After the rescue team left went in the GroundBridge, Raphael inquired about the technology and what it was. Grumbling, old Ratchet explained to the kids nonetheless.
GroundBridge is a weaker version of SpaceBridge. The team didn't have enough resources or power for space travel, so Ratchet designed the GroundBridge, which allows the team to travel all over Earth via teleportation.
But here's the annoyance - after this explanation, an error notification appeared on the main screen. This caused Ratchet to curse weak human technology. Raphael offered his help, however, pointing out that Ratchet was using rather outdated technology, even by human standards.
Raphael took out his laptop and connected it to the processor. With a few quick keystrokes, he managed to resolve the errors on the main screen. The computer hummed back to life, fully operational once more. Ratchet looked at the boy in surprise, clearly not expecting such competence from someone so young.
"Not bad," he remarked, impressed by the boy's skill. "For someone your age, that's quite impressive. You're just a sparkling." (A/N: Cybertronian term for a child).
Raphael adjusted his glasses, a hint of embarrassment coloring his cheeks. "Thank you. This was actually pretty easy. The tasks that Mr. Dragunov friend gives me are much harder."
And it was true. Besides spending time at Rockwell's place, Raphael was also honing his skills. He had a knack for coding, so old man had asked a "friend" to provide Raphael with lessons.
These lessons broke down complex concepts and included tasks for him to practice.
Though Raphael had never met this mysterious friend, he was intrigued by his work. The friend's codes and inventions were fascinating, and Raphael often wondered if this person was wealthy, given the different devices he often found in his uncle's garage.
Dragunov's house, located on Jack Street at the town's edge, was unlike any other. It was a large, two-story house with white walls and a standard roof, but the interior was where it truly stood out. The decor and arrangement were futuristic, filled with high-tech gadgets and innovations. Every visit revealed something new and cutting-edge.
"How long have you known this Shape Shifter?" Ratchet asked, looking away from his monitor with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, how long, and why haven't I heard about him?" Miko chimed in, equally disgruntled.
Ah yes, Rockwell was not a average man.
It turns out he was some kind of alien. They noticed right away—after all, it's hard to miss someone who's nearly three meters tall. But there are tall people on Earth, too. Not so big though...
"A month, myself, but my mother know him since he got in Jasper. " Jack replied, glancing briefly at Ratchet. "And you've already seen him, Miko."
"I do? Hmmm..." Miko tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it, isn't he the one who's always scowling and never smiling?"
"Yes, Miko. With height like his, it's surprising you didn't remember him right away," Jack said sarcastically as he walked over to Rafael and sat down on the nearest chair.
" Well, duh...Im with big robots, my brain don't have time for memories! "
Jack just rolled his eyes at Miko's loud mouth. He spaced out for a second—Raphael was still tapping away on his laptop, Miko was touching everything she could get her hands on, and Ratchet hadn't budged from his work station.
He felt weird. Finding out someone you knew was actually an alien—yeah, that's pretty out there. But did it really change anything? No. Not unless Rockwell had been faking it the whole time. And honestly, why would he?
Everything had been real. The life advices he'd given Jack, the gift for his mom—all of it.
Thanks to that gift, Jack had his own "horseless carriage," as Rockwell called it. Sure, it was his mom's old car, but it beat having nothing. Rockwell had bought her a Mercedes GLS 450. A woman he'd only known for two months. After that, nobody was questioning whether he was genuine.
And then there was how he treated Raphael. From what Jack knew, Rockwell was like a teacher to him, family friend, somehow he befriended them – guy's got charm. If he smiled more, people would probably tell a whole different story about him.
"And so? Did he show his true form? Never liked shape-shifters; they're so hard to deal with," Ratchet pondered aloud.
"Ooh, could his real form be some giant eldritch horror?" Miko suggested with wide eyes.
