TFP: Ballad of Dodger (Book 1)

Flying High

Out on a desert road, Dodger was out on patrol, Thomas was tagging along with him.  As they were patrolling and listening to music, they were talking about last week's events.

Thomas: It's shame we couldn't get that energon harvester thingy.

Dodger: I know, but better having it destroyed than let Starscream have it.

Last week, Bulkhead and Miko discovered a fresca in Greece with an Energon harvester on it, this device allows for the extraction of energon without the need for mining equipment, pretty handy when the energon source in inaccessible.  Unfortunately, he and Miko also had a run-in with Bulkhead's old rival, a big blue Con mech named Breakdown.  The bots and their human friends tried to recover the harvester from a museum.  Unfortunately, Breakdown crashed the party with another Con, a cherry red mech, and the Con's chief medic, Knockout.  While Knockout and Breakdown kept the Bots busy, the kids tried to get the harvester out of the museum, only for it to end up in Soundwave's hands, the raid also ended with Miko caught by security. 

Bulkhead returned to the scene of the fresca, only for Starscream to use the harvester on him!  Even with Bulkhead's energon being drained from him, he still managed to destroy the harvester.  As for Miko, she had to wait for Agent Fowler to bail her out, while the rest of the team put a harvester duplicate in the museum, as to make it look like the real one was recovered and returned to the museum.

Thomas: You know Bulk, he can take who-knows-how-much punishment and still come back for more!

Dodger: Thats Bulkhead alright!  No wonder he's a Wrecker.

Thomas: Oh Yeah.  But being a Wrecker didn't protect him from the lecture Optimus gave us about that racing incident.

Dodger: Now you know why we don't race...

Later in the week, the school bully, Vince challenged Jack to a race on Arcee, she went along with it 'just this once' though, and they kicked his bumper.  However, when Vince challenged Jack to a rematch, Arcee wouldn't go for it, so he went with Bumblebee instead.  Unfortunately, Knockout and Breakdown showed up and kidnapped Vince, thinking he was one the Bot's human allies.  After a lengthly chase and fight, Optimus intervened and saved Vince who thankfully was unconscious the whole time.  After all was said and done however, Optimus gave the both the bots and humans a very strict talking-too.  When Optimus is disappointed, he knows how to drive home a point.

Thomas: Now I don't know what's scarier.  Fighting cons, or Optimus's lectures.

Dodger:  Fighting cons is a sinch by comparison.  Now, how about one more song while we head back to base?

 Thomas: Go for it!

As they listened to the song, Thomas wondered if this song suited his guardian, after all, his Ranger work sounds appropriate for the Old West.  Thomas figured that is just what Dodger is, a galactic lawman, and the Decepticons are bandits and outlaws to track down and be hog-tied and hauled in.

Once back at base, they saw the other bots and the other kids.  Thomas went up to the human area to see Raf working on one of his RC cars, and Jack and Miko playing Forza.  In the game, Jack was driving a Mclaren MP4-12C while Miko was driving a Ferrari 458.  As they raced and trash-talked eachother.  Thomas settled on reading more of 'The Hunt for Red October.'

(Outer space, near Earth's Moon)

An Autobot spaceship was rocketing through space searching for fellow Autobots, its pilot, a femme put the ship on autopilot while she monitored her scanners, soon she finds something on the other side of the Moon.  Only it wasn't Autobots, it was the Nemesis, and it detected her!