Prime Blood Ironbands Chapter 10
"WAIT!" Optimus shouts and makes a leap and drops his hand blocking her path to the shell. She braces her impact with her hands in front of her face as she slams into his palm. Everyone turns to Optimus.
Ironhide is mad. "What is then meaning of that?"
Optimus looks to Ratchet, "Do you have an ultrasound machine in this room?" Ratchet shakes his head. "Get one. Now."
Ratchet turns to one of the humans. They scurry and come back with the equipment. Ratchet turns to his commander, "Explain."
Optimus gets himself back up, "Just a theory. But a very interesting theory." The machine arrives. He turns to Chromia, "Humor me, lay back on the table." She does as he says and instantly Optimus grins at her slightly larger rounded belly. Not the trim and toned soldier that left several months before. He turns to the human trying to contain his hope and glee. "You know what to look for?" She catches his smile and glint of optic and nods in response. She lifts up Chromia's shirt. Carefully the medic moves the scanner over the slightly rounded belly section. It comes up on the large screen monitor.
"There it is, sir." the human smiles broadly up to Optimus.
He sighs prayerful gratitude, "Yes, there it is." His eyes are locked on the screen with a triumphant smile. He crosses his arms over his chest and just stares at another of the most precious gifts in the universe..
"There it is what?" Ironhide is shocked with Optimus' reaction and lack of answers. Looking between his friend and the screen. He is very concerned for his mate. He was beginning to panic that just after he finally got his mate back, again, he would loose her, again. Maybe forever this time. He knows about human cancers, shuttering.
"Ratchet's warning," Optimus doesn't change his focus. The human changes the direction of the scanner. She pulls it up on a closer tighter shot. Everyone gasps when they see a hand. A human hand.
"Is that….?" Ironhide is shocked leaning into the screen. He can't believe what he sees.
"Ironhide!" Ratchet growls, "I thought I told you….!"
It doesn't help when Bumble Bee starts laughing. They turn to him. Optimus finds it amusing too. But Bee points to Ironhide's chest and then to Chromia's belly unable to speak.
The human even smiles, "Well, that is a first. Both the father and the mother pregnant."
"I'm not pregnant!" Ironhide barks.
"Oh yes you are," Chromia, Ratchet, Optimus and Bee all fire back together chuckling.
Tears begin to stream down Chromia's face a bit frightened of the implications, "Ra… Ratchet what does this mean?"
Ratchet throws his hands up in the air, "How the scrap should I know? I never know what I'm doing. You don't listen to me any way. You guys just keep throwing new things at me and expect me to know exactly what to do. I don't have a clue. I don't even know what to do. You tell me!" He stomps out of the room muttering to himself.
Optimus shakes a finger at Ironhide, "Just had to one up me, didn't you?" so quietly only Ironhide could hear it.
"I! What? No!" Ironhide is gasping for air. Optimus laughs at his friend's exasperation clamping him on the shoulder. Chromia starts laughing too.
Then she turns to the human, "How long do we have to wait?"
The human smiles softly and starts saving all the information, "Looks like you are nearing about sixteen weeks. So if this is a human pregnancy, about another twenty four weeks. What about the pod?"
Chromia looks up to Optimus. He shrugs, "Last time I saw one hatch, it look about six months on Cybertron. But we aren't there, this was conceived very differently. And that was about four hundred years ago."
They are all shocked by the information. In other words, no one knows but they have two new lives on the way.
The sterile couple looks at each other. Chromia smiles up to her stunned mate grasping his finger, "So, we're having twins?"
Word leaks out quickly that a baby is on the way. The excitement is just too much for the base. It had been a long time since they had a new baby on base, let alone a human one and Autobot one. No, not a base. There is a reason it was called Ocean City. This was a home. Exactly what Ironhide had wanted for Chromia, a home.
Ironhide lifts Chromia to his shoulder, "We really need to talk." Optimus nods taking control of the command center so the couple can talk quietly alone.
