Co-Authered by Kitra and Omicron
"Human spoken dialogue"
"~Human speaking rough Cybertronian dialogue~"
"Cybertronian spoken dialogue."
::Cybertronian communication/Comm. Line dialogue::
-Bumblebee's translation dialogue-
Atlantis
Going Down
Wing gave him a 'the grounder with a flying insects name is really asking me?' look. "Yep. Maybe at some point I can try to start in alt-mode, but here isn't enough room for that. And I'm not going to try and transform mid air with her. But I think buzzing around in root mode is better anyways." He grinned and easily lifted her up, cradling her safely against his chest. The grip was like a vice, making it clear he wouldn't allow wriggling and squirming that could cause her to fall.
"Not around the ribs," Miko patted at the fingers around her in a warning.
-You have what looks like a cross of a cockpit and an armor pocket on your chest.- Bumblebee rolled his optics like the humans did. -She can be squirmy as any sparkling, but knows how to brace in an armor pocket.-
"Problem is just that it's too small for her like that. It folds in on itself when I'm in root mode." Wing gave the mech a wry smile as he adjusted his grip, then he looked down. "You squirm, I abort the flight and never take you again, understood?"
Miko eyed him, as carefree as she was normally; she could figure out when she was stuck. "Okay, but I reserve the right for frighten ducks and cold shivers." She added.
"I said squirming, not instinctive reactions." He snorted amused as his wing panels unfolded and clicked in place. "I'll stay close." He added to Bumblebee, and then let his engines shift into gear, purring softly when he lifted up slowly, testing to see how Miko would react before he used more of the thrust his jet engines were capable off. Only once he cleared the tree crowns did he go faster. Miko did duck, but it was to push herself into Wing's palm, not unlike how Bulkhead was seen holding her. It was likely what she was used to for being in a safe hold.
The human though gave a happy whoop, clinging to Wing's fingers as she looked around with wide eyes.
Wing chuckled softly and shifted his hands so that he had a better hold with the way she ducked, leaving enough room for her to get a good look at everything. He lazily buzzed around over the forest, not bothering for a specific route, instead he flew here and there, always making sure he was within sensor range of either Blaster or Bumblebee.
Miko seemed to be having the time of her life, but after a little bit she tugged on one of Wing's fingers for his attention. She was shivering a bit and yelled to be heard, "Can we go down now?"
The jet hummed softly and covered her a bit more, then descended towards the others, easily landing a bit in front of them. He shifted his grip and redirected the airflow of his vents, making the warm air from his engine flow over her. His passenger shivered again before pressing up against Wing to get warm again, not unlike a sparkling would.
Bumblebee was coming over to peer at the girl. -She's learning, aw... the trouble maker is so cute...-
"You're having the kitten look at me." The girl piped up but smiled as Bumblebee buzzed playfully back.
Wing snickered. "Even the most troublesome individuals can still learn, I'm a perfect example for that." He calmly petted Miko, keeping his systems at a higher idle to generate more heat for her.
The girl turned a bit, so the pale fingers were on her back, not minding the mecha-pets so much like that. The jet obliged her, calmly walking with the others as they went on with the scouting. His stride shifted a bit, making sure he didn't jostle her as much as he would normally do.
Miko soon popped up when she felt better, scrabbled a split moment, then she was out of Wing's hands and all but teleported to be standing on his shoulder looking around with a hand on the white helm. "Whoa, there's trees eeeeverywhere. How are we supposed to find energon when we can't find sandstone or that other rock it likes to be in?"
"Bee says with scanners," Raphael called back and up, translating the buzzing clicks for her, he was walking between the scout's legs and not flinching. In fact he seemed rather comfortable despite the moving feet being almost if not a little bigger than him. Bumblebee too seemed relaxed, one scanner on his charge at all times but it seemed this odd group with the Prime have adapted well with each other.
