Chapter 49 dd1
NOTE: I had to put two dots between fanfiction and net because an email won't transfer onto the site in a story. I tried. It will show deleted space. I also took liberties with the car alt forms on the teams. Jazz is a Porsche again and the others are just cool and upgraded. Thanks. -The Management
=0=Now we join the story in progress
The Diego Diaries: "Blue, too."
=0=Leaving Cosmos at the tarmac back on Earth
They walked back across the landing field passing jets and humans going here and there. The cover story was that they were looking in the Oort Field for asteroids and other broken pieces of planets and cast off bits of comets, such things of interest to people in and out of government and science. The science they were doing was past the skill set of the humans and probably would be for generations so it was deeply popular and welcomed. The mineral content of their finds was also interesting to manufacturers and scientists, both groups requesting seats on the shuttle for a ride at some point.
Prime had not allowed it and even though the requests came through daily he was adamant. The idea of taking humans off world, exposing them to the vagaries of space as well as the danger of Decepticons was unacceptable. But he did allow samples and data to be given to both. They made runs to the Oort Cloud from time to time to make the cover story work.
As they came home a team was being put together to go to Alaska and track the sensor hits. Sunstreaker entered his shared quarters with Sideswipe finding him already gone to join the striker team. Tossing his gear down he glanced at the television screen that was showing a story of some kind. The datapad control was on the floor where it fell when Sideswipe ran out. He picked it up looking up at the screen at the sight of Bluestreak's name. Sitting, scrolling the words contained therein, he began to read.
=0=On the tarmac
Ironhide was waiting as Ratchet watched him with a concerned expression. "You don't need to go, Ironhide. You could use more time off."
"I won't get into trouble," Ironhide said.
"It's me you're talking to," Ratchet said crossing his arms over his chassis.
"It's just scouting, Ratchet. I probably won't even leave the plane," Ironhide insisted as he patted Ratchet's arm.
First Aid carrying a med kit walked past them with a nod. He walked to Silverbolt and joined the others. Springer, Hound, Jazz, Mirage, and Prime were gathered at the ramp loading gear.
Ironhide looked at Ratchet. "Ratchet, I'll be back."
Ratchet looking at him with a worried frown finally nodded. "You better."
Ironhide nodded and pulled Ratchet into his arms holding him tightly. "I promise you."
They held each other for as long as they could, then Ironhide let go to walk away without a backward glance. Ratchet stared after him, watching his Only One as he climbed into the jet, the door closing behind him. He watched until it lifted off and for a moment afterward. Then he walked back to the building and his job.
=0=Sunstreaker
He stared at the screen having just finished a story in which his brother had 'faced his lover, Bluestreak. He blinked, then clicked links finding hundreds of stories. They were written about them by people he didn't know. He put the control down and leaned back on his servos trying to digest what he saw. As he did the door opened as Bluestreak entered with a smile. "Hey, Sunny. I thought I'd go to the wash racks with you and then maybe we could get some energon and find some people to hang with ... what?"
Sunstreaker staring at Bluestreak with an unreadable expression blinked. "I was just reading, Blue."
"Really?" Bluestreak said moving to sit next to Sunstreaker. "What are you reading?"
Sunstreaker hesitated, then showed him.
=0=Ratchet
He walked to Med Bay, worry on his spark about Ironhide percolating through him. As he entered he stopped to listen to the silence. There was no one in the bay and he was glad. Walking to his office, he sat down staring at the datapads and scanners on his desk. For a moment he didn't move, then he reached for a scanner, calibrating it. He held it against his chest and shook his head. His depression was deep and when he finished he tossed it on the desk leaning back to stare at the ceiling for a moment. Then he sat back up, picked up the scanner as he braced himself before he looked at it again. After a moment he did.
=0=Sunstreaker and Bluestreak
"What is this, Sunny?" Bluestreak asked around the puzzlement and surprise on his face.
"It's a place where people put stories they wrote for others to read. Apparently, we're something they like to read about."
He stared at Sunstreaker, then the screen, at a story that had him and the twins in a trine. He considered that, the idea of a trine and how humans could know such things. "How do they get some of this right? I don't remember anyone talking and it's against regulations to tell them about our private lives. How did this happen?"
"I don't know. The fraggers might be guessing," Sunstreaker said.
"They guess pretty well. Some of this is true," Bluestreak said shaking his head. "This story is about the three of us as a group, a trine."
"I know," Sunstreaker said looking at Blue's face. "What do you think about that, Blue?"
Blue glanced up at him with confusion on his face. "What do you mean?"
"Could you ever be in a trine with me and Sideswipe?"
Blue stared at him considering his words. "Is that what you want?"
"I didn't say I wanted it. I just asked you," Sunny said.
They stared at each other then Blue rose. "I don't think … I don't know." Then he walked out of the room.
Sunstreaker watched him go, then glanced at the story, the part where the three of them were 'facing at the same time. "Slag," he said tossing the control down. He rose, then stared out the door. Bluestreak wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Slag," he said again.
=0=On Silverbolt
Prime went over the information that had arrived as they had readied. There were streaks of incredibly fast light, the trailing exhaust of high flying rocket propelled vehicles seen over Fairbanks angling toward the outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska. They were crossing the dark sky faster than any jet in the arsenal of any world air force. The cold sky was filled with stars and they were plainly visible.
