Just want to say, thanks again for all of the positive reviews!
A wire was reconnected, allowing Ultra Magnus to naturally power back up from his forced stasis. Not knowing what hit him and concluding that he was lying on the ground, his optics opened and attempted to focus. He would have tried to get up, but realized his arms were restrained above his head with a long sheet of cloth, so he just sat up and leaned himself against the wall. The cloth used to restrain him was not only a poor idea, but also it was a poor design and after taking in his surroundings, he was already mentally preparing to break free and possibly fight off Decepticon captors.
There was no light in this place with the exception of the glow from his optics. Trying to figure out where he was, he looked around into the dark carefully, hoping to see a clue as to his location. Unfortunately, nothing seemed familiar, although the atmosphere had the appearance of a cave, so his best guess was that he was somewhere underground, possibly an abandoned mine. Clearly his captor wanted him to be somewhere where communications would be impossible and no chance of getting help. Just as Magnus was about to pull himself free of the cloth tied around his wrists, a figure stepped out of the shadows, bright blue optics meeting with his own.
"What is the meaning of this?" Magnus demanded.
The figure approached and suddenly it became clear as the combined glow of their optics reflected off the blue and yellow paint job. "I know this is strange, but let me explain. Okay?"
"Oh, you'll have a lot of explaining to do when I return you to base in cuffs, Smokescreen!" Magnus replied with a temper. Getting knocked out by a rookie and whisked away underground was not only treason, but also downright insulting to the superior officer.
Smokescreen knelt down in front of him. "I asked Optimus for permission to show you a good time and he totally agreed with me that you really need to loosen up. So don't think for a second that I'm not doing this for your own good, Sir."
Thinking back to when Smokescreen had been staring at him in the base, he realized that the rookie must have been planning this the whole time. Magnus shot Smokescreen a death glare. "How dare you do this to your superior for any reason. And how dare you accuse me of needing to loosen up when we are in the middle of a war!" The sound of his voice echoed off of the walls of the cavern. "…How dare you bring me into this Primus-forsaken hole in the ground against my will and expect me to feel any type of enjoyment."
"I wasn't really sure what else to do?" Smokescreen's gaze fell, feeling a remorse that this was the only way he could get Ultra Magnus to spend time with him. "If I had just walked up to you and asked to hang out, I'm sure you would have turned me down."
Ultra Magnus never lost his angry, judgmental expression, but he knew Smokescreen was right about this. Hanging out was not his idea of a good time.
"I guess I just figured using the phase-shifter was the best way to get your attention. Not like a lieutenant like you would want anything to do with a rookie like me otherwise." Smokescreen sighed. "As much as I've always admired Optimus Prime because he's, well… Optimus Prime… I've always been way more interested in you and the Wreckers. I think you're a great leader, maybe even Prime worthy. Definitely more worthy than me, anyway…"
"Are you serious or just brown nosing for my favor?" Magnus asked, not sure whether he was even more annoyed than before or just plain flattered. For him, it was honestly hard to tell the difference.
Smokescreen moved a bit closer, breaking the boundaries of personal space. "I swear on my honor that I'm telling you the truth. You've been such an inspiration to me." Pausing, he thought about how to say what he was thinking. "I just never imagined you being so up-tight. Sorry for saying this Sir, but someone as amazing as you shouldn't have to be grumpy all the time. We already have someone on that and Ratchet is a master."
"You're too young to understand what war can do to a mech. I'm tough because I need to be. Keeping order will insure that everyone is safe and bring the Autobots the most victories." Magnus somehow found himself being slightly calmed by Smokescreen's presence. Their opposite ways somehow balancing each other out. "Furthermore, you would do well to show Ratchet more respect. He's earned it."
"I guess you're right…" Smokescreen was surprised by how much Ultra Magnus seemed to respect the old Medic. "Ratchet is a pretty cool guy… he's the one that showed me what wire to pull to force a shutdown since I can do that with my phase-shifter."
"He taught you that?! I wondered how you were able to knock me out." Magnus suddenly snapped. A bit of the respect he had for Ratchet going with it.
"Hey, relax. I'm sorry I forced you to power down." Smokescreen quickly apologized. "Like I said, I wasn't sure how else I could get you to spend time with me."
A silence fell between them. Once again, Magnus slowly calmed down, though the whole situation was becoming almost too ridiculous for him to continue with. After a few minutes of quiet, Magnus asked, "Any reason you feel the need to be so close?" He was becoming uncomfortable with Smokescreen nearly on top of him.
Smokescreen blinked, not realizing he was hovering over his commanding officer. "Sorry." He replied quietly and pulled away slowly. His hands brushed over Magnus's thighs.
This gave Magnus a tingle through his frame. He wasn't stupid or naive, the young soldier's actions, words and movements all seemed to bring Magnus to one conclusion. "Tell me something, Smokescreen. Did bringing me here have anything to do with trying to seduce me?" He asked in a calm, serious tone.