A/N:
Hello readers! I'm on a roll here. It's almost like Optimus told me to transform and roll out. Hope you are still enjoying these updates!
Just thought I'd also let you know, that I'm projecting to have this story finished at the 50 chapter mark. MAYBE 51 if I write an epilogue or something. So hold tight, and you'll be seeing the end to this VERY long story telling soon :)
-2Tame a River
Chapter 43: Attachments
Night aboard the Tenacious wasn't much different than it was during the day. Space was still cold, and dark, and empty. But the ship had its lights set to timers in order to help the bots aboard keep to traditional Cybertronian sleep habits.
And so as night rolled around, the femmes alternated in sleep shifts. Chromia was the only femme aboard that refused to power down. She sat at the security cameras as the auto-pilot kept the ship on course, and her mind at ease. Flicking through the security feed, Chromia paused on the med bay. Greenlight had been so faithful as to remain with Elita One, even as she dozed in the nearest chair by her bedside. Chromia ran a digit between the plates of her optics and rubbed it back and forth, feeling the tension there. She felt like she had been frowning all day.
Why must things be so difficult? Why did this have to happen now? Hadn't Elita One spent enough time in stasis to count for two lifetimes? Chromia needed her best friend awake. Despite their differences of opinions on Megatron—to Chromia he was still Megatron—her commander's confidence in her decision was a reassurance in these trying times.
Chromia could only hope that Elita One was right, and that Megatron was harmless. Perhaps he had lived through enough war to change his views. But he was still a killer. He could and he would kill again if he saw fit. And Chromia wasn't about to risk losing any of her femmes. Frown returned, Chromia flipped through the security cameras to land on the brig.
Ultra Violet was there now, having spent her entire shift unmoved from the place where she leaned her back against the wall, arms folded, and head down. She had thus far refused to interact with either ex-Con, despite how talkative Galvatron could be. He had tried his best to gain information from her of what Cybertron would be like upon their return. He asked who was running the Capital in Optimus Prime's stead, who was Head of the Justice System and all other sorts of questions. Ultra Violet had shaken her head at him, yet the questions continued.
Soundwave seemed to be the only mech behaving himself. At least he was sitting in his own back corner, appearing to be meditating. Chromia pushed herself away from the security feed and walked over to the nearest view port.
As she stared into the stars, her thoughts turned to Ironhide. She missed her sparkmate terribly. Much had happened to keep her mind busy as of late, but she never forgot him or her longing to be near him again. Especially after dealing with two ex-Cons. He would be so excited to hear of all that happened.
Before she knew it, she had dozed off.
…
"Hi," Ultra Violet said to Moonracer. The teal femme had just rounded the corner, but of course Ultra Violet had already seen her coming.
"Hello," Moonracer replied, lowering her voice as soon as she noticed Galvatron was powered down on the floor of his cell.
"Don't worry, you won't wake him. He sleeps super hard. I accidentally played a song on my audio speaker instead of my internal speaker and didn't realize till it was half way done. He didn't even stir." Ultra Violet giggled. Moonracer nodded and looked over to Soundwave next.
"He's awake, I think. But he's kept to himself," Ultra Violet yawned, stretching out her servos dramatically, "You should have an easy shift," she promised, patting Moonracer's shoulder as she walked past her.
"Sleep well," Moonracer said. Ultra Violet left and the door slid shut behind her. Moonracer stood in complete silence by the closed door, hesitating to turn around. She didn't know why but she suddenly felt nervous. Jittery even. The brig was just a bit too small for her liking. Not enough room to really zip around the way she wanted to. Nonetheless, she transformed her peds into the wheels she enjoyed so much, and skated from one end of the brig to the other. Back and forth. Back and forth.
After only a few minutes, Moonracer felt like she was being watched. Someone's attention was on her, like a laser beam. Intently tracing her features up and down. She swallowed.
"Will you stop that?" she said boldly, spinning suddenly to face the mech in question with her servos on her hips.
Soundwave didn't look away, but his attention quit roaming and fixed upon her face. Moonracer only then noticed that she was actually tracking where Soundwave was looking at her. How could she do that? She couldn't see his optics, and he wasn't turning his head. So how was it that she could feel his attention and where it was directed? Was this some sort of empathic ability?
Soundwave lifted a single digit and tapped his face mask. Moonracer blinked, not understanding the gesture.
"What?"
"You're mask," Soundwave said, his monotone voice bouncing off the brig walls. Moonracer stiffened. She'd forgotten to put it on!
