"Sorry, sorry!"
"Watch it, you big moron!" a tourist in a bright yellow matching jumpsuit yelled up at me before sprinting up the stairs to the Lincoln Memorial.
"Mommy, I want the big robot! Make him come home with me!"
"Him?" I grumbled. I'd been 'stationed' at the Lincoln Memorial as a guard. It was nothing like what I'd been hoping for, and I had the feeling Kup had given me the job just to make me miserable. People-watching had quickly become beyond boring, but I would be done after sundown and I could go distract myself with some company.
"It's a disgrace," a man hissed to his wife. "They shouldn't be allowed here! What's it want?"
Ignoring the man, I crossed my arms over my chest and tried not the fidget. I'd nearly backed onto people more than once by getting too relaxed.
How you holding up, tweetheart? Blaster sent on a merchant frequency I hadn't seen light up since the colonized sectors.
Just fine. Bored.
Yeah, guard duty is a pain in the neck. You get used to it.
I was kind of hoping I'd be following important folks around, or making deliveries… something a little more involved.
That's Kup for you. He's pretty irked about your being here, but hey, once you get off you can join me and the boys for some rec. We're gonna play some soccer.
Soccer?
It's not quite mecha-soccer, but it will be fun, promise.
Any particular reason it's named 'mecha' and not 'bot'?
I didn't pick the name, tweety, he defended with a laugh. Anyway, if you need anything I'm watching the airways and I can be there in a flash.
Thanks, Blaster. I doubt I'll need any help with the squishies, I grumbled.
"You almost ruined my Jimmy Choos!" a woman shrieked when I shifted slightly.
"I'd be more worried about your foot," I snapped down. "What are you doing?!" I'd been distracted, but I realized the woman was taking pictures with me. "Hey, no photography. Put it up!" I didn't make any threatening moves, but I did glare so fiercely that the other woman stuffed the camera away quickly.
A couple of hours before sunset, rain clouds blocked the last of the light, and within minutes the whole town was being drenched. I stayed there at the swiftly abandoned monument, though some humans sought refuge inside the building, slightly hunched. The rain didn't much bother me, it was being alone that made me feel so bereft. The extra spatter of noise from rain hitting the Reflecting Pool was not quite enough to sooth me.
For the millionth time I ran over the rejection, the laugh, the cocky stare. I was almost beyond despair as I tried to understand why when I heard a tiny scraping noise behind me.
Twitching my head slightly to try and pick up the sound a little better, I made it look like I was stretching. Nothing more under the patter of rain. Heaving an exaggerated sigh, I let myself settle into a casual pose, though I was anything but. My knives were on a hair trigger, ready to be released in a flash.
Again, closer. The tiniest little scrape, the sound clashed just enough with the pounding rain for detection. I jerked to face the approaching unknown, but bright lights flashed right into my optics and I stumbled backwards, shielding my face with one arm.
"I won't tell Kup what a bad guard you are," a familiar voice joked.
"Bumblebee?" I grumped. "Ok, I get the point, stop blinding me!"
The lights cut off, and in a few moments I could make out the blue glow of his optics, a mostly familiar silhouette. On a whim I went to hug the mech, relieved that I wouldn't have to try and fight somebot.
He hugged me loosely, but I could tell by his hesitation that it was awkward for him.
"Bee?" I asked, peering up at his face. I was starting to make out details, and his happy expression seemed forced. "Are you ok?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I'm just worried about Sam."
"Oh… I… is he ok?"
"He's in a coma. Nobody can get him to wake up."
"Oh, Bee," I said sympathetically. "Was he hurt?"
"Not anything serious… He just won't wake up." His voice cracked and he looked away.
Gently taking the yellow Camaro's hand, I massaged his palm lightly. "He'll be ok, Bee. The Allspark won't let him die."
"I know… I'm just so worried… I really care about him."
"I understand." I understood more than the mech was saying. I was almost positive that Bumblebee was madly in love with Sam. Whether or not Sam returned it was another story, but that wouldn't make a difference. It must be tearing the scout up.
"I'm off…" he said finally. "So I'll just stay here with you until we go back, if that's ok." He sounded so fragile.
"Ok, Bee. I could use the company. And apparently the help." I stood next to him, folding his arm at the elbow to hold his hand, still in mine, against my chest. I doubted he wanted a full hug, but this way he would have a little support.
