Queen's note: ...daddy Prime

Arch Your Wings

[Transformers Prime: AU]

Chapter Three:

Gentle Metal

Jack looked down at his phone, not for the first time but although there was no signal or survive in this strange underground but not quiet underground place, Jack could check the time. It was strange in another way as he realized, staring at the digital numbers, that it has been exactly twenty six hours since he made the mistake of sitting on the blue motorcycle that hid an alien mecha. What was it Bulkhead, the big mech, call Arcee, a femmie...not 'female.'

The teenager looked around the vast chamber, glancing up to the large forms almost but not too near Jack in his spot. His wings shifted in the harness, feeling the resistance against the limbs that was oddly reassuring. An odd way of grounding himself but it was there.

"I'm okay Medda-ow!" The red mech that had carried Jack and Miko from the street to this alien base was to Jacks right. He was sitting on what looked like a cross of a bed and table made of solid metal that could hold him. Cliffjumper was trying to lean back but the red and white mech- Ratchet?- grabbed at the collar ridge to pull the mech back to him.

"Don't you 'Medda' me Cliffjumper," Ratchet growled, pushing the mech to lay down, "You might have played dead to get away from Starscream, but you were still damaged. You're just lucky you're a front liner frame to hold up against that damage."

"And having a false Spark chamber," Cliffjumper grunted as he settled down, helping to lift the heavy chest plate and hold it open for Ratchet to work on his systems. Repairing the damage that Decepticon claws had done under the chest plate, though thankfully it was mostly a non-vital cooling systems and a few energon lines.

"I don't know how Starscream over looked this..." Ratchet vented in a sigh like way, bent down to carefully cut out the damaged part of the energon lines and splice in a new segment. He had already coated the inside of the line with the additives to help boost the nanites in the warriors' system to fully integrate the new section.

"I don't know either Ratch', it's not like the first time this has happened." Cliffjumper almost shrugged but stopped himself from doing so, grimacing as he felt the parts being installed. "Just glad he wasn't that focused on me."

"Do you know where his attention was diverted so much?" Optimus Prime's deeper voice spoke up from the other side of Jack and the teen looking over at the Autobot leader automatically with the other two humans who were closer to Bumblebee.

"Didn't hear, sorry Prime," Cliffjumper grunted and looked down, "Watch it, that pulls."

Ratchet rumbled back, but paused to let the somewhat bigger mech brace himself against the berth, "We still need to prioritize salvage of the ship Optimus, we need more medical supplies." The red and white mech seemed to be very displeased, not angry.

"I know old friend," Optimus said as he turned slightly to look at the humans, noting the younger two were at least talking and interacting with Bumblebee and the awkwardly sitting Bulkhead. Miko was flicking her wings to stay balanced on the bemused Wrecker's arm to stay balanced, while Raphael was sitting on a left over human chair that had been set on one of the levels, legs pulled up and wings held tight as he, like Miko, asked a seemingly endless string of questions to the Prime's mechs.

They were mostly innocent questions, as he suspected would come after that first data–pack that Bumblebee had given to him after saving the youths. Where was their home world? Could it be seen from earth? Was it metal like the mechs or earthy? What were the flowers like? Were there animals? How many different kinds? Could Bulkhead pick up a house?

The Prime chuckled softly as he turned his full attention to the last, and oldest of the human youths he felt needed more than casual supervision. 'Keeping tabs on' Bumblebee had called it... well, at least the two young male humans- boys?- were who he had planned on assigning a guardian, but with Miko inadvertently finding out, it had tossed a bit of scrap in the plan, yet noting more than Optimus couldn't handle easily. They were all still sparklings when it came down to it, even by human standards of development.

...not that there wasn't more than a few adult humans Optimus had met that clearly displayed less maturity then a youngling. Primus, this young Jack so far had displayed a level of maturity that impressed the Prime, being able to control most of his shock, yet thankfully still young enough to already start adapting well in the face of this abrupt expansion of his world outside of his small home town and universe of reality.

Jack tensed as he suddenly became aware of being stared at, the grey-blue feathers fluffing out nearer the joints on his back. Optimus watched, interest and an odd affection at the sight, reminding the mech of the first time at seeing SoftLove peeking out of dark pink armor, and a soft fussy lump of a turbo fox kit in Arcee's hands before the war.

"How are you holding up?" Optimus asked as Jack turned, jumping minutely at realizing the tallest mech was so close to him.

"Um..." Jack looked around, becoming aware that though he was at chest or head level for most of the mechs on this platform, he was looking at Optimus' lower 'stomach' area. "I'm...not really sure if I was to be honest, uh... sir?" The teen looked up to the dark blue optics in surprise as Optimus started chuckling.

The Prime eased down slowly so he was closer to Jack's level, easier for the human to see the small smile. "That... is a very understandable answer young Jack. I understand feeling your world, safe perhaps before, being changed very drastically with little warning." The dark indigo optics seemed to take a softer hue, as the mech glanced at the wings, yet did not reach or move at all like Bumblebee had to touch Raphael's right wing.

Ratchet gave a snot to the side at that, but Optimus ignored it with practiced ease.

"...really?" Jack asked after a few moments after, stepping slowly closer to Optimus.

"Yes, though perhaps it is not a story for now, as it was a long time ago." The Prime rumbled and then smiled at the teen, "Maybe if you learn some things to understand the context."

"That...makes sense, sir, with littoral alien differences." Jack said as he thought about it.

"You may call me Optimus, Jack." The big mech said with a chuckle, "Would you tell me your store though?"

"From yesterday?"

"Yes, and what else you are willing. It has been a long time since I was able to talk to a human outside of your local military." Optimus said as he shifted, speaking in that softer rumble of his voice to gently coax Jack into relaxing and explain the experience with meeting Cybertronians from a different- and shorter point of view.