I do not own Transformers Prime or Harry Potter
(Scrapheap)
Jacqueline was sitting in the back seat of Bulkhead's truck as he drove her and Miko to base. It had been about two months since they met the Autobots. Miko was sitting in the front seat next to Bulkhead, "So did Arcee forget how to ride his moped?" Miko asked with a smirk.
Bulkhead glanced over, "Uh~no. Hehe~funny though. He and Optimus are going on an expedition to the Arctic. I went two days ago, and I'm still freezing my aft off."
Jacqueline leaned over, "Why are you going to the Arctic?"
"Ratchet found some strange readings emanating from there, and we brought back this big pod. Not really sure what's in it, but it was a fragging pain to get into the base." Bulkhead shivered as he recalled doing most of the work. Besides Optimus, being one of the strongest mechs at the base, he usually had to do most of the heavy lifting.
Miko yawned, "Sounds cold and boring. At least we won't have to hear from motorcycle boy for a few hours." Arcee gave her the cold shoulder just as much as Jacqueline, and she did not appreciate it.
"Is Arcee still being an aft to you two?" Bulkhead asked with a raised brow.
"Mostly me," Jacqueline said from the back seat, "Just last week, I asked him how his day was, and he told me to shut up." Jacqueline was officially on her last good nerve with Arcee. There were times when he seemed as though he was making an effort to be kind but then immediately returned to being a jerk.
Bulkhead frowned, "That doesn't sound like Arcee. At least not the guy I know." Keeping a steady grip on the steering wheel, he glanced back. The large wrecker would be lying if he said he wasn't looking at Jacqueline. Even though they have had brief interactions, she was still pleasant to be around. As was Miko, but the woman beside him was far too energetic, even for him at times. 'I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I think Miko has more energy than Wheeljack.' Jacqueline, on the other hand, was calming to be around.
Driving into the base, Jacqueline stepped out of the back seat, 'A 40-minute drive from Jasper to here. Apparating would be so much easier.'
Miko stepped out in front of her, "Miss us, Doc Bot?"
Ratchet stood in front of the console for the ground bridge, "Ugh~Shouldn't they be in school?" He looked at Optimus, who was on his knee tightening his snow boot. Even though they were cybertronians, it didn't mean they could handle the ravages of the Arctic.
Miko looked at Ratchet like he was an idiot, "On Saturday? And it's work, dumb-dumb, not school. We told you this five times already. Do you need a written note?" Ratchet just frowned as she walked past him. Whenever he said something incorrectly about human customs, she would make it known to the whole base that he was an idiot. Meanwhile, Jacqueline gave Ratchet a wave. The medic gave a small wave of his hand and quickly looked away.
Jacqueline looked over towards the ground bridge and saw Optimus and Arcee getting ready to leave. Both men had on oversized winter coats, "Wasn't expecting to carpool, Arcee."
Arcee fastened the buckle on his coat, "Tag team, Jacqueline, it's my turn for exploration duty."
Jacqueline was a little cautious, 'Huh. He sounds like he's in a good mood.' She glanced between Optimus and Arcee, "Bulkhead, mention that. Um~you're both not leaving like that, are you?"
Arcee and Optimus looked at each other, "What do you mean?" Arcee asked.
Jacqueline motioned to their clothing, "Your straps aren't buckled tightly, you aren't wearing thick enough gloves, and neither of you has goggles on." Without permission, Jacqueline grabbed the strap on Arcee's chest and pulled it tightly, causing him to gasp, "You want to center your body mass; otherwise, you'll waste more energy while trudging through snow."
Optimus was about to tighten the strap for the backpack he was wearing, but Jacqueline beat him to it. Optimus lost his breath when she tightened his bag, "Thank you. We are not particularly used to snow on Earth." It did not snow on Cybertron, so they never had to worry about freezing temperatures. The entire planet had a perfect climate.
Jacqueline smiled softly, "I've been in pretty deep snow before in Scotland. But there are some basic rules of thumb when going into snowy weather."
Arcee's cheeks were starting to turn red. Having her help them prepare was slightly embarrassing, "What sort of tips do ya got?"
"Watch out for soft snow and frozen pockets of water. Certain parts of the Arctic have ice that freezes over warm volcanic geysers that people have fallen into. You'll freeze from hypothermia in a matter of minutes if you get wet. Oh! And watch out for polar bears."
Arcee raised a brow, "What's a polar bear?"
Jacqueline laughed a little at Arcee's lack of knowledge on Earth's ecosystem, "It's a bear that lives in the Arctic. Its fur is white, and they can be hard to spot."
Optimus nodded his head, "Our expedition will not be long, and Ratchet will send for the ground bridge should we need it."
Jacqueline shook her head, "You're going to the Arctic, Optimus. You should always be prepared for the unexpected when going to such a dangerous place." She gave a little shrug, "Just some advice." Not wanting to bother either of them, she quickly went towards Miko. Jacqueline was a blushing mess when she sat down. 'I can't believe I would touch them like that.' When she was strapping their gear on, they hardly budged. 'I guess Bulkhead was right about Cybertronian strength.' Being technorganics, cybertronians were far more robust than humans. Bulkhead alone was able to lift the couch she was sitting on without breaking a sweat.
Bulkhead plopped down onto the side of the couch, "Home sweet home." Before picking up Jacqueline and Miko, Optimus made him lift a bunch of energon crates into one of the storage rooms.
Miko looked up from her phone, "So what do you guys think we should do today?"
Bumblebee, who was sitting on his own chair, lifted a gaming controller, "Video game tournament?"
Miko sighed, "Did anyone get that? Dude, get some speech cards or something."
Raf pushed up his glasses, "He said a video game tournament."
"Haha!" Miko started laughing, "Sorry, Bee, but you'll never beat me. I'm the queen." In the last video game tournament they had, Miko laid waste to all of them. Obviously, Bumblebee wanted a rematch.
Jacqueline laughed softly at Miko's claim. She glanced at Bulkhead, "Are you gonna play?"
Bulkhead's eyes widened, and he started stuttering, "Me? Oh~uh~I… sure~I~mean ya, why not?" He wasn't particularly good at video games. That and he kept breaking the controller because of his inhuman strength. Bulkhead used to work in demolition before the war, and his only helpful skill was breaking things. That came in particularly useful when he became a wrecker. Meanwhile, Miko and Bumblebee were already starting the first round. They were playing an old racing game. "I'll probably lose, but~I might as well give it a shot."
Jacqueline looked over the massive man sitting next to her. Bulkhead was easily the largest mech here, minus Optimus. "Why do you do that?"
Bulkhead looked at the tiny human sitting right beside him. She was petite compared to him, "Do what?"
She spoke in a low voice, "You always bash on yourself when it comes to doing stuff." Jacqueline noticed not long after meeting Bulkhead that he would constantly make comments about his abilities. He was stupid or prone to accidents. Yesterday he said his only talent was breaking things.
Bulkhead rubbed the back of his head, "Look, I'm just not good at much. Ask anyone I know, and they'll tell you, I'm not good at much besides breaking scrap metal."
Jacqueline lightly elbowed his side, "Hey. Quit talking about yourself like that. Just because you're super strong doesn't mean you're only useful in breaking things. You're far more than that, so don't sell yourself short." Bulkhead looked at her with uncertainty.
"You really think that?"
"You've got a good heart~er~spark, Bulkhead." She blushed as she fumbled with her words, "I'm just saying you should give yourself more credit. You'd be surprised what hidden talents someone might have and not even realize it till they've tried." Jacqueline felt somewhat silly to say this, but she didn't like Bulkhead belittling himself. She knew what it felt like to feel as though you have no talents.
Bulkhead's spark was pounding as he looked at Jacqueline, 'Scrap, I'm gonna make a fool of myself.' Bulkhead didn't know what to say or do… he's never had a femme talk to him like this before. On Cybertron, most femme would avoid him. What femme in their right mind would want some low caste construction mech as their sparkmate? "Hehe~I guess your sparkmate is lucky to have you, huh?"
"Sparkmate?"
Bulkhead hit his head, "Sorry~human words. Uh~you're boyfriend, or whatcha call it… starts with an 'H' I think?"
Jacqueline's cheeks turned pink, "I don't have a boyfriend. I mean, I did… kinda. It's a long story I'd rather not go into. Besides, I don't wanna bore you with some stupid drama. I just hope wherever he is, he'll trip and hit his face on the sidewalk." It was rare for her to hold any resentment towards someone, but she could never forgive him for using amortentia on her. At least against her will.
Bulkhead threw his head back and started laughing, "Sorry, I've just never heard you talk like that." Bulkhead was utterly confused by something, 'What scraphead would let a femme like this outa their servos? Primus knows I wouldn't.' He flushed with embarrassment from what he just thought.
"Bulkhead, Bumblebee, here now!" Ratchet shouted from the ground floor. For once, Bulkhead was grateful to have a way to escape his current situation before he made a total fool of himself. It was bound to happen… it always did.
Jacqueline watched as Bulkhead and Bumblebee went to help Ratchet. Bumblebee was slouching as he attempted to recover from his epic defeat. Miko was unbeatable! The Japanese girl leaned back and presented the controller to her, "Prepare to be destroyed." Miko said.
"Uh~ya, not really my thing, Miko." Jacqueline said as she took Bulkhead's spot, the seat was unnaturally warm, 'How much heat do they produce?'
"Oh?" Miko said mockingly, "Scared of losing?" She gave Jacqueline a snobbish look.
Jacqueline grabbed the controller, "Fine. But no magic. I know you cheated last time by using the confundus charm." In the final match last time, Bumblebee stopped playing and sat there with a lost look on his face. As Jacqueline fixed her grip on the controller, she noticed Raf looking a little left out, "Hey, Raf, you wanna take on Miko for me?"
Miko looked at her with a dropped jaw, "You little scaredy-cat."
Raf looked uncertain and sighed, "Nah, I have stuff to do." He jumped off the couch and walked away. Jacqueline looked concerned as Raf walked away.
"Whoo-ya!" Miko said with a smile. But her joy came to an end when Jacqueline paused the game, "Hey! You can't pause. That's against the rules!"
"Really, Miko? Did you not see how upset Raf was just now?"
Miko looked around and noticed Raf was gone, "Where'd he go?"
"Miko, he feels left out." Jacqueline could see Raf felt as though he was the third-wheel. It was a lonely feeling.
"Wait… seriously?" Miko looked a little concerned and attempted to look for Raf again. Living in her parents' shadow, Miko felt like the third wheel in her family for years. "He knows he can hang out with us, right?"
Jacqueline frowned, "Miko, he's at the age where he thinks we're too old to want to spend time with him. He obviously doesn't want to feel like we're holding his hand everywhere he goes."
Miko crossed her arms and started to think, "Oh! I know! Why don't the three of us go to Hodag Alley later tonight? I hear there is going to be a magical circus tonight and tomorrow night. Could be lots of fun."
Jacqueline thought it over, "He might like it. Okay, let's do it. Wanna go ask him now?"
"Can we finish our game first?"
(Arctic)
Arcee trudged through the snow, "F~frag me! How do humans handle this?" He was waist-deep in snow and already freezing. Even with his heavy winter gear on, he was still shivering.