I lost track of time after that. It was nice to just stand there with Bee in the rain, cathartic almost. He understood pain and the weather reflected both our moods. The way the water pooled under my optics and dripped down my cheeks was a fair substitute for the tears I couldn't shed. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings, so when someone yelled at us through the run I jumped. Bee calmly turned to look, gently pulling his hand from me. A large mech was coming towards us.
"You guys late on purpose? Quit moping out here and come play!"
"We're coming, Roadbuster," Bumblebee assured.
"They're starting soon. The Protectobots are all playing tonight, so it should be a good one, but Blurr's the mech you want to watch."
"Blurr?" I asked Bumblebee.
"Fastest mech the army's ever seen," Roadbuster answered for him. "You don't ever wanna have to try and outrun him."
"Can he fly?" I asked skeptically.
"He doesn't need to," Roadbuster said with a chuckle.
"Fu-! Damn it!" I snarled into the mud. They'd made me a goalie for the Protectobot team, but I was really sucking at it.
Groove came up out of the rain and gave me a hand up, grinning. "That Blurr's giving you a rough time," he observed.
"Does he have to knock my supports out from under me every time? Isn't that a foul or something?"
"Not if he does it with the ball!" Groove laughed. "Maybe you'd be better off somewhere else. Hey, Aid!"
"Yeah?" The medic was doing a superb defense, even if he couldn't contain Blurr. "Wanna do goalie? Our guest is tired of eating mud."
"Sure." First Aid passed by me grinning, so I smiled too. It was just a game.
I saw Blurr standing at the other end of the golf course we'd commandeered just a few miles north of town. He was watching me, and I could swear he had a smug smile.
"I'll show you fast, dirtkicker," I grumbled.
"I take that personally," Streetwise said playfully as he moved past me to midfield, getting ready for the game to start up again.
"Sorry," I said. I'd have to stop using derogatory terms for groundbounders.
The mech-friendly ball we were using was a strange combination of metal and plastic, well designed to withstand the beating we were giving it. Blurr was acting as forward for the other team, Bluestreak and Bumblebee were midfielders, Blaster and Springer were fullbacks and Roadbuster was goalie. His bulk blocked up most of the goal, so the Protectobot forwards, Blades and Hot Spot, were having to get creative. Groove and I were now fullbacks.
When Blaster whistled, Blurr shot into action. His name was beyond appropriate. Mud shot up behind him as he took the ball. I burst into action knowing the racer was going to head right for me, thinking I was the weak link.
He seemed surprised when I kicked the ball away from him, but I wasn't able to get out my foot out of his way before he tripped over me. Our legs tangled and we both slammed into the mud, flipping over each other at least once before his shoulder and my chest lodged into the soft earth.
"That didn't work," I groaned.
"Real smooth," the pale blue mech growled as the game continued. We hurriedly broke apart and got up, but I could swear I saw a competitive smile twitch at the corner of his mouth. I might not be as good as him, but I was still faster than most of my team.
He consistently went for my side of the field. After a while, Streetwise switched me out and I took midfield, thinking maybe I wouldn't get in Blurr's way quite so much. Wrong. I had the whole middle of the field now, so every time Blurr entered my third I was on him. I started using my thrusters, which decreased my finer movements but allowed me to make Blurr's game more difficult. We ended up tangling in the mud more than once, but Blurr didn't complain after that first time.
When I actually succeeded in stealing the ball and kicking it to Blades, the racer seemed to smile, though it wasn't a friendly one. After that the blue mech was nigh impossible to catch. Apparently he'd been taking it easy before. I became little more than a small speed bump in midfield and turned my attention to getting in Blue and Bee's way, but the Protectobots seemed to have it well under control. Our team hit ten points first, no thanks to me, and that seemed to be the stopping point.
Bluestreak came charging out of the rain, which had lightened to a fuzzy cold mist, and lifted me up, spinning me two full turns before setting me back into the shredded grassy mud.
"You were amazing! I had no idea you could move like that!"
"I didn't manage to stop Blurr, though," I said shyly, backing away when my supports squelched back into the mud and rubbing the back of my helm.
"So? Nobody stops Blurr, but you came close! You tripped him, which is better than I can do on foot!"
"Thanks, Blue," I mumbled.
"Yeah, Bluestreak, why not tell her she's got eyes the color of plasma and exoskin like freshly buffed opals?" A derisive voice asked behind me. I looked, and Blurr was standing there looking rather irked.
