Transformers Fan Fiction ❯ Cover Me ❯ Deep Discussions ( Chapter 5 )

Cover Me

By Black Dragon Queen

Authors Note: Welcome to chapter Five! A bit of a serious undertone but I hope my intermittent humor carries it through. Once again, please remember that I see Optimus as very young while you read this chapter! Also, a large “THANK YOU” to all my wonderful reviewers! I'm so happy you actually took the time to tell me your thoughts after enjoying my story! --hint, hint--

Font Index:

“Speaking”

`Thinking'

“-Radio Transmissions-”

“Cybertronion”

~*~

Chapter Five: Deep Discussions

“-THAT'S WONDERFUL!-”

Sam reared back in his seat as Captain William Lennox's voice thundered out of the army radio speakers at full volume. Staring at the old unit, Sam rubbed his ears in a gesture of cleaning them out as Will's voice continued on without him. “-What's the newbie like?-” Lennox was asking as Sam's attention refocused on the conversation. “-Is he a hardened battle solider? Or more of a rookie? What's his rank?-”

“Ah, he's Chief of Security,” Sam was finally able to answer. “Don't really know what he's like, but he seems nice… I guess.”

“-You guess?-” Robert Epps' voice echoed over the line. “-How can you guess on the question `is he nice'? He either is or he isn't.-”

Sam sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “Well, it's kind of hard to tell since the second he got here Optimus immediately wanted his report. I didn't really have much time to socialize, you know.”

“-Yeah, debriefings are hell, but I'm betting the other `Bot's are happy to see him,-” Will's voice carried over the grin Sam knew he was supporting.

“To tell you the truth, I'm not sure,” Sam did admit.

There was a moment of silence from the other side of the transmission. “-Should we try asking him something easier?-”

Sam glared at the radio set as Epps' mock whisper was clearly heard on both ends. “I heard that,” he deadpanned scathingly. Epps simply chuckled. “Look,” Sam protested as he rolled his eyes in exasperation, “he just got here today and it's a little hard to figure out the dynamics of things when everyone's trembling in fear of Ratchet and his handwriting of doom.”

There was another pause. “-I swear the kid ain't speaking English.-”

“It's a bit of a long story,” Sam snickered and leaned closer to the radio. “Guys, I just need to have Lennox help me with contacting Keller.”

“-Don't tell me the FBI's still has you on their hacker list?-” Lennox cried out, appalled. “-And how many times do I have to tell you, it's Will…-”

“Well Will, I'd rather just try to avoid any trouble before it happens,” Sam replied with a small smile.

“-Finally! The kid makes sense!-”

“-Shut up Rob or you not coming with me to the Autobot Consulate-,” Will growled sharply.

“You're coming here?” Sam gasped in surprise at Will's announcement. “You really don't need too! I just need you to make a phone call.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that I prefer `Epps'?-” Epps voice boomed out of the speakers, clearly not speaking to Sam however.

“-Well I think that it would be best if we were to meet this new Autobot ourselves-” Will explained to Sam, blatantly ignored Epps' snarl.

“-Yeah,-” Epps interrupted his commander, “-since our Intel is giving us exceedingly great detailed observations, such as `he's nice, I think'.-”

“Well sorry, but I'm just in high school, not the armed forces.”

“-Don't worry,-” Will's voice sounded rather chipper. “-We'll fix that right up.-”

Sam silently groaned dejectedly, but knew deep down that the two Rangers were right. If he was to devote his life to the Autobots and if Starscream truly was trying to mobilize the remaining Decepticons as Barricade had stated, then eventually Sam would end up in any confrontation the two factions may have. He just dreaded the inevitable boot camp for it to be official. “Can I have what's behind door number two instead?” Sam groaned.

“-Say what?-” Epps asked.

“Oh nothing; I'm just contemplating my life and the oddities that composes it,” Sam mumbled.

