Cole was covered in sweat from head to toe, breathing hard as he ran down the miles-long hidden roadway between the base entrance tunnel and the public road through the surrounding mountains. The gym had been surprisingly full this morning so he took his workout outside to remain alone and undisturbed.
The sun had only just begun to rise far to the east. No rays would reach between the towering rock walls to the bottom of this narrow valley for hours to come. The near darkness was perfect for sorting his thoughts and pumping his legs.
Each breath fought back the names of those lost in the attack, each footfall another memory he did not want to leave behind. "I could have been better. I could have done more. I could have saved them" flashed back and forth through his thoughts. He had to keep moving, else his own insufficiency would drag him into the dirt.
Strong beams of bright white lights flooded the path from behind him, interrupting the repetitive cycle of guilt. He stopped his run to move to the side and let the vehicle pass, but it instead pulled up beside him. Through the glare of the lights, he could make out bright flames licking up the blue cab. It was Optimus Prime.
"Sir." Cole saluted, short on breath, pressing his back to the canyon wall.
"At east, soldier" his voice boomed, echoing along the rock walls. The driver's side door swung open. "You and I need to have a conversation."
Catching on quickly that he was being asked to enter the cab, Cole protested uncertainly. "Sir, I'm not exactly clean at the moment. I'd be happy to return-"
The engine grumbled loudly, rocking the truck on it's axles. "I've had much worse on my frame, I assure you. Now please, climb in."
Cole wiped his hands off on his shorts before embarking up into the tall truck. He sank into the driver's seat and pulled the seat belt across himself. The door shut and the vehicle rolled forward down towards the remote highway.
"To what do I owe this honor, sir?" Cole asked, trying to make light of the situation that had him tensed.
Optimus said nothing, only the crunch of the massive tires on the pebbles pittered in the cab. Finally, he responded. "We are not so different, you and I. We find value in the relationships we build with those we consider allies and friends, however we will also inflict great harm when necessary to protect them. When we see them come to injury, too often we assume we are their sole failure. That is the danger that can cloud your judgment and cause more loss."
The Prime paused, having reached the point where the road met the highway. He pulled forward slowly and turned back around the way they had come. He continued "I see you pulling away from your team, Cole. Is that a punishment for them or for yourself?"
Cole's first reaction was to deny it was punishment for anyone, that his distance was to clear his head after the attack. A few moments of consideration, however, led him to confess that Optimus was right. "Probably both… I should have fought harder to make my team understand why we needed to keep going, despite the risks. We could have saved more lives if we had just. kept. going."
Optimus was ready for this answer. "You don't see the true effect your efforts made. By taking back the high ground, you saved seventeen people that were pinned down. Once they were free, that left Hoist able to take to battle and save more lives."
"But there were so many other people still fighting when we retreated!" Cole rebutted heatedly. "How many weren't saved by Hoist or you or others? Not to mention the four soldiers protecting us in the hangar died, too." His fists clenched in his lap, the frustration building with no outlet. "Ratchet understood; it doesn't matter how many you save, it's the ones you fail that you can never redeem."
Ignoring the sting of his old friend's words used against him, Optimus calmly pressed on. "Don't let their deaths be in vain, Cole. Continue to fight with the opportunity their sacrifices afforded you. You can save more with this team than you could alone. Are you going to give up after one battle, allowing all those deaths to mean nothing? Or will you keep fighting until you feel like you have repaid your debt?"
&?-
Later that day, most of the ARC team gathered in the new mech hangar.
"Weapons online. Movement parameters nominal". Tommy said over the COM.
"Support systems active." Heather responded.
"Aux weapons online. Radar empty." Danielle said. In her ear, Archer whispered "It's radar clear. You'll
get it next time."
"Systems register nominal, clear for departure." Sadiyah sounded off.
Tommy spoke once again. "Prepare to launch." Their vision filled with the view from the mech. The stand hissed as it released before the metal giant lumbered forward. A large hangar door slid back to reveal rolling green pastures nearly to the horizon. A sparse forest grew to their west, a sprawling city reclined to their east.
The mech stood in the field of waving grass, waiting. Danielle spoke up "Four hostiles inbound, airborne, three o'clock."
Tommy turned to face the Decepitcon Seekers, firing several missiles at each of them. One fell immediately, another was damaged but still flying. It and the two unscathed seekers circled the mech, making low passes and firing waves of energon blasts. Tommy landed another blow to the smoking aircraft, bringing it down in an explosive landing. The final two circled back in opposite directions, one approaching from the right and the other from the left.
Tommy raised both mech arms, a cannon shimmering with heat on each. The enemies closed, guns blazing. Tommy fired one large blast into their nose cones, knocking them from the sky.
"Local targets neutralized. One hostile near the city, due East." said Danielle.
Sadiyah followed up "Systems remain stable, ninety eight minutes of flight time remaining."