"Oh," she hastily slid her mask up. But it was no use, Soundwave had already seen her cheeks flush. She was sure he had. A small flare of amusement warmed the room from Soundwave's direction. Moonracer's spark pulsed a bit faster. Was he... toying with her? Appalled, she abruptly looked away and resumed her skating around the room.
Soundwave only reclined against the wall and continued watching her. Moonracer tried to ignore him. She really did, but he was so persistent. And she was so... intrigued.
"What?" she asked again, after many nano-clicks. Soundwave tilted his head and flashed another silly face cartoon at her on his screen.
"Why are you teasing me?" she demanded, zooming over to the cell. "If this is some ploy or trick to get me to open your cell, it's not going to work."
Soundwave shrugged and flashed a sad face on his screen. Moonracer crossed her arms and stared sternly at the mech.
"Ok, show me how you do that. I want one of those cartoon faces."
…
The morning alarm woke Firestar with a jolt. After she switched it off, she laid very still and stared up at her berthroom ceiling. Today was the day. They would return to Cybertron. And Elita One would hopefully be freed from her stasis.
Bounding off her berth, Firestar woke Ultra Violet with an excited shake to the shoulder.
"Get up! We're almost home!"
"SO? Me getting up won't get us there any faster," Ultra Violet grumbled, rolling over.
"Hey, the faster we get back, the faster you'll get to see you know who," Firestar goaded.
Ultra Violet whipped back over to her other side quickly.
"Exactly WHO are you referring to?" she demanded, fixing her violet gaze onto her crew mate.
"Only the same mech you've talked about in your sleep the last three nights," Firestar grinned wickedly. Ultra VIolet gasped.
"Don't worry! The good news is, I know from a reliable source Sunstreaker just so happens to like you back."
Ultra Violet flushed pink with mortification, but she quickly recovered herself.
"OH? And who's your reliable source?"
"Just a mech."
"You mean INFERNO. Don't pretend you haven't been making countless goo-goo eyes at him whenever he's around," Violet quipped. Firestar groaned and fled the room in defeat, while Violet's laugh echoed off the Tenacious' walls.
The young femme hastened her way to the med bay where she nearly collided with Greenlight in the hall.
"Oh! I'm sorry," Firestar apologized, stepping back.
"It's alright," Greenlight said.
"How's Elita One? Is she ok?" Firestar asked.
"She is ok, though I detected some unusually high spark pulses this morning. I was about to report to Chromia…"
"I'll send the message for you. Stay here with the commander," Firestar offered, and before Greenlight could say 'no', the red femme was running for the bridge. As the doors slid open, Firestar entered to the sound of Chromia giving someone a rather intense reprimand. Firestar was shocked to see it was Moonracer.
"-and I know I told you 'no speaking with the prisoners'. Did I not?"
"Y-yes, I'm sorry, Captain. But I just thought if I could talk with him, he might spill-"
"No investigations are permitted unless they are by an agent! We can probe the spy for information when we have a professional asking the questions." Chromia barked. Moonracer hung her head.
"It w-won't happen again," Moonracer stuttered.
"No it won't. Now retire to your berthroom and get some power down time. We will be arriving at Cybertron in two cycles," Chromia ordered briskly. Moonracer saluted with a quick head nod and about faced toward Firestar. Firestar gave her fellow team mate a sympathetic smile as Moonracer passed swiftly by.
"Glad to see you are awake, cadet," Chromia greeted Firestar.
"Come, take a seat. You'll be my co-pilot."
"Yes, ma'am," Firestar answered, following orders. After she was settled into her seat, Firestar noticed the look of excitement on Chromia's face. She hated to be the one to ruin Chromia's mood, but...
"Greenlight asked me to tell you: Elita One's spark vitals were acting strange this morning," she reported tentatively. She braced, waiting for the captain's reaction.
"We are almost home and she will be fine," Chromia assured instead, her tone level with confidence. Firestar took that as a good sign, and some of her own anxiety for Elita ebbed away.
"You must be relieved you are almost home," Chromia said, surprisingly talkative for once. Firestar glanced at her.
"I am. Though I am very grateful I got to come on this mission," she said.
"Oh, I'm sure. You're returning home a bit of a hero, I'd say. The young mechs will pay a bit more attention to you I think," Chromia smirked. Firetar's optics widened in dread.
"Will they?" she asked, terrified.
"Relax kid, it's a compliment to have all that attention, not a death sentence."
"I just don't like attention is all," FIrestar mumbled.
"Humble too. Man, you really are Elita One's ward."