Optimus was beside him. He seemed unbothered by the cold, "We need to get across that ridge." It was snowing heavily and was making it difficult for either mech to see. Trudging through the snow, Optimus found it challenging to remain unbothered by the subzero temperature. As he forced himself through the freezing pain, he glanced at the snow around his waist. Reaching behind his back, he grabbed a sample glass that Ratchet had supplied them with and scooped up a large amount of snow. He promised to bring back Rafael a snowball.
(Back at Base)
Raf was in the hallway pretending to be caught in a snowstorm, "Brrrwhoooo!" He mimicked the sound one might hear in an actual snowstorm, "Temperature: Sub-zero and dropping. Gotta~get back! To base." He pretends to be pushed back by an invisible gust of wind. Raf's imaginary adventure ended when he heard a clanging sound. He noticed a large bolt rolling on the ground. Walking over, he picked up the fallen bolt and looked around. Raf looked up when he heard a strange clicking sound, "Hello?"
A loud noise echoed from down the hall, causing the young wizard to look back. Raf walked forward and gave a small scream as he tripped over something small and round. "Ugh," Lifting his head, Raf saw a small robotic creature with blue eyes staring at him. "AHHH!" He jumped back and watched the strange being approach him. "Hehe~he." He attempted to laugh off his fear. "Where did you come from?" The creature blinked and took many tiny steps forward. Raf stood up, "The Autobots never said anything about pets." His mother never allowed him to have a pet. "You wanna play fetch?" Raf asked as he lifted the bolt still in his hand. The tiny robot started to jump in joy. He threw the bolt and watched it run after the bolt, "Good boy."
The robot grabbed the bolt and started to devour it with razor-sharp teeth. Raf jumped back, "No, don't! You'll choke!" He didn't want to think about what would happen if he accidentally killed the Autobot's pet. The tiny bot turned back around, "Or not?" It came rushing back over to him and cuddled against his leg. As Raf led the robot back towards the control room, he failed to notice the damaged electrical panel on the wall. It was ripped open, and wires were sparking out of it.
(Control Room)
Bulkhead and Bumblebee were drenched in sweat as they moved the enormous panel. It was made of a special cybertronian alloy that gave a heavy density; it also served as a suitable heat shield for the controls and motherboard for the ground bridge's wiring. Bulkhead grabbed the base of his shirt and slid it over his head, "Are we done now?" He asked as he used his shirt as a rag to wipe his forehead.
Bumblebee mimicked Bulkhead and used his shirt to wipe his forehead, 'I think my arms are broken.'
Ratchet looked up at Bulkhead, "Must you take off your shirt?"
Bulkhead gave Ratchet an annoyed look, "Hey! I don't see you helping us lift these panels. They're heavy!" He couldn't lift everything.
Meanwhile, Jacqueline was focused on the game, "C'mon~c'mon!" She was seconds away from beating Miko. Why wasn't anyone here to witness this monumental achievement!? Just as she approached the finish line, the entire room went pitch black. It didn't take long for the lights to flicker back on, leaving the two women confused. "Great, power failure."
Miko looked at the screen, "Aw~it wiped out our game." She said mockingly while throwing her controller to the couch. Jacqueline's jaw had fallen.
"But… I… I was winning!" Jacqueline never would have thought she would get so invested in something as simple as a video game. As the two women walked to the edge of the railing, Jacqueline stopped when she noticed Bumblebee and Bulkhead standing next to Ratchet without their shirts on.
Miko looked back at Jacqueline and noticed the embarrassed blush on her friend's face, "Looks like someone is enjoying the view of those two."
"No, I wasn't~it's not what you think," Jacqueline said defensively. She knew she had just been caught checking them out.
"Seriously?" Miko wondered who she was trying to fool, "It's so obvious you were checking them out." A sadistic idea formed in Miko's mind, "You know Doc there is pretty ripped too without that lab coat on. You're telling me you wouldn't wanna see a guy like that without a shirt on?" To her delight, Jacqueline had broken out into a stuttering mess. While Miko herself wasn't interested in entering into a relationship, that didn't mean she couldn't find joy in playing matchmaker.
"Miko, just~uh~be quiet." Jacqueline crossed her arms and tried her best to not stare at either Bulkhead or Bumblebee. 'Why aren't they wearing shirts?' Her cheeks turned scarlet as her body started to heat up. 'Just act normal. I can do this. Just act normal.' As they got closer, she could see how chiseled Bulkhead and Bumblebee were. Their bodies glistening in sweat also didn't help in showing how defined they were. 'I need to take a cold shower after this.' Glancing down at Ratchet, her blush intensified as she remembered the day she witnessed Ratchet step out of the decontamination chamber. Miko was right to say Ratchet was strong. As a doctor, he led a perfect example of maintaining a healthy physique.
Ratchet reached down and pulled out a circuit board, "We most definitely have a problem. But what could have caused this?" The lights flickered again. Behind him, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were putting their shirts back on.
Bulkhead pulled his shirt down his chest as he looked up, "Or that?"
From across the room, Raf walked in with a small object snuggled into his arms, "Hey, guys. Look what I found."
Ratchet looked up, "We're busy." When he looked up, Ratched screamed in utter fear, "Ah!"
"Whoa! Whoa! AHHH!" Bulkhead screamed as he pulled a blaster from his belt and pointed it towards the scraplet. To the Autobots' fear, the humans went towards Raf and the scraplet.
"Hey, hey!" Miko stood in front of Raf, "What's with you guys." They looked utterly terrified.
"Scraplet! SCRAPLET!" Bulkhead shouted. He couldn't even explain the danger the humans were in, "Get away from it!"
Raf jumped a bit, "What's a scraplet?"
Ratchet backed up, "The most dangerous vermin to walk upon the face of Cybertron."
Jacqueline would have laughed at them being afraid of such a tiny creature, but there were plenty of little creatures in the wizarding world that would make any man cower in fear. "Raf, I think you should put that down."
"Aw~he's not gonna hurt anyone," Raf said with youthful ignorance.
Bulkhead shook his head, "You have no idea the damage that tiny thing can do." Beside him, Ratchet and Bumblebee wanted to rush over and slap the scraplet away before it attacked Rafael, but they were too scared to move. They were so caught up in their own fear they hadn't come to the reason why the scraplet wasn't attacking the three humans.
The scraplet in Raf's arms looked up and activated its scanners. Looking at the humans, it saw strange golden waves on its display. However, a bit farther, it registered three metallic signatures coming from the end of the room. Opening its mouth, they heard the sound of a saw, and the scraplet jumped out of Raf's arms and ran towards the Autobots. Bumblebee shot at the scraplet as it jumped out on the way before leaping across the air. The scraplet bit into his hand and started drawing energon. "Gah! Get it off!" He slammed the scraplet into the ground and sent it flying to the end of the room.
Just as the scraplet got up, Raf approached from the side and started hitting it with a crowbar that had been propped against the wall. Before Raf could get a final swing in, Jacqueline grabbed the crowbar, "Easy there, killer." Raf promptly ran over towards Bumblebee.
Miko looked at the remains of the scraplet, "Whoa, I did not see that coming." Jacqueline and Miko went over with Raf to check on Bumblebee.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Raf asked.
Ratchet looked over the wound on Bumblebee's hand, "Only a mesh wound, he'll live."
"Now do you believe me?" Bulkhead asked, "All scraplets do is dismantle machinery and eat anything metal. Especially living metal."
Jacqueline was surprised to see Bulkhead act like this, 'Is he that afraid of a scraplet?' She looked down at Bumblebee, "Well… bug squashed, game over, right?" She asked hopefully.
"No," Ratchet responded sharply. He didn't mean to sound so forceful, but he knew the situation was already dire, "When it comes to scraplets, there is never just one." He looked over his shoulder towards the hallway, "And I fear I know how they got in here."
(Timeskip)
Ratchet led them to the main hangar and lifted a small wielder from his pocket, "It's a trap. A scraplet trap." He carefully peered into the giant metal ball. The scraplets that were inside had ripped a gaping hole out of the side.
Jacqueline saw Bumblebee cowering behind Ratchet. Meanwhile, Bulkhead was trembling as he spoke, "An empty scraplet trap."
"Most likely ejected into space a few years ago. Only to end up in the arctic where the temperature kept them in stasis." Ratchet said as he put his wield away.
"Sooo… How many are we talking about?" Raf asked.
Ratchet looked at the container, "By the size of this container and the hole breach, I'd estimate a thousand."
Jacqueline's eyes widened, "A thousand?" She looked over at Bumblebee and saw the damage that was done to his hand. 'A single scraplet did that… now I know why they're so scared.' Jacqueline looked back at Miko, who held her same look of concern.
"And the power malfunction and ground bridge damage are sure signs that their infestation is well underway." Ratchet said solemnly.
(Arctic)
Optimus tightened his rope as he climbed down the steep cliff. Arcee was at the top, making sure his cord didn't snap. Lifting his scanner, Optimus tried to find any trace of energon signals in the surrounding area. As he finished his scan, his earpiece started beeping, signaling his core body temperature had reached the blue zone. "Arcee, what's your status?" Optimus asked through the comm-link.
Arcee pulled out a small datapad from his coat, "My sensor is going off. Guess we should call for pick up before things get chilly."
"Affirmative." Optimus tuned into the Autobot frequency, "Optimus to base. Core temperature readings have reached the blue zone. Prepare to activate the ground bridge." Optimus winced slightly when loud static echoed through his comm-link.
At the top of the cliff, Arcee heard a strange sound and looked behind, "What the scrap is that?" All he could make out was a large figure walking towards him through the billowing snowstorm. Arcee's eyes widened, and his spark rushed with energy when an enormous white bear came running towards him. "SCRAP!" Arcee was unprepared for the massive organic creature to tackle him. The polar bear's claws dug deep into his coat and pierced his skin.
"Arcee? What is happening?" Optimus dropped briefly and was forced to cling to the icy wall. "Arcee?" Optimus could hear Arcee struggling through his comm-link.
Arcee held the polar bear's throat and kept it far enough from his face, 'Frag me, this thing is strong!' He growled as it continued to claw at his jacket. Pulling his fist back, Arcee punched the polar bear under its chin. The polar bear stumbled back, allowing Arcee his moment to escape. Looking towards the edge of the cliff, he grunted as he hooked himself onto the rope and started his descent. "This fragging rope better hold."
Optimus watched Arcee descend towards him, "Arcee, what happened?"
Arcee looked down towards Optimus, "I thought Jacqueline was joking when she mentioned polar bears."
Optimus noticed energon leaking through Arcee's coat, "Arcee, you're bleed~ugh!" Optimus and Arcee started falling as their combined weight caused the rope to snap. Both Optimus and Arcee fell into a massive mountain of white snow at the base of the cliff. Optimus pulled his head out of the snow and looked around, "Arcee!?"
The other mech slowly rose out of the snow next to him. The man looked irritated, "Can this get any worse?" He held his side, attempting to keep his energon from leaking out.
(Back at Base)
Ratchet slammed his fist onto the console as he lost connection with Optimus, "The scraplets have gotten into the comm-link system. If we don't eradicate these creatures immediately, they will reduce the entire base to a scrapheap."
Bulkhead shrugged, "I say we bug outta here and let them keep it." Bumblebee was right beside him and nodding.