Secured in their quarters, Ironhide lays on his side so they can face each other. She soothes his scared face. He can't help but touch her belly. Another life. They will have two lives counting on them. One in his world and one in her new world. Their world.
"I'm sorry," they both say at the same time. Then smile.
Chromia tries again, "If I had known-"
Ironhide shakes his head, "I don't care anymore. Look, we have the futures within us. Not just Autobot futures, but our futures. We can't let them make our mistakes. We have to be united."
She finishes, "We have to stay united, no matter what." But she reaches up and touches his Autobot shield centered on his chest, "But I'm not a fool, Commander. This city assignment is temporary. I've been reading through the reports. Prime had me go over the information Rock Bottom has been gathering. There is trouble brewing. Ironhide, you have to go join him again eventually. I can stay here with them and run the city."
Ironhide reaches out to her cheek, "Not tonight. Not until I say so. I'm not going anywhere right now. Get that through your spark. I don't want to talk about duty right now. Right now I only want to talk about us. We need names. We need to stay together as mates. No more running for either of us. No more hiding. No more lying to save the other. I was a fool to think that would help." Chromia settles into his hand and reaches her small palm under his armor to feel their son's pulse.
"Alright." She whispers.
He leans in pressing his face to her hair, "Thank you."
The couple enjoys watching the lives progress within each of them. They spend their nights curled up beside each other. And smile as each one caresses each child they protect. They share the joy of the little ones movements. Together.
One summer night, Chromia comes to one of the battlements. Ironhide is sitting down with his legs hanging over the wall. It's a long way down, but a perfect view of the open ocean and the stars reflecting off it. There's no moon and the sky is clear of clouds. It's like being in open space. She comes to his side, "Thought I would find you here."
He reaches a hand out and brings her to his chest piece, just perfect for her to lay her head back against his throat and under the shelter of his chin. "Do you remember our first night up here?"
With a chuckle that vibrates through her whole body, "That will never leave my memory. I hone in on it when I can't sleep."
She reaches a hand up and strokes his jaw. "Yes, it has kept me sane many times. Other times, it has driven me absolutely crazy." She sighs heavily, "You know, once this child arrives, I can't ever go back. It will need me."
Ironhide sighs, but not with regret, "I know. It's alright. We will never get that night back again, but I don't think we will need to. As long as we can remember it, we should be fine."
She smirks, "Yeah, your body can hone in on that memory. This body will have to hone in on the cafeteria roof."
Ironhide hums pleasantly, "Oh yeah, those nights were just as good."
She chuckles stroking the wiggling life under her palms, "Apparently." He laughs with her. And they settle back to their memories while watching the shooting stars.
{flashback} The night he remembers much like this one. No moon, shooting stars and a soft breeze. The humans had finished their celebrations a few days before for base completion. Now everyone was getting down to work. Now Ironhide could relax. He knew with the excitement the humans would be distracted and mistakes would happen. Some could be deadly. And he was right. Somberly, the celebrations stopped instantly and people got their heads together when one died, one permanently paralyzed, and three more in ICU.
Now the Autobots were not exempt from blame. Several of them had made some dumb mistakes as well. Two humans were seriously injured in the 'Bots' distraction. Ironhide brought them around as well with brig time. He couldn't let Prime think he couldn't handle this base. To everyone else, Prime was stoic and professional. But privately, Optimus was more than pleased with the progress. He even nodded over to Chromia completely focused on her task.
"How are you two doing?" Optimus knows getting over Shockwave and Mindwipe's torture was no easy thing.
Ironhide watches her with Optimus, "She works harder than me. She's afraid others will think less of her due to her imprisonment."
"Have you had any time alone?"
Ironhide knows he can talk to his friend. Yet he also knows Optimus still aches for Elita's comfort and support. He treads carefully, "Kind of." Optimus narrows his gaze at Ironhide. "What kind of a commander would I be if I let my personal interests distract from the business at hand?"
Optimus taps Ironhide on the spark, "Don't make my mistakes. Elita will haunt me for it." That was the first time Ironhide heard him say her name since her death so many years ago. Optimus didn't even attend the memorial service for his own mate. Optimus smiles, lift his helm and barks loud enough for everyone to hear, "You are relieved of command, Ironhide."
