FIC: T-Minus (Human Series)
Title: T-Minus
Author: Keelywolfe
Fandom: Transformers
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Sam/Bumblebee, Sideswipe/Sunstreaker, Ratchet/Optimus, Ironhide/Lennox, Mikaela/Prowl (Whew. I think that's everyone.)
~~*~~
23 hours to mission time.
After a month that included an evil computer viral infection, the unexpected addition of Autobot receptors on his human body, and broken arm, it was something of a unique experience for Sam to wake up feeling...fine.
To be honest, he felt better than fine. Pretty good, even. Maybe a little hungry; in the human way, not the weird energy-vampire way. Come to think of it, they never had gotten that pizza.
Sam stretched lazily, noticing belatedly that the bed next to him was empty. They hadn't gotten around to unpacking his alarm clock so he had no idea what time it was but the light filtering into the skylights was non-existent so late was a pretty good guess. That meant he could have been out for an hour or six hours.
Back to sleep or food? Sam considered it sleepily, trying to remember what his mom had been putting in the fridge that afternoon. On one hand he was warm and comfortable, but on the other, he was pretty sure he had at least milk and cereal. Plus, he was alone. Bumblebee's on-duty schedule was decidedly not nine-to-five so the odds he'd be back anytime soon to play food-fetch weren't good.
Food, then. Sam slipped off the bed, hissing as his feet hit the icy floor. Air conditioning was awesome in the middle of the day when the desert outside was shimmering with heat. Not quite so much in the dark of the night.
To his surprise, he could hear a murmur of voice and Sam crouched below the low wall that made up the banister, peering downstairs a little warily. Not that he didn't trust the security measures in his new place but better to be cautious then dead.
From his angle, he could look down into the living area and he was a little surprise to see Bee's holoform sitting on the sofa, his parents on either side of him. Whatever they were talking about, Bee didn't seem particularly happy about it. As he watched silently, Bumblebee slumped down, resting his head in both his hands. An ache settled into Sam's belly that had nothing to do with his hunger, watching Bee's oh, so obvious despair. Even at his worst, Bee had always managed to make him smile, offering comfort and strength and seeing him like this...
He couldn't hear what his mother said then, but he recognized her tone, the soft comforting murmur that he had heard dozens of times as a kid when he'd been sick or hurt. She wrapped her arms around Bumblebee, hugging him close, and his dad clapping him on the shoulder, giving him a rough little shake. Encouraging him the very same way he'd always done to Sam.
Something that had been hot and tight in Sam's chest for so long that he had long since forgotten it was there eased and a hot prickle formed behind his eyes. For all that his parents had been incredibly accepting and encouraging of his relationship with Bee, Sam wasn't stupid enough to believe it had been easy for them. Aside from getting dragged out of their home and suddenly finding out about alien cars on the planet, their own son had taken off with the aliens and gotten infected with weirdest venereal disease in the history of the world.
In comparison, his dad would have probably thrown a party to find out his son was just gay. Possibly a parade.
As he watched, Bumblebee leaned into his mother's embrace, visibly hesitant and then, when she pressed her cheek against the top of his head, crooning gently, he abruptly clutched at her, keening softly.
Bumblebee was his age, Sam remembered abruptly. He was thousands of years old and had been a soldier for most of them, but he was still a teenager in his own way and maybe he didn't have a 'progenitor', but he sure seemed to get what they were for. His mom held him, rocking him while Bumblebee clung to her and his dad patted his back.
Even knowing that he was probably the topic of discussion couldn't dim the warmth he felt at watching his parents comforting Bee. No matter what they had to deal with, at least this was all right.
He knew the second Bee noticed he was watching, saw as Bee stiffened a little and pulled away from his mom, looking up at the top of the stairs.
Busted. No point in pretending otherwise. Sam stood up and gave them an awkward little wave, "Hey, guys."
His parents were on their feet in an instant, followed quickly by Bee. He met his mom halfway down the stairs and suffered through her parental inspection without comment, even as he mentally rolled his eyes when she pressed a cool hand to his forehead. Like Ratchet would have let him out of scanner reach if he wasn't all right? Whatever had happened, it seemed like was over now. Chalk up another spot on the weird alien receptors board and moving on. "Oh, sweetie, how are you feeling?"
"Pretty good," Sam answered honestly. "Hungry."
And promptly regretted that as his mom exclaimed, "Oh, do you need a charge? Bee, here, Ron and I can get out of your way-"
"No, no, no," Sam shook his head, raising his hands to keep all of them back. His mother's concern with his sex life was starting to get disturbing, medically necessary or not. "I'm hungry, you know, for food? Chew it up, swallow it down, carbs and glucose and all that good stuff?"
To his bemusement, his mother brightened visibly and why not? Here was something she could actually help with. Resigned to his fate, Sam followed her down to the kitchen and let her take over, watching as she cooked enough food for a party of ten. Hell, he hadn't thought he had that much food in his kitchen; his mom's super powers were a lot more awesome than his sex battery ones.
Bumblebee hadn't said a word yet, only sat next to Sam at the table, concern visible in his green eyes. His camaro form was parked in the garage area and Sam didn't doubt Bee was running half a dozen scans on him at any given time. Caring for him, watching out for him the way Bee always did and beneath the edge of the table, Sam took Bee's hand, twining their fingers together even as he ate everything his mom put on his plate with enthusiasm.
It was only later, when his mom had shooed both of them off to bed and the two of them were curled together beneath the blankets, that Sam asked, softly, "What were you guys talking about?"
Sam had his head resting on Bee's chest, listening to the false beat of his holographic heart, the only sound he could hear because Bee wasn't answering him. For a minute, Sam didn't think he would then he felt Bumblebee sigh, his chin digging lightly into the top of Sam's head as he spoke, "I was apologizing to them."
That made Sam frown and he sat up, looking at Bee through the darkness. Bumblebee's eyes glowed very faintly; probably he was cheating a little on his parameters to be able to see in the dark. "Apologizing for what?"
"For everything," Bumblebee said quietly. He reached up and trailed a single finger down Sam's face. "For everything that has happened to you, and them, for taking your life away from you-"
"You didn't do anything wrong," Sam said fiercely, grabbing Bee's hand in both his own, pulling it to his mouth to kiss the knuckles roughly.
"No?" Bee turned his hand in Sam's grip, the tips of his fingers brushing Sam's mouth.
A sudden chill went through Sam and he swallowed dryly, "I guess...I guess you could have told me no that night."
Chuffing laughter greeted that. "No, I honestly doubt that I could have," Bee said dryly but his eyes were amused. "And no, I did not apologize for this. I find that I am incapable of regretting loving you."
Sam laughed a little, his fear easing. Damn, they were both a couple of saps, weren't they. "What did my parents say?"
Bee's mouth quirked up in a smile, "They said that I didn't do anything wrong and that it wasn't my fault. I find the similarities between you and your parents fascinating."
Considered that they were lying together naked, Sam wasn't much interested in finding any other similarities. Instead, he leaned in and shut Bee up the best way he knew how, with his mouth and generous applications of tongue.
Bumblebee let him, parting his own lips and the soft sound of pleasure that escaped him made Sam shiver and kiss a little harder. But after a second, Bee pulled back and gave him a searching look.
"You don't need a charge," Bee said, softly, concerned.
"No, I need you," Sam countered.
Bee's grin was inspiring.
~~*~~
Sixteen Hours to Mission Time
In a rare moment of lucidity this night, Optimus was sincerely regretting he hadn't insisted on soundproofing for his quarters. At the time they'd built them, he'd assumed raising a simple privacy barrier would be sufficient. In the more delicate planning stages of any battle, a seamless shield was a necessity, both sides having long since perfected them as a means to keep away all but the most diligent of spies.
He hadn't counted on not being able to maintain one and he knew without asking that his partner was not about to spare his dignity by doing it for him.
The sound that escaped his vocalizer would have been humiliating if he'd had the processing power to allow for the emotion. Ratchet's dark chuckle indicated clearly that he knew it as well, and the slippery tingle of pleasure that ached over his sensors made him repeat it, louder.
::Do you want me to stop?:: Ratchet sent, his tone solicitous, his expression anything but, and another vicious surge of pleasure slithered through their link, scraping over sensors already raw with it.
::No, no, nonono:: Optimus wasn't even certain the words made it through but certainly his panicked reaction did as Ratchet chuckled again.
::Do remember that I offered...:: It was the last words that made it to his processors and Optimus distantly hoped that anyone investigating the screams would at least think to knock.
Or at the very least, he hoped they wouldn't stay around and listen to his garbled pleading for more.
~~*~~
Twelve Hours to Mission Time
It wasn't the right time for this.
Will Lennox had been in the military for a long time. Long enough to lose men, long enough to get a divorce, to sink himself back into the job, the duty, that had caused it. Too fucking long, maybe. The upcoming mission was already in the countdown window and he knew, without a doubt, that the worst time to deal with outside issues was just before a mission.
But he also knew that it was better to deal with it than dwell on it.
Fucking time frame was the problem. Prep was winding down into the tiny details, everything was organized and the mission was still twelve hours out. Nothing to do now but wait, and the longer the wait, the worse it was. Now was when soldiers started fights, petty issues turning into explosions at the turn of a hair as the tension settled on a knife-edge. There was no chance of sleeping, no serious exercises since you couldn't risk exhausting yourself. Nothing to do but wait.
Lennox knew it, but still found himself walking up the long, dirt path that led to their haphazard shooting range. The booming echo of a rifle report guided him as much as the large shadowed figure he could see leaning against one of the rocky outcroppings. It wasn't moving which meant if Ironhide was practicing on the range he was doing it with human weapons and in a human form.
Just thinking about it made a frisson of heat stir in him that had nothing to do with the rising temp of the morning. Will shook it away and concentrated on climbing the rocky path. That was a whole different situation and probably not one that it was a good idea to think about right now.
