TFA 'verse. Autobot base in Detroit. Still recovering
"...'N this time yer spendin' time fer it." Captain Fanzone scowled at the costumed criminal, but then nearly jumped out of his skin as something hit the pavement behind him hard enough to set off his car alarm. "What the...?!"
"Prime!" Ratchet went to one knee and scanned the younger mech where Optimus lay sprawled on his face, then turned him over. "Slag...."
"What happened?" barked Fanzone, stomping around Bulkhead's legs to glower down at the Autobot leader, whose optics were closed and whose face was creased with exhaustion and discomfort.
"He pushed himself too hard." Ratchet's voice was low with resignation. "Again."
"Again?" The plainclothes cop folded his arms across his chest and scowled. "I thought he was gettin' better."
"The virus is gone," said Ratchet as the police cars pulled away from the curb and drove off. "But his spark still needs time to heal. They aren't made to take the stress that it's been under."
Fanzone's scowl deepened. "So what's he think he's gonna prove by killin' himself?"
The elderly Transformer just shook his head and scowled, then ordered Bulkhead to pick Optimus up and load him onto Bandit's alt mode. Fanzone watched, arms still folded, then stepped forward. "I'll be down to see you guys tonight. Don't let him do nothin' else stupid."
"I have no intention of letting him do any such thing," growled Ratchet, then transformed and drove away with a temperamental squeal of tires. Bandit and Bulkhead followed in his wake.
* * *
Optimus was awake when Fanzone stepped into his room that evening, laying on his back with his optics staring sightlessly at the ceiling. The human thought he heard something hiss as he climbed the tire-stack chair by the bed, but it could have just been the wind blowing through the cracks in the old building.
"You feelin' any better?" he asked in his usual brisk manner once he was up where he could actually see the Transformer.
Optimus blinked and turned his head slightly, his mouth turning up at one corner in a smile that didn't reach his optics. "Yes."
"Good. Then you'll be able to understand what I'm gonna tell you." Fanzone put his hands on his hips.
More blinking, and then an uncertain, "Yes?"
"Ratchet says yer not up ta runnin' 'round 'n playin' hero, but you keep doin' it." The human's expression grew severe. "Are you tryin' ta kill yerself 'n leave yer team ta try'n do everythin' on their own?"
"...What?" Optimus looked slightly stunned. "Captain Fanzone, I can't just lay around while...."
"You can, and you will." Fanzone scowled. "As of now yer under house arrest. 'N it ain't gonna be lifted till Ratchet says yer strong enough. You understand?"
"But...."
"No buts! I catch you breakin' arrest 'n you'll spend the rest'a it in the pen."
Blue optics met angry and shrewed eyes in a visual push for power, and it was the optics that turned away first.
"Do you understand?" persisted Fanzone.
"Yes." Optimus' voice was low and seemed to carry some sadness. "I understand."
"Good." The human paused and frowned at him, then added awkwardly. "There anythin' you wanna talk about?"
"No. I think I need some more recharge time."
"Ah... yeah. Bein' sleepy makes everybody weird." Fanzone gave a silent sigh of relief and clambered down off the chair. "I'll leave ya to it, then."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Don't mention it."
Optimus watched him leave the room, then closed his optics with a sigh.
"Why do you let that disgusting little rat talk to you like that?" Blackarachnia hove into view where she was sitting on the edge of his berth.
"Because he's right. My crew needs me, but they need me in one piece." Optimus didn't look toward her.
"If you'd stop moping like Lugnut after Megatron kicked him." She scowled at him. "What's bothering you, anyway?"
"I keep thinking about that little 'bot...."
"Oh pu-leez! I've already told you I don't want to hear about that thing."
"You asked me what I was thinking of!" Optimus unshuttered his optics and frowned at her.
"So think about something else. The problem is over. It's gone. And everyone can get on with their lives."
"What about her life? The people she's with are kind, but...."
"Blahdy blah blah blah. I'm going to go watch TV." She winked out of sight, her face creased with disgust.
Optimus stared at the place where she'd been, then wearily turned his face toward the wall and wondered what was wrong with him.
* * *
Bittersweet watched as first Captain Fanzone and then Blackarachnia left Optimus' room, then walked over and lifted her hand to knock, only to stop short as she heard a sound from inside.
Slowly, her fist uncurled as she listened to the quiet sounds of crying, and then her head bowed and her optics closed as she felt the storm of emotions and pain from the young Prime. Pain she couldn't heal, because she wasn't even supposed to know about the source.
-Primus... please help him,- she thought sadly, sinking to the floor and setting her back to the wall by the door. -Greater Creator... You know everything, including how this will end. Please help my master know how to guide me, because I don't know what to do.-
Her face creased with sympathy, she drew her knees up and rested her forehead on them as she offered support in the only way she could for the being who had given so much to bring her life.
