Chapter 126
=0=New York City
They sat in their designated areas, the city around them quieting down somewhat. Snow was everywhere and it was cold. Giant metallic street lamps threw pools of light at intervals. The odd person would walk out of the darkness into one and then back into the darkness once more. They were parked at the major intervals along 5th Avenue, Central Park West, 59th Street and Central Park North. Overhead, flying in a circle aboard Silverbolt above the flight lanes of commercial traffic, Optimus Prime sat plugged into the ground teams below.
Ironhide was parked at 85th Street as Will Lennox sat in his cab with the heater running. It was cold and snowy, the streets almost empty of traffic and the evening was closing in around them. Outside, the night air was cold and crisp, the snow muffling sound and there was low visibility from an ice fog that had formed when the temperature began to drop.
Sideswipe and Epps were parked at the corner of Central Park East and East 65th at the corner where the zoo was located.
Jazz was roving with a pair of soldiers inside who would be boots on the ground if a chase ensued that did not allow for twenty five foot robotic pursuit.
Tracks and two soldiers were parked at the corner of 5th Avenue and Central Park South waiting for something or the call to move.
Blaster was roving along with Jazz, the two mirroring each other as they rolled around the park on opposite sides seeking the signs of a green van with an Ohio license plate that would be the target for their labors.
As the night rolled on, the cold intensified and the traffic dwindled into nothingness ...
:I have only one thing to say:
"What, Jazz?: Ironhide turned up the radio for Lennox to listen to as well.
:I'm very glad there aren't any Seekers:
"You and me both," Ironhide replied. "Gettin' anything on your side?"
:Nothing. Maybe we can let the soldiers go and they can comb the park: Jazz suggested.
"Uh, that's okay, Jazz," Will said as he looked through the frosted windows to the world outside. "No hurry. The night is young."
Jazz chuckled. :They can go into the places we can't, right, Lennox? Unless of course, your bearings might freeze ...:
Lennox smirked, then made the call, exiting the truck as he did to disappear into the park itself. With nearly 800 acres to travel they'd be out for a while so the bots extended their nets to help catch not only Decepticon signals but to track their particular soldiers out in the park.
It was silent a while.
:Ironhide:
"Jazz."
:How ya holdin' up?:
"Not good."
:This feels like a bust. We'll be home before ya know it:
"Could be. Feels flat."
:It does. Have you told Lennox about your sparkling yet?:
"I forgot. I better. Ratchet will be sore if I don't."
:Nothing like an out of sorts missus:
Ironhide chuckled. "I dare ya to say that to his face."
:Oh, no. I value my body parts right where they are:
They bantered back and forth for over an hour before the soldiers radioed to be picked up. The team regrouped to settle in again as Jazz commed Prime who was circling overhead. They waited longer, then Prime was commed by N.E.S.T. in Diego that the informant who had given them the information they were acting upon was found dead, eviscerated and stuffed into an oil drum. Obviously, he had outlived his purpose.
:Prime to Jazz:
"Jazz here."
:Wrap it up. We have been set up. The drop is not here:
"On our way."
Jazz commed the team, gathering everyone as together they made their way to the airport for pick up. By the time they were lifting off at LaGuardia the city was being snowed in, the airport was closed to normal traffic and the game was still afoot.
Just not here.
Ironhide sat next to Prime waiting for him to conclude an internal comm from Prowl in Diego Garcia. The others were lounging around, the soldiers in their secure area and the flight well on its way. Prime commed off. He glanced at Ironhide who sat across from him. "The informant was found murdered, cut into pieces and stuffed into an oil drum. The information is not reliable. The authorities are using other sources and feel pretty secure that the weapon was passed off."
Ironhide shook his head angrily. "We got played."
"We did," Prime said grimly. "What we have to do is wait for it to show up some place. I am hoping that Intel-Martin gets first refusal. Right now, I think we need to monitor known arms dealers, their major clients in our databases and hope it's Intel-Martin or one of their two subsidiary companies."
Ironhide nodded with aggravation. "Fraggin' idiots. They don't even have the capacity with raw materials to make the weapons they were given safely. Some of the parts and materials don't exist here or they don't in ways that humans can refine."
"I know," Prime said shaking his head with amazement as well. "We have to get that weapon back."
"One more slaggin' thing to do," Ironhide said grimly. "Put it on the list."
=0=Ops Center
Prowl paced frustrated and angry. They'd been suckered and now a Cybertronian weapon was in the hands of the humans. It was the same to him as giving a fragmentation grenade to Orion. The humans were squeezing their networks to find the weapon, the individuals who'd passed it and those who received it. They would have to retrieve it once it was found but until then they were only going to be able to watch and listen.