Not that he seemed to be able to fucking stop.
He wasn't trying to hide his approach, probably wouldn't have been able to from a being who could hear his footsteps at twenty meters even over the rifle blasts. Could probably hear his heartbeat by now and from the shadows where the large mech form of Ironhide was sitting, Will could see the blue gleam of optics tracking his movements.
He had to get a lot closer to see the female form sprawled over a large rock, slim hands holding the rifle with casual ease as she took another shot.
She...he...his brain was a little confused on that issue. Not that pronouns mattered much to a visual approximation of an unisexual being but as pretty as the form was, there was no denying it was Ironhide wrapped in that package. Perhaps that should have been disturbing to him but Will Lennox had seen plenty of disturbing things in the past year and this one rated low on the rungs.
Will kept back and watched as Ironhide took another shot. The target was way too far out for him to see precisely where it hit but Will had no illusions about the deadly accuracy as it disappeared a spray of shrapnel. Ironhide had told him once, casually, that as far as sniper shooting went he barely ranked in the top ten of the Autobot army. The weapons he used were meant for a closer range and those weapons included his fists. Watching him...her... watching the targets disintegrating under each shot, Will had to admit to a tingle of mixed excitement and fear at the thought of meeting a better shot than Ironhide.
As he watched, Ironhide finished the clip, pushing up on her knees before she turned to look at Will.
"Need something, Lennox?" Ironhide asked, slamming another clip home. The voice that went with the body was on the deeper end of the female range, with husky, smoky warmth. He wondered if Ironhide had any idea what just that voice did to him, hearing it caress the syllables of his name. She didn't turn back to the range, only looked up at Will expectantly, a faint smirk curving one corner of her mouth.
Yeah. She knew.
There was no one around, not within his sight but Lennox knew better than to assume that no one was listening. Particularly when you were dealing with alien robots who could hear the sound of your heartbeat at twenty paces.
"Can you put up one of those privacy shields you guys have?"
One slender eyebrow rose but Will felt the resonance as Ironhide did as he asked. The faint whir of hydraulics behind him told Will that Ironhide was shifting his weight and it made him pause, trying to decide which form to look at. The hologram was still looking at him expectantly, her dark eyes curious, so he gave a mental shrug and stuck with that one, stepping in closer.
Privacy shield or not, Will couldn't help lowering his voice as he asked, "What's going on with Sam?"
Ironhide regarding him with a curious shrug, tipping her head to the side and long, brown hair slid in a silky fall over her pale shoulder. He…she should have pulled it back while on the shooting range but Will wasn't about to scold a being who was older than human civilization about protocol. If anyone could shoot with hair falling into their eyes, it had to be Ironhide.
"Not sure what you mean," Ironhide said coolly and she turned her gaze back to the weapon in her hands.
Pretty much the answer he'd expected and Will sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "We keep the living quarters of the city pretty well segregated, but you and I both know that people are everywhere and people see things. Like yesterday. So, do you want to tell me what's going on with the kid?"
The holo's expression didn't change but he could hear Ironhide shifting behind him, again. A large hand settled next to Will and he didn't turn around as he felt the sudden wash of heat from a mech leaning in close.
"What makes you think you need to know?" Came from a much deeper voice, behind him.
Almost involuntarily, Will looked up. Ironhide's true form was unmistakably masculine and again, perhaps it should be disturbing that it wasn't bothering him. Not that he'd felt even the faintest interest in any of the male holoforms Ironhide had tried but this personality, packaged in that body...he shook those thoughts away, dismissing them as a distraction from the topic at hand. "We're protecting-"
That got him a snort of laughter as Ironhide slanted him a look, his optics narrowing to thin rims of blue. "Optimus might have persuaded you people into giving Sam his own rank here, but when it comes down to it, the kid is a civilian. We're protecting him, we're taking care of him."
"I can't help but notice that you aren't denying that something is up." Will couldn't help the bitterness. A soft touch on his arm startled him and he very nearly lashed out with a closed fist but the woman who'd crept up on him silently didn't flinch. She was nearly his height, her body lithe and strong. Her dark eyes were fringed with long lashes, her mouth lush and faintly pouting, and the swell of her breasts was barely concealed by her tight tank top. If Ironhide was trying to distract him, he was using a very effective means of it.
"Now, see, you're all upset, aren't you, baby, " she cooed huskily against his ear and Will jerked back, glaring as the pretty false woman smirked at him. Strange how she didn't resemble 'Hide at all and yet, she did. It was in the eyes, the mockingly sweet curve of her mouth.
She sobered quickly and looked away, back over the range. "It's like this; the kid is a civilian. Yeah?"
"Yes," Will gritted out.
"Yeah, well, you aren't," 'Hide shot back, dark eyes flashing with something close to anger. "I trust you, Lennox, but you aren't your own man any more than I'm my own mech. We both owe vows to someone else, and I've met some of 'em that pull your strings. It's them I don't trust."
"You can't tell me because I might have to report it to someone else," Will said wearily and Hide smirked again, reaching out and laying one slim hand in the middle of Will's chest.
"Who says there's anything to tell?"
Will exhaled slowly, ignoring the heat bleeding through his shirt from that single touch. "If there ever is, I want you to know you can trust me. No one is going to pull my strings on that."
"Sure, babe," She gave him a tight, cynical smile. "Sure."
The rifle was laying abandoned against the small ridge of stone that Ironhide had been sprawled on, and suddenly Lennox was itching to pull the trigger, to smell oily residue and the faint smoke, similar to the smoky tone of Ironhide's voice. To watch a target explode from his bullet. "Still feel like killing some cardboard?"
"Think I feel like something else." The fingers resting on his chest curled until Will could feel the sting of short nails digging in through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. It switched to a sudden shove and Will found himself sprawled on his back in the dirt, his wrists pinned to the ground by inhumanly strong hands.
It was difficult to offer any objection when Ironhide was straddling his lap, the firm curve of her ass pressing right at crotch level but Will gave it his best shot, protesting weakly, "Right here? Anyone could see us!"
"Baby, I will know if anyone gets close enough to see anything." Dark brown eyes looked hotly into his own, a flicker of soft tongue wetting full lips before Ironhide leaned in to whisper against his mouth, "Come on, give it to me."
Put like that, Will wasn't sure how to say no.
~~*~~
Eleven Hours to Mission Time
There was very little mission prep that Ratchet was required to perform, even with the unusual addition of organics to their ranks. Like any good medic, he kept the necessary supplies on hand at all times in case of any eventuality. Even when they weren't diving headlong into possible Decepticon territory, there was always the chance of surprise attack and injuries that had nothing to do with battle had a way of cropping up at inopportune times.
In other words, Ratchet was used to being surrounded by idiots and the only defense he had against that was a bad temper and abundant supplies.
The infirmary was as well stocked as it could possibly be, as was his field kit. Much as he complained about using the supplies that the humans offered it was certainly better than nothing and Ratchet had had about enough of making do with that.
The preparations were done, nothing needed his attention. Which was a pity because his attention could certainly use something to focus on. Not that he didn't have plenty to do but his patience, always in short supply, was riding a fine line today and so Ratchet kept himself to the infirmary, going over the mission parameters.
What had started as a standard Decepticon pursuit had in one spark turned into Primus knew what. A search and rescue? A mercy killing of one of their enemies? There was no telling. The transmission Sam had discovered and subsequently broadcast had been sadly devoid of clues.
No matter how many times Ratchet went over the transmission, the only thing he could detect was that the mech sending it was in a great deal of pain and was transmitting helplessly. There was no indication of their designation or affiliation that Ratchet could detect, but as he'd said many times, he was a medic. Not a scientist, not an engineer, not a fragging counselor and he damn well wasn't a communications officer either.
Not for the first time, Ratchet found himself wishing that someone useful would land on the planet for once. Not that warriors weren't useful but at this point he would take a mech who'd been a sparkling science teacher. At least that might be a little helpful. Since Jazz had died...no. Ratchet viciously suppressed that line of thinking. He wasn't about to start blaming the dead for his problems.
On his own, all he could do was provide a clumsy analysis. Optimus had accepted his inexpert assessment of the transmission without complaint and modified their mission parameters accordingly.
Not that Ratchet had anything to do with that. Of the many things he wasn't, he also wasn't a tactician. He would be there as medical support only as per protocol. Medics only fought when desperation required it and Ratchet didn't particularly want to face Ironhide if he broke that rule, providing he survived breaking it. No point in handing the Decepticons his head on a silver platter, now was there.
He'd probably hear an audio about it from Optimus too, and...just thinking of Optimus made heat rise in his circuits and Ratchet was sourly grateful to be alone in the infirmary for once. Ironhide for one would never let a heat surge like that pass by without a little needling.
Really, it was past ridiculous. They'd broken off their relationship, whatever it was, for less than twenty-four hours; there was no excuse for how badly Ratchet wanted...well. How badly he wanted.
They'd already spend the better part of the night interfacing, to the point that even Optimus had fallen into an exhausted recharge. Much as he'd like to shuffle off the blame, his exposure to Bumblebee and Sam's coupling could only excuse so much. Ratchet's joints still felt a little loose in their sockets, the peculiar ache caused by pleasurable energy surges still twanging through his circuits and here he was, on the edge of sending a message to Optimus to see if he might be up for just one more round--
No. Thinking about this was not helping.
With a heavy vent of air, Ratchet went over his equipment list again and ignored the ragged edge of desire nagging at him.
~~*~~
10.45 Hours to Mission Time
"Is this...is this all right?" Will gasped. His heels were scrabbling in the dirt, searching for leverage. Not that Ironhide intended to allow him any. An arch of his back, a deliberate shift of his weight, and Ironhide had the human pinned helplessly beneath him again.
