Trust
"What... the frag happen to one of my humans?"
The voice that spoke was deeper than a normal man, with that inhuman and metallic growl of a very upset Cybertronian. Namely one Wrecker Foreman as the green and silver mech came all but stalking into the open from the entrance to their underground base. He wasn't happy, for a number of reasons, one of which was that his charges were evidently in danger, the literal youngest members of his crew. No matter that the humans were pretty much adults by their culture, to the Wreckers they were still Sparklings and thus HAD to be protected. It was instinct and pride that drove them in that, and when a charge was harmed in anyone outside of the 'normal' rough and tumbles of youth, it hurt the Crew in more than one way.
"Someone broke April!" Allie's voice rose up from where she was clutched within Topspin's grip, pretty much having been snatched up almost like the first few weeks to her exposure to the Wreckers] by the mech.
"What?" Roadbuster's optics flashed brighter under his protective visor, that flushed with red and orange as his gaze swept around the gathering and then locked onto the human in question. She wasn't the only human to eep softly automatically, not only because it was rare to see the mech well and truly pissed off at something, but he was baring the fangs that all the former deep-dwelling mechs and femmies had back on Cybertron, and they still had those incisors.
"They broke April!" Allie said again pointing to the older woman from between two blue colored fingers.
"I'm not broken damnit-" There was a one point three second pause, "Well, partly, but not any more than normal." She tried tugging on the near solid band of dark gray metal that wrapped around her neck. April coughed as her 'collar' slowly tightened down a notch around as programmed, it would decrease in diameter and in turn become a bit thicker. The apparent collar wasn't the only addition, as attached to it was...
"The frag is there a chain and caller on ya Shiela?" Leadfoot demanded as he came around Roadbuster. "Hotrod!" He barked at the minibot hovering behind April.
"It wasn't me!" the young, gold and red mech yelped, and would have flailed if not for the fact that his claws were holding the incriminating chain he had been inspecting closely. As well as the lump of... something the chain was attached too. It was oblong and almost looked like a refined mineral container made by the living ships.
"It wasn't Roddy." Verity insisted, one hand on one Hotrod's leg as she watched what he was doing. She looked up at the elder mech but stayed close to the scout while Hotrod was still carefully holding and scanning the chain. "He's trying to help."
"What happened?" Roadbuster demanded, almost stalking forward and then kneeling down beside his once sparkling as his scanners buzzed across human flesh and metal at full strength. The scan swept over and then on the device that April was attached too.
"It was that bitch-!" April's voice raised a few notches and molded into a yelp. "Hey!" She glared back at the red and gold mech who tugged slightly too much, the small movement to him equated to a jerk that pulled the woman back a pace.
"Sorry," The Minibot let go and more slack in the chain length came back, Hotrod reached up to push up his visor up as Roadbuster rested a hand on his shoulder, "We can't cut the chain." He told the others, mostly Topspin who had been there longer.
The taller green mech revved his alternate mode's engine in a certain way for attention. It was the equivalent of like a human clearing their throat, but unlike normal for him or others, the sound was more aggressive, "Back up. What. Happened."
Many swallowed or did that equivalent of doing so with little thrums.
"It was that meaner...manor... marning...er..." Verity spoke up, either bravely or not so smartly doing so and she pressed closer against Hotrod's thigh. Only able to do so because of the way he was kneeling down, and that he was seemingly the shortest of the Wreckers. Verity was looking up between his alternate mode's kibble and armor at the taller green mech leaning over them both.
"The bitch!" April yelled, coughed and turned back to Hotrod, pointing at his left arm that she knew hid his buzz saw like blade, "You, use that fracking thing and get the fragging chain off."
Normally, if this was any other time there would have been amusement at her usage of the Cybertronian curses. But it was just appropriately understandable given this situation. Hotrod however was shaking his head, reaching down to touch the chain with a claw.
"Sorry Sheila, I can't."
"Then someone else do it!"
But Hotrod shook his head again, "There's a trigger line," He tapped the oblong device next, "If we do cut it, boom."
