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Bumblebee peaked around a corner before transforming around the collected items and drove through the ship, getting a few confused looks and a very confused look from Ratchet and Prowl as they stepped aside. Bee drove out and to the right coming to stop beside Optimus who was hidden behind some boulders.
::I got the items Prime.::
"Thank you Bee, and remember- This is just paint from some prank."
::I know. I've already fallen for this one myself today, I was in the wash racks when you commed me but I got there by using the lower vents.::
Optimus smiled under the mask and sat back revealing the several blue splashes over his front and Bee took a steady vent, rising the wet washcloth and started to run it over the spots, finding intact armor underneath and with every run he felt that strong spark hum under his palm until his forehelm lands there and Optimus gently circles his arms around the mini-bot.
-::I'm alright little Bee. It's just paint.::-
::I- I know but... There's been times where I've seen you badly hurt.::
-::I know. Once it's over, once this war is over- I won't partake in anymore battles. Sound good?::-
::Ye-::
"WHAT THE SLAG HAPPENED!?!"
Bee would have flown to the moon in that startled jump had Optimus not manage to grab a leg to fling the mini-bot to his shoulders and raised his blaster, but lowered it when he saw that it was Prowl and Ratchet. "Are you both trying to-"
"You have no say in this!! Look at you!!" Ratchet knelt beside him and Bee quickly leaned forward, rubbing the washcloth over a paint stain and revealed intact armor. Ratchet took the cloth and after most of the paint was gone his own frame tips forward and falls against Optimus' as Prowl kneels on the other side. "We followed Bee after seeing him drive through the Ark..."
::Well he couldn't walk in like this could he!! I swear we would have all had spark failures!!::
"Like the one Ratchet almost had?"
Bee's glare did a good job chilling their Energon and Optimus pluck the mini to set him in his lap again to finish get all the paint away and let Ratchet run a scan over him.
"I'm still functioning, Old Friend."
"Shut it and let me judge that."
Prowl wisely bit his glossa.
000
Of course there were two rounds left in that gun.
Of course they had to hit Optimus again.
Of course the force of the pellets had made Optimus stumble back and lean against Prowl.
Of course Bluestreak walked in that very second.
One Energon chilling scream and Ratchet explain it all later Bee was once again running a washcloth over the Prime's chassis. ::I don't think you'll be free to walk alone for a while.:: Optimus nodded, already imagining how dangerously high Ironhide's over-protective levels had erupted like the volcano they lived in. Prowl stalked in with a slightly frowning Jazz. "Lo and behol', wasn't da twins this time Prime!"
Bee's wings and antennas pointed up with a confused beep and Prowl answered with his own risen wings. "Then who?"
"Ah know Mirage is unaccounted for so-"
"He's on patrol with Smokescreen, Windcharger and Powerglide."
"-Not him then." Jazz finished smoothly and picked up the second cloth and helped the scout. "Blue woke about 5 klicks ago." Optimus looked at Prowl in worry. "How is he? The sight of me and the paint must have triggered an avalanche of bad memories." That was the most likely reason Bluestreak hit the floor the way Prowl did when he unintentionally triggered his glitch of to much work and not enough fuel.
Prowl sat down with a nod. "I showed him the gun and the pellets, told him Bee had also fallen for the prank and it calmed him a little but-"
"Please call him here. Jazz, continue your investigation with Prowl. I think I'll be safe with one sniper and a bug with a deadly sting." Lightly poking Bee in a side seam the mini zoomed up on Jazz's back and glared at the cheeky Prime. "Ohh!! Is that a secret tickle spot!?"
"You forgot 'deadly' a little to quickly there Prime." The SIC commented and stood up as his adopted creation entered the room. "Mind helping Bee get the rest of the paint off? And it wasn't the twins. Don't know where they are really."
Blue frowned. "Still in hanger 3 sorting through supplies, like you told them to do."
Prowl looks at the other three before quickly departing with Jazz, one going for Red and the cameras and the other to check the hanger. Blue ran a wash cloth and found intact armor and tired not to keen, even as Optimus gently hugged him. "My poor little bots." He rumbled as he pulled Bee in as well and held them, making sure they could hear his systems running.
Carefully so not to startle them Optimus opens his fields, gently nudging theirs and felt surprise and awe before they both looked up at him. "You do have it!!"
::We thought the Matrix had completely removed the function!!::
"Normally I don't let it flow as you all do," Optimus replied, and wondered when he had last used his field. Was it before he was Prime? Did he use it at all as Orion Pax? He felt two helms fall against his chassis and found the two young bots had fallen in recharge hearing the purrs of his engine and the hum of his spark.