GRV. Fort Lamont. Changing of the Guard Part 3

[dens_extra_pups]

Continued from here



Drift: *not sure what to make of the little organic creature*

Elita: *sees her look* This is Catherine. She's Ratchet's senior student.

Drift: *very small nod*

Catherine: You should drink the rest of that and go to bed. *points to the energon on the table*

Drift: ... *hesitantly reaches for the energon*

Elita: *gets it for her* So there were only four of you?

Drift: *quietly* We've got another team member. He went to park the ship we stole. He'll be joining us soon.

Elita: *looks up from Catherine's muttering* Ship that you stole?

Drift: *small nod* *between sips of energon* It belonged to a bounty hunter named Lockdown. We sent him back to Primus to sort out, and dealt with his employers as well. After that, we dropped everyone who had been abducted by him off on their homeworlds.

Elita: *slight scowl* Who was the bounty hunter after?

Drift: *quietly* Optimus.

Elita: *bigger scowl* You're sure that threat's been nullified?

Drift: Diehard sliced him in two. *quieter* With the amount of explosives Ordnance rigged, the Quintesson base was reduced to rubble.

Catherine: That guy's gonna have fun with 'Jack.

Elita: I knew Ordnance. He'll get along better with Ironhide. *quiet chuckle*

Catherine: ...How do you figure?

Elita: He's a soldier. One that augments his built in systems with every armament that he can carry.

Catherine: Greeaaat. And I bet he's just as nutbar as some of our guys.

Elita: ...What does that even mean?

Catherine: Crazy. *attention going to Drift as the white femme's hand droops, spilling the last few traces of energon*

Elita: *swiftly cleans up the spill, and then takes the container and looks at Drift's face*

Drift: *optics dark, and expression slack as she sleeps*

Catherine: Great. Another one that sleeps with her eyes open.

Elita: *curious look for the human woman, but then startles and rises to her feet as a huge grey and gold bot tromps in* Sludge, what is it?

Sludge: *in his little voice* Me, Sludge bring sample to her Ratchet.

Elita: Ratchet's resting right now. Can you give the sample to Mikaela?

Sludge: No! Sample for her Ratchet! Only her Ratchet! *stomping on the floor in his over-tired distress*

Catherine: *awks and thinks fast* Sludge, why don't we take the sample and put it in Ratchet's work area, so she can find it easily?

Sludge: *little cry of frustration* No! Her Ratchet wants now! *more stamping!*

Catherine: Ratchet's resting right now, but I bet if we got the sample all set up for her to study, she'd be really surprised and happy.

Sludge: But that not what supposed to happen! *sounds on the verge of tears*

Catherine: *gently* I know, but right now, plans have to change. It will really help Ratchet if we get the samples ready for her though.

Wheeljack: *pokes her head into the room* I hear a tired kid.

Sludge: *tired perk and a whimper*

Catherine: Hey, Wheeljack. Sludge has some samples for Ratchet, but Ratchet's resting.

Wheeljack: Here, let's get those stuck in her lab where she can see them, and then you come 'n go ta sleep.

Sludge: *tiny voice* Okay.

Wheeljack: *hand up to gently pat him on the butt, and then guides him from the room*

Elita: o.0

Catherine: ...I would love to know how she does that. *will scan Drift again* Stick a fork in her. She's done.

Elita: That's how Ratchet usually handles Wheeljack, isn't it? *gentle shake for Drift*

Drift: *sleepy sounds*

Catherine: Psshhh, yeah, right.

Elita: *quizzical look for the young human* What do you mean?

Catherine: Ratchet just likes to think she can handle Wheeljack.

Elita: *surprised and amused* Is that how you talk about your mentor?

Catherine: I'm just calling it like I see it.

Drift: *softly, though she's not awake* Diehard...

Elita: *attention to her daughter-in-law* *gently* Let's get you out to the gazebo. You'll probably like a nap in the sun.

Catherine: Lemme get Scanner. *will hurry off to rouse the big Landmine drone*

Elita: Alright. *watches her go, and then reaches over the bond to feel her mate feeling tired and old, but content and sane*

Drift: *curls up on her side*

Elita: *rubs her back* Shhh. Soon. *yes, she's used to being a bitty's mother now, can you tell?*

Drift: *hands clench for a moment as she dreams*

Elita: *soothing clicks*

CatScan: *coming down the hall*

Elita: *looks up and blinks* She didn't have wings the last time I saw you.

CatScan: She made 'em on her own. *chuckles* She spent the rest of the day clicking happily.

