Thunderhoof didn't question how they were getting back to Griffin Rock, for he was too tired to pay attention. Once they were out of the facility, Optimus transformed and offered Thunderhoof his trailer to rest in during the journey. At first, he didn't think he would fit. Not in root mode, anyway. Both he and Bumblebee transformed and drove into the trailer, doors closing behind them and plunging them in darkness. Thunderhoof felt his spark race in a panic in the enclosed space. A low rev sounded behind him.
"It's alright, Thunderhoof, we're safe now," Bumblebee reassured.
"I know," the Ex-Con replied, not at all convincingly. Inside, he felt Steeljaw's daughter kneading, either to comfort him with her presence, or to mold his seats into a comfy bed.
"I just..."
"You want to go home," Bumblebee stated.
". . . Yeah, I do. I don't want to be stuck on Earth again. I don't want to be a human's science experiment. I don't want to be stuffed in a stasis pod and locked away on Cybertron. I don't want to travel the universe and explore or do anything else. I just want to go back to my little piece of paradise. Back to Nova Terra and those idiots."
"Which idiots? You're going to have to be more specific."
"Who the frag else do yous think I'm referrin' to? Steeljaw and Phantomjaw, for Pits' sake!"
"Ah. Right."
"I know they ain't the stupidest 'Cons around, I'll admit that, but they drive me insane!"
"True, and from what I've seen of Phantomjaw..."
"He's a great big pain in my aft! So annoying! I don't know if I hate him or Steeljaw more!"
"Depends on the day, huh?"
Thunderhoof revs his engine, making his frustration clear to Bumblebee. The yellow and black mech chuckles, knowing the rivalry between the Cervicon and Steeljaw is almost on the same level as his own rivalry with the blue/gray Lupicon.
"Well, get some rest. I don't know how long until we reach Griffin Rock..."
Thunderhoof instantly fell into recharge.
***
A spark to his system jolts Thunderhoof out of recharge. When he awakens, he panics, feeling the walls on either side of him, trapping him in such a way where he can hardly move, reminding him of the cell at MECH. The memories trick him into thinking that he's still there, that he and Bumblebee weren't rescued at all.
What if he never escaped?
What if he never saw anyone ever again?
"Thunderhoof?"
"Yip Yip Yip!"
The combined voices of Bumblebee and the pup were able to break through the cloud that had encased Thunderhoof's processor, bringing him back to reality. Light poured out from behind, illuminating the trailer's interior. On his seats stood Steeljaw's daughter, familial yellow optics focused on his dashboard.
"Thunder..." Bumblebee tried again.
"I'm awake!" Thunderhoof snapped, starting to back up out of the trailer. "Tell me we're back?"
"In a manner of speaking."
"Do I even wanna know what yous mean by that?" Thunderhoof asked, exiting the trailer and, after letting Steeljaw's daughter out first, transformed. He swayed on his pedes, desperately attempting to ignore the flare of burning pain in his back.
"There's a quicker way of getting you to Griffin Rock without any fuss," Heatwave said, gesturing to the space around them.
Thunderhoof took in the high ceilings, polished floors, plain walls, and numerous Cybertronian technological inputs.
"Where are we?"
"One of our mainland bases, and that's all you need to know," Heatwave responded gruffly.
"One of..." Thunderhoof stopped short. "You know what? I ain't gonna go there. No longer my business to know what yous Autobots do on this planet."
Flanked by Optimus, Thunderhoof followed the Rescue Bots to wherever they were going, though his gaze was trained on the ground, as he noticed the pup's tendency to disappear then reappear seemingly at random.
Eventually, the group enters a large, dark room, occupied solely by a bridge and its controls.
"Quick travel, how useful," Thunderhoof commented.
"Very..." Heatwave vented. "Let's go home."
"Oh, I've never been happier to hear those words!" Blades cheered.
"Indeed," Chase agreed.
"As much as I would like to accompany you all, I am afraid I must attend to business elsewhere on Earth," Optimus stated, drawing away from Thunderhoof. "Agent Fowler and I have much to discuss about this latest incident."
"Good idea," Bumblebee nodded. "I certainly don't want to deal with that craziness again!"
"At least we'll be returning to a craziness we know how to deal with," Boulder jokes. He approaches Thunderhoof with a smile on his face and offers his arm.
"If you still need help, I wouldn't mind."
Thunderhoof didn't have the energy to argue. He slouches against Boulder with a heavy vent and allows himself to be guided to the bridge.
"Will you be returning to Cybertron, Bumblebee?" Optimus asked his former scout, but his gaze is focused on Thunderhoof. "I suggest that you go see Ratchet, and perhaps escort him to Griffin Rock so that he may help Blades and Boulder with Thunderhoof."
"I will..." Bumblebee trailed.
"What is troubling you?"
"I'll let you know once I actually, you know, know."
Not waiting for a response, Bumblebee hurried after the Rescue Bots and Thunderhoof, leaving a somewhat perplexed Optimus Prime behind.
***
"Ah, home sweet home!"
"Nothing gets better than that."
