[ti]Ep 2[/ti]It's not a total CATastrophe [Closed]

[Bumblebee]

~Week 3, Day 2~
((This thread will have the majority based inside the Autobot base, it only starts outside the base. Just so there's no confusion as to why this thread is located where it is.))
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Give the new guy a tour. Sure. Sure I'll do that. Aint like I was watching cartoons. Nope. I'll do it. Whatever.

Bumblebee didn't see the point in 'tours' – it wasn't like there was much around here in this sleepy little town in the middle of nowhere. It was pretty impossible to get lost, and with the use of GPS navigation, ground bridges and comms? This whole thing seemed silly. Still, an order was an order. Show the new guy around the area. But stay close, and no messing around. Easy enough, right?

He drove slowly through the town of Jasper, not wanting to draw too much attention to the fact there were /two/ muscle-cars driving through the area. That was pretty much impossible, though. How could they not? The people of Jasper were used to Bee's altform, given that he picked up Raf on an almost daily basis – but this other Bot's altform sure got a few stares and second glances. It made Bee actually kind of jealous.

He made a point to show off the key locations. Starting with the school, the kids' houses, KO burger, and the hospital, should anything ever happen to the humans, that was the place to go, and was a good place to remember. There were a myriad of other stores that were of little to no importance to the Autobots – so he didn't point them out.

::As you can see, aint much here. S'real easy to get around. Pretty near impossible to get lost. Try to remember the places I showed you. Especially the school.::

His tone was formal, almost serious, as he spoke over the comm. He wanted to make sure this guy took everything in. It /was/ important, afterall, even if Bee didn't think so. All in all, it was a short but efficient tour. He'd done his job, showing the newbie the important landmarks - and they still had lots of time to kill before they were due back at base.

::We got some time to spare before we're supposed to be back. How bout I show ya something more fun? Aint too far from base.::

Tone still serious, although if Jazz was paying attention he may have picked up the slight emphasis on the word 'fun'.

Since Jazz had arrived at base, Bee had a nagging question. It was evident the other mech was built for speed, just as Bee was, but just how fast could this guy go? And could Bee go faster? Bee couldn't resist finding out, and once they were out of the town center and on the road back toward the base? He was gone. Tires skidding, and a cloud of dust left in his wake. A not so subtle challenge to see if the other could keep up.

So much for not messing around.

He drove fast, straight past the entrance to the Autobot's base – although he did not stray too far from there. He veered left off the road a short ways up. The area he led Jazz to, was hidden from the main road. The one good thing about Nevada was the landscape, and there were plenty of dunes and rocks to hide this little nook.

The area was flat, with little to no vegetation. The only sign that someone had been here were the skidmarks and footprints left by Bumblebee. There were blackened areas that if one looked hard they could see, although there were obvious coverup attempts – brown and orange dirt scraped roughly on top to hide the black. Seems this was a 'training area' of sorts for Bumblebee. He used it for target practice, and general training. One that due to the 'No leaving unless in a pair' rule, he hadn't had chance to use in a long while. Maybe this could be the start of something beautiful, having a training partner would be much welcome. And due to the fact that Jazz seemed to give Bee a run for his money? The competition and drive to do better would be constant motivation.

He shifted forms, rolling his shoulders. Door wings fluttering some as he settled, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Brilliant blue optics squinting some, adjusting to the light.

--Ya did good keeping up with me.. What did you say your name was again?--

[Jazz]

     Jazz could be silent and observant when he needed or wanted to be, so while Bee was busy showing him around this place and that, Jazz was as quiet as a cyberfox during the hunt, with barely the rumble of his engine sounding from under the hood of his alt mode. His sensors picked up the varying fluxes of sensitivities and anything else that seemed odd enough to him to make note of. He wasn't one to keep quiet about his opinions if they meant something important but this was neither the time nor place to speak up. Last thing he needed was to explain to OP how he'd managed to get separated from his guide and risk any trouble to the other bot.

     ::As you can see, aint much here. S'real easy to get around. Pretty near impossible to get lost. Try to remember the places I showed you. Especially the school.::

     :: Check :: Did the sprite think he couldn't remember things? Jazz may have had some age lingering around in his processor but he wasn't at a point where he would be considered -that- ancient and he verbally chuckled after the comment. He WAS a data collector for a good chunk of his time before the immediate war outbreak so all of this information was being stored just as it would have been back on Cybertron. Bumblebee was quite young in comparison to him, though, and he wondered when he actually had been operational. Best that he knew as little about Jazz as possible for the time being anyway...