Elita: Aww. *stands so that she's not in the way of the larger bot lifting Drift up* Be careful, alright? *remembers the collateral damage from the first few days of Catherine and Scanner's Headmaster/hunter partnership*

CatScan: We've been practicing. *soft clicks for Drift as the white femme squirms*

Elita: Grimlock's been bragging for days about how he beat you at arm wrestling. *clicks herself as she looks up, and then turns and heads down the hall toward the main hall and the door*

CatScan: Yeah, well, he's stronger than he looks. *careful as she carries Drift*

Elita: So who taught him "Smell's not everything"?

CatScan: That wasn't me.

Elita: I see. *nods to Cyclonus when she sees the big bot standing in the hall and leaning so that Whirl is crushed between himself and the wall*

CatScan: ... *snickerfit*

Cyclonus: *nods to Elita. Knows he doesn't have permission to go out, but he's staying where he can see the door and the place Diehard was brought to. Is squishing Whirl to keep her out of trouble*

Elita: *pauses to smile up at him, though she can feel herself trembling with the old fear* Why don't you come out and enjoy the sun, Cyclonus?

Cyclonus: *considering look, will nod wordlessly and move to grab Whirl before heading outside*

Whirl: *singing along to annoying girlpop from her radio*

Elita: *shakes her head and steps out herself with CatScan. Chuckles as she sees that Hazard has decided that the upstairs neighbours in his new house are being noisy and is dealing with it*

Brains and Wheelie: *hollering about doggy germs and slarp monster!*

CatScan: *snerk* Those two...

Elita: *shakes her head* They're worse than the hatchlings.

CatScan: At least the hatchlings are learning not to say some of the bad words. *chuckles and carefully shifts how she's holding Drift*

Cyclonus: *squishes Whirl a bit more*

Whirl: *gleefully backfires*

Hazard, Wheelie, and Brains: *dead silent and totally still as they stare*

Optimus: *is the sound of quiet mirth from the gazebo*

Cyclonus: *silently carries Whirl over to the gazebo*

Elita: *her own shoulders are shaking at the looks of shocked amazement on those three small faces*

CatScan: ... That was awesome. *snicker*

Elita: *softly* Optimus is laughing at the dog and minibots.

CatScan: Awww. *grin*

Wheelie and Brains: *laughing and cheering so loudly that they start Hazard to barking*

Hazard: *waggatail and bark!*

Optimus: *as Elita opens the door of the gazebo and then helps him lie Diehard down* They'll be shouting about germs again soon.

Elita: Yes. *mirth over their bond*

CatScan: I'll hose 'em down in a bit. *moves to tuck Drift in beside Diehard once Elita and Optimus have moved out of the way*

Optimus: *turns laughing eyes to the husky Headmaster* But you'll ruin Brains' hair.

CatScan: Not like it'd be that big of a loss.

Optimus: *just chuckles, and then looks toward the sound of construction* What is that?

Elita: *also looks* I can't tell. It's tall.

CatScan: *looks* *chuckle* It's the ACE's latest project. They're calling it the Seeker house.

Optimus: *expression clears* Now all the tiny, staggered floors make sense. They're focusing on the needs of the Seeklets, aren't they?

CatScan: Yeah. *nods*

Optimus: *quiet rumble of a chuckle, and then looks into the gazebo as his son makes a sound. Expression softens as he sees that Diehard is awake now and gazing at Drift*

Drift: *moving to snuggle closer*

Optimus: *looks at his wife, remembering for the first time in a very long stretch of vorns a time when two young bots fought for the right to bring light to their homeworld*

Elita: *leans against his side and smiles as he circles her with his arm*

Grimlock: *walks past, dripping still from his bath* Yeuch. Oldbot mush.

Optimus and Elita: *sniggerfitdie*

CatScan: *snickerfitdie*

Optimus: *and then he's straightening up and looking keenly toward the saucer landing pad as he hears Red Alert squeal and sees the hatchling point in that direction from where he's helping Matt with something* *deep frown as he sees a small fighter ship of a familiar make land on the pad and a portly green bot with a bandoleer hop out*

Ordnance: *hops out, puts his gun over his shoulder, and then leans up to kiss the muscular pink being who is piloting the fighter* See ya 'round, babe.

being: Whatever, loser. Try not to get kicked off another planet. *lifts off and flies away*

CatScan: ...Who the heck is that?

Cyclonus: *calmly* Ordnance.

