Crack in the Pavement
Chapter 15
Ironhide don't take shit from no one.
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers; I'm just prostituting it for my amusement.
Summary: Megatron uses Ironhide to get his revenge on Prime. Multiple minor side pairings, see list in fic.
Warning: Graphic rape. Torture. M/M robot slash consensual as well as NON-CON
Pairings: Non-con Megatron/ Ironhide, Con Optimus/ Ironhide. Established Jazz/ Prowl, Twins/ Ratchet, Mirage/ Cliffjumper
Ironhide curled his digit around the edge of Optimus's shoulder and vented softly. It was a sound of satisfaction and of peace. They were laying together with their spark casings touching. Their sparks were pulsing in time with each other. The sensation of Optimus's spark pulsing so close to his warmed Ironhide's circuits. His internal chronometer told him it was six in the morning Pacific Standard Time. Since arriving on Earth and working with the humans it had become practical to use the human clock. Optimus always began his day at seven in the morning. No matter when he had gone to his berth the night before and no matter when he expected to go to his berth the coming night, Optimus always rose at seven in the morning. Naturally, this meant that Ironhide always rose at six in the morning. He had to be waiting at Optimus's door for when the Autobot leader stepped out. At times of heightened danger, Ironhide recharged by Optimus's door, and he would have recharged there at all times but Optimus had drawn the line at that.
This was the first morning since his capture that Ironhide had woken right at six. It felt like another piece of normal falling back into place. As insignificant as it would probably seem to most mechs, for Ironhide it felt therapeutic. He didn't need to get up to watch over Optimus, not with him right here, pressed up against him. Ironhide had no doubt that Optimus would try and stop him from resuming his post but as of this morning, Ironhide was going to be back sticking by Optimus's side as long as he was in the Ark. Even if Ratchet and Optimus were not about to consent to him going back out into the field there was no reason to keep him from going about his duties on the Ark.
Optimus stirred above him, and Ironhide tightened his grip, not wanting to separate from Optimus just yet. Their sparks pulsed separately, faster than they had when both of them been recharging. Ironhide relaxed his servos against Optimus's back and pressed himself more firmly against Optimus even as Optimus was trying to raise himself off of him.
"You have an hour before you start yer day," Ironhide said, pulling Optimus down. Had Optimus really wanted to get up, he would have easily been able to resist, but he didn't.
"Indeed I do," Optimus replied, checking his own internal chronometer. "Am I too heavy for you?"
"Move and I slag you," Ironhide threatened. "I'm plenty comfortable."
"'Hide," Optimus chuckled. "I believe we could both use a visit to my wash racks."
"Hmm," Ironhide mused. "Yer right. We'll get up."
"Are you hurt?" Optimus asked as he climbed off of Ironhide. Ironhide sat up quickly and glared viciously at Optimus.
"I am not some dainty femme," Ironhide snarled.
"I know," Optimus said gently, trying to soothe Ironhide. "It's just that I love you and I don't want to hurt you."
Ironhide's glare softened. How could he be angry when Optimus said things like that. He reached up and pulled Optimus's face to his and kissed him. Optimus wrapped his arms around Ironhide's waist and deepened the kiss. Within seconds Ironhide was working at the hinges of his armour and stripping Optimus down to his protoform. In turn, Optimus divested Ironhide of his armour. With no cable or fuel line hidden now, they both set two work exploring the other's form, and memorizing every component, and drawing hisses of pleasure from both 'Bots' intakes. Frantic with need, Ironhide plugged his cables into Optimus's ports and plugged Optimus's cables into his own ports. The datastream engulfed them both; it filled them with the other's unquenchable want and need and love. Ironhide moaned into the kiss and ground his pressurized cable against Optimus's and through the datastream, showed Optimus what he wanted. Unable, and unwilling to deny him, Optimus hastily prepared Ironhide before lowering him onto his cable. Optimus hissed as Ironhide's valve clenched painfully tightly around his cable; Ironhide swore colourfully.
This was no slow, and gentle interfacing, there was no finesse; Ironhide set a demanding pace. Optimus's cable stroked every sensor node with his valve; it filled him like nothing ever had. He arched his head back, breaking the kiss, and moaned. Ironhide dug his digits into Optimus shoulders as Optimus gripped his waist with powerful servos. They couldn't last long like this, and they didn't. Moments later, they overloaded, chassis heaving against each other as their intakes worked furiously to cool their systems. Ironhide rested his helm against Optimus's. They shuttered their optics, resting olfactory ridge to olfactory ridge. Ironhide's chronometer told him it was six thirty.