Heather triggered the transformation, the mech gracefully folding into the JLTV, before speeding off over the pasture towards the city. Columns of smoke had begun to rise into the air from the outer suburbs. Drawing closer, they could just make out the black and white form of the Decepticon storming through the streets: Barricade.
"Alright, one more time team." Tommy said, his voice was confident but edged with weariness.
While Heather drove across the grass expanse, Danielle tracked the skies above and the ground below but knew nothing else would be interfering in this fight. Sadiyah kept her monitor of the systems, their readouts no different from last time.
Explosions and smoke beckoned the team into the residential suburbs and small business town that formed a ring around the shining city. As the JLTV neared the homes, it hopped onto a deserted street headed into the heart of the metropolis.
A blast burst off the left of the vehicle, impacting the asphalt and throwing debris clattering against the heavy armor. Barricade had spotted the mech and now raced towards it as the police cruiser mockery. The two vehicles accelerated, transformed mid-leap, and crashed into each other with fists drawn.
"You will perish today, Autobot scum!" shouted the Decepticon as it threw a punch into the mech's shoulder. Tommy tried to block it but slipped. With no choice but to let the blow land, he took the chance to swing into the side of their foe and landed with a crunch.
Barricade retaliated with a backhand to the mech's head, jarring the optical sensors for a split second. Tommy swung blindly but missed. A kick knocked the mech to the side, tripping it on a car and sending it sprawling to the ground.
When the sensors came back online, a steaming cannon filled their vision as it prepared to fire a finishing shot. Danielle fired the SHREDs and sonic deterrent. Electricity arced across Barricade's chest, locking him, while the siren forced him to reboot his sensors. Windows shattered in their frames in the surrounding houses and vehicles.
"Good reaction," Archer said to Danielle.
The two weapons were enough to briefly stun their enemy and allow Tommy the chance to knock the cannon away. He took another attempt to punch up into Barricade's chest, bashing into the plates but the force dispersed quickly with little effect.
With a ferocious cry, Barricade brought one fist down on the head of the mech before bringing his cannon back into position over it's chest.
The pilots saw the flash before their headsets went black and booted back to the loading screen for the third time today.
"I warned you we don't have the capacity to fight him at close range." Sadiyah informed curtly as she lifted her headset off.
Tommy sighed as he set his down as well, staring up at the mech on it's stand inside the base hangar. "Yes, I know, but we had to try anyway. We have to adapt." He grit his teeth and looked over to Heather, who returned his disappointment with a shrug.
Danielle interjected "Why don't we deal with Barricade the same way we dealt with the seekers: range only?"
Tommy responded "We have to be careful with engagement in those relatively confined populated areas. One stray missile could level a house. Energon blasts aren't much safer."
Two short knocks rang against the wall. "Mind if I take a swing at him? I know I'm not really on the team, but I'd like the chance to try again."
The pilots turned in their seats to face the entry door. Standing just inside, looking sheepish but hopeful, was Cole.
Tommy stood from his desk and crossed the hangar. Squaring up to the other man, he stuck his hand out for a shake. "The job is always yours. We really need you, brother."
Cole clasped hands with his team leader and shook with a firm squeeze. "Thank you, sir. There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
&?-
"The Bots got it really right with this place." hummed Danielle, crossing her hands behind her head and laying down on the flat rock roof of the base. Far beyond the ceiling of their atmosphere, the Milky Way slanted across the sky, sparkling with uncountable swaths of stars.
Heather released a contented sigh as she stretched out to the left of her on the cold stone. "I had a feeling you'd like it up here." She smiled in the darkness. "You know, I used to look up and wonder if there was any other life besides us out there. Definitely didn't expect the answer we got. Could've done without the war, but it's nice to finally know."
A cynical chuckle escaped Danielle before she replied. "Oddly enough, I think this war saved me. I would likely be much worse off if I had never been swept into it. I have a family again. You guys aren't so bad either, even though you almost got me killed for the world's worst internship… Ow!"
"You know you loved it." the pilot smirked, pulling her fist back from the aggressive play punch.
"Okay, fine, yea, it was great, I just wish it didn't toggle the pain option back on… jeesh." Danielle rubbed her arm where Heather had punched her.
Heather rolled up to lean on her elbow, trying to read the other woman's face. "What do you mean back on?"
"Oh, uh... I guess it's never really come up, but I used to not be able to feel pain, like at all. Now that it's back out of… nowhere… All these new sensations are so confusing, and I don't even have Ratchet to ask about them. Consulting the internet just tells me I'm pregnant or have cancer."
"Huh." was all Heather said at first, only the whisper of the breeze through the mountains breaking the silence. "Well, you know that, as the ARC medic, I have a background in human biology, health, and medicine, right? Maybe I can help."
The night drifted slowly by, nothing but the stars moving around them for many long minutes as Danielle considered her offer. She certainly had built a trusting foundation with her battle partner, but on some level it felt like it could run deeper. Deciding to lean into the trust, she turned to look her in the eyes.
