Hope's Return

Griffin Rock

Hope soared off to the East listening to the pull of her spark. The smell of the seaside grew stronger the closer she came to the ocean. Far below the clouds, a mountain cliff in the shape of a griffin appeared. Gliding through the mists, she alighted on the cliff.

Peering down, she studied the sleeping town.  With dawn breaking, it was starting to show signs of life. For now, the pull was silent so she could only assume she was where she needed to be. But who was she here for?

Shaking her helm, she jumped into the air again. It was time to get closer and a quick fly over shouldn't do any harm. The natives were surely still waking up and wouldn't see a dragon in the skies.

The sunlight glinted off her scales as she flew. The warmth making her drowsy, she almost failed to see the helicopter below her.

Hope kept pace with it long enough to note the Autobot symbol on it. Deciding to have a little fun, she swooped down and flew along side of it. She was unprepared for the girlish shriek that emitted from it.

Blades and his partner stared out the cockpit mirror at the sight.

"Dani...please tell me that you're seeing what I'm seeing."

"I am but I wish I wasn't. Is that a metal dragon?"

A shudder shook the helicopter as he swerved away from the dragon. Hope arched a metal brow at this but continued flying along side of it. Slowing her speed, she brought herself closer to the cockpit until there was only a few feet in between them.

She met the eyes of the young woman inside and attempted a comforting smile  but she remained frozen in place. Sighing in frustration, she finally pulled away and flew below them for a bit before opening a portal and going through. Back on board the helicopter,  Autobot and human stared at each other.

"Did it...just disappear?"

"Blades, I think we'd better tell the others. It may be another of Morocco's inventions."

"I'm not sure they'll believe us."

************

Hope sighed once more as she watched the helicopter disappear towards the center of town. Getting to meet the rescue bots was looking to be harder than she thought. Perhaps it was time for an alternative form to better fit in with the locals.

Studying the Internet through a web link, she searched various car models until she found one she liked. Downloading the specifications,  she shifted her form until she transformed into a 2020 Audi R8. A light flashed inside and her holoform stepped out. Taking a step back, Hope admired the sleek lines of her new alt mode.

Glancing at her holoform, she noted her wings flared out behind her. There's no way she'd fit in with them. Concentrating, she felt her wings slowly disappear and replace themselves with wing tattoos on her shoulder blades. Smoothing down the hem of her flowing skirt, she looked towards town. Ready or not, here she came.

***********

Pulling into a parking spot, she observed her surroundings.  All around her, the once sleepy town had come to life. She watched in amusement as a man with a helicopter suit whirled through the air. Hope had never seen such a sight but it seemed common place here.

As she continued to people watch, a young teen raced down the sidewalk in pursuit of a robotic dog. Fearing that he might get hurt so close to traffic, Hope got out and caught the animal as it ran by her. Its weight and velocity knocked her off her feet. The boy caught up and helped her off the ground.

"Hi, sorry about Servo. We were playing fetch and he took it to literally."

Hope lightly patted the robotic dog and observed the Rescue Bots logo on its chest plate. Kneeling down for a closer look, she was greeted by a loud bark and a metal bolt dropped into her hand. Confused, she held it up to the teen.