"I can't wait to see Dani and Cody and everyone! It feels like it's been forever!"
"I concur, as the search was more grueling than I expected it to be."
While the Rescue Bots talked, Thunderhoof tried to stay awake and keep his attention on the bitlit. He doesn't understand why he keeps seeing Steeljaw's daughter blink in and out of existence. Not even half an hour ago, he would have thought himself delirious and blamed his faulty optics on his recent trauma. Then he noticed Bumblebee, who was also looking at Steeljaw's daughter, and with the same amount of scrutiny as himself.
"You guys are back!"
"Promised we would."
"Welcome home!"
"Those words mean so much to me right now, you have no idea!"
"Oh boy, that doesn't sound good."
"Were things really that bad?"
"We'll tell you later."
"Maybe not all the details, though."
"Well, we're just relieved to know you're all safe and sound."
"Thanks, Chief."
"Hey, where's Boulder?"
"Right here, Graham," Boulder said, entering the room with Thunderhoof and Bumblebee.
"Thunderhoof! Bumblebee!" Cody exclaimed, his smile growing wider.
"Thank goodness you two are alright!" Dani breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright is a bit of a stretch," Thunderhoof grumbled.
"Are you guys hurt?" Graham asked, concerned for their well-being.
"Nothing a trip to Ratchet's wouldn't fix," Bumblebee vented. He shot Blades a sheepish smile.
"Sorry, Blades, but Optimus suggested that I go to Ratchet, then bring him here to check on Thunderhoof."
"Oh, it's fine, Bee! Not a problem!" Blades waved-off.
"But if you needed to go to Cybertron first, why are you here right now?" Kade asked.
Everyone looked at Bumblebee. He averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his helm.
"Something's been bugging me all day. I haven't been able to get it out of my head until now..." Bumblebee faced Thunderhoof. "It's about Steeljaw's daughter. Mind if I try something?"
". . . So long as the bitlit ain't harmed," Thunderhoof relented, taking a seat on the floor.
Bumblebee took the answer in stride. He kneeled next to Thunderhoof and scanned the room for Steeljaw's daughter. He spotted her sniffing around one of the sofas.
"Hey, pup, over here, girl!"
Steeljaw's daughter perked to attention, wide golden optics locking onto Bumblebee. Her tail and ears twitched. When Bumblebee beckons her again, she runs over.
"Good girl!" Bumblebee praised, giving her helm a little pat. "Thank you for earlier, by the way. Thunderhoof and I would have been in a lot of trouble if you hadn't found us."
"Yip! Yip!"
"The Rescue Bots tell me it was all you. Did you find us all by yourself?"
"Yip!"
"Can you please show us how?"
For a minute, it seemed as if Steeljaw's daughter didn't understand. She took a step back and tilted her helm. She blinked and looked around the room. For some reason, the wall piqued her interest. She paces the length of it, sniffing and pawing and growling at it.
"What is she doing?" Bumblebee questioned.
"I dunno," Thunderhoof shrugged.
Steeljaw's daughter chirps happily. She crouches, wiggles her haunches, and jumps, but instead of slamming head first into the wall, she just disappears.
Her entire body phased through solid matter.
She jumps back out into the open seconds later and faces the crowd, looking as happy as can be, her tail wagging a mile a minute. Everyone else remains silent and frozen in place.
***
"What are you kids up to?" Chief Burns asked, walking over with a tray of drinks.
"Looking for a name for the pup," Cody said, not tearing his eyes away from the dictionary in his hands.
"I thought she wasn't going to be named until..."
"I'm makin' an exception! I don't care! Steeljaw can be mad if he wants!" Thunderhoof interrupted, giving his charge loads of attention to prevent her from going anywhere.
Chief Burns hummed as he passed the drinks around his children. He was wondering when things would become too much for Thunderhoof. Based on reputation alone, he honestly thought the Ex-Con wouldn't have made it this far without losing his temper.
"Her name can always be changed later, before she gets to a certain age, right?" Dani said.
"That's assuming she doesn't become attached to it," Kade points out.
"If anything, this is for our benefit," Graham said.
"Whatever makes ya feel better," Thunderhoof muttered. "At least yous won't be on the receivin' end when Steeljaw and Ramulus find out."
"I'll make sure Steeljaw behaves himself," Bumblebee retorts, drinking from his...
Primus, Thunderhoof lost count of how many Energon cubes the yellow and black mech has gone through.
"And Ramulus?"
Bumblebee took a good long sip from his cube.
"I don't want to go there."
"Those 'Cons sound like real pieces of work," Heatwave voiced from his seat further down.
"Ramulus ain't a 'Con," Thunderhoof corrected.
"Then that 'Con and his associate sound like real pieces of work."
"Yous have no idea."
"Okay, enough, you two," Bumblebee chastised.
"I got it!" Cody exclaimed, jumping to his feet in triumph.
Everyone gathered around Cody, who pointed to a singular word in his dictionary, and once Thunderhoof learned what it meant, knew it was the one.
"Specter... I don't think there could be a more perfect name than that."