“-Well, whatever kid,-” Will chuckled, “-we'll see `ya tomorrow!-”

“Later,” Sam said quickly before the transmission went dead. The sound of static filled the room and with a sigh he shut off the machine. Sam sat there for a long while just contemplating the day's events, when he suddenly realized that perhaps it was best that Rangers were arriving the next day. As another outsider in the Cybertronian war; Will's opinion about Barricade's offer could help Sam greatly before speaking to Optimus. Sam suddenly paused in his thoughts. `Then again, Will is just as paranoid as Ironhide if not more so. Maybe I should just speak to Optimus.' Sam smirked at the thought. “Like guardian, like charge…”

Stretching to get the kinks out of his shoulders, he finally stood and started heading towards the door. As he stepped out into the fading light he found `Bee already waiting for him, his eager blue optics questioning. “Will and Epps will be here tomorrow morning,” Sam announced, completely exhausted from the day's events, “they say `hi', by the way.” Sam then glanced around the compound, searching for any sign of the familiar blue and orange flame pattern that marked the Autobot leader. “Um… Is Optimus still here?”

`Bee shook his head as he held out a hand for Sam to climb upon. “He and Ratchet left for Look Out Point so they could to try and get a hold of the others.”

Sam frowned as he automatically checked his watch which showed that it was now just a little bit before eight. “In the middle of the night?” he asked in disbelief.

`Bee chuckled softly and explained, “we're still on Cybertronion time; seventy-six units per cycle.” Sam just stared blankly. “Roughly translated, it would be eighty-two hours per day.”

“Ah.” Sam smiled in understanding and was about to make a funny comment regarding time zones, when a resounding “clang” abruptly echoed off the walls of the large, empty hangers. Any further conversation was suddenly put on hold as the two glanced at each other in surprise and both instantly became worried that it may be the sound of a possible Decepticon attack. `Bee was instantly on the alert, hastily setting Sam down as he shifted one arm into cannon mode and swiftly began a sweep past the darkened buildings. Sam was not about to be left behind however, and he hurried after his large guardian. The two slowly and stealthily made their way towards the main yard, both keeping a sharp look out for anything out of the ordinary-

-and promptly froze at the sight of Ironhide, of all `Bots, under the large spotlights stacking a sizeable mountain of I-beams against the far fence. Sam and Bumblebee exchanged a puzzled look and `Bee retracted his cannon as they wandered over towards the grumbling top-kick. Ironhide ignored the two's approach, but his growling did increase in volume and Sam was able to catch a few words. Sadly, however they were in Cybertronion. Bumblebee was chuckling though as he caught a few phrases. The one about cube compacters and a certain, crazed security chief was vastly amusing.

“Um… What are you doing there?” Sam asked hesitantly, completely baffled by the gunners peculiar behavior.

Ironhide immediately swung around to glare down at the human as much as an Autobot can glare. Poor `Bee had to duck to avoid being broadsided by the swinging beam, that `Hide had hefted on shoulder. “I'm building a watchtower,” the black truck growled as if it should have been completely obvious to the boy.

Sam stared at the truck in astonishment then glanced at the stack dubiously. “Do I want to know why?”

“Because his highness commands it,” Ironhide muttered under his breath sarcastically. He grunted as he dropped his current load onto his pile, completely ignoring the few that fell to the ground behind him, and once more began to pick his way through the stack for any suitable beams. “The insanity has only just begun.”

“Okay…” Sam drawled as he and `Bee shared a quick, bemused look. “Well good luck with that.” `Bee smirked as he hefted himself onto the haphazard stack, earning a glare from `Hide at his blatant lack of help.

Ironhide just muttered something about slackers and the impertinence of youth before returning to the scrap pile. “You get in touch with Will?” he questioned suddenly.

Sam tilted his head downward to hide the slight smile and his eyes slid over to his own guardian as the two shared a smirk. Ironhide would never admit it, but it was a well know secret that the large truck held a soft spot in his wiring for his own human charge. “Yes, I did. He was over at Epps again.” Ironhide grunted but waited for the rest of Sam's story. “They'll both be here tomorrow morning.”

At this, the gunner paused to stare down at Sam incredulously. “Why in the name of Primus would he want to come here?”

Sam made his way over towards Bumblebee and pulled himself upward, climbing to sit next to his companion's shoulder. “They want to meet Red Alert, I guess.”

This time it was both `Bot's who snorted in disbelief. “A likely story,” `Hide huffed as he made a point to drop the latest I-beam directly onto Bumblebee's lap. `Bee let out a squawk of surprise but `Hide had already retreated to look for another suitable beam. “More than likely, his Tech. Sergeant is driving him up the wall.”

