EDITED VERSION
"What do you mean they don't know who did it?" Annabel asked angrily.
"I'm sorry M'am, but all information regarding the attack on Sergeant Epps and the autobot is strictly confidential."
Ironhide held back a scoff as Annabel rolled her jaw and placed her hands on her hips.
"You mean to tell me." She began quietly staring dead straight at the man. "That you cannot tell me who almost killed the best friend of my father, my godfather and only family I have left because you are too scared to open your secret diary?"
The tension in the air could have been cut out and packaged off to a bad sitcom. Ironhide stood there, a grin slowly bearing across his face as he watched her charge deliver the means of justice.
"And another thing." Annabel continued poking the man in the chest with her finger, turning Ironhide's amusement to wariness.
"Annabel." He quickly piped up. "I think he's had enough."
Annabel scoffed and turned away from the man and stormed under and between Ironhide's legs.
"Talk later Hide."
Ironhide watched her as she left the med bay, hesitant to scare the living daylights out of the officer. He took a step forward towards the man who'd already distanced himself and was speaking with his comrades only to be stopped by Ratchet clearing his metal throat loudly.
"Ironhide." Ironhide turned his head to see Ratchet standing there arms crossed, optic ridge raised. "Don't even think about it."
"But Ratchet, the buffoon was -
"Doing his job." Ratchet interrupted. "Annabel should be aware of the fact that if it is an issue concerning her father then she shall be of the first to know. However, if she forces the question upon another officer of condition that does not include her father then the officer has the right to deny her that classified information. Is that understood?"
Ironhide was silent as he eyed the officer conversing with his comrades. The bot growled lowered his head and stormed away out the same way Annabel left, not a word uttered to the medic. Ratchet sighed, shaking his head, turning back to the stasis induced form of Jazz.
"Whatever you and Epps found." Ratchet murmured as he resumed work on the wound in Jazz's chasis. "It better be fragging important otherwise I'll shoot that weapons specialist myself."
Ironhide eventually found his charge, seated alone in the mess hall devouring a chocolate pudding. He sighed, watching as she dug the spoon angrily into the small plastic pot full of brown, so-called 'chocolatey goodness.' He was hesitant, unsure of what to say. He himself hadn't been briefed on what happened therefore understood Annabel's intentions and reactions completely. However after what Ratchet had said Ironhide remained hesitant on what to do. He remained where he was, pondering his options. Deciding to speak to her he moved to enter the mess hall but stopped quickly as soon as he saw Jason take a seat next to Annabel along with chocolate pudding on his tray. Ironhide stepped behind the doorway and out of sight, turning up his audio receivers. He felt guilty spying and he knew that Annabel thought that he and Jason were getting along well, but Ironhide felt wary on the intentions of the teenage boy. Ironhide couldn't help it. After Will's disappearance the bot had struggled to trust anyone, especially those who Annabel interacted with. If she was the next target of Will's captors Ironhide felt obliged to keep in mind that anyone could be the enemy. His thoughts slowly resided as he focused on the conversation between Jason and Annabel.
"You sure you're okay? Ironhide heard Jason ask again. Annabel scoffed and shoved another mouthful of pudding into her mouth.
"Fighne" She half mumbled half chewed causing Ironhide to chuckle. Annabel finished the pudding and placed the empty cup on her plate then wiped her mouth, clearing her throat a little.
"I think I should go find Ironhide." Annabel admitted. Ironhide raised an optic ridge as she spoke. "I was rude to him and I owe him an apology." Annabel said, pushing back her chair and standing up.
"Sorry to cut the conversation short." Annabel said as Jason leaned back in his chair. "This is something I need to do."
"Wait. At least let me ask you something first." Jason asked quickly
"What?" Annabel replied, a little wary on the look in Jason's eye. He stood up and clasped Annabel's hand in his.
"Uh," He began, using his free hand to brush awkwardly through his hair. Ironhide listened intently behind the doorway, spark thumping against his metal chasis in fear of what Jason would say.
"Annabel." Jason said looking directly into the teens eyes. "Would you like to go -"
BANG.
The cracks of gunfire echoed through the hall and the whole room dove to the floor, screams escaping from kitchen staff mouthes. Annabel pushed Jason to the floor as he stood in shock at the sound. Annabel pushed him under the table then followed, poking her head out slightly to see a man standing on one of the tables, rifle in hand.
"Oh my god." Annabel murmured as she moved back under full cover. She turned to Jason, mouth dropping as she saw blood drip against the floor.
"Jason."
"I'm ok." He grimaced, pressing his hand against his leg. "It didn't enter, just grazed my leg."
"Everybody stay down!" The man on the table screamed, holding the rifle in plain sight. "If I see anyone move or try to escape I blow their heads off!"
"Human. Move and you die."
The man whipped around to see Ironhide standing in the doorway along with Arcee, cannons and blasters armed and aimed directly at the man.
"What do you want." Ironhide demanded, optics glued on the intruder.
The man bore a insane grin and held his arms out to full span, fisting one of them. "I'm here to pass on a message." He opened his fisted hand to reveal a remote like device.
The man laughed, pressing the button in the center of the remote.
"M.E.C.H says, hello."
All chaos broke loose.
