note: I don't own ANY of these characters. Sheba's not in this one. Glen A. Larson should be THANKING me. Now on with the show.

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"You want me to do what?" Tracks asked incredulously.

"You heard me man, I want to move out of town and I need your help," Raoul told him, "I heard it's where all the action is. Maybe I can get a part in a movie or something."

"A part in a movie? Where exactly are you moving to?"

"Los Angeles."

"Oh well, then, what are we waiting for?" Tracks exclaimed, "Why didn't you say so in the first place? Perhaps some Hollywood bigwig will discover me and I'll be even more famous than before."

*

Tracks was stuffed to the roof with Raoul's things--surprising, since he didn't think that kid owned that much stuff--and the uneventful trip to the West Coast commenced. It was upon arrival--and stashing away of Raoul's things--that it started to get interesting.

Raoul knew people in L.A., so finding a place to crash wasn't a problem. The next order of business was finding someone who could get his foot in the stage door. But first things first--Raoul was hungry and convinced Tracks to stop at the nearest fast-food restaurant. They pulled into a parking spot next to a sleek black Trans Am.

"Okay I'm gonna get the stuff and bring it back here," Raoul said as he got out of Tracks.

"No you're not," Tracks protested, "You're going to eat it in there. I don't want crumbs or spills on my upholstery."

Raoul sighed and went inside the burger joint.

Suddenly Tracks heard a voice remark, "I swear that is the tackiest paint job I have ever seen."

"Who said that?" Tracks retorted.

"I did."

There were no humans within earshot--which Tracks found to be very strange. The voice didn't belong to any of the Autobots either.

"Show yourself!" Tracks demanded.

"I'm right beside you."

The only thing beside Tracks was the black Trans Am.

"Who are you?" Tracks wanted to know.

"I am the Knight Industries Two Thousand--but my friends call me KITT."

"Never heard of you." Tracks stated dismissively.

"Well I certainly have heard of you. You're an Autobot, aren't you?" KITT replied.

"Yes, I'm an Autobot. What are you?"

"I can't transform, if that's what you're getting at. I'm a computerized automobile with artificial intelligence."

"The Humans built you?"

"Yes."

"And what was that crack about my paint job?"

"My sensors indicate you have a yellow roof. That really doesn't go well with navy blue."

"Yeah, well, black cars look better in the SHADE, pal," Tracks snorted, "I can't believe I'm talking to a car built by the humans."

"I beg your pardon? My paint job is infinitely superior to yours," KITT snapped back.

The bickering was interrupted by a sudden "KITT, I NEED YOU!", clearly audible over KITT's radio. The black car sprang into action, backing out of the parking space with squealing, smoking tires. In two seconds flat it was gone.

Raoul returned a few minutes later. "Get bored while I was gone?" he
wondered.

"Raoul, you're not going to believe this. I just had a conversation with a car that has a horrible ego problem."

Raoul snickered to himself.

*

"WOO!" Michael Knight exclaimed, as KITT turbo-boosted over traffic. "You got me out of there in the nick of time, buddy. Now the cops can do their duty."

"Michael, you're not going to believe this. While I was waiting, I became engaged in a conversation with an Autobot that has to be the most egotistical, narcissistic mechanism I have ever met."

"Oh really...?" Michael began.

*

Laser fire whistled past Tracks' passenger side door, and Raoul turned to see what was shooting at them. Up in the sky was a sickeningly familiar sight--the Tinfoil Turkey himself.

"Oh no, it's Lazerbeak! There goes my new wax job!" Tracks groaned. He sped up considerably to evade the attacks. He turned a corner and....

*SMACK*

A black car just T-boned him. The impact threw Tracks sideways and he transformed suddenly--being careful of Raoul in the process. "Ow, I think I'm dented!" Tracks wailed. But there was no time for that. As Laserbeak approached, he swooped low. Suddenly the black car--not dented at all and seemingly none the worse for wear--leaped into the air, knocking into the robotic buzzard. When Laserbeak recovered, he tried shooting the black car, but the lasers just bounced off. Tracks took the opportunity to use his Dark Gun and blinded the attacking Cassetticon. This was enough for old bird brain to turn around and retreat.

"Hey, that's the car from before!" Tracks exclaimed.

Michael jumped out of KITT and ran up to Raoul. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'll be OK," Raoul assured him, "But hey, that's some sweet car you got there! Even after getting attacked by a Decepticon after crashing into us, it's not even scratched!"

"Of course I'm undamaged. I have a molecular-bonded shell," KITT stated, "Now only if you Autobots had those."

*

"WHAT?!" Megatron thundered, "One of the Humans' cars ATTACKED you? It collided with Tracks and wasn't so much as dented? And lasers didn't affect it?"

Laserbeak squawked an affirmative.

"Interesting," Megatron mused, "I MUST have that car."

*

"Do the Decepticons know about KITT?" Raoul wondered suddenly.

"I don't know," Michael replied.

"Well they certainly do now," Tracks stated, "That Decepticon who attacked us is one of their spies. He probably scanned KITT inside and out and reported back to Megatron."

"Michael, are you there?" The viewscreen inside KITT activated and Devon Miles appeared. Michael stuck his head inside KITT.

"Right here, Devon," Michael replied, "And I'm afraid I've got some bad news. I think the Decepticons may have become aware of KITT."

"Well we must avoid allowing KITT to fall into their hands at all costs--he could be a very dangerous weapon in the wrong hands, if they reprogrammed him. Perhaps we should contact the Autobot base. We may require their assistance," Devon suggested, "How did the mission go?"

"Piece of cake," Michael replied.

"Right, then. I am going to contact Optimus Prime. I'll be in touch," Devon said, and the viewscreen shut off.

"You know, Michael, there are only two possibilities that absolutely terrify me," KITT stated.

"And that is...?"

"Being turned against you...or seeing the Decepticons somehow dig up KARR."

"KARR?" Tracks cut in.

"It's a long story," Michael replied.

*

TO BE CONTINUED!