Perfect.
But Lennox had asked a question. Ironhide shrugged, tipping his head back to feel the warmth of the sunlight against his bare human skin. He'd conceded enough to their position to drag Lennox behind an outcropping of rock before he'd straddled the human and held him down, but that had been the only concession Ironhide had been willing to make. Damn, but this was fun. "Beats me, never done this before."
"You're...a virgin?"
Something in Lennox's voice, almost horrified, made Ironhide search the term on the internet. He snorted aloud. "Will, I've been fucking around since before your species walked upright. Just because the technique is new doesn't mean I don't know how it ends."
Although this certainly was a new technique, not that Ironhide would admit it. Most of his clothes had been long-ago dissolved, his bare toes just touching the edge of Lennox's trousers where they were shoved down by his thighs. He'd left the tank top, bunched up under his arms so that Lennox could cup the soft swells of his breasts in his large hands. For some reason Will had liked that and so long as he kept stroking his thumbs over Ironhide's nipples, he'd be happy to keep it that way. Lennox was still mostly dressed, including his boots, an allowance to the fact that his clothes couldn't reappear in a heartbeat. But for now, no one was close enough to so much as glimpse them, which was a good thing. Ironhide wasn't entirely sure he'd stop even if they did.
He didn't want this to stop.
Leaning down, Ironhide bit the middle of Lennox's chest, hard enough to make the human curse but he bucked up as well, the connection of their bodies from between Ironhide's legs deepening. Ironhide only laughed, licking the tiny wound and absently noting the composition of the human's sweat as he sat back up, spreading his legs a little wider so he could take more.
The first push of Lennox into his body had been...strange. Unfamiliar. Mechs didn't just insert their parts into others. In this form it hadn't been precisely painful but not all that thrilling either. Ironhide wriggled and squirmed, ignoring Will's gasps as he tried to decide if his body actually liked this.
Bumblebee had designed the schematics for both male and female holos, but since he'd obviously chosen male for his own, perhaps there was a design flaw. Not that it felt bad, just...weird. Pleasant but not overwhelming him with ecstasy as the internet had led him to believe.
He rocked his hips again with a frown, letting the hard length of Will's cock slide out of him and then back in. Ah, perhaps like that. Certainly Will appreciated it, arching up with a strangled groan. "Ah, ah, God, 'Hide, that...ah, fuck...stop a second, I'm gonna come if you don't..."
The human was shaking, like the strain of holding back was physically hurting him and Ironhide frowned again. This was supposed to be enjoyable and so far it wasn't working out for either of them. "So come if you have to. We can do it again."
Will shook his head frantically, his short hair dark with sweat that was running down his face as well, gleaming in the sunlight. "No, I want you to, this is your first time...oooh, hold still!"
Bullshit on that. "This isn't a trial run and I'm not gonna run out and snag someone else if you don't blow my circuits the first time out. We can do it again."
Ignoring the human's pleading, Ironhide shifted again, grinding his hips down. Yeah, that felt good, it felt deep but it wasn't until Lennox shifted one trembling hand down between his legs, rubbing his thumb over the slick folds, that Ironhide felt a hard jolt of pleasure.
"Oh, yeah," he groaned, moving his hips so that he could feel Lennox sliding in him with the same rhythm. Oh, fuck, yes, that was perfect.
"Ah," Ironhide gasped out, tipping his head back as Will rubbed hard right there. He felt his body tighten, something as bright and sharp as an overload jolting him and Will choked out his own cry, spilling wet warmth inside him.
Trembling, Ironhide rested his weight on his hands. Primus, that had been something, hadn't it. Will was panting beneath him, his eyes half-closed and Ironhide managed to give him a grin.
"Don't let me down yet," Ironhide purred. "I did say we could do it again." He ignored the human's groan, already rocking his hips again. A mech had to chase his own overloads, after all, but he was happy to bring Lennox along for the ride.
~~*~~
Six Hours to Mission Time
Bumblebee made his way through the city, carefully, staying in his mech form for a change. There were so many vehicles rushing around, so many soldiers loading weapons and equipment, it seemed safer to walk rather than maneuver between them.
Arcee passed him at one point, a soldier than Bee didn't know clinging to her handlebars and Bee shook his head. Of all of them, Arcee was the one who hated shuttling around the humans the most, so why she'd chosen a form that made her so accessible to them was anyone's guess. Perhaps she just liked the irony.
The main administration building had humans running in and out of it, many of them with their arms full of papers and laptops. Which was…unusual to say the least. Bumblebee had been introduced to a few of the visiting scientists but he didn't really know any of them, so it wasn't much of a surprise when none of them offered him much more than a wary look to make sure he was watching where he stepped.
A large truck pulled up on the street behind him, barely stopping before people started climbing inside. Through a megaphone, a loud, familiar voice boomed, "This truck is leaving in ten minutes, people, so get loaded and let's get going!"
The person who was attached to the voice, Sergeant Epps, hopped out of the passenger side, shooing people into the back of the truck.
Interesting. Evacuating the city wasn't completely unexpected. Optimus was probably going to leave a skeleton crew to watch over things but most of the Autobots would be coming along. If the Decepticons wanted to take advantage of their absence, may as well not leave much for them to shoot at. Buildings they could repair; people, not so much.
Sam would be in his new quarters, along with his parents and Mikaela but they could hardly cram all the visiting scientists in there and there hadn't been time for them to build any other emergency bunkers. What they had would hold off all but the most brutal of attacks until backup arrived. Bumblebee would have insisted on that if Optimus hadn't.
The hallways in main administration were mostly empty already and Bee easily made his way to the room where Optimus had summoned him. The table was large enough that Optimus could sit at it, although he had to sit on the floor, and Prowl was standing behind him. With Optimus sitting, they were close to the same height and both had their optics on Bumblebee, their expressions solemn.
Well, this certainly looked promising.
"You needed to see me, sir?" Bee asked, hoping that they took his wary tone as just harshness caused by previous injuries.
Optimus nodded slowly. His battle mask was withdrawn, for once, and it made him look all the graver. "Bumblebee, the mission will proceed as planned shortly."
"Yes, sir. I'm ready." More than ready. He owed Barricade some pain for what had happened to Sam in the jail cell that night but he was perfectly happy to give his share to any other Decepticon they might come across.
To his surprise, Optimus shook his head. "You are to remain here to monitor the attack and the city."
For a moment, Bumblebee was too shocked to speak and he actually stepped forward, ready to protest a direct order before he caught himself. Bumblebee wasn't exactly a front liner but he was more than capable. They hadn't seen a real fight since Mission City and he'd taken heavy damage then but that had been repaired for months now. A glance at Prowl offered no clue, his expression was bland and unrevealing.
A little tightly, he said, "May I ask why, sir?"
Optimus nodded, somberly, before he said, bluntly, "You cannot be away from Sam and he cannot come with us."
"But-" Bumblebee cut off his protest, sinking back on his heels. It was true. Who else could stay with Sam? Considering his condition, the list of mechs he truly trusted with the human was laughably short, starting and ending with Bumblebee. Even if he charged Sam fully before leaving, there was no telling when they would return and Sam's energy consumption was aggravatingly inconsistent. He might trust another Autobot to protect Sam but to touch him...no.
No.
"Understood," Bee said, crisply, his arguments vanishing even as he felt a twinge of guilt for staying behind.
"Good. We'll establish a secure line of communication to keep you informed before we leave."
Prowl stepped forward, a data pad in hand. "All the scientists in the city are being evacuated for their protection and a squad of human soldiers will remain with you, along with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker."
"The twins?" Bee blurted out before he could catch himself. Of all the guardians he might have expected, Sunstreaker was not on the list, not even in the reserves. Sideswipe was only absent from it because of Sunstreaker. Leaving Bee behind was irritating but excusable, but leaving two of their best warriors while they went into battle against an unknown force?
What in the name of Primus was going on?
"You have rank, Bumblebee. Not that I expect Sunstreaker to obey you," Prowl said, dryly. "But Sideswipe will no doubt side with you and between the two of you, I think you can handle him. Hopefully, there will be nothing that requires handling."
"Prime," Bumblebee began, hesitantly, only to fall silent when Optimus held up a hand.
"Now is not the time."
The door opening behind him startled Bumblebee, and he stepped aside enough for Ironhide to push his way through the door. Captain Lennox followed and the scent of soap still clung to him but it did nothing to disguise from Bumblebee's sensors the fact that he'd engaged in some sexual act in the past few hours. Enthusiastically, from the amount of pheromones he was still exuding.
From the chemical configuration, it'd been with an Autobot holoform, not that he needed his sensors to tell him that, not with the smirk Ironhide sent his way.
Oh, that was just wrong. Dear Primus, and he'd thought Optimus and Ratchet were bad for his processors.
"Most of the humans are cleared out, Prime," Ironhide drawled, lowering a hand to boost Lennox up on the table. The human nodded, seating himself on the table without a hint of discomfort.
"The last of the civilians will be gone by sixteen-hundred. Except for the Witwickys and Miss Banes," Lennox said, pulling out his own data pad. "Prowl, my people already have their orders. Any modifications I should know about?"
"None, thus far," Prowl said, calmly, and he held up a hand to silence Lennox, his optics on Bumblebee. He raised one optic ridge, questioningly, "You're dismissed."
Oh, right. Bumblebee gave them a curt nod and stepped out. Not part of the battle meant not part of the plan, which meant he needed to hit the pavement. The second the door shut behind him he felt a privacy shield engage.
And...now what. Bumblebee stood uncertainly outside the door, somewhat at a loss. He could go to the monitoring room now, of course, but the others weren't leaving for six hours and so far as he knew Jolt was on monitor duty right now. There was nothing he really needed to do...
