshot opened his intake to retort but Wedge cleared his throat pipes, jerking his helm for Hotshot to cut it out. The red and yellow mech snapped his intake shut and stomped out of the training area and back to his classroom. Bluetrack muffled her laughter behind her servo, watching Heatwave's gaze soften as he watched the hotheaded mech leave. Wedge mused, "Reminds you of someone?" Heatwave's signature frown was back, "Don't start." Bluetrack hummed, "You're almost as bad as Grandcarrier-Ratchet." Heatwave rolled his optics, "At least I don't throw wrenches." Bluetrack chuckled, "True...speaking of him, I've got to run, thanks for letting me visit!" Wedge smiled warmly, "Of course! It was nice to catch up and of course the recruits learned a lot...I'll keep you in touch with Windsor; that blue femme." Bluetrack nodded, "You do that, it was nice seeing you all!" Bluetrack backtracked to the ground bridge, asking Elma, the resident program, to send her back to Cybertron. Elma's figure fizzled into view and she smiled, "Of course, Bluetrack, coordinates ready now! Have a safe travel back." Bluetrack waved as she entered the green swirl, walking safely through the other side and smiling at the familiar view of Cybertron. She dipped her helm to the bot manning the bridge before flashing her ID, getting quickly cleared as the bot recognized her. Being recognizable was a blessing and a curse. Ever since Bluetrack was a femmeling she felt the optics watching her. No matter how hard she tried to make her own name, the titles of her very successful family hung over her helm; leaving no room for her. Her spark-twin, Blitz, didn't share her discomfort, putting all his studies into practice as the top CMO at Iacon. Bluetrack shook her head with a small smile; she was extremely proud of him but sometimes it was hard to look at someone else getting the success you wanted. Blitz was quickly rising up in life. He had a great job, a great lifestyle, even a conjunx. Bluetrack's smile slipped as she passed a store, the advertisement a picture of the grand Hero's stature in the crown plaza in front of Iacon Halls. If she choose to stop and study it closer she could see the stone work of the entire Prime and N.E.S.T Teams; the founder's of the new era of Cybertron. Bluetrack only pushed past it, having memorized the members since it was first built in their honor. For two decades it had stood as a monument of hope for the reform but now it was just a large reminder of the past too. Bluetrack hurried down the road, slipping her visor on as the streets became more crowded the closer she veered to the Halls. The capital had become a popular center as soon as all the techs could be returned and now bots of all walks came to visit the grand site. Bluetrack circled around the growing crowds, slipping through to the building complex overlooking the Halls. She shook out her frame as she caught her breath, typing in the code to her hab as quickly as she could. She really needed to invest in one of these temporary habs farther away from Iacon. The doors snapped open and she clambered inside, ex-venting in relief when the cool air of her tidy hab hit her. She'd been living in Vaporex for the majority of her schooling; commuting to Iacon Police Academy, which was at the edge of the major city. But ever since she'd been tasked at Iacon Station 1; she'd been forced to live closer to home. Maybe she should take a page out of Blitz's book and forget caring about the family lineage.  Not to mention the great bots in her ancestry, there was always the looming threat of the new Prime to come. Although, Golden Prime, her carrier, wasn't anyway near retiring, it was commonly passed down to the family line. Bluetrack shuddered at that thought; she could care less about being a Prime and she knew Blitz felt the same way. But if it came too it, Bluetrack would wish it upon herself. Blitz had his whole life ahead of him and it seemed Bluetrack was stuck right where she was. She wasn't interested in a conjunx or even a partner and as for career goals;  she was working up her resume to apply for the royal guard positions. Unfortunately, that took years; which didn't make the stuck feeling disappear. Bluetrack shook her helm, dissipating those thoughts from her helm; she was only truly stuck if she let herself be. Bluetrack was already looking at transferring to neighboring planets to continue her police work; hoping the foreign work environments would stand out to the board. She pulled up her call