Chapter 104
-0-A few moments after the meeting
Autobots began to drift down to the firing range where the booms and blasts began in earnest. By the time it was truly a noticeable problem there were 20 Autobots firing. It rattled the windows bringing attention from the civilian and military workers. They came to the windows and the tarmac to watch and comment. Sailors from the docks, civilians from offices, marines and soldiers along with airmen and women gathered to watch, comment and enjoy everything.
It drew out the mercs, three of whom were newly arrived and they watched with as much fascination as the others. It reminded them of what the Autobots were and what battle for them must be like. The barrage continued, then it stopped as the Autobots turned almost as one to walk back slowly and calmly to the hangar.
Everyone watched them, too, mystified as to the matter at hand. When they were all out of sight in the hangar, everyone began to walk back inside to their jobs. Then they stopped as they saw Optimus Prime emerge followed by Ironhide, Ratchet and three of their own human soldiers. Pausing together, groups of humans gathered to watch as the small group of soldiers walked toward the merc barracks. As they watched further, a hummer carrying Colonel Fulton rounded the corner of the Administration Building heading toward the firing line.
Something was up.
-0-Optimus Prime
He was tired of the mercs, of Daniels and others like him. His soldiers went out to battle, got hurt to the point of brink of death, some of them, yet they still didn't get respect. Some of the people they had to deal with had no idea of what they could do and what a barrage was like. So he showed them.
His soldiers, those without age but long in experience and full-on adults grizzled with battle had shown them a tiny snippet of the life experience even the youngest among them could boast. They'd all endured. They'd all survived and kept coming back to defeat their enemies but that was being disrespected. It rankled him more than he thought it did, triggered by the innocent moment between Ironhide and Ratchet.
The fact that some of the civilians they dealt with were homophobic and applied their prejudices to the Autobots who didn't even meet the standards for that prejudice was galling. They were androgynous. They didn't bother with gender divides unless their presence among aliens who did was necessary. They didn't have genders but alluded to them to make others comfortable. They were ancient, experienced and mature in their outlook upon life and the differences that made it interesting For them, anyone could be sparked. Anyone could create and anyone could be a carrier.
Gender was irrelevant in a species that could create life without even participating in the process. Any number of the Autobots had been granted at the Well and in theory had no individual genitors. There was Vector Sigma and the Matrix as well. Yet, here they were being exploited by someone who had no honor.
He was sick of it.
Prime reached the merc barracks at the same time as Fulton. He stopped before it to look at the humans there who were backing up warily. "Get Daniels. Now."
They were frozen in place a moment, then one merc nodded, running swiftly inside the building. They stared at each other across a great divide, both sides, that would never be bridged.
The mercs glanced at Fulton, Lennox, Epps and Graham and saw no support among them. After a moment, the merc returned with Daniels walking passively behind him.
Daniels halted in front of the group, glancing around himself before folding his arms across his chest as an expression of irritation crossed his face. "What do you want now?"
Prime quashed the urge to step on the human, bending down instead to loom into his presence. "I want the pictures."
Ratchet who was watching the mercs closely, saw one move, flinching slightly at Prime's words.
Daniels walked toward Fulton. "What's he talking about? What pictures?"
Fulton eased out of the hummer then walked to Daniels. He leaned slightly into his space. "One of your goons took pictures of two Autobots. Pictures are forbidden here and a part of the contract agreement for your goons to stay here is to obey all the rules. I want the camera and the pictures."
Daniels looked at his mercs as the men stared back at him impassively, if nervously shifting from foot to foot. He looked back at Fulton. "I guess you're mistaken." He then turned to walk back to the building.
Fulton becoming enraged at the impertinence of Daniels turned to his men. "Major Lennox, I want that barracks turned inside out."
Lennox nodded as the three soldiers stepped forward to enter the building.
Daniels turned on Fulton with outraged effrontery. "What are you doing? You can't go in there."
"Read the regulations, Daniels. I can throw you all in the brig for this. Them, for breaking the rules and you for obstructing."
"You wouldn't dare," Daniels said stepping back defensively. "I'll have your job."
Fulton who was fully incensed stepped forward. "I can. And as for my job, you little bastard, you couldn't fill my shoes."
Lennox, Epps and Graham walked past the mercs and entered the building as Daniels stepped away to pull out his phone.
"Give it a rest, Daniels. I already have permission from the State Department. I have friends, too," Fulton said. He stepped closer to the younger man, leaning into his space. "You're an entitled little shit, I'll give you that. Your old man can't save you from obeying my rules. The rules are damned clear. No pictures of the Autobots. If you can't follow them, then get your ass on a plane and get off my base."
"For how long?" Daniels asked.
Fulton stared coldly and silently, understanding completely the threat.
"For how long is this your base?"
"For as long as I want it, you little bastard," Fulton replied.
A shout from the door caught their attention as Graham walked out with a black book in his hands. He walked to Fulton and handed it to him.
Fulton glancing at Daniels with something short of triumph, opened the Bible in his hands and drew out a camera. "Well?"
Daniels shrugged, his jaws clenched tightly with irritation.
Fulton turned the camera on and saw pictures of the Autobots. There were pictures at the beach of Ironhide and Ratchet as well as pictures of the Aerialbots, the gunner, Bluestreak, the Lambo twins, and others including the mini-cons.
"Who does this belong to?" Fulton asked as he looked at the mercs who were staring warily at the commander.
No one spoke.
Lennox walked inside again. He returned with a suitcase, the tag clearly delineating who it belonged to. "It says Lawrence Dobbs."
