Old Pains
Chapter One: Landing
Though it was hot out, it wasn't quite dry like it normally would be this time of day. There was a smell of moister in the air, both a promise and threat of rain in the large desert. The sun had almost completely dipped under the horizon, painting not only the land in purples and reds but the rare thunder head above as well. The storm looked like it had already let its contained water free to the north and it would take a few minutes before it reached the road.
There seemed to be no life in this place. Whatever native organic life there was, was safely tucked away from first the heat of the day, as well as sensing the incoming storm. But it wasn't truly lifeless as a low slung muscle car sped down the old, cracked road way. Behind the yellow and black striped vehicle was a comparatively massive, blue and red semi truck with a long gray trailer behind. The truck was coming closer and closer to the racer, steadily moving foot by foot and completely unsafe if the truck had been driven by a human.
Optimus Prime was far from being human driven, or human made for that reason. The Autobot leader edged closer before his wide bumper pushed again Bumblebee's alternate form's aft, the living automobile equivalent of a soft nudge.
He was rewarded with a prompt and startled warble-trill and the squeal of tires as Bumblebee sped up.
Chattering came from the scout in protest and then the tone turned to scolding, making Optimus chuckle in return. Lightheartedly speeding up to gently nudge Bumblebee again, and the younger mech skittered ahead and then to one side, dropping back to faint. Bumblebee didn't get too close, as the law of tonnage was against him in this case.
It was a good moment, in the Prime's opinion even when the water finally fell, it came in warm sheets that washed over crusted sand, rocks, loose quirt crystals in the pavement and finally descend on the two Autobots. The cooling water was pleasant as the night closed in on the land and all those that lived and traveled on it. The air was filled with the thick, rich scent of hot, wet pavement. The slightly sharper smell of heated and wet rock, but it wasn't nearly as strong on the old highway.
Steam rose up and off the two Autobots like on the road, making a ghostly tail before and behind them thanks to Optimus and Bumblebee's headlights. It reminded the latter of the old energy roadways back on Cybertron before they went dark, the Level Workers unable to keep up with extensive and needed repairs in the war.
All around them Mother Nature was bound and determined to recreate the humans historic, global (and imposable according to Ratchet) Great Flood, and convert the desert landscape into an outdoor aquarium. Or very shallow inland sea at the rate it was going in Bumblebee's opinion.
Which in honestly did sound a little fun to the scout, having a vast yet shallow outside pool. Shallow enough to come to his ankle joints, but just deep enough that his little Raphael would have fun too. The water would be warm wouldn't it? This being a desert, but not too deep as Bumblebee would admit that his human was very small.
And the yellow and black striped Autobot knew that his charge couldn't swim.
Optimus 'lightly' bumped against Bumblebee again, getting another squeal of protest and kicked up rocks in his grill. "And what are you thinking?"
Bumblebee hummed his engine, transmitting his mental image and musings as a quick sketch. He trilled softly, smiling inwardly in triumph as he heard the thrumming of his Prime's quite laugh. There was a pause as Bumblebee shifted to the empty oncoming lane and saddled up as close as he dared to the big rig's cab.
-Can I take my Raph to a beach?- Bumblebee asked viva a text transmission that would scroll across Optimus' internal communications system.
"I would suggest letting the sparkling learn to swim first." Optimus Prime said and then continued as he extended his scanners for another detailed sweep for anything from energon to Decepticons, to something new and strange. He easily shifted through the loads of returning data, grateful for his experience that came with his life before being a Prime, "But I see no problem with your request."
-Thank you.- Bumblebee sent, letting out another audible trill to show his happiness at this aloud, along with a wiggle that nearly had him off the road from unexpectedly hydro planning. The scout skidded ahead with a warble of confusion before he got the hang of this new hazard, and then promptly turned it into a new game. Like a human would slid on the first ice of puddles in the winter season elsewhere.
As Cliffjumper would have done, with a whoop of glee that was echoed in Bumblebee's broken voice.
When Arcee had left Optimus' side for the first time in a long time, way back when, on Cybertron in the war (fallowing orders from Chromia that couldn't be ignored), the then new Prime would have never guessed that his friend would be followed by her future unbounded mate on her return. Not by the way they fought and yelled at each other, more so Arcee yelling at him. None the less, Cliffjumper back then had stuck to his evident mission of 'wooing' Arcee in the most unconventional and complete opposite way of doing things to get a mate that Optimus had known back then. Primus he'd seen Arcee nearly kill the warrior more than five times.
