nottabeater | Heartburn

"Hey, Arcee." Bee walked into the hanger and looked around. "New tank of gas, wanna grab a drink?"

Arcee blinked, then nodded. "Sure. Where's Honey?

"Chasing Rap around Ratch's workshop." Bee absently fingered the chrome ornaments on her leg, then grinned. "It's good to see you down here. I miss you."

"Huh? I've been here," she gave her taller friend a confused look.

"You're usually doing aerial patrol with Starforge."

"Oh. Right," she said, blinked, then looking at her friend again. Was that a hint? "It's pretty cool up there. You can see everything all at once."

"I know." Bee chuckled. "C'mon before the guys get to the tank before us."

"Not happening," she smiled, running forward. "Ah. Hey, I think they're too distracted to notice. Looks like it's all ours."

The yellow femme chuckled again as she took the hose down and handed it to her smaller friend. Then she turned her head to watch as Optimus talked to Epps and the handful of men that he'd brought in for a visit.

Arcee took it, filling up. "Huh. I was almost on empty. Weird I forgot, I guess the lack of a gravitational pull plays with my.... sheesh, do these humans know what to do with fuel at all? Their stuff always tastes different."

"Huh?" Bee took the hose and drank, frowning as she analyzed the gasoline. "Tastes weird."

"It feels...." Arcee frowned and revved her engine slightly, then gasped as a loud knocking came from it.

"What?" Bee stopped drinking and looked at her, then coughed herself and watched helplessly as the smaller femme collapsed. "Prime, help!"

* * *

Optimus turned toward his scout's cry of distress, but then stopped as he sensed something about one of the soldiers gathered around Epps.

"You," he rumbled angrily, reaching out and picking the man up so as to be able to see him eye to optic. "What's so funny?"

The blond soldier gave a yell of panic, his gun swinging up....

"Optimus, whoa, what're you doing?" yelled Epps, then cursed as Farthing let rip with his gun. As the Tech Sergent watched with horror Farthing fell from Optimus's hand and the massive robot toppled forward onto his knees and one hand, the other pressed over an optic.

"Maan!" Epps ran forward, ordering the rest of his men to get Farthing out of there. "Prime, man, you alright? Prime, talk to me!"

"I dropped him." The mech's voice held clear pain. "Did I...."

"No, you didn't squish him. What's wrong with your eye?" Epps approached cautiously and put a hand on his arm. "Prime? Sir? Hey."

"...It's not functioning." Optimus sat up and unshuttered the undamaged optic, then groaned as he saw Farthing and realized that the man was dead. "Sparkmaker...."

He was aware of Starforge running to gather Arcee up, and Ratchet's voice coming from the hanger, but at this moment nothing seemed to make sense.

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"Like my engine blew up. Was it another attempt to wipe us out?" she asked, unconciously leaning to his hand.

"Yeah...." His thumb gently smooths her cheek.

"Did anybody else take any?" she looked up, eyes flashing with concern.

"Bumblebee did, but not as much as you."

"Was stupid... didn't even check the stuff," she said softly, pain in her voice. "Is Bee ok?"

"Yeah, sounds like it. But I think somethin' just happened t' Ratchet."

"What?" her optics got wide. "What happened to him? Is he alright?"

"I dunno. He fell down out there, 'n then I heard Endeavour 'n Prime taking him to the workshop, and then Endeavour brought him to their room before she went outside."

"Sparkmaker... I'm an idiot," she said again, then moved slightly to start getting up, pausing when a soreness protested it. "I should go see what I can do to help."

Starforge presses her gently back down onto her bed. "Ratchet says yer supposedta stay put."

"Ow... I... fine," she lay back, staring at the ceiling helplessly. A lot of good she was, letting her guard down. She was as useless as a pile of rubble.

"He said it was important." He shifts his weight on the edge of the bunk and turns his head to scan and listen.

"'Course," she mumbled, wanting to curl up. The more awake she became the more miserable she felt.

"Hey... 'Cee." He forgets his orders and gently gathers her up. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sitting here like a degrading piece of metal, takin' you away from sentry duties, and being completely useless in helping anybody else stay alive," she said. "What am I good for if I can't even detect somethin' wrong with the @#$% fuel?"

"Hush now." His arms tighten. "That's stupid talk. Chromia 'n Ironhide've got the watch, 'n yer just fine right where ya are."

"I jus'..." pain and exauhstion lowered her defenses, and a tear fell down her face. "If I gotta be a soldier I need to be a good one, and if I can't be a good soldier then there's no point at all."

He kisses her gently on the forehead. "Good soldiers follow orders, sweetheart."

"My orders were to watch out for stuff that could hurt us. But I couldn't even do that..." she shuddered slightly, then winced in pain.

"Shh." He rocks her, his grasp tender. "Well now you're supposeta lay here 'n mend."

She turned her face towards his chest and shivered again, groaning slightly.

"It feels like someone washed my insides with acid," she said softly.

"They did." He leans over her protectively. "But yer mendin'."

She blinked, the looked up, frowning. "Why are you here?" she asked softly, looking at him in confusion.

"Orders," he says, grinning innocently.

"Oh," she said softly, looking down. After a moment she inhaled to cover a lump in her throat. "Can you put me down, please? I won't move again."

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