"And those ancient old mechs seemed to like to make their own caves to stash the energon." Jack pitched in, without thinking. "Remember Miko? That's what Optimus said, and all that energon crystalized, turned raw again and started growing. That's how there's such a big network of energon in one mine."
-Plus the natural energon vains.- Bumblebee added, waiting for Raphael to translate for him (and how was he doing that?) as they walked, investigating any rock formations, -That's one of the many reasons this world is special, I think.-
Golden optics blinked surprised, only his training kept Wing from making any startled movements. He glanced sideways up at Miko. "Next time warn a mech, be happy I was trained very well into not getting startled easily." He muttered good-naturedly.
Wing listened curiously. He eyed Raphael with interest, he'd known these humans had weird connections to their partnered guardians, but a human being able to translate mechanical whirrs and electrical buzzes and chirps? Very, very weird. Alas the Knight didn't bother dwelling on that. Everything had a reason after all, including him getting stranded on this planet. Achat buzzed against his spark, agreeing with it, something had animated fate into bringing the lithe jet to this planet.
-I think I should have warned you more about her, that's pretty common now.- Bumblebee chuckled, a softer trill of amusement, and it really did audibly sound like sparkling babble. -She's used to having to climb on Bulkhead, I think he likes it.- The scout trilled again, and smiled in his way with that odd face guard as his words had Raphael giggling again.
Wing snickered. "Wish I could show you lot home. I think Bulkhead would do well to be a caretaker of sparklings." He purred and snagged Miko, tickling her. "That's what you get for being an adorable, cute, sweet, pretty, fluffy, little nuisance."
His actions proved that the little organic femling could be just as loud as a sparkling, and just as wiggly. The other two humans promptly put some space between them and Wing at this new 'threat.' Raphael retreating to hide against Jack as his yellow guardian came over to save Miko when she at last called to him. The girl was really only half heatedly fighting back the white fingers, so she wasn't really put off.
The jet relented, "Yield?" He asked, deeply amused. Wing eyed both other humans with mischief lurking in his gaze. "Good thing you two aren't as overactive as she is, I'd hate to do the same to you." He chirped in an absolutely innocent tone. "Same goes for you Blaster, Bee."
Bumblebee scooped up Miko, holding her in a gentle hug while she caught her breath before letting her down, then he buzzed a impish tone at Wing that didn't need translating. He perked up as Jack called for the mechs' attention, the oldest of the teens trotting away to something he could see better at his level.
"I'll keep that in mind," Blaster said as she headed after Raphael and Miko, flicking the hidden spines out of her armor in a playful flirt, then a happy song of the same flirt in her voice.
The white mech responded in the same tone, but in Cybertronian this time. "I could of course do something else if you want that." He winked and bounced after Jack.
"And here I thought Cliffjumper gets all the love," Blaster was speaking Cybertronian as well for this, poking Bumblebee and grinning as he flushed in his field before flouncing off with a different scanner in hand from subspace.
The jet bounced around a bit more than necessary, showing that he was simply enjoying the sheer beauty of nature around them. "It's so amazing here."
"Glad you think so Wing," Jack called back, another surprise from the youth.
"You can understand Cybertronian?" Blaster asked in English, pausing to stare.
"Not perfect but we can sort of." Miko grinned as she held up three fingers, "That makes me tri-lingual now! But Jack can speak it best, Raphael can read it, I'm a little behind since I don't have a ~Key~ nor was poked by that Sigma thing back on Cybertron… or been there." She gave Jack a mock glare making him duck his head and rub the back of his head.
-We have a…bit of a long story just on this world,- Bumblebee gave a sheepish chirp to the staring Blaster, glancing at Wing, -If you couldn't tell.-
"I could tell quite well, the simple lack of fear is the most obvious." Wing chirped. He wriggled his wings playfully and purred. "Surprising though that they can speak Cybertronian at all." He eyed them thoughtfully.
