And hello for another round of insanity at the Ark!
Thank you very much for reviewing dear twinny and dearest Prime! Caz...the masses shall bow down before you cuz this update is solely for you, fifth reviewer that you are XD
In addition to thanking both Solloby and Dancing Mouse, I'd like to adress the matter that has irked both of you about my story.
A/N: Ironhide's accent as you read it here is actually the tenth installment of it.
No really, you can go and ask Xobit. We're doing multiple RP's together and she'll be able to assure you that the way I play or state Ironhides accent is an ever changing myth that's getting reborn with every new project. Toning down his accent to the suggested hints won't work on him, because it just makes him sound like Jazz in my head and that just really won't do for me. Sorry, but I want my Ironhide to be Ironhide and not someone else whom he is not, for Jazz is a quite different person than him. Yet for the purpose of easing your reading you may find that the next five chapters have rather short Ironhide vocalizations in them. I will try not to fry your brains starting from chapter six, seeing as the others are already written and I really see no point in rewriting them or putting an accent free translation behind the words. Sorry if this may appear arrogant to some of the people actually bothering to read this AuthorNote, but I really care for the authenticness of my characters and if I have to get them slightly OOC to act the way I want them to, then I usually have a reason for that. So skipping or changing Hide's accent just isn't an option.
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"Don't blame him. He couldn't help himself. Seekers- can not ignore spark instinct. Don't blame him.", the blue seeker rasped out, his gaze fixed onto the red warrior unwaveringly until he saw him nod hesitantly. Thundercracker may not have liked the autobots, but he trusted them to keep to their word and so he briefly allowed his optics to stray to the still and silent form of his air commander. Starscreams faceplate was as relaxed as it could possibly become and he saw a look of innocence and vulnerability reflected in his features, which he hadn't seen there since his creators had been offlined, trying to protect him from exactly what he had just done. The big difference though was that Starscream had chosen the mech, at least subconsciously and it hadn't been Megatron, whom they had been hiding from in the mountains. Skywarp would probably be worried about them by now...he needed to contact him somehow. As his mental gaze returned to their trine head, he smiled tiredly, because for the first time ever it appeared as if the young and carefree seeker from back then had been returned to them. It didn't matter that he was in recharge and not expected to keep that expression, but it did irk him slightly that it had taken the autobot warrior to put it back where it had always belonged.
"I've never seen him this peaceful.", he betrayed to their audience, shortly before his optics switched offline as he was forced into recharge from the injuries caused to his body from the attacking constructicons that had tried to bring the air commander back to base at Megatrons orders.
Ironhide found himself reluctant to part with the seeker still gradually clinging to parts of his chassis. Looking down at him was like looking at a sparkling in need of comfort and it arose feelings in his spark he had fought valiantly to keep dormant throughout this war. One thing he was absolutely positive about, was that this had not been a normal merge. It had felt quite a lot different from any merge he had ever participated in and that was only partly because of the intense heat of the seekers spark and chassis or his at times fluid or erratic movements. No the one thing that made their merge so very different from all the others had been the feelings involved. Ironhide hadn't been left with much time to come up with a reaction, yet as he finally had reacted, he hadn't even tried to untangle himself from the air commander, but had only drawn the seeker closer, pressing into his chassis and sending all rational thought processes to the pit. As their merge had been initiated he had been overcome with pleasure and a desire, burning brightly like a bonfire, had taken a hold of him. It had been so intense that it had almost bordered on pain, but then utter bliss had taken him in as a long time resident and he had barely been able to contain his joy at feeling parts of himself passing away, only to be magnified tenfold, somehow copied and then given back with a feeling clinging onto them that gave him the creeps as much as it filled him with pride. What had happened there? Or rather what had it been that the seeker had made happen?
Suddenly Prowl, Red Alert, Jazz and even Optimus Prime rushed into the med bay and Ratchet greeted them as if nothing was amiss, yet the officers knew their medic well by now and so they could all discern the note of worry that had crept into his tone.
"What is going on?", Optimus questioned and Ratchet blinked his optics at him in uncertainty.
