Chapter 8

Am I the only one who yells out 'Ironhide!' and 'Optimus Prime!' when I see their corresponding model of car drive by?

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After Optimus had been informed of the 'mis-hap' that wound both Ironhide and Starscream in med. bay (first he'd paused to sigh), he'd ventured a talk with Ratchet to hear the extent of the damage. Afterwards, he put in his two cents about their mistakes before telling Starscream to record and report all of the updates he had made to the shooting range, and all those planned on making for further notice. In the end, both Transformers were held in the medical bay to finish their recovery. While this was fine for the most part with Starscream, Ironhide was bored out of his mind, and getting increasingly aggitated. Again; the only person doing anything remotely intiresting (within easy range) was Starscream. Plus it wasn't a bad idea to know all of the updates made and to-be made in the shooting range. So instead of asking, Ironhide got up and walked as quietly as a giant robot could to look over Starscream's shoulder, who was absorbed in his work.

For a while he didn't seem to notice, so Ironhide read over the report panel Starscream had, a line connected to his mainframe to download all of the information in great detail. He couldn't exactly understand all of the complex wiring and mechanics of an automated, moving target system, but he was able to understand enough to identify what it was. And it was a good idea.

"..."

"... Can I help you?" Starscream asked in a low annoyed growl, optics turning to glare at Ironhide's close proximity. Said Autobot was a little surprised at being pulled from his reading, finding the information feed had paused on the hand held pannel. He blinked at Starscream.

"... Not really. Just reading." His optics flicked back to the report, waiting for more information. Ironhide was somewhat surprised and mostly dissapointed when Starscream stood up and moved away from him, the report going out of easy reading range with him.

"I can see that. Do not stand so close to me." He took a seat on the table one over to continue his report. Ironhide scowled, finding two tables between him and his only source of ammusement now. So he walked around them to go behind Starscream and lean over to see the report again. Starscream bristled, disconnecting the line and lowering the report pannel as he stood, turning around and glaring.

"Stop that." Such a statement caused Ironhide to frown. What was he making such a big deal about anyway?

"Stop what?" Starscream's glare hardened, crossing his arms.

"Stop looking over my shoulder." Ironhide just scoffed, not believing that such a thing could cause the other to act so oddly.

"What, you have a 'personal space' bubble I'm popping over and over again or something?" Ironhide rolled his optics, giving Starscream a slight shove against his shoulder to further underline his sarcasm. When all he recieved as a glare that wished death, he did a slight double take, blinking, "... Seriously?" Starscream grumbled and moved tables again.

"I also have a problem with you standing behind me. It's unnerving." He returned to his report, but paused after a moment, sights slowly dragging upwards to Ironhide, already knowing the certain doom that grin spelled. It seemed to say 'I've found a new game'... Starscream let out an audible growl as the Autobot walked around the table to approach him, "Don't you dare." He was in no mood for games. Ever.

Ironhide test poked him after a moment, slightly amused grin in place. Starscream slapped his hand away, holding up a finger to keep the offender at bay,

"Don't touch me." Ironhide's head tilted to the side a little, seemingly calculating wether or not he should do such a thing again. He did. And this time Starscream decked him with surprising speed, knocking him back into the other table with a loud crash. Ratchet had been keeping an optic on the two since Ironhide got up, and had been hoping that nothing like this would arise. Though that seemed impossible between them. Ironhide let out a disgruntled huff as he regained his balance, one hand resting back on the table behind him as he gave Starscream a bewildered glare.

"What was that for?!"

"I told you not to touch me." Starscream snipped, letting out an annoyed 'tch' before walking around the tables again to take a seat. Ironhide growled and proceeded to follow him and interrogate the Decepticon until he found out what his deal was. Ratchet's voice stopped him though, the medic getting up and walking over to the two.

"Ironhide, do not make me relocate you." The weapons savvy Autobot stopped, eyes still on Starscream who was giving him a cold look. Ironhide broke the eye contact and walked another table over to keep two tables between him and Starscream.

"What's your problem anyway?" He took a seat on the table, sulking as he wracked his brain again to try and figure out what he'd done wrong to make him react like that.

"Is it too much to ask for you to leave me alone?" The Decepticon grumbled, lifting his report pad up and reviewing it.

"Geeze, lighten up."

"Frag you." Starscream snapped in an effortless rebuttle, reconnecting the line to his mainframe to continue his report, more than a little miffed. Ratchet was considering making a high reccomendation that Optimus Prime find someone else to watch Starscream soon since he and Ironhide didn't get along very well. Ironhide was about to get off the table and say something again before Ratchet pushed the pad he had been reading into his chest and forcefully sat him back down, giving him a critical look.