"That's proba-aaarble! Jack!" Miko's words warped into a yelp as she was tackled by Jack, the two rolling away with Blaster blinking after as the older boy clapped a hand on her mouth. Raphael had wide eyes as he pressed his lips together, looking up as Bumblebee gave a warning sound to the youths. Miko's own eye widened and she switched in an instant from angry fury, to guilty and hid under Jack's coat.
Bumblebee made a sound that didn't translate, but didn't need to as it was likely as close to an 'Umm...'
The reaction had Wing alarmed in an instant and he narrowed his optics at them. He snorted and relaxed again, raising an optic ridge curiously. "Hm?"
-Its not for us to talk about.- Bumblebee said, churring a different tone of firmness. -You need to talk to Optimus.-
Jack was letting Miko up, in low whispers reminding her not to talk about the 'darkness' until the mew mechs were fully informed. They didn't need panic, being so much smaller then every Cybertronian on the planet.
The Knight shrugged it off and nodded. "Later. I'm more interested in finding what we're supposed to look for." He gently reminded them.
Blaster tilted her head, watching the scout shake himself and arched his door-wing sensor panels up high as he headed off to the rock formation Jack had spotted before. It looked more like many 'small' boulders, and over time had been filled in by blown in dirt and leaves that had decomposed into earth.
Raphael trailed after his guardian, ignoring the older teens. He scrambled to start climbing up the rocks as Bumblebee knelt down with an inquisitive sound. "This looks sort of familiar..."
-Its the same style as the back entrance of a mine.- Bumblebee sat up and trilled for the others to head over, picking up a bolder and moving it to one side. -Here, help me move these, Raph stay back.- The scout said as he pulled the other two mechs into the long process of clearing the large rocks and setting them a bit away.
His door-wings twitched and moved, angling in different positions when the rocks showed to keep going under the normal ground level. When the area was ringed with the bolder-rocks, Bumblebee dropped down into the exposed tunnel way first. His right arm altered to an energy cannon with no effort or hesitation, lighting the passage with his headlights. After stalking both ways for several klicks, the yellow mech came back, waving his right hand up at those waiting.
-Its clear, doesn't look like anyone has been here.- Bumblebee trilled up to the faces peering down.
The jet eyed the passage dubiously, he was a flier... fliers didn't do underground well. Wing luckily was fairly good at avoiding the urge to leave tunnels again and suppress the claustrophobic feelings. He sniffed. "Stale air in there. It probably was closed off for a long time." He shrugged his unease off and hopped after Bumblebee. "Very stale air." Wing said, his face pulling a grimace after all the fresh air from outside.
"Then we have to wait," Jack said backing up, Miko and Raphael having already retreated behind Blaster, they had smelt the air coming up and got as far as they dared.
-We can look for what's blocking the passage to get safe airflow for the humans.- Bumblebee said, looking at Wing to see if he was willing, his own wing-like panels dipping down a bit at the thought of leaving his charge and friend. He wanted the humans safe when joining them at the same time. Bumblebee knew the youths wanted to help on a mission, and small humans were useful for finding energon at ground level.
Wing chirred thoughtfully, his own wings twitching at the idea of going underground. "Good idea." He chirped, glancing up. "Keep 'em safe Jack. I don't trust Blaster to not run after something fluffy with Miko". He snickered amused, he was joking and thoroughly teasing Blaster and Miko, utterly unashamed.
Both femmes razzed down at him, Blaster using the human style of doing it as Jack saluted. Not unlike how the Autobots did it, the humans adapting to the mecha as much as the Cybertronians to earth. Or maybe it was just the young learning from anyone who was their elder.
Bumblebees saluted back with a trill of a chuckle. He added once he and Wing started moving, -It doesn't get so cramped up if this is an old store that turned raw.- the scout held up his arms to show height, -Optimus doesn't have to bend or stoop in the main area.-
Smiling the jet waved up at the others, then headed into the darkness. He pulled a fairly bright handheld flashlight from his subspace and flared his wings. They were better at detecting airflow than Bumblebee's were. "Carrier would have to crawl on all fours in here. Let's find out where another source of air is." He suggested and eyed the scout expectantly.
