Temerity
Part 19-Conciliation
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.
Two days in the med bay was more than enough for Ironhide. He was glad to finally be let out, tired of listening to the constant verbal battle between Springer and Ratchet. Now he was on his way to Prime's office for a much-needed conversation.
Prime sighed when he saw his weapons officer enter his office.
"I hear Hot Rod's taken over my duties temporarily," Ironhide said.
"Weapons practice is not taking over your duties and now that you're out of the med bay, you can have it back if you want it that badly," Prime said.
"I didn't come here for a fight," Ironhide said. "I just checked on him and he's doing a good job, which I might add, I did not expect. Blue's actually paying attention and the twins are trying to outdo each other."
"Haven't you figured out by now they do better if you don't yell all the time?" Prime said, not looking up from the data pad he was reading.
"And haven't you gotten it that I'm trying to apologize?" Ironhide said. "I heard about how he protected Epps and Lennox, got himself shot in the process. I still want answers, but he's shown he can be depended on."
"Have you told Hot Rod this yet?"
"No," Ironhide said. "But I will."
"Good," Prime said. "I have work to do, so. . ."
"No, you don't. You're coming with me," Ironhide said.
"What?"
"Haven't you heard of what the humans call 'hooky?'"
-----
Ratchet ignored the glare Springer leveled on him.
"Keep that up and you won't get any visitors today," the medic said.
The response, over his private comm, in Cybertronian, was impressive.
"Do that again and I'll turn off your vocalizer and your internal comm," Ratchet said. "I'd forgotten you're worse than the twins put together."
"Don't let them hear that, Ratchet, or they'll try to outdo him," Hot Rod said, entering the med bay, a grin on his face.
"'Bout time you got here," Springer said. "He's holding me prisoner."
"He is not, and you know it," Hot Rod said. "Be nice, or he'll keep you in here a long time."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but he's right," Ratchet said.
"See?"
"Shut up," Springer said. "Where've you been, anyway?"
"Patrol, weapons drills, helping outfit ops, which is looking more like it should since Grapple and Hoist are working on it now," Hot Rod said.
"I miss anything interesting?"
"Not really," Hot Rod said. "Although Prowl's looking really confused lately, more than usual. And he can't figure out why Bluestreak leaves the room every time he comes in."
"I hope I'm there when Prowlie's lights finally come on," Springer said. "I'm surprised Jazz hasn't just come out and told him. How long has he been waiting on him?"
"A long time," Hot Rod said.
"Like some other mech I could name. . ." Springer said.
"Shut up," Hot Rod said.
"You're stubborn," Springer said.
"So are you."
"But I'm better looking," Springer said, grinning.
"You wish," Hot Rod said. "How long you going to be in here?"
"Hatchet hasn't said."
"Eternity, if you don't follow orders," Ratchet said, coming back from his office. "You need to rest. And you can come back later."
"No problem," Hot Rod said.
"Wait," Ratchet said. "Did you know he counts baby petrorabbits in his sleep?"
Hot Rod started to laugh.
"Hey--I do not, and it's not funny," Springer protested.
"Yeah, and he's done it since I've known him. He even got Blurr started on it when we were all stationed in the same barracks," Hot Rod said.
"Some badass you are," Ratchet said.
"Ratchet, when I get out of here, I'm going to kill you," Springer said.
"I've heard that before, and I'm still standing here. It'll take more than an angry sparkling to finish me," Ratchet said.
-----
Prime sat by Ironhide, shoulder to shoulder at the lookout, watching the sun go down. It had been a good day. Ironhide dragged him out into the desert, showing him the sights their new planet had to offer, yet he hadn't had the chance to see. It was his friend's way of helping make amends, and though he was glad for the opportunity for a day away from his duties, Optimus was even more grateful to have things patched up.
"You're thinking too hard," Ironhide said. "Stop it."
"How can you tell?" Prime asked.
"I've always been able to," Ironhide said. "Your energy field positively whines."
"It does not," Prime said.
"Does too. Even Ratchet's noticed. Alpha Trion's did too," Ironhide said. "You're just like him in that respect. And the same bad sense of humor."
"At least my sense of humor is not built on the size of explosions I can cause," Prime said.
Ironhide ignored the barb.
"I seem to recall some rather large explosions caused by a certain Prime over the years," Ironhide said.
"Really? Which Prime would this be?"
"Don't feign innocence with me, you slagger. You know exactly what I'm talking about," Ironhide said. "The day you took out half the lab, another time at the Academy when you and Wheeljack decided to online those engines you were working on and another time when you 'accidentally' detonated half the Vindicator."
"That was indeed an accident, no matter what Megatron said."
"No, you were angry, felt the need to prove a point and showed an emergency separation would be beneficial if needed," Ironhide said. "Too bad you detonated the wrong half of the ship."
"I know. I could have saved us all a great deal of trouble," Prime said.
"Don't go getting gloomy on me," Ironhide said.
"I'm not," Prime said. "Do you remember the look on his face?"
"His new toy broke and by his younger twin? How could I forget? That was the day you realized you were every bit his equal and more, and proved it," Ironhide said.