"No, no, he didn't say anything, and he didn't show it!" Raphael shook his head. "Despite his intimidating appearance, he's very kind. He often talked about his homeland and childhood. He told me that because of problems he couldn't say, he can't return home."
"Ugh, another emotional human, but big this time..." Ratchet muttered, turning back to his device, eager to resume monitoring the life signals.
"I wouldn't say that, Ratchet. He's more of a man of action than words. He's rough, but there's a reason for that, and I'd like to know what it is," Jack explained, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Whatever it is, I'd like to turn into something like that too, but not into the Chamalien–..." began Miko, but Rafael interrupted her.
"Merlinisapien, Miko."
"Never mind. Better a dinosaur than a lizard
Or better yet, an Autobot!"
As if insulted to his core, Ratchet twitched. "Oh please, skin and bone isn't metal. That kind of shape-shifter doesn't exist—"
"Ratchet, open the Groundbridge at the present coordinates, now," came Optimus Prime's voice over the speakers.
Ratchet twitched instantly, tearing at the lever of the GroundBridge. The coordinates were already set, and he hadn't changed them.
The kids looked back at each other, sensing the urgency in Ratchet's movements.
Ratchet pulled the lever. The GroundBridge sprang to life, flooding the gray base with bright, swirling colors. The yellow car, Bumblebee, was the first to emerge, followed by the green car, Bulkhead, and then Optimus Prime.
A moment later, in robot form, Arcee and one very large robot ran through the portal.
Ratchet's eyes locked onto the dark Cybertronian. He braced himself, ready for whatever might come next. Even getting closer to the children, so that they can get them out of the way.
But seeing the calm demeanor of the team, he waited quietly for them to transform back.
"Whoa, it's a giant bot! It looks like a knight. Cool!" Miko exclaimed.
Ratchet ignored her, his attention focused on the team. He noticed the absence of Cliffjumper. "Guest aside, what about Cliff?" he asked seriously.
The mood plummeted instantly. The Autobots lowered their heads, their arms weakening. The weight of their silence was most evident on Arcee, whose expression mirrored profound sorrow. The dark Cybertronian beside her remained silent, his shield deactivating in his hands.
Warrior class, Ratchet thought grimly.
Miko abruptly cut in, completely oblivious to their moods. "What was that about? Was there a fight? What did you do? Can I come with you?"
Ratchet clenched his hand into a fist, his irritation reaching its limit, just like Arcee's. Backing away sharply from the dark bot, she bellowed, "Look—"
But she was interrupted by a very low and velvety voice. " Miko," said the large dark bot. His dark paint synergized well with the base's shadows as he laid his shield on his back and crossed his arms over his chest. His battle helmet was on, but even so, his gesture of raising his index finger to his mouth was clear. A little quiet.
The bot knew the girl's name and addressed her with a familiarity that caught Jack's attention. He noticed a dark green dial on its large chest plate. "Mister Rockwell?" Jack said a little loudly, drawing enough attention to himself. Ratchet looked at Jack, then at the bot. The bot nodded.
Amazing, Ratchet thought.
So called "Mister Rockwell" continued when he realized everyone was looking at him. "Please continue, Autobot Arcee," he addressed her, jerking his head in her direction to give her the floor. He then took a step away from the GroundBridge, under the peculiar stares of the children.
"That... That wasn't Cliff... at least not anymore," she said with difficulty, her voice heavy with emotions.
As she spoke, the dark bot moved a little farther away from the GroundBridge, positioning himself closer to the children and where Arcee was standing. "He was mutated... butchered... like in those Decepticon experiments during the war..." Her voice wavered, and the emotional toll became too much for her to bear.
"Arcee!" Bumblebee called out as she swayed, on the verge of collapsing backward.
But she never hit the ground. Rockwell caught her effortlessly with one hand, his grip gentle yet firm. He looked at her intently, his eyes unwavering. Recognizing her weakness, he supported her with a steady arm. Arcee glanced up at him.
She silently thanked.
