Chapter Text
“Nice paint, Bee!” Bulkhead remarked, clapping the youngest Autobot on the back. While they all still worried about Optimus and Smokescreen, it was great to have most of Team Prime back together. And Bee did look good in black.
“At least you’ve got something to work with,” Arcee teased dryly. “If I swapped my colors, I’d be pink.”
Miko gasped with offense, grasping her pigtails. “What’s wrong with pink?”
“Oh- Nothing’s wrong with it,” Arcee assured with a faint chuckle. Her spark clenched silently. “I’ll… tell you later.”
Normally Miko wouldn’t have left it at that, but she was eager to tell Jack and Raf about her adventure with Bulk and Wheeljack. So it was dropped.
After Optimus’ triumphant return and settling in the new base, Miko sat up from her slow-progressing homework.
“Hey, Cee! You said you’d tell me what’s wrong with pink! Why won’t you wear it?” She mostly just said it to tease the two-wheeler, but Arcee’s optics sobered. They hovered on Optimus, who was working at his new computer.
He paused his typing for only a moment. “Our young friend is welcome to learn about Autobot history.”
Arcee didn’t seem convinced, but Miko looked up eagerly.
“A long time ago,” Acree relented, “the Autobots had another femme. She owned pink. Wouldn’t be right.”
Miko quieted at the weight on Arcee’s expression.
“I’m going to check our energon supply,” Arcee said.
Miko came with, and Arcee didn’t stop her.
“What was she like?” Miko asked gently.
Arcee smiled, her thoughts taking a moment to unfold. “Brave.”
“Like she faced more bad guys than you? That’s- actually kind of insane to think about.”
Arcee chuckled, flattered. “I mean brave like Optimus.”
“Like the stoic type?”
“More like… When we were rescuing people, they saw her coming a mile away, and that gave them a few extra seconds to get their courage up. She had the color way before the war, because she loved it and it made people know they were safe. It never camouflaged into anything, but she refused to let the Cons take it off her.”
Miko smiled, eyes twinkling with wonder and pride. “What was her name?”
Arcee wasn’t going to keep it from the outspoken girl. “Elita-One. We called her Elita.”