(Untitled)

[not_toothfairy]

Somewhere out there, just at the edge of the most delicately tuned sensors' perception, there are signals being traded that Ironhide can't quite read. Some of them are Autobot signals, he's sure of that. Some of them are Decepticon ones, of that he's even more sure. The fact is that he can't read any of them. It's like spending a week with someone

Comments

[justcallmefee]

Fiona was on her way to the blast crater for a little R&R herself when she hears the FATHOOOOOOOM of the massive bot's plasma cannons, followed by the more precise chatter of his laser guns.

The hairs are standing up on her arms by the time she crests the rise. "I think I'm in love."

She drops the green canvas bag from her shoulder and hits the ground with a weighty thud, iron rattling against iron within its confines. Taking off the vintage army cap, she twists her hair up again before pulling it back down over her eyes.

"Is this an invitation only party? Or can anyone play along?"

[not_toothfairy]

"It's a public range," Ironhide answers as his guns go into temporary cooling mode. "Stay out of the splash damage zone. What're you shooting?"

[justcallmefee]

"Fantastic. But I'm not shooting," she answers, bending over to unzip the bag. Inside are a double dozen or more twelve inch long cylinders made from galvanized pipe, capped at each end, with a bit of fuse sticking out the end.

"I'm throwing." She hefts one in each hand, grinning down at her own handiwork.

[not_toothfairy]

Had Ironhide eyebrows, he'd be raising them both clear into his nonexistent hairline. He doesn't, though, so all that comes out is a low whistle, and "Nice work. Okay, go ahead. I'd like to see this."

[justcallmefee]

"Don't mind if I do."

Fi sets one of the pipe bombs back down, and reaches in her pocket to pull out a little notebook, a pencil and a lighter.

"Trying out some new components. Thought I should do this scientifically. Or something."

She takes a second to note the number chalked on the side of the pipe in the book, and then she's lighting the fuse.

"Fire in the hole!" She doesn't so much shout it as announce it with a bit of a singsong. Of course, the throw isn't nearly as civilized. She doesn't turn away or flinch in anticipation, no, not Fi. Her eyes track the device all the way into the center of the stone pile.

And the detonation that follows, well... Let's just say we're glad there aren't any structures with glass windows nearby.

"Whoo yeah!" (Okay that was a little less than professional.)

[not_toothfairy]

"No sense working up a new design if you don't keep track of what works and what doesn't," Ironhide agrees. "Looks like you've been doing this a while. Good throwing arm, there."

[justcallmefee]

She's making a note in the book, nodding as she grins up at him. "Since I was fourteen, only then we had to use coke bottles and fertilizer. Okay, some of these have fertilizer in them, but I've graduated to more -- consistent materials."

Her thumb strikes the lighter to life again, and she's lighting another one.

"This one's for you Michael Westen!" Her voice carries across the crater, and the resulting explosion sprays them with dust and small stones.

"Oh yeah. I still got it." She winks up at Ironhide, and makes another note.

[not_toothfairy]

"Hnh." Ironhide eases his weight from one foot to the other, scanning the concussive wave. "Old friend of yours, this Michael?"

He says 'old friend' the way one might expect a human to speak of that one dentist you once told them you always wished would end up on the wrong end of his own drill.

[justcallmefee]

"Sort of? He's my ex."

She squats and rummages through the bag. After a moment, she squints up at him.

"Probably."

[not_toothfairy]

"Ah," says Ironhide. "Got it." He's seen enough of human interaction to get a glimpse of how complicated their sexual interactions can get, and frankly, it makes him glad he hasn't got genitalia.

"Am I going to regret asking about the 'probably' part?"

[justcallmefee]

"No."

She's very matter of fact about, especially with the post-blast thrill still singing in her blood. As she talks, she's fitting a blasting cap onto one of the other bombs.

"We're one of those -- on again, off again couples. He'll be back. It's only a matter of time. I just get sick of being taken for granted, y'know?"

This one doesn't require the lighter. Instead, she simply screws the top that extra half turn tighter to set it ticking ominously. And being almost twice the diameter, it doesn't fly as far.

"Uh oh. We might want to step back a bit."

She retreats just enough to put the rise of the crater's lip between herself and the blast origin point.

And it's a good thing too.

[not_toothfairy]

"Mm," says Ironhide. "Seen it before. I live on a military base."

Taking people for granted used to come up on Cybertron fairly often, but given that mechs routinely live to ages in the millions, that was sort of part of the package. It's different for shorter-lived species, he guesses.

He only moves back a little ways; the debris wave stings, but not enough to do proper damage.

"Remind me to get my paint job touched up."

[justcallmefee]

"Sorry bout that." She comes back over the rise and squints at the debris field. "That was impressive." She makes a little star by the number and turns to the autobot.

"So I'm Fiona, and I'm gonna take a wild guess that you're from somewhere around where Bumblebee is from, yeah?"

[not_toothfairy]

"Same 'verse, yup," Ironhide confirms. "Name's Ironhide. Autobot weapons specialist. Taught him everything he knows about making things explode. You?"

[justcallmefee]

"Demolitions, light arms, counter surveillance."

Talking shop is so much easier with people from another world, especially if they're bristling with weapons.

"I gotta say, you have some pretty impressive machinery going on there. Plasma and laser cannons?"

You pick up a few things around Milliways, if you pay attention.

[not_toothfairy]

"Among other things," says Ironhide, who is not so much a show-off as he is someone who appreciates an appreciative audience. "Those're the primary guns, though. Decent booster capability in a pinch, too."