Chapter 110
-0-Diego Garcia, Earth, Autobot HQ
They came back in shifts, the leadership first, then mechs who'd gone to help or provide security during the transition of refugees into citizens of Autobot City.
Cosmos doing overtime dropped down to the base and lowered his ramp. They walked down cutting across the tarmac to the hangar. They walked to Ops Center where Prime was updated on the local situation, that is, local to Earth. The email exchange between "High Flyer" and Intel-Martin was on.
Apparently, Shockwave had picked up the cudgel.
-0-The soldiers
The next day, Epps, Lennox and Graham met Ultra Magnus. Having heard about him from Autobot soldiers prior, the mech was not a total surprise. But his arrival was. Apparently, he arrived on Mars as the Autobots were doing maneuvers of some unspecified design. He had come to Earth to join in the effort and he was some sort of 'relation, probably brother' to the Prime.
He was also a huge powerful mech, handsome to a tee and serious of personality, something that rather made the idea of being Prime's brother plausible, though he wasn't. They had lived next to each other in the same tenement growing up in The Jumble, a ghetto in Iacon. They had been friends since childhood and that included the elders of both families.
Sitting around the conference table with everyone present but Ironhide and Ratchet, they talked together about the situation with Intel-Martin and how the new Autobot would be an asset.
"Intel-Martin's internal emails suggest disarray. Nast and his minions are either underground or they're missing," Prowl said addressing speculation in the group by the soldiers about the situation. "There's also rising heat from his wife, Lydia Nast who feels that the situation is amiss."
"We will continue to monitor that," Prime said glancing at Magnus. "I would like you to undertake that problem. It falls in line with your experience policing the treaties and I believe you are briefed adequately."
Magnus nodded. "I am and will."
"They've been quiet a while," Lennox said. "Any ideas?"
Prime considered that. "It could be a vacuum in the leadership." He looked at the others as he considered telling them the truth about their situation but that would mean letting the cat out of the bag about Mars and it was too soon.
"Starscream … he's still leading the faction isn't he? How can we know if he's gone?" Epps asked.
"We can't," Prowl said cutting Prime off. "We could monitor the linkages in the exchange. He would tip off his servo sooner or later. We caught them once, we can do it again."
Prime agreed. "Very well, Prowl. You and Magnus coordinate the effort together."
The meeting continued and when it broke up Lennox stood and stretched. "Where's Ironhide and Ratchet?"
"Still on retreat," Prime said leaning back. "They will be back later this afternoon."
"Good. The new troops are asking about him and he's missing a golden opportunity to impress them with his all around awesomeness as Ratchet would put it," Lennox said with a grin.
"They'd be well advised to watch the mech behind the mech. Ratchet has him outclassed ten different ways," Epps said standing to stretch.
"He does," Prime said with a grin.
They chatted a moment, then the soldiers left, driving away in their hummer through the hallways and corridors of the facility.
Magnus watched them go. "It must be strange to work in close quarters with such vulnerable and small allies."
"You get used to it," Prime said. "I admire them."
Magnus rose. "I better get on Shockwave." With that, he walked toward the door and Ops Center beyond.
Prowl watched him go, then looked at Prime noting his happiness. "You just placed a barnacle on Shockwave's face."
Prime accessed the correct interpretations and smiled as he glanced at Prowl fondly. "Yes. Exciting, is it not?"
Prowl chuckled and arose. Holding out his servo, he pulled Optimus to his peds. "Come on. Let's go help him." With that, they walked to Ops Center together.
-0-Autobot City, Mars
They sat in the doctor's lounge as Ratchet put his peds up to sip the energon that Ironhide had brought to him. They were nearly finished with the initial medical screenings and were going to be going back to Earth in a few joors.
"Seems a waste since we're coming back in three orns. Hardly enough time to change your underwear," Ironhide said with a grin.
"If I wore underwear," Ratchet said.
"If you could be human what would you look like, Ratchet? Besides beautiful."
They sat a moment considering the question, then Ratchet grinned. "You're so cute, Ironhide. To answer your question, though, I'd be tall and skinny. Taller than most femmes among their kind."
"You would. I can't imagine you with hair. That's the strangest thing, hair. But you'd be beautiful no matter what. I can imagine your hair would be yellow."
"A kind of yellow," Ratchet agreed chuckling. "Probably not the shade my scheme is. I don't think I've ever seen a femme with the shade of yellow that I have."
Ironhide agreed. "True."
"What would you look like as a man, Ironhide?" Ratchet asked as he shifted to be more comfortable.
"I reckon I'd be bigger than most men around. Brawnier and more virile. Probably be the biggest, strongest man around." He grinned. "Probably make 'em cry just walking around."
Ratchet grinned broadly. "Well, that's goes without saying."
