"They said this day wouldn't come
We refused to run
We've only just begun
You'll find us chasing the sun."
(Chasing The Sun - The Wanted)

☆

"Brighton Falls" was not a location either Optimus or Venus knew of or how to get to. He for obvious reasons, she because America spanned almost an entire continent, if it was even in America! And it wasn't somewhere well known like Paris or Chicago or London, making the chance of anybody knowing about it off the top of their head less likely.

This was Earth in 1987, and the Internet hadn't been invented yet. Well, it actually had by Shatter and Dropkick rather recently with the help of Sector 7. Not that Optimus or any other humans knew that. With no type of digital system to check and the Internet still a state secret, everything seemed a whole lot harder.

But it was okay, because Venus had an idea to try to pinpoint Prime's desired location.

The brightly coloured semi truck drove at a calm pace down the dirt roads, in the direction of the city with the human girl sat somewhat uneasily in the passenger seat. Admittedly, Venus thought the seat and truck interior was rather comfortable, cosy in fact. It was the fact that she knew she was sat inside a sentient being. She wondered if Optimus felt strange with her riding as his passenger. It must have felt strange, but he couldn't have minded that much because he offered to drive her. Plus, it wasn't like they could just walk into the city.

Well, Optimus didn't quite understand that.

"Remind me, what is this city's name?" Optimus asked after a while or silence had run its course. The city was at least half an hour drive from where they had met, and so while they had some time, the sky had darkened completely, and the Prime had taken the opportunity to learn from Venus what he could about this surprising planet Earth.

And so she'd explained the best she could. About humanity, the dominant species of the planet. He seemed fascinated, even when she'd explained the not so positive aspects of her kind.

And then Optimus has explained briefly the situation, that he and B-127, his comrade, had enemies that if they followed them to Earth, they had to be prepared to fight. And that they could not do so without B-127.

Their home world most definitely not a paradise then, she internally sighed.

"New York." Venus then answered with a small smile, finding his fascination quite admirable. For what was evidently an intelligent and sophisticated being, he was clueless about what she considered to be the norm. Though if the situation was reversed, and she had been the visitor to his distant world, she knew she would be just as inquisitive.

"Ah yes, 'New York'." Optimus hummed with acknowledgement, as they entered the city limits. Prime was taking note of the speed the other drivers were adhering too, and matched as to not cause disturbance.

Venus was directing his route, putting her plan into action. "Turn left here, I think I know how to get some directions."

"I assume we are going to ask some fellow 'humans' for their assistance?" Optimus assumed without any hint or worry. For such a wise Prime, he was quite naive when it came to the matters of Earth. He was eager to learn, but right now, like his scout, the great Optimus Prime was utterly clueless.

"Um..." Venus trailed off uneasily as he asked that, smoothing her thick golden curls back across her head and shifting in her seat while being considerate that her escort would feel every little move. As much as help would be great, Optimus couldn't exactly waltz up to the police and ask for it.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." She began slowly, carefully. The last thing she wanted to do was spook him and possibly end up crashing. "A lot of humans are good, but there's a lot of bad ones who wouldn't treat you very well.... You can't just walk up to them and start talking."

There was a brief pause, she heard a series of quiet cognitive clicks in the background, like he was processing that.

"But surely if I explained the gravity of the situation to your authorities--"

"I don't think that would help." She told him honestly with a sigh. "Even though you mean well, they likely would see you as a threat."

".. Do you see me as a threat?" Came his almost insecure question.

Venus' breath hitched in her throat in deliberation.

She couldn't lie. Initially, yes, she had. But now she'd taken the time to see him past her fear...

"No, because I understand you better now." The blonde admitted gently, her gaze following the masses of New Yorkers they passed on the sidewalk.

"But not everyone is understanding, even when you mean well."

Optimus wasn't the slightest bit ignorant enough to think that any race could be single minded in opinion. Sentience was complex, and ideals and fear corrupted one another easily. Cybertron being a regretful example. Outsiders assumed that they were all mindless machines, driven by single minded ideals. Oh, how they had all been shocked when their war splintered those assumptions.

The truth right now was clear. Humanity wasn't friendly.

Suddenly he reliazed just how out of his depth he was.

It seemed that Venus' strategic approach was the best option.

"I trust your judgement." Optimus finally conceded after a moment of silence, as he pulled up outside a large stone building that he'd been directed towards.

Once parked, the girl shifted to move, but paused and looked to nowhere in particular as she spoke to him.

"Please stay here, er, don't turn into a robot, and don't talk to anybody." She pleaded insistently gently, and when Optimus popped his door open with an obedient "alright", Venus rushed off inside the massive stone structure where she was pretty sure she would find some useful maps.

Thank god for NYU's student library.

Some time passed. Prime was silently observing the humanity of the city while he waited for his accompanying human. Venus was taking a while, and it was leaving him slightly concerned. But she'd expressed that his intervention would lead to trouble for him, and therefore by default her too. Pushing his worry aside for now, he decided to stay put until he had valid reason to think she needed help.

She knew this world better than him. He knew it wise to follow her lead.

