A/N apologize for any out of character problems, I think I've been getting the jist of their personalities but sorry if I've made some mistakes :)
Mini chapter Strongarm.
Ellen sat on a riverbank, looking over her equipment, she was a little bummed out by the city environment. So sort out a little bit of nature for some kind of Zen peace. The water trickled, the birds sung, the sun was exactly the right temperature. But something felt, off (as usual).
She looked behind glaring at a line trees. She drew her weapon, "Come on out." She ordered.
Then Strongarm shuffled out, raising her hands seemingly embarrassed, Ellen sighed, "Strongarm, you should have notified me if you planning on approaching me. I'd do the same for you."
"I'm sorry Ellen, I was...practicing my stealth?" She poorly fibbed.
"Oh is that all?" she pointed a finger to her cheek, "You have a twig sticking to you, right here."
Strongarm brushed her face, "Ha. So I do. I was just curious to what you were doing here."
Ellen raised an eyebrow, "Not much Con hunting these past few weeks? Must be boring to be tailing me." She replied lightly.
"I thought you were coming by to tell us news or something." She hopefully said, her fingers twitching for action.
She shook her head, "No mail today, sorry. Just needed to get out from my stuffy hotel room, smelt a little bronchitis-sy." She stood up extending her weapon.
Strongarm fixed her optics on said weapon, "What do you call that? I don't think I've seen such a...uh interesting design." She said showing restraint in her speech.
"BOB." She uttered fondly.
"Wh-S-Sorry?" Strongarm spluttered holding a hand over her mouth.
"BOB. Best of both. It's used for long range and close range attack." She smiled, "its okay you can laugh."
She did, a little. "What a funny thing to call it. Bob." She snickered.
"Thanks came up with it myself." Ellen proclaimed proudly.
Strongarm awkwardly stopped her laughing, "Um...Oh, Its Cybertronian tech."
"It is, so was the bot that made it for me. I just came up with the name heh."
"Someone we know?"
"Probably. Maybe."
She looked at what was next to her, a book. "Oh that's ancient human text right? Where humans used to write on thin tree corpses?"
Ellen pulled face, "ancient? Used to? Tree corpses? This isn't some Cyberpunk future people still read and use books."
"O-Oh really?" she looked embarrassed.
Ellen folded her arms, "Let me guess, Bumblebee? Our Prometheus full of the fire of knowledge?"
"N-No, I mean the Lieutenant he wouldn't...well he, he sounded confident enough! W-Whose Prometheus?"
Ellen let out a cough. "Bumblebee should know better than to exaggerate ones culture." She stated sternly. Then taking note of her audience she awkwardly laughed scratching her head, "Trying to make his 'adventures on Earth' more appealing to the youth I suppose." She then produced a smile that was supposed to come off as reassuring, but Strongarm was dumbfounded at this point and just found the smile slightly intimidating.
"I guess she did need some time away from her stuffy hotel room, her expressions are all over the place." Strongarm thought as she chuckled awkwardly herself. "It's okay, really. Anyway, you were reading?"
Ellen sat down seemingly defensive about Bumblebee giving out over exaggerated information about Earth. Not at all a huge deal, but Ellen saw this is as giving out a 'faulty message'. From passing on misinformation to the next just felt tainted in her mind. She then realised the time she wasted from the observation of 'oh hey, a book'. "R-Right my book, Mm-hmm. Ethical riddles."
"Oh." Strongarm replied noting how tired Ellen sounded, she hadn't noticed until now. Then followed the dark shadows under her eyes. She looked on thoughtfully, "I'm not that great at riddles, but I can try if you'll have me around a little longer. I feel like I'm bothering you."
"No, not at all. Just having a bad couple days, you know?"
"Bad couple days? Did something happen?"
She shook her head, "Sometimes you just don't feel yourself some days, that's all I mean by that. Bad dreams that keep you up, worries. Things like that."
They exchanged glances, Strongarms was more curiously confused then anything.
Ellen cleared her throat signalling that she was going back to the previous conversation, "Now, these types of riddles don't necessarily have a solution. It's mostly for topic of debate, my friend and I would spend hours on some of them, do you want to try one?"
"Mm. Alright." She said sitting on a tree log.
"No pressure, I know these type of things don't suit allot of people, I'm mostly debating with myself most days heh." She laughed but it was a type of laugh that hid something. "Lets see." She said flicking through the pages, "something relatable, something relatable ah here we are. Listen to this."
"Okay." She said putting her hands on her knees in a readied state.
"'You are an eyewitness to a crime-"
"Alert the authority's immediately, for trial and sentence!" She announced almost breaking the log as she stood up, Ellen held onto the ground as she felt tremors underneath her.
Ellen's mouth hung in mid-sentence, "Strongarm." She started patiently pointing to the page. "It's not finished."
"Oh. Sorry." She sat down meekly.
"Its 'kay, lets continue; 'a man has robbed a bank, but instead of keeping the money for himself, he donates it to a poor orphanage, that can now afford to feed, clothe, and care for its children. You know who committed the crime. If you go to the authorities with the information there's a good chance the money will be returned to the bank, leaving a lot of kids in need.' What do you do?"
Strongarm thought hard but she stood by her lawful compass, "Hm, I think despite his 'good intentions' it's still wrong."
"But what about the children, should they be denied basic necessities for currency?"