"We have time for a quick visit to your wash racks," Ironhide said after his systems regulated.
"I think we'd best be quick then," Optimus replied. They luxuriated under the showering water of the wash racks for as long as they could afford, without and then with armour. After they dried Optimus kissed Ironhide and suggested they stop in the common room before he started his day with a meeting with Prowl.
"I'm goin' with you," Ironhide said. "Wherever you go, I'm goin'. My job."
"'Hide, you aren't..." Optimus said.
"Don't finish that slagging sentence, Optimus Prime," Ironhide interrupted, his tone sharp as a blade. "I'm plenty ready to get back to doing my job. My slagging damage has been repaired and I'm done being jumpy. I ain't a house mech. I'm not going to hang around your quarters or the common room all day."
"Ironhide..." Optimus tried to reason with the other mech.
"This ain't up for debate," Ironhide snapped. "Let's get our cubes and get goin'."
Optimus did the wise thing, and said nothing further. The damage was done though and Ironhide spent their time in the common room glowering over his cube at Optimus. Damage control, Optimus would need to implement some but he didn't know what to say. If he apologized for trying to hold Ironhide back, the other mech would know it was disingenuous and only become more angry. But he didn't want to just let Ironhide simmer. He needed to say something. But there was not time to think of that something now, it was time to meet with Prowl.
Perhaps it was a little unusual but Optimus liked to meet with his officers in their offices versus his own. Prowl was waiting for Optimus when he and Ironhide arrived. Optimus would have guessed that Prowl slept in his office, as Ratchet did in his, except that Jazz wouldn't have tolerated it. It was for the best, everyone needed a reprieve from their duties and Jazz made carefully certain that Prowl had one. Ironhide had always been his; Optimus hadn't quite thought of it that way, but it was true. Ironhide had always taken care of him, made him rest, made him refuel, made him take a moment to just live.
"Prime, Ironhide," Prowl greeted. "I have the base schematics. I've already given a copy over to Jazz so he and his team can decide their strike points. Wheeljack has prepared the necessary explosives and he's been working on perfecting that device of his. Though we could be ready to attack tonight, I think we should wait until tomorrow night. Trailbreaker has been shorting his rations and the magnitude of what we are asking him to do will cause enormous strain on his systems and giving him the extra day to build up his stores could actually mean life or death."
"I don't want to lose Trailbreaker," Optimus said. "We attack tomorrow night. Have you confirmed when the Seekers patrol the mountainside?"
"Surveillance has shown that there is only one Trine remaining at the fortress," Prowl replied. "The Command Trine. They've divided the day into three patrols. Midnight to eight am, eight am to four pm, and four pm to midnight. It's a break from the norm. As a rule, Starscream doesn't run many patrols, and his remaining Trine always patrol together. The Coneheads have been making mischief in Russia and have been seen returning to the under water base. We're watching for them to return to the mountain, but they haven't so far. Given the length of the three patrols, there is an excellent window starting just after midnight. Two of the Seekers will be recharging, one will be flying a wide patrol. The ideal time to launch the attack would be at two am provided the Seekers are as predictable as I believe. Skywarp has the patrol beginning at midnight and Thundercracker has the patrol ending at midnight. For the first hours of Skywarp's patrol, Thundercracker has been out with him."
"Ew," Skywarp voice had broken through Ironhide's stupor but he didn't have the strength to react. Icky."
"Don't make me hurt you," Starscream had snapped practically into Ironhide's audios. And he hadn't even been able to wince. His processor had begun to shut down again. That last thing he had heard was Starscream saying: "...get back to Thundercracker."
Ironhide managed to keep his faceplates impassive while the memory flashed across his processor. His spark pulsed painfully in its casing and he found he had to keep his engine from roaring and attracting the attention of either Prowl or Optimus. It would only encourage Optimus to keep him from his duties.
"Thanks to the surveillance satellite I've even been able to locate where they have been going," Prowl continued. "There is a lake on the other side of the mountain. They've been spending their time there. Quite distracted with one another. Even when an alarm call is raised, it'll take them a few moments to organize themselves before they can get back in the air and return to the base."
"When did Megatron send the Coneheads away?" Optimus asked. Ironhide did react to that name, he scowled darkly. Optimus looked to him out of the corner of his optics. The scowl was a better reaction that he had feared Ironhide would have.
