The music of the Spark.
Chapter 1: Past the point of No return
He was furious "he doesn't have a roof…it's been going on for hours…tell him to shut it off." Ratchet demanded "Before I go in and do it myself."
"I'll talk to him." Optimus held up a hand. Ratchet spoke of the music coming from Prowl's room. He had become infatuated with human stories of Life, Love and Salvation for the fallen heroes. He still watched his martial arts movies but even they had a romantic under tone. Optimus stood and made his way to Prowls room.
Optimus stopped at the door. The symphonic tones coming clear from the door. Optimus knocked loudly and the music came to a halt. "Enter" came the response. Optimus pushed open the door and entered prowls room, the larger of the rooms in the factory the one with the giant tree. Prowl was sitting up in his tree one leg hanging down. "Can I help you optimus."
"Uh..Volume?" he asked "Ratchet's getting a bit cranky." He said
"Ah apologies…" Prowl jumped down " I will do better to keep the volume to a minumum."
Optimus nodded "I know you will." He walked forward "what is it you are listening to anyhow."
"An Opera." He said as a matter of fact. "It is rather lovely."
"Lovely?" Optimus raised his optic a bit. "That's a new term for you is it not?"
"Oh no …nature…" he raised a hand to his tree to the nest in the upper branches "is lovely." He said turning "This music…makes my spark do something I have never felt it do before." He said turning. "It is the phantom of the opera." He walked to the giant oak and relaxed against it. "About a misshapen human…who hides from the world…who falls in love."
"Have you ever been in love Prowl?" Optimus said and took a seat on an oil drum.
"Not in the traditional sense no." He said "I have been in love yes….but had no one to love me back." He sighed.
"You're old enough to have had someone." Optimus said.
"I tend to keep to myself…to keep quiet." Prowl says "I am not one to go on the war path so easily." He said "I am a defender." Optimus nodded. "I'm on a spacebridge building crew…come now what else do you expect from me?" Prowl leaned forward and walked up to Optimus.
"The only thing as Prime I expect you to do is follow orders and despite your little upgrade fiasco you've done pretty well so far. As your friend I expect nothing."
"And you what of love?" Prowl asked back.
"You know where I stand on that." Optimus said giving him a look.
"yes well…I know you are in love with her….and Sentinel should he find out that Elita is the spider woman." Prowl began
"Why do you think I have not said anything to Magnus or Sentinel." He shook his head.
"Selfish reasons?"
"I want to be able to save her." He said. "I just don't know if I'm the one who can."
"Same as in my opera." He started to think. "We need a way to get into her mind her true mind." Prowl but a hand to his chin and sighed and turned.
"I'll leave you too it." Optimus stood and headed to the door but stopped short. "by the way….the femme you were in love with…what was her name?" he turned back.
Prowl turned and pressed his holo-generator and a black and silver femme appeared on the screen. Her image rotated around and Prowl smiled fondly at it. "I know her." Optimus said searching his memory banks. "Fallout." He said and smiled "I was at the academy with her."
Prowl nodded "yes I know." He said. "I watched her most days." He shut off the hologram.
"Did you ever tell her of your feelings?" Optimus asked
"No…she never knew I existed." Prowl turned and leaped up into the tree and vanished into the leaves. Optimus nodded and turned leaving the room and the music started again softly. Say you'll share with me one love one life time. Say the word and I will follow you. Share each night each morning…You will curse the day you did not do …all that the phantom asked of you!!
Optimus nodded and turned away continuing down the hall. "You shut him up…that's good." Ratchet said "I've been able to think for ten minutes."
Bumblebee shifted on a drum barrel. "What did you two talk about."
"Life." Optimus said "and love." He nodded "Prowl is just lonely…his need for companionship had made him want to be alone with his feelings…it's nothing to worry about."
"I'll say it is…all mental states must be checked out by the chief medical officer…last I checked…that was me." Ratchet stood.
"Alright leave prowl alone…." Optimus put a hand up and Ratchet sat.
"Ratchet the Hatchet looking to do more damage…" Bumblebee laughed.
"Bumblebee stop it." Optimus said. "Shouldn't you be helping Sari with her homework?"
Bumblebee stood without a word and moved out of the room. His muttering could be heard out in the hallway. Optimus shook his head and motioned a finger as though he was stirring up a plan.
"What are you doing kid?" Ratchet asked
"Something important." He said moving out of the room to his quarters. He sat up at his small desk and pulled his com over. "Optimus to Ultra Magnus…" The screen came to life.
"This is Ultra Magnus …what can I do for you Optimus?" he asked.
"I need some information…I need to know if you can get me in touch with Autobot Central Intelligence…I need to get information on an old friend."
"Just give me the name and I'll see what I can do to help you." Utra Magnus said.
"Her name is Fallout." Optimus said.
"A femme-bot eh?" Ultra Magnus asked "Promise me this is just business."
Optimus smiled and held up a hand "On my honor sir..just business."
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Two weeks had past, they were doing things as usual. Optimus sat with Prowl in the rec room when Bumblebee ran in. "Uh..Optimus you have a Call..it's Autobot Central Intelligence."
"I'll take it in my room…." Optimus said standing and walking out down to his quarters.
"That was odd…what does central intelligence want with us?" Prowl asked
"No idea but it was a priority three so it can't be that important." Bumblebee sat down.
"Who did you speak with?" Prowl asked.
"Um..this femme bot…Falldown Fallout something or other." He said.
Prowls optics shot up. "No…" he stood and made his way out of the room faster than Bumblebee could remember prowl was capable.
"What? What did I say?" Bumblebee blinked. "Oh I guess that leaves more oil for me." He reached across the table and grabbed the small barrel from Prowls space and stood trotting off with it.
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Prowl stood with his back to Optimus' door. He sighed softly closing his eyes. "This is not happening to me." He sighed and turned knocking "Optimus I know what you are doing."
The door opened "You do …do you?" Optimus stood and opened the door fully and let Prowl in. Prowl looked around then looked to the comm. on the table he sighed and walked forward. She was on the screen. The black and silver femme with the green eyes.
"This is Commander Fallout of the Autobot Central Intelligence. " Her voice came to prowls ears like a sweet song. "I would like to speak with Officer Prowl."
Prowl walked up to the comm. and sat down "I am officer Prowl." He said softly his memory banks a swim.
"Hello…I have been speaking to Optimus about you for a few weeks now. I told him I would like to speak to you myself." She smiled. "This is a private secured line."
Prowl nodded "I am not sure what to say." He said softly.
"Take you time." She smiled. "I have left my contact information with Optimus and written you a few letters…I hope to hear from you soon." She said "Fallout out."
Prowl turned and looked at Optimus. He was about to say something to his leader, to give him a piece of his mind, however Optimus handed him two small data pads. "There's your letters…you're welcome." He smiled.
Prowl looked up "Why this…why me?" he asked.
"Because…every bot deserves to be happy." He said "even you."
Prowl walked out of the room the data pads in one hand and he turned "and you sir?" he asked "What about you?"
"I had my chance…and I am still fighting to keep it." He said and moved back into his room and closed the door.
Prowl looked at the closed door a moment before looking down at his hand at the data pads. He let a smile form on his face and turned across the hall to his own room. He entered and closed the door locking it behind him and turned nodding at his radio that turned on and started to play. Past the point of no return No going back now Our passion-play has now at last begun. Past all thought of right or wrong One final question; How long should we two wait before we're one? He jumped into his tree and sat reading and rereading her letters and creating his own to send back to her.
