A/N Hey everyone, I'd just like to thank everyone who followed/favourited/reviewed this story, especially Bee4ever, Khalthar and CastielLunaWinchester for their reviews. I'm sorry I kept you up last night XD but here is the update you were waiting for! This chapter has some pranking and some Prowl, Ratchet and Phoenix conversation and also some Optimus.
No Jazz in this chapter, but they'll be more of him and Prowl in the next chapter as I'm dedicating that to their brother bond and what shockwave was trying to do. We'll also have some learning about bonds for Phoenix too, but for now here is Chapter 12! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!
By her second day in the med-bay, Phoenix is already bored out of her wits. Ratchet doesn't like to talk when he works and he won't let her or Prowl do anything considered extraneous, which apparently involves basic conversation. There's nothing to do except stare at the ceiling and she checks the clock on the wall opposite. 1:36 in the afternoon.
She'd sell her soul for her ipod right now.
Sighing, she inspects the symbols on her arm for what must bed the thousandth time and traces her fingers over the metal.
"Can I get up yet?" She questions the medic.
"No."
"I've been here for hours."
"No means no."
"Afthead." She grumbled at him, but he ignored her. Then, she had an idea. What if she could sneak out of the med-bay and explore this base properly? She would only have to wait for Ratchet to go into his back office and she could make a getaway out the human sized door at ground level. Prowl was deep in recharge too, so there was no danger of her getting caught.
Grinning, she waited until the medic had gone to retrieve something and she jumped up, unhooking herself from the various machines she was attached too and bolting for the human sized stairs at the end of the berth. She rushed down them and out the door, casting one last triumphant glance behind her. Med-bay successfully escaped!
Then, a golden coloured Autobot came down the corridor.
"What are you doing out human?" He asked when he saw her.
"She obviously escaped the Hatchet Sunny." The silver coloured one said coming up behind him, and she recognised them as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, the mechs she had met last week. Sideswipe was grinning from ear to ear. "We were gonna bust you out 'cause we thought you'd be bored in there, but seeing as you're already out, how about helping us with a prank?"
She didn't even need to think about it.
"Sure thing! What is it?" She asked excitedly. Sideswipe offered her his hand and she climbed onto it.
"Well you see, the idea is…."
Time Skip, Ironhide's POV
Ironhide was deep in recharge, enjoying a peaceful rest for once in his life when a high pitched scream interrupted his rest.
"Help!" Came the voice from outside in the corridor. He groaned and turned over, trying to get some much needed recharge.
"Help me it's Megatron!" Megatron?! The base was under attack. Ironhide leapt out of bed, and out into the corridor where the nearby decepticons started firing on him, bangs echoeing off the walls of the corridor. Enraged he tried to look for his attackers, but couldn't see them anywhere. They must be invisible.
"Decepticon scum!" He yelled and started firing blindly, hoping to hit the attacker and force the decepticon to reveal himself, but to his surprise a horrific mix of sparkly pink, cream, wrapping paper, confetti and glue of all things came from his cannons and he spluttered. What on earth had the twins done?! It seemed as though they had taken confetti canons to the next level and stuffed whatever they could find into his cannons which.
He was going to offline those fraggers slowly and painfully after he dealt with these intruders.
With a roar promising death to his opponents, he rushed towards the rec room, ignoring the decepticons that were firing at him.
Phoenix's POV
As predicted, the bubble wrap had worked beautifully causing Ironhide to think he was under attack from the decepticons and fire blindly, unleashing the mess of primus-knows-what the twins had stuffed in there. What she was particularly interested in was where they had found this much bubble wrap, considering they had lined the entirety of the corridor in the stuff.
The way the mech leapt about was absolutely hilarious, jumping and roaring at his 'inivisible' opponent which was none other than harmless bubble wrap. She looked to Sideswipe who was trying not to fall over from laughing, like Sunstreaker who was currently on the floor with tears running down his faceplates.
"That was fragging priceless!" Sideswipe finally choked out.
"Did you see the way he was jumping about? He looked like he was stepping on lava." Phoenix joined in which sent them all into fits of giggles again.
