Temerity

Part 25-Proximity

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.

Sunstreaker sat by himself in the rec room, steaming over Sides' stupidity. Damn slagger, getting himself shot, but then again, the stunt he'd pulled on Prowl the day before more than merited it. And now that his twin was supposed to be out of the med bay, he was back, by his own choice, no doubt enjoying cozying up to a certain triple changer recovering in the med bay. That was something nobody could have foreseen, not even him. Sideswipe. Interested in Springer. He shook his head in frustration. What was the world coming to?

Sunstreaker looked up when he heard footsteps, voices. He glanced toward the entrance. Prime. Walking in with Hot Rod. This was interesting.

-----

Hot Rod tossed and turned in his recharge, again remembering the past, this time a familiar nightmare.

Fear. He pushed it away, trying to concentrate on moving. He pushed himself up slowly, trying not to look at the others as he stood, but he couldn't help but see. Hot Rod found himself on his knees again, purging. Pushed himself up again, looking for danger. But it was past, for the moment. His unit--all four of them dead.

He didn't need to run a scan to tell himself he was badly damaged. He couldn't lift his right arm, nor online his weapons systems. But the modifications would help, he hoped. Except that wasn't his only concern at the moment. The case. That was all that mattered now. There, under Arclight. Hot Rod bent down, pulling the thing from underneath his fallen comrade. He punched in the access code, the box opened. Seeing the containment field still held, Hot Rod made his decision. Another set of codes and the field collapsed. He reached inside, knowing if he survived and Magnus found out the truth, he was as good as dead.

-----

Barricade held a struggling Frenzy in his hands. Nothing would get the little slagger to calm down.

:You know I won't hurt you and we need to talk to 'Warp and Thundercracker. It's important. And if you don't get Rumble to come I will give you to Ironhide to use as a. . .football.:

The tiny silver hacker stopped squirming, optic ridges turned down in a frown.

:Give me to the black evil one and you will die a horrible death:

Barricade glared back. :Did you know you can be understood when you communicate this way?:

The response was not what he expected.

:Get Rumble. Now:

Frenzy's optics dimmed as he commed his twin, who joined them moments later inside the quarters belonging to the two Decepticon Seekers.

Barricade frowned as he entered. Skywarp sat on his berth, legs dangling over, while Thundercracker sitting in a chair by the desk, looking bored.

"'Bout time you three got here," Thundercracker said. "We better make this fast because we don't want them to think something is up."

"Something is," Skywarp said. "Sort of. Idiot."

"Shut up, both of you," Barricade said. "This is beyond important."

The two flyers glared at each other but quickly backed down.

"Now, what do you want to tell me?" Barricade said.

Skywarp and Thundercracker exchanged a glance.

"Might as well tell him," Thundercracker said, shrugging. Skywarp raised an optic ridge.

:You're sure?: he asked.

:He wants to know what we know and we'll have to tell Prime eventually, and he has been patient with us. So we might as well spill: Thundercracker said.

"Starscream's dead," Skywarp said.

If Barricade was human, his jaw would have dropped. Not just from the news, but the casual way in which it was delivered. Like Skywarp just didn't care.

"What?" Barricade asked, unsure he was hearing correctly.

"Starscream. Is. Dead." Skywarp said.

"Are you sure?" Barricade said.

"As sure as can be. We felt him die, same as we felt Dirge die, only it was worse when Starscream went," Thundercracker said.

"When was this?"

"A few weeks ago," Skywarp said. "You knew he was headed back to Cybertron. . ."

"And to what do you attribute his death?" Barricade asked.

"Three guesses, as the humans say," Thundercracker said.

"Shockwave?"

The flyers didn't answer.

"What about the others?" Barricade asked.

"I don't know," Skywarp said. "There are a few here on Earth, others were coming, but now. . ."

"Is that why you were so ready to defect?" Barricade asked.

"It was better than the alternative," Thundercracker said. "I'll die before I let Shockwave near us again."

Frenzy shuddered, echoing the sentiment, and Rumble sidled closer to his twin. At least they all agreed on something.

-----

The next morning, Optimus found himself with five Decepticons waiting outside his office, wanting to finally share the intelligence they promised. And after several hours with them, followed by another hour with Kup and Prowl disseminating the information, the three Autobots came to the same conclusion--the five of them were holding back.

"We're lucky to get that much out of them," Kup said. "Considering. . ."

"But they might as well be lying," Prowl said.

"There is a difference between withholding information and telling an outright lie," Prime said. "We've all held back information during the war. This is no different."

"Really? How so?" Prowl asked, hands on hips. "They're Decepticons."

"Former," Kup said. "If you haven't noticed."

"Barricade is holding back, and I will find out what he is hiding," Prowl said. "And I'm fairly sure he's cowed the others into not revealing what they know."

"Prowl, drop it, or else," Prime said, anger in his tone. "That's enough. This discussion is over."

Prowl frowned.

"I'm trying to do my job," he said, not willing to let it drop.

"I know that, but I say in this instance, back off for the time being. Is that too much to ask?" Prime said.

Prowl relaxed a little. Prime didn't make it an order, but still. . .he had his ways.

"No," Prowl said. "Will there be anything else?"

"No," Prime said. "Get out of here. Go relax for once. If I see you with so much as data pad in your hands between now and morning, I'll haul you to Ratchet. And that means no hanging out in ops either. That is an order."

Kup grinned. "Is that an invitation to get out the high grade?" he said.

--

Prowl normally howled about breaking protocol, but in this case, having high grade in his office was all right. Especially when it was behind locked doors, like now. And Kup didn't break out his high grade stash for any occasion. Prowl knew it was partly in apology for shooting Sideswipe and running over Skywarp, and partly to keep him from spending another night working. It was also a weeknight, an night he should be working instead of imbibing. But he decided to throw logic out the window for once and relax. Prime did have his best interests at heart, as the humans said.

