Dirty Grudge
Title: Dirty Grudge
Rating: PG
Verse: G1
Characters: Sideswipe, Jazz, Sunstreaker, Prowl
Warnings: Intimate relationships between robots who use male pronouns to describe themselves might be hinted at, suggested, mentioned or discussed.
Disclaimer: I, in no way, shape, or form, own the Transformers© franchise or the characters it contains. As we all know, they belong to Has/Tak.
Summary: Just a random scene from routine life at the Ark in response to the following prompt from the Transformers Random Prompt Generator. Prowl/Sideswipe/Grudge. Quickly written it comes in at just over 1100 words.
“Oh that cannot be right. Have you looked at our alt modes recently? We’re Lamborghinis. Our ground clearance is 4.9 inches.”
“And this is a problem because…?” Jazz responded with a carefully blank expression
“Fifty percent of the Beavercreek patrol route is dirt road, and 78 percent of that is unmaintained dirt road. You know as well as I the reason it’s the off road models and not us high end sports cars that patrol that route. Slag, even the name the off road group gave it has stuck! WE don’t even call it by its grid designation anymore!” Sideswipe paused to collect himself as well as to try and remove his frustration from his voice before continuing. “That unmaintained section is destructive to us low clearance vehicles. And it’s currently spring melt. Did you see what Hound and Beachcomber looked like when they got back from that route three days ago? And they’re designed for it. Can’t you confirm this assignment with Prowl?”
Jazz gave the impression of leaning back in surprise, even though he hadn’t shifted his stance at all. “You’re implying Prowl made and error in the assignments?”
Sideswipe carefully flushed air through his air system in imitation of a human huff before carefully responding. “Nooo…., just asking you to confirm this.”
“No can do. Prowls with Prime, meeting with that Adopt-a-Decepticon group. And as much as I would love to interrupt, I can’t.” Jazz’s response was to cheerful for someone playing the innocence card, but Sideswipe still got sidetracked.
“What Adopt-a-Decepticon group?”
“Oh a bunch of humans with their misplaced hearts have decided that Cons are the equivalent of an endangered species, and are attempting to raise money to support them and get us to stop beating them up.”
Sideswipe shook his head, optics flickering. “Primus, I’m glad I’m not an officer.” Then his gaze sharpened again. “Now, back to mine and Sunny’s patrol route, Jazz, our ground clearance is no better than yours. You can’t really be making us take that route?
“Hey Sides, I already told ya’ I didn’t make the assignments, I’m just handing them out.”
“Ya know, Sunny’s difficult enough on a good day. This is not going to go over well. Prowl’s not holding a grudge about the jelly filled balloons is he?” Sideswipe asked with resignation.
“Sideswipe, you did your time in the brig and Prowl is above petty revenge.”
“Jazz, knowing how long you’ve been bonded to him, I can’t believe you just said that.” Sideswipe feigned disbelief.
“Well the Beavercreek route is still your assignment. You don’t like it; take it up with Prowl when you get back. His shift starts at 10 tonight. And you two best get going or it’ll be midnight before you’re back.”
“It’ll likely be midnight anyway, were going to have to walk most of it.” Sideswipe grumbled as he turned away. And with that Sideswipe stalked out of the command center to meet up with Sunstreaker and give him the ‘good news.’
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~
They actually made it back to the Ark before Midnight. But only by 12 minutes. It had indeed been an unpleasant patrol. But in no way could Sideswipe call this one boring. It was impossible to be bored when you were slogging your way on foot through mud and slush trying to be quick yet, without falling all the while constantly scanning. They of course had done fine on the portions of the route that actually had pavement. And to no surprise, low carriages or not; them being Autobots, they had done fine on the maintained sections of dirt road. Even with rocks and gravel pounding their undersides it wasn’t much worse than the Autobot maintained road from the Ark to the highway. But from the moment they passed the lovely sign that declared, ‘No Maintenance Beyond This Point,’ they had encountered a rut encrusted, muddy pothole filled road that would have made swiss cheese look solid. And if it wasn’t muddy water filled holes and semi dried ruts, it was large exposed tire sized rocks or entirely washed out sections of road. How anyone could seriously even considering calling any part of it a road was beyond Sideswipe. And that was just the sections of road that were not still mired in 8 inches or more of muddy snow slush.
They had had to transform and walk sixty three miles of road, weaving all through back mountain forest areas. Those sixty three miles could usually be done in six or seven hours by the off road crowd. It had taken him and Sunny 13 hours to do it on foot. Then they still had the rest of the route to go. All total, it had turned into a 15 hour patrol. Up from the typical eleven hours for the off road crowd; who Sideswipe readily acknowledged could probably have still managed the average time, even with the current road conditions. And he and Sunny had only made 15 hours because they had traveled far faster than the human speed limit allowed on every piece of maintained road on the route.
Sunny had quit complaining after the first hour on foot. After the second, the threats of bodily injury and vengeful payback had ceased as well. Sideswipe had earned the silent treatment from his brother for the rest of the patrol. The only time the silent treatment was broken was when one or the other of them has slipped and fallen. As soon as each had ensured that no serious injury had resulted and they were both moving again, the silent treatment started up again. The only good thing had been reaching maintained roads again, a few hours after dark, thus allowing them to drive the remaining two hours . Yep, it had been a pit of a patrol.
Now as the twins arrived at the entrance to the Ark and transformed, dry caked on mud went flying in all directions. Sunstreaker with another glare at his brother, continued with the silent treatment as he headed on in. Sideswipe knew his brother wanted nothing more than to get to the wash racks, but would go to the command deck first as duty and protocol dictated to report the patrol complete. Sideswipe hung back, nodding at Streetwise and Windcharger who were the current sentries; best let his brother report and clear out before he had his discussion with Prowl. Hmm. Maybe he should hit the wash racks first, before his own check in, since the brig might be his next stop.
“Ruff patrol?” The question interrupted his thoughts as Streetwise offered a knowing look while he watched the two Lamborghinis separate and Sideswipe stay behind.
Sideswipe grimaced. “You have no idea.”