Dirty Little Secrets 4
Hiding Place
A Transformers Prime Fanfiction
:Warning: Violence and sexual content
"Prime!"
Ratchet shot a wary glance at the human who had stormed through the elevator doors. The shout had become so familiar he barely recognized it anymore but something was different today. There was barely controlled rage in the tone and the medic had never seen such pure fury in the human's dark eyes. He subtly scanned the agent and noted in concern that his vitals were elevated across the board and it looked like he had been sustaining those levels for some time. Ah well, the medic thought with a shrug, it was Optimus's problem not his. As if on cue the patient leader of the Autobots stepped up and greeted the human. Fowler strode to the edge of the platform and peered around the silo.
"Where's Bulkhead?"
"He is in the training area Agent Fowler." The Autobot declined to mention that the ex-Wrecker had arrived in his own ill concealed rage and had spent the last several hours tearing up the training room.
"Would you mind getting him out here?"
The Prime contacted the ex-Wrecker while keeping an optic on the human. He could not remember seeing the man this furious. Fowler's dark skin was flushed and his hands were clenched so tightly over the rail that his knuckles were losing their color. His heart rate was well into the danger zone and the air around him was thick with aggression pheromones.
"Agent Fowler," the Prime began cautiously, "has there been an incident that I should be aware of?"
The man glanced up at him and made a visible effort to calm himself. He took several deep breaths and shook his head; not to negate the Prime's question but to clear his mind.
"Maybe Prime, maybe. Bulkhead! Where were you earlier tonight?" the human snapped as the bulky mech walked into sight.
"Uh, around a couple of different places," the Autobot answered uncertainly. "Why?"
"At the Jasper spring festival someone reported that a convertible got totaled in the parking lot. There were also reports on a man being run down by a large green SUV. He was seriously injured and had to be air lifted to the hospital."
All optics were now on Bulkhead as he shifted uncomfortably. The mech was glancing everywhere, everywhere but at Optimus. The leader of the Autobots narrowed his optics; millennia of working with his team had granted him great insight into each of them. From the warrior's reaction there was no doubt in his mind that the ex-Wrecker had indeed been the one to harm the human. It might have been unavoidable but the fact that he had not immediately reported it did not bode well.
"Bulkhead," the Prime said quietly, but there was iron in his tone. "Perhaps you should explain yourself to Agent Fowler."
"Yeah," agent snarled, "like why you left that walking waste of carbon molecules breathing. Hit a little harder and you would have saved Uncle Sam a lot of time and money."
"Agent Fowler!" Optimus looked at the seething human in shock and confusion.
Bulkhead was equally surprised for a moment, but then his face settled into a fierce grin.
"How much do you know," he asked cagily.
"She asked you not to tell didn't she?" Fowler's tone had suddenly changed.
Optimus noted with some concern the rapid drop in blood pressure and the slump of exhaustion that seemed to take hold of the man.
"Um," Bulkhead hesitated again and Fowler let out a groan.
"Where is she?" he finally asked.
"Hiding," the green mech said flatly.
"Where?"
"She doesn't want to be found," Bulkhead continued stubbornly.
"Look Bulk, I know we don't always see eye to optic but you need to trust me on this one. The last thing Miko needs is to be alone right now. She might not want to see me but I'm guessing from the reports I got that she was injured in the altercation."
"I don't know," the green mech said uncertainly.
"Well I do. I've already contacted Nurse Darby and she's on her way here, but I need to talk to Miko now." The man paused with a pained sigh and looked up at Optimus searchingly. "Prime, I guarantee you this has nothing to do with the Decepticons and the proper authorities are handling it; other than that this is highly classified. I'm going to have to ask Bulkhead to keep quiet about this incident."
The leader of the Autobots narrowed his optics and gazed silently at the human for a moment.
"Very well," he finally conceded.
Fowler sagged in relief and headed in the direction Bulkhead indicated. Before he rounded the corner however her turned and looked Optimus straight in the optics.
"I can and will say this Prime. Given the circumstances Bulkhead showed remarkable restraint. More than I might have shown in his place."
