Okay! So with this posted chapter my total words achieved on my Author stats is finally over 250,000! YES!
Er hm... Anyways since I've been slacking due to the lack of internet and well... the stress of being overworked... GAH how I hate the holiday season and the fact that half of the populace can't read beyond a second grade level! X.X
Eh... Sorry... Anywho here is a longish chapter for all of ya to enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers.
Many thanks to Answerthecall for reviewing.
Chapter 36: After The Fact
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Anna smirked as she peered out of the vent. She' been hiding in here for the better part of the day since she and Blue had nailed Sunstreaker with army green and pink paintballs the night before... In fact she'd spent the whole night in here with a bottle of water and her paintball gun...
Poor Blue he never stood a chance... she thought as she shook her head at the twin's revenge... They had taken and glued the grey and red mech to the ceiling... Blue had sacrificed himself to give her the chance to escape... She had made sure to shoot Sides in the optics as she bolted for cover.
The terror twins had been searching for her since, and like Blue had warned her they were in a full out pranking mood. So far they had set several traps for both her and several others throughout the base. They had managed to tar and feather her father, caused the oatmeal in the cafeteria to explode Right when he was in line for it... And then somehow someone had managed to slip ipecac into her father's lunch.. So far it was not a good day for Will Lennox...
They had caught some poor random teenager in a net in one of the less used hangers. The girl was still hanging there the last time she checked.
They had even gotten Prowl to glitch somehow... but since they had most likely had sent the cause over the comm link, Anna had no clue as to how they had done this...
They had even taken the engines to several of the jeeps out and left them waiting on the hoods of their respective vehicles. This of course had started a fight with Mercy and the other mechanic. Resulting in two oil drenched and bruised mechanics being hauled away to the brig. The only reason she could speculate as to why Torri hadn't been pranked yet was the fact that they hadn't wanted to mess with Ratchet... yet.
Anna grinned as she stared at the troublesome duo as they leaned against the wall of the rec room keeping a sharp opitc out for their one true target. She was mildly grateful for the neutral airflow in the vents, which kept her 'scent' even spread throughout the base which was only pissing them off even more. But she would definitely guess that they were positive she was near considering they hadn't moved from the rec room in quite some time...
But as last of the other bots exited the room a devious grin broke out on both of their faceplates. Oh I don't like that smile... Anna winced as they both turned to face the vent she was in. Shit! They've found me! she thought as she began to rapidly crawl away.
A smoke bomb was tossed in through the grate in front of her. Choking on the smoke she charged ahead through the smoke as fast as she could crawl, knowing that if she went back they catch her... A flash bomb went off in the next vent of ahead of her. Damn it they were following her... Anna glanced at a side panel leading away from the rec room and made her way to it as they started throwing in more smoke bombs.
Coughing heavily Anna kicked the grate out and tumbled out to land hard onto a rather large desk below. Annabelle groaned as she picked herself up.
"Miss Lennox?" wide surprised optics gazed down at her.
Anna blinked up at the commander of the Autobots with a weak smile. "You never saw me sir." she said as she leapt off of his desk and peered around the corner of his open doorframe cautiously before darting out.
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Optimus watched as the teen darted out the door her paintball gun clenched tightly in her hands. He shook his helm at the girls antics. He was more than well aware of the Twins' pursuit of her, and the chaos that was (somewhat) calmly happening around the base. Sure there would be consequences for them to pay if they did too much damage, but as of the moment they had yet to seriously mess up... Minus the glitching of his SIC of course... But that had always been a normal occurrence for the terror twins...
A loud bang echoed loudly in the ventilation. Apparently the twins had resorted to firecrackers...As smoke began to slowly fill his office via the vent, Optimus vented a sigh and he got to his pedes. Better get on to them before they burn down my office...
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Oliver was staring at the chessboard in concentration as when Prowl had found him. "Jacen."
Oliver set the mech with a glare. "I though I told ya that I go by Oliver. Call me Jacen again and you might as well talk ta the wall cause I won't be a listening to you. Now what can I help ya with?"
"... Have you noticed anything odd about Bluestreak?"
Oliver eyed the enforcer with a curious glance. "No, not really..."
"Nothing at all?"
"Nah, not that I've noticed... Unless you count the fact that his doors have been fluttering like a butterfly's there's been nothing out of the norm for him." Oliver frowned as the contemplative look crossed Prowl's features. "Why'd ya ask anyways? He doesn't have a virus or anything right?"