Annabel's breath caught in her throat and stared as everything turned to slow motion. She watched as Arcee and Ironhide were thrown back from the blast. She couldn't figure out where the explosion came from, debris flew everywhere, time quickly pulling into full speed as she felt herself and Jason tumble back as their cover of a kitchen table was smashed and blown away. She screwed her eyes shut as she tumbled and rolled, crying out as she landed roughly on the ground. Her brace creaked and groaned as she curled herself into a ball, grimacing as debri pelted and fell on her. This continued for what seemed too long as Annabel hugged herself as tightly as possible in an attempt to protect her head and brace. The dust settled slowly and Annabel lay there, creaking open her eyes as she tried to gather her surroundings. The mess hall had lived up to its name. Her heart thumped against her chest as she slowly sat up, staring at what remained of the mess hall. Thoughts raced through her mind destroying any train of logical thought as reality sunk in.
Oh my god
Where is Jason
Is Ironhide ok?
Who was that guy?
These thoughts thunk and thumped in her head as Annabel used an over turned table to push herself up to standing level. People lay injured, possibly dead. Annabel quickly eyed Ironhide on the opposite side of the hall, hauling away sections of collapsed stone wall, revealing a partially crushed Arcee.
"Arcee!" Annabel breathed, taking her hand away from the table and moving forward in an attempt to reach the bots. Her first step succeeded, but as soon as she took her second she crumpled to the floor, pain shooting up her leg. Annabel yelped as she hit the floor, the pressure on her leg surprisingly painful. She sat up to see the damage and groaned as she saw her mangled brace hanging off her recovering leg.
"Well thats just fantastic." Annabel grumbled to herself as she began pulling off sections of the brace, breathing a little more as she felt the pressure release. Annabel hesitantly removed what remained of the brace and frowned as it lay in a metallic heap beside her. The teen knew that she wouldn't be able to do much without support of some kind and Ironhide was preoccupied.
Then she remembered her other companion.
"Jason?" Annabel called out cautiously, struggling to hear over the chaos that surrounded her.
"Jason can you hear me?" Annabel called once again.
No response.
Annabel sighed and stared at her leg, pondering what to do.
"Ok, time to improvise." She murmured to herself as she shuffled over to an overturned table, fiddling with one of its legs.
"This should work." She said satisfactorily.
Annabel grabbed the leg of the table and shook it and pulled at it until the leg broke off with a satisfying snap. Annabel held the leg of the table against her own leg and tore off a sleeve of her top.
"Good thing I wore long sleeves today." Annabel smirked to herself as she began using the cloth to secure the wooden appendage against her own appendage. The teen hastily finished tying the sleeve around her leg and once again pushed her self up to standing. Annabel squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation as she put weight on her leg, sighing slightly as her homemade brace sustained. Annabel grinned to herself and began making her way over to the exit where Ironhide had seemingly just dug Arcee out and was helping the femme upright.
"Ironhide!" Annabel called out, waving her arms in the air as she stumbled over debris. Ironhide snapped up quickly, immediately spotting the dust covered teenage as she made her way across the hall to him and Arcee.
"Annabel, remain where you are." Ironhide said quickly, looking back at Arcee who nodded and held her servo up.
"I'm fine Ironhide." Arcee said. "Go get Annabel, I'll get the others."
Ironhide nodded and moved to take one massive step to reach his charge.
"Stop!" Ironhide stopped mid air as he watched Annabel increase her pace. "Hide you almost crushed someone!" Annabel moved as fast as she could as Ironhide hastily placed his metallic foot elsewhere.
"Hide. I'm ok, can you look for Jason?" Annabel called to the bot.
"Annabel."
"Please."
Ironhide simply, nodded and activated his holoform, beginning to call out Jason's name and moving further away from the teenage girl. Annabel stumbled over to where Ironhide almost crushed a body and found a man lying on the ground, groaning. He looked to be a soldier from Annabel's perspective and also appeared to have a head injury..
"Sir are you alright?" Annabel asked loudly, bending down to help the man up. He suddenly jumped up, grabbed Annabel by the neck and grinned in her face.
"Just fine Miss Len"nox."
Annabel gasped and grabbed at the hand around her neck, eyes wide as she recognized the man.
"Good to see you again Miss Lennox. Its been a while since our last house visit."
"Ironh-" Annabel choked out as she stared at his holoform continued to call out for Jason's name.
"The bots won't hear you, or sense your distress for that matter." The man chuckled as he pulled Annabel towards him wrapping his arm around her neck. "EMP's sure are wonderful when you need them."
Annabel snarled and squeezed her eyes shut, opening her mouth and biting down hand on the mans wrist. His grip quickly loosened and Annabel squirmed out the mans grip opening her mouth to scream as loud as she could.
"IRONHIDE!"
wahh starting to rekindle my drive for writing. This is probably one of the longest chapters I've written in one stint so be proud of me minions, your master is evolving.
I FEEL FANTABULOUS
sorry
Got a little excited.
Thought of the day: DONUTS
Reviews are Awesome - shortened my catchphrase yeah thats right I'm a risk taker they see me rolling they hatinn - well not really because all I do is sit on my laptop at home all day with orange juice and snacks. Soo - they see my shadow in the kitchen restocking food and fear the thundering of my feet as I search for my laptop charger.
Merple