Seekers, he thought. Perhaps Starscream himself. The others sat together, some talking and laughing, others like Springer sitting stoically, arms at hand and mind mentally bracing for just about anything. Prime grinned. It seemed like eons ago that the prank had been played and Ironhide had his payback in spades. As they flew ahead, he kept in constant update through his link with Prowl whose steady calm presence made all the difference in this and any other world for him.
=0=Med Bay
Ratchet stared at the scanner frowning slightly. Then he re-calibrated it, passing it over his chest again. For a moment, he just stared, then put it down bracing his helm on his arms. He wept all by himself in the Med Bay.
=0=Bluestreak
He stood outside Ops Center watching Prowl working as control for the field team. He leaned on the doorjamb feeling a relief in his spark just by seeing Prowl. The calm tactician was like the sky above and the ground below his peds. Dependable, reliable, always comforting and always there.
Prowl had found and saved him. Prowl had him go to a therapist, Rung, for over 600 years before he could find a way to live around the horrors of that one day in his life, the one that had wiped out his world and sent him down a path he never chose for himself. He had learned to live again but there were still soft spots in his psyche where treading too hard made things ooze upward, things that were unbearable to examine.
Whenever he was hurt or afraid, when he needed to know that things were going to be okay, he would go to Prowl. He considered the older Praxian as a genitor and he knew that Prowl cared about him like he was his own sparkling. Given the precariousness of his life, Prowl was one of the two lynch pins that kept him sane. The other was Sunstreaker.
But now he was confused. He slipped inside finding a chair in the corner. Sitting, he watched and waited, the audio of the team filtering throughout the installation. When Prowl had a moment they would talk. He sat back, got comfortable and listened.
=0=Anchorage International Airport, Alaska
The jet came down slowly, landing silently on a security runway at Anchorage International Airport. Silverbolt lowered his ramp and cars began to drive off. The Autobots inside transformed as they stood at the doorway and drove off, each carrying soldiers.
A red Lamborghini, a silver Porsche and a green and yellow Top Kick pickup truck rolled out slowly to move down the runway. They were followed by a black Top Kick pick up truck, a white search and rescue hummer, a blue and white Ferrari and a brownish-green Range Rover. They moved toward a gate to let them pass and as they did Silverbolt rose up taking to the air, using so little runway that any observers would wonder what manner of craft it actually was.
Sitting on the plane listening and communicating with those on the ground as well as Diego Garcia, Optimus Prime undertook his usual role, commander and back up/clean up mech.
The trucks rolled through the gates, security people greeting them. Local F.B.I. agents entered the green and yellow pickup to provide local support. They turned on International Airport Road and began drive to town, the lights of Anchorage twinkling beyond.
Lennox wearing arctic gear sat in Ironhide watching the cars go by as they sped to and from the airport, one of the great ports of entry into the United States. Contraband, weapons, and drugs passed through Anchorage on their way to the Lower 48 so it was understandable that the Decepticons would use this out-of-the-way state to make an arms swap.
Spenard came into sight, a place of hotels, massage parlors and some of the oldest buildings in a town that was a small village until the advent of World War II and the invasion of the Aleutian Islands by Japan. It held over about half the state's small population and was a strange mix of high tech and stone age. Its hardy people lived on a great inlet 'discovered' by Captain Cook and the city was spread over a large area surrounded by magnificent mountains, the end range of the Rockies.
They reached 'C' Street and turned right going toward Dimond Boulevard and the shopping center where the exchange was supposed to take place. Driving spread out, they reached 36th Street and split up, Ironhide taking Mirage and Jazz down the street to the Old Seward Highway which paralleled 'C' Street. Springer led Hound, Sideswipe and First Aid down 'C' Street, the night time traffic thin on the ground.
Both teams reached Dimond Boulevard at the same time, the dark hulking form of Dimond Center before them, security lights throwing pools of illumination here and there. The sky was clear and the temperature board at a bank read -15 degrees. Epps stared at it and sighed. "This is no place for civilized people. From Diego to here? That's about a 100 degree difference in a few hours."
A soldier nodded. "Get them and get home."
"Hoo-ah," Epps said smirking.
They turned and drove slowly down Dimond Boulevard as sensor nets swept the area from both directions. They passed pinging to each other as they did. Then crossing through the intersections at both ends, pulling into parking lots of stores that bordered the streets, they stopped and waited with engines running softly.
"Lennox to Prowl. Anything?"
"Prowl to Lennox. We have signals from behind the center. They appear to be three, spreading out as they move your direction cautiously."
"Affirmative." He tapped Ironhide's dash. "Hide, catch anything?"
"There's a big con behind the building. There are two that are holding back. And there are two trucks driving into the parking lot."
"Everybody copy?" Lennox asked.
"Affirmative," came the replies. Then Springer took over as the field commander.
"Hide, you and Lennox come back and enter down at your end. Move to the lot in front of Best Buy and park. If they break that way cut them off. The rest of you move to the lot across the street and wait for the call. We're going to go around the back and get behind the signals. Maybe we can drive it into the open when the exchange is made. Hide, we'll need you to confirm that its taken place or if it goes sour."
"Affirmative."
They all moved, Ironhide driving up Old Spenard Highway, then turning right into the Dimond Center, pulling into and up to the street edge of the parking lot. They sat quietly watching as two trucks drove through the parking lot moving toward their end of the big empty mall.
Away in the background over the comm link, the sound of murmurs and whispered voices drifted through the cab as the others moved into place. The air was frozen, the light eerie as they waited for the word to strike.
=0=TBC 2010 (11) edited 1-1-17