Nexus. A random corner with couches. Sleep traveling?
Wakejumper had passed out on Ironhide, listening contentedly to the rumble of the old black Autobot's engine. He was wakened by a different rumble, one so deep that it made his circuits vibrate.
Frowning, the youngster lifted his head to find that he'd somehow gone from using Ironhide for a berth, to using a great big black cat mech for a pillow. Furthermore, he didn't recognize his surroundings at all.
He sat up, feeling a chill of fear course through him, then meeped softly as the deep purring of the cat broke off and was replaced by a rough growl. Two dark optics smoldered at him, and he meeped again as he realized that the strange mech wore a Decepticon sigil on his forehead. His staff was out in a heartbeat, and he gathered one leg under him.
The cat snorted and spoke with a deep, smooth voice. "Put that thing away, kid. I gave up eatin' Autobot small fry when I moved in with my creator."
"I'm not small!" Wakejumper paused. "Who's your creator?"
"Jazz." The cat rolled over and stretched hugely, then flipped back onto his belly and scanned the area around them. "I'm Dreadnought. Who're you?"
"I didn't know Jazz had any kids...." Wakejumper frowned. "But if you're Jazz's kid, why are you wearing the Decepticon Symbol?"
Dreadnought sighed and stood up, tail lashing. "Because I'm a 'Con."
"But... aren't you gonna change? If you're living with Jazz, that means you're at the Autobot base?"
"Different realities, kid. It's not your base." The older mech's voice took on a slight edge. "You see that bowl over there?"
"Yeah...." Wakejumper glanced at it, and then went back to frowning at him with confusion.
"Go get one of the things in it so I can send you home."
More frowning, but the youngster complied, holding out the odd little thing that looked like a watch for a human to wear. "You didn't answer my question."
"No. I didn't. Because it's none of your business." There was no anger or sharpness directed toward Wakejumper in the reply, though the young Autobot could see that something had the big Decepticat on edge.
"But...." He blinked as Dreadnought spit out another little device and activated it. "Uh... what's that?"
"Coordinate scanner." The black mech poked it with a claw, then nudged it toward Wakejumper. "Plug it into your PINpoint."
"My what?"
"The thing outta the bowl." An irritated growl rumbled beneath the words.
"Right." He plugged it and watched as the PINpoint beeped and flashed its screen. "Okay, now what?"
"Gimme the reader back 'n press the green button."
"And what will that do?"
"Blow you into little bitty nano bits." Dreadnought winced and looked away. "Sorry. It'll take you home."
"Howcome you're so grumpy?" Wakejumper frowned at him.
"Stuff." The black mech 'ate' the scanner, then gave Wakejumper a look. "Scram."
"But."
The growl that rumbled out at him made his hand contract convulsively, and the next thing he knew he was back in the rec room at home, landing skidplate first on a startled Ironhide.
Frowning, the youngster lifted his head to find that he'd somehow gone from using Ironhide for a berth, to using a great big black cat mech for a pillow. Furthermore, he didn't recognize his surroundings at all.
He sat up, feeling a chill of fear course through him, then meeped softly as the deep purring of the cat broke off and was replaced by a rough growl. Two dark optics smoldered at him, and he meeped again as he realized that the strange mech wore a Decepticon sigil on his forehead. His staff was out in a heartbeat, and he gathered one leg under him.
The cat snorted and spoke with a deep, smooth voice. "Put that thing away, kid. I gave up eatin' Autobot small fry when I moved in with my creator."
"I'm not small!" Wakejumper paused. "Who's your creator?"
"Jazz." The cat rolled over and stretched hugely, then flipped back onto his belly and scanned the area around them. "I'm Dreadnought. Who're you?"
"I didn't know Jazz had any kids...." Wakejumper frowned. "But if you're Jazz's kid, why are you wearing the Decepticon Symbol?"
Dreadnought sighed and stood up, tail lashing. "Because I'm a 'Con."
"But... aren't you gonna change? If you're living with Jazz, that means you're at the Autobot base?"
"Different realities, kid. It's not your base." The older mech's voice took on a slight edge. "You see that bowl over there?"
"Yeah...." Wakejumper glanced at it, and then went back to frowning at him with confusion.
"Go get one of the things in it so I can send you home."
More frowning, but the youngster complied, holding out the odd little thing that looked like a watch for a human to wear. "You didn't answer my question."
"No. I didn't. Because it's none of your business." There was no anger or sharpness directed toward Wakejumper in the reply, though the young Autobot could see that something had the big Decepticat on edge.
"But...." He blinked as Dreadnought spit out another little device and activated it. "Uh... what's that?"
"Coordinate scanner." The black mech poked it with a claw, then nudged it toward Wakejumper. "Plug it into your PINpoint."
"My what?"
"The thing outta the bowl." An irritated growl rumbled beneath the words.
"Right." He plugged it and watched as the PINpoint beeped and flashed its screen. "Okay, now what?"
"Gimme the reader back 'n press the green button."
"And what will that do?"
"Blow you into little bitty nano bits." Dreadnought winced and looked away. "Sorry. It'll take you home."
"Howcome you're so grumpy?" Wakejumper frowned at him.
"Stuff." The black mech 'ate' the scanner, then gave Wakejumper a look. "Scram."
"But."
The growl that rumbled out at him made his hand contract convulsively, and the next thing he knew he was back in the rec room at home, landing skidplate first on a startled Ironhide.