     ::We got some time to spare before we're supposed to be back. How bout I show ya something more fun? Aint too far from base.::

     Fun? Jazz was all for that. What he wasn't expecting was for the other bot to kick himself into full gear and gun it. Was he trying to outrun him? The dust thrown back at him was more than enough of a hint to what he was going for. He'd been warned to be careful and not draw attention to himself or whoever he was with, especially after the first incident, but what was a little fun between two vehicles? Perfectly normal in this organic-run planet according to some of the shows he'd been watching through the internet that Ratchet had tried to keep him away from.

     When Autobase was bypassed and the younger bot took off, Jazz hung back for a moment or two- not from being thrown off, but instead to take in the surroundings. Once things were clear there came the squeal of tires and Jazz threw out some of what his alt mode had to offer. The sports vehicle followed suit with the muscle car only a few stretches away from him and closing the gap that had been created from the delay. The saddest part was that it didn't last long enough for Jazz and when the other stopped and shifted out of his alt mode Jazz mirrored the motion, limbs twisting into place and waist rotating him to the correct facing with movements that one would have guessed to be a little more for show than practical given all the flips and spins. For Jazz it was, and a slight skid with his left pede brought him to center and looking out at the desolate landmark before him.

     --Ya did good keeping up with me.. What did you say your name was again?--

     He picked up Bumblebee's words as he took a couple steps forward, knee joint creaking as he did so. His helm turned in Bee's direction, showing that he was staring right at him even though he didn't have optics to focus.

     "I didn't before, sorry. The name's Jazz. Didn't tell ya sooner since ya seemed a little on edge when we left. I'da hate to have ruined your mood more by talkin' when ya weren't down with'it."

[Bumblebee]

Bumblebee hummed in thought, turning to watch the other bot as he shifted out of his alt form.. Show off... And nodding once. Arms folding across his chest as he sized up the much older Mech. Okay, so Jazz was fast. Bee was impressed at how quickly he'd managed to catch up despite the moment back there where he'd seemingly given Bumblebee a second or two head start. Maybe he was a little jealous, but that wouldn't stop his ego, or crush his pride. If they were racing properly, Bee had no doubt that he'd kick this guys aft. Besides, Bee had won the 'race' here.

...If one could even call it a race...

"I didn't before, sorry. The name's Jazz. Didn't tell ya sooner since ya seemed a little on edge when we left. I'da hate to have ruined your mood more by talkin' when ya weren't down with'it."

--Aah. Nice to meet ya, Jazz. I'm Bumblebee, but ya probably heard of me already. As for earlier I.. Aah. Yeah.-- Slag. Was it that obvious he didn't want to give the tour? --Ya didn't ruin my mood. Just didn't see much point in a tour. On a Saturday. Got stuff to do.-- he trailed off some, nudging at the dusty ground with his foot. --Sorry.--

Cartoons were very important, and Saturday meant the weekend – one of two days where he got to spend most of the day with Raf. Sigh. There would be repeats of the cartoon at least, and Raf diiiiid have a lot of homework to do today, so he couldn't be distracted by Bee. Jazz was lucky.

One hand dropped to his side, the other rubbing the back of his neck. Awkward.

--Anyway! So. This area. Uh..-- He suddenly felt embarrassed, nobody had seen this makeshift training area before except Bumblebee. But he'd been so eager to get back here and play that he hadn't really thought too far ahead. Now here he was with this newcomer. He lowered his other arm, giving it a quick shake before motioning outwards to the vast space. There were dirt ramps, and a small wall made of tires – this had obviously been built for racing as well as training and target practice.

--Ya like racing?-- A stupid question, given what Bumblebee had just seen from Jazz, but he was curious if the other bot was even trying back there, and, well, a proper race on this course that he knew off by heart? It was perfect. Plus if Jazz did like racing, it meant Bee had an excuse to come out here more often and show off.

