AN: Credit goes to Karategal, TheMoonlessKnight, Hearts of Eternity and Violet Light for letting me borrow a couple of their ideas. Credit also goes to Virgo1.
-waves at everyone from a pile of tissues and cold medications- Greetings. One of my bosses saw fit to cough on me the previous Sunday, and the next thing I know, I'm down with a cold. I would have updated, but I had such a fever that I didn't even want to dare even write anything-let alone think anything out.
All I can offer is my sincere apologizes for how late I have updated. The good news is that I'm almost better-with the fevers gone, I can think normally again-which means I can write again. Consider this chapter transition from all the fluff that I have written recently.
Rendition
A frown crossed Prowl's faceplates as he looked over the information that had been sent to them by Secretary Keller.
This is disturbing… He shot a look at Optimus, the Autobot leader was sitting down in a chair, a datapad in his hands.
"When did this happen?" He asked, looking up.
A little over a week ago.Came the response. At first NOAA thought it was a malfunction, but then the ship that it's partnered with disappeared as well…along with all its crew.
"This is the only vessel you have that can travel to the bottom of your ocean floors?" Prowl asked, looking at a set of schematics.
Yes. I realize it sounds like a human problem, but with that Shockwave character you mentioned…
"No, no, you were right in bringing this to us." Optimus said, leaning forward. "Our incoming arrivals should be able to help us both with this problem-the minute they've settled in we'll have them contact you." Keller nodded, and the bridge screen went blank.
"Do you think this is Shockwave's doing?" Prowl asked.
"Could be." Was the answer, Optimus re-reading the datapad. "NOAA research submersible Alvin-tender ship the R/V Atlantis. Capable of diving up to 14,674 below the ocean's surface-can stay underwater for 10 hours."
"The deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean is the Puerto Rico Trench. Megatron's remains were disposed of in the Laurentian Abyss, just off the coast of Canada." The black-and-white mused. "Atlantis's last position was 200 nautical miles off the coast of San Salvador Island in the Bahamian archipelago…their last call was to report the sub's disappearance."
"That ship doesn't have enough equipment on it to even handle dragging that fragger's aft back up to the surface." Jazz noted.
"So he might go after some more…" Prowl murmured.
Nightfire squeaked with delight as Chromia carefully took a brush to her tiny crevcies and gaps in her proto-armor. Mother and daughter were at the washracks, Chromia sitting on the edge of a pool, pouring cleaning solution over the giggling sparkling. Elita was up to her audios in the pool proper, halfway into recharge. Sam and Mikaela were also present, the duo in a modified Energon cube filled with water, floating around on plastic rafts.
"You could have like all the Olympic swimming events in one of these." Sam noted. He was getting to see Mikaela in a swimsuit-no complaints from his quarter. Then he started as Mirage came in. "Whoa whoa whoa! Mirage!"
"Huh?" The sniper said, pausing in choosing a brush. "Is something the matter?"
"Dude, you have ladies in here!" Mirage blinked, why was Sam stating the obvious?
"Yes…"
"Sam, stop." Mikaela said, throwing a plastic ball at her boyfriend. "They all bathe together…they're not like us!"
"But Elita…Chromia…Prime and Ironhide…" The brown-haired boy spluttered out.
"Ironhide doesn't care who I bathe with-as long as they're not 'Cons." Chromia said, settling Nightfire on a raft and gently pushing her out into the pool. The sparkling squeaked and eagerly started to paddle around.
"Same for Optimus." Elita said, sitting up and waving Mirage over. "If you think we can reach every place on our bodies, then you have another thing coming." Mirage smiled at Nightfire as he entered the pool, handing Elita the brush.
"Can you get this part on my shoulder-ah, much better." He flexed the joint as Elita gave the brush back. "Hound should be coming in any minute now…" As if being summoned, the green scout stumbled in, covered from head to foot in mud, twigs and small tree branches sticking out of his armor.
"Don't mind me! I'm just going to the racks real quick!" He ducked into the shower room.
"I better go help." Mirage said ruefully, flicking some solution at Nightfire. Getting up, he followed Hound.
"I need to see 'Bee about something." Sam said, swimming over to the makeshift ladder. "I'll see you later."
"See you." Mikaela watched as her boyfriend left, then the sound of squeaking had her attention going back to the pool. Nightfire had discovered her rubber duck, and was clicking to it excitedly as she floated alongside it.
"I still can't believe Ironhide helped create something so adorable." Elita remarked, and then ducked a brush thrown at her by Chromia.
"Ah, that's something I've wanted to ask you guys." Mikaela said, sitting up. "I know…well, Ratchet explained how…" A flush crossed her cheeks. "you guys err…get together…"
"That's putting it mildly." Chromia noted.
"But…how do you know that the one you picked…well -was the one? You know, your sparkmate?" Both femmes were quiet, pondering how best to answer their friend's question.
"It's different for those who do have a mate." Elita finally said. "The first time I saw Optimus…my spark sang. I felt something click into place inside me, and I just knew he was mine." Chromia nodded in agreement.
"I confess…the breem I saw Ironhide, I wanted to drag him someplace private and sparkbond then and there." She said slyly. "However, the fragger tried to act territorial on me!"
"What did he do?" Mikaela asked, curious.