"..." April just stared, still trying to pull at the caller in an attempt to loosen it up but the metal didn't want to move. "Boom...?"
"Boom." Hotrod nodded and then grunted as Roadbuster's grip shifted and pulled him back to take his place kneeling down. The Minibot just managed to grab up Verity and held her close, wrapping both arms around her as he sat, leaning to the side to look around his creator and caretaker.
Roadbuster grunted as he ran his extended claws over the ridged shell of the oblong device. Tracing the lines his claw tips made a clicking sound before finally stopping and then pulled it closer. The Foreman worked his claws into the shell and it looked like he almost peeled two layers of it off, exposing the guts.
"Bloody buggerin' Pits...!" Topspin couldn't help all but blurting that out and nearly in time with his unbounded mate as well as Hotrod. The blue mech pulled his human closer to his as the Minibot was hopping back up on his feet and retreating behind Leadfoot with a look that was alarmed and alarming.
"What is it?" the woman asked, taking a hesitant step closer to the device, just able to peer over the edge at the glowing lights of green and blue. Like 'Spin and 'Buster's colors, April thought distractedly before looking up into the visor of the Foreman above her.
The green and silver Wrecker was carefully touching, prodding and lifting wires in the device's guts without slicing or damaging anything. He was just exploring so to say. "It's a na'rar bomb, small one but enough."
"Can you disarm it?" April asked looking down and back up. A full ten seconds stretched out in semi-silence, with only the little sounds that came from the mech's system as well as a near inaudible hum from the device.
"Que could," Leadfoot rumbled at last, looking back at Hotrod and Verity, resting a hand on a red helm, "Or Wheeljack."
"That crook donk is on the other side of this fraggin' planet setting up an orbital bounce relays..." Roadbuster grumbled, resting his right hand on the same bent knee, while at the same time glancing down at the human beside. He gently ran his fingers down April's side and back, cupping his hand a bit in the best way a Wrecker of his size could do the equivalent of a hug.
It was a gesture meant to be comforting, and had April not been around these mechs for as long as she had the last year just about... But it was still a comfort even as the woman couldn't help a whimper as she was capable of hearing what wasn't said.
Roadbuster couldn't disarm this 'Ra'rar' bomb, so alien looking it had to be from the Decepticons [and April had been able to meet that Decepticon as she was...collared], and he wasn't bellowing for any other mechs on site. The Wrecker's couldn't disarm it, could cut the chain for as Hotrod said it would go boom, and... and... oh crap was she going to die? Choked or blown up first?
"'Buster?" Lead foot asked, recognizing the look on the Foreman's face as well as the motion of him tapping his claws on his own armor. At the same time Verity spoke up from where she was still being help within Hotrod's protective arms.
"Aren't you going to save her?" Varity asked, wide eyed as she too grasped the whole situation. Roadbuster turned his head to look at her, regarding first one and then another of the humans before looking back down at April.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Went his claws as his scanners buzzed across metal and flesh again, making the woman squirm a bit. "Do ya trust me Shield?"
"What?" Cringing as the collar tightened further April did her best to ignore the pressuring pain. At the green mech's next movement, as well as the sound of a transformation yet no cars showing up, the woman looked back up and balked.
The sunlight seemed to get caught the sharp edges of the teeth, reflecting on the very large saw that was attracted to Roadbuster's left arm. April like the girls had seen him wielding that saw a few times, and all Wreckers seemed to have one, but it had never looked so terrifying to them as it did now while the mech shifted closer.
"Do yae trust me?" Roadbuster said again, ignoring to rumble for Topspin and the whimper from Allie in his hands. His full attention was on April, his expression neutral and waiting for her response. He wouldn't give false hope, nor denie the danger, but this was in fact still a chance, just a very scary one.
Swallowing around the painful snugness of the collar as it nipped down a little more, April did her best to not cringe in fear at the concept of what he was specifically asking. She did trusted him-but survival instinct was screaming at her. To run away, to cry out her frustrated tears, to get as far away from the mech's left arm as possible yet couldn't.
