Bounty soon found herself at the mansion the Horsemen lived in. She sighed happily. \u201cSo, this is where my sisters, past and present, live,\u201d she mused. She rang the doorbell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cComing!\u201d came a voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe really IS here!\u201d said Bounty. Life then opened the door and gasped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBOUNTY!\u201d she cheered. She then picked up the plump Horseman and spun around. The other Horsemen heard the shouts, then joined Life in welcoming Bounty back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to be back among you,\u201d sighed Bounty once she was released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve all missed you here,\u201d boomed War happily, \u201cbut most especially Famine!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s true!\u201d mumbled Famine as she dug into her new pasta bowl. \u201cI mean, I like all the food I\u2019m getting, but yours is the best. So, girls, you can cut it all out, Bounty\u2019s back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Cut what out?\u201d asked Pestilence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Ordering all these pasta bowls for me. I can\u2019t eat another bite! \u2026Well, maybe just one more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPut the fork down,\u201d said War. \u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about, but I don\u2019t order takeout. I prefer homemade meals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t look at me,\u201d remarked Pestilence. \u201cI don\u2019t need that many carbs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not wasting the money,\u201d replied Death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, it wasn\u2019t me,\u201d said Life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s all this?\u201d asked Lacey as she came in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLacey, are you ordering pasta bowls for Famine?\u201d quizzed Bounty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026No, why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou mean\u2026no one\u2019s\u2026?\u201d Famine then looked at the stack of bowls behind her. \u201cWell, somebody ordered all this!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Oh dear,\u201d mumbled Bounty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Bounty was settling back in the Horsemen\u2019s mansion, Richard asked to meet with Thundercracker alone. He waited for a bit until Thundercracker flew in and landed. His holo-form jumped out of the cockpit. \u201cYou wanted to see me?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2026I want to\u2026\u201d Richard sighed. He had rehearsed this, so why was it so difficult to say now? He drew in a breath and tried again. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Thundercracker.\u201d Thundercracker arched an eye-ridge in confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026For what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor being unfair to you and the other Decepticons from your world. I grew up thinking all Decepticons were bad, and it was a rare universe where the Decepticons could find common ground with the Autobots, but the way you worked with Bumble\u2026Goldbug proved me wrong. I\u2019m sorry for what I said before the mission started. That was wrong of me and unbecoming of a commanding officer.\u201d Thundercracker smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s any consolation, I didn\u2019t think too highly of you either. I always thought your wife was the better fighter and questioned why she married you. \u2026Turns out you just have different fighting styles, just like the engines of Sodor have different solutions to problems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026You have to admit, though, sometimes those solutions don\u2019t work out and cause confusion and delay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe so, but they all have the same goal in mind, to keep Sodor as a safe haven for engines of the past, be they steam or diesel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen let\u2019s follow their example and unite against a common foe, shall we?\u201d Richard stuck his hand out for a handshake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I know my faction\u2019s name kind of says it all, but this is one promise this Decepticon can keep.\u201d Thundercracker then shook Richard\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a while, Richard was more at ease around other Decepticons\u2026aside from Megatron, he STILL wasn\u2019t sure he could forgive or forget him using Megumi as a bargaining chip. Speaking of his wife, he and Megumi stirred from their sleep. \u201c\u2026Morning, my love,\u201d he whispered in Megumi\u2019s ear. Megumi chuckled at the slight tickle she got from Richard\u2019s breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s morning, yes,\u201d she replied, \u201cbut I say we take this day to stay in-\u201d Richard then wrapped his arms around Megumi, surprising her and kissing the nape of her neck. \u201cRichard!\u201d she giggled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA whole day in bed?\u201d he asked between kisses. \u201cYou tempt me, my Queen!\u201d Just then, the doorbell rang. \u201c\u2026Then again!\u201d growled Richard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI got it!\u201d called Kaede.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, better get ourselves decent,\u201d mumbled Megumi. After showering and dressing, they found the girls and Lisa speaking with Batman and his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMr. Wayne, what can we do for you?\u201d asked Richard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI noticed a\u2026custom van continually parking in your driveway,\u201d explained Batman. \u201cI\u2019ve never known any of you to drive a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan that\u2019s as blue as your armor. Judging from the juddering, I\u2019d say the driver doesn\u2019t know it has a suspension problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAh, well, good news on that front,\u201d said Richard. \u201cThe van\u2019s a friendly one. You see, you have no idea how custom it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Richard, that\u2019s not YOUR van, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is,\u201d sighed Megumi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWanna see?