[Jazz]

     Jazz couldn't help but to chuckle a bit at the younger mech as he stumbled around his words and quickly diverted his gaze to the dirt he was moving around, clearly as result to his change in demeanor being caught on to. He went on with his conversation and the word 'Saturday' was taken note of. Jazz hadn't been around long enough to understand the importance of these 'weekends' to organics but since everything that seemed enjoyable happened during those two days, it seemed to be something Jazz would be looking into more in his observations.

     The conversation moved on and Jazz turned his helm to the location that Bumblebee was indicating. He took in the obvious way that it had been previously set up to be something of a training center. A place like this was not unfamiliar to Jazz. He'd been through such a place during training sessions within the Guard, both to push their alt modes above and beyond any logical stretch as well as to hit targets while in such ridiculous speeds. They were meant to be serious but Jazz and his team usually made a game of it. Didn't seem like this was going to be any different considering it was the little guy on the team who had brought him here.

     --Ya like racing?--

     That only made it even more clear to him and he looked back to Bee.

     "Racin'? Yeah. It's a good way ta train gettin' your wheels turnin' quick in case ya gotta scoot your boot in a hurry." Jazz smirked some then looked out at the track with one hand finding its way to settle on his hip. "Can't say I've been as of recent so I probably got enough rust on these ol' joints of mine to make Ratch cringe." He didn't think they were here to sight-see so he started to walk towards the track, his door-wings flicking a bit behind him as he rotated his shoulders. "Guess we can kick some dirt off the track if you're up for it. Ain't nothin' wrong with a lil' fun once in a while and no one's gotta know if it ain't gonna hurt nothin'."

[Bumblebee]

Bumblebee fidgeted awkwardly some, noting Jazz's chuckle. That was a good sign, right? He'd hate to have come across as more annoyed than he actually was. At least this other bot didn't seem too upset or put off. He didn't mind giving tours, as pointless as they were - but he hadn't been given much notice before this one, and he had been in the middle of watching something. The “I'll do it later” whining hadn't worked this time. Why couldn't this have been done on a weekday...

Oh well, at least this guy seemed cool. Maybe this would all be worth missing an afternoon of cartoons for. Seemed like Jazz didn't need much coaxing into a potential race, and it'd been a while since Bee had had any real fun around this place. Maybe this was just what he needed.

"Racin'? Yeah. It's a good way ta train gettin' your wheels turnin' quick in case ya gotta scoot your boot in a hurry." 

--Exactly!-- His tone chipper now as he followed the older Mech toward the track. He'd missed this place. It didn't look like much to an outsider, but to Bee? This was an escape of sorts. He'd spent plenty of time here trying to better himself, able to train and do timed laps without anyone interrupting or watching. He himself may have been a little rusty, there's no way he could beat his old records, but he was oh-so confident in himself that he could show off and beat Jazz with ease. --Rust? You? Naah. Like I said! Ya did good keepin' up. If ya that worried though, I can let ya have a headstart, or let ya do a test lap so things are fair. Wouldn't want to beat ya at a race and have ya get disheartened.-- The slight cockiness in his tone was starting to show. If Jazz was as rusty as he said he was, this could prove to be very interesting indeed – considering how easily he'd managed to keep up with Bee moments earlier. Bee was in competitive mode. He wasn't about to lose to this old Mech. Not here. No way.

"Guess we can kick some dirt off the track if you're up for it. Ain't nothin' wrong with a lil' fun once in a while and no one's gotta know if it ain't gonna hurt nothin'."

Stretching his arms above his head, quickening his pace some to catch upto Jazz. Walking alongside him now as they made their way to the starting area of the track. Optics peering at the half-smashed targets that were scattered around. Maybe later he could see if Jazz was good at shooting stuff, too. --Course I'm up for it!-- Silly question, Jazz. --Aint nothin' wrong with a little fun at all.-- he liked that last part Jazz said, about nobody knowing. The less people that knew about this place the better.

They weren't due back at base for at least an hour, which would give Bee plenty of time to get this out of his system. If they got found out? It was simply part of the tour.

[Jazz]

      --Rust? You? Naah. Like I said! Ya did good keepin' up. If ya that worried though, I can let ya have a headstart, or let ya do a test lap so things are fair. Wouldn't want to beat ya at a race and have ya get disheartened.--

      What a considerate little sprite! Now, if only ALL young ones were like this one...