Jacqueline, who was to the right of Bulkhead, raised a brow, "Have you forgotten about Optimus and Arcee? They're still in the middle of the arctic, Bulkhead. We can't just leave them there." They were so far away that Jacqueline couldn't even apparate there without killing herself in the process. Despite her favoritism in magic, even Jacqueline recognized the advantage of the ground bridge.
Ratchet was nodding his head, "Evacuation is not an option. Jacqueline is correct. If we don't get the ground bridge operation, Optimus and Arcee will perish."
Miko raised her hand, "Why don't you guys just get inside your giant robot suits or whatever you call them? They can't chew on you if you're inside it."
"I'd advise against that," Ratchet began, "Our mechs are tied to our minds when we enter them. If the scraplets attack them while we're inside, we could experience a system overload. Our processors would practically melt from the pain."
"Really? Then why even have them?" Miko rolled her eyes and marched towards Bulkhead, who was still acting like a scaredy-cat, "Bulkhead, you never run."
Bulkhead attempted to speak reason into her, "Miko, you haven't seen a swarm of these things devour a bot. I have!" He was still haunted by it, "They pick you apart from the inside out. Devouring your circuits and energon. All they leave behind is our organic tissue."
Jacqueline turned to Bulkhead, "You have to let us help."
Raf nodded, "We're not made of metal on the inside."
Ratchet held his thumb and index finger to his chin, "That is true." Why hadn't he thought about that before? "Typically, I find your internal structure to be confusing… but it would appear to provide an advantage under these circumstances."
"Okay, good." Jacqueline said, "So we pair off. One of you with one of us. I'll watch your back while you repair the ground bridge." Ratchet nodded. Frankly, he was grateful it was Jacqueline who had his back. Raf was very young and small while Miko was… well... Miko.
Meanwhile, Miko looked at Bulkhead and Bumblebee, clearly excited, "And we go on a bug hunt."
Bulkhead's jaw dropped slightly, and his eyes widened. He looked at Bumblebee, making sure he heard correctly, and shivered. "Primus… help us." Bulkhead prayed aloud. As the Autobots and humans geared up, Jacqueline pulled Miko and Raf away from the bots.
Miko raised a brow, "What? We're kinda in an emergency right now."
Jacqueline nodded, "I know. That is why I need to talk to both of you real quick." She made sure that Autobots couldn't hear them. "Under normal circumstances, I would never say this, but obviously, these aren't normal circumstances." She sighed and closed her eyes, "If worse comes to worst, I want you both to start using magic."
Miko was practically jumping in joy, "Seriously!? Yes!" Despite the severity of their situation, Miko was excited about the prospect of showing them magic.
Raf had wide eyes, "R~really? But… they're muggles."
"I know," Jacqueline said, "But only if the situation gets out of hand, okay?"
Miko pointed to Raf, "What about him? He still has the trace on him."
Jacqueline nodded, "Technically, the trace only tells MACUSA about magical activity around Raf. So if they ask… we were teaching him some spells. Got it?" They both nodded.
Raf quickly spoke, "W~wait, I don't have a wand." He had never even practiced wandless magic.
It was Miko who handed Raf her wand, "Here, you can use mine. Besides, I don't think you'll have much luck with her wand." She motioned her head to Jacqueline, whose wand was made of elm. A prestigious type of wood for a wand, that not even Miko's parents had. Elm wood rarely answered to another wizard's touch; they were very loyal to their original masters. When Miko and Raf broke off with Bulkhead and Bumblebee, Jacqueline grabbed a spare crowbar.
(Arctic)
Arcee and Optimus were huddled under a large sheet of snow that offered protection from the roaring snowstorm. "I hear Miami is beautiful this time of year," Arcee said as he attempted to keep himself warm. The man winced as he held his side. Optimus was able to help him bandage his side with excess clothing, but that was only a temporary solution.
Optimus leaned against the wall of ice, "Our predicament could be the result of a simple malfunction."
"Or Bulkhead tripped over a wire." Arcee wouldn't be surprised if Bulkhead did something that accidentally broke the ground bridge. Arcee winced again as he held his side, "You know… I thought Jacqueline was joking when she said to watch out for polar bears." He gave a dry laugh, "Guess I deserve as much for being such an aft to her."
Optimus looked at Arcee, "Jacqueline clearly has our best interest before our departure. We should have taken more precaution and heeded her words before we left." They were so reliant on the ground bridge they never assumed they'd end up in such a dangerous situation.
Arcee nodded, "I think Cliffjumper would've liked her." Then again, if it weren't for Cliffjumper, they never would've met these three humans. "I thought humans were kinda stupid but seeing their planet, I can't blame them for not being as advanced as us. Earthquakes, wildlife, snowstorms… this planet is nothing like Cybertron." That didn't mean he hated Earth. It was just different.
Optimus smiled softly, "Earth is a very unique planet." Even though they were on the verge of freezing to death, Optimus still couldn't help but admire Earth's beauty.
"If we get back, I guess I owe Jacqueline an apology." He knew he'd been a complete jerk to her, but every time he was around her, he couldn't stop staring at her. 'Of all the species in the universe, I'm attracted to a human.' Even though she was human, and their species looked very similar on the outside, Arcee thought his charge was unfathomably beautiful. She constantly tried to be kind to him, despite how horrid he'd been treating her, and she was amusing to be around. 'I think she's the first femme I've ever met who hasn't screamed at me for how I ride.' And she clearly wasn't afraid when she'd been caught by the Decepticons.
Optimus felt strange the more they brought up Jacqueline. "Miss Darby has a soft spark. I believe she will forgive you if you've done anything to upset her." Optimus himself was also having strange urges when he was around Jacqueline. Ever since he shook her hand from their first meeting, he'd had powerful surges pulsing throughout his body. 'Why does my spark feel this way?' Despite not being his creator, seeing how protective she was of Rafael only worsened that sensation in his spark. 'I have not felt such emotion… since... " Optimus shook his head. He needed to focus on the situation at hand.
As Optimus and Arcee sat together to keep warm, Optimus closed his eyes briefly and felt that familiar surge rush through his systems. It always happens right before he goes into recharge. 'Must… remain… awake.' He would give anything to fall asleep, but that would mean certain death.
(Autobot Outpost)
Miko was walking beside Bulkhead, "I get to be your bodyguard for once. How cool is that?"
Bulkhead was looking around every corner and trembling, "R~raf found the first one here, right?" The lights suddenly went out, causing Bulkhead to scream loudly. "AHHH!"
Miko jumped and looked back with a smirk, "Did you just scream like a little girl?"
"No!" Bulkhead's face was flushed with embarrassment, "Can we talk about this later!"
Miko shrugged, "No offense, Bulkhead, but if you keep acting like this, you're never gonna get Jacqueline to like you… I think."
Bulkhead felt his entire face catch on fire, "What are you talking about? I don't~she's uh~"
Rolling her eyes, Miko laughed a little, "Oh please. It's so obvious you've got a crush on her. Ya, I've seen you stare at her. And flex your arms when she's near you."
"N~No! It's not what you think!" Bulkhead wasn't sure if he wanted to have this conversation with Miko or be devoured by scraplets. "I was just~uh~I stare at people, ya!"
"Seriously? That's your excuse?" Miko knew she was invading Bulkhead's personal space, but she didn't care. "Bulk, why are you acting so weird? So you have a crush on my friend, good for you."
Bulkhead scratched his cheek with his finger. His face was still red, "Um~uh~R~really?" He stuttered out. He half expected her to reprimand him and tell him to never go near Jacqueline. 'I'm such an idiot! Am I really that noticeable!?'
Miko stopped walking and threw her head back, "Look, I'm only saying this cause I like Jacqueline. She's like… the only friend I have, besides Raf." She put her hand on her hip, "We're not exactly allowed to date your kind. At least, I think? Unless Rappaport's Law is still a thing here."
"Rapa~what?" Bulkhead raised a brow, "What do you mean, my kind?" Did Jacqueline not like that he was a Cybertronian?
Miko groaned, "You're a muggle, Bulkhead!" She said as if it were obvious. "No-maj? Can't-spells?" Before Miko could say another word, they both heard the sound of a scraplet running by, which caused Bulkhead to shoot the ceiling.
When the dust settled, Bulkhead was again screaming like a little girl, "Ah! Oh my gaha! Egha!"
Miko's jaw dropped at Bulkhead's cowards, "Okay, I wish I hadn't seen that." At least she now knew what Bulkhead's biggest fear was. "Bulkhead, you're fine. It's just a bunch of cables."
Bulkhead stopped screaming when he heard Miko, "Oh! Uh~hehe~right… Please don't tell Jacqueline I screamed like a little girl." He was normally brave, but nothing scared him more than scraplets.
Miko smirked at Bulkhead, but froze when a small metal object dropped down… and then another. Before they knew it, scraplets were pouring out of the ceiling. "Whoa!"
"AHHH!" Bulkhead screamed again, but this time it was finally deep. "GAH!"
(Control Room)
Jacqueline tapped her foot on the ground, "How's it going over there?" Ratchet was kneeling down, trying to reattach a motherboard into the system.
"I've repaired the damaged conductors and rerouted the central conduits, but the ground bridge still won't receive power." Ratchet slammed his fist into the ground.
Jacqueline heard a strange noise coming from above and gasped, "R~ratchet." She whispered as to not gain the attention of the scraplets flooding out of the air vent. Jacqueline backed up into Ratchet and used her body to block his, 'I hope they can't see through me.'
Ratchet looked at Jacqueline, "What are you?" He gasped and locked up when he saw the scraplet near the ceiling. There were hundreds.
"Ratchet, don't move." Jacqueline did her best to obstruct his body from the scraplet's view, but it was hard to cover his entire body given Ratchet's physique.
Ratchet caught onto what Jacqueline was doing, "We must be very quiet and move slowly." Ratchet carefully wrapped his hands around Jacqueline's waist and led her. He didn't fancy the idea of using her as a shield, but she wasn't cybertronian, so the scraplets had no reason to harm her. Sadly, things took a drastic turn as the scraplets activated their mini jets and began flying around the room. Ratchet had tried to remain calm and confident through their situation, but now he looked terrified.
"You never said they could fly." She whispered passive-aggressively. Knowing they wouldn't be able to leave the room, Jacqueline spun around and tackled Ratchet to the ground. Ratchet fell on his back as Jacqueline used her body to cover him from the scraplets. But in doing so, this led Ratchet to be in a rather… compromising position. His face was buried into Jacqueline's chest, and her body was pressed flush against his.
Ratchet said nothing as Jacqueline's plan worked, 'Primus, this is embarrassing.' Despite the dangerous circumstance he was in, Ratchet was utterly ashamed to admit how pleasant this felt. When he attempted to lift his head, Jacqueline pushed his head down. "Ugh!"
"Don't move." She whispered, "I don't think they can see you." Given Ratchet's massive body, she could only cover his chest and head, but his arms and legs were still exposed. The scraplets were flying like a swarm of bees, and they could hear them sawing the scaffolding high above.
Ratchet's spark was pounding. He was silently praying to Primus that the scraplet's didn't notice him. "We cannot stay here forever. The scraplets will eventually detect my energon signature. The ground bridge needs to be repaired now, or Optimus and Arcee will perish."