"For starters, he told Optimus that whenever they were back at Iacon, unless it was a dire emergency, everything Autobot related would be second priority until he 'acquired' me! Then the bastard saw fit to come up to me-"
"At the firing range-" Elita cackled.
"At the firing range, and goes: 'You're mine.' I say: 'Beg pardon?' He goes: 'You're going to be my sparkmate-your spark's been calling out to mine from the moment we first met.'" More laughter from Elita.
"That sounds so cheesy!"
"Wait, it gets better. I can't lie to him and say no, my spark isn't interested in yours because it was! Pit, I wanted to jump him!" Chromia said, her optics flashing. "So I informed him that while my spark may have wanted his-to have me as his sparkmate was a privilege, not a right-and that if he wanted it, he was going to have to work for it."
"Which he did." Elita got out in-between giggles. "She made him work his aft off…as her friend, I naturally had to help her train him, of course."
"Which stopped the minute Optimus started to approach you, thank you for ditching, traitor." The rose-colored femme smiled, fond memories resurfacing.
"He was so sweet. Cyber-flowers, poems, High Grade…"
"No need to make him jump though the hoops?" Mikaela got out though a gigglefit.
"The first morning after is a doozy though." Chromia commented, picking up Nightfire and letting her snuggle in. "It takes almost forever for your systems to adjust."
"The only problem Optimus and I had were with our firewalls." Elita said. "Everything else pretty much fixed itself over the following orns."
"You guys have honeymoons?"
"It can be called that, yes." Chromia answered. "You have to do it-how else can you work all the bugs out?"
"Or in your case, trying to send Ironhide into oblivion." Elita cracked.
"That's it." The silver-blue femme said, rising and getting out of the pool to place Nightfire under the dryer. "Your aft is mine!"
"Do Decepticons have the same thing?" Mikaela asked. At this, Chromia stilled, and Elita discreetly coughed.
"Not in front of the sparking, Chromia." She turned her attention back to the teenager. "Decepticons…differ quite a bit when it comes to matter of the spark. They don't believe in being faithful to one's chosen partner-"
"They don't believe in having just one partner period." Chromia interjected, gently wiping off Nightfire with a soft cloth. "Nor do they have any shame about it."
"Autobots are more private when it comes to this type of thing." Elita admitted, shrugging. "And more formal-it's very rare to see a Decepticon sparkmate couple, simply because the Decepticons believe that love or any other emotion of that type is a weakness. And weaknesses get you killed."
"How sad." Mikaela whispered. "I can understand to a point…they're putting on a show. I did the same with the guys I used to go out with. I wanted a 'tough guy' and they wanted a 'hot chick'. It was all about appearances-but appearances don't get you anything in the end." Elita nodded.
"It's not our place to judge other Cybertronians over their personal choices." She shot a glare at Chromia, who returned it in kind. "The war has split us as a people so far apart that it will take generations for things to merge smoothly into one again-if Primus permits it. If not, we must learn to accept the differences in each other-find something common that unites us, and then move on."
"Wow." Mikaela said, awed by Elita's eloquence. "It's easy to tell you're Optimus's sparkmate…you sound just like him." The rose-colored femme shook her head.
"I could never handle the burdens he bears. His spark is stronger than my own…all I can do is offer him support. And even then, I fear that I come up short in that regard."
"No you don't." Chromia countered. "You support him just fine. Me, all I have to do is make sure mine doesn't go off and do something stupid."
"Yes, that's your responsibility."
"What was that?!"
Frenzy jabbered to himself as he snuck though the ventilation system. It had been an adventure, but he'd made it to Autobot City without the help of Barricade or Thundercracker.
"Seeseeseeif'Crackerwasrightright." It had been easy getting past the security systems-another reason why he'd chosen this frame. Once in, he'd had to resort to tracking down Ironhide's femme the old fashioned way…the Autobots' new computer looked like something he didn't want to play with. Not yet anyway.
"Femmebotssupposedtobehereherehere." Here being the washracks. The silver hacker dropped down through the vent and scampered behind a large stack of cloths, blue optics peering out from behind the fabric. He could hear voices-yes, that was Elita-One and Chromia-another voice, that was the female squishy that attacked him! Frenzy hissed in anger, he had yet to begin revenge for that insult.
"Pppayback!" Before his CPU could go trotting down that happy path, the sound of contented clicking had Frenzy pausing. "WhatthePitthat?" Curious, he skittered forward-being careful to hide behind the cloth stacks and bottles of cleaner. As he advanced, the clicking grew louder and louder. Finally, when he emerged from behind yet another stack of cloths and saw was making the noise, the mini 'Con stopped, all optics wide.
"Primus!Flybotrightrightright!" In front of him, snuggled into several cleaning cloths was Nightfire, curled up into a ball under the air jets, purring happily away as she recharged. The silver hacker babbled in amazement, carefully sneaking over to loom over the sparkling, scanning her frame to make sure it wasn't a trick. Still not convinced, he carefully poked the baby 'bot with one finger, jumping back when Nightfire twitched.
"NeedneedtotellBarricade!" Babbling to himself in excitement, Frenzy turned to leave…
And found himself locking optics with Chromia, who was coming over to pick up the recharging Nightfire. The two stared at each other for several seconds, and then Frenzy saw fit to describe the situation.
"Ohshit."
AN: The stuff on NOAA-true. The sub Alvin is publized as being the only one who can go to the deepest levels of the oceans-but there are several other subs who can perform the same duties.