"Well that's because your human society is an odd system. Useless metals for basic essentials like your food? So weird."
"Interesting conclusion our system is a bit odd. But if it was the only system and you were living in?"
"Hm, does the money belong to someone else? Banks are for humans to store their money right?"
"Insurance companies should cover the loss for banks but it still means the stolen money would be in circulation."
"In the end I think it's wrong but...If I was in that situation..." she then abruptly held her head, "Ah why did you have to tell me this? I don't want sad orphans, why is no one helping them? Can't your leader intervene? Don't they have lots of currency? Whys your world like this? This world is terrible." She stated matter of fact and folded her arms.
"Not an easy thing to decide is it? Especially if you had to live in a world like ours." she looked at the river pondering. "Right and wrong."
"You alright?"
"Mm? Oh sure I've just been spacing out allot more than usual."
"Is it about Optimus?"
She shot her head around, "excuse me?"
She flailed her arms around frantically, "I overheard you and Bee-T-The lieutenant talking one time, I-I didn't mean to listen in I was passing by I swear on the Allspark! I-I'm sorry."
"How much did you hear?"
"Only that you and Bee were really effected when he returned the Allspark to the core, and you are having a hard time accepting him as being alive? I didn't really understand but-"
"Hm."
"The other humans you were with, and the other bots, you were obviously all good friends, it must have equally been hard for all of you."
"Yes, equally so." She said flatly, looking heavenward with a bitter glare.
"What was he like? I mean is like?" Strongarm asked lightly.
Ellen looked to the floor.
"I-I'm sorry."
"No-no. Its okay. He was." She sighed smiling a little, "He was great. I-...Is great? I urgh-" she pinched the bridge of her nose dipping her head as though she had a massive headache.
"Are you okay?"
"I should be just, mental stress." She rubbed her temple, "He um, when the other kids were about, when he had time. He was quite the philosopher. Made me- made us see things in a different perspective."
"Right, the riddles, the questions. Sounded very influential." She said lightly.
"Heh yeah, I mean if it wasn't for him to question things, he would never have crossed paths with Megatron and ultimately stopping him from seizing the title of Prime for himself. Sure it kind of backfired and plunged Cybertron in eons of war ultimately killing your planet and billions of Cybertronians but hey...doing the right thing isn't always easy." She said very confident in her argument.
Strongarm pulled an awkward expression, murmuring something unintelligible, "That wasn't really convincing in rooting for the good side Ellen."
"Well put it this way, what would have happened if they just let Megatron do whatever he wanted?"
"Good point. I can't imagine. I can't even imagine the War as I wasn't even functioning, I've seen images but-" She pondered.
"Hopefully you never have to imagine that kind of outcome, ever again." Her expression shook a little in thinking about certain experiences.
"You know, some of those details you mentioned during your rant weren't included when I was on Cybertron."
"Rant? I mean- really? That's a little suspect, No mention of an important detail before the War was sparked? Well I might be able to fill in some blanks if you like? Maybe some stories you haven't heard of."
"You would? That would be a-mazing, I mean appreciated."
"No need to stand on formal vocalising Strongarm, this is not the Elite guard, this is um, casual free time. Okay, Ellen sly the, er history guy? Girl-lie? From tragic murder to did you know Megatrons original name was D-16? Not glorifying him or anything but if we forget the past, we just repeat our mistakes yo."
"Uh yo?"
"Force of habit; Yo." Her joking falling flat she moved on, "So, does Cybertron still have records of the great cataclysm?"
"Oh yes, we know all about the extinction of the Predacons."
"How about the part where Prima abandoned them because he hated the Predacons?"
"That part too."
"Alright cool, what can you remember about the Quintesson invasion?"
"The what?"
"The Quintessons? The creations of Quintus Prime shortly after he discovered a similar planet to Cybertron?"
She shook her head.
"Wow really? The Quintessons influenced Cybertrons society with their impressive knowledge of technology, they dawned harsh rules and even made out that they were the ones who created Cybertronians, which was a lie of course."
"I had no idea." She said forcing interest.
"Hm, don't think Strongarms interested in that one, her tone is kind of obvious." Remembering Strongarms interest in a certain two wheeler though, "You know what why don't I share some stories about Arcee, the ones I can remember anyway. The Quintessons aren't going anywhere."
"Would you? Oh yes, I could maybe learn some of her tactical techniques, she was able to produce such force despite her build. She was resilient and spoke with action."
She murmured begrudgingly, "Alright, for your benefit." She wasn't even going to think about mentioning the childish pranks she would pull on her just out of spite.
"I appreciate your time." She said professionally but with a certain giddy posture. Ellen noted that she would address her superiors or seniors with respect with or without any reputation or reference...or if you're mentioned by Bumblebee.
Ellen felt she had too low a reputation to be treated so, admirably.
"Strongarm."
"Yes?"
She paused, then shook her head, "You're very well mannered."
"Um...thank you?"
"I was trying to think of something more meaningful but, kinda tripped at the finish line there."
Strongarm chuckled.
"Now er, where were we? Oh yes, Arcee had this particular strategy when odds were stacked against her-"
Ellen left her hotel room because the solitary confinement environment was driving her nuts; the forest was better but too quiet. She was thankful for the company.
A/N Two more go, plus a running joke X'D