"What's wrong with telling her she's good at something?" Blue asked as if this had happened before. "She deserves it, she caught you a couple times-"
"I let her!" Blurr snapped. His optics turned on me. "You might think you're fast, but you could never beat me."
"Not on the ground," I growled, my suppressed anger rising to the bait. "But I could fly circles around you, dusteater. No matter how fast you run, you're still nothing but a hunk of junk on wheels!"
"Hey, break it up!" Springer appeared out of the mist coming between us, though we hadn't made any moves to start an actual fight. "Let it go, both of you. It's not worth it."
"He started it," I mumbled to Blue, who patted my shoulder soothingly.
He gets that way sometimes, especially if someone comes close to his specialty. He's not a bad mech, just has to have a clear lead on everyone.
I snorted, but smiled despite my anger. Bluestreak smiled in relief, then tugged me after the other mechs, who were departing the wreckage of the golf course.
"Humans aren't gonna like this," I commented at the mud field.
"They don't use it anymore. They pretty much gave it to us for this kind of thing, out of gratitude or something. Pretty nice of them, it really helps us unwind every now and then. Did you have fun?"
I nodded as Blaster dropped back from the others and began to keep pace with us.
"Not bad, tweetheart."
"Would you please not call me that?" I pleaded half-heartedly.
"Yeah, Blaster, don't make fun of her alt mode."
"You know?" I asked, feigning despair.
"Yeah," he said with a laugh. "Bumblebee and I figured it out. Don't worry, I won't make fun of you like Blaster."
"All in fun!" the comm. officer chuckled.
I flew over the mechs as they wound their way back to the Trion. I experimentally buzzed over Blurr a few times, but he didn't even swerve. Put out, I settled for playing a weaving game with Bluestreak.
When we reached the Trion everyone jumped into the muddy river. It wasn't clean, but it was better than we all looked. I splashed in from the air, forgetting that I couldn't swim and sinking to the bottom of the river like a stone. Instead of asking for help I tried slogging my way along the bottom to the surface, but I was disoriented.
Uh, everything ok? Blaster asked after a few minutes.
No… I'm lost, I admitted grudgingly, allowing my signature to show. In a minute or so a mech appeared out of the darkness and hauled me to the surface. As soon as we broke into air he started laughing uproariously.
"Thanks, Blades," I grumbled.
He just nodded indulgently, turning his propellant equipment to the shore until I could stand with my head above water. The other mechs were laughing to, Blurr especially enjoying himself.
Blue and Bee seemed to catch on to how embarrassed I was, because they started messing around, wrestling playfully in the water and turning the attention away from me.
Eventually Bumblebee won, though it seemed more that Blue didn't care to drag it out than anything. The others started climbing back out of the water and filing into the Trion, until it was just me, Blue, Bee and Springer standing on the bank.
"If it's ok with you guys, I want to talk to Bravura," Springer said casually. The two mechs exchanged looks with each other and with me, then gave me waves and goodbyes before heading up to the ship as well.
"Want to go sit on the ship? It feels more private," he said quietly.
"Uh… ok," I said, nervousness beginning to itch at me. What did he want to talk about?
We both flew up to the ship, him transforming into a hulking helicopter before rising up to follow me. He sat on a ridge on the ship, patting the space next to him. I sat just outside his reach, which was considerable as he was a pretty big mech.
"I spoke to Rodimus about your spat with Blurr," he said quietly.
He probably didn't miss my irritated glance before I diverted it to the sky.
"It was nothing, really," I said with as much ease as possible, considering my state of mind.
"He told me why you came here."
My hands balled into fists and I hunched over my knees. "I was hoping he wouldn't do that."
"It's ok, we're practically brothers… might have brother bonded, even, if he hadn't left the Trion to go looking for the Allspark so long ago. He trusts me, and I'd trust him with my life."
I waited for him to go on, but it took a while. He stared out at the city, the rain nothing but a fog now, making the capitol city into an orange glow with the sounds of police cars and horns for background music.
"If you want this to help you, being here… it won't help if you pick fights. Kup will just slap restrictions on you, might even send you back early."
"I didn't have a fight with Blurr!" I grunted.
"You wanted to, I could see it. You're angry, but you're just using that as a defense."
Sighing, I hunched over even more, almost bending double into my lap. "So?"
"You're my good friend's sister. I feel kind of… responsible for you. I just want you to know that you've got a friend here who knows what's going on."
"Thanks, Springer," I sighed, even though I'd rather not have known. I wanted emotional anonymity.