Though as he waited in silence, it was somewhat of a learning opportunity. Parked in front of him was a car where a human mother had returned with shopping and her infant child. She cooed to the baby affectionately and Optimus found himself captivated with the scene, watching every little loving move in awe as she reclined the seat to be more comfortable, then strapped the baby in securely. He picked up the phrase "safety first" from her and took note.

That explained the strange straps attached to his cab interior.

--

Meanwhile, inside the library Venus had finally had a turn of luck with her search. After digging through the various sections and enlisting the help of the resident head librarian, who seemed somewhat skeptical as the young blonde approached the check out desk with her arms stacked with atlases and maps of specific areas of North America. And it had not been easy scouring heaps of different state maps but eventually, she'd found what was needed.

Though there was one last problem.

"You can't take out more than three items at a time. And you already have three items taken out. And overdue." The older librarian said unkindly and simply, and then she gave a rather unnerving scowl that almost made Venus shrink in her place.

Well, this was a bit of an issue. Optimus needed those maps. But she couldn't exactly say that a giant alien robot needed them to find his friend and save the world!

This was something she may have regretted doing, but needs had to be met.

"Hey, they're smoking!" Venus called out and pointed to an imaginary deviant in the back, making the librarian turn angrily and ready for a confrontation. Giving her the chance to leg it.

Next thing Optimus knew, Venus was charging down the street at him full speed, maps close to flying out of her arms as she yelled at him to drive.

His driver door flung open, she dove in and Optimus worriedly asked if she was harmed and what had spooked her.

The sight of the terrifying librarian with a face like thunder coming at them was enough to make the Prime hastily retreat without question, tyres screeching painfully against the concrete as he sped off.

Now safe, and having found a secluded alley where they wouldn't be spotted, Optimus let Venus out before transforming, though he probably should have taken it slowly because he banged his head on someone's fire escape the moment he stood up.

Venus flinched with a wince at that loud crash, glancing up and groaning as she saw the Prime rubbing the top of his head tenderly, and said fire escape dented upwards.

"That's not good..." She sighed, but brushed it off and dragging an old crate over from the side by the bordering wall, created a makeshift map table with what she'd 'acquired' from the library. She was pretty sure she could never go back to said library again now. Bad news for her studies.

"Okay, come look." She beckoned her robot companion closer, who now took great care to not knock anything else as he crouched down, watching the young woman carefully.

"So this is New York City, where we are now." Venus gestured to the large map, illuminated by the dim street lights that showed the whole of the United States, placing a finger on the Eastern city. Then, she moved and placed another more detailed map on top of it, this one of the West Coast.

And on it just next to San Francisco, the little town of Brighton Falls was marked clearly.

Optimus felt elated. Suddenly the path ahead seemed hopeful, even when Venus explained that he would have to cross the US from opposite sides to get there. She traced her finger along the large map, starting at New York through many states and many, many miles and explained that it would take days at least, as her finger reached the desired destination on the paper.

Optimus wasn't daunted by the idea of such a journey because of the distance. Though rather being able to complete it himself. The Prime had been on Planet Earth not even a night, and already he understood his predicament. He did not know Earth. Its ways, its people, and certainly not how to navigate its maps.

"Venus, you have already given me much assistance, and while I am grateful, I must ask another favour of you." He began almost guiltily, and the girl looked up with a frown.

"I would not ask if my situation was not dire. And I do not wish to put you in any danger or inconvenience, but the truth of the matter is that I do not know Earth. I cannot complete this journey alone."

In that moment, his hopeful blue eyes met her turquoise ones.

"I need you to come with me as my guide."

Venus' chest tightened at that in surprise, and for a moment she felt unable to speak a reply, only blinking a couple of times with wide eyes.

Did he really just ask that?!

"I...I can't just come with you." She said slowly with a frown and rationality. She was a student, she a degree to do, she had a part time job. "I have things I need to do I--.."

"I understand, and the last thing I wish to do is disrupt your life." Optimus responded genuinely, crouching lower to her. "But if I cannot find B-127--"

"Then your enemies will hurt us all." She answered for him, recalling their conversation they'd shared regarding it enroute to get the maps. Her eyes closed briefly with a fightless sigh. He was right.... And based on the short time they'd spent together she knew he couldn't handle her world by himself.

"I will take care of you for the duration. And, once the journey is complete I promise to return you home." Optimus vowed to her, and now Venus couldn't think of any reason to refuse even though she was hesitant.

In this situation, college could wait. As daunting as it was, her planet needed her.

Optimus needed her.

Soon afterward, and after stopping at student accommodation to pick up essentials, Optimus and Venus were on the road heading out of New York and, for him, into the unknown.

But despite the uncertainty, he was not worried.

Earth was most definitely far from his initial expectations.

But as he drove with his human guide curled up in what he assumed to be their version of recharge, he somehow felt they were already on the road to better days.

Like the human mother had done earlier, he carefully reclined his seat to make her more comfortable.

Somehow, even knowing humanity wouldn't be as welcoming as he'd hoped, he knew that there were ones worth protecting. Those who displayed those hopeful qualities.

Optimus saw them all in the girl fast asleep in his front seats.