Things went south when Jacqueline and Ratchet heard Bulkhead and Bumblebee stumble into the room, "Ratchet, get the patch kit we're leaking energon like… whoa!" Miko and Raf were beside the two Autobots who were leaking energon. Jacqueline had a horrified look when the scraplets started to swarm. The small creatures began to attack Bulkhead and Bumblebee, tearing and biting into their flesh. Bulkhead shouted as he smacked the scraplets off of him.
Ratchet shouted in agony as a scraplet bit his hand, "Gah~Ah!" He sat up, forcing Jacqueline to fall to the side, and slammed the vile creature into the ground. The Autobot was soon covered in scraplets and stood up, trying to get them off. "A~aaah!"
"Glacius!" Ratchet covered his eyes as he was blasted by freezing winds. The scraplets around him fell to the ground. When he lowered his arms, he saw Jacqueline on the ground pointing a wooden stick at him. He attempted to speak, but he was freezing. Nothing could've prepared Ratchet for what he saw next. Jacqueline stood up and flourished the stick in her hand, causing it to create a strange noise. An icy blue wave bellowed out of her wand and froze the remaining scraplets that had been attacking Bulkhead and Bumblebee. Jacqueline lowered her wand slowly as the Autobots stared at her. They were covered in frost and were struggling to speak.
Miko noticed a single scraplet attempting to crawl away, "Ew~one is still alive. Incendio." She wiggled her fingers, and the scraplet was consumed in flames. The Autobots were staring at the humans with wide eyes.
"W~Wh~what the frag… was… that?" Bulkhead asked as he hugged himself. He was freezing. Meanwhile, Bumblebee looked down at Raf for an explanation. The scout was covered in bite marks and leaking energon.
Raf pushed his glasses up and looked at Jacqueline, "I'm guessing we can tell them now?"
Jacqueline looked at Raf and Miko, "We'll explain it to them after. Just help me get them over here." As Raf and Miko helped Bumblebee and Bulkhead, Jacqueline lifted Ratchet's arm and helped carry him to the wall to sit down.
Ratchet had started to gain his voice back, "How did you do that?" He was looking Jacqueline over, not believing what he'd witnessed.
"Ratchet, I'll explain everything later, but we need to get the ground bridge up." Bulkhead and Bumblebee were seated right next to Ratchet. They were giving the humans confused looks.
Ratchet shook his head and blinked, "Yes." Questions could come later.
Jacqueline looked over her shoulder at the dead scraplets around the room, "Was that all of them?" In the distance, they could hear a sawing sound as it echoed through the base.
"Hardly," Ratchet said as he sat up, "Those were just scouts."
Bulkhead turned his head, "So the rest of them know we're in here?"
Bumblebee hit his head on the wall, "Primus, help us."
Miko tried to calm them down, "Hey~hey, don't worry. We've got you guys." For once, she attempted to not act so rambunctious. Seeing the three Autobots drenched in energon made her worried.
Raf pulled Jacqueline's hand, "Are they gonna be okay? Do either of you know any healing spells?" Raf was terrified that Bumblebee was going to succumb to his injuries.
Jacqueline kneeled down, "We'll help them after. We first need to get rid of the remaining scraplets. Ratchet," The medic jumped when she said his name, "Do you know what's wrong with the ground bridge?"
Ratchet closed his eyes, "Think, Ratchet, think... If the ground bridge is still down, there must be a breach in the energon full line! Of course, why hadn't I realized it sooner?" He attempted to get up but fell back down.
Bulkhead held his bleeding arm, "If we weren't breaching, one of us could get back there and fix it."
"Where do we find it?" Jacqueline interrupted them.
Ratchet winced as his leg locked up, "The main energon fuel line is over there." He pointed to a massive pipe leading from the ground bridge down the hall. "Just follow it, and you will find the breach. But you'll need special welding tools to repair the breach without igniting the energon."
Jacqueline waved her hand, stopping Ratchet from using his remaining energy to talk, "We'll fix it. Just stay here. Miko, Raf, follow me."
"We're just going to leave them? What if the scraplets attack while we're gone?" Raf asked.
Miko cleared her throat, "Now it is my time to shine. Raf, can I have my wand?" Raf reached into his backpack and pulled out her wand. Miko lifted the tip of her wand to her lips and blew. The Autobots were covered by a massive bubble with golden flakes floating upwards. Jacqueline and Raf were staring at Miko, "What? I know a few protective enchantments. I'm not all about explosion."
Jacqueline rolled her eyes, "C'mon, we're wasting time." She turned to the Autobots sealed behind the protective orb. They were confused about what was happening, "Don't leave the enchantment, okay? We'll be right back." The three humans ran down the hall in an attempt to find the breach.
Bulkhead sat up and shook his head, "R~ratchet? Either I'm seeing things from a lack of energon, or did they just put us in a bubble?" He could see golden flakes escape the bubble and float high towards the ceiling from where he was sitting. The edge of the bubble had scorched the ground.
Bumblebee cracked open an eye, "How did they do this?"
Ratchet held his leg and was at a loss for words, "I… don't know." A cockroach crawled towards the bubble from the corner of his eye and exploded when it attempted to cross over.
Bulkhead scooted away from the bubble when he witnessed the cockroach explode into ash, "Did they say what would happen if we left this thing? What the frag is going on?"
(Meanwhile)
Jacqueline, Miko, and Raf rushed down the hall to find the breach in the energon fuel line. All the while, Jacqueline and Miko had their wands out and were freezing any scraplets they came across. Jacqueline waved her wand as a cone of blue snow flowed seamlessly to the ground, freezing the scraplets instantly.
Miko flourished her wand, "Yes! This is totally awesome. We finally get to tell them. Haha~did,you guys see the look on Ratchet's face?" Jacqueline and Raf were glaring at her.
"Miko, seriously!?" Jacqueline asked, "How can you be excited right now?"
"Jeez, take a chill pill, Mom." Miko said mockingly, "The guys are safe behind the enchantment so long as they don't leave it. Now, what are we looking for exactly?"
Jacqueline rolled her eyes as she followed the main pipeline. Soon enough, a potent odor hit her nose. "Wait." She kneeled down and saw a blue puddle of energon. "There's the breach." Jacqueline pointed her wand at the busted pipe, "Reparo." Her wand made a loud whistling sound as the tip had a golden glow. The pipeline creaked and moaned as the energon on the ground was forced back inside. Broken bolts, which had been chewed on by scraplets, rose from the ground and fastened themselves back onto the pipeline.
Raf, who was also on his knees, looked at the pipe, "Is it fixed?" He stood up and looked down the hallway to see a horde of scraplets fly past them. "They're getting ready to feed."
Miko looked highly concerned as the scraplets flew into the ventilation system, "Um… ya, I don't think my enchantment can stop all of them." The enchantment could only handle so much force before it shattered.
(Control Room)
"If… when we get the ground bridge up. Do we send the crawlies out or let our bots in?" Bulkhead asked. His processor was becoming hazy from losing so much energon.
Ratchet was also beginning to lose consciousness, "If we bring them in first, the scraplets will have no reason to leave. We'll need bait." As the humans went to fix the pipeline, they'd come up with a plan to send the scraplets back to the arctic. They had no choice but to put their remaining faith in the humans and trust they fixed the energon pipeline.
Bulkhead grew furious, "Where are we gonna get bait? The scraplets already helped themselves to everything in here." He wouldn't be surprised if they'd devoured their transformers. They were parked in one of the hangers and were unprotected. There was a thunderous sound coming from the ceiling, and the three bots cowered close to the wall when they saw the remaining horde of scraplets burst from the vents.
A few scraplets noticed the Autobots and the ground and flew towards them. Yet, as soon as the scraplet hit the golden bubble, they exploded into blue ash. Bumblebee grunted as he sat up, "Did they say how long this orb would hold?" The Autobots were trying not to question what was protecting them.
Ratchet heard a beeping sound from the control panel for the ground bridge, "They did it!" He didn't know how but the humans somehow fixed the pipeline. The energon readings on the screen were rising. Biting through the pain, Ratchet stood up and walked out of the protective enchantment. "Ground bridge… activate." He grabbed the main lever and forced it down before passing out. The ground bridge made a whirring sound as it powered on and created the green vortex they were all too familiar with.
(Otherside of the Portal)
Optimus cracked an eye open when he saw the ground bridge open in the distance. "Arcee." He said weakly.
The mech beside him nodded, "I see it." Both Optimus and Arcee struggled to stand since the cold had taken much of their energy. As they trudged through the snow towards the ground bridge, they hadn't noticed the sheet of ice below their feet.
(Autobot Outpost)
Bulkhead used his arm as a shield as a catwalk fell from the upper level. "Bait, huh?" Biting through his fear, the wrecker got to his feet and rushed to the entrance of the portal. He started waving his arm to gain the scraplet's attention, "Ready for the main course?" He asked loudly. Just as Bulkhead ran into the ground bridge, the three humans came rushing in to see the carnage as the scraplets flew into the ground bridge.
Jacqueline watched Bulkhead as he ran into the ground bridge, "What is he doing!?" Her question was answered as the scraplets flew in after him.
On the other side of the portal, Optimus and Arcee were struggling to stand. As they neared the ground bridge, they saw Bulkhead running through… he was covered in his own energon. "Down! Get down!" He shouted as he leaped to the ground. The swarm of scraplets flew over his head and were now heading directly towards Optimus and Arcee.
Optimus shielded himself and Arcee from the scraplets as they flew towards them, but just before they could be consumed, the scraplets froze immediately from the intense weather. "Grr~" Optimus growled as he was pelted by the scraplets. Lowering his arm, Optimus saw Bulkhead was passed out in the snow. He used the last of his energy to get the scraplets out of the base, and the cold had not helped. "Arcee, we must keep moving."
Arcee barely took a step forward and gasped as the sheet of ice below their feet gave way due to the extra weight of the scraplets. "F~fr~frag me." Arcee felt the last of his energy fade as he sank into the freezing cold water. Optimus had an arm wrapped around Arcee's waist and was clawing his other hand into the snow. The water added extra weight to their clothing and made it difficult for Optimus to maintain his already weak grip.
Back at base, Raf had run over towards Bumblebee and was shaking his shoulder, "Hey, Bee, wake up!" The mech was passed out from a significant loss of energon. "Ratchet?" He looked over to see Ratchet on the ground, mumbling about a wrench. Miko and Jacqueline were helping Ratchet by propping him back up against the wall next to Bumblebee. "Where is Bulkhead?" Raf asked as he looked at the ground bridge. Shouldn't he be back by now? Not to mention Optimus and Arcee.
Miko looked at Jacqueline, "What do we do, chief?" She wasn't great at thinking on the spot like this and was starting to panic.
Jacqueline felt the weight of Miko's words, "You both stay here and keep an eye on these two. Just… make sure the ground bridge is still open." Neither of them argued with her as she went into the ground bridge.
Jacqueline gasped and hugged her midsection as she stepped into the freezing depths of the Arctic, "C~cold~cold. So cold." Stepping through the portal, she noticed Bulkhead passed out in the snow. However, farther off, she gasped and hastened through the snow. "Crap! Crap! Crap!" She shouted in a panic as she raced towards Optimus and Arcee. Optimus finally lost consciousness, and his grip fell limp. Just before Arcee and him could sink into death's cold embrace, Jacqueline grabbed Optimus and Arcee by the neck of their coats. She pulled with all her might and watched as the two Autobots sunk into the freezing water, "A~ac~cendio!" She recited the spell with chattering teeth. Optimus and Arcee were blasted out of the water and fell into the snow.
