When All Lights Go Out I (TFP)

Chapter 21

Arcee rolled her optics in irritation and turned away from Jack. "I'm going on patrol."

Bulkhead looked at Arcee in surprise. "But Optimus told us to stay."

She turned and gave him a sharp frown. "When you're charge, you can call the shots." She glanced over at Bumblebee. "Bee, with me."

Bumblebee was surprised and grumbled. "Ugh...if I have to."

She turned towards the driveway before speaking to Bulkhead. "Bulkhead, you're in charge." She and Bee transform before they speed away, leaving the wrecker on his own with the kids.

Bulkhead seemed very worried about this, but he at least was not leaving. "So, uh...what's on the activities list?"

Just as he finished, there was a loud squeal from the speakers. Azura covered her ears as the sound hurt, and Bulkhead grimaced from the sharp sound. She looked down to see Miko had taken her guitar out of the case and connected it with the speakers. Azura was still wondering how she managed to bring those with her without her host parents noticing. That seemed kind of risky to her, but she wasn't going to ask the girl that at this time.

"How about band practice?" Miko asked excitedly with a smile.

"My ears..." Azura complained and looked down at the girl with a frown. "Band practice? What makes you think we are a band?"

"Azura's right," Raf agreed as he really didn't know if this was something he wanted to do. "We aren't a band."

Miko just chuckled as she glanced at Raf and Azura. "Why so antisocial? Come on, Raf, you play anything?" She asked as she walked over to the boy.

Raf hesitated for a moment before lifting up his laptop. "Um...keyboard?"

The girl seemed happy about the response. "Laptops and samples, good!" She looked over at Jack who was leaning on one of the speakers. "Jack?"

"I...sometimes mess around on the harmonica," Jack responded in an uncertain tone.

Miko walked over with a frown, unimpressed at his choice of instrument. "Do I look like I do country? Just cover yourself in fake blood and jump around screaming." She turned and looked up at Azura. "What about you, Azura? Do you play anything?"

She rubbed the back of her head shyly. "I...um...I do like playing the piano..." She pressed her fingers together nervously. "But there is no piano here, and I don't know how to play anything else."

"Maybe we can convince Optimus to let you have one," Bulkhead suggested with a smile. "I know he would fully support you playing the piano."

"Oh, well. No piano, no problem! Just jump around screaming like Jack." She looked at Bulkhead with a smile. "Bulkhead, percussion!" The wrecker seemed a bit nervous about being pointed out by the girl. We'll go for big, industrial sound. DIY, we're a band!" She was so enthusiastic about it, even though no one really was interested. "You just gotta learn the songs. This one's a ballad. Mafist, your face!"

Miko began to play her guitar, and Azura covered her ears as the volume had been turned up so loud, and the echoing from the guitar was not helping at all. She saw that none of them were enjoying it, and she did not know why Miko didn't read the room. But no one was trying to stop her either. She thought about running to her room when the lights began to flash and she heard the sound of the proximity sensor going off. She didn't even know when that started, but she knew it meant Fowler was coming. And she was grateful, because it meant Miko had to stop playing her guitar.

Bulkhead glanced up when he realized as well. "Woah, woah, woah!" He ordered, holding his hand out to tell her to shut it down.

Miko just smirked at Bulkhead when he spoke to her. "Come on, you can't handle raw power?"