How many times, at first, did she deny affection out loud, and then again once the two were together? The two had seemingly vanished off Cybertron, only to come back with a foundling sparkling, Bumblebee. Arcee and Cliffjumper had been unlikely mates, even more unconventional caretakers, yet that family had been born.
Now, with Cliffjumper gone it was a hurt family, but still just unconventional, somehow adopting in an old war-dog medic, a Prime, a Wrecker... and now it seemed a few humans.
How strange our lives seemed to get sometimes, Optimus mused as he moved into the very center of the old road. Plowing down it and into the rain with a steady, yet fast enough speed to let Bumblebee slide in and out of the funneled mess of scatted water behind his trailer.
Now and then the Prime's bellowing horn mixed with the thundering rattle of cracked air thanks to the lightning, the scout's higher beeps a counter point as they played. Optimus moving in precise controlled moves that no human trucker would dare, making his trailer move to one side to the other as Bumblebee complained and encouraged his leader depending how close he was to accidently getting stuck under the trailer.
...like he just did again.
-Ratchet to Optimus.-
"Optimus here," The Prime replied, speaking aloud and in Cybertronian as he was distracted by the stuck scout. Attempting to lift his trailer's ground clearance and figure out just how in the name of the Matrix Bumblebee kept managing to do that, as well as where he learn to do that. Maybe it was another bad habit he picked up from Cliffjumper and Arcee. Both of those two had at some points in the past both done that, though to different mechs then Optimus (he remembered it used to drive Grimlock insane when the two wheeler ducked under him).
-You're not going to believe this.- Did the former senator sound... happy?
Bumblebee pulled up along Optimus' cab again, scraping his door on the Prime's running board, but light enough not to leave much of a mark. Bumblebee's energy field flickered insistently on the big rig's own, trying to mesh into it. The request was clear to the Prime and Optimus pulled the young mech into the conversation, letting him update (taking only a moment) before the two did the car equivalent of exchanging looks.
"I have found there is many things in this world and the next I can believe old friend." Optimus said, though a bit wary. Yet, it couldn't be too bad as in the background of the transmission he could hear the three human children chattering about something with what sounded like Wheeljack and Bulkhead in cheerful tones.
-Did you and Wheeljack take the plunge?- Bumblebee sent, all mischief and play from his shared play-time with Optimus.
Ratchet spluttered for a second before growling out in Cybertronian, his words making the scout trill in laughter and rush ahead of the Prime like he was trying to out run the medic that wasn't there.
-Stop laughing!- Ratchet barked at his leader, but only got an amused rumble in return.
"What is the news you have and called about?" The Prime asked, letting a bit more authority bleed into his tone, a gentle reminder of who was truly Boss, and to get them all back on subject. The base couldn't be tracked, but Optimus and Bumblebee didn't have those large modifications like their home base did, and thus they could be tracked down out in the open by the Decepticons. Or any other annoying, aka more human, parties.
-Guess who just commed in?- Ratchet asked as Bumblebee came sliding past right in front of Optimus' grill.
-Cliffjumper?- The scout asked back hopefully, still never loosing that hope that his other caretaker was alive somehow. Despite all the odds, and knowing his hope was fueled by only a single real, if very slight possibility.
-...no, I'm afraid not Bumblebee,- Ratchet's voice took a slightly less hard edge, and getting that spark-breaking warble-cheep from the younger mech. There was a pause, -It's an Autobot ship.-
"Verified?" Optimus started to slow down, his breaks easing his speed by small notches at a time. Bumblebee could get up from self inflicted and hydro-planning caused crashes far easier then the heavier Prime could.
-Yes,- Ratchet assured, -It's a living class curser, under Prowl's command.-
Optimus nearly let his breaks grip too tight, nearly swerved off the road an into the rougher desert landscape to plow over and flatten several shrubs and cacti. The tires of his back trailer skidded on the very edge before living truck shifted leaning back to the center of the road... and then he was safe again with no more risk of a roll or just as, if not more, painful jack-knifing.
"..."
-Prowl as in the Praxian or Prowl as in that insectiod, alien, hive-commander?- Bumblebee asked matter of factly. He waited for the moments it took the others to remember that encounter before getting a replay. Oh Bumblebee was pretty sure that it was the former rather than the latter of the two.