Sam sobered slightly as he watched `Bee take the hint and hunt for more beams alongside his superior. “Is his wife still angry about you?” he asked quietly. Ironhide remained silent, but `Bee snuck a glance and a small nod towards his charge. Sam sighed softly and said no more as he watched the two Autobot's work in silence for a while. It was inevitable that some humans would balk at the idea of any extraterrestrials living on Earth, but who would have thought that Will's sweet tempered wife would be one of them?

It was none of Sam's business however and he decided to just drop it all together. “Where's the newbie?” he asked instead.

Ironhide grunted as he dropped another beam and actually smirked at them. Crocking a finger, he turned and nonchalantly started walking away in the opposite direction of the two baffled younglings. Sam and Bumblebee glanced at one another, completely confused at Ironhide's odd behavior and suddenly chipper mood. `Bee just shrugged and left the beam he had been perusing. With a quick stop to literally pick Sam up, the two followed after the still smirking truck. `Hide had made his way towards one of the far sides of the compound and, grinning madly, pointed to the other side of the fence. Sam quirked an eyebrow as he turned to look out to the other side and then just simply stared at what he saw.

Red Alert was in a hole and a rather large hole at that. The size and depth of whole itself was quite impressive, somewhere up to the Autobot's knee, but what really threw them was the person who was doing the actual digging. They gaped in mild shock as they stared at Red who was merrily humming a rather cheerful tune as he worked. Although whatever he was using as a shovel was, for the moment, a mystery.

They watched him for a few moments before `Bee actually broke the silence. “What exactly is he doing?”

“Digging a moat,” `Hide replied simply still grinning like a loon.

Twin expressions of shocked horror swung towards him. “He's what?”

“Digging a moat,” Ironhide repeated gleefully. The two just stared at him completely stunned.

“As in `lower the drawbridge' moat?” Sam asked in astonishment.

“Well, it's more of a tunnel really,” `Hide recanted. “It's a trap for intruders.”

“Um, he does know that Starscream's alter is a Jet and he can fly, right?”

“Who knows what he thinks when he comes up with these plans of his,” `Hide shrugged in response to Sam's question. “His CPU is so cross wired that it's amazing Ratchet gave him the all-clear for combat.”

“His CPU`s damaged?” Bumblebee gasped in dismay. “How in the world did he keep his rank?”

“He's been Security Chief since before you were onlined,” Ironhide growled, surprising the two younger beings with his sudden defense of the Chief. “And regardless of whether you like it or not, he's always been the best in his field, even before the War.” `Hide paused. “It's just his increased paranoia that drives the rest of us crazy.”

Sam mulled over this awhile before he turned back towards the red `Bot and tried to see him from a different standpoint. “So, is he insane?” he finally asked.

Ironhide paused in his explanation to lean back against a building. “He's not as far gone as one would think.” The truck eyed his eagerly listening audience, struggling for a moment as he contemplated whether or not he had the right to explain other `Bot's personal history, before finally releasing defeated sigh. “A while back there was an incident on Cybertron,” he recalled thoughtfully, trying to find the right words. “He's always been paranoid, and it actually helped him achieve his high rank as Chief. However, once during a `Con raid he became trapped under a collapsed bunker; unfortunately this resulted in damage to his logic circuits, and the rewiring was something that even Ratchet couldn't completely undo. The outcome, as you can see, is that his simple paranoia turned into a full blown obsession.”

The two processed the information before glancing once more at Red Alert, hard at work. “So he really does think that there's going to be an attack at any moment?” `Bee asked nervously.

“That's about the gist of it,” Ironhide confirmed with a shrug. “According to Red, there's always someone out there, plotting.”

“Oh you never know…” Sam murmured, more to himself than the two Autobots, as he watched the red mech continue digging. He pursed his lips together as his conversation with Barricade, and the very real threat of arriving Decepticons, brutally came to the forefront of his mind. “…he just might be right.”

The two `Bots glanced at one another puzzled, before both shrugging off Sam's comment as something that only human reasoning could ever possibly understand.

“Do you think it was a good idea to leave Red Alert in charge?” Ratchet asked as he helped steady the transmission unit for Optimus to anchor.

Optimus grunted and drove a support stake into the earth rather forcefully. “Couldn't be helped,” he replied as he secured the machine, “he's highest rank after us.”

