I don't own Transformers or the characters.
"Would you please stop ignoring me, Jack."
Miko pleaded with the older boy as she pursued him through the school halls, "I said I was sorry!" She could have easily outrun him, even without the limp, but she kept pace a couple of steps behind him. This stride was so unnatural to her she would start to pass him, forcing her to stop abruptly until he was in front of her again, then continue her begging. "It was just a stupid mistake, are you really that mad at me?"
Jack pointedly ignored her as he unlocked his locker and threw the door open with a satisfying slam.
Miko eyed him nervously. Usually, she wasn't one to admit to her mistakes, let alone apologize unprompted, but something had told her she really screwed up this time. Considering this was day three of the silent treatment, she was spot on.
...Three days earlier...
All was calm at the base. Ratchet and Rafael were working on one of their projects, quietly exchanging ideas, tools, and bits of metal. The rest of the Autobots were due back from their patrols any time now, but none of them had anything interesting to report when Ratchet checked up on them last.
Jack lounged on his back with his head resting against the couch's armrest, deeply engrossed in his book. He never felt safer than at the base, but this sense of ease made him all the more unprepared for Miko-sized weight that dropped on his chest boots-first. Both teens screamed; one with excitement and one in pain.
He growled a string of Cybertronian and English curses under his breath as the Asian girl rolled off of him. She landed on the floor in a crouch. "Miko, I'll fragging kill you."
Ratchet let out a deep, drawn-out sigh before following Raf's eyes to the other kids. By now Jack was chasing Miko along the maze of catwalks.
"Should we maybe stop them, Ratchet?" Raf asked.
"If I must." The older bot muttered as Miko flew past on the catwalk nearest to his helm, her head thrown back in laughter. Jack was barefoot and slid every time he encountered a corner, allowing her more time to escape. Ratchet made a sound as if clearing his throat, following the teens with his optics. "Jack, Miko, that's quite enough."
They paid him no mind. "I said-"
"SON of a-" Jack skid as he took a corner too fast, crashing head over heels and landing flat on his back.
Miko turned and slowed her stride to a light backward jog. "You good, dude?"
"I think I sliced my foot on something." With a groan, he sat up and examined the offending appendage. The blood now staining his jeans served as confirmation enough for him.
"Come on." Jack looked up to see Ratchet watching him expectantly, his palm level with the platform. Using the railing to pull himself up he limped onto Ratchet's hand. Miko stopped and watched them, looking deflated.
Jack stumbled as Ratchet placed him on the table beside Raf. "Ah, sorry about the mess." He smiled apologetically. Ratchet merely humph'd and instructed Raf to get some clean towels and a bucket of water. Jack sat down to examine his wound again. Unable to tell the extent of the damage through the blood, he ran an experimental finger along the bottom of his foot. An involuntary hiss of pain escaped his lips. His other arm was wrapped around his middle.
"Knock that off already," the bot ordered. Raf struggled to balance the bucket and climb back up the table, but Ratchet took the things from the boy before he got very far. He began to clean Jack's wound with shocking gingerness for someone so much larger.
Raf knelt beside the boy and watched curiously. "Woah Jack, something got you good. Did you see what it was?"
Jack shook his head as Miko climbed onto the table. "No, it was probably one of the panels popping up or a loose screw or something."
"We should talk to Agent Fowler about getting some stuff to do more repairs around here," Raf suggested, pushing his glasses up on his nose. Ratchet nodded in agreement as he finished clearing the blood from the wound. The cut ran diagonally across the arch of his foot. It was about four inches long and was open nearly half an inch at its widest point. Just then the computer's commlink system crackled to life.
"Optimus to base, requesting ground bridge to our location."
Raf hopped to his feet and ran to the controls. "I've got it, Ratchet!" He connected his laptop to the main computer and mimicked the older bot's usual keystrokes. The swirling green portal burst to life and expanded before four bots stepped through.
BumbleBee stretched and shuttered his optics, chirping and beeping absently.
"Uh, our patrol may have been boring but it looks like there was some action here." Bulkhead nodded toward the other group as the brilliant blue light of Ratchet's scanner moved up and down Jack's body.
Arcee stepped forward with her hands on her hips. "Care to explain, anyone?" She sized up each of the teens until her narrowed optics landed on Jack's foot. It was already wrapped by now, but there were bloodstained towels crumpled up beside them.
The dark haired boy waved up at her. "Hi, Arcee. How'd patrol go?"
"Fine. Now one more time, does anyone care to explain?"
Finished with his scan, Ratchet crossed his arms. "Why don't you ask Miko?"
"Miko?" Bulkhead looked down at his charge with his optic ridge raised.
The girl smiled bashfully, holding her arms behind her back in false innocence. "Um, so," She let her words run together in rapid succession. "I was sorta like really bored and chilling on the catwalks and I looked down and saw Jack and he was like right beneath me and then ISortaJumpedOnHim and he got mad and started to chase me and tripped on somethin' and cut up his foot and I'm really sorry Jack."
Jack didn't seem to hear her, but the Autobots certainly did. Bulkhead moaned and rubbed at his faceplate. Arcee's voice was as cold as her optics. "Just.." instead of continuing she threw her hands up in frustration and turned to her partner. "Are you okay, Jack?"