"Her ward?" Firestar said, tilting her head.
"Uhhh….she didn't mention that to you?" Chromia asked, "You know, before she went into stasis I mean…"
"No."
"Oh."
What's a ward?"
"I'll let Elita One explain it once she's out of stasis," Chromia said.
"But we don't know when that will be!" Firestar protested.
"It will be soon," Chromia promised.
…
"We all know Shockwave was just a science loving drone that did whatever Megatron told him to do. Now that he's separated from his master for good, all that mech wants to do is focus on science. He's not a threat to us, or our new society."
Prowl stood rigidly in the center of the courtroom, his datapad and notes all laid out before him on his speaking stand. He fixed his optics upon Ultra Magnus and the rest of the Prime Council from where they sat in session at each of their chairs.
"I find it difficult to believe that this is your conviction when it was Shockwave who open-fired upon your entry to his residence," Ultra Magnus said.
"Your honor, I failed to notify him of my arrival, therefore the fault is mine. He's still paranoid due to the fact that he's had three accounts of violent tress-passers just these last few mega cycles. Ironhide himself can testify to that fact."
"He has," Arcee said.
"Very well then, I rest my case."
"This does not negate the fact that Shockwave has caused bodily harm to a citizen, which clearly violated the terms and conditions of his release," Ultra Magnus stated.
"I disagree."
"I beg your pardon?" Ultra Magnus leaned forward onto his desk, his blue optics cutting down upon the young mech.
"I respectfully disagree, your honor," said Prowl.
"On what grounds?" Magnus demanded.
"On the grounds that I am no longer a citizen, your honor. I have just graduated from the Prime's Law School Academy and have been inducted to the official ranks of the law enforcement team of Prime City. I'm a criminal investigator and detective now," Prowl informed, "Therefore no longer making me a 'citizen' like the conditions stipulate in section B, paragraph twenty-seven."
Ultra Magnus set his jaw and lowered his optics to examine the conditions Prowl synced onto the large vid-screen of the courtroom. Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Wheeljack and Smokescreen gazed upon it as well.
Red Alert smirked from where she watched the live proceedings in Prime City's newest hot spot called, 'The Danger Zone'. She held her glass of energon to her lips and took a long drink before setting it down empty on her booth table. The mech next to her chuckled his distinctly charming chuckle.
"Haven't ever seen you knock back a drink like that. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're worried about what'll happen to ol' Shocks," Knock Out said, lifting a slender optic brow. He stirred his drink in his hand casually tilting his head at her.
"At least I care at all. How is it I'm more interested in the hearing than you are? You're a fragging Council member and you're here knocking back drinks with me when you should be on that board helping the Council reach a decision."
"Cool your engine sweetheart," Knock Out purred. "I was ordered not to attend. They said as an ex-Con, my opinions might be biased," he said, taking another swig of his energon. Red Alert frowned.
"And that doesn't bother you? That you were booted off the council for this case?"
Knock Out shrugged. "Not really. Besides, I get to be here with you," he grinned, flashing his pristinely white fangs, "And I much prefer your company to those military cranks." He knocked her gently with his elbow.
"Knock it off," Red Alert snapped, "I'm listening."
Red Alert decided she would spend less time with the mech after this. Just because Knock Out had been her medical teacher, didn't mean he didn't still need to be put in his place every once and awhile. And she was pretty sure flirting with your student was a no-no. Then again, she hadn't read any laws to the contrary. She'd have to ask Prowl.
And even if it wasn't illegal for teachers to date their students, their age difference was extraordinary. Granted, age was a tricky concept for Cybertronains. With information chips so easily downloadable via processor syncing, it was theoretically possible for a sparkling to 'catch up' with an older transformer's knowledge base in the span of only a few mega-cycles of concentrated lesson downloads. But Red Alert still had a major disadvantage to older mechs. Her lack of personal experience. All the same, she still knew better than to place her bet's on Knock Out being her kind of date.
"The Council thanks you for producing these new facts. We will now discuss amongst ourselves what decision is to be made. You are dismissed, detective," Ultra Magnus' voice boomed over the speaker, making Red Alert startle. She watched Prowl bow and exit the room. The broadcast cut to commercial and that was when Red Alert knew she couldn't sit still any longer. She felt hot, flushed. Tightly wound.
"I have to go," she announced, standing and checking her chrono-meter.
"So soon? You sure you should drive right now?" Knock Out said, actually looking concerned.