"Prime!" Ratchet went to one knee and scanned the younger mech where Optimus lay sprawled on his face, then turned him over. "Slag...."
"What happened?" barked Fanzone, stomping around Bulkhead's legs to glower down at the Autobot leader, whose optics were closed and whose face was creased with exhaustion and discomfort.
"He pushed himself too hard." Ratchet's voice was low with resignation. "Again."
"Again?" The plainclothes cop folded his arms across his chest and scowled. "I thought he was gettin' better."
"The virus is gone," said Ratchet as the police cars pulled away from the curb and drove off. "But his spark still needs time to heal. They aren't made to take the stress that it's been under."
Fanzone's scowl deepened. "So what's he think he's gonna prove by killin' himself?"
The elderly Transformer just shook his head and scowled, then ordered Bulkhead to pick Optimus up and load him onto Bandit's alt mode. Fanzone watched, arms still folded, then stepped forward. "I'll be down to see you guys tonight. Don't let him do nothin' else stupid."
"I have no intention of letting him do any such thing," growled Ratchet, then transformed and drove away with a temperamental squeal of tires. Bandit and Bulkhead followed in his wake.
* * *
Optimus was awake when Fanzone stepped into his room that evening, laying on his back with his optics staring sightlessly at the ceiling. The human thought he heard something hiss as he climbed the tire-stack chair by the bed, but it could have just been the wind blowing through the cracks in the old building.
"You feelin' any better?" he asked in his usual brisk manner once he was up where he could actually see the Transformer.
Optimus blinked and turned his head slightly, his mouth turning up at one corner in a smile that didn't reach his optics. "Yes."
"Good. Then you'll be able to understand what I'm gonna tell you." Fanzone put his hands on his hips.
More blinking, and then an uncertain, "Yes?"
"Ratchet says yer not up ta runnin' 'round 'n playin' hero, but you keep doin' it." The human's expression grew severe. "Are you tryin' ta kill yerself 'n leave yer team ta try'n do everythin' on their own?"
"...What?" Optimus looked slightly stunned. "Captain Fanzone, I can't just lay around while...."
"You can, and you will." Fanzone scowled. "As of now yer under house arrest. 'N it ain't gonna be lifted till Ratchet says yer strong enough. You understand?"
"But...."
"No buts! I catch you breakin' arrest 'n you'll spend the rest'a it in the pen."
Blue optics met angry and shrewed eyes in a visual push for power, and it was the optics that turned away first.
"Do you understand?" persisted Fanzone.
"Yes." Optimus' voice was low and seemed to carry some sadness. "I understand."
"Good." The human paused and frowned at him, then added awkwardly. "There anythin' you wanna talk about?"
"No. I think I need some more recharge time."
"Ah... yeah. Bein' sleepy makes everybody weird." Fanzone gave a silent sigh of relief and clambered down off the chair. "I'll leave ya to it, then."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Don't mention it."
Optimus watched him leave the room, then closed his optics with a sigh.
"Why do you let that disgusting little rat talk to you like that?" Blackarachnia hove into view where she was sitting on the edge of his berth.
"Because he's right. My crew needs me, but they need me in one piece." Optimus didn't look toward her.
"If you'd stop moping like Lugnut after Megatron kicked him." She scowled at him. "What's bothering you, anyway?"
"I keep thinking about that little 'bot...."
"Oh pu-leez! I've already told you I don't want to hear about that thing."
"You asked me what I was thinking of!" Optimus unshuttered his optics and frowned at her.
"So think about something else. The problem is over. It's gone. And everyone can get on with their lives."
"What about her life? The people she's with are kind, but...."
"Blahdy blah blah blah. I'm going to go watch TV." She winked out of sight, her face creased with disgust.
Optimus stared at the place where she'd been, then wearily turned his face toward the wall and wondered what was wrong with him.
* * *
Bittersweet watched as first Captain Fanzone and then Blackarachnia left Optimus' room, then walked over and lifted her hand to knock, only to stop short as she heard a sound from inside.
Slowly, her fist uncurled as she listened to the quiet sounds of crying, and then her head bowed and her optics closed as she felt the storm of emotions and pain from the young Prime. Pain she couldn't heal, because she wasn't even supposed to know about the source.
-Primus... please help him,- she thought sadly, sinking to the floor and setting her back to the wall by the door. -Greater Creator... You know everything, including how this will end. Please help my master know how to guide me, because I don't know what to do.-
Her face creased with sympathy, she drew her knees up and rested her forehead on them as she offered support in the only way she could for the being who had given so much to bring her life.