logs on one of the larger, TV-like datapads in her living room. She scrolled through it lazily before selecting Ratchet's name, smiling warmly at the profile picture she'd chosen. It was a selfie she'd taken back when she was staying with her Grandcreators for a couple weeks during the summertime. She was smiling, carefree at the camera while Ratchet was in the middle of an optic roll. Bluetrack thought it was hilarious but Ratchet often tsked when he saw it in her call log. They'd gotten much closer that summer and now, she called her Grandcreators weekly to chat; something Ratchet swears he gets annoyed with but Bluetrack knows he secretly enjoys talking with her. The call went a few rings unanswered before it finally clicked through. Ratchet's passive face plates were in view and it looked like he was sitting at his desk in front of the window in his hab office. The sunshine looked illuminated the whites of his plating, making him look ten times younger. Ratchet adjusted the data-pad so it was sitting on the sill before giving her an imploring look, "Well?" Bluetrack ex-vented, flopping onto the couch, "It went good, one of the recruits, Windsor, seemed really interested in police work so maybe she'll apply to the Academy when she graduates." Ratchet hummed, leaning back into his chair, "When do they graduate?" Bluetrack tucked her arms behind her helm, "This next year." Ratchet hummed thoughtfully, "So not much longer...I bet the rescue bots are excited for a new team." Bluetrack huffed, her tone warm, "Yeah Wedge wouldn't stop yapping my audio fins off about them." Ratchet smiled slightly, "How's Medix?" Bluetrack cycled her optics, "A pain. You know I really thought the "Ratchet" attitude wasn't a real thing but Medix is even starting to sound like you...it's scary." Ratchet frowned slightly, crossing his arms to his chest plates, "The Ratchet Attitude?" Bluetrack blinked, "You know...that." She chuckled as she pointed to the frown settling on Ratchet's face plates. Ratchet only rolled his optics in response. Bluetrack let out a deep ex-vent, "Blitz is even starting to get it...is it a medic thing?" Ratchet shrugged, his tone amused, "That's one theory....have you talked to him recently?" Bluetrack wracked her processor for an answer, her optics ridges furrowed, "Not recently, no. You know I actually haven't even seen him in a while either...our schedules clash to much now." Ratchet pursed his derma, "I haven't seen him in some time, another one of the medic "curses." Bluetrack stretched out her arms, mirth in her tone, "I've talked to Catalyst more than I've talked to Blitz...that fragger, I think he's hiding from me." Ratchet chuckled as Bluetrack continued, "Catalyst called me the other day to gossip about Blitz with me-he--" The blue femme broke off into laughter, "----he called him a "good for nothing piece of scrap metal," cause apparently Blitz didn't want to deal with one of his patients." Ratchet smiled smugly, "Catalyst picked a mech, that's for sure." Bluetrack rolled her optics, "Tell me about it, I'm just glad he's got someone else to bother now." An unfamiliar emotion rolled across Ratchet's face plates but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. The older mech opened his intake to say something but was interrupted when the door to his office cracked opened. Ratchet twisted in his chair, a small smile on his face plates as he stared up at his sparkmate. Bluetrack smiled warmly as Optimus leaned down to enter the frame, his audio fins perked curiously at her, "Bluetrack." Bluetrack's field warmed, "Hey GrandSire, how's your day been?" Optimus placed a fleetingly peck to Ratchet's chevron before taking a seat next to the Medic, his optics light, "Very relaxing, I'm assuming you saw the crowds outside Iacon again?" Bluetrack rolled her optics at their affectionate display, her tone wry, "Makes me want to move back to Vaporex." Ratchet only ex-vented, slapping Optimus's servo away from his work on the desk, "The commute would be more of a helmache." Bluetrack fidgeted with her servos, "Yeah I checked out the route, wasn't looking forward to the hour tacked on due to traffic." Optimus perked up as if just remembering something, "Did you work today?" Bluetrack picked at her claws, "Yeah did a night shift before going to the Rescue Bots Academy, why?" Optimus hummed, "How was work?" Bluetrack gave him a wry smile, the knowing look on his face plates was confirmation enough that Strongarm sent him a call, "Strongarm said