Ironhide gasps, "Excuse me? What did I do?" He barks back. Everyone in the room, including Chromia turns to the two commanders.
Optimus leans in and flicks him right on the spark and locks gazes with him, "Dereliction of duty." And with just a shift of his optics, glances at Chromia. She catches Prime's gaze and puts a hand to her mouth to cover her smile. Optimus looks back to Ironhide and does it again getting Ironhide to turn his head this time. Ironhide sees her and then turns back to his commander.
Nose to nose with his current Ocean City Commander, Prime barks again, "Seventy two hours. Dismissed." Ironhide swallows hard. But then turns his back and strides from the room. Optimus glances at Chromia and ever so slightly dips his head. No one else saw the fraction of a nod, but it screamed across the room for her to follow Ironhide. She had to control the urge to run. She just strode out of the room, like a commander on a mission. Everyone else looks at him stunned as to why he would dismiss Ironhide on such a charge. Ironhide and Chromia were the last two on the base who had slacked in their responsiblities.
"You all need your down time in proper proportion. If you don't, we will have more accidents. We can not afford accidents. You have worked too hard and too long to make stupid mistakes. Back to work." Now they all understand, Ironhide got busted for working too hard.
Chromia dropped to her wheels and was on the hunt for her mate. It took her finally calling him in their bond, Love, where are you?
East battlement. Is all he replies. She should have been able to find it by all the litter of kibble he left. First was one gauntlet, then another, his helmet, a shoulder guard… she wasn't sure what she would find at the end of the trail. But what she did find was Ironhide leaning against the wall looking out over the ocean clad in very little armor around his waist. His vibrant red under-armor was a beacon calling her home. Swiftly she ripped her own helmet off, gauntlets and such. Nothing would come between them tonight, she thought. Softly she came up to him and slipped her arms around his waist laying her head against his bare strong back. His breath sucked in sharply at the feel of her nakedness against his under armor. He takes her left hand and pulls it up to cover his beating spark.
Chromia starts, "Something bothers you." He nods, afraid to speak. His own left hand soothes hers. "Darling, I'm the pessimist, it frightens me that you feel this way."
He snorts, "You're not the only one." Now she wedges herself between him and the wall. She puts her hand back against his spark. He reaches his right hand to cup and soothe the nape of her neck, "I just barely got you back. Life has been so unfair to us. We just started our relationship and were torn apart. I just got you as my mate and the work load has been horrid."
She smiles and reaches up, "I have never slept better than in your arms. Even before…." she doesn't need to finish with capture.
He leans in to touch their foreheads, "That's just my point. I have a premonition."
She chuckles, "Ironhide, you don't have premonitions. You blast premonitions into atoms." He chuckles with her. She rubs her hand against his spark, "Tell me love."
"Something is coming."
She nods, "Yes, I feel that too."
"Something is going to drive us apart."
"Something is going to bind us together even tighter."
He kisses her warmly and then pulls back a hair, "We have made our commitment, we are already one. How can we get any tighter?"
She returns the warm kiss but pushes it to the seductive level. "I barred the door, let me show you."
He raises his eyes curiously knowing what he stared by stripping, "Here?"
She tips her lips to brush against his while explains, "And now. Under the stars like our love was meant to be shared." He doesn't argue with her. No, he takes his time and enjoys every moment.
~~~~ Cuddled in her arms with his head against her spark, while dawn begins to break he smiles. She pokes him to explain. "Paybacks, my love, paybacks," he murmers.
"What have I done?" She chuckles.
"Not you, me." She tips his head to explain. So he raises himself on his elbows to face her. "Not long after Orion became Optimus, Elita was hurting for him. I could see the mantel of leadership was beginning to weigh heavily on their relationship. I tried to explain this to Optimus quietly but he shoved the thought aside. I think he was afraid if he took any down time the universe would crumble with out him. But I also knew, as much as I was his best friend, Elita was his mate and confidant."
