CHAPTER ONE
--The Lost Light, present day--
"Hurry up, Stormshot, or we're going to be late!"
The white and blue flier sighed, trudging after the short blue Autobot down the corridors of the Lost Light. "Where are you taking me again, Evac?"
"To Brainstorm's class! Remember? We've been talking about it all week!"
"Correction: You've been talking about it all week," Stormshot replied. "I've just been listening and nodding like I always do every time you get excited for something."
Evac frowned. "Come on. You promised you'd come."
"Yeah, but I didn't promise to be ecstatic about it. Neither of us are even scientists."
"That's what this class is for!" Evac said, grinning. "To learn about science!"
"I don't even like science."
"Yeah, well, you don't like anything."
The two of them finally reached the classroom, which was essentially Brainstorm's lab with a bunch of desks and chairs shoved in. Squeezing their way through the cluttered room, they made their way to their seats and situated themselves. Upon sitting down however, Stormshot's chair immediately collapsed and she landed hard on the floor.
"Sorry," Riptide whispered from behind. "They were the best I could cobble together in short notice."
Stormshot glared at the Hydrobot. "Then how are you still sitting? You're bigger than me!"
"I'm sitting on a box."
"Okay, quiet down everyone!" Brainstorm called from the front of the room, cutting off Stormshot's ready retort. "If there aren't enough chairs, then feel free to stand. This isn't Drouhard University or anything."
Grumbling, Stormshot stood right next to Evac. Meanwhile, Brainstorm rolled out a blackboard with the help of Perceptor before coming up to speak up to the class.
"Hello! Welcome to Brainstorm's Science Class of... Science! I am your professor Brainstorm and this here is my assistant Perceptor!"
"Assistant?" Perceptor asked, raising a quizzical optic.
"Assistant professor. Co-professor. Whatever. Just... whatever." Brainstorm cleared his vocal processor before continuing. "Anyway, I know that everyone of you here are just dying of thirst for knowledge! You're just ready to consume all of the science that there is!"
"Not really," Riptide said. "I'm just here because Nautica asked me to."
"I just wanna know how you made a time machine," said Octane.
"I lost a bet," said Jackpot.
Brainstorm huffed, his shoulders drooping. "Right. No worries. That's what this class is for: to get you interested in science."
"Oh, science?" Dogfight rose from his seat. "I thought this was for silence. My bad, I'll leave--"
"SIT BACK DOWN!" Brainstorm snapped. "Once you sign up, you don't drop out until you've completed at least one semester! Those are the rules!"
"You didn't list any--"
"Quiet! I'm still writing them down! Now then, today's lesson is about quantum mechanics. As most of you know, I created a time machine, which--"
Octane raised a hand.
"--which I'm not exactly proud of, but--"
Octane waved his hand.
"--but hey, we've all done things we're not proud of--"
"I have a question," Octane said.
Brainstorm closed his optics and sighed. "Yes, Octane, what is it?"
"Is it true you tried to use your time machine to kill Mega--"
"As I was saying, I built a time machine, which isn't the easiest thing to do, so today--"
Octane raised his hand again.
"--I would like to teach you--"
Octane began waving his hand.
"Yes, Octane, do you have a question?"
"Does Megatron know that you tried to--"
"Okay!" Brainstorm said. "No questions until after the lesson. Take notes if you must. Until then, just keep quiet and let me--"
Evac raised his hand.
It seemed to take all of Brainstorm's willpower to not explode. "What... did I just say?"
"There's something coming out of the blackboard."
Brainstorm blinked in confusion before slowly turning around. Emerging from the blackboard was, of all things, a hand.
"Okay," Brainstorm said quietly, slowly backing away. "I think that'll do it for today's lesson. Because that right there is why you should never build a time machine."
* * *
"Is he still in there?" Nightbeat asked, staring at the door to Rung's office.
"Yeah," Skids replied, a permanent frown on his face.
"Are you worried?"
"Of course I'm worried! Who wouldn't be worried? No one would want their best friend to be stuck in a room with... him. I wouldn't even wish it on my worst enemy."
"Is this his first time visiting Rung?"
"No, I believe it's his second. And I was just as worried then as I am now."
"Do you think he's being true about his turn?"
Before Skids could answer the detective, his comm buzzed and he answered it. "Skids here."
"Hey, Skids, it's Brainstorm. Mind coming down to my lab for a minute?"
"I'm... a bit preoccupied, Brainstorm. Is it important?"
"Well, there are these two robots from the future who I want you to meet...."
Skids blinked. "Wait. Are you talking about...?"
"Yeah. You wanna talk with them?"
Skids frowned as he looked to the door. Nightbeat then put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. I'll keep watch. You go do whatever it is you need to do."
Skids hesitated for a moment before nodding his thanks. As the blue Autobot transformed and drove off, the door to Rung's office opened.
"What was that all about?" asked the black-armored figure that emerged.
"Nothing," Nightbeat said tersely. "It's none of your business."
From behind Megatron appeared Rung's head. "Wasn't Skids wanting to see me?"
"He got called elsewhere. I'm sure he'll be back."
Megatron sniffed dismissively as he walked away. "No matter. I am needed on the bridge anyway. We should be reaching Paradron soon."
Nightbeat watched as the former leader of the Decepticons walked away before turning back to Rung, noticing the psychiatrist was holding a databook.
"What is that?" Nightbeat asked.
"Towards Peace," Rung replied.
"The Decepticon manifesto? Why do you have that?"
"It's a rare first edition copy. Nautica managed to track one down on Troja Major."
"And what's so special about it?"
"It has a dedication to someone named Terminus. I was hoping to ask Megatron about--"
"Wait." Nightbeat held up a finger. "Did you hear that?"
Rung tilted his head. "Hear what?"
The detective frowned. "It sounded like Cannonspring."
Before Rung could question him, Nightbeat was already in his alt mode, speeding down the corridor.
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