"He's gonna offline us for the cannons, but that was so worth it!" Sunstreaker managed finally and high fived Sideswipe.
"Hilarious even, one might say if they were not in danger of being offlined." Said a casual voice that promised death from behind them. The three pranksters froze, and Phoenix looked first to see a Ratchet behind them, arms crossed and tapping a wrench against his arm. He pointed the wrench down at Phoenix. "You are to return to the med-bay this instant. As for you two slaggers…." Here he made a violent motion with the wrench.
Sideswipe took one look at Sunstreaker, and something passed between them because the next second she was in the interior of Sideswipe's alt mode, racing down the corridor behind Sunstreaker. She laughed and whooped as they went over the bubble wrap, leaving Ratchet in the dust as they turned the corner….
Straight into an infuriated mech with bright pink cannons.
Sunstreaker hit the breaks, but was going at too high of a speed to stop and barrelled straight into Ironhide, who no doubt having discovered the pranksters, picked up the golden bot by the bonnet and shook him. Sunstreaker transformed but only ended up dangling above ground by his audio-receptor.
Sideswipe hit the breaks in time, but could not reverse as Ratchet had now caught up.
"Aw slag." Phoenix groaned as Sideswipe transformed and offered her to Ratchet who practically snatched her. Seconds later Sideswipe was also in the grip of Ironhide as the mech carried them off down the corridor. Ratchet aimed the wrench at Sideswipe's aft plating as the twins were carried off.
"And let that teach you not to take patients out of my med-bay!" He roared before stalking back off to the med-bay.
Phoenix sighed. At least her escapade was fun whilst it lasted, although she might get murdered by Hatchet in a minute. When they reached the med-bay however, Optimus Prime was in there again so she would live for another 10 minutes at least.
"I see you have recovered Phoenix." He stated as Ratchet practically dumped her on the berth. Prowl was sitting up and watching the proceedings with interest.
"Stupid, fragging, glitching, aft head, Unicron spawns straight from the pit itself!" Ratchet replied by way of greeting, still obviously fuming about the twins. He aimed a wrench threateningly at Prowl. "See to it that they end up on washrack cleaning duty for the next month or I'll offline you as well." Prowl, unfazed by the threat and rather amused at the angry medic, nodded.
"Done." He commented dryly but Ratchet paid no notice and went back into his office, still muttering threats for the twins. Optimus sat down on the berth Phoenix was on and offered her his hand to which she climbed into. He raised her to optic level.
"Ratchet has told me that you claim to have met an Autobot in a dream. One who gave you the name on your arm and also a bracelet with her designation. One who claims her name in life was Elita-1?"
"Yeah, would you like to see it?" She says, offering her human arm with the bracelet on for inspection and he focuses on it before smiling somewhat sadly.
"So you were visited by elita. I suspected as much." He says, and when he speaks this time it is much quieter, almost reverent.
"Did you know her?"
"Yes, she was the leader of the Femme division for the Autobot army."
"She was a good, kind and wise leader who always offered help to any who needed it. She was pure of spark and is missed by all in the Autobot army." Prowl offers quietly from across the room, and Optimus smiles at his SIC.
"Thank you Prowl for those words. Elita-1 was also my spark-mate and it grieved me deeply when she was offlined during the war. It comforts my spark to know that she is safe and happy in the well of sparks." Phoenix is surprised to hear that Elita was Optimus' sparkmate. He must be missing her an awful lot, and is probably shocked to find her wearing something with her personal designation on. She places her small hand on his finger in a gesture of comfort.
"She seemed like a wonderful 'bot." Even if she was a little prone to speaking in riddles, Phoenix thinks.
"Indeed she was." Optimus says and Prowl nods, agreeing. Optimus smiles once more, but it doesn't quite reach his optics and she feels that perhaps she might go to him if she needs anything after all because he isn't that scary for such a tall 'bot. "I must go and see what has become of Ironhide and the twins. I trust Prowl can keep an eye on you for the time being." He teases lightly, placing Phoenix back down.
"Of course Commander Optimus." Prowl replies, returning the teasing with a mock salute and Optimus raises and eyebrow but refuses to comment. As he leaves the med-bay, the Hatchet walks in, still looking like he wants to destroy something.