"I only regret the destruction of such a ship," Prime said.
"You didn't for an instant, and I bet you still don't."
"No, I don't. And to set the record straight, I knew exactly what part of the ship I was detonating," Prime said.
"Not an accident then?"
"No."
Ironhide was impressed. After days of arguments and putting off the completion of Megatron's flagship because of the demands his brother had about just how he wanted things, Prime had had enough. In a rare fit of anger, he'd uplinked with the Vindicator from the nearby orbital station, undocked the ship from its moorings, forced the ship to separate into its two components, then detonated the command center instead of the rest of the ship.
The destruction of the 'wrong half' caused a six-month delay as construction had to start again, then the re-fit took even more time, causing Megatron fits. But it had caused him to develop a healthy respect for just what his younger twin was capable of if provoked.
"Admit it. You like explosions as much as the rest of us," Ironhide said finally.
"A good blast can be quite satisfying sometimes," Prime said. "But don't tell Wheeljack. If you do. . ."
"I won't," Ironhide said. "C'mon. Let's head back to base. I know where Sideswipe's moved his high grade stash."
-----
Sideswipe caught Ironhide and his leader removing some of his high-grade from its latest hiding place, and was surprised they weren't taking it because he was in trouble. Suspicious at first, he was ready to run but didn't when he realized they were both in a good mood. So, being a loyal, considerate mech, he offered up part of his stash on the condition it be shared with others. So the rest of the evening went downhill from there, depending on one's outlook.
The party made its eventual way to the rec room, with Decepticons and Autobots alike taking part, along with Sam, Mikaela and Bumblebee and a game of truth or dare, which turned rowdy, although not everyone was participating.
Mikaela noticed how Hot Rod held himself apart from the others. Some thought it was arrogance, but she took it for what it was--loneliness. For whatever, reason, he couldn't bring himself to join in, which ran contrary to what she heard from the others about this young Autobot.
Sometimes he seemed like he wasn't much older than she and Sam, but times like now, he seemed older than his actual age. Withdrawn, almost surly, snappish. Kup kept him level, and Springer also helped, and even Optimus was a calming presence when he was around Hot Rod. He felt like an outsider even when among friends. She knew how he felt, but wondered why if things were going better, why was he holding himself apart? She decided to find out, walking over.
"You could join in, you know," Mikaela said.
"I could, and I won't," Hot Rod said.
"You don't have to be so stubborn," Mikaela countered.
"Who says I'm being stubborn?"
"Well, petulant works for me," she said.
"I'm not being petulant."
"Sure looks like it," Mikaela said. "Will you please just try? For a few minutes? It'll keep Ratchet off your back. . ."
"What?"
That got his attention.
"Ratchet's been muttering about how anti-social you've been, and I overheard him this evening talking to Optimus about it. If you behavior doesn't change, he wants to try counseling," she said.
He frowned, but his frame relaxed, tension releasing just a bit.
"So, what is this game called?" Hot Rod said.
Mikaela smiled. "Truth or dare."
Hot Rod followed, joining the circle.
-----
The next morning, there weren't too many mechs on base who weren't hung over. Ratchet was one, Springer the other. Ratchet found Sideswipe and Sunstreaker passed out on the rec room floor, Frenzy draped over Sunstreaker's shoulder, cuddling an empty can of Red Bull like a human child would a stuffed animal. He found Rumble laying in a pile of empty cans, happily offline.
He'd checked on everyone else, finding them either in their quarters or passed out someplace in between. Must've been a hell of a night, Ratchet thought, only slightly regretful he hadn't been able to join in, but he had a med bay to put in order and a patient to keep an eye on. He figured he'd be seeing them all in the med bay at some point.
-----
Optimus made his way to his office, going over the night before in his head. He had an image of Ironhide laying face-down on the table, too exhausted and drunk to do much besides laugh at nothing at all stuck in his processor, along with Kup flipping his chair trying to get Ironhide to stop. He also recalled Prowl curled up in Jazz's lap for some particular reason. Not that that was a surprising new development. New yes, surprising, no. It had taken them long enough. . .but the sight had been so. . .endearing. He reminded himself to not use "Prowl" and "endearing" in the same sentence. But when queried earlier that day about it, neither his second- or third-in-command remembered anything.
Convenient, that, but knowing Jazz, he was far to patient and considerate to push Prowl, who did not need pushed at this point, but tied down and shoved kicking and screaming toward Jazz and Bluestreak.
He pushed it from his mind, starting to go over what needed done for the day.
-----
Hot Rod tried figuring out what he'd done wrong in the past couple of days to end up being called to Prime's office. He hadn't fought with anyone, shot anyone, taken off on his own, mainly because he'd either been too busy or tired and he found himself at the door so he decided he might as well get it over with.
"You're being temporarily reassigned," Prime said, seeing him at the door.
Hot Rod raised an optic ridge.
"You've done nothing wrong. Kup's requested your help with security detail. Smokescreen's helping with what he can, and with Springer out, you're best suited for what Kup needs. And bear in mind Barricade has also been assigned to Kup, so if there are any conflicts, report them immediately. Any questions?"
"No sir," Hot Rod said.