"I do." Trying to smile, wincing as the Cybertronian metal bit into the soft part of her throat again as if reacting to her blood pressure almost when she looked- or tried to at least- up at the green Wrecker's optics. "If the Foreman can't do it... who can?"
"Bomb tech," Roadbuster muttered as he used his right hand to change the settings on his saw blades.
"Those teeth are as big as my head," April couldn't help blurt out as she watched, unable to look away.
"He ain't using those," Leadfoot rumbled as he pushed Hotrod, and made a hand signal to Topspin. The blue mech growled softly, yet understanding what was needed he leaned over to pass over Allie to Hotrod. Placing the girl on the Minibot's shoulder Topspin muttered something just before Hotrod took off, ignoring the protests of the girls as he took them where they couldn't see.
"What do you mean-ohshit!" April started to ask and then jerked in shock, dropping ungracefully down to the ground with a painfully thud. It was a reasonable reaction considering the inner blades that snapped out of the mounted chain saw. They were longer and slender in a sweeping curved shaped. "Those are...big."
"Those are faster Sheila," Raodbuster said, tilting his head at the human and asked again, "Like I said, do yae trust me?"
April stayed where she was, even given the awkward position partly on the bomb device. Now she truly did understand the reason behind the asked question, Roadbuster was going to cut the collar himself and that was still a very big blade... Her chances where so twisted on in only a few minutes, strangle, going ka-boom or possible decapitation... those were still very big teeth.
What had Roadbuster said? They were faster? That made sense she guessed, cleaner cut right?
But coming down to the bones of it, did April truly trust the mech? And would it be better if something wrong happened to die by the Foreman's hand rather than a victim of a Decepticon plot?
April reached up to touch the chain, it had a trigger line even if she couldn't see it... she wouldn't want the other's hurt and...
"I trust you." She said at last, realizing that yes, April did trust the Wrecker Foreman as well as trusting him with her life.
Roadbuster never looked away, the buzz of his scanners never leaving, never showing a sign he didn't think this wouldn't work. That was a comfort again, as the human was nudged. The green and silver mech retracting his claws as far as they were go before pinning April down. This needed such precise hold, force and movement, not only to keep April from moving but also to keep himself from taking off his own digits.
There was only a roaring thunder that had a layer of sound that was humming almost, but it filled the world and vibrated through flesh it seemed, the sound conducted in bone. April closed her eyes tightly, not that she could see much of anything with one of the mech's fingers holding her head still and blocking out the world. A slightly higher pitch joined into the thunder at the same time the heat came, burning skin in a patch but not singing it.
All at once the roar halted, the noise of the transformation drowned out by the ringing that was left in human ears.
April wasn't sure what she said, or tried to as the collar cinched, cutting off her air as Roadbuster used both hands to manipulate the band of Cybertronian metal and the woman. And then she could inhale again, sucking in the oxygen that her body had been starved for the last half minute while the ground dropped away as Roadbuster stood again. Holding April against his body with one hand the green mech pointed at the bomb with his left.
"Get that in open desert, now, an' detonate it." Roadbuster snapped out.
"Aye' Foreman!" Leadfoot and Topspin as well as the smaller Hotrod and Blaster [who had been hiding the whole time in Leadfoot's armor] all chorused at the same time, reacting to the Command Signal that pinged out. Hotrod finally set Allie and Verity down, trusting that his creator wouldn't mind the other two humans running over to his feet. Leadfoot was already leaning over to lift the device, grumbling as the Microbot Blaster vanished back into his armor.
"OhmygodI'mAlive!" April gasped, though was trying to squirm out of Roadbuster's grip as he took a few steps back before pausing as his right ankle joint was glomped. "Stop it," that came out as a whine almost as the pad of a thumb forced her chin up and to one side while the mech inspected the damage done as well as caused by him.