-The Praxian, my former charge.- Ratchet huffed, growled and then hummed as he multi-tasked, -I have his estimated landing coordinates. He snuck up on us and the 'cons.-
"Are the Decepticons aware of his approach?" Optimus asked, paused and added, "Or the humans?"
-no, and... yes and no.- Ratchet huffed, -Bulkhead and Wheeljack couldn't keep quiet about it to the human sparklings here. But the humans on a whole, either governmental or privet, have not seemed to have detected the presences of Sudden Clarity.-
So, they still have the same ship as well. Optimus wondered as he finally eased to a slow craw and then stop, how much Sudden Clarity had grown over these last years. Their own Ark model of living class ship, the Crystal Hope, had at least doubled in size since leaving Cybertron. His team had almost not recognized the Wrecker ship, Xianthum, when they passed it. That had been long before earth and Roadbuster barely had time to send a greeting to his once Crew mate, Bulkhead, even less time to yell out a 'Wreck and Rule!' at the other ship as they sped away to whatever it was.
Now though...
More Autobots.
Those two words sang in Optimus Prime's spark as loudly and joyously as they had when the real Wheeljack came swaggering into the base. He remembered laughing softly as Wheeljack had been tackled by Bulkhead with Bumblebee fallowing his friend's lead, caught up in the excitement, and the tiny, fearless Miko wrapping her arms around a white ankle.
"Bring us home Ratchet," Optimus ordered sending the medic the coordinates he wished the space bridge to open at, "Call in the others."
-I've already started. Ratchet out.-
Bumblebee gave a startled meep, the sound mixing with his horn as the scout spun around, leaving a half ring of black tire marks on the aged pavement. He faced the ground bridge that opened behind his Prime. The yellow Autobot transformed as the big rig hissed his breaks and reversed, Bumblebee walked ahead to place a guiding hand on the trailer.
"Click-warble-click-click?"
"Yes, we will need to burry Sudden Clarity near our ship."
"Bizzz-ckick-trill!"
Optimus chuckled as they passed into the energy field of the ground bridge and emerged back in their surface home base, "She will undoughtibly enjoy the company."
"Who will?"
The big rig swept his sensors back as he parked, watching Bumblebee bound over to the elevate 'Human Spot' (as dubbed by Ratchet), chatting away and explaining about their ship. Door wings twitching, Bumblebee folded his arms over the railing to be at optic level with his charge. He let Raphael embrace the side of his head, tracing careful fingers along the boy's side.
Ratchet spared the two an odd look, a cross of exasperation and worry. He shrugged it off and reset the ground bridge, motioning to the older and more responsible Jack to come over before going over what had to be done. The old mech would, if reluctantly, admit that it was useful to have the humans here, if no other reason than to be the ground bridge operator to let all the Autobots fight at their meager full force of six... five, Ratchet corrected his mental count.
A blast of Optimus Prime's horns jarred the medic and he stepped to the reactivated ground bridge. "Don't send the two Wreckers and Arcee anywhere else." He called back to Jack.
The teenager rolled his eyes, "Yes Ratchet." Jack said, knowing that by now if he didn't give that responce, the medic would go over the ground bridge controls from the start until Optimus backed his trailer into the white and red mech. A happy buzz made the young man lift a hand and wave back to Bumblebee as he watched the group vanish in the light and energy. Only once he got that 'all clear' ping on the computer that meant he could shut it down.
As the light and energy faded behind the three Autobots, Bumblebee hopped over Optimus' trailer, and trotted on the rocky surface a few paces with his door wing fanning a little. He could sense through his family bond that Arcee was in the region and racing to meet them on wheels rather than bridging it over. Though at the distance she was at, Arcee would have to do a short hop to make it in time. The scout came back as Optimus Prime transformed and stretched out his limbs, flexing his fingers and generally making sure everything was ready.
Just in case, for anything that may pop up, considering who all had been on Prowl's ship to start with... that could be anything.
"There they are," Ratchet said as the two Wreckers came skidding out of the space bridge. The older mech frowned as he watched the two roll away, Bulkhead remaining in his vehicle form while Wheeljack shifted first.
The white swordsman and all around kick-aft expert stooped as Bulkhead's passenger popped open. The little sparkling sized form that was ejected out into Wheeljack's waiting, cupped hands gave a yelp. The Autobot grinned at Ratchet's glare, holding Miko close to his middle as Bulkhead was free to transform.