      "Nah, don't worry about me. I rarely get disheartened. Maybe a little sidetracked and distracted, but rarely disheartened. Gotta be somethin' a chip more serious than losin' a race or two. And ya gave me an excellent warm up on the way over here, Sprite- enough of one to know that I'm gonna need a few good looks from Primus if I'm gonna be able to match the amazin' control and pace ya got."

      Jazz stood with his servos on his hips and looked at the rest of the area around them. He took note of the dusty old track and the ruined targets, figuring that this place must have been well used at some point for it to have gotten so worn out. Sadly, that seemed to have been QUITE some time back, as shown by the dirt that covered a majority of the track. He was making observations as usual and trying to figure what needed to go where and how this could have been improved. Not really Jazz's thing to do but if they were gonna be using this as a place to stretch out and test out wheels then it would need to have some pretty hefty TLC. Either way, it was cool.

      "Pretty sweet layout ya got here. I dig it." Clearly Jazz was picking up on some of the stranger dialects. Perhaps the internet and radio weren't the best places to hear things outs.

      His head turned to the left, then right, then back to center after he'd finished a mild inspection. "Maybe later we can add some things to it; give the course a lil'.... somethin' extra here and there and repair what's needed to. Can't have ya cloggin' up your intakes or splatterin' your paint job with all this dirt layin'round. Besides, any lil' sprite like you deserves a cool place to hang and show off his awesome ride, right? Just cause we ol' folk have rust don't mean ya gotta too. Shake that off on a daily while ya can, Sprite!" Jazz chuckled some then patted Bee on the shoulder closest to him before dropping it down to his side again.

      "So why don't ya give me a run down on the rules of your track before we start this... 'trainin' exercise'."

[Bumblebee]

Speaking of getting distracted, that's exactly what Bumblebee had become while standing here listening to the older Mech talking. He'd nod occasionally, nudging the dirt with his foot idly. He wanted to race. To show off. Standing here talking was all well and good, but they were cutting into precious racing time, here! They'd have to be back at base before too long, and it'd been a while since Bee had been at the track. He missed this place, and was eager to get back into it.

“I'm gonna need a few good looks from Primus if I'm gonna be able to match the amazin' control and pace ya got."

That got Bee's attention, and he straightened his posture some, rolling his shoulders and glancing upto Jazz. Arms folding smugly across his chest. --Thank ya. Comes real easy to me. You'll get there though, I'm sure!-- That came out a lot more arrogant sounding than he intended. His gaze didn't linger on the other Mech long, and he peered out over onto the track. It really had been a while since he was last here, and it showed. Time hadn't been kind to the sad little training area. The Nevada desert had whipped dirt and dust over most of the track, although it was still easily distinguishable where the course was. It wouldn't take much to fix it up, but Bee had never gotten the chance to come out here until now. Part of him was scared he'd be asked to dismantle and fully abandon the entire thing – even though he did use it for training, the fact it was away from base would probably be frowned upon.

--Ya dig it? Well it ain't much, but I appreciate it. Ya shoulda' seen it when it wasn't so messed up and dirty.-- He whined, sounding very disheartened. Sadly nudging at the dirt again with a foot. Although as Jazz spoke again, he glanced up, optics widening some. --I'd like that. It wont take much to fix this place up real nice. Maybe ya could come out here too, shake ya rust off or whatever. I can probably show ya a few tricks, too. If ya can keep up, anyway.-- He sounded a little perkier, his arms dropping to his sides as he peered around the track. With a little effort from them both? They could probably turn this into something amazing, restore it to its former glory or better. Not that it was much before, but Bee loved this little nook he'd made from nothing. He zoned out again briefly, imagining what this place could become. He was hopeful, even more so now that Jazz had seen the potential in this place. The hand on his shoulder snapped him out of it though, and he nodded.

--Rules?-- A hand moved to awkwardly scratch the back of his neck. He'd never thought of rules. In the past it'd just been him here, so he hadn't needed any. --I guess I ain't really got any. Start of the track is right here, end of the track is over there.-- he'd lower his arm, giving it a shake before pointing over yonder. The track was simple, a basic figure 8 shape, with the start marked at the top where they were stood, and the end was roughly marked at the bottom. --Three laps maybe sound good? Can do a warm up lap first if ya want, since the track is covered in dirt..--

He rolled his shoulders once more before quickly shifting into his alt form, maneuvering himself slightly so he was just behind the crudely marked starting line of the track.