Or someone.
Namely her.
She implores Prowl with her eyes to protect her if the medic attempts to commit murder, hoping that he will and if not for her sake, then for Jazz's. She wishes her guardian could spirit her away from the wrath of the medic right now.
"So. Ironhide and the twins." He begins and she shrugs.
"I got bored. I've been sat here all day yesterday and all day today. I'm a kid. What did you expect?" Ratchet opens his mouth, and she waits for the reprimand but none comes forth.
"Exactly what happened to happen I suppose. If I was to get you something to amuse yourself with, would you promise to stay put?" He offers, and she watches him suspiciously. This is a rather different Ratchet from the one she was expecting.
"Yes. Even if you just talked to me a bit I wouldn't have wandered off. It wouldn't have to be anything important, it's just a distraction."
"From your arm?" She shifts around a bit before relenting.
"Yes. If Jazz was here it would be better."
"Jazz will be released from the brig tomorrow and no doubt he will spend all day in my med-bay fussing over you and Prowl like a femme creator." Ratchet replies curtly. "Nonetheless, I will see what I can find. Perhaps Mikaela or Captain Lennox will know. Until then, Prowl and I will make conversation, until Prowl needs to rest."
"Of course doctor." Prowl humours him. "Now isn't this lovely weather we are having?" He says sarcastically and Phoenix giggles at him. For a 'bot with a reputation as a tight-aft, he's actually pretty funny. Maybe it's something to do with the stuff Ratchet has been giving him.
"I take it you guys don't really make small talk, so I'll start. My name is Phoenix and I was born somewhere in New York, but I've been shifted around the states in different care homes for most of my life. I like music, especially Skillet and I really hate school and most of the kids at the home and I especially hate care home workers." She offers and Prowl thinks it over.
"Hello Phoenix, my name is Prowl and I was born and raised in the city of Praxus. I was an enforcer before the war, and I am the SIC and Head of Tacticians for the Autobot army. I have one brother Jazz, whom I like very much. I dislike pranks, and I especially dislike the twins." He finishes and Phoenix smiles encouragingly at him.
"You got it! And you Ratchet?"
"My name is Ratchet and I was born and raised in one of the Sea of Rust tribes. I was in the Kaon Pits as an unofficial medic and travelled around the mines of Cybertron before joining the Autobots and become the Chief Medic. I like it when people show up for their check-ups, and I dislike 'bots who maliciously harm others, especially 'bots like Shockwave." Ratchet finishes.
"I was unware that you worked in the pits of Kaon. Is that how you found the twins?"
"I didn't say I worked in the pits Prowl, I said I was in the pits and it's not something I usually share. As for the other question, no. I found the twins as younglings after the destruction of the pits as I was one of the only medics in the nearby vicinity." Ratchet replies, and Phoenix carefully watches Prowl's expression which doesn't change, although his optics do narrow slightly at the first part.
"Excuse me for sounding dumb, but what's a pit?"
"A pit is a… gladiator arena in affect with beast fights too. Slavery and crime are rampant, conditions appalling and the bloodshed sickening." Ratchet sums up and Phoenix shivers. Definitely not a place she would like to visit at all.
"Was it… for sport?"
"Yes. Most that were not destroyed along with the Pits became decepticons due to their bloodthirsty and aggressive nature."
"Oh."
The room falls into an awkward silence and Phoenix wonders how it went from small talk to highly unpleasant things to say the least. It is Prowl who restarts the conversation eventually.
"I like music, especially old Praxian songs." He offers somewhat shyly.
"Those were nice weren't they? Most Cybertronian songs were, the only ones I couldn't stand were the ones from Kaon and the heavy metal from Polyhex." Ratchet says next and Prowl snorts.
"You mean everything Jazz plays?"
"Basically." They share a slight laugh at her guardian's expense but the dark mood has been lightened again. Ratchet turns back to his work again, but he brings in his reports and continues the conversation with Prowl. Phoenix lies down, and begins to drift off, falling asleep to the murmur of their voices in the background.