something, didn't she?" Optimus cycled his optics, "She may have." Bluetrack stared up at her ceiling as she huffed, "Why'd she complain about this time?" Optimus smiled softly at her wry tone, "Quite the opposite, congratulations on the promotion." It took a couple minutes for his words to register and Bluetrack whipped her helm to him in confusion, "What? What promotion?" Optimus blinked, sharing a look with Ratchet before glancing back to her, "The promotion to Captain." Bluetrack blinked dumbly at him, "You're messing with me." Optimus gave her an amused look and Bluetrack interrupted him before he could say anything smartassy, "Not your memo...you're sure that she was talking about me?" Optimus nodded and Bluetrack let out a deep ex-vent, "Jeez, that's one way to find out." Optimus gave her an apologetic look, "My apologies I didn't mean-" "-no, no that's okay, I just wasn't expecting that." Ratchet elbowed his sparkmate with a roll of his optics before turning back to her, "You should call Gold Line. She'll want to know." No one corrected Ratchet on the name, knowing he would call the Prime, Gold Line, stubbornly. Bluetrack hesitated slightly, something both Ratchet and Optimus saw. Ratchet tilted his helm, his tone light, "Is Gold Line being difficult because I will personally strangle her-" "-okay, okay thanks GrandCarrier...it's not that. You know Carrier, she's great...." Ratchet hummed, "But?" Bluetrack shuffled through her processor for the right words, "But...she's also....the Prime." Ratchet sent her a deadpan look, "And you're just now figuring that out?" Bluetrack gave him a dirty look, "GrandCarrier!" Ratchet chuckled softly, "Okay, explain." Bluetrack ex-vented, "It's not that big of a deal." Ratchet gave her a wary look, "Is this the same thing that was bothering you the last time you called?" Bluetrack hummed, amusement in her tone, "Should I be concerned with the fact that you're actually paying attention?" Ratchet huffed, glancing to Opitmus and the two seemed to share something over their bond. Bluetrack only rolled her optics and continued with a bite to her tone, "Captain isn't anything comparable." Ratchet's face plates hardened, "To what?" Bluetrack threw her servos out, motioning vaguely as she flopped back into her couch, "Our family." Ratchet quirked an optic ridge, "And you think we still wouldn't be proud?" Bluetrack winced, sobering up slightly as she corrected, "No, I think everyone would be proud, but don't you ever feel compared?" Ratchet thought over her words for a few minutes, "No. I don't feel that way...-ep, ep doesn't mean I don't understand...Bluetrack, this family is filled with amazing bots, that includes you. No matter how big or small you think your accomplishments are, we will always be proud. No one is comparing you...I don't even know where you got that notion." Bluetrack shifted her armor, rubbing a servo down her face, "I couldn't shake the feeling." Ratchet rolled his optics, "What do you think Gold Line or Blitz would say if you told them that?" Bluetrack stared up at her ceiling, "The same thing you said. huh? Guess I can add smartassy to our list of traits." Ratchet muttered something along the lines of, "Primus help me," under his breath before motioning towards Optimus, "We're both extremely proud of you and your brother." Optimus dipped his helm in agreement, "We only want you to live your life they way you want Bluetrack." Bluetrack mimicked his words, "The way I want?" Optimus blinked, his tone soft but firm, "I do not wish my trials on anyone; had it been my choice, everything would have been very different. Every blessing comes with it's own drawbacks Bluetrack, we are no more accomplished than the rest of the bots crowding Iacon." Ratchet gave Optimus an incredulous look out of the corner of his optics, adding his own words, "We will support you, whatever you choose to do...as long as you don't become a Wrecker." Bluetrack gracefully settled into a seated position, laughter spilling out, "Don't give me ideas!" Ratchet's expression soured, "I wasn't joking." Bluetrack quirked her optic ridges as she teased, "What, didn't like it when I was hanging out with Jackie?" Ratchet gave Optimus a glare, "Wheeljack continues to be a thorn in my side." Bluetrack glanced to a framed photo of herself and the Wrecker on her coffee table, "He's not that bad, he helped me built that tool box you liked." Ratchet only scoffed, "If by "helping" you mean exploding the thing ten times, then yes he did." 

