"Trouble at its best."

"Found it," Jack announced from where he and Pan sat on the human couch, "Old road rage didn't waste any time posting your mug shots," he commented.

"Raf will scrub this as soon as he's back-" Jack was interrupted by Pan who held her hands out for the laptop.

Jack frowned in confusion, but handed over the device. The image of Smokescreen and Bumblebee's bi-pedal forms, caught on camera, filled the screen.

Pan didn't have to ask Raf through their link on how to scrub the picture from the internet, her veins in her hands immediately glowed violet as her eyes glowed magenta for a second.

No one in the base had noticed the change in the girl. The only ones who knew what Panacea had done, were the ones who were linked to her.

"Is this what you learned while serving Alpha Trion?!" Ratchet snapped at Smokescreen, "I highly doubt that he would have condoned such irresponsible behavior!"

"No, I wouldn't," Alpha Trion muttered almost making Pan jump in surprise.

Arcee stepped forward next, a dark frown on her derma, "Blowing your cover is not okay."

"Sorry, guys," Smokescreen looked at his peds, "I know I really messed up."

"While Ratchet and Arcee are correct, I believe that we are all equally responsible for this incident," Optimus finally stepped in.

"Us?" Arcee asked, her optics wide with disbelief. 

"How?" Ratchet asked, scowling. 

"We weren't even there," Bulkhead protested.

Bumblebee scowled at them, "Hey!"

Bulkhead looked at the yellow 'bot, "Well, he was."

Optimus shook his helm slightly, "Our recent efforts have been so intensely focused on averting crises that we have overlooked simple matters, such as teaching Smokescreen how to best function on this planet. It is an oversight that must be corrected."

"Optimus, I'm honored to train under you and will do whatever it takes to make things right, to make you proud," Smokescreen declared.

"Perhaps the best way for you to learn about the human world is from a human," Optimus decided.

"Smokescreen gets his own partner?" Arcee asked, not sounding impressed at all.

"Please!" Ratchet scoffed, "Isn't having four - sometimes five - humans here enough?"

"I was referring to one already among us," Optimus said, and all optics turned to Pan and Jack.

The former of the two made the latter move forward with a small nudge.

"Um sure, Optimus," Jack rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "Um, robots in disguise, traffic laws, don't beat down humans. I can bring Smokescreen up to speed."

"We've all put in curbside duty," Bulkhead said, placing a servo on Smokescreen's shoulder, "Part of the gig."

Smokescreen looked at Jack  "Then let's go for a drive, teach."

Jack made his way down to Smokescreen who had transformed into his alt-mode.

Pan may or may not have taken her phone out and texted someone, warning them about the trouble that would most definitely come.

"Optimus, with all due respect," Arcee started after the pair had left, "Agent Fowler is out relocating Raf's family because the 'cons found out where he lives. Smokescreen, in all his wisdom, has an alt-mode with screaming double "38s" on the doors, making him an easy target. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more than concerned about Jack's safety."

Pan didn't flinch as optics darted to her for a second, knowing that her ties to places all around the world would also be unhelpful if she was ever paired up with the young 'bot.

"Nonetheless, the fact remains that our new recruit is in need of instruction," Optimus told her, "I believe that Smokescreen's spark is in the right place and that he now understands the necessity of protecting humanity."

🌟

Smokescreen and Jack returned laughing with Hana rolling her eyes at them.

The woman made her way up to Pan who tilted her head in question, only to get a roll of the eyes from her.

"I am so posting this tonight," Jack declared, laughing, before he spotted his guardian, "Arcee! Arcee, check out Vince's car!"

Arcee frowned as she looked at her charge, "The bully?"

"Hey, Vince," Jack said as he and Smokescreen shared a glance, "Did you want fries with that?"

The pair burst out laughing.

Pan rolled her eyes, 'I understand now,' she signed to Hana.

The art teacher sighed, "I gave up on telling them off, half way through the ride back here," she admitted, "And Vince did kinda deserve it, in a way."

"Let me get this straight," Arcee said, shaking her helm slightly, "So you taught Smokescreen everything he never needed to know about fast food."