Chromia is beginning to get the point to their current circumstance all too well. Chromia had been hiding and pushing Ironhide away in order to maintain face. Gluping in guilt, she prods him, "What did you do?"
He gets a very wicked smirk across his face, "That day in my quarters -you and I during training-…. well that was Elita's payback to me. Today is Optimus'." Chromia narrows his gaze in warning. "I told him his quarters had been bugged and set us up for temporary quarters elsewhere. Then spiked his Energon with just enough Energon to make him think he was really tired, which he was already half way there. When I was sure he was out cold, stripped him of his armor. I left the chest piece so he would know it was a prank, not sabotage."
Chromia gets it, "Then you sent Elita to the quarters on a rouse."
Ironhide beams, "And recoded the door lock. It wouldn't open for three cycles."
Chromia gasps, "And?"
Ironhide leans in closer, "Believe me, all I had to say to him was, dereliction of duty in Elita's way and he would blush like a school-bot."
Slipping her hands over his scalp, guiding him even closer, "Show me what kind of duty." Three days of constant attention and interfacing by their mates, and both Chromia and Optimus had much lighter steps to their gait. {end flashback}
~~~ On the other hand, now laying in his berth with his sleeping pregnant human mate beside him and stroking his Cybertron son resting beside his spark chamber, it was also coming clear to Ironhide exactly what those premonitions all meant. Both premonitions were accurate. And looks like both were coming true.
He leans over and presses his lips to his mate's head, "I love you sparkmate."
Optimus had been warning Ironhide that Mindwipe found out where Chromia was. Also that she had an incubating sparkling. Ironhide growled. Optimus let him know, he was going to try fending of the attack before it reached Earth.
The message came in nearly too late, "Ocean City! Prepare for attack!" It was Jetfire zipping right over their heads, with two Seekers on his tail.
Ironhide's spark clenched tightly, and began barking his orders and Klaxton's blarring. One tourret gun shot Acid Storm in the tail, saving Jetfire. It brought him down, but into his protoform and weapons blazing.
The human and bot teams moved in precision. Ironhide couldn't be more proud of his base. Too bad the Decepticons weren't falling in with the plan. Retreat or die. No, they were coming in harder and harder.
He turns to one human, "Make sure those scientists are getting launched. If you have to, you are to throw Chromia over your shoulder and haul her aft in!"
The sergeant he used to hate and dispise saluted, "Ironhide, your wife, -er mate, with be under my personal protection."
Ironhide cringes and grabs at his chest in pain. The sergeant furrows his brow. Ironhide growls even louder with the pain, "And don't you dare tell her of this! GO! You have your orders!" The sergeant lunges and flees.
Bee comes to Ironhide's side, "North is evacuated. The rest are in progress. I'm headed to make an amo run. Need anything?" Ironhide grips his chest again and shakes his head. Bee is worried, "Hide?"
Ironhide shakes his head again, "He's scared Bee. That all. Kicking me real hard. We'll be fine. Go. The others need you. Go." Bee does as he is ordered.
~~~ As the battle progresses, the pain in his chest was increasing as well. He unconsciously kept clutching his chest. His plates had expanded so far that he thought for sure they would burst. But as he was kicked internally again, he groaned. He didn't have time for this.
The base is rocketed again by a phaser blast. The north pier was a wall of flames. Reports came into the command center. All the piers were on fire. So, this was their plan. Burn the base from the outside in. They also kept firing from above. He knows what they were thinking. Pin them down, and burn them from the outside in. They can't use the dock or space bridge for escape.
Ironhide calls out his orders to his troops. "Brawn! Get that creep! Don't let him hit the fuel barrels. Hot Rod, what are you doing? Let that one retreat. Ahhhh!"
The pain drops Ironhide to one knee putting all his weight against the consol. Jolt is at his side, "Ironhide! We must get you-" Ironhide grabs Jolt by the collar of his asbergo and looks at him optic to optic.
"Get Ratchet in here! Do not let anyone know I'm in pain." Ironhide growls.
