Temerity
Part 16-Candor
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers. They belong to Hasbro and Takara. I am merely taking them for a short spin.
"Sometimes solutions aren't so simple,
Sometimes good bye's the only way."
--Shadow of the Day, Linkin Park
Temerity-Unreasonable contempt of danger; extreme venturesomeness; rashness.
Five a.m. conference calls were something Prime was learning to dread. SecDef Keller seemed to not care about the time difference between Tranquility and Washington, D.C. Not that a long night bothered Prime. It was just something about being ousted out of one's berth before the crack of dawn that was unsettling. This call was expected, considering the topic. Decepticons, again. And just what they were going to do with the latest bunch.
That's a good question, Prime thought, making his way to the rec room. It was empty, with the exception of Kup, who was getting his morning energon.
"You're up early," Kup said.
"Conference call with DC," Prime said.
"That go well?"
"Not exactly," Prime said, grabbing his own energon. "He's angry, wanted to know why we just didn't "put them down" when we had the chance."
"Those three weren't exactly trying too hard," Kup said.
"I know," Prime said. "I'll talk to them later today, see what I can do."
-----
Skywarp tried to sit up when he saw Prime enter the med bay, but the Autobot leader walked over, giving him a gentle shove back toward the berth.
"Relax," Prime said. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Skywarp said. "I'd be even better if I knew what was going to happen to us."
"That's why I'm here," Prime said. "How is Thundercracker?"
"Hatchet is keeping him offline," Skywarp said. "For his own good, whatever that means."
"And Rumble?"
"Also offline."
"Will we be allowed to see Barricade?" Skywarp asked.
"I'll run it by Ratchet," Prime said. "I don't see why not, he's doing much better, but Ratchet has the final say."
"Your medic would have made a fine Decepticon," Skywarp said, giving Prime a sardonic smile.
"The thought has crossed my mind more than once," Prime said. "He can be particularly ruthless when motivated."
"Can't you control him?" Skywarp said.
"No one, and I mean no one but Ratchet controls Ratchet," Prime said, mirth in his optics.
Skywarp raised an optic ridge. "He's dangerous."
"I know," Prime said. "But in all seriousness, I'm sure you're aware of the gravity of your situation."
Skywarp sat back on the berth, withdrawing. Prime put a hand on his shoulder.
"You're safe here," Prime said. "And I'm sure you're aware Barricade has been given amnesty in return for information he is going to provide. I must go, but I'll be back later."
Prime turned to go, stopped when Skywarp spoke again.
"We can help you," Skywarp said. "I know Megatron always thought I wasn't very smart, but I have a few ideas about how we can help you protect your network, and the humans. Rumble broke through your firewall without even thinking and I know what the others did to the humans when they arrived. We can take the virus we carry naturally, combine it with your Autobot coding and create a nearly invincible firewall for yourselves and the humans."
-----
As expected, the prospect of combining the Decepticon virus with Autobot coding excited Perceptor and Wheeljack, setting both off on tangents that had nothing to with what Prime really wanted to know. Ratchet had asked for and been granted permission to let the engineer and scientist go over the scans of the modifications to Hot Rod's processor. They'd had a couple of days to go over the data, but it was the first opportunity Prime had to ask them.
"What have you found out?" Prime asked, once they were back on track.
"Don't you recognize. . ." Perceptor started, but stopped when he saw the look in Wheeljack's optics.
"Recognize what?" Prime asked.
"That this work is similar to the template you designed for the interface with the ARK ships," Perceptor said.
Prime didn't move, didn't speak.
"That will be all, Perceptor," Prime said. "Thank you."
The two watched their leader leave their makeshift lab, exchanging a glance.
"Don't you see what's been done here?" Wheeljack asked Perceptor. "Somebody took what he was doing and advanced it. This is way beyond the preliminary designs he had worked up before the ships were built. Springer has the old interface wired into his processor, but this is. . .amazing."
"Yes, but what are these other modifications?"
"Don't know. Guess we'll have to figure it out," Wheeljack said, fins flashing blue, glad to have a challenge.
-----
Barricade knew he was risking the medic's wrath, leaving as he had. His weapons were offline, and there wasn't much damage he could inflict on anyone at the moment, and he didn't relish the thought of ramming into something again. And now he was heading off to meet the Autobot who'd nearly killed him. To Barricade, the incident wasn't personal, merely a means to an end. He and Frenzy were safe, for the moment, barring Ratchet's involvement. But if Starscream found out where they were, and he would, they were as good as dead. At least with the Autobots they had a fighting chance.
Barricade picked the lookout for his meeting with Hot Rod. It was close to the base, not so far he couldn't make it there and back without much difficulty. He transformed when he head the other mech coming. Hot Rod transformed when he was close enough.
"You realize when Ratchet finds you gone you're in big trouble," Hot Rod said.
"Hatchet is the least of my worries," Barricade answered.
"Call him that to his face and you won't be living long," Hot Rod said.
"He lets Frenzy call him that, and the twins."
"He's humoring Frenzy and has a soft spot for the twins," Hot Rod said.
"I don't care. The name suits him better," Barricade said.
"True, but we didn't come out here to talk about Ratchet's name. What do you want?" Hot Rod asked.
"There are things you need to know," Barricade said.
"Such as?" Hot Rod said, optics narrowed.
"You didn't seem to take me very seriously when I said Shockwave is alive," Barricade said.
"And how would you know?" Hot Rod said.
"It's one of the reasons Starscream went back to Cybertron," Barricade said. "Shockwave is trying to gather what Decepticons he can for his own purposes. Megatron's demise has formed a vacuum, one Shockwave plans to fill himself. And when he does, it is only a matter of time before he comes to this backwater little planet."