"Alright, I do have a question for you, doc. Maybe you can diagnose me. Sometimes I get this odd pressure in the pit of my stomach, like a tickle or fluttering of some kind. I've gotten it when falling from up high, but it also happens when I'm standing on solid ground. It doesn't hurt, exactly, but… I don't know. Have you ever heard of that?"
Heather's face became grave. "Oh, yea, that can be serious. Super rare though." Even in the dim moonlight, she watched with fiendish delight as Danielle's face blanched. "When was the last time you felt it?" she asked, her voice deep and filled with convincing mock-peril.
"I… A few weeks ago, when you grabbed me and ordered Bee to open his trunk. Why? What does it mean?" An edge of panic had begun to creep into her voice. She sat bolt upright and stared at Heather who had quickly looked away, dumbstruck. Danielle could almost see the gears turning in her head, words not quite forming on her lips.
Far below them in the bunker, Bumblebee felt her anxiety, like static, fizzle down the bond. He reached out to her, finding she wasn't in danger just profoundly worried by a conversation. Satisfied she was okay, he returned to his work on a data pad, passively continuing to monitor the bond should her situation change.
Heather stuttered, trying to gather herself after the unexpected answer. "That's uh… the… umm… It's part of the body's adrenaline response. It's called having "butterflies". Usually it's because you're scared or nervous or… uh… attracted to someone." Heather looked up and caught Danielle's gaze, watching a blush flood her cheeks in the night glow. "I have to ask. Did I scare you when I grabbed you like that? Or…"
When she gave no response besides to press her lips together and scrunch her eyes, Heather pressed the question "Do you have that feeling right now?"
She looked away, whining out "No and no, I mostly only feel embarrassed, thanks."
She heard the scuffle of cloth dragging over the stony surface. She turned to look back at Heather only to find she had moved closer and now leaned in towards her on her knees. A rough warm hand, strafed with jagged fresh scars reflecting the moonlight, cautiously embraced her cheek, holding them face to face. She couldn't look anywhere besides those brown eyes that stared back at her, full of questions.
"What about now?" Heather asked again, her gaze almost going unnoticed as it flicked briefly down to her lips.
A swarm bloomed inside Danielle's stomach and batted around her heart, garnering another alerted nudge from Bee. He listened to the bond, feeling the situation through her and filling his spark with a surge of joy. He had noticed the attention and gravitation Danielle had shown towards this particular soldier, and supported the trust she placed in her. He hadn't openly broached the matter with her, but secretly hoped something might spark from it. He sent her a wave of confidence down the bond, hoping she could make good use of this moment as he spurred her on, his circuits humming in glee.
Danielle felt her nerves begin to erode away, a calm composure surfacing from within them. She smiled as her mind relaxed, finally responding with a quiet "Very much so" before closing the distance between them. Heather's surprise melted away quickly before she slid her hand from Danielle's cheek into her hair, kissing her back. The next moment, they seperated, soft gasps pulling in the cool night air around them.
Heather smiled ruefully and held her gaze. "Yea, I'd say you have a bad case of the butterflies. It's hopelessly untreatable but I'm sure we could work out a management plan." She punctuated the sentence with a wink before sitting back down next to Danielle, playfully rubbing her shoulder into her. "Any other questions?" She laughed openly before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around her knees.
The smoldering confidence from the bond began to wane, allowing a stream of logic to run its course through her wash of euphoria. Still harboring her smile, she shook her head. "Well, at least I know I'm in good hands."
Heather wrapped her arm around Danielle's waist and hugged her close. "I'm not exactly known for my bedside manner, but I think we'll pull through this together."
Her words struck an odd chord in Danielle's nerves. "So… Despite the risk of totally ruining the moment, you should know a few things before considering any sort of next step here." Her voice gradually grew quieter as the confidence ebbed further. "First, I'm a work in progress, and you've already seen some of the damage manifested from my past. I'm open to building something new, but understand that I've still got a lot of rough edges... Second." She took a cleansing breath, considering her words. "I have a connection with Bumblebee that I can't really explain right now. Connected as in he already knows everything that just happened. We're kind of a two-for-one deal."
Danielle held her breath, waiting to hear the expected dismissal of what had transpired, a simple kiss that meant nothing more than a playful joke. She stared up at a single wisp of cloud that passed across the sky, glowing silver in the faint starlight.
"You really are a work in progress if you think a painful past and weird present makes you not worthy of love. I'm here for it, though, if you'll let me."
A warmth Danielle had never felt before wrapped around her like a blanket, stitched together with excitement, tender sentiment, and hope. Bee felt it too, the bond vibrating between them full with the same emotions.
A lopsided smile bubbled across her face as she leaned her body into Heather. "I'd like that, doc."
They remained on the roof in amicable silence for some time, the only witnesses to their budding affection being themselves, Bumblebee, and the galaxies arcing across the sky.