AUTOBOT LOG: Chapter 25

“Sideswipe, Blurr is ready to go.” I glance up from my datapad as First Aid comms me, and stand. He’s waiting in his operating room, Blurr still unconscious on the medberth. “I don’t want him to be transforming for at least a day. And make sure he takes it easy on that leg! No running around!” I nod.
“Thank you so much, ‘Aid. You’re a spark-saver.” He rolls his optics and grins.
“Not a problem. It’s my job.” I gather Blurr up, and take him back to my room, meeting the twins outside. They curl up with Blurr as I head back out to relieve Jazz from his shift.

The sound of pedesteps outside the control room makes me glance up from the work I’ve been focusing on to see Chase come in. “Chase! It’s good to see you up and about. I take it First Aid cleared you?”
“That is correct. Once he had finished with Blurr’s repairs, I was given clearance to leave the medbay.”
“Good. How are you feeling?”
“Much better than I have been feeling, I must say. It is quite a relief to not have to mask it anymore.” Both our struts tense at that, and he winces, knowing he’s said something wrong.
“Chase, I can’t believe you’d feel like you have to hide the fact that you were so sick.” He sighs.
“I do not wish to worry Heatwave and the others. This mission is causing us all enough stress as it is. Being away from our base of operations for so long has not been easy, and we are still days away from our target point.”
“That’s no excuse, Chase, and you know it.” He falls silent, then nods. “Heatwave wants all of you to trust him. Every good leader wants to establish those bonds within his or her team so that you all can truly rely on each other. It’s not a vulnerability thing, it will actually strengthen your team. I don’t know what I’d do if any of the guys here felt like they couldn’t approach me with their problems. I do know, however, that I’d feel like a failure if I created that kind of environment.” He nods again.
“I agree with you and your sentiments as a leader.” I nod.
“Good. Now get some rest. If I know First Aid, I know that’s what he prescribed for you.” He nods, then heads off again.

Smokescreen comes to relieve me soon enough, and I head back to my room to find the twins and Blurr still out on my berth. I settle in with them as smoothly as I can, but Jetstorm stirs and glances up. “Hi. Did Blurr wake up at all?” He shakes his head, then rolls over so he’s in my arms now. “Well, I guess we wait until his shift tomorrow to see how he’s doing.”

Blurr is the first one up in the morning, and he wakes the rest of us up accidentally trying to head off for his shift. “B-Blurr?”
“Sorry I woke you, I didn’t mean to.” He hugs Jetfire in one arm and smiles down at us.
“I hope you know you’re not working your shift today.” His expression changes instantly.
“And why is that?”
“First Aid wanted you to rest that leg. So I’m ordering you to remain here to rest. Or your own room. It’s your choice.” He opens his mouth to argue, then seems to realize that I’ve ordered him to do it instead of asking.
“Yes, sir.” I sit up, easing Jetstorm back down, then lean over to kiss Blurr gently.
“Don’t be mad at me. You need a break. I was worried about you yesterday.” He sighs, but gives me a smile, then settles back in with the twins. I get up and head out, coming into the control room and shooing Smokescreen back to his own room. It’s only moments after I’ve signed in that I notice a high-priority message waiting to be read. I open it, and groan loudly. Intel is awaiting reports of the last few weeks. Reports that will take hours for me to fill out.

“Just shoot me now. Put me out of my misery. Offline me, please, I’m begging you. I won’t even know who you are.”
“Might I inquire as to why you are so intent on pegging me with murder charges?” I shake my head and glance up to look at Chase, gesturing to the screen.
“I’ve been here for almost three hours and I’m not even halfway through these things. And they’re demanding them today. Primus, this is what I hated about working on the Security Force back on Iacon.” He looks surprised.
“You worked for the Security Force?” I nod, then turn back to the screen.
“You’re looking at one of Iacon’s oldest officers in that chair.” Blurr comes in, limping ever so slightly on his right leg. Chase glances back down at me, but I don’t turn to look at him. “One of the oldest and the greatest, who hates doing deskwork.” Blurr rests on the back of the chair, looking over my shoulders to the screen.
“If you’re offering your assistance, I would be forever in your debt.” Blurr smiles mischievously at me, and pulls up a chair.
“Now that is an offer I will most readily accept. Scoot over.”

We work quickly together, and soon everything is organized and sent off to Intel. I groan, sitting back in my seat. “Five and a half hours later and everything’s done. Primus, I hate doing datawork.” Hot Shot and Wreck-Gar glance over at us from where they’ve been keeping an optic on our scanners and the rest of the work that’s come in, but only grin and shake their heads. Blurr stands and stretches.
“You get out of here. I’ll finish everything else up.”
“You sure?” He nods.
“Yes. Remember I’m an Intel agent myself. This is what I was programmed for.” I nod in return and stand, slowly, wincing as my stiff struts and joints try to work themselves out.

“First Aid, I’m going for a drive. You want to come with me?”
“Sure, of course. Give me a few minutes and I’ll meet you out front.” I comm Jazz and Hot Shot, too, and the three of them meet me out front. Jazz and Hot Shot transform effortlessly and take off quickly, but First Aid stays and watches me transform intently. “Everything looks good. How do you feel, Sideswipe?”
“Stiff. It feels weird.”
“It will. You haven’t transformed properly in a while, so it’ll feel off for a little bit. But it’s best that you work the joints again and make sure they’re still functioning properly.”
“I know. Well, best not to let them get too far ahead. Are you coming?”
“Please, like I’d let you all leave me in the dust.” He transforms quickly, and we move out after Jazz and Hot Shot.

“Sideswipe, I’m getting air readings.” Hot Shot comms me half an hour later, and I call back to the base.
“Hi, Sideswipe, what do you need?”
“Sara, can you scan for air readings? Hot Shot’s picking something up.”
“The twins and Blades are flying around just above where you all are. I can still run a scan, but I’m betting that they’re what’s causing it.”
“You’re probably right. Thank you.” I shift into a different gear as we hit a highway. “Hot Shot, don’t worry about them, it’s the twins and Blades.”
“Sideswipe, I am picking up police readings on the highway you’re on. Make sure the four of you stay within the speed limit and have your holoforms on.”
“Understood. Thanks for the heads-up.”

After our drive First Aid gives me a check-up in the medbay. I lay on his medberth, exhausted, as he looks me over. “Hmm, everything is looking good. I think you needed to get out there and work your motor like that. Sideswipe? Are you listening to me?”
“Wha-yeah, I’m listening.” He shakes his head.
“Honestly, at least try to keep your head up. I know you’re tired, but this is important.”
“Don’t worry, First Aid, I’ll pay attention for him.” Blurr comes in and sits in one of the observer chairs, a cube of energon in one hand. First Aid shrugs and keeps talking, and Blurr listens intently, jotting a few things down on his datapad.
“…And that’s it for me. You’re all set, Sideswipe.” Blurr stands and comes over, helping me off the medberth and out the door.
“Primus, you’re out of it. What’d they do to you, race cross-country?”
“It just took more out of me than I was expecting… It’s been awhile since I transformed and raced like that.”