"I don't know anything for certain as of yet. I'll have to run a variable amount of tests and scans before I can tell you anything specific, but I have a suspicion I'd like to prove or rule out first thing after Starscream resurfaces from his recharge, if at all possible.", the medic told them, assessing and reassessing that all his tools were in order as he went through the explanation that really didn't give anything away. Ratchet was nervous. They all could tell by the way he moved and the way he ordered and polished his already impeccable equipment.
"Ra'ch wha' th'...", he trailed off as all optics in the med bay were focused onto him and more specifically at the seeker in his arms. Or was it the fact that the air commander even was in his arms?
"Weapons Special Officer Ironhide, if you would care to explain just why you are on a berth with an enemy seeker instead of posted at the door as the guard the duty-roster indicates you should be right now, I'd be interested to hear the explanation.", Prowl prompted.
"I hardly think that that's his fault.", Ratchet came to his defense, studying the seekers system readouts carefully after he had taken a quick scan.
"Get away from the prisoner already.", Red Alert demanded and Ironhide actually managed to brace himself against the berth, get of and even a little way away from it, until the seekers chassis began to fairly vibrate with the shock shaking his frame. Quickly and absolutely involuntarily, he stepped back and reached out to clasp the air commanders shoulder joint and his chassis grew still again, a gratified click ringing out of his vocalizer. Shock at his own actions and the seekers reaction was quick to come.
"Whoa! Ya shook 'is plating alright 'Hide!" Probably it was only Jazz bad attempt at a joke that kept him from shaking in disbelieve himself. Instead the mere suggestion that carried along the porsches words, sent him into a vicious snarling fit and the saboteur actually took an involuntary step back.
"IRONHIDE! Calm yourself!", Optimus ordered briskly and the officer in question actually glared back at him, before he reluctantly complied, yet he stayed exactly where he was, hand firmly planted onto the air commanders shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly every now and then.
"Optimus...a word if you would.", Ratchet requested and was quick to be complied as he glared at the rest of the officer staff. Everyone apart from Ratchet, both seekers, the still frozen Weapons Special Officer and their Prime, left the med bay within a matter of moments and that was when the contest for the fiercest glare started. Ratchet had his optics fixed onto Ironhide, Starscream and Thundercracker alternatingly. Ironhide didn't appear to notice the glare and just tried to pierce through the wall with his optics, while Optimus himself glared at both his officers, not happy to be utterly ignored by them.
"So...a word?", he finally prompted after a breem and Ironhide groaned as realization hit him, while Ratchet just assimilated a sigh in annoyance.
"Ah danno...'t was kahnda...s'rang'...", the warrior began uncertainly and then described in detail just how he had felt and thought during his actions. Ratchets wide optics assured him that it couldn't have been a regular merge and Optimus actually had to sit down on the floor, his processor too shocked to sustain the data flow to his primary automotive system.
"So in essence...", the autobots leader began, yet interrupted himself instantly...for the fifth time in a row.
"For Primus sake Optimus, stop acting like a sparkling!", Ratchet snapped and was tempted to use one of his wrenches for a very direct repair to the Prime's cranial unit.
"Yes, they merged right on that berth there and no I am not happy about all my tools on the floor, you can count on that. According to Thundercracker however, nobody could have stopped them and I did not try to restrain them further than verbally because he did state that mechs have been offlined for interrupting a seeker. So yeah, the situation was quite serious but under control!", he stressed the last word, barely believing himself that he had just said that.
"Then it appears as if we will have to wait until he resurfaces from recharge to tell us more about the reasons behind...this.", Optimus made a vague gesture with his hands as if to include the whole room, yet point specifically at a certain seeker and another certain officer.
Waiting really wasn't one of Ironhides strong suits and it showed now. His digits wandered idly over the seekers shoulder, never staying still nor in one place for long and he liked the distraction it brought his processor, he liked it a lot, because it enabled him to acutely feel his spark and the tingle that still surrounded it, as if it was proud because it had accomplished something extraordinary.