Barricade watched the Autobot, looking for any reaction. Hot Rod only glared back.
"It'll be months. . ."
"You hope," Barricade said.
"Just what do you know about the Vector?" Hot Rod finally asked.
"I know the ship disappeared, and I know something of what lead to that particular incident," Barricade said. "And that it somehow involved you and another suicide mission."
"It didn't start out that way," Hot Rod said. "But since you know that much, I can tell you this--the Vector is gone. I gave the order to detonate the ship myself."
Barricade's optics widened in surprise, but he recovered quickly, surprised the Autobot was willing to share that bit of information with him.
"And that's why you don't remember--you were still linked with it, weren't you?"
"Yes."
"What happened to. . ."
"The others? I don't know. But I thought. . .we'd destroyed him. . ."
"Look at it this way Autobot--you'll get another chance," Barricade said.
--
The sun was going down when Prowl commed Hot Rod.
:I don't suppose you've seen Barricade?:
:Funny you should ask. . .: Hot Rod replied.
:He's with you?:
:Bringing him back to base as we speak:
:Thank you. I'll let Ratchet know:
--
Barricade flinched when Ratchet threw a wrench at him and missed. The medic was just getting warmed up, it appeared. Skywarp sat up on his berth, stasis cuffs finally gone, grinning at Barricade as Ratchet paced back and forth. Barricade was impressed with the language coming from the medic. He knew how to swear very well in Earth English. But what really got the Decepticon's attention was when Ratchet switched to their native language. Five pairs of Decepticon optics widened, clearly impressed instead of cowering.
Ratchet noticed his tirade wasn't having the usual effect.
"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" he asked.
"It's just that we've never heard an Autobot use language like that before," Thundercracker said.
"Get used to it, sparky, because you're going to hear a lot more of it if you all don't learn to cooperate," Ratchet said. "Have I made myself clear?"
"Crystal," Barricade said.
"Good. Get out. Go rest, or I will give you a reason to stay here tonight," Ratchet said.
Barricade left the med bay, headed toward the quarters he was now sharing with the medic. Strange days, indeed.
-----
Kup didn't knock upon entering Hot Rod's quarters. He simply let himself in.
"You still don't know how to knock," Hot Rod said, sitting up on his berth, setting down the data pad he was reading.
"Don't need to, because I knew you were here," Kup said, pulling up a chair. "I hear you brought in Barricade tonight. That was. . .responsible of you."
Hot Rod didn't answer.
"That's what I though. What did he have to say to you?"
"Stuff," Hot Rod said.
"Stuff?" Kup said. "That's all I'm going to get out of you? You're not a half-grown sparkling like you were when we first met, and that's not going to work on me now. What's really going on?"
"I'd rather not say," Hot Rod answered.
"Lad, I know you have a lot to deal with right now, but if you need to talk. . ." Kup said.
"I know. You're not the only one that's offered," Hot Rod said.
"When you're ready then," Kup said. He decided to try a different tactic.
"So, you've been spending a lot of time with Prime lately," he said.
"So?" Hot Rod said.
"Anything going on there I need to know about?" Kup said.
"Not you too. . .I had this same conversation with Springer the other day," Hot Rod said. "No."
"You sure, lad?" Kup said.
"Pretty sure Kup, and that's the last thing I need right now," Hot Rod said. "Besides, Prime? Are you crazy?"
"Stranger things have happened, lad," Kup said. "Look at Ultra Magnus and Ironhide."
Hot Rod shot him a look that could kill.
"All right, lad, bad example, and one of the last names on the planet you want to hear, but you know it's true," Kup said.
"Kup, maybe you need to see Ratchet. . .when was your last maintenance check-up?"
"All right lad, that's just mean," Kup said.
Hot Rod shot him a grin this time.
"Just looking out for you, old-timer," Hot Rod said.
"I'll 'old-timer' you, sparkling," Kup said, smiling back. "I should go, let you get some rest."
"'Night Kup," Hot Rod said.
-----
Kup walked down the corridor, considering his conversation with Hot Rod. For all his bravado and cocky grins, the young Autobot was still confused, hurting and angry underneath it all. He'd know him long enough to know. Springer could tell also, but didn't quite know how to handle it, and Prime sensed it and did what he could. Between the four of them, and the scant few others who actually could stand to be near Hot Rod, they were helping, but how much, Kup didn't know. Hot Rod did seem better, a little more confident that he finally had an assignment.
And he was obviously feeling ornery enough to tease his old mentor. Kup smiled at that. Hot Rod had always known just what buttons to push from the instant they met. And that had been a hell of a night, finding the young Autobot in a raid on an illegal weapons lab, and in Kaon of all places. Hot Rod had never explained, even to him, how he'd gotten there, and even Springer wouldn't share what he knew. The two closed ranks on him when he asked, so Kup finally stopped asking.
They also didn't answer questions about their pasts, or how they met, forcing the ancient mech to accept them as they were. At the time, they were too old to be placed with the Civil Ministry for rehabilitation and too young to yet be on their own, so they ended up with him. Hot Rod first, then Springer a few months later. Best year of his life, even though the war was going on, he got busted down to training recruits again and everything was going to hell, as the humans said. But the two young Autobots went from his wards, to his trainees to his friends. Both still looked to him for guidance and support, but it was different now that they were older and adults in their own right.
And the fact both Hot Rod and Springer, his lads, were alive and together again warmed his spark in ways he couldn't begin to describe.