The teen nodded. "I'm good, Arcee. It just hurts a bit. I'm more dreading telling my mom."
The femme couldn't help but smile. "Afraid that's a bullet I can't take for you, kid."
"Some guardian you are." Jack snorted sarcastically.
Arcee rolled her eyes before turning to Ratchet. "He's telling the truth, right?" Both the bots ignored Jack's protests.
"Yes, he seems fine. I would still recommend seeing a human medic, and I'm sure Nurse Darby would agree." A smile tugged at the corner of Ratchet's mouth.
Miko took advantage of their distraction to start inching away, but Optimus spoke up. "Miko."
She looked up at him with a shy smile. "Um, yes, boss bot?"
His blue optics shone with disappointment. "What you did today was irresponsible. You acted rashly, and your comrade was injured. As unfortunate as this situation is, I hope you remember it in the future. You are not a foolish girl, you need only to think before you take action."
She hung her head at his scolding. Her chest tightened with the urge to defend herself, and had it been anyone else she would have let them have it. But this was Optimus, so she held her tongue. When Miko was sure her lecture was over she peeked through her bubblegum pink bangs at Bulkhead. He smiled at her but she could tell he was upset.
BumbleBee whirred and picked up Raf.
"Bee's right, we have school tomorrow. So we should prob-" The youngest boy was interrupted by his own yawn, "..probably get going."
The three guardians helped their charges to the ground and prepared to leave. Miko gestured for Bulk to give her a moment and went over to Jack.
"Hey dude, listen. I just wanted to say I'm really really sorry for today. Won't happen again." She held out her first for a bump. "We good?"
Jack didn't so much as turn around as he strapped his helmet on. Wincing, he climbed onto the waiting motorcycle. "Let's go, Arcee." And they were off.
Miko watched them leave and slowly lowered her hand. "Hey," She tilted her head back to stare up at Bulkhead when he spoke. "He'll come around. He probably just needs to cool down a bit."
The smile returned to her face and Bulkhead transformed. "Yeah," The passenger door popped open for her and she hopped in, "You're probably right, Bulk."
...Present...
Miko continued to hover awkwardly beside Jack at the lockers. Reluctantly, he turned to face her. His gray-blue eyes searched her face earnestly. He had to admit to himself how odd it was to see Miko this way. She was shifting her weight from one foot to the other, shoulders slumped and clutching her sketchbook close to her chest. Not ready to let go of his anger just yet, he shook off the wave of pity he got for the younger girl.
"Miko..you hurt me. I'm your friend, not some 'con. It was just..it was mean." Jack hated the way he sounded, like a whiny little kid, but he couldn't help it. Once he started, it was all he could do to keep his voice down.
"You bruised one of my ribs, I had to get a tetanus shot, hell, even riding Arcee hurts. Look I just-" He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm not really upset that it hurts. Okay, yeah, it's super annoying. But more than anything I just don't understand what you could have been thinking. Who does that kind of thing to someone? We're supposed to be on the same team here."
A blush of embarrassment burned across her cheeks. "I know and I'm..I'm like really bad at apologies. But I want to make it up to you." She hesitated. "If...that's okay?" She finally lifted her gaze to meet Jack's eyes. Like his mom and Optimus, Jack had the uncanny ability to make you feel like he was seeing into your soul. She shuddered internally.
Knowing he couldn't hold onto his resentment forever, Jack took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly. "Alright, Miko. But it better be good. Do you have any idea how big the needle is for a tetanus shot? Really big." This time she shuddered visibly.
It took her a second to realize that he was giving her a chance. A smile split across her face and she began to flip quickly through her sketchbook.
Jack raised an eyebrow, "You drew me an apology picture?"
"Yep!" She cooed. Her usual cheer was creeping back into her voice, and Jack tried not to smile. Suddenly she stopped at a page and tore it from her sketchbook before thrusting it at Jack. His resolve wavered and he grinned.
The little colored pencil versions of them were standing together in a stick-figure crowd. Sketch-Miko had her arms up in excitement. Sketch-Jack had a huge smile. They were both angled toward the crowd, behind which was some kind of event with red lights and flames. Little black music notes framed the page.
"You drew us at a concert?" he mused.
"Yes, but that's not all." She leaned forward on her toes and lightly tapped the paperclip attached to the top of the page. Jack flipped it over curiously.
The back side of the page read let's rock! -Miko in dark red beneath two orange wristbands secured with the paperclip. His eyes widened as he scanned the wording on the bands. "You got us actual tickets to an actual concert? Miko, you can't be serious!"
"Deadly serious, bro. So um..we good?" She tentatively held her first out. Jack bumped it with his, then pulled her into a hug as the class bell rang. Relief washed over her as she hugged back.
"Um, yeah! But this is crazy Miko, these must have been expensive."
She shrugged, "My host parents gave me some cash for my birthday last month."
"My mom is going to lose her mind." Jack frowned worriedly now, "Wait, what if she says no?"
"Hey, we still have a month to worry about that. We'll think of a way to ask so she can't refuse!" Miko threw her arm over her friend's shoulders and they walked to class together.