\u201d asked Richard as he beamed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026All right, color me intrigued,\u201d replied Batman as he, Wonder Woman, and Robin got up. Richard led them to the garage. There were two vehicles in there. One was a 2001 Subaru Legacy, the other looked like a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan, but something seemed\u2026off to Batman and Robin upon closer inspection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026What\u2026is that?\u201d asked Robin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat, my dear Robin,\u201d replied Richard, \u201cis a van I have justifiably called\u2026the Spectacular! The electric drive system of a Tesla with the other machinery of a Chrysler Pacifica, all united under the elegant skin of the Dodge Grand Caravan, thus creating a vision of pure\u2026what\u2019s the word?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGarbage,\u201d said Batman and his family as they held Wonder Woman\u2019s lasso. Richard goggled at the three in horror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Okay, they have chariots instead of cars on Themyscira, so I can understand Wonder Woman saying that, but Batman and Robin, you two of all people! You\u2019re calling the Spectacular \u2018garbage\u2019?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou might be averse to chariots,\u201d said Wonder Woman, \u201cbut at least we use brushes to apply paint instead of throwing buckets of paint on them, then just using a rag to clean up the edges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey, Mom, Dad, look,\u201d called Robin as she pointed out the headlights, \u201cthese are the ones that swivel when you go around a turn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll right, which would you rather ride in?\u201d challenged Richard. \u201cThe Spectacular or Megumi\u2019s Subaru?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Subaru,\u201d replied the Bat Family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWHY?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause it\u2019s better in every way,\u201d said Batman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll right, I know exactly how to prove you cynics wrong! I invite you to go for a drive in the Spectacular.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBe careful,\u201d warned Megumi as Batman helped his wife into the shotgun seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cComfy?\u201d asked Richard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot\u2026really,\u201d remarked Wonder Woman. \u201cIs this as far back as my seat can go?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes.\u201d Batman and Robin sat behind Wonder Woman and Richard. Richard then pressed the start button and the car switched on and vibrated a bit. It then backed out of the driveway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh Hera, it moves!\u201d yelped Robin. The Spectacular then moved onto the street and through the local area of Beyond City. After a few miles and gripes from his passengers, Richard called Megumi. A hologram of her appeared on the dash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow\u2019s the drive?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019d only gone a few miles,\u201d boasted Richard, \u201cbefore the Bat Family changed their mind and agreed that the Spectacular is the best car they had ever been in!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, we didn\u2019t!\u201d protested Batman. \u201cStop lying to your wife!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought you guys changed your mind,\u201d remarked Richard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI did,\u201d said Wonder Woman. \u201cIt\u2019s WORSE than I thought! My spine\u2019s gonna complain in a few hours!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re lucky,\u201d grunted Batman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a little cold here,\u201d muttered Robin. \u201cCan we turn the heater on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not connected,\u201d said Richard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the dial near the steering wheel?\u201d asked Wonder Woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSpeedometer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you use the one it already has?\u201d quizzed Batman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoes it have a temperature gauge?\u201d asked Robin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot as such.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoes it have a fuel gauge?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot really.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of wires that aren\u2019t connected to things then,\u201d muttered Batman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis doesn\u2019t really have an interior, does it?\u201d asked Robin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPersephone, you say that with a bit of sarcasm, but\u2026\u201d Wonder Woman then pointed inside the glove box. It didn\u2019t have an inside to speak of, so one could see the internal mechanics of the van.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can see the road!\u201d complained Robin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo can I,\u201d said Richard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, there\u2019s a hole in the floor!\u201d Suffice to say, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Robin were NOT impressed by Richard\u2019s Spectacular.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bounty soon found herself at the mansion the Horsemen lived in. She sighed happily. \u201cSo, this is where my sisters, past and present, live,\u201d she mused. She rang the doorbell. \u201cComing!\u201d came a voice. \u201cShe really IS here!\u201d said Bounty. Life then opened the door and gasped. \u201cBOUNTY!\u201d she cheered. She then picked up the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[754,880],"tags":[482,9,146,337],"class_list":["post-6521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journey-through-wonder","category-story-journey-through-wonder","tag-fantasy","tag-kamen-rider","tag-sonic","tag-transformers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6521"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6524,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6521\/revisions\/6524"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}