I only own my OC's (Story took a different path than I expected, so be warned!)
Panic in the Streets
February 16, 2016
"Mari, wake up."
"Mhmm?" I blink up at Hot Spot. "Wha's goin' on?"
"Ship crashed downtown."
I sit up and sigh as I scrub my face with a hand. "What time is it?"
"Ten in the morning." He chuckles softly. "You weren't kidding about sleeping all day if you get to bed after ten."
"It's the PTSD." I stand. "What's the sitrep?"
"Small Cybertronian ship's down almost in the Chicago river. There's panic in the streets. The Alderman's freaking out, called us in to handle the situation. You know Cemetery Wind's not far behind when Cybertron is mentioned, so we'd better hurry before they hurt someone."
Now that I'm fully awake, I give Hot Spot a horrified look. "Call Silver. Get Superion to back you up. We'll need Defensor to run interference, and Ratchet's not leaving this property while he's sparked, so I may need Aid if it's bad. I'm not trained enough for solo work yet." I blink. "Sorry if I seem to be taking command—"
"Don't worry about it. You're a prime. You're supposed to. You're not undermining me, Mari." He sighs. "You were saying?"
"Right…Superion, Defensor, no Ratch…Aid…" I smile. "Okay. Get Optimus and the rest of the warriors just in case we need a strike team, though I doubt we will. Have Prowl handle the Alderman. Let's roll."
We pull up to the ship, and I climb out and transform before the others follow suit.
"Protectobots, form Defensor!"
I'm so caught up in watching my brothers combine that I miss Superion's combination. I look up from Defensor when a large hand rests on his shoulder. I take a deep breath before addressing the titans. "Keep the bystanders safe, and watch for cons or Cemetery Wind—especially the latter. I don't need another panic over that, thank you." I sigh and turn toward the ship, which is listing into the water, about to fall in. "Hold up, Defensor!"
"Mariposa?"
"Can you put it on solid ground? It's about to fall in, and I can't check for survivors if it's in the water."
"Certainly." The large hands that used to be Blades and First Aid delicately move the ship onto the grass. "It looks like an escape pod…"
"Thank you!" I step over, and enter an over-ride code Aid had taught me. "It's so…small…" I shrink down to human form and crawl inside with a little trepidation caused by a fear of getting stuck. I gasp in surprise when I find a human-sized orange and silver mech. "By the All Spark…" I run a hand over the off-line mini-mech, brushing the dust away and revealing a red Autobot symbol. "Holy…" The mech's optics snap open, causing me to scream, which in turn, causes the minicon to scream.
"Is something wrong?"
I turn to Defensor sheepishly. "He woke up."
Aid splits off and runs over to me before looking into the pod. "We need to get him back home. Can you load him up if I transform?"
I shake my head and back out. Once I'm out, I shift up to bot form and pick up the minicon. "Comm Ratchet and tell him we have a minicon. Aerials—" I shake my head. "Defensor, tell Superion he can head back to base, and—" I shake my head again and simply transform around the minicon before starting for home. ~Spot, I got the casualty, and I'm heading back home. Prowl should have the Alderman covered by now, and he'll be able to calm the masses better than we can.~
~Get him home. We'll see you there. I need to make sure no one was hurt in the crash.~
I pull up the drive and speed into the med bay.
"What the frag are you doing Mari?"
I transform slowly, revealing the little orange mech still held protectively. "Minicon. His ship crashed downtown. Aid and the others are making sure no humans were hurt in the crash, then they'll be home."
"How are you doing with the separation?"
"I'll be fine. I'm more worried about the little guy right now."
"Hand him here."
I shake my head and lay him on the medical berth gently. "It'll be okay, Little One. You're safe now. We'll get you fixed up good as new."
It doesn't take long to have the little fellow up and moving, though it takes a little longer when he requests that we get rid of the wheels strapped to his waist. It takes Ratchet about half an hour to fix the little guy's rounded feet before releasing him to my care.
"Now, then…let's get you inside."
"Aren't you going to show him to the base, like you did the others yesterday?"
I shake my head as footsteps approach me from behind. "She's taken to him for some reason. We'll keep him with us."
I glance behind me and grin before hugging my oldest brother. "Spot!"
"Hi, Mari. Why don't we get…"
"Fixit."