"It's nothing to concern yourself ov-"
SPLAT
Oliver began to snicker at the pink covered SIC before...
SPLAT
"ARGH! Right in the ear!" Oliver growled as he spun to face his assailants. "ANNABELLE! Dam nag it girl that stings like hell!" he bellowed at the fleeing blonde. Laughter followed his string of curses as he chased after her.
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Later that evening...
Mercy sighed as she stepped out of the shower, gently toweling her hair as she crossed the bathroom, her skin mostly free of the oil that she had been coated in after finally tackling Michael into it... if it hadn't ben for Epps she might have succeeded in clubbing the man to death with the oil pan that he had dumped on her.
A flash of color made Mercy stop in her tracks as she pulled the loose hair to where she could clearly see it. Now who thought that dying my hair would be a prank... she frowned at the now emerald strand. Unless it wasn't meant for me...
"Mercy..." Torri grumbled from the door to their quarters.
"Gee just hold the door open so that everyone may see me half nude." Mercy said dryly as Torri shut the door.
"Where did you get green hair dye? You realize you'll get in trouble for the color right?"
"One: Someone spiked the shampoo, and two: I don't give a damn about my hair color. I could give the trickster that thought of this a hug because I was getting tired of being called Doc because of you. And hey, here's some good news, they won't think you're a twisted maniac anymore because they'll be able to tell us apart." Mercy grinned.
"Whatever. Look um... I've got to talk to you."
"Mhm.. what about?"
"You know what I want to talk to you about. It's why you've been alluding me for the last few days." Torri said as she crossed her arms and glared at her sister. "I know you put the ipecac into Will's lunch."
Mercy didn't turn to face her as she continued to get dressed, she didn't have to turn around for Torri to feel the smugness coming off her in waves. "You can't prove it. Besides I spent the better part of the day in the brig."
"Mercy... Just tell me why you did it."
Mercy ignored her as she continued to sort through her clothes searching for an older t-shirt to put on for her training session.
"Mercy."
Mercy turned around with an inquiring brow raised. "What?"
"Mercy just talk to me."
"I am." Mercy went to go out the door when Torri growled and stepped in front of her twin to block the doorway.
"Just tell me what is wrong. I know something has crawled up your ass and died so just spit it out. Tell me why you've been avoiding me."
Mercy glared at Torri, her hands tightly curling into fists. "Move out of my way."
"Not until you tell me what's got you so pissed."
"I said move!"
"NO."
"GOD DAMN IT MOVE!" Mercy yelled.
"MAKE ME."
Mercy snarled a curse as she threw herself at Torri. They tumbled out of their door, but Torri maneuvered to where she was sitting on top of Mercy.
"Just tell me why you're mad!"
"You want to know? You. I'm mad at you." Mercy spat at Torri.
"What?" this caught Torri off guard and Mercy was able to get out from under her, leaving her twin on the floor. "Me? I haven't done anything." Torri frowned as she got to her feet.
"You've been lying to me. I have never lied to you. Not once. I might not have given you all the details but I have never outright lied to you. Worse you've been lying for damn near eighteen years. You've lied to all of us and I can't believe how stupidly blind I've been for all of this time!"
"You're just pissy because I actually managed to keep a secret from you. God you are so immature!"
"I am not immature damn it!" Mercy growled as she balled her hands into fists.
"Ha, we both know who is the responsible one between the two of us. You couldn't be mature if your life depended on it!" Torri sneered.
"At least I'm not an uptight stick in the mud!" Mercy countered almost at the same time.
"I hate it when you're like this you're so fucking stubborn!" the both of them yelled simultaneously. They both growled and their glares intensified.
"I'm not the stubborn one you are!"
"Stop that!"
"Who's the immature one now?"
"Damn it I hate it when you do that!"
"Stop being so damned immature and cut it out!"
"ARGH!" They both growled and started for the other one.
"Hey! Hey!" Annabelle yelled as she placed herself between her Aunts who looked ready to throttle each other at this point. "I don't know what you two are fighting about but I think you both need to calm down and take a breather. Okay Mercy? Torri?" she glance between the two of them. Both glared at each other before sighing.
"I'm sorry Annabelle." This started another glaring match. Finally both let loose another growl and stalked in two different directions.
"Hey where are you guys going?"
"Away from her!" Another flinch and a shared glare as they turned to around. "I said to knock that off!"
