Why do I do what I do?

[knightslegacy]

Who: Kitt. Oh, and anyone who wants to talk to him.
What: Discussions of deep portent. Or not.
Where: Outside Saint Fallen Hospital, where Kitt is making sure Mikaela is healing well.
Summary: Stubborn AI is stubborn, as ever.
Notes: Some people don't have the luxury of signing up to be a hero. They just get built for the job.

Comments

[bringstehnoise]

On his way to visit Mikaela, Will noticed the black car loitering outside the hospital. Two years ago the presence of a normal looking automobile near a public building would not have been enough to raise any warning signs in the major's head. Ever since the Cybertronians had entered his life, however, Lennox had found himself giving anything mechanical a suspicious glance.

On an unrelated note, his therapist had just bought a new Porsche.

There was still a bit of time before Sarah was supposed to meet him, and Will decided to give the car a closer look. It was probably just another innocent resident of this strange city, but there was a chance that it could be something else.

Moving closer, Will had to wonder if the car was a Cybertronian, why it was remaining in vehicle mode. It wasn't as if looking like a earth car really helped to blend in here.

"Hey there, do you need help with anything?"

[knightslegacy]

Something in the man's manner reminded him of Mike. Perhaps it was the way he stood. Body language.

It certainly wasn't the clothing.

He did, however, recognize the voice. The man had broadcast on the network. He hadn't answered because he had been busy searching for Mikaela and the broadcast hadn't warranted a response from him, despite some vague recognition of the format of the man's address.

"No," Kitt answered simply, in his usual neutral tone. "You are Major William Lennox. Did you locate your 'birds'?"

There was a slight pause before the codename - such words always sounded awkward in Kitt's voice.

His scanner swept slowly, inside to outer edges, outside to in, the red light reflecting against the black of his hood.

[bringstehnoise]

Voices coming from seemingly normal cars had long since lost their ability to startle Will, and he simply nodded to the vehicle. Its tone seemed more emotionless than the average Cybertronian he had met, but he supposed given the nature of this place he couldn't expect the same traits to hold true across the board.

"Yes, that's me." Grinning a little at the mention of his code he added, "Most of them, though I haven't filled the coop yet."

Tilting his head at the strange red light coming from inside the car, the major tensed slightly, ready to bolt if an attack came. When none manifested he relaxed slightly and said, "So, are you from around here, or did you get dragged here to?"

[knightslegacy]

"As you have termed it, I was 'dragged here.'" Again, those words sounded slightly off. It wasn't technical terminology, after all, and he had been programmed for precision. "I am from Earth."

That, Kitt knew, would surprise the man. It seemed to surprise all humans here when he informed them of his origins. But that was for the best. It meant the secret of the SSC and FLAG had been kept well.

[bringstehnoise]

"Really?" Will replied, intrigued. He'd known Sector Seven had been working on some experiment in terrestrial transforming vehicles, but he'd never heard of anything like this car. Though he reminded himself that the car might not even be from his Earth.

"Well, it's nice to meet another Earthling, uh..." Will trailed off as he realized he didn't know the car's name.

[knightslegacy]

After a moment, Kitt realised that Lennox was missing a name. "Kitt," he answered. "The Knight Industries Three-Thousand."

There was no obvious Knight Industries or Knight Research badging. Just the Cobra here and there that denoted him as a Shelby at the least.

[bringstehnoise]

"Ah, nice to meet you Kitt," Lennox replied. Why did Knight Industries sound vaguely familiar? It was probably just his imagination.

"So, are you waiting for someone?"

[knightslegacy]

"Yes. I am waiting for Mikaela." Matter-of-fact but gentle enough to be almost personable. "She was suffering from symptoms of exhaustion as well as her broken wrist when I found her."

The good thing about being parked where he was, all he had to do was back away a certain length when the sun began to lower, and he could continue charging, and just before him was Mikaela's room. Easily within sensor range.

[bringstehnoise]

"You're the one who found Mikaela?" Will asked. "I guess I owe you thanks then. Mikaela's important to a lot of people."

[knightslegacy]

"She is," Kitt agreed. "But there is no need to thank me. One of my programming directives is the protection of humanity."

Which was an understandable compulsion, and one he didn't really mind - especially compared to some other programming bits he knew about.

[bringstehnoise]

"Doesn't mean I can't feel grateful you were there," Will replied. Kitt did seem more mechanical than the Autobots, but he'd saved one of the people under Lennox's command, and that endeared him to the major in a big way.

[knightslegacy]

"I see." Yes, Lennox definitely reminded him of Mike.

Almost eerily.

"The gratitude is... appreciated."

[bringstehnoise]

"I'm glad," Will replied with an easy smile. "Do you want me to let Mikaela know you're here?"

[knightslegacy]

"She knows I am here. I brought her here, and the window before me is her room."

He'd watched on his sensors as she was taken to a room and positioned himself accordingly. It was what Knight AIs did.

[bringstehnoise]

"Well, alright then, but if you ever need help with anything, don't be afraid to look me up." Will smiled and shrugged. "My job back home is to protect the inhabitants of Earth, and I'm not planning on stopping just because I'm here."

[knightslegacy]

"It is appreciated."

He was meant to work alongside a driver. With how Lennox reminded him of Mike, it was possible that, between him and Mikaela, he would be well set for functionality.