Spot nods. "Fixit, up to the house. I'll send you and Aid out after what he'll need, and the rest of us will make sure he's taken care of while you're gone." I raise an eyebrow. "Aid's been the same way since before we came to Earth."
"Okay." I blink up at him. "I want a symbiote…"
Hot Spot simply nods. "Then you can have one. Right now, we have to get Fixit settled in."
Aid and I head into town and pick up what we'll need before returning home. I quickly set up a red metal twin bed for the minicon before making it with red and white sheets and a red blanket and red and yellow quilt, then head downstairs to find him and Hot Spot sitting on the couch together.
I take him up to show him the room before showing him around, then leave him back in the Living Room with Spot and head back out to help Ratchet and First Aid in the medical bay. It's pretty surprising when the little orange minicon joins me shortly after I meet up with the two. While I go through my lessons with Ratchet and Aid, the little guy looks around, then steps over to talk with Ratchet. After a moment, Ratchet takes him into his office, leaving Aid and I alone.
~When are you going to ask the little guy about symbiosis?~
~What?~
~I can tell you care for him that way—especially with how you reacted to finding him in the first place. So when are you going to ask him to be your symbiote?~
~I… I can really do that? He won't think I'm being pushy, or…or too forward?~
~Of course not! Not if he's as sweet as Spot says he is!~
~Excuse me?~
~Mari, he's as pacifistic as Aid is, and such a sweet mech, but he's lonely. We spent the entire morning talking while you and Aid were getting that bed and the other supplies for him. He just wants a place—they treated him like a slave, Mari. He's been through the pit and back to get to us, and now he doesn't know what to do…~
~You mean like I was when we met…~ I sigh softly through the bond. ~Spot, I want him as a symbiote more than I can even find the words to say, but I'm so scared that he'll reject me…~
~He'd be about as likely to turn you down as the five of us were, Mari, and we didn't. ~
~I still thought you were going to…~
~Mari, we're here for you. Don't worry about whether or not we'll stay, because we won't leave. Worry about proving that you won't leave to the little guy now. We'll be right here no matter what happens to you.~
~And we'll back you up with him too, if we need to. We won't leave you.~
~You don't have to pay us back for taking you in… We'd never want that… Just pay it forward.~
~Besides, Mari. He's really, really nervous about all this himself. The two of you need each other.~
~Guys…~ I shake my head, trying not to laugh. They've barely met the little guy, while I'd had him as mine in the fantasy world for a month before I met them. He'd been the only part I really missed after I got the five of them. ~I get it, okay. I got it. Stop doubting things and just ask the little guy if he wants to be a symbiote. I'm not doubting him, Guys. I'm doubting me.~
~What?~
~I don't know if I can do this for real, Spot. I don't know if I have the ability to care for someone other than myself right now, and…even though I already love him like he was from my own spark, I can barely take care of Winky, Miko, and Jasper, let alone myself! How will I take care of a minicon too?~
~We're all helping you with Jasper, and we have for the last five days, since we found her.~
~I think she's about ten days old, so we've got this kitten thing down by now. Jasper's going to get easier to take care of, and we can't wait to see her running around the house.~
~The other cats will be jealous of her then…~
~Then we just let the other two out as well. We can't rightfully leave that door closed now can we—not if Fixit's going to live in there?~
~He has a point, Mari. We'll just have to watch our step, and we'll make sure the others know to watch theirs as well if they come up to the house.~
~All right… But I still don't know how the pit I'm supposed to ask that kind of question… I kind of…blurt it out to you…the last time…~
~It's not going to be that hard, Mari. We've done it.~
~With me, I just—~
"What's going on, Mariposa?"
~Oh, Primus… What do I say? I don't want to freak him out!~
~Just stay calm, and be gentle with him. He's had a hard life…~
~So don't jump at the little guy. Got it.~ I step over to where the little orange minicon is waiting in the doorway, and crouch to him in my bot form. "Hey."
"Hi."
I sigh softly. "Feel like going back up to the house for a few minutes?"
"I-I just got Ratchet to let me help you guys…"
"And you can, Bitty, just as soon as we're done." He gives me a nervous look. "Hey. I just want to talk with you, okay? I'm not gonna hurt you."
"Okay…"