"He'll be here to take care of you," Jolt comforts him.
"No! I need him to take command. I… I…" he drops to his other knee but hit's the com, "Brawn, get them off our roof!" He hits another button, but turns to Jolt softly, "I gave you an order, soldier. Go." Jolt is afraid to leave Ironhide's side, but the base is rocked again. He takes the hint. Ironhide continues to call orders through winded speech.
It's not just Ironhide who is in jeopardy. It's the whole city. It's up to him to get to another commander, Jolt fears. He rushes to the roof. He takes a hit to the shoulder, spinning him and landing him back to back with Ratchet. He fires at the three swirling Decepticons intent on blowing the command center's exhaust fans to bits. Ratchet turns his head, "Jolt? Why are you-"
"Ironhide needs you." Jolt fires off.
"I'm a little busy." He growls, firing a shot off over their shoulders and takes a wing out on one. Then ducks quickly to dodge a low flier going in for a brazen plow-down.
"Well, you're about to get a whole lot busier." He grabs Ratchet's arm as the roof collapses below him. He pulls him back up. "Ironhide needs you to take over command."
Ratchet can't believe the news, "What?" Jolt gives him a look that surpasses all words. Ratchet's face changes to fear, "Get these guys. Watch your step." With that Ratchet takes a leap down to the command center.
~~~ Down in the bowels of the base, Chromia is helping them load the data files into chest like containers. The sergeant knows how vital the information is. More so the gift Chromia carries. The chests will be loaded into bunkers that will plummet to the ocean floor thousands of feet deep. Too deep for a Decepticons to stay functioning and steal. It will take humans weeks to get all the files retrieved. It's hard to work around her bulk, but she refused to leave while Ironhide is on the base. Both commanders knew Optimus was at the other end of the space bridge in another battle.
Chromia stops and leans against the chest trying to catch her breath. This was different than anything she had ever felt before. More than nauseous. More than pain. More than fear. It was everything combined.
The base rocks again. She reaches for the next set of disks. She has to push past the pain and discomfort. The lab assistants come and remove the chests. One stops to watch her. "Hey, Commander, take it easy. The last thing we need right now is to have that baby. We don't even have you on the shuttle yet. Sit. I'll take over."
Chromia reaches for her hand, "How is it going out there?"
She shakes her head, "I don't know, but I just saw Ratchet go to the command center. "
Chromia knows that isn't good news if it takes both commanders up there. Then another though hits her. "Has Ironhide been hit?"
"I don't know. There's too much confusion right now. I got the last one, lets go." Chromia helps her latch the last chest. They both take the handles at each end and carry it out of the smoking room.
~~~~ "Bumble Bee! Command center!" Ratchet bellows to him.
Bee looses a door wing dodging debris getting to the command center. He's sure Ratchet has lost his mind calling him away from the battle to come inside. By the time Bee arrives, he can see Ironhide is in utter agony. It's beyond anything he has ever seen any Autobot or human endure without leaking Energon. Ratchet motions Bee to go to Ironhide. Ironhide breathing is labored sitting with his back against the back wall. His optics are pleading with Bee. He's embarrassed to be incapacitated without a wound.
"I'm giving you an order. You are a good little soldier. Find Chromia. I know she is still her, disspite my orders. Get her off the base now. Take this with you."
With a cry of excruciating pain, he pulls his chest plates apart. The cry sends chills through Ratchet's core. Ratchet watches in horror.
"NO IRONHIDE!" Ratchet bellows. But he can't move. He has to turn back. He's got his guns firing through the front window of the command center. The humans dash under the consoles. Two Decepticons are coming in for a head on impact to the command center. They have managed to take out the wall mounted guns protecting the center and the reinforced shield. They are clear to make a cannonball run to knock out the heart of the city.
Ironhide continues spreading the plates to release a small life form breaking through the pod shell. This was supposed to be done in the lab, but there is no time. Reaching into his cuff, pulls out his dagger. He cuts his own under armor biting his lip making it bleed as well. "Catch him!"