-Use your wings,- Bumblebee twitched his panels out and up to show. The yellow mech crouched down after getting well away from the light of outside, as much feeling the slight currents of air, as well as inspecting grooves in the floor, becoming exited after that find.
Wing hummed, fascinated. "I don't need to move them, they just have to stay flared. It's so different here."
-What kind of different?- Bumblebee asked with an inquisitive chirp, tugging Wing to look at the two straight grooves in the rock floor.
"Less rocky, it's smoother here than at home, more earth underground." Wing explained then eyed the grooves. "What made them?"
-Smooth isn't normal,- Bumblebee motioned all around, then the translation wavered as the young mech tried to convey what he wanted, then giving up and sending a text com, ::Water and wind ware, this is underground, and was sealed. This passage was made, these are reverse rails.::
"Those are signs from those who made these tunnels and stored the energon here?" Wing half asked, half stated. He eyed the rest around them, trying to discern which way the slight draft of air had come from.
Bumblebee nodded and started off again, taking a scout's care of examining the tunnel, showing Wing signs that could be missed by someone not used to looking. Then they came to the first crystals of raw energon poking out of the ground and the yellow mech gave an exited burble, his armor fairing and shivering. Then they came to a wall at the end of the tunnel that was both elaborate and simply carved. A heavy slab that had a few small holes where air passed through.
Bumblebee carefully felt it after admiring the slab, fingertips light as he fallowed the carved glyphs. -A buried stash.- He read and chirped, hoping this was just one where the mechs of old buried the energon, covered and left, not leaving anything behind. They had come across a guardian once, but he had died in stasis Ratchet had said.
Wing regarded the stash with curiosity. "Why did they leave this on this planet anyways? There must be a reason all of this is buried here." He walked further down the tunnel, keeping a close optic on everything, trying to find hints on the walls, floor or even ceiling.
-Ratchet says its from ancient wars,- Bumblebe said, half of it in text. The scout's way of talking although complex, was affective for getting what he wanted across- even if he sounded like a ranting, or angry sparkling at times.
The jet waved Bumblebee over, "Seems like the tunnel collapsed here." He pointed towards the pile of rubble that made up the end of the tunnel. "Think there's something behind the pile?"
-There's always something behind a pile of anything,- Bumblebee chirped, seeming to smile in his way as he came over, climbing partly on it to get to the top and peered at the rocks, poking and prying before getting off and pulled one on the top of the side off. -But lets see if its something good?-
"Hopefully, I'm not keen on pulling all that apart just to get into trouble." Wing snorted as he started tugging rocks loose, shifting them to the side in an attempt to keep them out of the way. "Maybe it's a shiny treasure!" He joked.
-Or something tasty?- Bumblebee warbled hopefully, digging away and moving the rocks, debris and other things away to the sides of the passage way. He paused to examine the floor again, finding the reverse rails, even if they were crushed or filled in bit by the collapsed spot.
Then the scout trilled as he worked on the right side, working out rocks from half in the wall until he came against smooth blue that was bigger than the width of a hand. An energon crystal's side! Door-wings twitching he chirped for Wing to see the bit of the giant crystal exposed, knowing most Cybertronians have never seen how big the crystals could get naturally when left alone on a planet.
Wing smiled. "What are you thinking? A stash of goodies?" He gave a good pull and bounced back a bit, avoiding the mini landslide. Bouncing over to Bumblebee, Wing cooed at the sight. "Sooo pretty!"
The scout tugged excitedly on Wing's arm and then started clearing that side more. Bumblebee chirped and exposed more, breaking off a smaller crystal to offer to Wing. -Even if its just this one cluster, this is worth the trip!-
Purring the white mech let himself be tugged. "Want to look for the blocked air route first? So the kids can join us before we have all the discoveries without them?" He asked while eyeing the crystal, then put it aside for now.
