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“Now remember kid, you gotta be careful with this part. It’s delicate and you aren’t exactly in the invincible armor currently.”
“Yeah yeah, I know. Why do you keep having me wear that thing anyways?”
“Because Bulk will offline me if something happens to you.”
“Eh, fair point.”
Ratchet could feel the headache coming on as he approached the room Wheeljack and Miko were hidden away in.
He did NOT take care in opening the door, making sure it was quiet. The two troublemakers just didn’t hear him. He absolutely didn’t do it so he didn’t accidentally cause Miko to get hurt.
He didn’t know what else to expect when he opened the door. Miko was perched on a table while Wheeljack stood nearby to monitor her. Sitting inconspicuous in front of them was a device being created. A device that seemed awfully similarly to a bomb.
Oh Primus, give me patience.
The medic watched as Wheeljack demonstrated where a wire was being connected, soldering it into place. Miko copied the process on what Ratchet realized was a much smaller version of the same device. The two worked at a diligent pace, rarely breaking from connecting the wires at what Ratchet knew was a very critical point for the bombs to not accidentally be triggered, yet the two merely bantered back and forth in a lighthearted manner as if they weren’t potential seconds away from blowing up the base. Miko, as it would appear, had been spending far more time than anyone had realized to have taken after Wheeljack like so. Or, more likely, she was too much in for the thrill of the danger as her numerous ‘incidents’ would suggest.
But, even still, it was a light hearted atmosphere despite the risk. This was… Likely the calmest and most open he had seen Wheeljack be since the start of the war. Ratchet almost felt bad for what he was going to have to do.
He waited until both placed their solders down before he ‘cleared his throat’ as the humans say, “And what do you two think you’re doing?”
Miko jumped as she quickly looked behind her, eyes wide. The older wrecker at least seemed to keep his composure, turning around with a grin on his face, and a poor attempt to hide the device on the table behind his back.
“Hey doc, need anything?”
“Any particular reason you are currently teaching Miko how to build explosives?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about doc.”
Ratchet rolled his optics, walking towards the two, “Puh-lease, I already seen you both working and the fact that you both hid away from everyone else means you are up to no good. I’ve seen you build enough bombs - too many in fact - to know full well what you are building and I am also aware of how many times you’ve blown yourself up before while doing it.”
Miko winced, he was barely able to pick up Miko’s mutter of “Busted…”
“And you Miko! You aren’t wearing any protective gear, you’re learning from Wheeljack of all mechs, there are countless ways I can list off that this could go wrong-”
Wheeljack stepped in front of Miko, cutting Ratchet off, his gaze locking with the wrecker’s glare. “Normally I have her wear the apex armor so she doesn’t get hurt. Plus I haven’t shown her any of the more dangerous builds. That’s why we’re starting with the basics.”
“Then why isn’t she wearing the armor now, when you are clearly working on one of the most dangerous parts of the build?”
“Ultra Magnus keeps getting on me about grabbing the armor for ‘unspecified purposes’ and I know full well that nobody else aside from Bulk would go along with me teaching Miko. She’s a wrecker and she needs to know how to defend herself, and sometimes that comes in the form of explosions.”
The room went silent for a few moments, the quiet sounds of systems venting and the human’s breath being the only thing to penetrate the air. The two did not drop their eye contact, a silent battle.
Finally, Ratchet sighed, looking away, not believing himself for what he was about to say, “Fine. Then from now tell Ultra Magnus to come to me about you taking out the apex armor. And you WILL ensure Miko wears it every time or I will be bringing this to Optimus. If anyone else catches you, I will not be brought into it, understood?
He watched as Wheeljack blinked in surprise for a few moments before the scrap eating grin formed, “Wow, seems like the doc does have a spark after all.”
Miko peeked out behind the wrecker at this point, also shocked but excited nonetheless, “Wow, the cranky bot Ratchet is really going to let us continue?!”
Ratchet grumbled, turning away and heading towards the door not intending to stick around any longer, “Keep that up and I won’t.”
He did not have a smile on his face as he walked down the hallway, Miko’s cheering echoing behind him.