Chapter 17
-0-Outside the soldier's barracks
"Oh, fuck. Here comes Sideswipe," Hedges said moving back from the window.
"Count that as a good sign," Oscar said glancing at the two men. "Sides is the easy one."
-0-Nearby
"Hey, Lennox!"
Will Lennox looked up from his pile of reports, the inevitable outcome of a mission. "What, Deb?"
"Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are at the barracks. Sunny doesn't look happy and Sides looks like he's trying to put out a fire." Sargent Quimby, an Air Force mechanic stood at the door at the end of his barracks leaning in with a concerned expression on her face. "I thought you might want to go and see what's up."
Lennox sat a moment as the information percolated in his startled mind, then he exploded from his chair and ran for the door. "Thanks, Deb," he shouted as he ran past her, down the corridor and out onto the tarmac.
He ran as fast as he could, rounding a hangar to head toward the enlisted men's communal barracks that housed the soldiers that rotated in and out of N.E.S.T. Striker teams. He could see the two behemoths, both of them arguing together as Arne Feltman stood below looking up at them.
He ran faster.
-0-At the Autobot Med Bay
Bluestreak sat on the berth as First Aid ran even more tests to make sure that his patient was not only A-OK but meticulously in first class condition. It was his nature to fix things and nurture them, making sure that even if they were good he could nudge them to greatness. He was a Protectobot, a member of a very good Autobot combiner, a first class mechanical doctor but a feared one because of his obsessive concern about his patient's welfare. He often keeping them in Med Bay longer than they required. He was even known to repair non-sentient machines out of a sympathy for their 'suffering'.
If there was a toaster or coffeemaker broken within fifty miles of him, he would seek it out.
Blue who was a sweet accommodating mech sat quietly watching as First Aid fritzed and fussed, tweaking this and dialing that. He was waiting for Sunstreaker, his protector, friend, lover and confidante. For Sunny, he was cheerleader, soother, secret keeper and fiercely defended partner. It was often in that order but he didn't mind. He could see the goodness in the big bot that too many others didn't but then, Bluestreak saw the goodness in everyone. "Have you seen Sunstreaker?" he asked as he tipped his helm at First Aid's request.
"He's been in a lot but you were offline."
Blue smiled warmed by the thought. "I guessed he'd be here by now."
"He was but he went to the soldier's barracks for a moment," First Aid said removing a number of plug ins to enter data on a datapad.
"Why would he go to the…" Bluestreak paused his musing and sat up straighter. "Oh slag." He pulled the last two plugs out and hopped down, turning to First Aid. "I have to go. I have to go to the Soldier's barracks, First Aid. Sorry," he said then limped away as fast as his repaired but still painful legs could take him.
"Bluestreak! Get back here!" First Aid said staring after him. He looked around himself for a moment, then hurried after Bluestreak.
-0-Soldier's barracks
Lennox slowed down, breathless as much from fear as exertion. The two Autobots and Feltman turned to look at him. He halted to rest his hands on his knees as he bent over to catch his breath. He rose and looked at the bots and Feltman, trying to gauge the situation.
Sideswipe grinned as he rolled around Lennox regarding him with mirth. "You're out of shape, Lennox."
"You calling me a wimp?" Lennox replied with a smile.
A pause occurred as the two bots accessed the correct data files. They grinned simultaneously. "Yes," they said together.
Feltman walked to Lennox, gazing up at the two Autobots. "Sunstreaker wants to speak with Jim Johnson."
"Why do you want to speak with our guys, Sunstreaker? I gotta know as their commanding officer," Lennox said straightening finally as he got his second wind.
Sunstreaker regarded Lennox, one of about a handful of humans for whom he had any real regard. Lennox was alright. "I hear rumors, Lennox."
His deep tones were filled with menace but then they always were to most human ears. He had a deep guttural masculine baritone, just like Sideswipe but Sides was always lighter in tone, always more amiable.
"What kind of rumors, Sunstreaker? Maybe I can help you."
Sunstreaker looked at the barracks, at the soldiers crowded around the windows and unsheathed his swords again, smiling with feral glee as some of them stood back from the glass. He rolled around the group turning his head to make sure he never lost sight of the building. He was taunting them, challenging and showing power in the face of his enemies, some of whom truly were. He halted, then looked down at Lennox. "Maybe. Maybe not."
"There's rumors that some of your soldiers are talking slag about us behind our backs," Sideswipe said, his less threatening persona bringing the temperature down a bit. "Some of them are talking slag about our relationships and us in general. We don't like it, Will," he said watching in the corner of his optic as Robert Epps jogged toward them stopping breathlessly beside Lennox.
"What's going on?" he asked. Lennox filled him in. He looked with concern at the two Autobots.
"Who are the soldiers? Do you know?" Will asked them, already aware of the answer.