[Jazz]

Jazz listened to the young mech as he spoke, chuckling to himself every now and then. He reminded him of himself when he was that age; always eager and ready to go. Not like much had changed from then, but he had definitely slowed down as time went on. Lately he had just been rolling with thing, though with this little eager one? Maybe he could get some of that ole spunk back.

Speaking of getting things started.

He watched Bee as he shifted into his alt form and moved to the starting line... at least what was left of it from under the muck. Instead of doing the same, Jazz paced himself and casually walked alongside of him, still checking out the track as he did a quick scan. What couldn't be seen to the optic from above surface could be outlined easily this way and he plotted out the course. Couldn't be going off the track and smashing into something now or else Ratchet would have his spark, especially considering he was supposed to be 'taking it easy' and reporting for 'desk duty'. At least OP had gotten him out of THAT fiasco without effort.

"Warm up lap sounds cool. Lemme get a confident feel outta these weird wheels and surface. Ain't like it is on Cybertron, even in them dark places." Jazz's torso rotated and he tucked down into his alt form in little time, the spoiler on the back the last to mold into place.

:: Them travelin' stories can be for later if ya want. Show me this track of yours, Bee. Lets get this party started, slick. ::

[Bumblebee]

Bumblebee sat, and waited patiently for Jazz to shift forms... Well. Sort of patiently, anyway. Giving an eager rev or two once the older Mech had finally shifted. He hadn't had a proper race in forever, and they'd spent far, far too long talking and standing around. It was always nice meeting other bots around the base, but what better way to get to know someone by kicking their aft in a race?

Uggh c'mon! Lets get this moving! We gotta' be back at base soon!

They weren't due back for at least half an hour yet, but Bee was mostly just getting antsy, wanting to squeeze as much time and fun out of this place as he could before they went back. Who knew when he'd be able to come back here?

::The dirt takes a bit of getting used to, but ya will quickly learn to take advantage of it I'm sure. That's what the test lap is for, after all. If ya need another one after it, just let me know yeah? Ya need to get used to it sometime, since that's all there is round here. Dirt, dirt aaaaand.. More dirt!:: This would be all too easy. They'd do the test lap, in which Bumblebee wouldn't go at his full potential or speed, give the older Mech some room to get used to it. Then once they were actually racing? He'd show this bot just who was the fastest around here.

He'd chuckle, before revving once more. ::Sure, I'd love to hear stories bout home and ya travels-.:: Bee did love hearing stories, especially from those with lots to tell. ::-If ya ain't too mad at me after I beat ya!:: His taunt was playful, although his tone had a slight air of cockiness. His competitive streak shining very much through once Jazz sat alongside him at the starting line. Part of him might've been a little afraid – he'd seen earlier just what Jazz was capable of, and who knows if he'd even been trying back there.

He'd rev one more time. ::Alright. Ya ready? On three...:: he knew this course like the back of his servo. He was focused now, and maybe taking this a little more serious than he should've. This was supposed to be fun, but Bee very much wanted to win. ::One.. Two... Three!:: his wheels would spin, kicking up dirt as he moved forwards along the track – he took it slow, the track was after all very much covered in dirt and dust. That and they weren't racing, not yet, anyway...

[Jazz]

     ::The dirt takes a bit of getting used to, but ya will quickly learn to take advantage of it I'm sure. That's what the test lap is for, after all. If ya need another one after it, just let me know yeah? Ya need to get used to it sometime, since that's all there is round here. Dirt, dirt aaaaand.. More dirt!::

     'Seems like that's mostly what this planet is made of,' Jazz thought to himself as he listened to Bee continue with the conversation. Jazz was still getting used to the new alt mode so as he waited he turned the wheels from side to side as though he were feeling the ground below. This definitely wasn't like anything else he had dealt with, that was for sure. The soot was loose and shifted unpredictably, kicking up around anyone who dared to disturb it. He'd had the unfortunate dealings with sand in his joints, so he could only imagine what this stuff would feel like...

     As well as what it would do to his clean paint job.

     ::Sure, I'd love to hear stories bout home and ya travels. If ya ain't too mad at me after I beat ya!::

     Jazz did like this sprite's spunk. There was something vaguely familiar about it, at least from Jazz's younger days, and it did cause him to crack a smile to himself as his alt mode idled alongside. At least the war hadn't taken it from him...