Bonus:

Bluetrack moved through the upper levels of Iacon's Royal Palace, feeling only slightly displaced within the mansion. She turned the corner and headed towards the balcony, nudging the soft wash of curtain aside. She blinked and froze, feeling as though she had just interrupted what was most likely a infrequent quiet moment for the Prime. Golden Prime didn't stir, her audio fins were clicked down and her closed optics looked over the small botanical garden below. Bluetrack settled against the wall, observing her Carrier curiously. The Prime was relaxed, her frame leaned over the rail as she ex-vented softly, the sound gentle. The plating along her spinal struts were relaxed unlike the usually flaring and even the bio-lights on the femme's abdominal plating were twinkling merrily. The Prime straightened to her full height gracefully, opening her one blue, one green optics to gaze out over the property; looking past everything to endless distance. The noticeable white ring around Golden Prime's optics was eerily absent; meaning the Matrix was whirring undistributed in her chest plates. The sun cast over her frame, brightening the whites of her plating in an almost exact look as Ratchet's. Bluetrack had always thought Golden Prime looked youthful but now more than ever, the blue femme could forget the maturity in her form. Bluetrack had almost forgotten what Golden Prime looked like without her responsibilities; musing that the Prime hadn't always been a Cybertronian Leader. Golden Prime's audio fins perked up, "My, my it must truly be my lucky day if Bluetrack is coming to visit...means I don't have to personally track you down." Bluetrack didn't miss the teasing tone in her Carrier's voice but the Prime didn't turn from her position. The Police Bot hummed, moving to the Prime's side and leaning into her plating, "A lot on your mind?" Golden Prime's optics landed on her and Bluetrack softened as the familiar colors swirled to dissipate the white starting to thread back in, "I was just questioning whether or not my daughter is here to say goodbye." Bluetrack glanced out to the garden, her own one blue, one green optics cycling as she commented, "Not a goodbye, more like a change of pace." Golden Prime only hummed, "So where will my femme go?" Bluetrack glanced to where Velocitron could be seen, a speck among the sky, "To Velocitron...I heard they were in need of a royal guard." Golden Prime quirked her optic ridges, glancing to the planet, "You'll have a servoful with Swerve then." Bluetrack chuckled at her Carrier's fond tone, "If I can handle Ratchet's personality and Catalyst's gossip I think I can give him a try." Golden Prima turned her fond look on the blue femme, her voice softening, "You should tell you Sire before you go...tomorrow isn't a lot of time." Bluetrack opened her intake to ask how the Prime knew her leave dates when she could only laugh, "Ultra Magnus told you." Golden Prime's audio fins twitched, "He did." Bluetrack only rolled her optics, "I already talked to Sire, he was a little more difficult to convince." Golden Prime slung her arm around the younger femme's shoulder plating, tugging her closer so they were both overlooking the terrace, "He only wants the best for you...besides he's a little upset about all his sparklings growing up." Bluetrack huffed, "Jetstorm and Slipstream are still here, so's Blitz and Miko's on Earth." Golden Prime's plating reshuffled comfortably, "As much as we are proud of you for finding your own way, we are also sad to see you go." Bluetrack nudged her helm into her Carrier's side, mumbling, "Thanks for making it harder." Golden Prime's laughter was light, making Bluetrack smile despite herself, "I'm excited for you, I know your going to do great things there little birdie."