After he disappeared a pregnant silence fell over the silo. The green mech shifted nervously under the combined gazes of his Prime and the medic before muttering an excuse and scuttling down the corridor in the direction of the training room. Ratchet turned to Optimus with a frown.
"Optimus, I will begin prepping the medbay for a human."
The Prime nodded slowly. There was no need for more words between them. He moved to take Ratchet's place at the main computer and dedicated several subroutines to analyzing the data Ratchet had been working with. The greater portion of his processor was devoted to what had just transpired. The only logical conclusion was that Miko had been in some kind of danger and her guardian had defended her. Judging from Fowler's reaction she had been in grave danger indeed. The Autobot leader took a moment to regain control at the thought. He was not, had not been for a very long time, in a position where he could afford to lose control of his emotions and do something rash; but this.
His processor seemingly of its own accord came up with the image of the human child crouched in fear in some back corner of the base. They were so small and fragile, so much like their own younglings; simply being in the children's presence for any length of time was enough to stimulate the protective instincts of the Cybertronians. Rage and guilt fought for dominance before he managed to calm himself again. Someone had attempted to harm one of his charges and he had failed to notice. The Prime analyzed what little he knew over and over again from every angle. There were still far too many unknowns. He would respect Agent Fowlers request for privacy, but he doubted that this issue was over.
O
O
"Miko?" Fowler asked softly as he approached the storage crate Bulkhead had indicated she was hiding in. "Miko, I need to talk to you." 'Are you okay?' would have been a pointless question and the man knew it.
"Miko, come on. I need to get a statement from you and everyone is really worried."
The sound of something moving came from the container and Fowler deliberately backed up a little. The girl would never have put herself in a situation with only one outlet and he didn't want to spook her into running.
"Look if you don't want to talk to me that's fine, but Mrs. Darby is on her way and she wants to make sure you're okay."
"What did you tell her?"
Fowler fell back as two brown eyes blazing with rage and red from tears suddenly appeared in front of him. Her, but her fingers were covered in fresh bite marks and blood stained his jacket where her hands gripped him.
"I told her that you were attacked after the festival," he explained gently. "That's all."
He saw the pain in the child's eyes and every paternal instinct in the man flared up. He badly wanted to wrap the suffering girl in a hug but restrained the urge. Miko slumped and stared at the concrete floor, defeat written across her entire body.
"Hey, she's a nurse Miko. There's nothing you can tell her that she hasn't heard before."
The girl spun away and leaned against the container, arms wrapped around herself tightly, trembling.
"He said they couldn't find me," she whispered fiercely. "Jones said I'd be safe." Her voice rose with every word. "How did they get here? How? Why?"
Fowler stiffened his shoulders and met her accusing glare evenly.
"I don't know but it was me who failed you," he admitted flatly, "not Jones. When you became involved with the Autobots your case file was taken from Jones and given to me. I don't know how they found your location yet but believe me I will find out."
"So? They already know. My life here is over. You are going to ship me off somewhere and I'll never see the Bots again, or Raf, and Jack," she broke down at that and began rocking back and forth gnawing on her fingers.
"Miko," the agent gently reached out and grasped her hands. "Please stop that."
She shot a venomous glance at him and then looked away. He pulled a pair of supple leather gloves out of his pocket and held them out to her. She snatched them up and pulled them over her hands.
"You did read my file," she snarled. "I don't want to see Mrs. Darby. I'm fine."
"I need you to Miko," Fowler insisted gently. "It is important for the investigation."
"She doesn't need to know!"
"Then do you want me to bring in some strange doctor?"
"Let Ratchet do it!"
"He doesn't have enough experience yet and we couldn't use his testimony in court. Look, Mrs. Darby is a wonderful nurse. She cares about you and knows about the Autobots so you can tell her everything. Why are you fighting this? You never did before."
Miko crouched down and refused to meet his eyes.
"She's Jack's mom."
"And what in Sam-hill does that have to do with anything?"
"Moms, once they know the truth about me, even if they are kind they don't let me hang out with their kids anymore," her voice was a pained whisper a she buried her head in her arms. "I, I don't want to lose Jack."