Twisted Cogs | | Bayverse | | Book 2

Chapter 1 | | I Just Wanted Coffee | |

"Our fears don't hide in the dark, the darkness hides them from sight to keep us from being scared."

★☆★☆★☆★☆★

"Come on, let's go. All hands on deck," Ron pushes his son out of the house, shooing the dogs in the dining room. "Frankie, Mojo, out. Come on, kiddo, we're on a schedule here."

"Slow down, dad," Sam complains, carrying a bag of stuff outside. "Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me, huh? Did you rent the room out?"

"No, he's got other ideas for your room and it rhymes with home theater," a young woman by the name of Toby Hills pops her head through the back door, a cheeky smile on her face.

In the two years since the Battle of Mission City, she has trained ruthlessly to work alongside her guardian and now takes her place as secondary Autobot medic. She still works as an inventor, her creations now gifted to her Cybertronian family to aid in the bringing down of enemy Decepticons. But she refuses to reveal the blueprints and schematics to the human side of NEST, knowing that it would be unwise to give humanity such power.

Her unique features, namely two bionic appendages, cause small difficulties in the way of leaving base, due to the inability to hide the metal armour without lengthy clothing. As a result, the woman only leaves base to visit NEST soldiers and people who know of her condition, such as the Witwickys.

"Exactly," Ron nods in agreement to her statement, shuffling past his son towards the car.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping?" Sam stops, questioning the weirdly energetic woman.

"Why do you think all your boxes are packed? I finished your room for you," she scoffs, used to staying up all night. She plays with the hem of her black NEST tee, adjusting the neck of the specially designed black leather jacket covering it. "Judy?"

"Yeah?" The elder woman sniffs sadly.

"Can I use your coffee machine?" Toby leans backwards in the doorway, gripping either side with her hands for much needed balance.

"Of course!"

"Thanks!" She pips cheerfully, sliding across the wood floor on her socked foot. With a small skip, she disappears into the kitchen, leather jacket trailing behind.

"Look what I found," Judy says, choking on her words. "It's your little baby booties."

"Oh, ma," Sam's voice becomes muffled, causing the young woman to assume that his mother has taken him captive in a hug.

"Oh, my little baby booty boy, you can't go," she whimpers, voice cracking from withheld sobs.

"You see this?" Toby pauses momentarily to listen, bum in the air as she reaches into the depths of the cabinet. "This is how you're supposed to react when the fruit of your loins goes out into the cruel world to fend for himself, okay?"

"Yeah, my heart bleeds for you, pal. College, bummer," Ron appears in her periferal, waving dismissively before taping up a box on the dining table.

Toby chuckles to herself, the rest of the conversation becoming background noise as she digs through the cabinets for coffee grounds. She has the unfortunate luck to look up at the family just as Ron smacks his wife's butt, and she sticks her head deeper into the cupboard to avoid seeing or hearing any more.