"What?" For a mech as scarred as he was, Wheeljack could put on a rather convincing innocent mask. For about five seconds before the effect faded.
"Why did you bring her?" Ratchet demanded, stalking over as the ground bridge closed once more. He stalked the wrong way it seemed as Bulkhead's mass was suddenly in Ratchet's way, and Wheeljack happily moved around to stay on his friend's other side with his 'prize' that was more than willing to play along for now.
Miko had a hand over her mouth trying not to overly annoy Ratchet, she was learning disturbingly fast that you could pester the old mech only for a while. If one didn't hit that 'bad level,' you wouldn't be sent away, or shoved up on a shelf for four hours. Or put in the world's largest box for two hours... Or put of the giant alien equivalent of a broom closet. Granted that was the easiest to get out of, taking all of ten minutes and remembering yoga classes.
But, that was beside the point at the moment.
"You said to get the frag over here without stopping," Bulkhead was saying as Miko leaned against the cradling fingers of the 'smaller' Wrecker waving to Bumblebee with a cheerful greeting that was instantly responded to with a just as enthusiastic chirr and chitter. Bulkhead glancing over at Optimus, getting a nod of approval for the silent request for his charge to stay, "Besides doc-bot," the green mech grinned, "You complained the last time I stopped to let Miko out."
"Yeah," The girl pitched in at last as she was set down, the tiny human moved as fearlessly as a Wrecker sparkling as she hopped expertly past Wheeljack's shifting feet to Bulkhead. Well able to get out of the way if the mechs did move the wrong way. She knew her guardian wouldn't, mostly because Bulkhead always had at scanner or sensor on her now. More so after Miko had displayed an amazing and slightly scary ability to pop up at random times in Bulkhead's, and now Wheeljack's armor pockets without them knowing how she got in there in the first place.
The girl bee-lined to the Prime, projecting her confidence and adaption with dealing with the littoral giants of metal all around her; Miko clasped her hands together, widening her eyes pleadingly, "Can I please, please, please stay Optimus? Ratchet said before that the Deceptions down know this time and I know they can't track the ground bridges."
Miko had learned that it helped so much to know two things when dealing with Optimus: that she was young, and that she said 'please.' Optimus Prime, the great Autobot leader, had a soft stop for sparklings and manors. It explained how the human children could get away with their wonderful Stupid-Teenage-Moments they had.
Optimus knelt down to gently scoop up the girl before standing, rumbling softly as he took the few steps over to Bulkhead, "You may." The Prime held his right hand out, letting Miko slide from his palm onto the green mech's shoulder.
"Optimus!" Ratchet's voice lifted loud enough to be clearly heard again, the medic paused though, the rest of his protest cut off as a Command signal pinged and buzzed against his communications system. Judging by how the other three Autobots straightened up reflexively, the signal touched them as well.
"It is safe," Optimus said once he had his troops undivided attention, seeing that Miko was tilting her head as if trying to hear something, and pressing her fingers behind her ears. Interesting. "And, I think it would be a good idea that Prowl and his Autobots meet the native, sentient, species of this planet sooner rather than later."
"Yeah, can you imagine the human military scaring Bluestreak?" Wheeljack chuckled, grinning as he made a motion, holding a fist out with the other hand wrapped around it and then made a droning-razzing sound that crackled as he clawed his digits and expanded his hands, "Boom! ...You never scare or startle gunners kiddo." He added to Miko. "You would not believe the places they can pull a gun out of."
"Really?"
Ratchet rolled his optics in exasperation and a picked up habit from the humans, a handy expression it was indeed. He leaned over and smacked the smugly purring Wheeljack upside the head as the ground bridge opened once more. The medic tensed reflexively, and then just as fast relaxed as he heard the familiar sound of Arcee's lighter engine growing louder. After doing another human-check of the area, just to be sure, Ratchet returned his attention up to the sky. Fallowing Optimus Prime's fixed stare and spotting the 'slowly' descending Sudden Clarity.
Once again there was admiration and, yes, some envy that ran through Ratchet's energon lines as he watched the other ship. If only their Crystal Hope had those same systems and the Polyhexian technology that let this living ship slip virtually undetected into any planetary atmosphere by human and, more importantly, by the Decepticons. Unless you were looking right at where the ship was, it was in basics: invisible.
"Prowl and his mechs will be arriving on the mesa any click now." Ratchet judged as he lifted a hand to his helm and focused his vision, taking in the distance and speed of the slightly bloated looking ship. Where those attached shuttles, added bays or apart of the Polyhexian deceleration and landing tech?
