Transformers: A Matter of Fate

SMALL FRUSTRATIONS AND BIG TROUBLE

CHAPTER 18

Small Frustrations and Big Trouble

There were times that Hound almost wished that he hadn't opted to be a father again. It was never Mark's fault, at least directly, but he noted that, with a human son, things became harder. The chief of which he quickly learned was the fact that the human homework was so easy that he nearly wanted to shout the answers to Mark when he struggled. As he currently did now over the science homework that rested in his lap, partially finished, but with still yet a ways to go. Hound peeked over Mark's shoulder, and bit his metal lip slightly. "What?" Mark asked, peering up from writing down another answer "The answer is in farenheight, right?"

"Celsius." Hound finally managed to state.

Mark sighed, erasing his answer yet again, as he grimaced slightly. It was clear that the boy was becoming flustered, though he tried to hide it given that he was doing his homework in the main Autobot hangar that morning. Mark hated spending the first day of his weekend doing homework, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to hang out if he didn't finish. "I just don't get science and math." Mark shook his head a bit "I get I'm going to use this at some point..."

"It comes in handy, at least."

"Maybe I should take a break." Mark replied "Call it being lazy, but I really don't feel like doing any more of this." Hound watched as Mark started to stuff his homework into his backpack again "And you're all walking computers. So it's not like you can exactly help me without cheating." He began.

Hound tilted his head, knowing Mark had a point. Yet he also knew that he wasn't the best teacher when it came to science, or math for that matter. Though he was often good with mechanics, engineering, and various other school subjects. "If I could teach you, I would. I honestly never have been good at teachin' stuff like this. And believe me, I tried when... Yer older brother was in school." Hound rubbed the back of his helm "I don't know who really could teach ye, maybe one of the humans." He murmured.

Mark felt a tinge of surprise as Hound called his late son his "older brother". Though he supposed that Hound only wanted him to feel like he was a part of his family, fostered or not. "What did you do when Coldsteel was in school, then?" Mark asked, his eyes traveling up "If you weren't good at teaching stuff, you had to do something, right?" He asked.

"I usually sent him to Wheeljack." Hound tensed a little "Unfortunately, he's since passed on to the Well of Allsparks." Mark took notice of the frown on Hound's face and returned it with a soft, comforting smile "Don't worry, that was a long time ago. Before I even came to Earth." Hound shook off the thought of what happened in Chicago, or what he had heard at least, silently "I suppose I could give it a try though, if you let me see the paper again."

Mark hesitated a moment, but soon took the paper out again and handed it to Hound's holoform as it appeared. The mech's eyes scanned the paper as he scratched his holoform's hair silently. He definitely didn't know how to break this down properly as much as he would have liked. "Hound!" Hound turned his head as Lennox entered the hangar "Get the Autobots ready, ASAP. There's been Decepticon activity in Nevada."

Hound was almost thankful for the excuse. "Mark, stay here. You know the drill, anything happens, you find one of the NEST personnel staying behind right away." The mech told him as his holoform handed the homework back to the disappointed young man "I know, I promised we'd go out and do something later. But can we take what you humans call a rain check? You still have a lot of your homework left anyway."

"Sure thing, Hound." Mark half-smiled "You be careful though."

"Will do." Hound ruffled the boy's hair before his holoform disappeared "I'll be back before dinner." He winked, and began to walk off, talking into his comm.