"He passed drivers ed," Jack shrugged, "Work hard, play hard."

"Uh, yeah," Smokeacreen agreed, "No humans were harmed in the making of these photos, honest."

"Just their pride," Pan muttered making Hana chuckle quietly at the girl's sass.

Arcee wasn't pleased, "Really?" She snipped, "I highly doubt that."

Then Jack did something he would regret for the rest of his life, "Look, I'm sorry that Nilsa hasn't been talking to you, but you shouldn't let that get in the way of a little fun."

Arcee froze, her faceplates showing the betrayal that she felt for a split second before she shook her helm and practically stormed away.

"Arcee!" Jack called after her, his eyes wide with horror at what he had said, "I didn't..."

Hana blinked at the scene, "What the hell is going on?"

Pan winced, "Romeo and Juliet, Cybertronian and Human style, I'm going to assume," she guessed.

Hana turned to look at Pan, "Jack wasn't talking about Nilsa Queen, was he?"

Pan's eyebrows furrowed, 'I would assume he was,' she signed, 'That's the only "Nilsa" I know of.'

🌟

"You have decoded the next Iacon coordinates?"

"Excellent, Soundwave! Then it is time to beta test our decoy."

Pan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as the voice of the Warlord entered her head. 

"What was that about?" Pan asked the Primes. 

Hesitation in answering made Pan sigh, her mind already trying to work out the pieces with or without their help.

"How are you going, Optimus?" Hana's voice cut Pan out of her thoughts. 

"I am nearly finished decoding the next Iacon coordinates," Optimus answered the curious woman's question easily. He opened his intake to continue saying something, when a beeping noise kept him from talking.

"You may not need to complete your task, Optimus," Ratchet said as a map of the world appeared on his computer. 

"An Iacon-locator beacon," Optimus frowned. 

Ratchet nodded, "It seems the Decepticons have already excavated the next relic."

"Ratchet, triangulate coordinates and activate the ground bridge," Optimus told the medic. 

"Bring on the Cons!" Bulkhead grinned eagerly, looking forward to going back into the field.

Optimus looked at the three Autobots, noting something, "Where is Smokescreen?" 

"Out training again with Jack," Arcee said bitterly, crossing her arms over her chassis.

Optimus's optics glanced over her for a second before he shook his helm, "We cannot wait. Autobots, transform and roll out!"

Pan nervously twiddled her fingers, an act that didn't go unnoticed by her art teacher. 

"What's wrong, Pan?" Hana asked.

Pan frowned, a mixed mess of emotions in her body, "I don't know."

🌟

A beep from Ratchet's computer made the medic frown in confusion, before his optics widened.

"Optimus, I just picked up a second Iacon-locator beacon," Ratchet attempted to comm the Autobot Leader, only to reach static, "Optimus, do you read?"

More static made the trio inside the Autobot base even more nervous.

The sudden screeching of Smokescreen's tires made the two humans and the Cybertronian look over at the young Autobot who transformed laughing with Jack. 

"Oh, dude!" Jack laughed, "My boss is gonna freak!"

"That thing we stuffed in his tailpipe what's it called again?" Smokescreen asked, laughing.

"Pizza!" Jack snorted. 

Ratchet glared at the pair, "Will you two keep it down?" He snapped before attempting to contact the 'bot's out in the field, "Arcee? Bulkhead? Can anyone hear me?"

"Ratchet, what's going on?" Jack asked, all joking fading away.

"Our sensors detected a second Iacon-locator beacon," Ratchet answered, "But I can't reach Optimus."

"I'll go," Smokescreen volunteered. 

"Alone?" Ratchet scoffed, raising an optical ridge.

"You have a better option?" Smokescreen asked. 

"Fine," Ratchet snipped. 

🌟

A chill went down Pan's spine, making the girl look around instantly. Her eyes widened. 

"Where's Jack?" 

Ratchet and Hana looked at the girl, then realizing her words and looking around themselves.

Ratchet groaned, "Not again."

"Again?" Hana asked, her eyes wide. 