Ironhide tears off a chest plate completely with one hand, finishes cutting the under armor, drops the dagger, switching his arm to a cannon. Firing his cannons over Ratchet's head out the window, holds the other piece of chest armor apart feeling the sparking push forth. Bee dives to catch the life form as it slips from Ironhide's chest. He is stunned by what he sees. A small Autobot life form is right there in his hands. Right now, Bee is no longer the youngest Autobot.
Ironhide struggles to get to a kneeled position and continues firing, breaking Bee out of his daze. "Get him out of here, now!" He raises up to a standing position and now fires with both cannons blazing and chest bleeding. "Take this!" he kicks the plate he had tore from his chest towards Bee and continues stepping forward into the incoming enemy. "You want me, you got me!"
Bee curls over the tiny Autobot. He clutches it to his chest using his sire's chest plate as a blanket-like shield over the child. He glances back. He could swear he saw tears on Ironhide's face as he advances toward the enemy, "Take that you good for nothing, scrap heads!"
Bee doesn't look back to the explosion he hears. It nearly knocks him off his feet. But he must follow Ironhide's orders. His last orders? He grips the sparkling tighter.
Bumble Bee scurries down the corridors as fast as he can. He can feel the life clutching him, hanging on for dear life. He's not sure, but he was sure he heard it cry out.
The yellow scout runs as hard and fast as he ever had. He manages to dodge falling debris. The hallway is closed off behind him. He knows he has to go deep and faster. The escape pods can be heard warming up. He has to hurry. Those pods are designed for humans… only. There is no other way out for the Autobots. Stand or die.
Bee takes out his own gun and fires into the floor. Maybe it was more destruction to the base, but the cost will be worth it if he can save this life. He makes at down to the escape pod bay and races towards it. "Mama!" the muffled life cries out behind the shield in his arms.
The humans are loading the last of the chests into the bunker. He recognizes one right away. She and one of the lab assistance are pounding and pounding on the smoking panel. "We have to release this! I can't let those bastards get all we have worked for." Chromia is now trying to push the secured pod loose. She can't.
"Is the shield activated?" the assistant asks.
Chromia steps back and looks, "Yes."
"Good. I have an idea," she points back to Bee is racing towards them.
Chromia turns. Her spark sinks. She knows by the shield clutched to his chest. what he is carrying.
"Noooo," she almost sinks to the floor in her own birth pains. The lab assistant pushes her towards the human escape pod.
"Come on, Chromia, get in. I'll take care of this."
But instead Chromia steps towards Bee. Bee smiles and lowers the shield that cradles her son. The little sparkling smiles up at her and reaches for her. The child is as big as herself. She can't carry him. But she can stroke his face
"You must go now. Commander's orders." Bee quietly gets out letting her know it's bad upstairs with Ironhide. They will be separated…again.
He steps past her and places the child in the human escape pod. Chromia strokes the child still within her then gets in beside her Autobot child on the floor.
"Is he…?" she starts to ask Bee about Ironhide.
He just shakes his head, "I don't know. I must get back. Go now. You don't have much time." The base rocks again. This time in a horrible tilt.
The lab assistant gets in to the escape pod, "Bee, we can't get the bunker loose."
He nods, "I've got it. Get them out of here now." He pounds the escape pod activation button. The door slides shut and releases them from the base. He can see through the window as Chromia grips her stomach tightly while using the other hand to stroke her son's face.
Bee fires a couple cannon shots off at the bunker. It breaks free of the city and drops like a ton of rocks. He has no time to sigh with relief. The water rushes in. He goes back to the hole he made and climbs out. The bot stays just a head of the rushing water. He finally makes it to a place where he can secure a bulk head. Now he can sigh.
~~ Bumblebee makes it outside and picks up where he left off. Firing away at the buzzing swarm of destruction. Just when it looks like a total loss, Optimus and reinforcements arrive through a space bridge. They annihilate the enemy.