...except check on his human friends. As a mech, Bumblebee didn't have a proper mouth made for grinning but he could chuckle wickedly, transforming and speeding down the empty hallways. He could think of one way to entertain himself, anyway. Ironhide did occasionally have a good idea.
Careening around a corner, he nearly ran smack into Ratchet and only paused long enough to honk an apology, ignoring the medic's loud threats and curses. He didn't quite dare ignore the incoming message and braced himself for the barrage before he opened a line.
::You'd make a good toaster, Bee!::
::Sorry, have to take care of a friend:: he sent back cheekily. ::Doctor's orders, remember?::
::Go easy on the kid:: Came back, grumpily. ::I might have my hands full in a few hours, I do not need to be taking care of him again, too.::
It was sobering reminder of what they were about to face. ::Take care of them, Ratchet.::
::Don't I always?:: There was a light brush of emotion, startling Bumblebee with its genuine affection, and then Ratchet closed the connection.
Bee let it go, speeding down the corridor to the main entrance. He only had six hours, after all, might as well make the most of them.
~~*~~
Four Hours to Mission Time
It was times like this that being a Senior Officer wasn't worth a waste bucket to purge in. Ratchet crossed his arms over his chest and focused on pretending that he cared about listening to the mission parameters.
Again.
Not that he didn't understand that the humans couldn't just accept a data packet but why he needed to be hear listening to it was beyond him. Just tell him where the wounded were and Ratchet would be there. End of discussion. But Prowl wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings and so here they were. Again.
"…are there any questions so far," Prowl asked. Several humans were standing around the holographic display of the designated area. Squad leaders, damned if Ratchet knew their names. He recognized Lennox and he at least was worth a little interest. It was a shame that Ironhide was far past any embarrassment over his sexual antics or Ratchet could have had a little fun needling him over it. As it was, he was composing a very sincere request for a vid file of whatever they had done. With Ironhide he at least had a chance of getting one.
He stifled the urge to roll his optics as one of the humans pointed out an area that Ratchet was certain had been discussed before.
A message flashing in his HUD startled him so much that Ratchet almost jumped and wouldn't that have pleased the humans. It certainly would have pleased Ironhide. He accepted it with resignation, already knowing who it was from.
::Are we boring you?::
::Not at all, Prime. I always spent my free time fighting recharge:: he replied acidly.
::Perhaps you should get more rest.:: No hint of anything but sincerity but Ratchet knew better. There was no good way to glare at Optimus without the humans seeing but he could certainly deepen their connection enough to send his emotions that way, a metaphorical glare being better than nothing.
Ratchet only realized the mistake he'd made when Prime responded, and the emotion he pushed through was anything but the dignified face he was showing their allies. A hot pulse of desire/want/need throbbed over the connection and through his firewalls before he could close them. His responding tremor was so sharp that he had to catch his balance, all eyes and optics on him for just a moment. He waved them back to the display impatiently, ignoring Ironhide's knowing snicker.
::You are going to pay for that::
A low mental chuckle. ::I'll look forward to it. I trust you're no longer bored?::
His only response to that was a hiss of static before he closed the link.
Primus be damned, that he certainly hadn’t needed. He'd already been riding on the edge of some kind of desperate need all day. Something was wrong but Ratchet couldn't place what it was. The night before each interface with Optimus had been ever more desperate, each one needier, more disjointed. Even now he was stifling the frantic urge to ask Optimus to go again and they were in the middle of strategizing a mission!
Maybe he was finally losing his blasted mind.
At least going over his own protocols gave him something to do. A clean bill of health didn't necessarily mean something wasn't wrong, only that his protocols didn't register it as an actual problem. Beneath the drone of Prowl talking with the humans, the occasional rumble of Optimus adding his input, Ratchet pretended interest as he went over his own code, trying to identify what was shaking him so badly.
Immersed in his diagnostic, he missed the first time Prowl said his name and only snapped to attention when he repeated it, loudly.
"Ratchet, if I could have a moment of your time?" Prowl said, sharply, and only one who knew him well would hear his impatience.
"Yes?" Ratchet said, barely able to keep himself from snapping it.
"I said, we may be encountering a badly injured mech. I trust that you're prepared for that eventuality?"
Again, he stifled himself from saying what he wanted to say, which was that he didn't need Prowl to tell him how to do his fucking job. All of them had been so close for so very long they were practically family, and like family, Ratchet cared about them all but there were times he didn't like them very much.
"Yes," Ratchet ground out. He and Prowl glared at each for only microseconds but it was Prowl who relented, going back to the building schematics as he pointed out structural deficiencies and exit zones. Ratchet tuned it out and went back to his diagnostic, inwardly frustrated when it again came back clean.
Perhaps it was more of an emotional issue? In a few hours they might be encountering many badly injured mechs, including any of them at this table. He'd seen all of them hurt at one time or another, dripping energon from gaping wounds as Ratchet struggled to save them, their optics flickering and on the edge of going out forever.
Like Jazz.
Even Optimus, the strongest out of any of them, had seen his share of wounds. And surely would again, he would be in the thick of this battle, just as he was in all of them. Their leader was too powerful to spare and too valuable to use the way they did but it came down to choices and the Autobot army was running low on those right now. Just the thought of Optimus getting hurt dulled his urge to interface and replaced it with something else, something that made him flinch visibly.
Ironhide, more observant than most gave him credit for, gave him a concerned look but Ratchet shook his head and he accepted it, focusing his attention back on the briefing. Probably on Lennox as well, they were all fools in paradise, weren't they.
Ratchet only hesitated a moment before silently implementing a protocol seamlessly into his processors. Instantly, he relaxed, concerns fading away as he focused on Prowl's directions and nothing else.
The mission was what was important for right now and it was time he gave it the attention it deserved.
~~*~~
Three Hours to Mission Time
"Be careful," Mikaela said. Her arms were crossed over her chest, nails digging into her palms as she resisted the urge to kiss him. Half a dozen of the soldiers were around and she wasn't sure what they thought about the 'Bots fraternizing with the humans.
Prowl had no such compunction and his lips were warm, his breath sweet when he sighed into her mouth. "I shall. And please," a note of frustrated pleading entered his normally calm voice, "Listen to Bumblebee until I get back?"
She gave him a lopsided smile. "You got it, boss."
That much she could give him, at least.
~~*~~
Two hours to Mission Time
Sam bit hard down on his knuckle, dimly tasting blood and it was only when Bumblebee gentle took his hand and tugged it free that he noticed.
"Don't hurt yourself," Bumblebee whispered and it was the best kind of obscene, to hear that roughened voice at the same time a hot, wet mouth surrounded him, warm hands on his thighs and on his wrists as strong arms held him.
Green eyes gleamed up at him, from above a pink, swollen mouth that was sucking him and Sam whimpered, biting his tongue instead because Jesus fuck, his parents were downstairs and Bumblebee had hauled him into the closet again or should he say Bumblebees and fuck, add this to his growing list of kinky sex acts.
"I told you I was good at splitting my perception," Bee murmured into his ear, damp lips brushing against sensitive skin. "Now, spread your legs just a little, won't you?"
Hazily, Sam obeyed the pressure of one set of hands and only had time to be grateful that at least one of them could cover his mouth with a free hand, babbling curses into the cup of a palm as Bumblebee pressed into him, surrounded him and fuck yes.
Yes.
~~*~~
One Hour to Mission Time
"They have the area evacuated," Lennox was saying, standing next to the truck that would transport him. "Went with the whole gas leak line so if we end up with a few explosions, we'll be able to explain them easily enough to the media."
"Very good, Captain Lennox," Optimus said. He'd heard the human but his attention was divided, his optics on the Autobot approaching him, the pristine gleam of his yellow armor.
He halted in front of Optimus, almost trembling with unspoken tension. His optics dipped briefly, giving Lennox a disdainful glance before locking back on Optimus.
Ah. Of course.
"Please excuse us, Captain," Optimus asked, quietly polite.
The human gave him a look, glancing at Sunstreaker before he nodded slowly. "You got it."
They stood in silence, the setting sun slanting in glimmering lines over their armor as Lennox climbed into the truck and shouted for the driver to get moving. The engine snarled as it started up and trundled away, leaving Optimus alone with Sunstreaker.
For all his strength and skill, Sunstreaker was not particularly tall for a mech. Both Ironhide and Ratchet were taller than the twins, and Optimus towered over them all. Sunstreaker stood a distance away to be able to meet Optimus's optics without straining.
"Permission to speak, sir," Sunstreaker said, his voice mod cool, a sharp contrast to the heat in his optics.
"Granted," Optimus replied, bracing himself for what was sure to be an angry onslaught.
For all that, Sunstreaker didn’t immediately reply, only glared at his commander. "You're leaving us here."
"I am," Optimus agreed. "I need you and your brother to guard the city in our absence."
Sunstreaker gave him a thin smile. "I can tell when I'm being bullshitted. Sir."
"Can you?" Optimus asked, with calm politeness. "Then perhaps you can tell me what it is that I mean when I say I need you and your brother here, protecting the city and its occupants."
"Protecting humans." The glow of his optics was volcanic.
"The city's occupants, yes."
"Humans or one human."
For a moment Optimus said nothing, then he stepped closer, crouching down in front of the sullen mech before he said, softly, "I believe I've had enough of you questioning orders for one day, soldier."
The heat in Sunstreaker's optics shifted, cooled, into glittering amusement. "Yes, sir," and as Optimus turned away, much softer. "I won't forget this."
Optimus gave him a thin smile of his own before snapping his battle mask into place. "I expect you won't."
~~*~~
00:00
The darkness would add what protection it could from prying human eyes. It had been part of the plan from the beginning and Autobots hardly needed daylight to track other Cybertronians.
The human vehicles were running, suspended anxiety as they all waited and with a last check, Optimus nodded to his troops and transformed, issuing a last command.
"Autobots, roll out."