Falling into the deep snow, Jacqueline gasped, "Optimus? Arcee?" She sat up and noticed both mechs were passed out. 'They need to get back to base fast.' She shakily pulled her wand out, "Wingardium Le~leviosa." Optimus and Arcee floated above the snow; water was dripping from their clothing. Grabbing their arms, Jacqueline pulled them back towards the portal. Before leaving, she cast the same spell on Bulkhead and pushed him through the swirling vortex.
Once Jacqueline got the bots into the base, they landed softly onto the ground as Jacqueline desperately blew hot air into her frozen hands, "I'm freezing!" Miko and Raf came rushing towards them.
"Whoa! What happened to them?" Miko asked as she saw Optimus and Arcee passed out on the ground.
Raf was practically biting his nails, "What do we do!? Everyone is passed out, and Ratchet is the only one who knows how to fix them."
Jacqueline shivered as she started to warm back up, "Calm down!" She said as Miko and Raf started to panic. Jacqueline regained her composure and took a deep breath, 'Okay, think Jacqueline, think.' She looked behind and saw the ground bridge was still running. "Raf, do you know how to use the ground bridge?" The young boy nodded slightly.
"Kinda, you just lock onto specific coordinates like on a map."
"I have healing supplies and potions at my house. Can you open the portal to my living room?" She was grateful she hadn't concealed her house with enchantments. She didn't know if the ground bridge would even work if it attempted to open a portal into a location sealed by magic.
Miko lightly slapped Bulkhead's cheek with the back of her hand, "Hey, wake up. Ya, he's out cold. Are you sure this is a good idea... taking them to your place?"
Jacqueline looked at Miko as she stood up, "Do you have a better idea? I don't know how to use any of Ratchet's medical equipment. I don't even know where they store their energon." The Autobots didn't allow them to wander their base. Ratchet and Optimus didn't want them to accidentally touch and break something. 'Talk about trust.'
(Minutes Later)
Jacqueline, with the help of Miko and Raf, brought the unconscious Autobots into her bedroom. Miko looked around and raised a brow, "Isn't your Mom here?"
"She's working a triple shift tonight," Jacqueline said while going to the side of her room to conjure a couple small medical cots. "Help me get them on here." The Autobots floated seamlessly into the room and were placed onto the cots. However, Optimus and Arcee were placed on the ground. 'I need to get them out of that gear. They're soaking wet.'
Miko walked around Jacqueline's room and took in the sight, "This place is pretty nice. No way! Is that a remembrall?" In the center of the room was a round table with a massive cauldron placed seated in the center. Miko spotted the small glass ball placed next to a potion-making book propped on a bookstand. "I had one of these, man I totally forgot to bring it with me when I came here."
Raf walked into the room and looked a little concerned, "Uh~Jacqueline?" The witch looked over at Raf as she levitated Bumblebee onto his cot.
"Is something wrong, Raf?"
He pointed to the living room, "The ground bridge just closed. I think Ratchet might have put a timer on it or something."
Jacqueline sighed, "Well, at least we got all the Autobots here." As she got the Autobots settled into her room, Jacqueline grew slightly embarrassed at what she had to do next. "Miko, I need you to do something for me." Walking towards a large chest, she pulled out a leather sack filled with galleons, "I need you and Raf to go pick me up some supplies. I only have enough supplies and ingredients to fix some of their injuries, but they're probably going to need several doses."
Raf clearly looked upset, "But I wanna stay with Bumblebee."
Jacqueline bent down and gave Raf a comforting smile, "I know. I promise he'll be safe."
Miko opened the small bag filled with galleons, "Why do I have to do this?"
Standing up, Jacqueline turned to Miko, "Do you want to tend to the Autobots?" She leaned close and whispered into Miko's ear, "I can't fix their wounds with their clothing on. So unless you want to help me undress them." Jacqueline's cheeks were completely red.
Miko looked around at the Autobots and realized why she wanted Raf to go with her, "Oh… Ya, I'm not doing that. C'mon, Raf, let's go." Jacqueline wrote down a quick list of the supplies she would need and handed it to Miko. Jacqueline watched as Miko and Raf went to the fireplace at the end of the room. Miko grabbed a handful of floo powder from a jar on the mantle. They both disappeared in a fiery explosion, leaving Jacqueline alone with the Autobots.
Jacqueline took a deep breath as her cheeks turned red, "You can do this. Just take deep breaths." Walking to Optimus and Arcee, she got on her knees and started to unfasten the gear on the Autobot Leader's chest. "He's soaking wet." Waving her hand, a small flame floated freely above Optimus and Arcee. It radiated an intense amount of heat. Jacqueline unzipped Optimus's coat and saw he was wearing a black shirt underneath. She gave one final attempt to awaken the Prime, but he was still unconscious. Gripping the base of his shirt, she lifted it up to expose his muscular chest. Before long, Jacqueline had stripped Optimus down to his boxers and was trying to not stare at his chest or the rest of his body. Using a bit of magic, she got him settled into her own bed. "I'm Sorry, Optimus, but it looks like you and Arcee will have to share my bed." She had a standard king-size bed. Most of the furniture in her room she conjured and couldn't exist outside her bedroom door.
Heading quickly to Arcee, Jacqueline repeated the process of removing the man's clothing. Taking his snow boots and socks off, she blushed as she fumbled with his belt. 'You can do this. Just take deep breaths.' Getting his clothing off, she noticed the wound on Arcee's side. Four jagged cuts traveled from his peck to the lower waist. "What happened to you out there?" Extending her hand, a small bottle flew from her desk and into her hand. Taking the cap off, Jacqueline gently poured the potion of his wounds and watched as his skin was sealed shut. "Let's get you into bed."
Levitating Arcee off the ground, Jacqueline got him into her bed and covered him with the sheets. 'That should keep them warm.' She went back around to check on Optimus. Jacqueline heard him groan and shift uncomfortably. "It's alright, Optimus. You're safe now." She lifted his head slightly and helped settle the pillow underneath his head. Optimus slowly became content as he was consumed by warmth. His body involuntarily shifted, and he began to grumble in the back of his throat. Despite his comfort… something was missing.
Jacqueline left and went over to Bulkhead. Unlike Optimus and Arcee, the other Autobots weren't wearing a ton of clothing. "Hey, Big guy, can you hear me?"
"Fraga~waza~scraplet." Bulkhead mumbled as he shifted.
"You did good, Bulkhead. I can't say I know many men who'd put themselves right in front of their own fear." She reached up and gently rubbed the top of his head. "Let's get you patched up." Grabbing the base of his shirt, Jacqueline lifted it up and immediately forced herself to look away. Her face was beet red, and her heart was pounding. 'I knew Bulkhead was strong but not like this.' Bulkhead had enough muscles on his chest to rival Hercules. Pulling his shirt over his head, she then removed his boots. His body was littered with bite marks from the scraplets. Standing up, Jacqueline soon started to think about how massive the Autobots actually were. Bulkhead alone barely fit on the small cot. Meanwhile, Optimus and Arcee had taken much of her bed. "Ugh~I hate this day." She said aloud.
Jacqueline reached down and fiddled with Bulkhead's belt, "You did it before, just~wait." As she got his belt off, she hit a major roadblock. "Is… Are you going commando?" Jacqueline covered her face, "I can't believe I'm about to do this. How do Mom or Ratchet handle tending to people like this?" It wasn't uncommon for clothes to be ripped off to deal with someone's injury. Jacqueline shakenly reached down and unclasped Bulkhead's pants. Trying to keep her eyes fixed elsewhere, she removed his pants and left the wrecker exposed to the elements. Jacqueline briefly glanced down and covered her eyes. 'I can't do this. Damn it, Mom, I wish I had your courage.' She had gotten a look at Bulkhead's impressive manhood. 'G~good for him… I~uh~guess.'
Biting the bullet, Jacqueline focused on tending to Bulkhead's injuries. Sealing a few of the more extensive wounds, she flourished her wand and white bandages wrapped around a nasty bite mark on his bicep. "Okay, all that's left is… that wound." There was a scraplet wound on his inner thigh, and sadly she couldn't just ignore it. Trying to preserve what little essence of dittany she had left, Jacqueline poured a few drops onto his thigh and heard him growl in pain. Reaching down, she forced his muscle into place as the tendons reconnected. "I can definitely say you aren't human." She peered into some of his wounds and noticed a combination of wires and flesh under their skin. Whereas a human's meat is a reddish-pink, theirs was a light blue.
As she sealed his injury, Jacqueline glanced at Bulkhead's cock and flushed with embarrassment as a heat built up between her legs. 'G~get your mind out of the gutter, Darby. Bulkhead is your friend.' The walls of her cunted contracted slightly, and she attempted to ignore it. Getting up quickly, she focused on tending Bumblebee. He was in the cot right next to Bulkhead.
"How do I get this off?" Jacqueline looked at Bumblebee's strange suit and couldn't find a zipper. Parts of his suit were torn off, and she could see plenty of bite marks on his body. Giving up, she lifted her wand and placed it on the neck of his suit, and moved it down. His clothing was slowly sliced open, leaving his body unharmed. Cutting the upper part of his suit off, she closed her eyes and trembled, 'He's not wearing any boxers or briefs either.' Seeing how advanced his suit looked, Jacqueline imagined it was a type of one-piece set of cybertronian clothing. 'I saw him take his shirt off. How does this clothing work?' Like with Bulkhead, she removed Bumblebee's remaining bit of clothing, and the Autobot scout was left naked. Tending the wound on Bumblebee's chest, she noticed severe scarring and damage on this throat. "What happened to you?"
Jacqueline bit her lip as she looked over towards her desk, "My boss is probably gonna kill me, but… I hope this works for Cybertronians." She got up and grabbed the potion she brewed for one of her bosses' clients. Peering into the glass bottle, the liquid inside was sparkling with blue flakes moving in a spiral pattern. Breaking the wax seal, Jacqueline went back to Bumblebee and forced his mouth open, "If you can hear me, Bumblebee, this is going to taste disgusting." Forcing the potion down his throat, she watched Bumblebee gag. "It's almost over, I promise." She wasn't sure if he heard her, but he soon stopped spasming and relaxed. The skin around Bumblebee's throat had a blue glow, and soon the ruined flesh on his neck was restored to its original form. Jacqueline ran her fingers through Bumblebee's hair, the mech trembled under her touch, "See… I told Raf I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you."
Her smile slowly fades when she realized what she was doing. 'Bumblebee's completely naked, and here I am rubbing his head. I need a cold shower after all this is over.' Seeing the Autobots without their clothing was causing her to have very naughty thoughts. Especially with Bulkhead and Bumblebee, seeing as how they were completely exposed.