Shockwave had fired his first shot across their bow and scored a hit. They would have to up their game, he considered as he paced back and forth by the comm station waiting with uncharacteristic impatience for a message or intel.
They had to get the weapon back.
=0=Over the Indian Ocean
Lennox slipped through the plane winding around long legs and big old peds to walk to Ironhide to sit on a low bench for humans Silverbolt kept along the wall for them. "Hey?"
Ironhide looked down, his reverie broken. "William."
"What's up?" Lennox asked settling on Ironhide's ped. "You look distracted."
"I am."
"I meant to ask you about Ratchet and the … you know."
"I know. The 'you know' is a go."
Lennox grinned broadly. "That's great, Ironhide. Congratulations. Which was it?"
"A mech."
"And Ratchet?"
"Up to fighting form."
"Wonderful. When can we come and see it? What did you name it?"
"You can come tomorrow. We named him Orion."
"Orion. Like the constellation?" Lennox asked inordinately pleased.
"Uh, like the Prime."
"Prime?"
"Orion Pax. That was Optimus's name before he became Prime. Optimus is his regnal name."
"He had another name?"
"Yes."
"What about you? Do you have other names?"
Ironhide thought about that, about the names he'd acquired over the vorns, the family names, the ones that were clan and inheritance names and the cute name that Ratchet murmured to him in the middle of an intense 'face. "No."
"Orion. That's … that's just great, Ironhide. When did this happen?"
"About ten orns ago. Ten or eleven."
"Wow. Only a little baby then."
[Pause]
"Yes."
"You miss him."
"Yes."
"Sort of makes you not want to talk doesn't it."
"Yes."
"Well, I'll let you go then." Lennox started to rise then Ironhide moved his servo to block him.
"Stay. Tell me about your sparkling."
Lennox looked at Ironhide as a misty film formed over his eyes. "Well, she's pretty wonderful, my little Annabelle," he began.
=0=Diego Garcia, later
They came in and landed, then walked and rolled off the jet with a sense of frustration and anger. Prime walked toward N.E.S.T. with the soldiers as Prowl waited to go with him as well.
Ironhide rolled to the door, transformed, then walked inside and down the roadway to the quarters, punching in his code at the door to enter. It was dark and the lights were off but he could see Ratchet's supine form and the little bed where Orion was recharging.
He walked to the bed to look at his little one, smelling his particular aroma, looking him over carefully. He was perfect, Ironhide concluded so he walked to the table and disarmed, moving quietly to the berth where he reclined, venting his weariness and frustration softly.
"Ironhide?"
He turned his helm, watching as Ratchet rolled over to look at him with a smile on his face. Leaning down, they kissed softly as Ironhide's arm slipped around Ratchet's chassis. "Ratchet."
"You look tired. Pretty neat trick Shockwave cooked up."
"He'll get his. They always do."
"I know."
"How was Orion?" Ironhide asked as he moved to accommodate Ratchet who lay down in his arms.
"He was a champion. He's rather well thought of already."
"I can see that," Ironhide said with a smile. "I missed him so much."
"He missed you. He had to make do with me and the rest of the base. I think Sunstreaker rather loved him, too."
"How's that train wreck coming along?"
"Slowly. His programming is keeping him from being out of hand but he's still touchy and fuming. He does loves sparklings though. He just didn't want to be the one to spark."
"Then he has to pay attention. His ego is going to be the death of us all."
Ratchet snorted. "But his sparkling is going to be … how did he put it? The 'fraggin' most beautiful one in the universe'."
"So they settled on a femme?" Ironhide asked curiously.
"No. It'll be a mech."
[Pause]
"Figured him for a femme the way he looks after Silverbow."
"He told me that he buffs and waxes her every decaorn so she'll shine."
"He does. He comes in and lets her sit on his lap, too. I look in on the younglings. Prime wants me to. It's real sweet to watch him with her. She really loves him back."
"That's good."
A comm signal broke their reverie so Ratchet answered. "Ratchet."
:We need you in Med Bay: Jazz said.
:On my way: Ratchet rose then stopped as Ironhide gripped his servo. "What's up?" he asked.
"Don't know. Gotta go to Med Bay." He leaned down to kiss Orion softly. Then he walked to the door.
"Don't be long," Ironhide said.
"Won't be," Ratchet said walking out the door. It closed softly.
Ironhide lay still for a moment ruminating on how much cooler the temperature of the room had just become when the warmth of Ratchet left. Rising, he walked to the little bed his son lie in to gently pick him up. He walked back to the berth and lay down, settling the infant next to him. With a smile of contentment, he fell into a light recharge waiting for Ratchet to return.