-finis-
Read Next Chapter
Author: Keelywolfe
Fandom: Transformers
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Sam/Bumblebee, Sideswipe/Sunstreaker, Ratchet/Optimus, Ironhide/Lennox, Mikaela/Prowl (Whew. I think that's everyone.)
~~*~~
23 hours to mission time.
After a month that included an evil computer viral infection, the unexpected addition of Autobot receptors on his human body, and broken arm, it was something of a unique experience for Sam to wake up feeling...fine.
To be honest, he felt better than fine. Pretty good, even. Maybe a little hungry; in the human way, not the weird energy-vampire way. Come to think of it, they never had gotten that pizza.
Sam stretched lazily, noticing belatedly that the bed next to him was empty. They hadn't gotten around to unpacking his alarm clock so he had no idea what time it was but the light filtering into the skylights was non-existent so late was a pretty good guess. That meant he could have been out for an hour or six hours.
Back to sleep or food? Sam considered it sleepily, trying to remember what his mom had been putting in the fridge that afternoon. On one hand he was warm and comfortable, but on the other, he was pretty sure he had at least milk and cereal. Plus, he was alone. Bumblebee's on-duty schedule was decidedly not nine-to-five so the odds he'd be back anytime soon to play food-fetch weren't good.
Food, then. Sam slipped off the bed, hissing as his feet hit the icy floor. Air conditioning was awesome in the middle of the day when the desert outside was shimmering with heat. Not quite so much in the dark of the night.
To his surprise, he could hear a murmur of voice and Sam crouched below the low wall that made up the banister, peering downstairs a little warily. Not that he didn't trust the security measures in his new place but better to be cautious then dead.
From his angle, he could look down into the living area and he was a little surprise to see Bee's holoform sitting on the sofa, his parents on either side of him. Whatever they were talking about, Bee didn't seem particularly happy about it. As he watched silently, Bumblebee slumped down, resting his head in both his hands. An ache settled into Sam's belly that had nothing to do with his hunger, watching Bee's oh, so obvious despair. Even at his worst, Bee had always managed to make him smile, offering comfort and strength and seeing him like this...
He couldn't hear what his mother said then, but he recognized her tone, the soft comforting murmur that he had heard dozens of times as a kid when he'd been sick or hurt. She wrapped her arms around Bumblebee, hugging him close, and his dad clapping him on the shoulder, giving him a rough little shake. Encouraging him the very same way he'd always done to Sam.
Something that had been hot and tight in Sam's chest for so long that he had long since forgotten it was there eased and a hot prickle formed behind his eyes. For all that his parents had been incredibly accepting and encouraging of his relationship with Bee, Sam wasn't stupid enough to believe it had been easy for them. Aside from getting dragged out of their home and suddenly finding out about alien cars on the planet, their own son had taken off with the aliens and gotten infected with weirdest venereal disease in the history of the world.
In comparison, his dad would have probably thrown a party to find out his son was just gay. Possibly a parade.
As he watched, Bumblebee leaned into his mother's embrace, visibly hesitant and then, when she pressed her cheek against the top of his head, crooning gently, he abruptly clutched at her, keening softly.
Bumblebee was his age, Sam remembered abruptly. He was thousands of years old and had been a soldier for most of them, but he was still a teenager in his own way and maybe he didn't have a 'progenitor', but he sure seemed to get what they were for. His mom held him, rocking him while Bumblebee clung to her and his dad patted his back.
Even knowing that he was probably the topic of discussion couldn't dim the warmth he felt at watching his parents comforting Bee. No matter what they had to deal with, at least this was all right.
He knew the second Bee noticed he was watching, saw as Bee stiffened a little and pulled away from his mom, looking up at the top of the stairs.
Busted. No point in pretending otherwise. Sam stood up and gave them an awkward little wave, "Hey, guys."
His parents were on their feet in an instant, followed quickly by Bee. He met his mom halfway down the stairs and suffered through her parental inspection without comment, even as he mentally rolled his eyes when she pressed a cool hand to his forehead. Like Ratchet would have let him out of scanner reach if he wasn't all right? Whatever had happened, it seemed like was over now. Chalk up another spot on the weird alien receptors board and moving on. "Oh, sweetie, how are you feeling?"
"Pretty good," Sam answered honestly. "Hungry."
And promptly regretted that as his mom exclaimed, "Oh, do you need a charge? Bee, here, Ron and I can get out of your way-"
"No, no, no," Sam shook his head, raising his hands to keep all of them back. His mother's concern with his sex life was starting to get disturbing, medically necessary or not. "I'm hungry, you know, for food? Chew it up, swallow it down, carbs and glucose and all that good stuff?"
To his bemusement, his mother brightened visibly and why not? Here was something she could actually help with. Resigned to his fate, Sam followed her down to the kitchen and let her take over, watching as she cooked enough food for a party of ten. Hell, he hadn't thought he had that much food in his kitchen; his mom's super powers were a lot more awesome than his sex battery ones.
Bumblebee hadn't said a word yet, only sat next to Sam at the table, concern visible in his green eyes. His camaro form was parked in the garage area and Sam didn't doubt Bee was running half a dozen scans on him at any given time. Caring for him, watching out for him the way Bee always did and beneath the edge of the table, Sam took Bee's hand, twining their fingers together even as he ate everything his mom put on his plate with enthusiasm.
It was only later, when his mom had shooed both of them off to bed and the two of them were curled together beneath the blankets, that Sam asked, softly, "What were you guys talking about?"
Sam had his head resting on Bee's chest, listening to the false beat of his holographic heart, the only sound he could hear because Bee wasn't answering him. For a minute, Sam didn't think he would then he felt Bumblebee sigh, his chin digging lightly into the top of Sam's head as he spoke, "I was apologizing to them."
That made Sam frown and he sat up, looking at Bee through the darkness. Bumblebee's eyes glowed very faintly; probably he was cheating a little on his parameters to be able to see in the dark. "Apologizing for what?"
"For everything," Bumblebee said quietly. He reached up and trailed a single finger down Sam's face. "For everything that has happened to you, and them, for taking your life away from you-"
"You didn't do anything wrong," Sam said fiercely, grabbing Bee's hand in both his own, pulling it to his mouth to kiss the knuckles roughly.
"No?" Bee turned his hand in Sam's grip, the tips of his fingers brushing Sam's mouth.
A sudden chill went through Sam and he swallowed dryly, "I guess...I guess you could have told me no that night."
Chuffing laughter greeted that. "No, I honestly doubt that I could have," Bee said dryly but his eyes were amused. "And no, I did not apologize for this. I find that I am incapable of regretting loving you."
Sam laughed a little, his fear easing. Damn, they were both a couple of saps, weren't they. "What did my parents say?"
Bee's mouth quirked up in a smile, "They said that I didn't do anything wrong and that it wasn't my fault. I find the similarities between you and your parents fascinating."
Considered that they were lying together naked, Sam wasn't much interested in finding any other similarities. Instead, he leaned in and shut Bee up the best way he knew how, with his mouth and generous applications of tongue.
Bumblebee let him, parting his own lips and the soft sound of pleasure that escaped him made Sam shiver and kiss a little harder. But after a second, Bee pulled back and gave him a searching look.
"You don't need a charge," Bee said, softly, concerned.
"No, I need you," Sam countered.
Bee's grin was inspiring.
~~*~~
Sixteen Hours to Mission Time
In a rare moment of lucidity this night, Optimus was sincerely regretting he hadn't insisted on soundproofing for his quarters. At the time they'd built them, he'd assumed raising a simple privacy barrier would be sufficient. In the more delicate planning stages of any battle, a seamless shield was a necessity, both sides having long since perfected them as a means to keep away all but the most diligent of spies.
He hadn't counted on not being able to maintain one and he knew without asking that his partner was not about to spare his dignity by doing it for him.
The sound that escaped his vocalizer would have been humiliating if he'd had the processing power to allow for the emotion. Ratchet's dark chuckle indicated clearly that he knew it as well, and the slippery tingle of pleasure that ached over his sensors made him repeat it, louder.
::Do you want me to stop?:: Ratchet sent, his tone solicitous, his expression anything but, and another vicious surge of pleasure slithered through their link, scraping over sensors already raw with it.
::No, no, nonono:: Optimus wasn't even certain the words made it through but certainly his panicked reaction did as Ratchet chuckled again.
::Do remember that I offered...:: It was the last words that made it to his processors and Optimus distantly hoped that anyone investigating the screams would at least think to knock.
Or at the very least, he hoped they wouldn't stay around and listen to his garbled pleading for more.
~~*~~
Twelve Hours to Mission Time
It wasn't the right time for this.
Will Lennox had been in the military for a long time. Long enough to lose men, long enough to get a divorce, to sink himself back into the job, the duty, that had caused it. Too fucking long, maybe. The upcoming mission was already in the countdown window and he knew, without a doubt, that the worst time to deal with outside issues was just before a mission.
But he also knew that it was better to deal with it than dwell on it.
Fucking time frame was the problem. Prep was winding down into the tiny details, everything was organized and the mission was still twelve hours out. Nothing to do now but wait, and the longer the wait, the worse it was. Now was when soldiers started fights, petty issues turning into explosions at the turn of a hair as the tension settled on a knife-edge. There was no chance of sleeping, no serious exercises since you couldn't risk exhausting yourself. Nothing to do but wait.
Lennox knew it, but still found himself walking up the long, dirt path that led to their haphazard shooting range. The booming echo of a rifle report guided him as much as the large shadowed figure he could see leaning against one of the rocky outcroppings. It wasn't moving which meant if Ironhide was practicing on the range he was doing it with human weapons and in a human form.
Just thinking about it made a frisson of heat stir in him that had nothing to do with the rising temp of the morning. Will shook it away and concentrated on climbing the rocky path. That was a whole different situation and probably not one that it was a good idea to think about right now.