Going to the last Autobot, Jacqueline looked over Ratchet's injuries. He was the least injured out of all of them, but still, his wounds needed to be fixed. Lifting his shirt up, her eyes widened, 'W~wow… he's uh… a lot more buff than I thought.' Ratchet was easily the first medic she'd seen who kept his body in pristine condition. Wizards were naturally beautiful and handsome because of the magic that flowed through their veins, but these Cybertronians were muscled titans. While wizards were known to be attractive, there were still plenty of wizards who'd been cursed with ghastly features. It would also take a severely unhealthy diet for a wizard to gain weight. Jacqueline was relieved when she saw that Ratchet was wearing boxers. 'Thank God.' She already had his face buried into her chest. The last thing she needed to see was another naked Autobot. Nevertheless, even with his pants gone, she could tell just at a glance that Ratchet was well endowed with a massive package. She closed her legs as she grew frustrated.
Lifting his arm, Jacqueline motioned her wand horizontally against his skin, and a bandage wrapped around his massive bicep. 'I never really noticed, but Ratchet sure is big.' She could barely wrap her hand around his wrist as she held his arm up. The events from what happened at the base replayed in Jacqueline's mind causing her heart to spasm uncontrollably. 'I can't believe I tackled him. I know it was to protect him, but it shouldn't have felt good.' A part of enjoyed that brief moment of being held by Ratchet.
With the Autobots now tended to, Jacqueline stood on her feet and avoided looking at Bumblebee or Bulkhead, 'I think I have some spare towels in the bathroom.' Before leaving, she waved her hand, and the Autobots' clothes flew out of the room and across the house to the laundry room. As for Optimus and Arcee's clothing, it floated freely next to the fireplace as it ignited.
(Hours Later)
Optimus groaned as he opened his eyes. Everything was hazy as he attempted to recall what happened. "Arcee?" He sat up as his vision started to focus. Strange… this didn't feel like his bed. The bed in his quarters wasn't this comfortable. The sound of Optimus's voice caused the other Autobots to slowly awaken.
"Ugh~my head." Bulkhead rubbed his head as he sat up. He hadn't noticed he only had a small towel covering his waist. Beside him, Bumblebee was groaning as he scratched his throat.
Optimus held his head as his vision sharpened on his surroundings, "Hm?" The Autobot Leader was quickly bewildered by his surroundings. This wasn't the Autobot Outpost. Across the room, he could see Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Ratchet slowly waking up. But it was what was around them that shocked him. They were in an abnormally large room with candles floating around. In the center of the room was a massive cauldron with a fire roaring underneath it, but whatever was inside the cauldron wasn't boiling over. "Autobots, wake up." Optimus sat up fully and realized his clothing was gone.
Ratchet jumped up and looked around, "Where are we?" His eyes were fixed on the floating candles. That was impossible!
Arcee groaned as he sat up, "Frag, my side is killing me." Lifting his arm, he noticed he'd been bandaged. "Optimus?" Why was Optimus in his undergarments? It was then he discerned this wasn't the Autobot base. The Autobots jump, and Optimus stood in a fighting stance when a large wooden door opened.
"I swear Miko is going to make me go brain dead one of these days." Jacqueline rubbed her temple as she walked into her bedroom. "Oh~you're all awake." And she'd just gotten Miko to go home. 'Miko is going to kill me for not letting her stay to see this.'
"Jacqueline?" Optimus looked confused as he said her name.
Jacqueline looked over towards Optimus and Arcee as they got out of her bed, "I hope you both enjoyed your nap. Whoa!" She motioned her hand horizontally, and a chair came flying across the room where it flew underneath Arcee as he attempted to stand. "You really shouldn't be moving right now."
Bulkhead's jaw had dropped as he tried to comprehend what happened, "How did you do that?"
"Uh~right." Jacqueline rubbed the back of her head as the Autobots stared at her. "Okay, I promised I'd explain everything. I just didn't expect it to be this soon." The Autobots had been asleep for a few hours, and with no sign of them waking up, she'd decide to send Miko and Raf home. Raf wanted to stay and watch over Bumblebee and the other Autobots, but it was getting late, and he needed to get home.
Ratchet looked around the room and couldn't understand the floating objects, "Where are we?" Were those pictures on the wall moving?
"My bedroom… slash potions lab." Her cheeks turned red at the mention of them being in her bedroom.
Bumblebee sat up fully, "You're bedroom?" The other Autobots looked over at him with wide eyes, "What?" It was then he realized he'd been speaking with his voice… his actual voice.
Jacqueline waved her hands in the air, trying to get the Autobot's attention back, "Everyone, just calm down. I'll explain everything. I just need you all to sit down and not touch anything. Ratchet, don't touch that." She said sharply when she noticed the medic about to touch the cauldron. After getting the Autobots rounded up in the center of her room, she grew somewhat nervous. "So, I haven't been entirely truthful with all of you. A~all three of us, I mean. I don't know how else to say it, so I'll just say it, Miko, Raf, and I are wizards." The Autobots were staring at her with blank expressions.
Arcee leaned forward and shook his head, "You're a what?!" They all had been on Earth long enough to know what a wizard was.
She looked at Arcee, "I'm a wizard… well… a witch technically. Which is just a female wizard, but never mind. I'm a witch, okay?"
Bulkhead quickly spoke up, "Like as in a witch~witch? With the pointy hat and crooked noses?" Every human interpretation of a witch he'd seen always had them portrayed as an ugly creature.
Jacqueline nodded slightly, "You're partly correct. The stereotype of a witch having green skin and boils with a crooked nose is actually a misconception with muggles. You're thinking of a hag, a magical creature that has a humanoid form. But, yes, I'm a witch. You know… casting spells, brewing potions, flying on brooms. Magic."
Ratchet shook his head, "T~there is no such thing."
Jacqueline glanced at Ratchet, "Sorry to disappoint, but magic does exist. Believe me, I would know." To emphasize her point, she reached into her sleeve and pulled out her wand. A hollow sound emitted from the wand as vials flew out of a draw and scooped up the potion fermenting in the large cauldron. "Not to mention all the floating candles."
Optimus stared at the cauldron, "If you are a witch," The word sounded funny to say, "Why had you not told us?" He was obviously in a similar state of shock as the rest of the Autobots. Looking around the room, he saw on the wall some photos that were moving. At the far end of the room, a broom was sweeping the floor.
Jacqueline grew nervous, "It's not that we didn't want to tell you. It's just that we couldn't." Lifting her hand, a book floated from the bookcase against the wall. "You see, witches and wizards used to live amongst muggles… that is what we call people who can't use magic. So in a manner of speaking, you all are muggles." The Autobots were silent as she continued, "Wizards have been persecuted throughout human history, mainly because muggles were afraid of magic, and they didn't understand it. I'm sure you've all heard of the dark ages and witch hunts?"
Optimus nodded his head slowly, "I've done little research into human history, but I had heard humans would burn those accused of using magic. Do you mean to say that those are true claims?" He thought back to their discussion on the Salem Witch trials when Raf was building his volcano.
"Wizards have always been looked at differently because we use magic. In the 1700s, wizardkind was nearing extinction because the witch hunts had become so severe. To protect wizards from extinction, wizards banded together to form the Ministry of Magic. Under their enforcement, they enacted the Statute of Wizarding Secrecy on a global scale." Jacqueline watched as the Autobots looked at each other, "Magic is forbidden to be used in the presence of a muggle. Now… nobody believes in magic anymore because it is hidden from the world for so long."
Bulkhead frowned, as something wasn't adding up, "Wait, I thought you were human."
Jacqueline nodded, "I am human. A wizard is just a human being who is born with the ability to use magic."
"Born?" Ratchet said, "You mean to say you're born a witch?"
"In human beings, the ability to cast and use magic is something you're born with." Jacqueline stated, "Take Raf, for example." Bumblebee shot up upon hearing his charges by name, "Raf is a wizard, but his siblings are muggles because of his mother."
"Rafael is also a wizard?" Optimus asked as he rested his hand atop his knee.
"Mhm~he's a half-blood. His father is a wizard, but his mother isn't. Miko is a pure-blood. Both her parents are wizards, but they don't see eye to eye on things. They have a particularly negative view on muggles and especially muggle-borns like me."
Arcee studied his charge, "And what's a muggle-born?" He noticed right away she sounded almost ashamed to say she was one.
Jacqueline tapped the tips of her fingers together, "A muggle-born, like me, is when you are born a wizard with two non-magical parents. Somewhere down my family's bloodline, I am a descendent of a wizard, but the magic is resurfaced in me. Sadly, wizard society, especially among pure-bloods, have a very negative view on muggle-borns."
"Negative, how?" Arcee asked sharply.
"Well… pure-bloods tend to call muggle-borns like me a mudblood. It basically means dirty blood." The Autobots could tell Jacqueline was not comfortable with talking about this. At the same time, they weren't happy to hear it either; if anything, it made them frown. Even Ratchet looked irritated. "There is a belief that because I'm born to two non-magical parents, I don't understand the subtle art and nature of magic, but that is just pure-blood propaganda. You all could easily understand magic. You can't cast it."
Optimus frowned as he listened to Jacqueline. He didn't fancy the idea of someone calling her a mudblood. Even he found it distasteful to say something so foul to another person. "I am sorry to impose, but why had you waited to tell us?"
"I wasn't going to tell you." Jacqueline stated, "I'm sorry, but the punishment for a wizard exposing magic to a muggle is either life imprisonment or death."
Ratchet sneered, "Death? You must be joking."
"I wish I was. And in the United States especially, wizard society here still sees some traces of Rappaport's Law."
Bulkhead rubbed his head, "That word, Rappaport, you've said that before. Or~uh~I think Miko did. What is it?"
Jacqueline sighed, 'This is going to be a long conversation,' She looked at Bulkhead. He still had a small towel covering his crotch; none of the Autobots had gotten dressed yet, "Rappaport's law is the ultimate form of segregation between wizards and non-wizards. Normally, wizards are allowed to have relationships with muggles in places like Europe, but we can't tell them about magic until after getting married. In the United States, wizards were forbidden to date or even speak to muggles for a time. If you were even caught socializing with a muggle, you'd be arrested."
"Really!?" Bulkhead exclaimed, "What about us?"
"You're a muggle." She stated while running her fingers through her hair, "The law was repealed a few years ago, but I'm still forbidden to expose magic to muggles."
Optimus cleared his throat, "With all that you have told us. How are wizards able to hide on a global scale? I would assume someone is bound to reveal themselves or make a mistake." He asked analytically.
"There is a spell called obliviate. It is used to erase or alter a person's memory. So if a wizard is caught using magic in front of a muggle, the accidental magic reversal department will come and obliviate any muggle who has seen any acts of magic. You all have a lot to learn about magic and what we're able to do with it." Jacqueline stepped forward, "But I think this is a good stopping point for now." The Autobots each started asking questions; clearly, they wanted to know more. "I will tell you more later, but for now, you all still need tending too."
Ratchet looked at his body and noticed most of his injuries were gone, "You did this?"
"What? You thought I was going to let all of you bleed to death? Now, up you get." She walked behind Optimus and Arcee and started pushing them towards a door at the end of the room. Jacqueline forced the Autobots into a luxurious bathroom. "You all need to get cleaned up." Snapping her fingers, a jar floated from the previous room. "This should help tend most of the remaining injuries on your bodies, but I only have enough for a single bath… so you all are gonna have to bathe at once." To her surprise, the Autobots weren't bothered by what she said, 'I thought they would have protested against bathing together.'
