Tough Love

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

"Steeljaw was the one who always had us moving. I was perfectly content with staying in one place, not that we've ever found one I particularly liked enough."

"You'll be fine cooped-up in the Bunker?" Bumblebee questioned as he raised an optical ridge. "Staying in the same place for days, maybe even weeks or months, without going outside or straying from the property?"

"I've done it before. Never had to go far unless I deemed it necessary."

"Right... I nearly forgot, with your former profession, you rarely got your own hands dirty. You had a whole bunch of muscle to go out and do stuff for you."

Thunderhoof flinched at Bumblebee's words. He narrowed his optics and clenched his fists, taking what he heard as an insult.

"Don't mean I didn't do my fair share! Some tasks were apparently too difficult for my subordinates. Ain't that the reason for the saying? If yous want somethin' done right, then yous got to do it yourself?"

The Autobot and the Ex-Con's glares remain unwavering.

"Bumblebee, what are you two talking about?" Heatwave demanded, then pointed to Thunderhoof. "Who is he, really?"

Resigned to the inevitable, Bumblebee vented and answered.

"His name is Thunderhoof, and he used to be a mafia boss back on Cybertron."

The other Autobots and the humans all stare at him, eyes wide and mouths agape. They remain quiet as Bumblebee continues.

"When I was reassigned to Earth, he was one of the many Decepticon prisoners that escaped when the prison ship Alchemor crash-landed, damaging their stasis pods and releasing them. He was one of the strongest, more clever Cons my team and I had to deal with, as well as one of the most stubborn and temperamental ones. He was caught and escaped multiple times, and he was sentenced to trial, but then the whole Decepticon Island thing came up, one thing led to another, and now here we are."

"Not breaking rules on purpose, for once," Thunderhoof mentioned, trying to stay on the Autobots' good side, something he would never have ever considered under literally any other circumstance.

"True..."

"But isn't this, like, harboring a fugitive or something?" Kade interrupted, starting to freak out.

"That's certainly unsettling to think about when you put it like that," Graham said, averting his gaze and rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're telling me!" Dani said, wrapping her arms around her body.

Cody didn't say anything. Yes, he backed away from Thunderhoof when his criminal background was brought to light for them all to know, but he didn't go very far. He stood by Steeljaw's daughter, who appeared quite invested in whatever's happening.

"Bumblebee, I trust you, we all do, but are you certain of this?" Chief Burns asked.

The addressed mech lowered himself to one knee until he and the human were almost eye-to-eye.

"Honestly, no, but as of right now, Griffin Rock is the safest place for both Thunderhoof and the sparkling. I wouldn't ask you to do something like this unless I felt like it was the best option of any available. They can't return home, and they certainly can't go to Cybertron. I don't know of any other planets I would trust leaving them on. Earth is my best option, and considering how good you all are at holding secrets..."

Bumblebee let his gaze wander, being sure to focus on every rescue team member present.

"I'm positive you'll have no trouble keeping them safe and hidden from any outside dangers."