Exile
Part 4
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers. They belong to Hasbro and Takara. I am merely taking them for a short spin.
The morning assignments made, and between Bumblebee chasing Hot Shot around the base and the way Prowl and Bulkhead closed ranks when asked about the pink paint covering Brawn, Optimus almost forgot to talk with Rodimus about Ironhide and his. . .interest in Ratchet.
He dragged the other Prime outside long enough to get his point across.
"Ironhide's driving Ratchet nuts and if you don't do anything about it, I'm afraid Ratchet will take matters into his own hands," Optimus said.
"Just how is Ironhide driving your medic 'nuts?'" Rodimus asked. He had a pretty good idea, but he wanted to hear his counterpart's take on the matter.
"Interest, as in possible infatuation," Optimus said, frowning.
"And this is a problem because?" Rodimus said.
"This is Ratchet we're talking about. Ancient, battle-weary psychotic when pushed Ratchet," Optimus said.
"All right," Rodimus said. "I'll see what I can do."
Optimus nodded, transformed, headed out for patrol with Brawn, who was still painted pink. Rodimus grinned. He was going to do something all right, just not exactly what the other Prime wanted.
--
"Chosen one my aft. . ." Ratchet muttered. "Can't even control a sparkling under his command. . .he's a sparkling himself. . ."
Said 'chosen one' was standing just inside the med bay door, arms crossed, optic ridge cocked.
"Is there a problem?" Rodimus asked. "I can come back by later. . ."
"No," Ratchet said. "What do you want?"
"Optimus said you've been having issues with Ironhide, so I thought I'd come see what I can do to help," Rodimus said.
"Throw him in your brig and toss away the key," Ratchet said.
"He's harmless," Rodimus said. "Mostly."
"What he is is an annoying pain in my aft," Ratchet said. "Keep him out of my med bay or I will give him a legitimate reason to be here."
"I'll be sure to pass that along," Rodimus said, grinning.
"Why you insolent little. . ." Ratchet said, throwing a wrench.
Rodimus caught the wrench, tossed it back.
"This sparkling bites back," he said, leaving.
-----
"So what do you think of the new guys?" Bulkhead asked Bumblebee.
Bumblebee ignored the question, engrossed in his video game. Bulkhead reached down, plucking the game controller from the yellow bot's hands.
"Hey, give that back," Bumblebee protested.
"Answer the question," Bulkhead said.
"They're OK," Bumblebee said. "Brawn's grouchy, but the rest are fun, you know that. And the way that Ironhide's bugging Ratchet is priceless."
Bulkhead gave back the controller.
"What about Rodimus?" he asked.
"He's the 'chosen one.' What else is there to know?" Bumblebee said.
-----
Ironhide ambled down the corridor to the med bay. It had been a long day out on patrol, and Prowl was the silent type, and he was about to go crazy without any decent conversation. Not that he'd get it where he was going, but at least it was something that would prove amusing, possibly earning him bodily harm at the same time. Oh well, he though, turning inside the med bay.
Ratchet didn't look up, hearing the now-familiar footsteps, choosing instead to ignore the young red bot. Except the question he asked made him impossible to ignore.
"So, who's older, you or Ultra Magnus?" Ironhide asked.
"Get out!" Ratchet bellowed, hurling a wrench at Ironhide's head. The wrench connected with a resounding clank.
Ironhide fell over, unconscious.
-----
Optimus listened as Ratchet paced. He sighed, because it looked like the medic was just getting warmed up. And so much for a quiet evening to himself.
"He's supposed to be the chosen one," Ratchet said. "Perfect. On the fast track to becoming Magnus. I'm surprised he doesn't have femmes throwing themselves at his feet. Keeps to himself and lets his crew run wild. . .And I thought you were supposed to talk to him?"
"Uh, well, I did," Optimus said, annoyed at being put on the spot. "Well, obviously you didn't try hard enough."
-----
Optimus found the other Prime watching monitors, by himself. Obviously, both their crews were out, running wild together, with the exception of Prowl, who was hanging out on the roof and Ratchet, who'd locked himself in the med bay with Sari.
"I thought you were going to bring Ironhide back in line," Optimus said, getting right to the point.
Rodimus stood. "He's not hurting anything," he said.
"He's annoying Ratchet," Optimus said.
"Seems to me everyone and everything annoys Ratchet," Rodimus said. "Ratchet deserves our respect," Optimus said.
"Whoa, back off," Rodimus said. "I didn't say he wasn't worthy of respect. "Ironhide's just interested, that's all. What's wrong with that?"
"Proper decorum and protocol need to be followed," Optimus said.
"That might be, but have you noticed, we're not on Cybertron," Rodimus said. "And the Elite Guard is light years away."
"That has nothing to do with this," Optimus said.
"It does. I heard you were different, not like the others. . ." Rodimus said
"What's that supposed to mean?" Optimus said.
"Figure it out for yourself," Rodimus said, walking away.