Ratchet released the now balanced transmitter and smirked evilly. “Poor `Hide.”

Optimus bit back a rather sardonic remark at Ratchet's poor attempt at sympathy for his weapon's specialist situation as he punched in his own private master code into the computer. `BwahahahFear my all powerful commander pass code,' he thought diabolically.

“All powerful command code?” Ratchet suddenly asked in surprise.

Optimus turned to the medic, shocked before forcing himself to look innocent. “What did you say?”

“You said `my all powerful command code',” Ratchet told him with a wicked smirk.

“No I didn't,” Optimus replied quickly hoping that Ratchet would just let it go.

“Hmmm,” Ratchet grinned slyly. “Perhaps we should do a system check.” The medic teased as he wandered over and placed a hand on his “all powerful commander's” shoulder. “There may be a bug in your system. Are you seeing any static? Any breakage in your vision? No sudden spots of black floating across you optic screen?”

Optimus glared at the medic, feeling a bit silly that he had actually stated his internal monologue out loud. “I loathe you.”

“It's why I'm here!” Ratchet laughed cheerfully. “Everyone's got to fear someone, and it may as well be me! Did you not get the memo? Medics are necessary evil and are imperative to any successful operation status.”

Optimus very highly doubted it, but refused to provide the medic with any further data regarding his sanity, or Ratchet's apparent lack thereof, as he turned back to the transmitter that the group had been constructing for the past few months. He prayed to Primus that the evening's rush job to complete it would somehow manage do the trick and send their signal to the outskirts of the galaxy for their friends to pick up.

“Do you actually think this contraption will work?” Ratchet asked as he eyed the contraption suspiciously. “The last thing we need is another Wheeljack-esque explosion. He's a good engineer, if only about thirteen percent of the time, but I swear that other eighty-seven percent just drives me insane.”

“Haft to admit that if he were he though, this thing wouldn't be pieced together with wire and electrical tape,” Optimus countered as he punched in the coordinates.

“No,” Ratchet scoffed, “it would just be in smaller pieces and scattered everywhere.”

Optimus paused his programming as he registered a small amount of longing in his comrade's voice and he spared a quick glance at his friend. “You miss him.” No teasing or any sort of judgment, Optimus just stated the simple fact.

Ratchet's initial reaction was one of indignation that his leader would make assumptions about his feelings for the engineer, let alone dare suggest that he actually missed the walking hazard zone. However, at the kind, understanding look his leader gave him, he felt his anger simply float away and released a soft sigh as he slumped slightly in misery. “Yeah, I do.”

“I knew it,” Optimus smiled gently. “When are you two going to make it official and connect the ol' ball and chain to your medbay?”

“My what?” Ratchet yelped in surprise.

“The ol' ball and chain,” he repeated joyfully. “As in take the plunge. Get hitched. Tie the old preverbal knot.” Ratchet stared blankly at the multitude of human analogies being fired at him and Optimus smirked at his uncomprehending gaze. “You know, get married.”

Ratchet just STARED at his leader in complete and utter shock for a whole of five Earth minutes before reeling back in total surprise. “That is none of you business!” he cried out, mortification washing over him like an Earth's rainstorm at just how well Optimus had pinpointed the situation.

“I most certainly will say it is my business,” Optimus declared with a laugh. “Considering that if you two finally do get your heads out of your afts and make it official, I'll be the one conducting the ceremony.”

“Over my empty shell!” Ratchet shrieked, aghast at the very idea. “You'll probably be the most emotional `Bot there! You'll be stopping at random points to gleefully hug the guests and tell them the most embarrassing thing you can dish up on me! Worse yet, I can just picture the toast now.” Ratchet laughed and mimicked raising a glass in salute. “`We are all here to congratulate our two good friends for finally coming together and relieving us of the agony of watching them moon over one another while causing massive destruction to both base, `Bots and Earth. Oh, and by the way…I win the pool'.”

“You know about the pool?” Optimus exclaimed in total surprise. He had thought Ratchet wouldn't have known anything about that.

Ratchet froze in the middle of making a wild gesture, before he whirled around and marched straight towards Optimus who was mentally trying to make his massive figure a mere six inches tall.

Ratchet glared at his increasingly traitorous leader and growled. “What?”

