2A/N: originally wanted this to be a 1 chapter story..but its being stubborn, and I wanted to post something up before this year was over
set after Predacon Rising.
It had been about 4 earth months since the All-Spark was returned. still no word from the Ark and reconstruction was slow. they at least had shelter thanks to the only structure restored by the Omega Lock the first time it was activated, but the remainders of Team Prime still worried.
Four of the Autobots. Bulkhead, Smokescreen, Wheeljack and Arcee opted to scour though another ruin to decide wether it was worth saving, had anything salvageable, or was too hazardous to be left standing.
Wheeljack rumbled, flashlight roaming up the walls. "There still might be operational booby-traps."
"Or Scraplets.", Bulkhead shivered, pointing the light behind them as Smokescreen mindlessly paced up ahead around a corner.
"Hey, there's a couple of stair cases up here!" his voice echoed back to them
"Ssshh, keep it down.", Arcee scolded as they caught up to him. pointing their lights up the cases as condensation dripped from the rusted railings.
"Split up?", Bulkhead looked to Wheeljack but Arcee spoke first.
"Smokescreen and I will take right..you and Wheeljack take left."
Smokescreen couldn't contain the grin till Bulk looked back at Wheeljack, Bulkhead had another idea.
"Say uh, why don't we even it out..Me and the kid..."
"Hey!" Smokescreen interrupted with a frowned at both the change in partners and still being referred to as 'kid' .
"And you with Jackie..", Bulk finished with a smile.
Arcee looked at the other Wrecker who only shrugged.
"It doesn't matter. lets just go.", She headed off to the right while Bulk started pushing Smokescreen forward to the left who was whimpering while looking back towards Arcee.
"Come on, Kiddo.", Bulk continued smiling as Wheeljack fallowed Arcee.
Wheeljack felt uncomfortable in the silence from the two wheeler as they walked into a room a few levels up.
"That was...rather peculiar of Bulk."
Her brow furrowed a moment before answering.
"Peculiar ,or suspicious?"
"What do ya mean?"
with an optic roll..she pretty much figured what Bulkhead was doing and she wasn't exactly thrilled about it.. until she looked up at him though the left corner of her eye and noticed...
He looked down at her for a moment and gave a brief smile but she avoided it in favor of fallowing her light to a table and picked up a data pad that didn't work then pointed her light up at the scorch marks on the wall.
He pointed his light at her while she was still facing the wall but she noticed the beam behind her lowered from her shoulders down to her waist then legs and when Wheeljack slowly brought it back up it shone on her murderous glare yet still beautiful face and he quickly pointed it elsewhere.
"Don't get any ideas, Sparky.", She warned but deep down...was flattered. his brow perked up at the name that she hadn't addressed him with since the gas station incident.
"Little late for that..", He mumbled to himself with a smile but not low enough.
She huffed and turned away, fighting her smile, and walked to another table with a key pad and tried pushing some buttons, when it failed she walked towards the wall length window noting how high up they had come.
Wheeljack gave a soft, brief chuckle. Noting himself how her frame looked partly silhouetted by the lowering first moon nearly touching the horizon, the energon veins on the inside of her thighs catching his attention, a grin gradually crept up the right of his face as a sensation he hadn't felt in a long, long, long time surfaced. he opened his mouth to say something but paused when he noticed Arcee's left foot knocking over a loose plating that was leaned up against the wall and flipped over revealing the orange glow of a now active Decepticon grenade beeping away its last seconds... Seriously?
"Arcee!"
"What's that sou.." before Arcee could finish, Wheeljacks left shoulder slammed into her waist and then suddenly the two burst though the window as the blast pushed them outside, Wheeljack took another blow when his body turned and protected Arcee when they struck a thick slab on the way down and bounced off.
When Arcee came to, she was lying on her front and her right arm was filled with pain. as she pushed herself up she could feel the heat from the flames behind her.
"Wheeljack?", Her eyes were blurry at first but noticed the severed red and black handle to a sword. her eyes widened and she looked back towards the flames.
"Wheeljack?", She heard some rustling and saw Smokescreen and Bulkhead rushing out of the building though the wall. thankfully Smokey had his phase shifter and had activated it while holding on to Bulkhead when they first felt the tremors.
She scanned the ground again and found the bot she was looking for closer to the flames. she rushed to him, the tire on his right leg on fire, a deep painful looking dark silver dent in his back between his wings accompanied by a steel bar punctured though his left shoulder. she put her hands on him and it burned but she didn't let go. if they couldn't cool him off soon, his interior would begin to smelt if the energon pooling under him didn't ignite first.
"WHEELJACK!" She screamed as the other two rushed over to them.
A/N:(Sing-songy)Cliff...Hanger...Hanging from a Cliiiiiif...and that's why its called a Cliffhanger!