"Some fraggers called Johnson and Hedges," Sunny said, his expression turning to the calm he usually had on his face just before entering battle. "I don't like them, Will. We're fraggin' front-liners and warriors. All of our side are the same kind. We don't need some stupid little meat sacks slaggin' us behind our backs, running down what we can do and who we are. I don't think I need to hear about some puny little fraggers slagging our species when we're bleeding and getting wounded protecting this little marble. We get enough of that from Galloway."
"No, you don't, Sunny," Will said agreeing wholeheartedly. "If you'd let me, I'd like to take care of it. I'll do that because I agree with you and I apologize for any offense that you and the others might feel."
"I'd like them to come out first. I want to see their faces when they know that we know. I want them to tell us to our faces that they think we're lesser beings," Sunstreaker said.
"Will's going to take care of it, Sunny," Sideswipe interjected, rolling to stand by Sunny's side. He touching his arm as he turned to face him directly.
Sunny shook his head. "I want to see them."
"If we bring them out, is there going to be anything I have to worry about here? Is there going to be a fight, Sunny, because if there is I can't allow it." Lennox finished as he looked up to the two Autobots, Sideswipe's tense posture and Sunstreaker's angry one going off like beacons in the dark.
He didn't know what he could do but he had to project his command authority even if it meant that it wouldn't do a damned thing about this situation. Sunstreaker was a berserker front-liner but he was also a highly trained professional soldier.
Most of the time.
He had to do what he could to make sure his own soldiers were safe.
"Do you think I'd kill them?" Sunstreaker asked as his expression turned sour. "If that was my goal you'd still be searching for their body parts."
Lennox stared at him, then Sideswipe who gave him a barely perceptible nod. "All right. I'll get them. Wait here." He nodded to Epps who stayed outside with Feltman, then walked to the door to enter.
Outside, standing together tensely, the two Autobots waited. Inside, equally tensely, Lennox called for Hedges and Johnson.
Epps waited silently half in and half out of the doorway.
By then coming from the other direction, Niall Graham entered out of breath and filled with concerned. "Will, what's going on?"
"Johnson and Hedges here have pissed off Sunstreaker," Lennox said with a voice filled with rage.
"Oh god," Graham said moving to the window. "What now?"
"They want to speak to both of them," Epps said, his eyes never leaving the two men's faces. "They're going outside so we can diffuse this shit."
"The *hell* I will," Johnson said.
Lennox moved in on Johnson, standing nose-to-nose with the big man. "The hell you *will*. Tell me what you did and said, both of you, to bring this down. Do it now or I promise you, you'll be in a world of ugly."
Johnson swallowed, Hedges wavered but neither spoke.
Tom Seldon and Richards stepped closer. Seldon shook his head with disgust. "They've been talking trash about Ratchet and Ironhide. I even heard shit about Optimus Prime and Prowl. They were also making statements about the Autobots in general that were bullshit."
Hedges looked at Feltman in fury. "Prove it."
"We don't have to," Lennox said. "The proof is outside. Sunstreaker doesn't care for humans and don't forget, idiots ... they can hear a dog sigh fifty miles away. He wouldn't be here if he didn't hear something and I'd remind you, he asked for you by name, both of you. I think that's enough proof for me. How about you?" he asked glancing at a very grim faced Epps and Graham.
They nodded, shifting with rage and frustrated fear about what would happen next.
"Now here's what you're going to do," Lennox said. "You're going out there with Graham, Epps and me and you're going to stand there and take whatever shit they dump on you. You'll not move, you'll not make any remarks back. You will *take* it. And when we're done you'll pack your shit up.
"You're going out on the next transport. You're scrubbed from the program for your stupidity and attitudes which go against the cohesion we need to survive against the Decepticons. I'm telling them so as well. We have a good relationship with the Autobots. They're warriors and comrades. We don't need you two here fucking things up with your bullshit. Are there any questions?"
"They'll *kill* us," Hedges said anxiously.
Johnson swallowed hard, the muscles of his jawline moving spasmodically with nerves and fear.
"Do you really believe that if they were here to kill you that you'd still be alive? Is there a building on this base that would save you from them? They're front-liners. They would get you with their last dying gasp. Now do what I said. Walk out with your mouth shut, take the licking you earned and don't make any and I mean *any* movements that can be misunderstood. Then we'll come in here and help you pack," Lennox said as his rage became a calm cold thing.
The two men who were shaking slightly in spite of their bluff nodded as they pulled themselves together with effort. Then with dread in their steps, they followed Graham, Lennox, and Epps out of the door to the tarmac beyond. The other soldiers filled with a terrible dread flocked to the windows to watch.
Meanwhile, back on the tarmac rushing toward the scene in front of the barracks, Bluestreak was followed by First Aid, himself hurrying along with dread and fear on his face too.