"I'll be fine. It's a short drive and I'll sleep the rest off," she answered, walking for the door. Knock Out stood to say goodbye but she held up a hand.
"No need, I know the way out," she assured. Knock Out nodded and Red Alert turned to cut through the crowd of other sparklings and Autobots at the tables. She passed Sideswipe and Sunstreaker as the twins engaged in a drinking contest, and happily dodged their notice. Those two were impossible to stand when inebriated.
Once out on the road, Red Alert transformed, flipped on her sirens for good measure, and screamed through the roads, cutting a path through the city to the science lab. She wasn't scheduled to check on Shockwave this hour. She should have gone straight back to her dorms. But no. She would see him.
Jazz was at the door when Red Alert slid to a stop and transformed right in front of him.
"Hey, lil Red, Shockwave isn't supposed to have any visitors right now. Ultra Magnus' orders," Jazz said with a sad shrug. Red Alert laughed.
"If Ultra Magnus thinks I come here to visit, he's sadly mistaken. I'm here to perform my medical duties and that is all. Now please let me through."
Jazz gave a heavy sigh and gestured to the doors. Red Alert briskly stepped through them, only to be met by Ironhide. His huge, black bulk blocked her from seeing passed and into the room.
"Has 'no entry' changed its meaning in the mega-cycles I've been away?" Ironhide demanded.
"Save it, I went through this with Jazz, don't make me go through the stupid motions with you too, big guy," Red Alert snapped.
"Big guy?" Ironhide blinked, surprised at her lack of decorum. "Are- are you inebriated?"
"Please get out of my way and let me do my job so I can get home," Red Alert growled. Ironhide was still perhaps too stunned at her behavior to stop her when she wove past him and charged further into the building. A click later he screamed,
"Hey! Who do you think I am?"
She heard his large peds coming after her, but Red Alert was already hunting through the lab rooms down the hall. The scientist was not to be found in the first room, or the second. The ped falls kept coming.
"I SAID- who do you think-?"
Red Alert's arm was suddenly latched onto my Ironhide's firm grip. He spun her around.
"HEY!" she snapped, "Let me go right now!" she shrieked.
"I don't know what's gotten into you but-"
"I'm trying to see my patient!"
"You're trying to get yourself under house arrest along with him!"
"So what? See if I care!" Red Alert shot back.
"Desist." Shockwave's deep voice cut through the argument.
"Shockwave, I'm under order from Ultra Magnus. The case is still on and no visitors are allowed in or out until the Council has determined a decision."
"I'm not VISITING. I'm here to do my JOB," Red Alert quipped.
"Medical assistance is considered an essential service. Surely you can make an exception, if we keep it brief," Shockwave said. Ironhide looked at Shockwave carefully, eyes narrowed. Then he released his grip on Red Alert's arm. Red Alert dramatically pulled away, back stepping into Shockwave.
"Thank you," she sneered.
"You know, you've been increasingly rotten these last few visits" Ironhide noted.
"What's the matter? Afraid I'll steal your title of moodiest bot on Cybertron?" Red Alert gabbed. Shockwave let out a deep sigh.
"Come," Red Alert ordered, motioning Shockwave to follow her into the nearest room. Shockwave and Ironhide stared at each other for a moment, before Ironhide finally walked away, and Shockwave turned to follow the femme.
Red Alert ordered him to sit. Shockwave did so.
"It's come to my attention that you are upset with me," Shockwave said.
"Why would I be upset with you?" Red Alert snorted, accessing his control port, and making Shockwave's adrenaline spike with the suddenness. He still wasn't used to her touching him that way. He wasn't used to her having such easy access to all of his vitals, and all of his most intimate system readings. Especially now that she was clearly heated up.
"I refuse to make a hypothesis," Shockwave answered, albeit uncomfortably, as Red Alert fingered one of his more sensitive wires. Though she was checking it for stability on her readings charts, Shockwave still had to force his spark to beat steadily. He had heard some mechs and femmes derived great physical pleasure in touching such vulnerable areas. Perhaps this was the kind of sensation they experienced. Then again, Jazz talked a lot of scrap.
"Probably smart," she replied curtly. Shockwave continued to study the face of the femme as she worked on him. Her optics were practically spewing fire, but there was something off- something un-calculated about her actions. She touched a sensitive wire again and Shockwave was unable to withhold a sudden gulp of air through his intakes.
"Sorry," she muttered, maybe with some embarrassment.
"You're sloppy tonight," he said, trying to recover his spark rate, "And your energy field is unstable."
"You my doctor now?" Red Alert quipped.