Everyone looked at Lawrence who stared back pale and defiant. "So what. Anyone could have put it in there."
"Anyone?" Fulton asked with derision. He looked at Lennox. "Arrest him and throw him in the brig."
Daniels turned toward Fulton as he considered speaking, then watched as Lennox gripped Dobbs none too gently. Then Daniels walked inside the barracks without a further word.
The mercs watched him, then glanced at the others before walking as one back inside as well.
Fulton looked at Optimus, then the building. "I'm sorry, Optimus."
"It is not your place to apologize. But I am grateful that you could resolve this. I would hate to be responsible for another barracks being reconstructed," Prime said with the ghost of a grin.
Fulton laughed, then walked to his hummer. "I'll have this man sent home and return the camera and its contents to you as soon as the ink dries on the paperwork."
Optimus nodded. "Thank you, Colonel."
Fulton climbed inside his hummer and sped away leaving the soldiers, Lawrence and the Autobots behind. Prime looked at Lawrence who stood stone faced and silent in Lennox's custody. He knelt to look closer at the merc. "Why?"
Dobbs shrugged. "I don't hate you."
"Then why?" Prime persisted.
"It could make me rich. I could retire and not work another day in my life. Pictures like that are worth a great deal to the outside world. They want to know things."
"It is in the best interests of the survival of your species that we are here and that some things remain private. How can you jeopardize that for financial gain?" Prime asked.
Dobbs looked at him, considering the mech before him. "It's not like Todd. It's not personal with me."
Prime felt his anger rise, then he tamped it down. "It is with me," he said quietly, then he rose to watch as the soldiers dragged him with them to incarceration.
Ironhide walked to Prime pausing by his side. {What sort of slag can Fulton expect?}
{He better get none. After all, Fulton is not the one in contact with the Decepticons}
Ironhide grinned. {Promise me you will let me be there when you tell him}
Prime nodded as he relaxed slightly.
Ratchet walked to Ironhide, then looked at the barracks before turning to Prime. "Me, too," he said with a grin.
They walked back to the HQ.
Lawrence would sit in his cell for two days, then be unceremoniously shipped off Diego Garcia for the United States. He'd then be unceremoniously dumped from the payroll of Intel-Martin for getting caught being stupid.
No one would miss him.
For now.
-0-Later, in the rec room
They stood in the doorway watching the room, wondering how they could get to the energon and back without being intercepted by Ratchet who was sitting with Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Hound at one of the tables. They glanced at each other then decided to put their self defensive plan into action.
Gathering up their courage, they walked together to the dispenser and got energon. Looking for a table with a clear view of Ratchet they walked to it and sat down. Then Wheeljack, looking at Perceptor at the far side, leaned forward. "Percy, you need to sit next to me."
Perceptor, long an academic and short a romantic jolted. He nodded. "Oh. Oh, right, Wheeljack." He slid his cube across the table and rose to take a seat next to Wheeljack. "Is this better?"
"Much," Wheeljack said. Then he scooted his chair closer to Perceptor until their arms nearly touched. "This is even better."
They both looked up and noted Ratchet's laser guided optics fastened upon them. They both swallowed hard and leaned against each other at the same time to touch shoulders.
Ratchet staring harder leaning forward slightly as if to get a better view.
They swallowed again, glancing at each other with something akin to fright. Then Wheeljack moved his knee to touch Perceptor's.
Percy looked at him, startled, then Ratchet. Then he pressed his knee against Wheeljack.
Ratchet still stared.
-0-Ratchet
:Ironhide:
:What?:
:Promise me you won't look:
:At what?:
:'Jack and Percy:
[Silence]
:YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO LOOK!:
:What? You're losing me here, Ratchet:
:Percy and 'Jack … I think they're getting together:
:How can you tell?:
[Silence]
:Ironhide?:
:What?:
:You're such a buzz kill:
[Pause. Access database. Download. Clue] :Thank you, Ratchet. I try:
-0-A few minutes later
Perceptor and Wheeljack paused outside of the science equipment closet that faced the hallway and was shared between the two labs. They looked at each other.
"Do you think we fooled them?"
"I don't know, Percy. Ratchet looked kind of feral."
"He did. I don't understand those two. They scare me. I think you're brilliant, 'Jack, to beat them at their own game."
"Ratchet's cunning but we have so much processor power between us that if we team up Ratchet can be defeated."
Perceptor nodded then remembered something. "'Jack, I want you to see something that you used last time you decided to synthesize plastic into bio sludge. It's in here."
Perceptor opened the door go step inside.
Wheeljack joined him and as they discussed the small tool lying on the top shelf, the door closed. They turned to look at it.
Wheeljack slid past Perceptor and took hold of the knob. It didn't budge.
Then the lights went out.
It was silent a moment, then a jostle was heard. "Sorry, Percy. It's small in here."
"I know, 'Jack. I apologize for jostling you."
"That's all right."
It was silent a moment, then another jostle was heard.
"Percy."
"'Jack?"
"Percy..."
"Oh , ... 'Jack."
Outside in the corridor with a smug look of utter triumph on his face, Ratchet the Feral, Ratchet the Cunning, Ratchet aka Yenta Claus chalked up one more victory. There were two less lonely bots in the world if the sounds inside the closet were any indication that the communications gap between the two had been bridged. Eventually someone would find them and after cutting the lock and electrical system from the micro-charge he'd given it from one of his talented multipurpose digits, they would be rescued.
But not now.
Ratchet walked away with a smile. /... processor power be slagged … cunning trumps smarts every time .../