     ::Alright. Ya ready? On three...::

     'Here goes nothin'.'

     ::One.. Two... Three!::

     The sprite took off faster than Jazz had anticipated, kicking the dirt right back at him like he had been thinking that it would. There wasn't time to think about how it had already dirtied him up, as he'd had enough of a delay. The kid had a good couple second head start on this practice lap so he had to get going if he wanted to catch up. His wheels spun, catching the dirt below and kicking it up into a thick plume as he took off after Bumblebee. He wasn't going as fast as he could, not yet at least, but for the moment he wanted to at least flank him. The two door sport car revved, moving slightly faster as Jazz attempted to close the gap between them.

     He got slightly closer.

     A little closer...

     The pedal in the cabin went halfway to the floor, causing the wheels to kick up more dirt in the process. The tires scooped it up and threw it out behind him, creating his own set of deep tire tracks. He finally caught up to Bee just as they were nearing the first turn...

     Then passed him.

     Jazz didn't say anything about having pulled ahead, too focused on what he was doing as that turn came near. He went to the inside portion of the track, close to the edge but not over it, and worked on the timing. His sensors were pinging at him, judging the distance he needed...

     Wheels locked as brakes were thrown, causing Jazz's tail end to skid out from behind him. His front wheels turned in the direction of the skid, around the turn, which kept it tight and quick instead of having to skirt to the outside for a full one. It saved him a good amount of time- and, well, he liked knowing that he could still pull off the move even on THIS planet- and effort which would have only increased the distance between him and the black and white sprite. Once he felt the drift come to slow a bit at the end of the turn, he straightened out his front wheels and then continued on his drive through the straight portion of the track.

    ... Still unaware of where Bee was.

[Bumblebee]

It was hard for Bumblebee not to rush ahead and to keep ahead, driving slowly on purpose was almost painful for the young scout, especially on this course. His course. The dirt kicked up, his wheels spun and he gave the impression that he was going to give it his all for this test lap – when really he intended to do anything but.

He kept ahead, watching behind him as Jazz began to close the gap. Bee revved his engine, making a lot of noise like he was trying.. Luring Jazz into a false sense of security. It was working, or at least Bee thought so. This test lap meant nothing. Then when it came time to actually race? Bee would show this old Mech just who was the fastest.

Jazz got closer, and for the briefest of moments they were on equal level. If Jazz could hear over the sound of racing tires on the dirt track, he could hear Bee chuckling. Here we go.. Then Jazz pulled ahead in a flurry of more dirt.

Good.

Bee would slow down a little as Jazz pulled ahead, not taking the first turn quite as quickly as the other bot, sticking to the outer edge of the turn. He would linger behind Jazz, keeping his distance, watching how the other Mech took the turns. Not that he'd need the information, he planned to spend the actual race well in-front of Jazz. But it'd be good to know for future reference!

::Hey, hey! Don't get too into it! We aint racin' yet!:: Bee would chuckle over the comm, Jazz knew to stop after this one lap, right? ::Make sure ya stop at the end there!::

He took the corner with ease, not skidding around it like Jazz had done only moments before. He'd save that little trick for the race when he actually wanted to win this, not this silly little test lap. Pulling onto the straight portion of the track he would then speed up a little – if only to not have Jazz waiting forever for him to finish. He had to make it look like he was at least trying a little, right?

[Jazz]

"Oh, I ain't gettin' too much into it. Just workin' with a bit of what I got to get this rust off. Don't worry, I ain't gonna go into stasis lock on ya, lil' buddy." There was a momentary pause then a chuckle came through their comm link. "And make sure ya give it your all durin' the race. I may be old, but I ain't stupid, and I know when someone's holdin' out on me."

Jazz knew what holding back was and he was easily doing that, but he was also well aware of Bee doing the same. The spikes in the output of the engine under that hood of his gave him away and Jazz was feeding those through his processor. He didn't know what the kid was fully capable of but he at least had an idea what he was up against. This was going to be a hard race and at the moment he was letting his attention drift. While taking things slow, Jazz was getting a feel for this strange texture under his wheels and seeing how the materials of both worked with one another. This world wasn't the one he had left behind, but if this was going to be the Autobot's new temporary home then he would have to make due with what was readily available. As he drove down the straight portion of the track, he didn't even notice Bee coming up closer behind him. Instead he was focused elsewhere.