Arcee studied the bathroom and felt her jaw go limp, "This is your bathroom?" Primus, he'd give anything to have a place like this to bathe. "How can all of this fit in your house… I've seen it!"
Jacqueline stood by the edge of the empty tub, "Like I said, you've got a lot to learn about magic." Flicking her wand, the Autobots watched as water poured from the many faucets and started to fill the tub. It took only moments for the water to fill the entire tub. Jacqueline removed the lid from the jar she was holding and emptied the contents into the tub. "Alright, I'll leave you all. I'll just be uh~in my room. I'll have some towels brought in for you. I'm still cleaning your clothes." She promptly left the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
The Autobots stood there in their undergarments. Bulkhead and Bumblebee still had towels wrapped around their waists. Bulkhead struggled to speak, "Is this really happening, or am I just in stasis?" He looked over at the enormous marble tub and smiled. 'I can't say I've ever been in a bathroom this fancy before.'
"I… I don't know what to say." Ratchet looked at the tub. Whatever was in the water had a wonderful scent that permeated the bathroom.
The Autobots looked at Optimus, expecting an answer, but the Prime was left as lost as them. "I believe it is best we listen to Jacqueline. We are not currently in a position to argue." He still felt weak from what happened in the Arctic.
Bumblebee touched his throat, "Did she really fix my voice?" The scout started laughing, and it felt terrific! He wanted to run after that femme and plainly kiss her as a thank you for what she'd done.
Ratchet stood in front of Bee and started touching his throat, "This is impossible. Your vocal cords were ripped out." He stopped meddling with Bumblebee's throat when he heard Bulkhead sigh. The wrecker was already in the tub and had his arms stretched out to the edges. The towel he'd been using was discarded.
"What?" He said as the others stared at him, "She said we needed to get in." Bulkhead threw his head back and groaned as his servos creaked. "I never knew humans could make a bath feel this great." Just the architecture alone was a sight to behold. The rest of the Autobots didn't argue as they stripped from their minimal clothing and got into the enormous tub. Optimus and Ratchet had to help lower Arcee because of the wound on his side. The Autobots weren't bothered by seeing each other naked. There was nothing shameful about the Cybertronian body. Besides, should they share a sparkmate with another mech, they shouldn't be afraid to expose themselves during interfacing.
Optimus shivered as he stepped into the warm tub. His servos were still a tad frozen. Lowering himself against the edge, he gave a similar sigh as Bulkhead had done, "I do believe you are right, Bulkhead. I was unaware humans could create something of this grandeur." The sound of the water coming from the fountain soothed his processor.
Ratchet was at the other end of the tub flexing his sore arm, "Fascinating." Being in this water already had him feeling infinitely better. He watched as his wounds and scars faded away.
Bumblebee was not far from Ratchet and was leaning against the edge, "My servos have never felt so relaxed before. Primus, I don't think I'll be able to leave." Closing his eyes, he envisioned how wondrous it would be if Jacqueline were in here with them.
Bulkhead cracked his neck, and he looked towards Bumblebee, "Ratchet, did~uh… did you remove my clothes?" He realized he'd been wearing a towel and nothing else before he entered the bathroom. Ratchet shook his head. Bulkhead felt his cheeks turn red and realized Jacqueline had seen him naked. Bumblebee also shared in his embarrassment. It was one thing for the other bots to see them naked, but Jacqueline on the other hand. Beneath the water, Bulkhead bit the inside of his mouth as his dick hardened. 'Scrap, not now.' He looked over at Arcee and smirked, "So, Arcee, you mind if I take your charge out of your hands? Hehe."
Arcee glared at Bulkhead, "Shut up, Bulkhead." Arcee now understood why Jacqueline had gotten so mad at him the first night he drove her home. 'Scrap.' Her life was far more complex than he initially thought, and he'd been a selfish aft. 'I need to make it up to her somehow.'
Optimus silently leaned against the edge as his sensors went numb. Closing his eyes, he nearly jumped when an erotic thought crossed his processor. 'I cannot think about Jacqueline in such a compromising way.' He envisioned the human in the tub with him in his brief image as he and his men washed her feminine form. Optimus attempted to remain calm, but the idea in his processor was too overwhelming to forget. Beneath the steam and soapy water, Optimus shivered as his cock hardened. 'I must resist these urges.' But the image of Jacqueline being worshiped by his men was utterly intoxicating.
Ratchet's cheeks were red as he remembered what happened at base. 'It was to protect me. Nothing more.' Still, he remembered the feeling of his face buried between her breasts as his hands clung to that hourglass figure of hers. The Autobots jumped when the door to the bathroom opened, and a few towels floated in. They folded neatly at the edge of the tub.
Bulkhead looked at the others; he was smiling like a little kid, "C'mon, you all know that was pretty neat."
After the Autobots dried themselves off, Optimus opened the door and saw Jacqueline standing in front of a mirror. "You told them already!? What the hell?" They could hear Miko's voice.
Jacqueline attempted to calm Miko down as she stood in front of the mirror, "Miko, for what it's worth, I think it's best if I told them. With all they've been through today, I don't think they'd appreciate you taking pictures of their reaction to magic. I'll talk to you later." Waving her hand, Miko disappeared, and the mirror went back to its normal function. Jacqueline jumped when she saw the Autobots standing behind her, "A little warning next time? I think my heart just stopped."
Bulkhead leaned to the side as he kept a grip on his towel, "Was that Miko?"
She nodded, "It's a magic mirror. It allows me to speak with anyone I want." Jacqueline hit her forehead, "Your clothes, sorry." Waving her hand, their clothing appeared from thin air and floated next to them.
Optimus grabbed the floating garment and studied it, "Thank you."
"I'll just leave you five as you get dressed. Besides, I need to go check on my hinkypunk. I left him in the garage." Jacqueline left the Autobots alone once more. The Autobots grabbed their clothing and started to get dressed. Ratchet was grumbling under his breath as his body grew hotter by the nano-second. Jacqueline was wearing a different garment that he'd never seen before, and it was difficult for him not to gawk. Though he wasn't the only one. Optimus also found himself unable to rip his eyes away from Jacqueline's perfect figure.
When she returned, they saw her holding a lantern. Inside was a small candle with an ominous mist swirling around it. "I'm back. Sorry, I took so long. My hinkypunk was a little upset with me. I've had him locked inside his lantern all day."
Bumblebee leaned forward and looked at the lantern, "What's a hinkypunk?" His voice was deeper than Jacqueline expected.
Jacqueline shrugged, "It's a will-o'-wisp." The Autobots still looked confused, "It's a magical creature that native to Scotland. They live inside lanterns and lead lost travelers into bogs. Hinkypunks are very territorial, so try not to touch his lantern. He might throw a fireball at your face."
Arcee fixed his shirt, "So, it's like a pet?"
"Basically. Their presence disrupts tracking charms, so I always try to keep him close." As Jacqueline set the lantern on the table, she continued to speak, "I guess now that you all are healed, I should probably show you the way out? No doubt you all want to get back to your base."
"Our base is on the outskirts of town. It'll take us hours to walk there."
Jacqueline bit her lip, "If you want, I could apparate one of you back to your base so you can start up your ground bridge."
"What's that?" Arcee asked. She kept saying words he'd never heard before.
Growing a little smug, Jacqueline glanced at Ratchet, "Apparating is a form of teleportation for wizards. We use our own magic and travel to any destination of our choosing. But if you go too far, you might end up becoming splinched. Splinching is when you either leave a part of your body behind or it's lost in-between. But that only happens if you don't know what you're doing."
Bulkhead had a massive grin on his face, "Sign me up! C'mon, let's do it."
Jacqueline laughed at Bulkhead's enthusiasm, "I'm sorry, Bulkhead, but you're not strong enough right now to apparate. Your wounds are still healing, so apparating would only make them worse." Bulkhead looked a little upset.
It was Optimus who stepped forward, "I will go." There wasn't much of an argument from the others. Frankly, they wanted to see what apparating was and how it worked. They were already a bit overwhelmed with seeing magic.
Jacqueline offered her hand, "Alright. I should warn you, though. Apparating is very nauseating. The best way I can describe it is being sucked into a straw and your entire body distorted and pulled apart." Optimus nodded and understood the risk he was about to take. "Okay… brace yourself." The Autobots jumped back when Optimus and Jacqueline disappeared into a strange light. The thunderous sound they heard had forced them to cover their ears.
Optimus clenched his teeth as he entered a nauseating and distorted world. Lights flew past him, and his body felt as though it were stretched across time and space. There were horrific sounds of distorted screams that he would never forget. After a few seconds, he landed in the middle of the Autobot base, and Jacqueline was helping him to stand. "That was very… unsettling." He said as his stomach churned.
Jacqueline nodded, "You did great. Most people vomit their first time." After Optimus restarted the ground bridge and they'd gotten the Autobots back in their base, an awkward silence lingered. 'This silence is killing me.' They were all staring at her.
Bumblebee approached Jacqueline and tapped her on the shoulder. He looked nervous, "I just wanted to thank you. For fixing my voice, I mean." He rubbed the back of his head as he turned into a blushing mess.
"No problem," Jacqueline said, "I might get in trouble with my boss for using that regeneration potion on you, but I think you needed it more."
"Your boss?" Bumblebee tilted his head, "I thought you worked at that human refueling station, uh… KO burger. Right, Arcee?" He looked over towards the mech who'd been unusually silent.
Jacqueline looked embarrassed when he said this aloud, "No, I don't work there. That was also a lie. I work at an apothecary in Hodag Alley."
Arcee stepped forward, "But the day we met, I heard you talking on the phone. You said you'd gotten a job when you walked out of that run-down joint." Arcee bit his tongue. That came off a bit more aggressive than he meant it.
"I didn't walk out of KO Burger. I teleported into the alleyway and walked around… you just assumed I worked there, and I couldn't think of a lie to dispute it." Arcee wanted nothing more than to slam his head into the wall. He felt like the biggest jerk in the entire universe.
Bulkhead looked around the base and groaned, "Man, this place is gonna take forever to clean." He walked over to the fallen scaffolding and complained, "Why couldn't the scraplets just finish off the mess they made?"
Optimus looked at their ruined base, "We cannot control what happens to us, Bulkhead, and must push through this setback."
Ratchet, who was at the control panel for the ground bridge, frowned as the portal shut down. "Blasted scraplets. The ground bridge can barely stay online." He walked over towards Optimus and Bulkhead to examine the scaffolding that blocked the front of the stairs leading to the second level. "This is going to take a few cycles to clean." The three Autobots turned around when they heard Jacqueline clear her throat.
"Reparo." She recited the spell, and the Autobots watched the impossible happen. The scaffolding lifted off the ground and reformed into its original shape. Jacqueline was holding her wand and made an arcing motion. Going higher, the supports slammed back into place. Optimus looked at his feet and saw screws flying towards the ruined stairs. A large chunk of the concrete flew past Ratchet's head and went back into the wall. The cracks that had been there when they arrived faded as the wall was restored.
Ratchet stood there, his jaw left ajar, "By the Allspark." He whispered aloud.
Jacqueline stood there smiling as the rest of the room was repaired, "That was pretty fun." She was unprepared for the bots, minus Optimus, to jump in front of her and ask her millions of questions.