Not that he seemed to be able to fucking stop.
He wasn't trying to hide his approach, probably wouldn't have been able to from a being who could hear his footsteps at twenty meters even over the rifle blasts. Could probably hear his heartbeat by now and from the shadows where the large mech form of Ironhide was sitting, Will could see the blue gleam of optics tracking his movements.
He had to get a lot closer to see the female form sprawled over a large rock, slim hands holding the rifle with casual ease as she took another shot.
She...he...his brain was a little confused on that issue. Not that pronouns mattered much to a visual approximation of an unisexual being but as pretty as the form was, there was no denying it was Ironhide wrapped in that package. Perhaps that should have been disturbing to him but Will Lennox had seen plenty of disturbing things in the past year and this one rated low on the rungs.
Will kept back and watched as Ironhide took another shot. The target was way too far out for him to see precisely where it hit but Will had no illusions about the deadly accuracy as it disappeared a spray of shrapnel. Ironhide had told him once, casually, that as far as sniper shooting went he barely ranked in the top ten of the Autobot army. The weapons he used were meant for a closer range and those weapons included his fists. Watching him...her... watching the targets disintegrating under each shot, Will had to admit to a tingle of mixed excitement and fear at the thought of meeting a better shot than Ironhide.
As he watched, Ironhide finished the clip, pushing up on her knees before she turned to look at Will.
"Need something, Lennox?" Ironhide asked, slamming another clip home. The voice that went with the body was on the deeper end of the female range, with husky, smoky warmth. He wondered if Ironhide had any idea what just that voice did to him, hearing it caress the syllables of his name. She didn't turn back to the range, only looked up at Will expectantly, a faint smirk curving one corner of her mouth.
Yeah. She knew.
There was no one around, not within his sight but Lennox knew better than to assume that no one was listening. Particularly when you were dealing with alien robots who could hear the sound of your heartbeat at twenty paces.
"Can you put up one of those privacy shields you guys have?"
One slender eyebrow rose but Will felt the resonance as Ironhide did as he asked. The faint whir of hydraulics behind him told Will that Ironhide was shifting his weight and it made him pause, trying to decide which form to look at. The hologram was still looking at him expectantly, her dark eyes curious, so he gave a mental shrug and stuck with that one, stepping in closer.
Privacy shield or not, Will couldn't help lowering his voice as he asked, "What's going on with Sam?"
Ironhide regarding him with a curious shrug, tipping her head to the side and long, brown hair slid in a silky fall over her pale shoulder. He…she should have pulled it back while on the shooting range but Will wasn't about to scold a being who was older than human civilization about protocol. If anyone could shoot with hair falling into their eyes, it had to be Ironhide.
"Not sure what you mean," Ironhide said coolly and she turned her gaze back to the weapon in her hands.
Pretty much the answer he'd expected and Will sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "We keep the living quarters of the city pretty well segregated, but you and I both know that people are everywhere and people see things. Like yesterday. So, do you want to tell me what's going on with the kid?"
The holo's expression didn't change but he could hear Ironhide shifting behind him, again. A large hand settled next to Will and he didn't turn around as he felt the sudden wash of heat from a mech leaning in close.
"What makes you think you need to know?" Came from a much deeper voice, behind him.
Almost involuntarily, Will looked up. Ironhide's true form was unmistakably masculine and again, perhaps it should be disturbing that it wasn't bothering him. Not that he'd felt even the faintest interest in any of the male holoforms Ironhide had tried but this personality, packaged in that body...he shook those thoughts away, dismissing them as a distraction from the topic at hand. "We're protecting-"
That got him a snort of laughter as Ironhide slanted him a look, his optics narrowing to thin rims of blue. "Optimus might have persuaded you people into giving Sam his own rank here, but when it comes down to it, the kid is a civilian. We're protecting him, we're taking care of him."
"I can't help but notice that you aren't denying that something is up." Will couldn't help the bitterness. A soft touch on his arm startled him and he very nearly lashed out with a closed fist but the woman who'd crept up on him silently didn't flinch. She was nearly his height, her body lithe and strong. Her dark eyes were fringed with long lashes, her mouth lush and faintly pouting, and the swell of her breasts was barely concealed by her tight tank top. If Ironhide was trying to distract him, he was using a very effective means of it.
"Now, see, you're all upset, aren't you, baby, " she cooed huskily against his ear and Will jerked back, glaring as the pretty false woman smirked at him. Strange how she didn't resemble 'Hide at all and yet, she did. It was in the eyes, the mockingly sweet curve of her mouth.
She sobered quickly and looked away, back over the range. "It's like this; the kid is a civilian. Yeah?"
"Yes," Will gritted out.
"Yeah, well, you aren't," 'Hide shot back, dark eyes flashing with something close to anger. "I trust you, Lennox, but you aren't your own man any more than I'm my own mech. We both owe vows to someone else, and I've met some of 'em that pull your strings. It's them I don't trust."
"You can't tell me because I might have to report it to someone else," Will said wearily and Hide smirked again, reaching out and laying one slim hand in the middle of Will's chest.
"Who says there's anything to tell?"
Will exhaled slowly, ignoring the heat bleeding through his shirt from that single touch. "If there ever is, I want you to know you can trust me. No one is going to pull my strings on that."
"Sure, babe," She gave him a tight, cynical smile. "Sure."
The rifle was laying abandoned against the small ridge of stone that Ironhide had been sprawled on, and suddenly Lennox was itching to pull the trigger, to smell oily residue and the faint smoke, similar to the smoky tone of Ironhide's voice. To watch a target explode from his bullet. "Still feel like killing some cardboard?"
"Think I feel like something else." The fingers resting on his chest curled until Will could feel the sting of short nails digging in through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. It switched to a sudden shove and Will found himself sprawled on his back in the dirt, his wrists pinned to the ground by inhumanly strong hands.
It was difficult to offer any objection when Ironhide was straddling his lap, the firm curve of her ass pressing right at crotch level but Will gave it his best shot, protesting weakly, "Right here? Anyone could see us!"
"Baby, I will know if anyone gets close enough to see anything." Dark brown eyes looked hotly into his own, a flicker of soft tongue wetting full lips before Ironhide leaned in to whisper against his mouth, "Come on, give it to me."
Put like that, Will wasn't sure how to say no.
~~*~~
Eleven Hours to Mission Time
There was very little mission prep that Ratchet was required to perform, even with the unusual addition of organics to their ranks. Like any good medic, he kept the necessary supplies on hand at all times in case of any eventuality. Even when they weren't diving headlong into possible Decepticon territory, there was always the chance of surprise attack and injuries that had nothing to do with battle had a way of cropping up at inopportune times.
In other words, Ratchet was used to being surrounded by idiots and the only defense he had against that was a bad temper and abundant supplies.
The infirmary was as well stocked as it could possibly be, as was his field kit. Much as he complained about using the supplies that the humans offered it was certainly better than nothing and Ratchet had had about enough of making do with that.
The preparations were done, nothing needed his attention. Which was a pity because his attention could certainly use something to focus on. Not that he didn't have plenty to do but his patience, always in short supply, was riding a fine line today and so Ratchet kept himself to the infirmary, going over the mission parameters.
What had started as a standard Decepticon pursuit had in one spark turned into Primus knew what. A search and rescue? A mercy killing of one of their enemies? There was no telling. The transmission Sam had discovered and subsequently broadcast had been sadly devoid of clues.
No matter how many times Ratchet went over the transmission, the only thing he could detect was that the mech sending it was in a great deal of pain and was transmitting helplessly. There was no indication of their designation or affiliation that Ratchet could detect, but as he'd said many times, he was a medic. Not a scientist, not an engineer, not a fragging counselor and he damn well wasn't a communications officer either.
Not for the first time, Ratchet found himself wishing that someone useful would land on the planet for once. Not that warriors weren't useful but at this point he would take a mech who'd been a sparkling science teacher. At least that might be a little helpful. Since Jazz had died...no. Ratchet viciously suppressed that line of thinking. He wasn't about to start blaming the dead for his problems.
On his own, all he could do was provide a clumsy analysis. Optimus had accepted his inexpert assessment of the transmission without complaint and modified their mission parameters accordingly.
Not that Ratchet had anything to do with that. Of the many things he wasn't, he also wasn't a tactician. He would be there as medical support only as per protocol. Medics only fought when desperation required it and Ratchet didn't particularly want to face Ironhide if he broke that rule, providing he survived breaking it. No point in handing the Decepticons his head on a silver platter, now was there.
He'd probably hear an audio about it from Optimus too, and...just thinking of Optimus made heat rise in his circuits and Ratchet was sourly grateful to be alone in the infirmary for once. Ironhide for one would never let a heat surge like that pass by without a little needling.
Really, it was past ridiculous. They'd broken off their relationship, whatever it was, for less than twenty-four hours; there was no excuse for how badly Ratchet wanted...well. How badly he wanted.
They'd already spend the better part of the night interfacing, to the point that even Optimus had fallen into an exhausted recharge. Much as he'd like to shuffle off the blame, his exposure to Bumblebee and Sam's coupling could only excuse so much. Ratchet's joints still felt a little loose in their sockets, the peculiar ache caused by pleasurable energy surges still twanging through his circuits and here he was, on the edge of sending a message to Optimus to see if he might be up for just one more round--
No. Thinking about this was not helping.
With a heavy vent of air, Ratchet went over his equipment list again and ignored the ragged edge of desire nagging at him.
~~*~~
10.45 Hours to Mission Time
"Is this...is this all right?" Will gasped. His heels were scrabbling in the dirt, searching for leverage. Not that Ironhide intended to allow him any. An arch of his back, a deliberate shift of his weight, and Ironhide had the human pinned helplessly beneath him again.
Perfect.