There was a pounding series of vibrations coming from Jazz's cab.

"My motivation
An oath I've sworn to defend
To win the honor
Of coming back home again"

The music was blasting from the mech, and as he commed back to Bee it flooded in from there as if the poor thing was sitting next to the boom box. Channels were being searched through at a rather rapid pace, pulling bits and pieces from various songs. Jazz was still able to be heard talking, even over the music.

"Wow! This planets got some serious jams, man! I dig it!"

Jazz had definitely found at least one thing he loved so far about Earth. The music continued to stream through, each channel being given a quick listen before he went onto the next, as he pulled up to the indicated place where Bee wanted him to stop and he sat there in wait.

[Bumblebee]

There was another beepy chuckle over the comm. ::Ya aint getting too into it? Iiiif ya say so!:: he teased. Bee didn't quite believe Jazz – he thought the older Mech was trying to show off, maybe even possibly scare Bee some with what he could do. It kinda maybe worked, although he was more excited than scared. The things he'd seen of Jazz already were good, impressive even. The guy was fast, and he didn't seem to mind that he'd been dragged here to race and hang out. If it were anyone else, Bee would've got a lecture for sure. Jazz would at least provide Bee with some competition and the drive to keep training.

::Okay so maybe I was holding back, but I for sure wont be when we're racing for real! Then ya going down!::

Bee would speed up again on the last straight part of the track, he'd fallen quite behind – Jazz was already waiting for him at the start of the track. He could hear Jazz's music from here, and it only got louder the closer he got. Aaand then Jazz spoke over the comm.

Luckily Bumblebee could actually understand what he was saying. Which was surprising, given how loud the music was.

::Ahh, it aint bad! There's a lot of different types. Maybe it'll help ya keep up with me!:: He beeped a little louder than normal over the comm, on the offchance that Jazz couldn't hear Bee over the music. The stuff Jazz was listening to wasn't exactly to Bee's taste. It reminded him of Miko when she was jamming back at the base – only this was way, way too loud. Bee may have been young, but loud noises and loud music really weren't for him.

It took Bee mere seconds to pull up beside Jazz, a quick rev of his engine indicated he was ready.

::Okay so this time we're racing for real. Aint holding back. Ready? One. Two. THREE.:: He spoke quickly, and sure hoped that Jazz could hear him over the music, nor did he really give him much time to reply.

Once again Bee's wheels would spin and he would rush forwards, determination filled his field, and there was a cloud of dust left in his wake as he sped forwards. He was going to win. This was his track. No holding back.

So far? So good. He was ahead of the other bot. He raced down the straight part of the track, chuckling to himself at just how easy this was. Jazz may have worked out that Bee was holding back, but he bet Jazz wasn't expecting this!

Speaking of not expecting things. There was something moving on the track...

...Right in Bee's path. Which he was hurtling towards at an alarming rate. 

It was small, and.. Black and white? What was.. That?

Hit the thing or win the race? Hit the THING? Or win the RACE? 

Bee wasn't about to go running over some mystery animal, but for the tiniest of moments which he would never admit to, he actually considered it. The only problem was it was right in the way, and to avoid it meant skidding off the track and no doubt busting himself up a bit – which he didn't want to do. So he did the only thing he could think of in the split second it took for him to get within almost-hitting distance of the thing.

::Watch out!! Thing on the traaaaaaaaa--!:: Was all he managed to yell. The last part would cut off as he began to shift out of his alt form mid-sentence.

Bee would shift forms. There was a scream and hiss of hydraulics, shifting forms while moving at high speed wasn't exactly pleasant, especially on this terrain. He would lunge upwards, jump and flip over the animal, landing with an almighty crash at the side of the track.

::--ck.. Ugh.::

The thing didn't even seem to CARE that there were two cars speeding toward it and that it was moments from becoming a kittycat pancake, nor did it care that one of these cars had just turned into a giant robot, flipped over him and landed with a skidding crash just feet away. Instead? The thing? Which was actually a cat, leisurely paced over to Bumblebee – it had no fear that was for sure.

Bee however, did. He took one look at the tiny cat, optics widening to almost owl-eyed proportions and he scrambled backwards in an awkward crab-type walk from his uncomfortable sitting position, staring it down.

