Deputy William Fowler simply wanted to enjoy his donut and coffee on a nice Sunday morning, but fate always finds a way to interrupt. Just as he went to take his first bite, someone knocked on the window of his cruiser. Holding back a string of curses, he reluctantly put the window down.
"Oh, well if it isn't June Darby!" Fowler said, his sour mood immediately changing once he saw it was her. He put his arm up on the windowsill and smiled at her. "What can I do for you, Ms. Darby?"
"I can't find Jack or his friends! They've been missing since yesterday afternoon!" June exclaimed.
Fowler quirked a brow, then reached for his notepad. "Where did you last see them?" He asked while fetching a pen.
"They were right there in the backyard! Oh god, those dragons must have taken them into the forest!"
"Dragons?" He echoed in disbelief.
She vigorously nodded her head. "Yes! They just showed up out of nowhere!"
He put the notepad down and sighed. "June, there is no such thing as dragons. It's all a fairytale. The kids probably got curious and wandered into the woods. Jasper's a small town, they'll come back sooner or later." He said nonchalantly.
She grabbed his arm. "I know what I saw, Fowler." She asserted with a fierce frown. Then, worry overtook her expression once more. "Can you please just help me look for them? They couldn't have gone far."
He thought about refusing since she seemed crazy, but a little voice in the back of his mind told him to check it out just in case. So much for enjoying donuts and coffee.
"Alright, alright." Fowler waved his hand at her. "Hop in. I'll give you a ride back."
She clasped her hands together. "Thank you!" She hurried around the front of the cruiser and got into the passenger side.
Once she was strapped in, Fowler pulled away from the curb and headed down the road towards her house.
*
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*
"Smokescreen, you need to widen your stance. Do you want to get knocked over by your opponent?"
Smokescreen rolled his eyes at Ultra Magnus. The commander was getting on his nerves. "No, but Bee's too small to knock me over!"
Bumblebee huffed and glanced away dejectedly.
"Don't let him get to you, Bee! You got this!" Raf cheered.
Ultra Magnus let out a long sigh. "While I admire your confidence, this kind of behavior will only result in death or injury if you aren't careful. I'm only trying to teach you the right way."
"Ugh, you sound like Ratchet!" Smokescreen scoffed. He zeroed in on Bumblebee again and rolled his shoulders. "C'mon, Bee. Come at me!"
"You got it, Bee!" Taylor exclaimed from the sidelines as she sat with Jack, Miko, and Raf.
Bumblebee took a moment to refocus. He met Smokescreen's gaze and crouched low to the ground, wiggling his haunches like a cat preparing to pounce. He waited for the exact moment Smokescreen stepped off his line and nimbly leapt to the side.
Smokescreen misjudged Bumblebee's move completely and fell right into his trap. A yelp escaped him as he was tripped and sent flying into a thorny thicket.
Taylor and the other children broke out into laughter while Bumblebee stood proudly.
"Good work, Bumblebee." Ultra Magnus praised, a rare smile gracing his features. "You analyzed his attack pattern and used it to your advantage. Keep working on it. You'll make a fine soldier one day."
Bumblebee wagged his tail excitedly as he stood at attention. "Thank you Magnus, sir!"
Meanwhile, Smokescreen tore himself free from the thorns with a wince and trudged back over to the group.
"Smokescreen—" Ultra Magnus began.
"I know, I know. I'll work on it." Smokescreen cut Magnus off before he could continue. Then, he perked up a bit. "Hey, did you guys hear something?"
"Hear what? I didn't hear anything." Miko said. She was too wrapped up in weaving blades of grass together to really pay attention.
Ultra Magnus lifted his head, listened for a moment, then took a hesitant sniff to check the air. His entire body went rigid within seconds, his spines standing straight up like hackles.
"Stay behind me." He uttered firmly, bounding over the children to obtain a protective stance.
Smokescreen and Bumblebee ducked behind the much larger commander, knowing better than to ignore his warning.
Ultra Magnus was a solid wall of blue, white, and red scales as he stood between the undergrowth and the young ones. His lips curled back in a silent snarl and his tail lashed back and forth anxiously.
A few bushes rustled just ahead of him, prompting him to sink his talons into the dirt. He held his ground as the crunching grew closer and closer...
And then—surprisingly enough—two humans stumbled into the clearing. One wore a navy blue uniform and the other a sweater and jeans.
"Mom?!" Jack immediately spoke up upon seeing his mother appear with Deputy Fowler at her side.
June's heart flooded with relief when she saw the children, but she was more distracted by the massive dragon baring his teeth at her.
Fowler reacted to the threatening display by instinctively grabbing his pistol and pointing it at Ultra Magnus. "What in the Sam Hill is that?!" He shouted, absolutely terrified and unsure of what to do.
A rumbling growl rose in Ultra Magnus's throat once he saw Fowler's weapon. He took a menacing step forwards, flashing his ivory fangs.
"Wait!" Taylor scrambled to get in front of Magnus before he did anything to Deputy Fowler. "Don't hurt him!"
"He has one of those weapons!" Ultra Magnus snarled. "Leave our territory before I tear you and your companion to shreds, human."
"Fowler! Put the gun down!" Jack shouted as he peeked around Ultra Magnus's leg.
Both Fowler and June stood rooted in fear, cowering before the massive dragon that was Ultra Magnus.
Taylor knew she had to do something before the situation spiraled out of control. She ran over to where Fowler and June were standing and put her hand on Fowler's gun, pushing it down.
"They're just scared. They don't mean any harm." She told Ultra Magnus, prayed he'd believe her.
Ultra Magnus hesitated for a split second, then reluctantly allowed himself to relax and relinquish his aggressive behavior.
With the situation diffused, Taylor felt like she could breathe again.
"Jackson Darby, just what do you think you're doing all the way out here with... with.... dragons?!" June sputtered out of fear and anger.
"I told you we'd get caught." Raf mumbled under his breath as he sheepishly adjusted his glasses.
"It wasn't my idea!" Jack tried to argue, but June obviously wasn't buying it. "Look, we're doing just fine out here! I don't really see the problem."
"Yeah! The Autobots have taken good care of us!" Miko chimed in.
"Well the Autobots are not your parents!" June fired back with her hands on her hips. "What would they think? They must be worried sick!"
"Um... I have a few questions—" Deputy Fowler tried to say, but was swiftly cut off by the quarreling mother and son.
Meanwhile, Ultra Magnus had just about had enough. He gave a warning growl to silence them, then spoke. "Unless you wish to continue arguing and put us at an unnecessary risk of being discovered, I suggest you come with me."
June and Fowler exchanged shocked glances before feeling inclined to agree to Magnus's demands. It wasn't like they had much of a choice anyway.