𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐌

『10』

      Riley wakes up to her phone ringing. She groans in annoyance and grabs it, assuming it's Bobby and goes to hang up but a different name appears on the screen.

      ~Peter Parker~

      With a huff Riley answers. "Hello?" She says her voice is still groggy. "Hey Riley- ah, are you okay? You sound sick." Riley yawns and sits up on her bed. "I just woke up." Riley runs a hand through her hair and cringes. She needs a shower. "You did? I mean, it's one in the afternoon." Riley hums and stands up. She notices Bumblebee is gone and frowns.

      "Yeah, well not all of us are early morning risers Parker." Peter laughs through the phone. "Well I wanted to ask if you wanted to meet to work on the project. It's due on Friday." Riley nods and flops back down on her bed. "Yeah sure. I'm free today. Four works for you?" Riley notices the cupcake on the table and frowns. She was foolish to make that wish. It's never going to happen.

      "Yeah, my place or yours?" Riley raises an eyebrow and looks around the warehouse. "Uh, definitely yours." She nods. "Yeah, yours for sure." Riley hears a strange 'fwip' noise on Peter's end followed by a grunt. "You okay?" she asks.

      "Yeah! I'm fine! My place? Okay, I'll tell Aunt May. Bye!" Then he hangs up. Riley sighs and sets her phone down. With Bumblebee gone she'll have to walk to the school. She breaks in on occasion to use the showers there. Riley grabs a piece of notebook paper from her backpack and writes Bumblebee a note to where she is going.

      Leaving that out Riley gets dressed and grabs her duffle bag containing her necessaries for a shower and walks out of the warehouse. She puts her earbuds in and blasts 'You're Gonna Go Far, Kid' by The Offspring in her ears. While she makes her way over to the school a commotion begins around her, but her music keeps her too preoccupied to notice.

      An armoured car swerves and flips over. It's built up speed sends it tumbling toward Riley, but she remains unaware. Suddenly something slams into her from the right, lifting her off her feet and knocking her earbuds out of her ears. "What the fu-!" Riley looks up to find Spider-Man swinging her away. She looks back to find the car crashed right where she had stood.

      Spider-Man drops Riley and swings back over to the armoured car right as two guys with machine guns step out of the cars and begin firing at the red and blue clad hero. "Hey, didn't your moms ever tell you it isn't nice to shoot people?" Riley cringes at his bad banter and notices he can't get close enough to them without risk of getting shot.

      She could just walk away, but her damn inner drive tells her otherwise. Riley growls and tosses her duffle to the ground and starts making her way over to the armour car. Spider-Man lands on a building facing her and sees her approaching one of the shooters. She puts a hand to her lips, telling him to be quiet about it and he nods.

      From his last encounter with her he knows she can handle herself. Riley points at one guy and then to herself. She points to the other guy and then Spider-Man. He nods and waits. Riley sneaks up behind her guy and jumps on his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and grabs the machine gun.

      He cries out in shock and the other guy looks at him. Spider-Man uses his moment of distraction and swings down, kicking him away. Riley continues to struggle with the guy for the gun, but using her weight, flips him over and uses the momentum to yank the gun out of his hands. She points it at him as he gets to his feet and raises an eyebrow at him.

      He puts his hands up and Riley glances behind him to see Spider-Man approaching. The other guy is webbed to a wall and his gun just out of his reach. "Hey buddy!" The gunman turns around and Spider-Man webs him up. Riley lowers the machine gun and looks at the gunman with a smirk.

      "That was pretty impressive." Spider-Man admits. Riley looks at him and shrugs. She hands him the machine gun which he takes and webs to the side of the armoured car. "That's I guess. It looked like you could use some help." Spider-Man crosses his arms. "I had it handled." Riley makes a face at his lame attempt to make his voice bigger than it is.

       "Uh huh." She nods slowly, not believing it. "Well, I gotta bounce." Riley walks over to her duffle bag and picks it up, sliding it on her shoulder. Spider-Man runs to her side and sirens approach the scene. Riley has to get out of here. "Wait! I can give you a lift to wherever your going." Riley eyes Spider-Man and then back in the direction of the sirens.

      It's either chance being recognized and arrested or go with the guy in the unitard.

      Riley sighs and nods. "Alright, fine. Midtown High School." Spider-Man grabs her waist and shoots a web at a nearby building. Riley wraps her arms around his neck so she doesn't slip and just a minute later he lands in front of Midtown. Riley scoffs and looks at Spider-Man. "Damn, you don't have to deal with traffic. You must be able to get places pretty fast." She compliments.

       Spider-Man shrugs and rubs the devices on his wrists. "Aw shucks." Riley snorts a laugh. "Well thanks." She starts walking to go around the back of the school. Spider-Man swings away and Riley quickens her pace to get around back. She picks the lock to the back entrance and slips inside.

△

       Riley whistles as she walks through the school, her shower over with. She doesn't only break into the school because it is the only free shower she has access too, but it brings her back to the fun days of hunting. Breaking into places gave her a thrill that she misses, but that's behind her now. She has a responsibility to the autobots now.

      As Riley nears the back exit of the school her phone begins ringing. Her burner. She pulls it out expecting to see Bobby's name, but for the second time that day she is surprised to see a different name.

      ~Jo Harvelle~

       Riley raises an eyebrow. Now that's a name she hasn't thought of in a while. She answers the phone and walks out of the door. "Jo?" She questions. "Riley!" Jo answers excitedly. Riley chuckles. "Hey, how have you been?" Riley sees Bumblebee parked next to the curb and sighs in relief. "I should be asking you that question." Jo says sadly.

      Riley deflates as she enters Bumblebee. "I'm doing better than I was. But you didn't call me to ask how I was." Riley raises an eyebrow. "Unless Bobby had you call me." Bumblebee starts his engine and pulls away from the curb knowing Riley will want to go back to the warehouse before anywhere else.

      "No, it's just me. Look, I need a favor. Mom and I had a falling out. There's a hunt and I can't do it alone." Riley frowns. "A hunt? I haven't gone on one since before-" She doesn't need to finish her sentence. "You haven't? Bobby and my mom thought you ran off to do it on your own." Riley raises an eyebrow. So Jo had spoken to Bobby, or at least Ellen did.

       "No, I've been busy with," Riley glances at Bumblebee's stereo. "Other things." She shakes her head. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to go at it one more time. It's been awhile since you and I have seen each other anyway." Jo sighs in relief. "Thank you Riley. I'm in Youngwood Pennsylvania, do you think you can make it here?"

      Riley purses her lips and nods. "Five hour drive. Yeah I can make that." Riley glances at her watch. 3:27. She has to meet Peter at four. "I've got something at four, but I'll head to you right after."

      "Thank you Riley. I'll text you the address to the hotel I'm in." Jo hangs up and Riley looks at her phone. Ever since she ran she hasn't seen anyone from her hunting life. This may be hard for her.

RILEY IS BACK INTO THE FAMILY BUSINESS AND JO IS MAKING AN APPEARANCE!