Then it squeaked at him. The tiniest of mewls. Bee's spark could've melted right then. This thing, whatever it was, was adorable. And he was going to keep it.

[Jazz]

      Jazz wasn't really aiming to try and scare the kid really. He was just camped there, going through the different music that fed through his sound system. The louder and funkier the beats, the more he seemed to enjoy it. It wasn't so unheard of from him given his background and he probably would have spent the entire day just sitting there jamming out. He didn't even really notice that Bee had lined up to start the race, at least not until after...

     'THREE.'

     ... and then he had taken off ahead of him. The dirt being kicked up knocked him back to his concentration and he took off after Bee, slow at first, before then picking up a bit of speed. More and more dirt was being kicked up as the muscle and sport car took off for their little bit of fun. It was the straight side of the track, and Jazz was starting to catch up in spite of the hulky yellow vehicle just ahead of him. The speed he was going would cause some spin around the curve, in which Jazz would close the final...

     Jazz's sensors pinged to something up ahead on the track.

     Scrap!

     "Bee!"

     But he was already hearing the warning coming from his little buddy just ahead of him. Right away Jazz threw on his brakes, locking up his tires rather suddenly which caused his rear side to spin towards the front, turning him sideways into a skid. The correction was easy, with his front wheels facing the direction of the movement. He didn't come to a complete stop, instead transforming out of his vehicle mode and rolling out into a crouch just on the other side of the little creature that had ventured out to the track. Jazz was already scanning the organic thing, seaching his database through what he had collected from the thing called 'the internet', to check for possible catastrophic exposure that would turn them into piles of rust. That was hastened when Bee seemed terrified of the critter. He'd spent more time on Earth than he, so if Bee was fearful, then...

     Jazz checked on Bee, then looked at the cat again and crouched down so he could get a better look at it through his visor feed. Then that SOUND! That noise coincided with the completion of the search, and Jazz seemed to relax after looking through the information.

     "It's what the inhabitants of Earth call a 'cat', or 'kitten'. Otherwise harmless domesticated creature titled as a pet or companion. And THAT? That... is one of the sweetest sounds I've heard come from any little critter! What an adorable little guy!"

     Jazz reached out with a servo, being careful not to startle the thing, and tried to nudge at it with the back of his index digit. Well, he already knew he was much larger than it so he at least was conscious enough to hold back. If humans were the top of the food chain and easily able to be squished under them, then this much tinier creature was even more likely of that.

     Unless, of course, it processed some ability to eat him that his data search hadn't bothered to warn him about.

[Bumblebee]

--I'm fine-- Came a low, whiny beep of a reply. He kept his tone quiet, not wanting to startle the tiny animal with his high pitched beeps and trills. He was mostly just disappointed that the race had ended early, and they didn't exactly have time to do another; they were due back at base very, very soon.

--Cat. Yeah. I knew that. I just.. Was going so fast I didn't even see it properly. Why is it so small?-- He grumbled, shifting his position. He moved slowly, deliberately as not to spook the cat, treating it like some delicate, skittish little thing. Stretching his legs out and laying back on the dirt, relaxing some after his little flip and tumble. His optics narrowing to shut out some of the brightness of the sun overhead.

He'd seen cats on TV. Big ones at least – like Lions and Cheetahs. He liked them because they were fast. This one wasn't big, nor did it move particularly fast... So maybe it was a tiny mutated runt. Why was it so small? Was it sick? The ones he'd seen on TV were big, ferocious. This thing? Tiny and adorable.

The cat in question was anything but skittish. It would flinch at being nudged by Jazz, arching its back and stretching. It let out another squeak of a mewl, before padding its way over to Bumblebee. The thing was certainly curious and had no fear of the two giant bots. A short leap later and it was on Bumblebee's thigh, and making its way up his chassis.

--It's on me. It's ON ME. What do I do?!-- Bee tried to remain composed, his beeps quiet but full of urgency. His field radiated panic. He raised his helm to look at the thing on his chassis, but other than that didn't move – he lay frozen on the ground, watching it.

The cat didn't care – making itself quite at home on Bee's chassis, which due to the sun was nice and warm.. The perfect cat bed!

--Now it's vibrating. Is it broken? What is happening?!--

The cat settled, curling into a ball on Bee's chassis contently. All Bee could do was lay here and stare up at Jazz, horrified.