Optimus: *wryly* Still choosing dangerous women. *sighs and looks down at his wife*

Elita: *brows lifted. What can she do?*

CatScan: Okay then.

Ordnance: *looking around as he walks in from the field. Shouts and waves when he sees Optimus, and then stops in front of Cyclonus and scowls at him* Everyone got back alright?

Cyclonus: *expression unreadable as he nods toward where Diehard and Drift are*

Ordnance: *frowns. Scans. Startles and curses*

Optimus: *quietly* Yes. My son now carries the Matrix.

Ordnance: Son? *startled look for the red and blue Prime*

Optimus: *nods*

Ordnance: *quiet whistle*

Diehard: *looks over, peacefully dozy due to sleeping wife magic. Smiles at his mentor* Welcome to Earth, Ordnance. You should find quarters.

Ordnance: Right. *still surprised*

CatScan: Should I show him where ta go?

Optimus: If you would... *quick, quizzical look to Elita, and then looks back to the Headmaster* ...CatScan.

CatScan: *nods and moves to show Ordnance where the barracks are*

Ordnance: *as he lopes after her* So. What's a nice girl like you doin' in a place like this?

CatScan: Putting people back together. When I'm not cheering my boyfriend on. *nods toward where a big bruiser of a bot has locked hands with Buster, and is pushing back against the other Landmine drone*

Ordnance: *looks that way with interest* Boyfriend, huh?

CatScan: Yeah. The guy with tan camo paint.

Ordnance: That a game anybody can join? *pauses and turns his head to come face to face with the red-haired human dame standing on the roof of that outbuilding*

Kae Yau: *aims and fires*

Browning: *shoots... FLOUR!*

Ordnance: 0_0

Kae Yau: *cracks up and has to hang onto the roof*

CatScan: *facepalm* Good grief

Ordnance: *silent and still for a few moments more, and then he's blowing flour out of his intakes and growling* What the *deleted* was that?

CatScan: That was Browning. Kae Yau and he are partners.

Ordnance: *coughs and growls again. But then all bad nature vanishes as he looks up into Skymine's curious frown* *sunny grin*

Skymine: Bad word. Bad beardy bot.

Ordnance: Awwww. Don't be that way, sweetheart. I didn't know. Hey. Do you like dolls?

Skymine: Doll? *frown gone*

CatScan: *chuckles* Skymine, this is Ordnance. Ordnance, this is Skymine.

Skymine: *investigating the little toy that's been put into her hands* 'Nance.

Ordnance: Nah. That's a girl's name.

Skymine: *big yawn muffled behind one hand* Oh?

Ordnance: *expression softens, and it's clear just what kind of parenting Diehard had during his youth* You need a nap, kid?

Skymine: *looks up from the toy, blinking* Ya. Need nap. Deploy mission. *yawns again and goes into the barrack to her bunk in the common area*

Ordnance: *big grin* She's new, right? Not damaged?

CatScan: *nods* She's only about two and a half years old now.

Ordnance: *quickly looks up local time units, and then pauses and glances down at his feet as something squeaks at him imperiously* ...Hatchling. Hatchling!

Red Alert: *gonna keep an eye on you!*

CatScan: This is Red Alert. He's a security unit.

Ordnance: *hunkers down to let the little guy see him better* Hey, you. You got somethin' to say?

Red Alert: 0_0 *babyGONE!* Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Ordnance: ...Wow.

CatScan: Oh good grief. *not sure whether to laugh or not*

Dixie: *coming out to see what has Red Alert upset*

Red Alert: *pauses to kiss her belly through her dress, but then climbs up onto her back and hides*

Ordnance: *tilts his head with interest as he watches the native woman interact with the hatchling*

Dixie: *talks quietly to Red Alert, reassuring him*

CatScan: *throat clearing sound*

Ordnance: *looks up at her* What?

CatScan: We still need to find you a room.

Ordnance: Right. *last glance toward the distraught hatchling, and then he stands and shows himself willing to follow*

CatScan: *will move to lead the way to the barracks* *soft chuckle as she sees Skymine sprawled on her bottom bunk and holding the doll Wheeljack made her from a tractor inner tube and hay*

Ordnance: *looks around at the scattered tables and bunk beds* What's this?

CatScan: This is the common area.

Ordnance: *looks at Skymine, but lets the kid be when he sees that the bunk's got marks on it that shows it to be a very regular resting area for her* Huh.

