Friend or Foe? IV
Ironhide was woken the next morning by the feeling of something poking his face plate. A growl rumbled deep in his chest as he checked the time. It was barely six in the morning. Even for an old mech like him, that was entirely too early.
On lining a single blue optic he came face to face with a pair of deep red ones. Before the black mech could even say anything the small mech's tanks rumbled loudly. He couldn't help but let a small smile creep across his face when Echo grabbed his midsection as if to keep it quiet.
"I take it you're hungry," Ironhide said as he sat himself up. Standing up, he stretched his stiff joints out and reached down to the youngling sitting on his recharge berth.
Echo cringed slightly as the back mech's hands came towards him. This confused Ironhide as he picked him up and carried him in his arms. The small mech blinked his deep red optics several times. He didn't understand why he wasn't being hauled off by his scruff bar, considering that was all the other mechs had carried him by.
Ironhide carried Echo into the mess hall only to be greeted by the silver mech that was Jazz.
"Mornin' 'Hide," Jazz greeted with a big grin. Said mech simply nodded to the other in greeting, still not fully awake. Then the silver mech saw the small bundle of wires in Ironhide's arms.
"Is that-?"
"Yes it is Jazz," the black mech replied irritably as he made his way across the room to get the two of them some energon.
"C-Can I hold him?" The spy asked hesitantly. Sighing, Ironhide handed Echo to Jazz. The older mech was surprised that the youngling didn't scream in protest.
Echo looked up at the new person holding him and looked at the dark blue visor covering his optics with confusion. Noticing this, Jazz slid the piece back to reveal a pair of bright blue optics just like Ironhide's.
The Decepticon youngling hesitantly reached out and touched is face. Jazz thought his spark was going to melt. This li'l guy's jus' too fragg'n cute, he thought as a large grin spread across his face. This in turned caused a small smile to creep across Echo's face.
Ironhide pretended not to notice this as he reappeared with two energon cubes. Taking the youngling from Jazz's arms he sat down at one of the tables, handed a cube to Echo and sipped on his.
After a minute or so, the black mech looked down at the youngling to see that he was giving the cube a confused look. Ironhide felt his energon boil. Those fraggers never gave him his own energon, he thought angrily as he downed the rest of his cube.
"Go on," he said as he nudged the cube towards him with a finger. Echo hesitantly took the cube in his small hands and sipped on it slowly. He kept pausing and looking at the black mech in front of him, expecting him to snatch the cube away. Ironhide noticed this and every time he paused he motioned for him to keep drinking.
By the time six thirty rolled around Echo had finished his cube and more mechs were starting to wander into the mess hall. Almost every single one of them cast the youngling and the weapon specialist curious glances, but never said anything.
"Alright, time to take you to see Ratchet," Ironhide said as he picked Echo up and carried him out of the room.
The med bay door hissed open to reveal the yellowish colored medic patching up the resident scientist Wheeljack.
"I swear 'Jack," Ratchet grumbled as he finished repairing his right hand. "One of these days I'm just not going to fix you." The white and grey mech's fins flashed a bright blue as he laughed good-naturedly.
"You always say that Ratchet," he said, a smile obvious from under his facemask. Ironhide cleared his throat to get their attention. Wheeljack's optics widened when he saw the youngling in the black mech's arms. Twitching slightly he was berated by the medic with a smack from upside the head.
"Ok you're done, now get out. Try not to blow off anymore limbs," the CMO said in an almost pleading tone.
"No guarantees," the scientist said lightheartedly as he left the bay. Ratchet sighed and rubbed his optics in frustration. Regaining his composure he turned to Ironhide and smiled down at Echo softly.
Echo remembered the yellow medic, but he was still hesitant to be around him. Sure he had been in the med bay at the Decepticon base on Cybertron lots of times. However, none of them had been a pleasant experience. Clinging to Ironhide's chassis he refused to let he medic pick him up.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Ratchet said in an uncharacteristically gentle tone. "I just want to make sure that you are functioning properly." A pair of deep red optics met the medic's bright blue ones hesitantly. The medic tried again and was able to take the youngling from Ironhide's burly arms.
Sitting Echo on one of the examination tables, the youngling craned his neck to see if the black mech was still there. His crimson optics widened considerably when he found that said mech was gone. Panicking he glanced nervously around the room, as if looking for some sort of escape rout.
Ratchet's sensitive scanner picked up on the youngling's distress and was confused until he realized that Ironhide was gone. Is he really that scared to be alone? The CMO thought as Echo was on the verge of throwing a panicky tantrum.
At that very instant the doors hissed open and the silver form of Jazz walked in. Ratchet was just about to tell him to leave when Echo let out a panicky chirrup and reached out to him. Jazz smiled at the youngling and picked him up.
"'Ey buddy," he said as Echo wrapped his small arms around his neck tightly.
"Wha's up with him?" Jazz asked the medic through their personal line.
"When Ironhide left him with me, he started to go in the fritz," Ratchet sighed. "Would you mind staying here while I examine him?"
"No prob," the saboteur said with a smile.
The silver mech sat down on the examination table with Echo in his lap as Ratchet ran several scans on him. Jazz smiled down at the small mech and tickled the wires in the back of his neck. Letting out a string of happy clicks he played with one of his clawed hands, comparing it to his own.
"See if you can get him to talk," Ratchet said as he recorded Echo's stats onto a data pad.
"'Ey li'l buddy, can ya tell me wha' your name is?" Jazz asked looking down at the small bundle of wires in his lap. Said youngling paused as if in thought.
"E-E-Echo," he said in a soft voice.