"...what?" Arcee asked after a long moment, her spines and sensors twitching involuntary in reaction to what she heard as she slide into the position expected of her now. She faithfully stood to the right of the massive bulk of Optimus Prime- making him seem so much larger because of the size comparison between them. The femme just stepped out from the space bridge, having come to meet the group strait from her patrol like Bulkhead and Wheeljack had.
The slender blue Arcee was suddenly tensed where she stood as the words finally, completely, sank in and long term memory kicked into gear. The change in her stance was so noticeable that Optimus shifted to look down at her. "What is it?" He asked in concern as the same time Ratchet replied.
"I said that Prowl and his mechs will be arriving any click." The medic huffed, turning to glance at Arcee, he's irritation more for the fact of what he said and remembering who was with Prowl's crew, rather than her not paying attention. Ratchet paused though as he and then the others took in the expression on the femme, that was an impressive mix of disgust, terrified- yes terrified and that 'oh-dear-Primus-let-this-not-be-the-truth' look that one got when facing something they truely didn't want to be reality.
A lot like what the Decepticons used to do when Omega Supreme showed up on the battlefield back on Cybertron. Or how Miko's parents, both biological and host, got now and then when the girl got an idea that made the girl turn on her 100wat smile.
Before anyone could comment Arcee fixated completely on Ratchet. Who was for the first time in the long time regretting being the messenger of news as he eyed the two larger sets of spines that were just visible.
"Prowl." Arcee said, it wasn't really a question.
"Yes..." Ratchet nodded slowly, recognizing the signs of an alert assassin he hadn't seen in a few hundred years. No, wait, take that back. He had seen them with that whole ordeal with... with Cliffjumper.
"And his team."
"Yes."
"All of his team."
"Yes."
"Everyone that was with him when he left Cybertron…?" Arcee completely clarified and detailed her question; to be entirely sure. She could sense Optimus' gaze, considered and interested in his SIC's reactions.
If only he knew what was coming.
"...yes. Though did Prowl implied that they possibly picked up few more bots on the way here." Ratchet was now frowning at the motorcycle femmie with suspicion. His optics flicking over and behind Arcee to Wheeljack, and then up to Optimus Prime before returning his stare to the femmie with an arched optic ridge. A silent question that wasn't going to be answered right away.
There was a beat pause, and Arcee made a sound like a cat getting it's tail caught in a door at the same time the Autobot ship settled down in the desert in front of the group. Also at the same time Bumblebee, belatedly realizing what his caretaker had realized herself, made a buzz-razz-whistle and took an involuntary step back and behind the bigger of the two Wreckers, optics widening more than normal. There was another beat pause in him now as Bumblebee looked around as if searching for his charge.
Above the only human present, Miko leaned over her Guardian's shoulder to look down at the smaller mech in confusion (and slight annoyance her moment of awe was interrupted, for that was an epic and real live space ship!). Pretty sure that had Raphael been there, the somewhat younger boy would have been snatched up, like she had done so many times to save her poor little runt of a cat from being stepped on.
"Aw scrap." Arcee said, agreeing whole-sparkedly with whatever the scout had said, wanting to bolt and vanish into the darkening evening. Or to whirl in place and hit the ground on her tires, letting them spin and not stop while they took her far, far away. To anywhere other than facing what Arcee was sure to come launching out of that shuttle bay door facing them.
Alas, she wasn't able to, Arcee was not even as free to do like Bumblebee had, to hide behind someone and be out of sight.
Oh no, she had slagging rank now, the Second In Command of the earth bound Autobots. Standing between Optimus and Ratchet with a bemused Wheeljack so close behind her that he was almost on her aft.
A 'bodyguard' spot, or so he kept saying, at least the mech knew better then to try and grab any more after finding out from that first time (after his landing fiasco) that Arcee could and did use her arm blades. In all honestly though, Wheeljack had almost seemed to like that... insane Wrecker. It would explain part of his attraction to Sir Likes To Throws A Lot Of Hard And Pointy Things- double pun completely intended, and that broke minds.
In other words: there was no getting away from what Arcee knew was going to be a massive processer-ache and a suddenly very bad evening.
Bumblebee gave a little chitter sound and a smaller wave to his caretaker with a worried, -Good luck?- sent over their personal communication line.