CatScan: C'mon. The quarters're this way. *moves to lead the way down the hall*

Ordnance: *follows, glancing through an open door as they pass it*

Smokescreen: *rude gesture from where he's laying and recharging on the bunk with Sideswipe snuggled against his side*

CatScan: *thrrpts and continues on down the hall*

Ordnance: *looks up as he hears the sound of a stampede on the ceiling*

CatScan: One of the human barracks is upstairs.

Ordnance: Great. Rats in the ceiling. *amused fat bot*

CatScan: ... *slugs him for that*

Ordnance: *grunts and then scowls at her* What the *bleep* was that for?

CatScan: Don't diss the humans. *so serious*

Ordnance: Who's dissing anything?

CatScan: No referring to the humans as "rats" or "vermin".

Ordnance: *scowl goes confused and annoyed as he raids the 'net* Squirrels? Raccoons? Listen to 'em.

CatScan: They're off-duty, acting like soldiers.

Ordnance: Meh. You've got no sense of humour. *grins as he looks up toward the sound of a thud*

CatScan: *dryly* Well, excuse me for taking offense at my fellow humans being referred to as rodents.

Ordnance: *reaches up with his gun and manages to rap in a way to be heard* You guys stop havin' so much fun, or I'll make ya pay a tax!

soldiers: *hearty, rowdy, and gleeful response can be heard clearly by strong Cybertronian sensors*

Ordnance: *delighted grin for CatScan as he wordlessly testifies his readiness to follow again*

CatScan: *rolls her optics and moves to lead Ordnance to where she remembers there being empty rooms* *opens one of the sliding doors* Bunk, desk, chair, room to camp out in alt mode if you're so inclined.

Ordnance: *goes in and looks around, then walks over and peers through the narrow window* ...What is it about this place and gesturing with the middle finger?

CatScan: Who flipped you the bird this time?

Ordnance: That black-haired dame out there mugging that dead thing.

CatScan: Denver. You prolly startled her.

Ordnance: *scans 'net. Sticks out glossa at the hog butcherer. Makes Bronx cheer sound*

Denver: *rude hand gesture she learned from Wheeljack!*

Ordnance: *cackles* *pushes window open* Lady, I can't GET any more bent!

Denver: Says y'u!

Ordnance: *just more laughter as he sets his gun on the rack over the bunk and then turns back to CatScan* Anyplace ta clean up?

CatScan: The washrack's just down the hall, or you can get washed by some of the soldiers outside.

Ordnance: *nod* Anything else I need to know? *still a soldier, even under all the bs*

CatScan: The chow line forms at *names the times*. Ratchet'll prolly want to take a look at you when she's not busy.

Ordnance: *grins at the first. Shifty eyes at the last*

CatScan: ... *scans Ordnance*

Ordnance: *pretty low on energon, though it seems he's been getting enough energy from another source to be able to make enough to keep him from getting sick. And there's a high energy reading from a strongly armoured box in one of his cargo pockets. There's also an organic life sign reading from that box*

CatScan: *seriously* We can do this one of two ways. The easy way being you 'fess up to whatever's ailing you.

Ordnance: *genuine surprise* I'm not sick. I kicked the energon deprivation during the trip to stash the boat.

CatScan: Fine then. What're you hiding?

Ordnance: *surprise fades to protectiveness* Nothing that'll offer any danger to anything on this planet.

CatScan: *recognizes the system spike that just happened* *gently* I won't hurt your little one. I just want to make sure they're alright.

Ordnance: *wary expression* She's fine. That box could take a direct hit from a (this BIG) missile.

CatScan: *seriously* Humor me, Ordnance.

Ordnance: She ain't even born yet. And she needs the pressure in there. She's fine.

CatScan: ...Not even born yet?

Ordnance: *lifts a brow slightly* Yeah. You know. Egg?

CatScan: *raised brow ridges*

Ordnance: *scowls at her impatiently* What?

CatScan: Never heard'a 'Bots carryin' an egg around before.

Ordnance: So?

CatScan: ...Huh.

Ordnance: So am I dismissed?

CatScan: Yeah. Don't do anything too stupid.

Ordnance: *snorts, then brushes past her and goes to look up a guy with a high pressure hose*

CatScan: *will get out the datapad that has all the listings for which quarters are occupied, and update the information, before moving to return to the hospital*

Diehard: *as she passes the gazebo* Excuse me, are you a medical unit?

CatScan: *stops and turns* I'm Ratchet's apprentice. Who needs help?