Bulkhead was grinning, "That was awesome! Remind me to keep you around if I break any more of Ratchet's stuff."
"Primus, why would you keep something like this from me!?" Ratchet demanded. He rushed over towards the decontamination shower and was grabbing a medical scanner.
Bumblebee leaned over her shoulder and looked at her wand, "You did all that with a little stick? I wish I was a wizard."
Jacqueline blushed from having the bots all gather around her. She'd never been the center of attention like this, "It was nothing, really. Also, this stick is a wand. There is a huge difference." She protectively kept a tight grip on her wand.
Optimus raised his voice as his men swarmed around her, "Autobots, stand down." He walked forward, "I desire to speak with Jacqueline in private."
"Aw~c'mon, Optimus, you're gonna take all the fun away?" Bulkhead whined. He wanted Jacqueline to stay here and show them a few more spells.
Jacqueline felt chills go down her spine, "Oh~uh… sure. I guess we can talk."
Optimus stepped to the side, signaling for her to follow him. Before long, Jacqueline was walking beside Optimus as they went deeper into the base. "I apologize if they made you feel uncomfortable."
"It's alright," Jacqueline said, "I actually didn't know what to expect when I told you all about magic." She glanced up at Optimus, "So what did you want to talk about." She already had a strong inclination.
Optimus opened a large bulkhead door, "It would be best if we spoke somewhere away from prying ears." He didn't know if the others had followed or were listening in. Jacqueline stepped into the room.
'Is this his bedroom?' Jacqueline never thought she'd enter somewhere so private, especially to Optimus. Looking towards a desk, she saw a mountain of organized holopads and giggled, "I guess we both share a common love for reading."
Optimus glanced at the holopads on his desk and felt a small smile form, "It seems so. As you can imagine, I have a few more questions I wished to ask you personally."
Jacqueline tapped her fingers against her wand, "What did you wanna ask? I'll try to answer as best I can. If I'm honest, I'm actually really nervous. Exposing magic is a serious crime."
Optimus, ever the gentleman, offered her a chair to sit on, "I would first like to properly thank you for saving my life… and the lives of my fellow Autobots. We owe you a great debt. As well as with Miko and Raf."
"You probably would've done the same. Besides, the law for wizards does state that magic may be used before a muggle in life-threatening situations."
Optimus grabbed a chair and took a seat across from Jacqueline, "Then please accept my apology for forcing you to expose yourself to us. I would like to discuss your kind. I never assumed magic to exist, so you might understand we Autobots… lack knowledge of the subject."
Jacqueline smiled softly, "I'm just happy you all took it well. Certain people don't take it easy when they've seen magic, and they tend to panic or attack us."
Optimus frowned, "Attack you? You have mentioned before that wizards are forbidden to use magic before muggles?" He tested the word to see if he'd been using it correctly.
"I'm sorry if that word sounds offensive. Muggle is just easier for wizards to say rather than no-maj or can't-spells."
"My knowledge of human history is limited, but I would like to know more about why your kind is hiding amongst your own species," Optimus said. It still left him confused and... somewhat enraged.
"People have always been scared of magic, and I'm sorry to say that not all wizards are kind. There are horrific spells that wizards can cast on another person and cause someone great pain. The dark ages were named that for a reason. Wizards went into hiding because witch hunts were becoming so fears that people had to start living double lives and suppress their magic around muggles. This was especially hard for wizard children." Jacqueline said.
"Like Rafael?" Optimus felt his energon boil at the thought of someone hurting that sparkling.
"A wizard usually displays magic at around the age of 10 or 11, some a bit sooner. Since they're so young, they haven't learned to control their magic, and it made it easy to notice. There were plenty of wizard children who were killed by witch hunters. Wizards were so afraid of muggles that they decided to conceal magic from the world forever."
Optimus leaned forward, "I see. I… am sorry. I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for you."
Jacqueline shrugged, "You get used to it sadly. The worst part, in my opinion, is ever falling in love with a muggle."
Optimus raised a brow as he came to a misunderstanding, "I see. I was unaware you~"
Jacqueline waved her hands and shook her head, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean like that. I have nothing against muggles. I don't see muggles as lesser beings because they can't use magic. I just mean that having a relationship with a muggle is very challenging." Her cheeks started to turn red… something Optimus found himself desiring more than he should. "There have been plenty of cases where a witch or wizard tells their spouse they're a wizard, and their spouse ends up running away. That or they become jealous."
Behind his calm expression, Optimus sneered at the thought of someone attacking their sparkmate. It was an unthinkable crime on Cybertron. "Hmmm. By any chance, is Agent Fowler aware that you are a witch?" Something inside Optimus was making him feel overly protective of this femme. Hearing about what these muggles have done to her kind made him want to shield her from any ill intentions.
"Agent Fowler? Uh~he does know. Actually, his sister is a witch." This caused Optimus's eyes to widen. "He wanted me to obliviate all of you, but that was just because he didn't want this whole outcome to happen. William loves his sister, and being the only witch in her family, he's very protective of her. He doesn't like the Statute of Secrecy, but he'll follow it if it means keeping us out of Azkaban."
"Azkaban?"
Jacqueline nodded, "It's a wizard prison. Once inhabited by a dark wizard named Ekrizdis, it's concealed behind powerful magic that makes it completely undetectable to muggle technology. You wouldn't even be able to find it." She could tell there was some doubt in Optimus's mind about her bold claim, "You're new to magic, but the prison is unplottable. It's a powerful spell that erases a location from all maps. You also can't just stumble upon it as you'd just pass right through the prison. In a manner of speaking, it is sealed in its own little dimension... but not really." She hated drawing that comparison, but she was trying her best to explain it to Optimus.
"And you are certain our technology would be unable to find such a place?"
"Optimus, there are fundamental rules to magic. I know it will be a little hard for all of you to grasp, but wizards don't use technology. This is probably a good rule of thumb, but magic and technology don't usually work together."
For the first time, Optimus gave Jacqueline a heartfelt smile, "Now that I would have to disagree on."
Jacqueline blushed and stuttered, "Alright, not all technology. However, magic does tend to make electrical devices short out or explode. But I think you're just an exception. That's why I've tried not to cast any spells on you since you're… you know."
"Technorganic." He finished her sentence with a smile and offered his hand, "This conversation has been very enlightening, but I do not wish to take any more of your time." Optimus locked up when Jacqueline grabbed his hand. Feeling her soft skin press against his rough hand made his spark pulse. He would give anything to continue talking to her.
Jacqueline shivered when her hand touched his, 'His hand feels so strong.' She stood up and attempted to act normal, 'He's so handsome… I'd do anything just to run my hand across that trimmed beard of his.'
Optimus kindly led her out of his room, despite the burning protest of his spark, "Allow me to escort you back." He didn't want her to become lost, or so he kept telling himself. Optimus was unaware he hadn't released Jacqueline's hand. If anything, his grip tightened as his body started to burn up.
As they got closer to the control room, Jacqueline cleared her throat, "O~Optimus? Do you mind if I have my hand back?" She was flustered that they'd held hands for so long. She didn't want to let go of his hand; it was so big and warm.
Optimus looked down and saw he had a firm grip on her tiny hand. It was concealed by his massive hand. "Forgive me, Jacqueline." Strangely, his arm locked up when he attempted to release her hand. His spark was shouting against him and fought against his processor's will. 'Why can't I let go?' Fighting through his spark's powerful urge, he loosened his grip on her hand. Optimus felt a snarl build in the back of his throat when Jacqueline slid her hand out of his.
Jacqueline rubbed her hand. Her face was a blushing mess, "Thanks for leading me back. Maybe one day you'll decide to give me the full tour of the base." Taking a bold move, she hugged Optimus' waist. The Autobot seized up, and his spark was quivering in ecstasy. "Thank you for being so accepting of magic. I'm sorry I lied to you all. Especially you, Optimus, since you've been so welcoming to us."
Optimus was shaking as Jacqueline hugged him. When was the last time someone hugged him? Has it always felt so comforting? The desire in his spark overwhelmed him, and slowly Optimus reciprocated the hug. His arms were trembling. "I hold no resentment or judgment over your decision to keep this information hidden from us." Optimus lost his breath as his eyes closed, and he felt this femme's feminine form pressed against his. When they let go, Optimus started to act strange. He walked closer to her and sounded as though he were growling every time she stepped away.
Heading back into the main room, Jacqueline saw the other Autobots standing impatiently for them to return. Ratchet had his arms crossed, "About time you return her." He walked over and offered his hand, "Now that you are done, I wish to run a few diagnostic scans."
Jacqueline shook her head, "No." She watched as Ratchet became confused, "No offense, Ratchet, I know you all just went through a traumatic experience, but with how you've been treating me, I am not going to let you scan me or do any little tests."
"W~What!?" Ratchet looked flabbergasted.
"You've been treating Miko, Raf, and I like bothersome house guests since the day we arrived, and now that you know I'm a witch, you're interested in humans? No. Not happening." Ratchet wanted to shout at the top of his lungs. She wasn't wrong in her accusation, and now it was biting him in the aft.
Bulkhead walked over and threw an arm over her shoulders, "Haha~she totally got you, Ratchet. But uh~we're good, right?"
Jacqueline nodded and shakenly nodded her head, "Yes, we're good, Bulkhead." She was practically buried into Bulkhead's side and could feel his muscles bulging from behind his shirt. She already knew what was beneath all his clothing, and that made her feel heated.
Arcee said nothing as he stared at Jacqueline. He already knew where he stood in terms with her. 'I guess Ratchet and I are in the same sinking ship.' Arcee wasn't a fool and knew that any attempt on his part now to be friends with his charge would seem fake to her. 'Scrap, she'll think I'm just wanting to be polite because I now know she's a witch.' That didn't mean he was going to give up. He'd find a way to make things right between them… somehow. Arcee looked away as steam escaped his mouth. 'Primus, what I wanna do to that body of hers.' It wasn't even his heat cycle, and he wanted to carry this femme to his chambers and interface until they both pass out. Arcee wouldn't admit this in front of her, but he's been attracted to her for quite a while. She was everything he saw in a perfect sparkmate. Beautiful, a little sassy, and not afraid to talk back to him… Primus, it drove his processor ragged when she argued with him! He loved a femme with so much spunk.
Arcee watched as Bumblebee spoke to Jacqueline and smirked, 'I guess I'm not the only one who wants her for a sparkmate.' Arcee has known Bumblebee as long as he's known Cliffjumper. The other scout was towering over her and passively flexing his muscles. It was a simple and effective way for a mech to gain a femmes interest. It took some time, but once Jacqueline left, the Autobots were silent as they recollected the events from the past day.
"Stupid idiot." Ratchet hit himself on the forehead.
"Cheer up, Ratchet," Bulkhead said, "I'm sure she'll come around to your test. I think. I guess we lucked out on these three, huh?"
"My own arrogance has cost me one of the greatest discoveries I've ever witnessed." Ratchet didn't believe in magic, at least till now. "And here I believed humans had no redeeming features. Primus, I am a fool." Taking a final look at his surroundings, he grumbled, "At least this happened… on a Saturday."
Optimus placed his hand on Ratchet's shoulder, "Our human friends may not be as advanced as us, but they are strong."