Rockwell nodded, understanding the depth of her gratitude without words. He slowly moved her to sit on one of the crates, ensuring she was comfortable before stepping back. The children watched in awe.
"Ratchet! "
At Optimus' command, Ratchet rushed to Arcee and began to scan her, his blue sensor sweeping over her several times. His sensor turned red repeatedly in the arm area. He stopped there, reaching out to take her hand and focusing his optics. There was a purple slurry on the surface of the armor near her hand.
"What is that?" he asked cautiously.
"I don't know. Cliff was covered in it... leaking it...!" she mumbled weakly.
That was enough for Ratchet. He pulled out a scalpel and slowly scraped the purple slurry from her hand. He scrutinized the substance closely, his expression growing more concerned. The air around scalpel was tinged with purple miasmas, a dangerous sign.
"Go take a decontamination bath, now!" he commanded urgently.
Rockwell let Bumblebee take Arcee to the decontamination bath, since he didn't know where it was. He was eager to help his friend, so he willingly gave the task to Bumblebee.
As Arcee was led away, Optimus Prime finally took the time to address to bigger bot. He stood to his full height and said:
"Thank you sincerely for your help, Mr. Dragunov."
"Yes, worked like Wreckers!" - Supported Bulkhead, smiling slightly.
Rockwell lowered his head to look at Optimus. His battle visor retracted and he replied confidently:
"You're welcome, Optimus Prime."
"Please, just Optimus, Mr. Dragunov," Optimus said.
"If so, you are free to call me by my name as well, Optimus," Rockwell replied.
Miko turned to the large Rockwell with determination: "Mr. R, you're like werewolf, right? Can you be that dinosaur again?"
Rockwell raised a metallic eyebrow. How did she know about his Vaxasaurian form? She didn't seem to have been there when he... Ah, the boys must have told her.
Yes, this girl would be a problem for him in the future. Right now, he wasn't in the mood to indulge the child. Jack came to the rescue. "Optimus, I think it's time for us to go. It's 10 pm, we're have people worried about us."
"Earth customs, I hadn't thought of them. Good, you will be escorted. Bulkhead, you're with Miko."
"Understood."
"Yes! "
"Bumblebee will drive Rafe, and Jack.... Ratchet?" he turned to the medic.
"Busy," he replied without turning around, and an airlock opened next to him, from which Arcee stepped out.
"Arcee, you take Jack."
"Uh..." she grudgingly accepted the errand.
Arcee cast one last glance at Rockwell and then transformed, inviting Jack to take the wheel. When all three had left and he was left with Optimus and Ratchet, Rockwell turned to them:
"You deserve a rest, Optimus. I will return here shortly. I have one question, however."
"What is it?" - Optimus asked.
"If I'm not mistaken, there should be an elevator to the roof. Can you tell me where it is?"
"Of course," replied Optimus and pointed Rockwell in the direction of the elevator.
***
Rockwell Dragunov, already in his standard uniform, was walking down the path to Jack's house. He had successfully returned from the Autobot base by air, thanks to an abundance of DNA that allowed him to fly through undetected.
His ability to mimic Merlinsapien helped him avoid unnecessary observers. He had been using this method for almost a two month now, giving himself invisibility, which was very useful in his case.
Now he was on his way to Jack's to check if he got home safely.
As he approached their house, he noticed the open garage, a light on and heard Jack's voice.
Stepping out of the corner, Rockwell turned to the boy: "Jack." calmly he said, not entering the garage.
"Mr. Rockwell!" the guy remarked to him.
After addressing Arcee, who took the form of a motorcycle, he said: "Autobot Arcee." When there was no response, he continued: "I am sorry for your loss."
Arcee responded emotionally, "What could you possibly know about loss?"
"?"
He had lost his family.
Lost his home.
Lost himself.
"It's good that you got home. Have a good night, Jack. Autobot Arcee."
Then he walked away.