Bumblebee nodded, looking at the collapse, then back at the other carved, possible 'doorway.' Then he decided that it was best to clear this first, to see if it connected to another rout, or hopefully a passage with many other doors like that carved stone one, meaning a bigger stash, and thus a bigger mine. He said as much to Wing by way of text mostly.
Wing happily went back to work with Bumblebee, having no problem with the dirt, though he really would need to have someone clean some joints out after this. He waved and twisted his left hand for a moment, sighing when the small rock was tossed out by the motion. "Wish I could have a nice loooong shower after this. Only sewers are worse than this."
-Bath?- Bumblebee offered as he stood back up, flaring his armor and giving himself a full body shake. The mech came over, helping getting some of the smaller rocks out of Wing's hands and wrists, -We have that, and the humans like to play in the water, or help.-
Grinning Wing nodded. "Bath sounds awesome. Help even better and the only way to top that would be hot oil." He chirped his thanks for the cleaning help, then went back to taking the collapse apart.
-No time for refining the oil needed.- Bumblebee gave a wistful sound, not unlike a sigh as he dug. Then churred himself as they broke through, sniffing at the air and testing it to what he knew the humans could breath. -Gold!- he looked at Wing and backed up for him to see the tasty natural seam.
"Rich mine I'd say." The Knight replied, regarding the gold. He grinned and used a small dagger from under his armor to cut a few pieces off, then popped one into his mouth.
The scout cleared a bit more out of the way as he fallowed the flier, doing the same. Pulling his guard back only long enough to get a good sized bit to start sucking on as he was about to put the guard back on, but debating another treat. Without it, Bumblebee was very cute for a mech, not overly femme cute, but cute.
The jet snickered. "Only thing better than pure gold is jellies with gold." He purred and poked the guard on Bumblebee's face. "Achat wants you to know that you look better without that and you're adorable."
Bumblebee buzzed in an equivalent of a blush, reaching up to rub the back of his helm, murmuring something un-translatable. Then shook his head looking away.
"What? I'm having the same opinion here. You look good, even with the guard in place." Wing purred softly. He hugged the scout then went back to the task at hand, getting the air flowing through the tunnels again.
A little flustered just from that, proving that no one had done any kind of flirt to Bumblebee in a long time, the scout was a half minute behind. The jet didn't show any signs that he was surprised. He liked the other young mech, but doubted Bumblebee was alone for any other reason but the lack of others around. The Autobots were a small tight knit group and if nobody was his type, he wouldn't be used to flirting. Wing on the other hand was known for flirting with anything. Never mind that he mostly looked for warm bodies, but always knew there was the option for a relationship.
"The air comes from somewhere over here." Wing waved and pointed toward a small tunnel, barely large enough for him to walk through and sloping upwards.
Bumblebee pressed his lips together before fallowing, keeping the guard down for a little bit, still making that embarrassed sound softly as he fallowed. Then he gave an inquisitive chirp.
Wing smiled and patted the others shoulder. "You know there's nothing to be embarrassed about. You are cute and good looking." He gently said, then eyed a crack in the wall. "The air comes from here."
-No one flirts but Cliffjumper...- Bumblebee chirped quietly before he moved forward, running his hands along the crack and peered in before extending his scanners out as far as he could. -Energon!- He trilled, winglet panels popping back up from the almost shy tuck they had been in.
A raised optic ridge was all Wing had to offer. He certainly was as much of a flirt as Cliffjumper, if not worse. "Air first, then energon." Wing reminded him.
The scout nodded as he studied the crack before reaching in to start widening it, then when there was room feel how thick the wall was. He chirped, pulling a slab bulk free. -Help make it bigger?- Bumblebee asked looking over at Wing.
The jet chirped affirmative, then pulled on another part of the widening crack, feeling the air flow increase.