"It's nothing. You and Blurr would probably get along, if you'd give him a chance."
I shrugged, so the helicopter stood up. "I'm turning in. The ship's been programmed to recognize you, so you shouldn't have any trouble getting in. Blaster will be recharging, but Streetwise is listening if you need anything."
Nodding, I mumbled a good night, which my brother's friend returned before walking along the ship and leaping down to the metal dock below.
"Way to ruin my vacation, brother."
The next day was spent washing the Trion's hull. I had to haul huge buckets of special soapy water, scrub, rinse with clean water, then buff the whole thing. By the end of the day I'd barely gotten half of it done, and Kup criticized me ferociously.
"You call this clean? I can't see myself in this wax job. What have you been doing all day, collecting dust? Do it all again tomorrow, and I want to see results, slag it!"
I didn't complain, just followed him into the Trion like a sulking child. I was on the way to my quarters, my feelings stinging from the harsh judgment, when I caught sight of Blurr. He was standing straight up, shoulders back proudly… sharp contrast to my hunch, my arms crossed over my chest. His optic met mine, and I reflexively let my arms hang loose, drawing myself to my full height.
I'm a flyer, I told myself. I'm better than him. He's just a fancy groundbound lugnut.
He smirked at my change of posture, but I just glared back, my expression only darkening as he approached me.
"Still mad?" he asked, one optic ridge rising and only adding to his cocky smile.
"Not at you," I grumbled. "I spent the whole slagging day cleaning the ship and Kup says I have to redo what I did tomorrow."
"That's Kup. It's more about his attitude towards you, and not your actual work. He does that, you learn to get on his good side."
"Thanks," I grumbled, starting to move on past him.
"Hey," he said, grabbing my wrist. "Come to the training room with me."
I stared down at his hand as if I might somehow shoot lasers out my optics if I tried hard enough. He let go.
"Why?"
"I think I can help your style. Someone who relies on speed like you has to have finesse, and while I think you've got the idea, you don't know how to implement it."
Looking up at the blue mech, I decided he wasn't teasing or setting me up. He seemed sincere to me, so I nodded cautiously and followed him when he turned to head towards the training room.
Another mech I'd never seen before was already there. He was built light, like Blurr and I were, with a mostly white paintjob. He was facing off an appalling number of holographic enemies, but in the first few seconds he dispatched at least three with a massive loose blade. It surprised me to see that it wasn't attached to him, but an actual accessory.
Blurr moved on into the training perimeter, gesturing for me to follow him. The ship accepted me into the program without a fuss, a relief after the City's overcautious system.
I let myself get into the rhythm of fighting without thinking about Blurr or the other mech. It felt good to stab something, even if it disappeared under me upon a fatal blow. It even felt good to get hit, made me want to fight harder. This was the distraction I'd been looking for… no time to think about what was missing from my life.
I'd taken a particularly nasty spill when Blurr appeared over me, offering me a hand. I took it reluctantly.
"Stay with me," he said quietly. "Trust me for a little while, and I'll show you what you're doing wrong."
"Ok?" I said curiously. My unspoken question was answered when a hologram turned on us. Blurr moved behind me, layering his wider frame behind mine and trying to guide my motions.
"Trust me," he mumbled into my audial. My cooling system, which was already working hard from my exertion, began to do double time. There was something very sexual about our position, and yet when I relaxed he guided me with the cold calculations of a killer.
He didn't jerk through the moves like did. It was smooth, rhythmic like my walking kata. He moved quickly, but since all I had to do was move my body as he moved his I was able to really feel the moves as we made them. Everything was sweeping, liquid, graceful, a dance so unlike my comparative flurry. And it worked. By calming down, the enemy seemed that much slower, clumsier.
After we 'killed' three that way, he released me. The strangest pang of regret rattled through me, but I tried not to let it show, looking back at the Autobot.
"You try it now," he said, crossing his arms loosely.
It was harder without his controlling frame around mine, but it was an improvement. He clucked when I began to move too rigidly and I corrected, killing two before he directed the computer to leave us out of the program. Holograms that had been homing in on us turned on the white mech instantly, but he seemed unbothered by the increase of enemy targets.
"Better," Blurr said.
It felt good to know that this mech, whom I seemed to get on the bad foot with so quickly, had forgiven me. I felt more confident now, and tired beyond anything. I couldn't wait to crash, even if sunrise up would just find me cleaning a clean ship.
Let me know what you thinks, kiddos :)