But Lennox had asked a question. Ironhide shrugged, tipping his head back to feel the warmth of the sunlight against his bare human skin. He'd conceded enough to their position to drag Lennox behind an outcropping of rock before he'd straddled the human and held him down, but that had been the only concession Ironhide had been willing to make. Damn, but this was fun. "Beats me, never done this before."
"You're...a virgin?"
Something in Lennox's voice, almost horrified, made Ironhide search the term on the internet. He snorted aloud. "Will, I've been fucking around since before your species walked upright. Just because the technique is new doesn't mean I don't know how it ends."
Although this certainly was a new technique, not that Ironhide would admit it. Most of his clothes had been long-ago dissolved, his bare toes just touching the edge of Lennox's trousers where they were shoved down by his thighs. He'd left the tank top, bunched up under his arms so that Lennox could cup the soft swells of his breasts in his large hands. For some reason Will had liked that and so long as he kept stroking his thumbs over Ironhide's nipples, he'd be happy to keep it that way. Lennox was still mostly dressed, including his boots, an allowance to the fact that his clothes couldn't reappear in a heartbeat. But for now, no one was close enough to so much as glimpse them, which was a good thing. Ironhide wasn't entirely sure he'd stop even if they did.
He didn't want this to stop.
Leaning down, Ironhide bit the middle of Lennox's chest, hard enough to make the human curse but he bucked up as well, the connection of their bodies from between Ironhide's legs deepening. Ironhide only laughed, licking the tiny wound and absently noting the composition of the human's sweat as he sat back up, spreading his legs a little wider so he could take more.
The first push of Lennox into his body had been...strange. Unfamiliar. Mechs didn't just insert their parts into others. In this form it hadn't been precisely painful but not all that thrilling either. Ironhide wriggled and squirmed, ignoring Will's gasps as he tried to decide if his body actually liked this.
Bumblebee had designed the schematics for both male and female holos, but since he'd obviously chosen male for his own, perhaps there was a design flaw. Not that it felt bad, just...weird. Pleasant but not overwhelming him with ecstasy as the internet had led him to believe.
He rocked his hips again with a frown, letting the hard length of Will's cock slide out of him and then back in. Ah, perhaps like that. Certainly Will appreciated it, arching up with a strangled groan. "Ah, ah, God, 'Hide, that...ah, fuck...stop a second, I'm gonna come if you don't..."
The human was shaking, like the strain of holding back was physically hurting him and Ironhide frowned again. This was supposed to be enjoyable and so far it wasn't working out for either of them. "So come if you have to. We can do it again."
Will shook his head frantically, his short hair dark with sweat that was running down his face as well, gleaming in the sunlight. "No, I want you to, this is your first time...oooh, hold still!"
Bullshit on that. "This isn't a trial run and I'm not gonna run out and snag someone else if you don't blow my circuits the first time out. We can do it again."
Ignoring the human's pleading, Ironhide shifted again, grinding his hips down. Yeah, that felt good, it felt deep but it wasn't until Lennox shifted one trembling hand down between his legs, rubbing his thumb over the slick folds, that Ironhide felt a hard jolt of pleasure.
"Oh, yeah," he groaned, moving his hips so that he could feel Lennox sliding in him with the same rhythm. Oh, fuck, yes, that was perfect.
"Ah," Ironhide gasped out, tipping his head back as Will rubbed hard right there. He felt his body tighten, something as bright and sharp as an overload jolting him and Will choked out his own cry, spilling wet warmth inside him.
Trembling, Ironhide rested his weight on his hands. Primus, that had been something, hadn't it. Will was panting beneath him, his eyes half-closed and Ironhide managed to give him a grin.
"Don't let me down yet," Ironhide purred. "I did say we could do it again." He ignored the human's groan, already rocking his hips again. A mech had to chase his own overloads, after all, but he was happy to bring Lennox along for the ride.
~~*~~
Six Hours to Mission Time
Bumblebee made his way through the city, carefully, staying in his mech form for a change. There were so many vehicles rushing around, so many soldiers loading weapons and equipment, it seemed safer to walk rather than maneuver between them.
Arcee passed him at one point, a soldier than Bee didn't know clinging to her handlebars and Bee shook his head. Of all of them, Arcee was the one who hated shuttling around the humans the most, so why she'd chosen a form that made her so accessible to them was anyone's guess. Perhaps she just liked the irony.
The main administration building had humans running in and out of it, many of them with their arms full of papers and laptops. Which was…unusual to say the least. Bumblebee had been introduced to a few of the visiting scientists but he didn't really know any of them, so it wasn't much of a surprise when none of them offered him much more than a wary look to make sure he was watching where he stepped.
A large truck pulled up on the street behind him, barely stopping before people started climbing inside. Through a megaphone, a loud, familiar voice boomed, "This truck is leaving in ten minutes, people, so get loaded and let's get going!"
The person who was attached to the voice, Sergeant Epps, hopped out of the passenger side, shooing people into the back of the truck.
Interesting. Evacuating the city wasn't completely unexpected. Optimus was probably going to leave a skeleton crew to watch over things but most of the Autobots would be coming along. If the Decepticons wanted to take advantage of their absence, may as well not leave much for them to shoot at. Buildings they could repair; people, not so much.
Sam would be in his new quarters, along with his parents and Mikaela but they could hardly cram all the visiting scientists in there and there hadn't been time for them to build any other emergency bunkers. What they had would hold off all but the most brutal of attacks until backup arrived. Bumblebee would have insisted on that if Optimus hadn't.
The hallways in main administration were mostly empty already and Bee easily made his way to the room where Optimus had summoned him. The table was large enough that Optimus could sit at it, although he had to sit on the floor, and Prowl was standing behind him. With Optimus sitting, they were close to the same height and both had their optics on Bumblebee, their expressions solemn.
Well, this certainly looked promising.
"You needed to see me, sir?" Bee asked, hoping that they took his wary tone as just harshness caused by previous injuries.
Optimus nodded slowly. His battle mask was withdrawn, for once, and it made him look all the graver. "Bumblebee, the mission will proceed as planned shortly."
"Yes, sir. I'm ready." More than ready. He owed Barricade some pain for what had happened to Sam in the jail cell that night but he was perfectly happy to give his share to any other Decepticon they might come across.
To his surprise, Optimus shook his head. "You are to remain here to monitor the attack and the city."
For a moment, Bumblebee was too shocked to speak and he actually stepped forward, ready to protest a direct order before he caught himself. Bumblebee wasn't exactly a front liner but he was more than capable. They hadn't seen a real fight since Mission City and he'd taken heavy damage then but that had been repaired for months now. A glance at Prowl offered no clue, his expression was bland and unrevealing.
A little tightly, he said, "May I ask why, sir?"
Optimus nodded, somberly, before he said, bluntly, "You cannot be away from Sam and he cannot come with us."
"But-" Bumblebee cut off his protest, sinking back on his heels. It was true. Who else could stay with Sam? Considering his condition, the list of mechs he truly trusted with the human was laughably short, starting and ending with Bumblebee. Even if he charged Sam fully before leaving, there was no telling when they would return and Sam's energy consumption was aggravatingly inconsistent. He might trust another Autobot to protect Sam but to touch him...no.
No.
"Understood," Bee said, crisply, his arguments vanishing even as he felt a twinge of guilt for staying behind.
"Good. We'll establish a secure line of communication to keep you informed before we leave."
Prowl stepped forward, a data pad in hand. "All the scientists in the city are being evacuated for their protection and a squad of human soldiers will remain with you, along with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker."
"The twins?" Bee blurted out before he could catch himself. Of all the guardians he might have expected, Sunstreaker was not on the list, not even in the reserves. Sideswipe was only absent from it because of Sunstreaker. Leaving Bee behind was irritating but excusable, but leaving two of their best warriors while they went into battle against an unknown force?
What in the name of Primus was going on?
"You have rank, Bumblebee. Not that I expect Sunstreaker to obey you," Prowl said, dryly. "But Sideswipe will no doubt side with you and between the two of you, I think you can handle him. Hopefully, there will be nothing that requires handling."
"Prime," Bumblebee began, hesitantly, only to fall silent when Optimus held up a hand.
"Now is not the time."
The door opening behind him startled Bumblebee, and he stepped aside enough for Ironhide to push his way through the door. Captain Lennox followed and the scent of soap still clung to him but it did nothing to disguise from Bumblebee's sensors the fact that he'd engaged in some sexual act in the past few hours. Enthusiastically, from the amount of pheromones he was still exuding.
From the chemical configuration, it'd been with an Autobot holoform, not that he needed his sensors to tell him that, not with the smirk Ironhide sent his way.
Oh, that was just wrong. Dear Primus, and he'd thought Optimus and Ratchet were bad for his processors.
"Most of the humans are cleared out, Prime," Ironhide drawled, lowering a hand to boost Lennox up on the table. The human nodded, seating himself on the table without a hint of discomfort.
"The last of the civilians will be gone by sixteen-hundred. Except for the Witwickys and Miss Banes," Lennox said, pulling out his own data pad. "Prowl, my people already have their orders. Any modifications I should know about?"
"None, thus far," Prowl said, calmly, and he held up a hand to silence Lennox, his optics on Bumblebee. He raised one optic ridge, questioningly, "You're dismissed."
Oh, right. Bumblebee gave them a curt nod and stepped out. Not part of the battle meant not part of the plan, which meant he needed to hit the pavement. The second the door shut behind him he felt a privacy shield engage.
And...now what. Bumblebee stood uncertainly outside the door, somewhat at a loss. He could go to the monitoring room now, of course, but the others weren't leaving for six hours and so far as he knew Jolt was on monitor duty right now. There was nothing he really needed to do...