"Stop wigglin'." Roadbuster grunted back, flashing his fangs as his human Crew mates couldn't easily pick up the command signal his Datum let him send out. The fangs how ever worked on the organics' instincts and got the frozen reaction he wanted to see clearly the bleeding line that ran from behind the ear, down the neck at an angle and then partly on the shoulder.
Rumbling something in Cybertronian, in the Wrecker dialect that was distinct from the Autobot one as it was a bit harsher, with a more growling undertone. He shifted to look down at Verity and Allie, the two street kids that had been equal parts kidnapped, adopted and absorbed into the Crew, and they were looking back at him. Wary from his growls and the still dominant reddish orange shade to his visor.
"Hang on, hop on or run." Roadbuster said, not surprised to feel the two all but attaching themselves to his right leg like any clinging sparkling. Though walking his normal long legged pace, he didn't move as fast as normal so not to knock off his cling-ons while giving Leadfoot and Topspin space. "I'm gonna have some words wit' that stickybeak Shie- female here soon."
"Please step on Mearing," April said from her spot still in Roadbuster's grasp while he stepped back down into the base. He paused with his right leg bent to make it easier to pluck off the girls and boost them up to his shoulders.
"Got somethin' else planned." The Foreman assured as he stretched his legs again, going deeper to the second level and the closest of the five medical rooms. A full medical bay was still being constructed on level three of the base, a straight run from all three entrances as well as being well protected. A tricky thing to do, so there were the larger than normal rooms placed in areas were mechs and humans alike could run to, to get fixed or help.
"Make her suffer," Was Allie's unexpected comment, getting an odd look from Verity [even though she agreed] and the mech titled his head to gently nudge her.
"We'll see."
"Can I be set down now?" April asked looking back up Roadbuster as he wrapped both hands around her for the walk.
"No." The Foremen said, getting an eep as well as compliance as he stepped into the intended room. It was massive by human standards, only semi-large like the equivalent of a living room was to a human. Roadbuster stepped up to one counter, gently depositing the girls on the top. He had a mission and by the great Vector Sigma of the deeper levels he was going to see it through.
Namely, Roadbuster had finally made up his mind about an action that ultimately would have lasting and profound effects. The girls got two shots each despite yelped protests.
"Don't know what was worst, the choking, saw or the huge ass needle in the ass..." April grumbled to herself rubbing her thigh and rump.
"How come we got those too?" Verity demanded, sulking in her spot behind the shorter Allie, the kleptomaniac looking like a kicked puppy.
"Precautions," Roadbuster said with a reassuring rumble, and it was a good thing he wasn't showing his fangs anymore, "Just in case."
Verity scrunched up her face, "In case of what? Robo-flue?" She rubbed at her thigh again and glared back up as Roadbuster crossed his arms on the counter and leaned on them to put his head closer to their level.
"Basically." The Foreman shifted as he spoke, reaching out with one hand to wrap around April's back, the motion more gentle than the firm grip of a few minutes ago, "Sorry shielas," he purred, though all three knew for a fact he wasn't, yet willing to except it this time. "I won't poke ya' again. Now, how about we go see a nice boom?"
"From a distance." April pointed out, leaning against the mech's hand for support.
"Better be a good one." Allie muttered, still sulking from the 'shots.' She didn't look up at Roadbuster's chuckle as he lifting the other teen up to his shoulder first, gathering up Allie next before caring April against his chest.
Queen's note: Welp, as it said in the tittle and summory, this is a trade gift for my dear friend Dracona [give her love and hugs] We worked this out when I was at her place, of what she wanted: The Wreckers from our rp world and a snippet from what she remembered of a dream
Damn am I good or what? I WROTE IT OUT! [dances] This is also what happens to me when a Wrecker plotbunny bites and doesn't let go. 3000+ words.
Ultra Rodimus was kind enough to do an edit for me by the way, thanks sweetie!
And do you people know how hard it is to write a hybrid accent of Auzy and Irish? Though hearing Topspin in my head space going "Bloody Buggering PIT!" was awesome