Annabelle sighed as she rubbed her temples as she walked over to join Oliver at Blue's pedes. She glared at the crowd. "Seriously? Wheat the hell is wrong with you? You do realize any of you could have stopped them at anytime right?" The crowd began to disperse.
"Men." Anna shoook her head.
They had been on their way to the training room, (Anna had finally regrouped with Blue in the med bay while he was getting the glue removed from his doorwings. Sunny and Side still had yet to find her..) when the sounds of Torri's and Mercy's escalating fight had reached their ears. The twosome had gathered a small gaggle of soldiers watching them (more than likely looking forward to a catfight) and a couple of the Autobots, (Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker. Crap they found her!)
"Hey I'm not gonna get in between two women when they're a fightin' Anna, that's suicide." Oliver said with a shudder.
Blue shuddered as well. "You're aunt Mercy is scary enough for a human. I don't want her beating my helm in with that torque wrench or the sledgehammer she keeps threatening people with."
"Aw come on Bluestreak you can't be that afraid of a little femme now." Sideswipe snickered.
"That femme is scary Sideswipe. Oliver shot her car-"
"Ya mean you shot the charger." Oliver glared as he interjected.. "Your finger was on the damned trigger."
"Yeah well if Anna hadn't started that paintball war in the first place I doubt that we would have gotten that paint on her car in the first place! Mercy took a crowbar to my hood... It hurt like the pit too!"
Oliver smirked. "You're just jealous that Annie bested ya in that round."
"She hid in the garage! That is cheating and you know it. If she hadn't cowered in there I would have won that round!"
Anna bit her lip as she glanced back and forth between the two directions that her aunts had stormed off in. They hadn't heard the whole fight, so she was uncertain as to which one of her aunts she should try talking to. As mad as Mercy was she would be in the mood to take things apart... and as for Torri... She would find some quiet place to break down...
"You want to go calm them down." Anna blinked up at the gold bot that had been watching the fight.
"I do... but without know what they're fighting about I could be relighting that powder keg all over again..." Anna stared off in the direction Torri had taken off in.
"If you'd like one of us could go check on your Aunt Mercy." Sideswipe offered.
"Then I guess I'll take the lesser of two evils..." Anna said as she started off. "Don't bother waiting for me guys, Torri's going to be hard to find."
"... Um... So paper, rock, scissors on who will be going to talk to Mercy?" Oliver Grinned.
"..." Sunstreaker stared after the femme as Sideswipe just realized they had missed their opportunity to catch the elusive girl. ~You just noticed this Sides? I swear you're an idiot...~
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"Irritating, no good idiot! Freaking willing to live in misery because she couldn't stand in the fucking way! Stupid self sacrificing bleeding heart!" Mercy growled as she beat on the poor vehicle sitting in the scrap yard. The sound of shattering glass as she threw the sledge hammer through the window. "Damn it!" She finally growled as she kicked the jeep and leaned against it's dented frame. "Damn it..."
"Hey fleshy."
"Go away." Mercy growled without even glancing up at Sunstreaker.
"Sure... If you tell me why you're skipping out on our training session."
"'It is not wise to fight when you're angry.'" Mercy quoted him from one of his previous taunts.
"Using my own advice against me... It figures." He said as he stared down at her. "So... why are you and your sister at odds with each other?"
Green eyes bore into his azure gaze as she glared at him. "Why do you give a care?"
"I don't."
"Then go the hell away and leave me be." Mercy spat.
"However my idiot brother told Annabelle that one of us would come check on you." The gold bot said as she broke the eye contact, shaking her head.
"You drew the short straw."
Sunstreaker grunted his affirmation as he stared over the femme. Mercy was fiddling with her hair as she stared off deep in thought. "Look I know you don't like me, and it's most likely because of the wrench and the shit I said to get you to leave Blue alone but for all it counts I am sorry... Besides, you two did me a favor."
An optic ridge raised slightly as he said nothing.
"I'm no idiot. I know it's been you two going around causing chaos around the base. That and that you're responsible for this." Mercy pointed to her hair. "I know that it was you two. Anna wouldn't dare try to get Torri with the shampoo considering that Torri hates it when I dye my hair a new color every week."
"... So that's why you two are fighting?"
Mercy shook her head. "This was just the straw that broke the camels back... She's just pissed because I finally figured out a secret she's been keeping from me for about eighteen years... And I pissed at her for making herself miserable all this time."
"And that would be...?"
"She never stopped loving Will."