Transformers Prime: Merely a Whisper

Chapter Eight

"Alright, Danielle," her father said, squinting as he addressed his daughter from the other side of the yard, a baseball bat weighing down his right hand, a baseball even less so in his left. He gazed at his girl, now 11, a smaller, purple bat in her hands, and an uncertain look on her face as she squinted back at him, the baseball cap on her head identical his, "I'm gonna tech you how to hit a baseball."

Danielle, being the perceptive 11-year-old she was briefly wondered if she was being put through this because her dad had always secretly wanted a son. It would make sense. She recognized playing sports with your dad, especially ones like baseball, something boys did more commonly than girls, but nevertheless, there she was, under the scalding June summer sun.

"Okay," she replied nonchalantly, holding up the bat in a way that seemed most natural for her, if she was to hit the baseball with force.

"That looks great, honey!" exclaimed David in praise, impressed at how naturally the ready position came to her. He assumed the rest of the lesson would go as smoothly.

"Okay, Dani, I'm gonna throw the ball, and you just gotta hit it, okay?"

"Okay, dad," she shrugged, the brightness of the sun causing her to squint even more, "I'm ready."

"Okay," he replied, and without hesitation, threw a ball with a force he believed she could handle.

It made a blunt 'thud' as it smacked her right in the face, and the young girl dropped her bat abruptly as her face was knocked backwards with the impact.

"Oh my gosh," he breathed as he ran over, worry overcoming him, taking in the tearful eyes and already swelling cheek of his beloved daughter. Guilt stabbed at his fluttering heart as he put a hand lovingly on the middle of her back, "let's get you inside."

Sitting at the dining room table, immensely thankful that Ana, Danielle's mother, was not yet home, he fetched an ice-pack from the freezer and put in on her purple cheek gingerly. Danielle seemed rather unfazed by the whole situation, either that or David assumed it was because she had taken the hit to the head, and it was potentially a little too hard.

"Baby, I'm so sorry," he told her quietly, keeping the frigid ice-pack in contact with her bruise, muttering it over and over as she simply glanced up at him with her chestnut brown eyes, shining with forgiveness and tears.

"Dad?" she asked after some slightly awkward silence, a genuine question present in her tone.

"Yeah, Dani?"

"Is this legal in baseball?"

He grinned, trying to suppress his laughter that attempted to escape his mouth.

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4 YEARS LATER, ON THE NEMESIS....

Ten minutes had not passed when Knockout reentered the medbay, his plating obviously recently waxed and buffed. His smug expression immediately altered to a disapproved scowl as his optics inspected Lee's work.

"No, no, NO," snapped the Con, "you're mending a less severe abrasion where her central arm strut Energon line is is ruptured as well! You idiot, did I not teach you ANYTHING?"

Lee's face erupted a shade of tomato red that contrasted with his eyes when he heard his mentor's words. He froze for a few moments, evidently panicked by the unexpected outburst. The boy's hands fumbled slightly as his mind raced to uncover the answer that would fix his mistakes.

He was, however, unable to find such a piece of information stored away in his mind.

"I, uh, yes, sir-" he stuttered, his tongue tripping over his words.