"Read. Or recharge." Ironhide grumbled, casting a last look at Starscream before laying back fully on the table and turning on the pad to search. Ratchet was hoping that he'd have peace for the rest of the day now.

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"I'm telling you Optimus, I don't know how long I can put up with that slagging Decepticon. I can't figure him, and he's not helping." Ironhide was standing in the main area, following the Autobot leader around some as Optimus Prime monitored general communications and police alerts for signs of Barricade and possibly Scorpinok. The humans still needed to launch more satelites to monitor incoming objects from space. Since Starscream destroyed a good ammount of them.

"Ironhide, we've been over this." Optimus was moving through information on the main screen, stepping back to look up at it. Ironhide grumbled.

"Can't you get someone else to watch him?" Optimus glanced back at him, before looking up at the screen for a moment and then walking to another terminal in the room.

"No Ironhide. We can't spare anyone else." Ironhide scowled, walking after him a little.

"Why not?" He recieved another glance.

"Ratchet is too busy to watch him. And I do not believe Bumblebee is capable of watching Starscream. I am busy negotiating with the human government." Ironhide grumbled, looking away.

"Geeze... I really am the only one who is qualified to watch him..." Optimus walked to another terminal, checking the screen.

"Perhaps when other Autobots arrive, you may take turns watching him. Where is he right now anyway?"

"I asked Ratchet to watch him for a while. He's still recharging."

"... Right." There was silence for a while, before Ironhide looked up again. Maybe, hopefully Optimus could shed some light on an issue.

"... How do you put up with him? Starscream I mean." There was a while before Optimus responded.

"Decepticons are untrustworthy by nature. You must learn to ignore his provokes."

"... All I did was poke him..." Optimus arched an eye brow, turning to look back at Ironhide. This question was obviously following an event he was not present for.

"Did he ask you not to?" Now Ironhide seemed to be getting fustrated.

"... well... yeah... But he didn't have to punch me for it."

"Try to put yourself in Starscream's position." Optimus ventured a bit absently.

"There's no way I'd be working with Decepticons. I'd die first." Ironhide growled, snorting and looking away. Optimus sighed; obviously that analogy wouldn't work...

"Never mind... But the main point is he is our only connection with the Decepticons. And possibly locating Barricade. Starscream is no good to us dead." Well that made sense atleast. Didn't change the fact that Ironhide still didn't like it.

"Then lets get him to talk with his good friend Barricade." Ironhide decided. He still had the greater advantage over the jet afterall.

"Ironhide, do not rush anything if you want to get along with Starscream better."

"Yeah yeah, I'll bring the little punk in here." Optimus watched his long time friend walk toward the door in order to drag a Decepticon he was already on bad terms with into the communications room.

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"You must understand Ironhide still has mixed feelings about you and your situation."

"Doesn't give a reason for his block-headed-ness." Starscream wasn't too sure about how Ratchet had coaxed him into a phsycological session (a 'shrink' in human terms. Or something like that.), but he was fairly sure it was to make sure that he and Ironhide wouldn't wreck up his medical lab anymore.

"He isn't exactly the most understanding Transformer. 'Shoot first, ask questions later' sort of a ideal."

"Obviously." Their unschedualed session was interrupted as the door opened with a slight 'woosh', yeilding the topic of conversation.

"Starscream." Oh great. The Decepticon rolled his optics and got off the table, turning to look at Ironhide fully.

"What do you want?" Ratchet watched his progress with Starscream deteriorate before his very eyes. Or did it? Ironhide seemed to pause, swaying a bit before walking forward, stalling for something.

"… Sorry." Starscream arched an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation, "… For… poking you when you said not to." The Decepticon shifted his weight back and crossed his arms at this point, still looking unimpressed. Ironhide seemed to be holding his breath.

"… Okay…" Oh thank god. So he forgave him. Ironhide reached out and grabbed his upper arm and promptly dragged him to the door.

"Alright, c'mon."

"Hey-!" Starscream stumbled a little, looking bewildered as he was dragged out of medical bay with his report panel still in hand. The both of them left in a rush and the medical bay was silent again. There was a few moments before Ratchet sighed and got up to continue his work on organizing the stock in the medical bay. Ironhide was still as tactless as a rock when it came to understanding others.

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I has a potatoe.

... no touchie.

Ironhide:D Why don't you ever open up about how you feel?
Starscream: T.T … you're kidding, right? –such a thing means certain death in Decepticon society-