"I'm glad I'm not a man, Ratchet. I sorta happened to see a few of them in the shower when I was walking by Epps's office and it scared me."
"It did?" Ratchet asked with surprise.
"I don't think there's anything more … odd than a man without his clothes on." Ironhide sat a moment in memory, then looked at Ratchet. "They're so … wrinkly."
Ratchet smiled. "You really hate penises don't you."
Ironhide rolled his optics. "You like that word. I wonder about you, Ratchet."
"Well, they have penises and you have a prong. I think that if they ever saw you naked they might run through a wall, too."
"A prong makes sense. But a penis? Is there anything uglier?" Ironhide said with the willies.
"I don't know. I haven't seen one in real life. Maybe I better go hang out in the showers with the soldiers."
"No, you don't," Ironhide said gruffly. "Stay away from there."
"They're mechs. I'm a mech," Ratchet said. "I'm a doctor. What's the problem, Ironhide?"
"You're my bond and I have a responsibility to keep you away from odd stuff," Ironhide said grumping. "I don't want you going around looking at naked men or mechs or whatever."
"Jealous, much?" Ratchet goaded with a grin.
"Jealous?" Ironhide said with a smug look on his face. "Of what? Bonded with a doctor and sparked him. What do I have to be jealous of? I did my duty."
"Your duty?" Ratchet asked laughing out loud. "Sparking me is a duty now is it?"
"Sure," Ironhide said with a big satisfied grin. "My patriotic duty to the Prime."
"Ah," Ratchet said grinning broadly. "You sparked me in deference to the Prime."
"Yep," he said smirking self-satisfyingly. "You know me. Never said never to the Prime."
"You vet our 'face life with Optimus," Ratchet asked with a smirk.
"Yep."
"Shall I discuss this with him when we get back?"
"Nope."
"Sparkling. *Little sparkling*," Ratchet said. "What would Unicron say?"
"He'd be well pleased," Ironhide said with a snort. "What's not to love, Ratchet?" he asked spreading his servos.
"I can't argue there, Ironhide," Ratchet agreed. "But then you're in a class by yourself. I even hear your pup is going to be a ringer for you."
"That's what I hear, too. I hear his carrier is kinda sweet on me."
"You could say that," Ratchet said with a smile. "But it'd be too small a word."
"Ditto, Ratchet," Ironhide said putting up his peds. "Won't get an argument from me."
-0-Home again
They walked off Cosmos who was making continuous round trips away under the pretense of scouting. Ratchet and Ironhide were the last to leave Mars. Their cover was security and an in depth review of the deep space array that had been launched and placed in the Van Allen Belt past Mars. That this had been done that very morning by Autobot City personnel was beside the point.
They walked in and settled back, waiting with everyone else for three orns to pass. Then they would pack up and go back to Mars, to the Med Bay and the hope that the first sparkling to be born in their new colony would be happy, healthy and ready to begin their sojourn at one corner of the Ratchet and Ironhide Triangle.
-0-Later that night
Magnus stood in the hangar doorway watching the stars of a new sky, one that was safe and secure. Behind him was the remarkable achievement of his fellows, his friends, brothers and fellow Cybertronians. He was aware that many more were coming fleeing despair and hopelessness, heading on the word of Prime for safety.
It had been a long time since he'd felt hopeful. But now he did. It was easy to be dour, to be cold and cynical. It was harder to be otherwise but in the company of Optimus it was almost an impossibility. Optimus had done well, really well. He was happy and honored to add his own labors. Tomorrow, he would apply himself to destroying Shockwave and the Decepticon contingent that was close enough to strike but far enough away to be elusive. They had corralled the Seekers, a singular feat. Now they had to bag the rest. He walked back inside to apply his relentless implacable intellect and personality to make it so.
-0-Ratchet
He sat down to look at his story, at the Sexy Doctor who had fallen in with a broad shouldered smoldering, yet dorky red Mom Van. It was coming along pretty well. Of course, it would take a bit of tweaking. Perhaps a beta, Ratchet thought. Checking his posting website, he picked out a suitable idiot, someone with the strange moniker, "Arctapus" and sent the request. It came back right away. Apparently, "Arctapus" didn't have a life. So it was zipped off to be sliced, diced and julienned.
Ratchet smirked at the possibilities that existed to network out into the real world of great literature with a fellow traveler, someone who probably lived alone and kept cats, loved to drive concept cars in the movie in their mind and probably in reality drive a k-car.
In short, someone just like Ratchet himself. Only without the cats, living alone and driving concept cars. /... Can't drive a car when you are one … snort! … Ironhide would be all over that remark .../ He clicked off the datapad and walked to where his Only One was digging through his slag stacking grenades in one pile and razor sharp blades in another.
In short, another night at Diego Garcia, home to Ratchet v Ironhide of Cybertron.