Later the enemy is either on the run or smoldering on the city ruins. Bee helps Jolt gather the injured and remove the dead Autobots. Wheeljack helps Ratchet with triage. Optimus and Ironhide carefully go from enemy to enemy. They gather the dead to a tomb that will be shoved into the space bridge later. The ones who aren't dead, are with a quick photon blast to the head. No one will return to Mindwipe with any information about the Autobot sparkling. Then they join their brothers in the tomb. Ironhide has returned to his controlled self. He is all business. Even if he does have a chest plate missing exposing his red shreded under armor.
One weak Decepticon raises a gun towards Ironhide as he passes. The gun is pointed to the hole in Ironhide's armor. "Die, Ironhide."
"You first," and he lets off four rounds into the Decepticon's chest. Optimus turns from his own executed victim at the sound of multiple bursts. Ironhide blows the smoke from the barrel of his gun.
"Are you alright, Ironhide?" Optimus is concerned.
"Yeah, fine. I just need to get this done. I have better things to do today," he tries to keep his voice neutral. Then moves on after tossing this last carcass into the tomb. Optimus wrinkles his brow at his friend's coldness. He knows better. These Decepticons are getting Ironhide's silent wrath for hitting his home and threatening his family. This was all too painfully close to what Optimus lost. Ironhide would NOT let that happen on his watch.
After a couple more hours, the command team regroups back at the shell of the command center. "Report." Optimus commands.
The sergeant begins, "I've got ten dead. I have three are barely hanging on. About twenty other in the infirmary. I have about fifty still functioning here on the base. All the life pods were released with the civilians and scientists. No word yet on where they landed. But our communications net is down, too. It could be days."
Optimus watches Ironhide out of the corner of his eye. Ironhide clenches his jaw, but that is his only reaction. Optimus know much better than that. The black and bleeding mech is barely keeping it together. Ratchet tries to triage his wound, but Ironhide bats hi hand away.
"Bumble Bee." Optimus orders.
"The bunkers have been dropped. I have their readings on my personal locator. I'll send the sub when you are ready," Bee reports. He doesn't mention the child . He will leave that report to the sire.
Ratchet gives his report, "We lost three. I've got at least two more down for a couple more days. I will see what I can salvage from our comrades. Amazingly, I think the base took the hits worse than our teams."
"Well, that is the objective of a base. It looks pretty beat up. Seabee, how bad are we?" Optimus asks.
Seabee rubs his forehead, "Seventy five percent of the base is either gone or uninhabitable for either Autobot or human. It's going to be a long journey."
"Can you repair it or should we call for help from the other bases?" Optimus asks.
"I don't want to deplete the other bases of their personnel," Seabee sighs. Optimus gives him a sideways smirk.
"Seabee, that's how we work. I'll get he word out. You go make your list. Come back with exactly what and who you need. Go," he gently releases Seabee.
"Sergeant, find out what supplies you need for your humans. Go," he releases him too. "Jolt, go help Seabee. Wheeljack, check with the injured Autobots." He sends them away also.
That leaves Bee, Ratchet and Ironhide. He looks between them. They stay silent. Optimus nods towards the hole in Ironhide's chest. "Report."
"May I be excuse to search for the escape pods?" Ironhide only says. Optimus can see he is choking back his emotions. He makes a cough to keep them from escaping.
"Not yet. What happened?" Optimus gently orders his friend. Ironhide can't speak. It is taking all of his energy to keep his command mode in check.
Bee speaks up, "The child is on an escape pod with his mother."
Optimus turns to Ironhide, "Go. Bring them home." Ironhide only nods and shoots off out the hole in the command center window.
"Go with him, Bumble Bee. Bring them all home safely." Bee nods.
Ratchet then tells Optimus, "Ironhide's quarters are gone. The whole top two floors of the tower went straight to the seabed." Optimus drops his head. He knows that means Chromia's Autobot body is gone. Directly below that part of the base is a crevasse as deep as the Earth's core. There will be no returning Chromia to Autobot.
One more Chapter. Maybe two. Has he lost them…. Again? How will Chromia raise a sparkling and an infant? Alone? Is Mindwipe lurking in wait to take them?