“What?” Optimus asked innocently as he moved quickly to the other side of the transmitter, hoping that it would be enough of a head start.

“What did you say?”

“Say? I said nothing.”

“Yes you did,” Ratchet snarled. “I heard you.”

“Um...” Optimus scrambled for an acceptable excuse, any excuse. “Fear my all powerful commanders' code?” he tried almost shakily.

“There IS a pool?!” It was clear that Ratchet was completely shocked by Optimus' verification. “I thought it was just a joke.”

Optimus quickly went back to programming the computer and hoped that Ratchet had left his much feared wrench back at the base, in case the medic decided to take his anger out on the only Autobot in the vicinity. Namely him! He dared a small, bashful glance at Ratchet, “oops.”

It was quite for a while before Ratchet finally just had to ask. “So just how much is the slagging thing up to?”

Optimus hesitated, wondering if admitting just how large the pot actually was would only fuel the other's temper. “Um… well, I'm not quite sure how much is in it now to tell you the truth. It's been a while-”

“How much?”

“Well, you see it was actually started way back in Tyger Pax on Cybertron before the war even began and actually I think there were a few more bets after we left to go after Megatron and-”

“Wait a minute,” Ratchet interrupted, overwhelmed by Optimus' nervous babble. “Exactly how many mechs are actually in this thing?” His tone brooked absolutely no argument.

“Um,” Optimus searched his databanks over what he knew of the bet. Since it had begun pre-war he knew that there were some now-Decepticons that were in the pool and was then startled when he suddenly remembered that even Megatron had put in a wager now and then at the make shift betting hall. “All of them?”

Ratchet just stared at his leader, utterly dumbfounded. “Please tell me that's not the only bet going,” he moaned, dropping his head into his hands in embarrassment.

“Of course not,” Optimus assured him. “There's another one regarding when you'll finally snap and scrap the twins into piles of spare parts.”

Ratchet snorted but didn't lift his head. “Any way I can get in on it?”

“Well,” Optimus paused and Ratchet lifted his head in question at the sudden prolonged silence. “You see, it was actually Jazz who started all the betting pools so I'm not sure…”

“Oh.” Ratchet sobered considerably and the two simply stared at the transmitter unseeingly, both lost in their own thoughts of their departed friend. After the last battle, they had never truly spoken of their fallen warrior, each leaving the others to grieve in their own way. Of course Ironhide's way of handling grief was making things explode in the largest fireballs possible but at least it had never got beyond anything inorganic save the occasional cactus.

“Primus, I just cannot believe that he's gone,” Ratchet admitted as he lowered himself to the ground.

“Me either.” Optimus moved to sit beside the medic and they both looked up at the starry sky above them for a while. “Are you sure you couldn't rebuild him?” Optimus asked after a long silence.

“I'm only a medic, not Primus,” Ratchet said sadly. “His spark was gone and I can only repair, not reincarnate.”

“I know,” Optimus sighed. “I just never really realized exactly what he meant to us -to me- until he was gone.”

“No one ever really does,” Ratchet replied softly. “I just fear Prowl's reaction.”

Optimus was silent as he thought about his two senior officers and what they had all gone through together to win this; what was once called a never-ending war. “I'm more worried about a lack of reaction from Prowl,” he admitted finally. “If he doesn't show some feeling for the loss of his beloved I may just have to have you sedate him to ensure that he doesn't purge himself.”

“Prime!” Ratchet snapped angrily. “Don't ever say that! Prowl would never kill himself to follow Jazz!”

“No, he'll just bury himself in work.” Optimus countered in a soft tone. “However since the war's gone, I now fear there will be nothing to distract him.”

“I'm sure it will never get that far,” Ratchet tried to reassure the younger `Bot, “We won't let it get that far.”

The two simply stared at the stars for a long time, neither speaking nor moving as they just sat there, contemplating. After a quite a while, Optimus finally heaved a sigh as he climbed to his feet. “Well, we had best finish the job and actually get this signal out there before we begin to rust.”

He held a hand out to his friend and Ratchet took it gratefully, allowing the other `Bot to help him up. “All right, but if this thing explodes, you have to put yourself back together again, understood?”

Optimus grinned as he snapped to full attention and gave a mocking salute. “Sir, yes sir.”

Ratchet just rolled his eyes and headed for the nearest possible cover.

-To Be Continued