The second in command was sitting on his desk, enjoying his third container of high grade, and the office was starting to spin pleasantly. It never did take much to get him going. . .

"How long before he stands up on that desk and dances?" Kup said.

"I give him inside of the next 30 minutes," Prime said, taking a sip of his own high grade.

"He's going to hate us in the morning," Kup said.

Prime shrugged. "Doesn't matter. He needs this," he said.

"Only because he's being a stubborn pain in the aft. How dense does he have to be? Blind, this one is. . ." Kup said. "Speaking of dense. . .how's Hot Rod?"

Kup grinned behind his own high grade container as Prime tried to hide his spluttering.

"Fine, I imagine," Prime said.

"Haven't seen the lad all day," Kup said. "Considering he's working hard. I'm glad to see him finally shaping up again."

"Yes, he has been diligent in his duty lately," Prime said.

Before Kup could say anything, they heard strains of music coming from Prowl's direction.

". . .Baby show me, show me

What's your favorite trick that you wanna use on me

And I'll volunteer and I'll be flowin' and going

Till clothing disappears, ain't nothing but shoes on me

Oh, baby. . ."

The Autobot leader and head of base security exchanged a glance, then looked back over at Prowl, who was now standing on his desk, swaying gently to the music.

"Uh, Prime, I think we better do something before falls off his desk. . ." Kup said.

Before either could stand, Kup's words proved prophetic as Prowl crashed face first on the floor.

--

"And just what the hell were you thinking letting him dance on his desk? High grade in his office? And you're the one in charge. . ." Ratchet said, driving a finger into Prime's chest.

"And you," he said, turning on Kup. "You of all the damn Autobots on this base should know better. I'm very disappointed Kup. . ."

Ratchet stopped, hearing laughter. He saw Springer, still occupying his berth, arms crossed, laughing.

"Don't get me started on you, either. . ." the medic said. "I should declare the whole lot of you incompetent and unfit for duty."

"Go ahead," Prime said. "Then you'll be in charge. With nothing but Decepticons to command."

"Get your aft out of here before I weld it to your mouth," Ratchet said.

"That's anatomically impossible," Kup said, deciding to push Ratchet even further.

Ratchet's optics narrowed. "Want to find out just how impossible that is, old timer?"

"Maybe some other time," Kup said, grinning. He grabbed Prime by the arm, dragging him from the med bay. "C'mon. We better let Hatchet cool down."

The resounding clang echoed down the corridor, bringing more than one mech out of their quarters to see what was going on. They were rewarded by the sight of Prime dragging Kup's prone body into the med bay.

-----

Hot Rod answered the chime, was rewarded by the sight of Optimus standing at his door.

"Can I hide here for a while?" Optimus asked.

Before Hot Rod could answer, his leader pushed past him.

"Close the door. I don't want Ratchet to know I'm here. . ." Optimus said.

Hot Rod stared at his leader, optic ridge raised questioningly. He crossed his arms, wondering what was going on.

"What did you do to Ratchet?" Hot Rod asked.

"It's not what I've done to Ratchet, it's what he'll do to me if he catches me," Optimus said. "He's not too happy with me right now."

"Why?"

"Kup and Prowl and I were drinking in Prowl's office. Prowl had too much to drink, started dancing on his desk, fell off and knocked himself out. Ratchet didn't think we were being very responsible, and he also took offense at Kup's attitude so Kup is now unconscious in the med bay and I fear if Ratchet catches up with me, I will share the same fate," Optimus said.

Hot Rod bit back a grin.

"How much have you had to drink?" he asked.

"Enough," Prime said. "I don't think I can make it back to my own quarters, so may I stay here? And besides, that will be the first place Ratchet looks. . ."

"As long as you don't take me down with you," Hot Rod said. "First sign of trouble, Ratchet can have you."

--

Hot Rod noticed something wasn't quite right. He was scrunched up against the wall and now that he thought about it now that he was fully awake, he wasn't alone in his berth. What the hell? Then he remembered. Optimus. Drunk, hiding in his quarters. And when Hot Rod decided he was tired enough to try to get some rest himself, Optimus was out cold at his desk, head resting on his folded arms. But obviously between then and now, the Autobot leader must've decided he'd be more comfortable in the berth, nevermind it was already occupied. Plus his arms were wrapped around Hot Rod. Not that he minded. . .but it was Optimus, regardless of how he felt and the decision he'd made, Prime was drunk and obviously not himself.

"Optimus. . ." Hot Rod whispered.

Nothing.

"Optimus," he said, louder this time.

Again, nothing.

:Optimus:

The Autobot leader came crashing out of the berth, hitting the ground.

Hot Rod sat up, staring down at his leader.

"What? What is it?" Optimus said, looking around, realizing he was not in his own quarters.

"Maybe you should go back to your quarters. . ." Hot Rod offered helpfully.

"One word--Ratchet," Optimus said.

"Well, maybe you'd be more comfortable in your own berth because mine's kind of cramped. . ." Hot Rod said.

Optimus raised an optic ridge. "One would think you wouldn't mind. . ."

"I don't. . ." Hot Rod said. "But. . ."

Optimus tried a different tactic.

". . .and I wanna sleep with you

in the desert tonight

with a billion stars all around

'cause I gotta peaceful easy feeling. . ."

"You know, at some point, I'm going to hold you to that, but not tonight, Optimus," Hot Rod said, grinning. "C'mon. Come back to sleep."

He offered a hand, helping up his still unsteady leader.

-----

Note: The lyrics used in this chapter are from Ciara's "Love Sex Magic" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling" by the Eagles. I do not own these songs.