Pan sighed, "He pulled a "Miko"," she told the woman, "He went after Smokescreen."

"One of you have to (wo)man the groundbridge," Ratchet told the two females, "I have to go after them."

Hana shook her head, "Team Prime need you here, I'll go through and get the idiot."

Ratchet hesitated, knowing well enough what Optimus would say, "Ratchet," Hana insisted, "Let me."

Ratchet hesitated yet again, his optics meeting Pan's. A flash of blue had the medic convinced, "Alright," he relented, "But just get Jack and text Pan when you've got him."

"I will," Hana promised. 

🌟

Jack's call made it through to the Autobot base to Ratchet, :[Ratchet, you gotta get Optimus here now. Smokescreen went for the relic. I-it's called the "Star Sabe-"]:

"Where in the name of Cybertron are you?" Ratchet asked, before pausing, looking at Pan whose own eyes were wide, "And did you say "Star Saber"?"

"Jack!"

Ratchet's frustrated sigh as he couldn't get through to the boy made Pan nervously bite her lip as she drew closer to the mech who attempted to try get to the rest of Team Prime, "Optimus, please respond!"

He sighed, his optics landing on Pan for a second before going back to his computer, "I can see that you're alive, Optimus. Why won't you answer me?"

"You might have to go through," Pan said, making Ratchet glance over at her(yet again).

"Alright," Ratchet agreed with her, "Can you-?"

"I've got it, Ratch," Pan rolled her eyes as a teasing smile danced across her lips.

The medic chuckled as she made her way to the human sized computer that accessed the groundbridge.

Ratchet's mood did a complete one-eighty as he went through the groundbridge.

🌟

"How epic was that" Smokescreen as as they walked through the groundbridge, back into the Autobot base where Pan and Ratchet waited, "I-I saw it with my own optics. But I still don't believe it!"

"You know what I don't believe?" Arcee snapped at him, "That after everything you've been told, you still put a human at risk!"

Pan signed, asking if Hana was okay, and the woman gave her a small smile.

Pan couldn't help but keep glancing at the massive freaking sword that they had brought back. The sword that had been created by one of the Primes in her head.

"A-Arcee, it wasn't his fault," Jack tried to help Smokescreen, "I shouldn't have g-"

"Don't you even start with me!" Arcee turned on him next, "We'll talk tomorrow," she turned to Ratchet, "Send Jack home."

Ratchet nodded, powering up the groundbridge for Jack to walk through. Hana glanced at Pan who gestured for her to go on.

"Wait up, Jack," Hana called, jogging after him and through the groundbridge before Ratchet turned it off. 

"We've been in need of another Autobot in our ranks," Arcee said, rather pissed off at him, "Not another child."

"Look, Arcee, I was wrong, and I'm sorry again," Smokescreen apologized, "And if you need to kick me off team Prime-"

"Disregard for human safety or anyone's safety will not be tolerated," Optimus said, making the young bot turn around to face him, "Do you understand?"

"Fully, sir," Smokescreen nodded in agreement. 

Optimus looked at all of Team Prime, "We must never lose sight of the fact that upon this Earth, we are titans, and such power must be used wisely."

Pan didn't flinch when the Star Saber started glowing a vibrant blue, she was content in being silent was she watched. Although her hand did find its way to her necklace that held the twelve pearl like beads on the thread to find that one of the "beads" had disappeared. 

"Optimus, speak to me!" Ratchet called, trying to gain the mech's attention, "Optimus!"

"I am receiving a message," Optimus said simply. 

"From who?" Ratchet asked him.

"Alpha Trion."

Here's Chapter Seventeen!

Du, dun, duuuuuuuun!
Wonder what Alpha Trion has to say...😏

Did anyone notice the new OC I chucked in there? Credit to Dalar_Rose for the base personality and backstory of the new OC. (And I'm making another "short" story(like Speed of Love) for Nilsa and Arcee).

Here's Pan's viewpoint of the chapter I should've posted with CotW, if I didn't accidently screw up when I was trying to publish it!!!! I'm a moron🤦‍♀️

Hope you enjoyed!
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