TF (OC): Searchin’
Rating: PG
Series: G1
Summary: This is the back-story for my OC Tracer. Rescue and the aftermath and the realisation that you don’t call your tracker a cat or she will get her claws out
Warnings: None for this part… fluffy cuteness in one bit?
Disclaimer: As per usual, the good things in life are not mine to have, but belong to someone else... in this case Hasbro, Takara and IDW and anyone else I’ve forgotten… Tracer belongs to me… as do Kicker and Rollback
Feedback makes friends. Flames dealt with by the masters of paranoia and fire, Red Alert and Inferno.
Searchin' Part One
Searchin' Part Two
Searchin' Part Three
Searchin' Part Four
A quick self-diagnostic when she onlined again told her that she was repaired. However there was a signal intrusion she didn’t recognise and she immediately placed a firewall in its path.
“Get that fragging firewall back down!” Struggling to remember what had happened, she identified the voice and removed the firewall.
“That’s better.” She could hear Ratchet move away and mutter something under his vocaliser. “And don’t even think of overstretching those sensors yet.” He ordered before she could even attempt to try.
“Yessir.” She answered, relieved when her vocaliser came out sounding fairly normal.
“How far in did Soundwave get?”
“He didn’t.”
“No access at all?” Tracer could hear the skepticism in his vocaliser and powered up her optics, readjusting them to compensate for the harsh light in the repair bay before shaking her head and trying to sit up.
“Careful now.” Ratchet reprimanded in a soft tone, helping her to a seated position on the repair berth.
“Too many firewalls.” Ratchet laughed at that, his relief evident.
“Red Alert’s paranoia rubbing off on you I see.”
“Evidently.” She retorted, before catching herself. “Sorry Sir.” Ratchet shrugged off her apology with a quick wave of his hand.
“Now, I still need that diagnostic to complete, so you are going to sit there quietly for the next breem and not move a servo otherwise I will disable all your motor functions.”
“Yes Sir.” She sat quietly for a moment, listening to the low hum of the machines around her before starting suddenly, nearly dislodging the wires attached to her and earning her a swift reprimand from Ratchet.
“Kicker!”
“What?”
“In the battle… Kicker went down in flames… I…” She trailed off as Ratchet placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“The rest of your team are just fine. They’ll be back before long. I sent them off to get some recharge before I disassembled them.”
“Sir?”
“You’ve got some good friends there kid.” The diagnostic equipment bleeped once, indicating the end of the tests. Carefully, Ratchet disconnected the wires and tidied the equipment away before turning his attention back to Tracer.
“I’ve replaced your communications systems and reworked your sensor array. Didn’t have much choice with the damage that was done, so it’ll be overly sensitive for a few cycles but that will fade. Your shoulder joint will probably be stiff for a joor or so.” Running scans, he got her to move and test the shoulder joint before standing back, apparently satisfied. “The tests came up clean, but if you notice any ghosting or glitches, anything unusual, report back here immediately. For now, I’m clearing you for light duties. Just don’t overstretch those sensors yet!”
“Excellent!” Unnoticed by either of them, Inferno and Firestar had made their way into the repair bay and at Ratchet’s pronouncement, Inferno had let out an enthusiastic exclamation. Tracer smiled widely as Ratchet stepped aside and she could see them.
“Ready to go home kid?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inferno had half-dragged-half-carried Tracer away from the repair bay, leaving Firestar to placate Ratchet.
“You really okay kid?”
“As far as I know…”
“Had us all scared back there you know. One klik you’re there, the next you ain’t.” Tracer shrugged; there wasn’t really much she could say to that.
“Was scared too.” She managed, walking as close to Inferno as she could drawing comfort from his closeness.
“Held up well though. Should have heard Red when he found out. Alternated between wanting to go out and tear Soundwave a new exhaust port and congratulating you for putting up such a fight.”
“How did you find me?”
“Ah, now that’s where Red comes in. You see, he’s kinda got trackers implanted in our systems as it turns out. Only him and Rollback knew about that.”
“Has he been taking lessons from Hound or something?”
“Huh?”
“Nevermind. Have to say I’m glad he’s paranoid.”
“Rest of the teams gonna be pleased Ratchet’s released you so soon. They gave us a dorm. to stay in while you recovered, but it’s gonna be so good getting back to base.”
“Inferno… is Kicker really okay? Last I remember before… was him going down in flames.”
“Ah he just singed a bit of armor, that’s all. Took out four tetrajets all by himself when he realised you were gone.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah wow, ain’t ever seen him shoot so well before.”
“Yeah, like you can shoot that well Inferno.” Tracer gave an undignified squeal as she found herself being swept off her feet by Kicker who had come out to meet them. “And how’s our little cybercat?”
“If she weren’t so pleased to see you in one piece, she’d have her claws out.” Tracer retorted, relaxing in his arms.
“Heh, that’s our Tracer.”
“Glad to have you back kid.” He murmured, so that only she could hear. The camaraderie and shared experiences they had built up since Tracer had joined made them close in a way that made the team seem like her family. And she was glad to be back in the midst of it.
“Now all we gotta do is wait for Red to get back then we can head for our base.” Inferno said, waiting for Kicker to enter their temporary dorm. He followed them in and sat down.
“You can let me down now Kicker.”
“Nah… more fun like this!”
“Kicker, let the poor kid down. I don’t want to be explaining to Ratchet how you got yourself slagged by a Minibot.” Rollback said, not looking up from the datapad he was reading.
“Like our little kitty would do that.” Kicker laughed, staring down at Tracer, optics widening when he saw the evil grin on her face. He promptly dropped her on the floor.
“Hey! I’m gonna get you back for that!”
“Shouldn’t have dropped her like that Kicker.”
“Darn right. I’m recovering you know.” Tracer stared up at Kicker, poking his thigh plating.
“Ow. Little fingers do not belong there!” Rollback laughed at Kicker’s feigned outrage and pain.
“Good to have you back Trace.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
If Red Alert was the least bit surprised when he returned to the dormitory nearly a joor later, he didn’t let it show on his faceplates. His team was sprawled out on the floor, deep in recharge looking more like a bunch of innocent sparklings than battle-hardened rescuers. Rollback and Kicker were slumped against one another whilst Firestar was sprawled across Inferno’s lap. Tracer had managed to curl up in the impossibly small space between Inferno and Kicker. Red Alert raised an optic ridge and wondered if he ought to take a dataprint of the scene in front of him.
“They will slag your aft if they find out.” Inferno spoke up, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Red Alert smiled back and moved quietly towards him as Inferno patted the ground next to him.
“I don’t think you all realise how adorable you look like this.”
“Come be adorable with us then and shut up.” Red Alert sat down carefully next to Inferno, not wanting to disturb any of them.
“I can certainly see what Kicker means about her looking like a cybercat.”
“I heard that.” Tracer onlined her optics briefly to glare at Red Alert before stretching and settling back down. Red Alert completely ignored her glare and relaxed against Inferno, resting one hand on Firestar’s arm and drifted into recharge.
The team was whole again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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Part Six