...except check on his human friends. As a mech, Bumblebee didn't have a proper mouth made for grinning but he could chuckle wickedly, transforming and speeding down the empty hallways. He could think of one way to entertain himself, anyway. Ironhide did occasionally have a good idea.
Careening around a corner, he nearly ran smack into Ratchet and only paused long enough to honk an apology, ignoring the medic's loud threats and curses. He didn't quite dare ignore the incoming message and braced himself for the barrage before he opened a line.
::You'd make a good toaster, Bee!::
::Sorry, have to take care of a friend:: he sent back cheekily. ::Doctor's orders, remember?::
::Go easy on the kid:: Came back, grumpily. ::I might have my hands full in a few hours, I do not need to be taking care of him again, too.::
It was sobering reminder of what they were about to face. ::Take care of them, Ratchet.::
::Don't I always?:: There was a light brush of emotion, startling Bumblebee with its genuine affection, and then Ratchet closed the connection.
Bee let it go, speeding down the corridor to the main entrance. He only had six hours, after all, might as well make the most of them.
~~*~~
Four Hours to Mission Time
It was times like this that being a Senior Officer wasn't worth a waste bucket to purge in. Ratchet crossed his arms over his chest and focused on pretending that he cared about listening to the mission parameters.
Again.
Not that he didn't understand that the humans couldn't just accept a data packet but why he needed to be hear listening to it was beyond him. Just tell him where the wounded were and Ratchet would be there. End of discussion. But Prowl wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings and so here they were. Again.
"…are there any questions so far," Prowl asked. Several humans were standing around the holographic display of the designated area. Squad leaders, damned if Ratchet knew their names. He recognized Lennox and he at least was worth a little interest. It was a shame that Ironhide was far past any embarrassment over his sexual antics or Ratchet could have had a little fun needling him over it. As it was, he was composing a very sincere request for a vid file of whatever they had done. With Ironhide he at least had a chance of getting one.
He stifled the urge to roll his optics as one of the humans pointed out an area that Ratchet was certain had been discussed before.
A message flashing in his HUD startled him so much that Ratchet almost jumped and wouldn't that have pleased the humans. It certainly would have pleased Ironhide. He accepted it with resignation, already knowing who it was from.
::Are we boring you?::
::Not at all, Prime. I always spent my free time fighting recharge:: he replied acidly.
::Perhaps you should get more rest.:: No hint of anything but sincerity but Ratchet knew better. There was no good way to glare at Optimus without the humans seeing but he could certainly deepen their connection enough to send his emotions that way, a metaphorical glare being better than nothing.
Ratchet only realized the mistake he'd made when Prime responded, and the emotion he pushed through was anything but the dignified face he was showing their allies. A hot pulse of desire/want/need throbbed over the connection and through his firewalls before he could close them. His responding tremor was so sharp that he had to catch his balance, all eyes and optics on him for just a moment. He waved them back to the display impatiently, ignoring Ironhide's knowing snicker.
::You are going to pay for that::
A low mental chuckle. ::I'll look forward to it. I trust you're no longer bored?::
His only response to that was a hiss of static before he closed the link.
Primus be damned, that he certainly hadn’t needed. He'd already been riding on the edge of some kind of desperate need all day. Something was wrong but Ratchet couldn't place what it was. The night before each interface with Optimus had been ever more desperate, each one needier, more disjointed. Even now he was stifling the frantic urge to ask Optimus to go again and they were in the middle of strategizing a mission!
Maybe he was finally losing his blasted mind.
At least going over his own protocols gave him something to do. A clean bill of health didn't necessarily mean something wasn't wrong, only that his protocols didn't register it as an actual problem. Beneath the drone of Prowl talking with the humans, the occasional rumble of Optimus adding his input, Ratchet pretended interest as he went over his own code, trying to identify what was shaking him so badly.
Immersed in his diagnostic, he missed the first time Prowl said his name and only snapped to attention when he repeated it, loudly.
"Ratchet, if I could have a moment of your time?" Prowl said, sharply, and only one who knew him well would hear his impatience.
"Yes?" Ratchet said, barely able to keep himself from snapping it.
"I said, we may be encountering a badly injured mech. I trust that you're prepared for that eventuality?"
Again, he stifled himself from saying what he wanted to say, which was that he didn't need Prowl to tell him how to do his fucking job. All of them had been so close for so very long they were practically family, and like family, Ratchet cared about them all but there were times he didn't like them very much.
"Yes," Ratchet ground out. He and Prowl glared at each for only microseconds but it was Prowl who relented, going back to the building schematics as he pointed out structural deficiencies and exit zones. Ratchet tuned it out and went back to his diagnostic, inwardly frustrated when it again came back clean.
Perhaps it was more of an emotional issue? In a few hours they might be encountering many badly injured mechs, including any of them at this table. He'd seen all of them hurt at one time or another, dripping energon from gaping wounds as Ratchet struggled to save them, their optics flickering and on the edge of going out forever.
Like Jazz.
Even Optimus, the strongest out of any of them, had seen his share of wounds. And surely would again, he would be in the thick of this battle, just as he was in all of them. Their leader was too powerful to spare and too valuable to use the way they did but it came down to choices and the Autobot army was running low on those right now. Just the thought of Optimus getting hurt dulled his urge to interface and replaced it with something else, something that made him flinch visibly.
Ironhide, more observant than most gave him credit for, gave him a concerned look but Ratchet shook his head and he accepted it, focusing his attention back on the briefing. Probably on Lennox as well, they were all fools in paradise, weren't they.
Ratchet only hesitated a moment before silently implementing a protocol seamlessly into his processors. Instantly, he relaxed, concerns fading away as he focused on Prowl's directions and nothing else.
The mission was what was important for right now and it was time he gave it the attention it deserved.
~~*~~
Three Hours to Mission Time
"Be careful," Mikaela said. Her arms were crossed over her chest, nails digging into her palms as she resisted the urge to kiss him. Half a dozen of the soldiers were around and she wasn't sure what they thought about the 'Bots fraternizing with the humans.
Prowl had no such compunction and his lips were warm, his breath sweet when he sighed into her mouth. "I shall. And please," a note of frustrated pleading entered his normally calm voice, "Listen to Bumblebee until I get back?"
She gave him a lopsided smile. "You got it, boss."
That much she could give him, at least.
~~*~~
Two hours to Mission Time
Sam bit hard down on his knuckle, dimly tasting blood and it was only when Bumblebee gentle took his hand and tugged it free that he noticed.
"Don't hurt yourself," Bumblebee whispered and it was the best kind of obscene, to hear that roughened voice at the same time a hot, wet mouth surrounded him, warm hands on his thighs and on his wrists as strong arms held him.
Green eyes gleamed up at him, from above a pink, swollen mouth that was sucking him and Sam whimpered, biting his tongue instead because Jesus fuck, his parents were downstairs and Bumblebee had hauled him into the closet again or should he say Bumblebees and fuck, add this to his growing list of kinky sex acts.
"I told you I was good at splitting my perception," Bee murmured into his ear, damp lips brushing against sensitive skin. "Now, spread your legs just a little, won't you?"
Hazily, Sam obeyed the pressure of one set of hands and only had time to be grateful that at least one of them could cover his mouth with a free hand, babbling curses into the cup of a palm as Bumblebee pressed into him, surrounded him and fuck yes.
Yes.
~~*~~
One Hour to Mission Time
"They have the area evacuated," Lennox was saying, standing next to the truck that would transport him. "Went with the whole gas leak line so if we end up with a few explosions, we'll be able to explain them easily enough to the media."
"Very good, Captain Lennox," Optimus said. He'd heard the human but his attention was divided, his optics on the Autobot approaching him, the pristine gleam of his yellow armor.
He halted in front of Optimus, almost trembling with unspoken tension. His optics dipped briefly, giving Lennox a disdainful glance before locking back on Optimus.
Ah. Of course.
"Please excuse us, Captain," Optimus asked, quietly polite.
The human gave him a look, glancing at Sunstreaker before he nodded slowly. "You got it."
They stood in silence, the setting sun slanting in glimmering lines over their armor as Lennox climbed into the truck and shouted for the driver to get moving. The engine snarled as it started up and trundled away, leaving Optimus alone with Sunstreaker.
For all his strength and skill, Sunstreaker was not particularly tall for a mech. Both Ironhide and Ratchet were taller than the twins, and Optimus towered over them all. Sunstreaker stood a distance away to be able to meet Optimus's optics without straining.
"Permission to speak, sir," Sunstreaker said, his voice mod cool, a sharp contrast to the heat in his optics.
"Granted," Optimus replied, bracing himself for what was sure to be an angry onslaught.
For all that, Sunstreaker didn’t immediately reply, only glared at his commander. "You're leaving us here."
"I am," Optimus agreed. "I need you and your brother to guard the city in our absence."
Sunstreaker gave him a thin smile. "I can tell when I'm being bullshitted. Sir."
"Can you?" Optimus asked, with calm politeness. "Then perhaps you can tell me what it is that I mean when I say I need you and your brother here, protecting the city and its occupants."
"Protecting humans." The glow of his optics was volcanic.
"The city's occupants, yes."
"Humans or one human."
For a moment Optimus said nothing, then he stepped closer, crouching down in front of the sullen mech before he said, softly, "I believe I've had enough of you questioning orders for one day, soldier."
The heat in Sunstreaker's optics shifted, cooled, into glittering amusement. "Yes, sir," and as Optimus turned away, much softer. "I won't forget this."
Optimus gave him a thin smile of his own before snapping his battle mask into place. "I expect you won't."
~~*~~
00:00
The darkness would add what protection it could from prying human eyes. It had been part of the plan from the beginning and Autobots hardly needed daylight to track other Cybertronians.
The human vehicles were running, suspended anxiety as they all waited and with a last check, Optimus nodded to his troops and transformed, issuing a last command.
"Autobots, roll out."
-finis-
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