"Immediately after our attack, and they aren't the only Decepticons sent away," Prowl said. "I would guess with the entryways blocked off, they couldn't get back inside and were sent off to make better use of themselves. They and the Combaticons have been attacking unmanned oil rigs. Russia hasn't called us in so we haven't been able to do anything about it."
"Normal Decepticon activity," Optimus mused. "They don't have our energon stores. "
"The mountain base was poorly protected when we previously attacked, I believe it will be even less secure this time around. Especially with the absence of the other Trines. Furthermore, the Constructicons are still making repairs."
"Keep an optic on the base and report any changes to me," Optimus said. "We can't afford to be caught off guard by anything."
"I will, Optimus," Prowl replied. "The human police force of the Mt Black Horn area have kept the mountain closed since our previous attack."
"I'll leave you to your work then," Optimus said.
Optimus and Ironhide left Prowl's office and made their way to the medbay. Ratchet would need to set up a triage unit in the village before the Autobots launched their attack. He and Optimus needed to discuss what Ratchet needed to prepare for the potential casualties. Ironhide remained stone-faced and silent during the meeting, held in Ratchet's office. From time to time, Ratchet and Optimus spared him glances but he remained silent. After outlining what he expected to need, Ratchet as Ironhide if he could fetch them a few cubes. Ironhide left Ratchet's office. The instant he was gone, Ratchet grabbed Optimus by the arm.
"What did you do?" Ratchet asked. "He's slagging mad at you."
"I told him he wasn't ready to return to his duties," Optimus replied. "Well I tried to but he wouldn't have any of it."
"No kidding," Ratchet snorted. "Optimus, he's fully functional. I can't see any reason to keep him from his duties on the Ark. For obvious reasons I'm not prepared to let him run into battle but there is no reason to keep him from guarding you on the Ark."
"Ratchet," Optimus said. "It's not even been two weeks."
"You can't treat him like a victim, Optimus," Ratchet replied. "You can't make what Megatron did rule his life. It'll break him."
"Do you really believe he's ready?" Optimus asked, pained.
"I believe we have to trust him to make that decision for himself," Ratchet said. "He knows better than we do what he is capable of."
"I want to protect him," Optimus sighed, wearily.
"You can't," Ratchet replied. "He's your bodyguard. It's his job to protect you and he won't tolerate you coddling him."
Ironhide returned to Ratchet's office, thereby silencing Optimus's response. He didn't appear to have heard the conversation, which was probably for the best. The three mechs drained their cubes in silence. Optimus was lost in his own thoughts, pondering Ratchet's words.
He was deeply conflicted. Ratchet was right, of course. But Optimus loved Ironhide and felt an all consuming urge to protect him from any further harm. Hadn't he been through enough? Didn't he deserve to be protected now? Perhaps he did but Ratchet was absolutely right in saying Ironhide wouldn't allow Optimus to protect him. Ironhide would insist, had already insisted that he be allowed to return to his post. Still, how could Optimus just let Ironhide jump back into danger with what had already happened? Did he have a choice?
Though Optimus was oblivious, Ironhide was watching him as he was lost in thought. He could see Optimus was conflicted, and he could guess why. Ratchet looked grimly satisfied which meant that he had chastised Optimus over something. Ironhide smiled at Ratchet, Ratchet smiled back. Oh good. It was exactly what Ironhide hoped it would be. After finishing their cubes, Optimus and Ironhide left Ratchet in his office. Before Optimus could lead them out, Ironhide caught his arm.
"Optimus," Ironhide began.
"I'm sorry 'Hide," Optimus interrupted. "I can't lock you away and keep you from the dangers of this war. If you let me, you wouldn't be the Ironhide I love."
"Thanks Optimus," Ironhide replied, smiling at Optimus for the first time since that morning. "I'm sorta touched that you care that much but I'm glad that you're trying to understand."
"Thank you for putting up with me," Optimus said, wrapping his arms around Ironhide.
"I love you, Optimus," Ironhide replied. "Putting up with you is part of my job."
The rest of the day passed far more comfortably that the morning. Optimus and Ironhide fell back seamlessly into their normal routine. Their return to normalcy put the rest of the Autobots more at ease. Strange that Optimus hadn't really noticed that they had been on edge. To the other Autobots, Ironhide was really back now, and everyone was happier for it. At the end of the day, Ironhide and Optimus returned to Optimus quarters and interfaced slowly. They fell into recharge, chassis to chassis, sparks merged.
End Chapter 15