[Location: Autobot Base]
She settled in overall well in the week since her introduction to the world of the Cybertronians. Not being one to intrude herself in other's affairs, Ellan kept to herself and out of the way as she had always done in the human world. That was unless the kids were in the base. Jack and Raf were both respectful young men that stood back and let Miko do the talking overall, but when they were in the same room they inquired how she was settling in.
Miko was easy to hear with her loud exclamations and sound effects, not to mention her music. It seemed as if the young lady would seek her out shortly after arriving, asking her questions and poking her nose around. Ellan had to admit that she was slowly growing on her.
When it was just her and Ratchet at the base, the medic would allow her to read over mission files and would share his stories of the events before her time with them. The medic reminded her a lot of her grandfather, old fashioned, set in his ways, but always thinking. That little reminder helped ease some of the pain. When she could focus she worked with the medic bot on image designs for at least completing the coverings to her new body.
One afternoon, a rare occasion that most of them were in the base, the teens were in their area playing whatever video games they had at the time while Bulkhead and Bumblebee cheered them on. Ellan was hiding in one of the storage bays looking through some of the raw building supplies that Agent Fowler had delivered that day. Ratchet was working on his usual station, running a diagnostic to a new subsystem, while Arcee and Optimus were out scouting a new energon spike.
[Location: Under the Southern Ozark Mountain Range]
The cavern was extensive, but obviously mined into its size instead of naturally made. Wary of Decepticons, the pair slowly made their way through the series of large tunnels, running their scanners on high.
"I'm not sure I like the idea of keeping her at the base," Arcee stated plainly.
"You have the right to be cautious, Arcee," Optimus replied, "but remember that M.E.C.H. does not seem to be concerned over who they hurt to get what they want."
Recalling the night that M.E.C.H. had kidnapped June made the motorcycle pause with a frown. Getting herself back on track, she turned to watch Optimus' back as they moved further into the cavern. "That's true, but we don't know if she's even telling the truth or if this is an extreme ruse set up by M.E.C.H. to bring us down from the inside."
"She, too, has brought up that concern, fearful that she is an unwilling part in such a plan."
"Oh, that makes me feel loads better." The sarcasm was hard to miss in her voice, but she had to smile when she heard Optimus chuckle.
"Perhaps you should speak with her. That way you will have more to base your feelings on her, one way or another."
"Just don't expect me to make friends."
When it opened up into a huge expanse, both bots stopped short. This wasn't a Decepticon made mine. Down below were several humans working machines that were harvesting large quantities of energon crystals, at least in human standards. The humans were dressed in the usual M.E.C.H. uniform, including their covered faces. At the sight, Acree muttered her favorite swear. "Scrap…"
Both bots crouch low to keep from being spotted as they observed. What they had mined below was being loaded into large rail cars to their collective right. Arcee noted that the tracks were exactly the same as the ones that ran to the laboratory that Ellan was kept. While Optimus kept guard, his partner mapped the area for their records. Also they would add this location to the one where they picked up their newest member and try to see if there was really a connection to the railway.
"Grab what energon you can." Optimus ordered quietly.
"Optimus. We need to shut them down!" Arcee hissed back.
"With as much energon here, and not knowing exactly what is above us, we cannot risk a fire fight at the moment."
Knowing he was right, the female fighter slowly crawled backwards until she was completely out of view. Optimus joined her, the two gathering as many crystals they could carry, before he called Ratchet for a ground bridge back to base.
[Location: Autobot Base]
As the pair walked into the base the teens were rushing to see them enter, while Bulkhead and Bumblebee calmly walked over.
"What a haul!" Miko cheered.
"Did you find a useable energon mine?" the green wrecker asked, hope filling his voice. Bumblebee beeped and clicked his excitement as well, his face and body frame further conveying the emotion.
"We found a mine alright," Arcee said as she and Optimus gently deposited the crystals into a handful of crates, "but so did M.E.C.H."
"Which explains the crystals found in that laboratory," Ratchet said as he and the other two bots began to cart the crates further into the base.
"We found a similar rail way running through it as well." Optimus spoke next. "It should lead to other M.E.C.H. locations."
Ellan had heard the ground bridge activate and had walked in to see who was coming or going. When the three male bots moved towards her she quickly pressed herself against the wall to move out of their way, each thanking her in their own way. Seeing that there were other crates she moved over to help carry them. Optmus had grabbed one as well and began to follow, but when Ellan reached down to grab the last box Arcee got to it before she did and the blue fem-bot followed the others.
At a loss at what to do, she snapped her fingers then clapped her hands together, a nervous habit she had when she felt awkward, gave the kids her best smile and mumbled about going back to working in her room.
After the Autobots deposited the crates in the storage room set aside for just such special cargo, they filed back out of the room. As they passed Arcee stopped outside of Ellan's room, the door left open for anyone and everyone to see what she was doing. Ratchet and Optimus had stopped beside her to watch their newest member, who currently had her back turned towards them. Whatever she was working on she was focused intently with an arc welder in hand.
The leader gently patted her shoulder, which made her look up at him and then with a resigned sigh she stepped into the room. The two elder bots walked back into the main room so Optimus could update their maps.
The blue motorcycle stepped into the room, using her hand to shield her optics from the sparks the arc welder was spitting up once in a while. She waited until skeletal bot had stopped what she was doing before she spoke. "Doesn't look like a limb to me."
Ellan pulled off her welding helmet that she had made out of some spare parts she found laying around in what the former military tenants had left behind in some storage areas. Not looking up at Arcee, she set the arc welding torch down.
"I know you don't like me being here. I'm not liking the idea myself. I get it, you're the alpha female and you think I'm trying to nudge my way in. If there was someplace else for me to stay I would be there."
"Just a bit of a trust issue. Nothing good has ever come from M.E.C.H.."
"Agreed."
Arcee placed most of her weight on one foot as she rested her hand on the opposite hip, "So… if it's not a replacement limb… what is it?"
Ellan held up the cylinder with a rough looking handle on the side. "A mug. A poor attempt at one at least."
"Why?" Arcee tilted her head to the side to look at the object and even took a hold of it when Ellan passed it to her to look the object over. "We don't drink liquids."
"I know," Ellan sat back a bit with a smirk, "but I always did my best thinking with a mug in my hand, didn't matter if I had anything in it or not. Just something silly."
The motorcycle had to crack a smile at how quirky their new team member was. She was going to fit in just fine. "So what are you going to do about your body?"
Ellan looked over at some frames. "Basing some of it off of you, since you are the only woman around that I can. I hope you don't mind."
"Just… try not to look like a repaint."
The newbie shared her humor with a chuckle of her own. "Don't worry. I'm not. Unfortunately I can't really do much to slim down the core frame, but I can make it more… curvy."
"How are you going to transform without a T-cog?"
"I'm not." She took the mug back, "I didn't build this completely according to their specs. I didn't allow for a T-cog, but I don't know if it would succeed with this poorly crafted form anyways."
"Maybe Ratchet can fix that."
"I'll accept his help, but he's already tried to take this over."
Arcee chuckled as she sat next to the other woman, "You'll get use to that."
[Author's Note]
I DO NOT OWN TRANSFORMERS PRIME NOR ANY CHARACTER IN THE SHOW. I'm just a fan that wanted to have a bit of fun with adding an OC into the TF Prime world.
Thank you for taking your time to read this and I hope to have more posted soon.