Diehard: Actually, I was wondering if you'd scanned Ordnance. *quiet affection and concern in his voice as he names the green bot*

CatScan: Yeah. He's in better shape than the rest of your team.

Diehard: *nods, looking thoughtful though not surprised*

CatScan: Needs ta learn not ta flirt so readily though.

Diehard: *soft sound of amusement* He's done it since I reached my final size. And he won't be serious about it right now.

CatScan: Does that have anything to do with the person he was talking to when he arrived?

Diehard: Jael. I admit I'm surprised he listened to her offer. But at least his health is out of danger now.

CatScan: *small nod* Anything else worrying you about him?

Diehard: Has he already got the egg?

CatScan: *soft snerk* Yeah. Looked about ready to fight me to protect it.

Diehard: *grins, his eyes twinkling* He's a good mentor, who takes the job very seriously.

Whirl: *from where she's sitting nearby chasing bugs* The *beeeeeeep*.

Cyclonus: *soft rumble*

Drift: *sleepy mumble, will cling to a Diehard hand*

Diehard: *gently smooths his wife's back with the other hand, still watching Catscan*

CatScan: *will scan Drift, concerned about the white lady*

Drift: *soft sigh*

Diehard: *quietly* Leaving us on the moon was highly traumatic for Drift. So was meeting Blackout here.

CatScan: *small nod* She looked about ready to faint.

Diehard: Energon deprivation is harsh. *glances through the screen and watches Whirl's pincer creeping toward Cyclonus with a big ant*

Cyclonus: *stern as he catches Whirl's pincer*

Whirl: *yelp! Angry cat sounds!*

CatScan: *small nod* Blackout called her "Deadlock".

Diehard: That was the name Megatron gave her. But she was Drift as a hatchling.

CatScan: Ah. *small nod* How'd you two meet?

Diehard: *grin returns* We came out of adjacent pods.

Whirl: *don't mind her, she's trying to do the ants in the pants dance without getting up*

CatScan: *small grin* Aww.

Diehard: Ordnance found the pods, and as soon as we hatched he took us and left Cybertron to keep us safe from the raiding parties that were robbing hatcheries at the time.

CatScan: Robbing hatcheries... *just a bit upset at the idea*

Diehard: *brows lift* Megatron was raising his army. *quick glance down at his wife as she clearly pronounces a word that she usually beats on Whirl for using*

Cyclonus: *disapproving frown for Drift*

Whirl: *boggle boggle boggle*

CatScan: I'm remembering that one.

Diehard: *looks up with surprise* Can you pronounce Decepticon?

CatScan: Prolly not as well as some of the rest of the base, but I know a few phrases.

Diehard: *glances toward Whirl* You won't get away with it even here.

Whirl: *sulk* Aw sludge...

Cyclonus: *disapproving rumble*

CatScan: *to Diehard* So what happened after Ordnance got you away from the raids?

Diehard: *turns back to her* He brought us with him as he made a living. Then, when we had just left the hatchling stage, but before we'd started maturing, the port we were at was attacked and Drift was lost in the confusion. We spent vorns searching for her.

CatScan: You found her again, obviously.

Drift: *another soft sigh, looks like she's trying to climb onto Diehard's lap*

Diehard: *cuddles his wife close* She found us after deciding she'd had enough of the Decepticon way. She brought Whirl with her.

Whirl: I didn't do it! *looks around, blinking blankly*

Cyclonus: *quiet rumble, awkward as he puts an arm around his wife's shoulders*

Whirl: *looks up, trying to figure out who he is as her processor struggles through a flashback. Then she decides she doesn't care and climbs onto his lap to hide*

Cyclonus: *will rumble quietly for her*

CatScan: *as Drift settles into a quieter sleep* And now you're all here...

Diehard: *quiet wonder creeps into his expression* Yes. Now we're all here. *absent hand to his chest*

CatScan: *scans Diehard* *soft chuckle as she sees he's just thinking about the Matrix, which is now contained within his chest* *blinks as she thinks of Optimus and comes to the realization that she can now give the former Matrix-bearer checkups without worrying about being nuked by the energy from the Matrix*

Diehard: *quizzical look for CatScan as he hears the chuckle*

CatScan: I'd better get back to the hospital. *so amused now*

Diehard: Alright. Thank you for stopping, Doctor. *smiles*

Cyclonus: *eyes her from over Whirl's head, which is tucked under his chin*

CatScan: *will head back to the hospital, exchange trash talk with Mikaela, and then get back to her studies until somebot gets hurt or Ratchet comes back*

((Written with random_xtras))