"Cease your petty prattle," Shockwave said. "To say you do not wish to speak about it with me is enough. I will press you no more if you wish."
Red Alert blinked, and her face softened after a long moment of staring at her data screen. Shockwave hated to admit it to himself, but he was relieved when he recognized the softness returning to her features. However, he was not at all prepared for what she said next.
"I think I've developed an attachment to you."
Shockwave sat perfectly still.
"Come again."
Red Alert lifted her optics from her data pad, and directed them into his single optic.
"I said," she set the data pad down, "'I think I've developed an attachment to you."
"What sort of attachment?" Shockwave pressed, "Elaborate."
"I do not know, but it frightens me. One: because whatever kind it is, I'm sure it's improper. And two: because I don't know quite how these feelings formed, or what exactly they mean." The femme paused, and then inched closer to him, her fingers still tracing his wiring ever so delicately. Shockwave's spark began to pound harder than before. The only thing he could liken this state of panic to, was when he had awoken to the realization that he had lost his own face in a horrifically cruel surgery he'd never agreed to.
"I've been attempting to ignore it. Attempting to prove to myself that what I feel is just a fluke. Nothing serious. Nothing lasting. I tried to distance myself. I tried to treat you the way I would any other infuriating patient. But it didn't help," Red Alert continued, shaking her head. "And when I was out drinking with Knock Out-"
"You were drinking with Knock Out?" Shockwave was decidedly peeved to hear this. That ex-Con didn't deserve to be in the same room as Red Alert, much less qualify to be an influence on her.
"Shush," Red Alert held a silencing digit in front of his face, "You wanted me to elaborate, remember?"
"Proceed," Shockwave growled.
"The worse I treated you, the more guilty and wrong I felt. I can't explain it, but I care about you Shockwave. And I know I shouldn't, yet I can't help it. I care about what happens to you. I want you to reform, and to be accepted by society. To be a wonderful influence on the next generation."
"Careful, young one," Shockwave warned, "You hope for things I'm afraid this society will render impossible."
"I don't believe that," said Red Alert. "You are the most logical, and reasonable mech I've ever met. Surely the people of our great city will come to see you as a valuable asset. If you could just prove yourself a trustworthy mech, all doubts will eventually be subsided."
"Eventually is a very vague length of time," Shockwave rebutted.
"If you start being honest with me right now, we can shorten it," Red Alert said. Shockwave slowly shook his head.
"No?"
"You don't know what you're getting into."
"I think I do," Red Alert smirked, tugging a small bit on his wires, which he had almost forgotten she held. Shockwave gasped again.
"Is that necessary," he chided.
"Admit it," Red Alert snapped.
"I'll never admit to anything."
"Admit you like having a companion. You like knowing someone genuinely cares about what happens to you. You haven't had that comfort in a long time, and it makes you nervous. So now you're retreating. Pretending you don't care in return."
"Those are bold assumptions," said Shockwave.
"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a bold girl, " Red Alert remarked.
"As a matter of fact, I had noticed," Shockwave replied. His single optic narrowed on the femme before him. Red Alert waited in uncertainty, and silence droned on between them as she finished making notes on her data pad and replacing his wire casings over his chest.
"I will consider your sentiments genuine then, and not an Autobot ploy to extract any kind of confession from me."
"Well gee, thanks. All the same, if you have any information worth confessing, I would prefer to hear it now, as proof of your trust in me, before it's extracted from you at some other point in time."
"I'm sure you would."
"That's no way to answer me."
"It's all the answer you will be getting for now," Shockwave said. Red Alert narrowed her eyes but finally sighed and nodded.
"If that's how you want it to be."
She transformed away her medical kit back into her arm and belt hatches, and turned to walk away.
"Red Alert," Shockwave called, just before she could go.
"I also have developed… an attachment to you."
Red Alert didn't know why, but that simple acknowledgement made her realize just how crazy she had been to admit any of her feelings. She wouldn't have breathed a word, much less rushed over there, fought with Ironhide, and boldly spilled her admission of love if she hadn't been intoxicated. Suddenly, the femme was deeply embarrassed. She rushed from the lab without another word.
However, as she was exiting, Jazz started speaking.
"Just got an alert from the Watch Tower. Thought you'd be interested to know, the Tenacious is back," he grinned.
Red Alert blinked. That had been a fast mission.
"Elita One is going to see to it that Shockwave is gonna be okay. Don't worry," Jazz said, offering a sympathetic nod of his head. Red Alert could only hope so.
