When Worlds Collide

V: Group A

The boys played with the toys that Ratchet had created for them. Rolling the make-shift metal cars around the entire base happily. Smokescreen crawled along the floor with his, making quiet engine sounds. Driving up the railing, he climbed the stairs of the mezzanine and ran around the platform. Sitting on the couch watching him in amusement was Optimus.
Smokescreen continued his wild driving happily, crawling along the floor once more. The boy drove his toy into a boot as it stepped up onto the platform. Quietly, the boy looked up at a grim looking man who gazed down at him blankly. Rolling his eyes, he walked around the child and went to the leader.
“How many more of these.. children are you going to let invade the base?” He asked gruffly, crossing his arms. He watched the leader carefully, his frown deepening when the man did not answer him. “Optimus?”
Breaking from his trance, the man looked towards him and furrowed his brow, blinking a few times to focus his vision on his friend. The weapons specialist raised a brow at the continued silence. Quietly, the leader looked away from him and scanned the platform, watching the child play near the stairs.
“He could fall,” He mused aloud, frowning. He went to stand but the other man pushed him back down onto the couch roughly.
“Snap out of it, Prime.” He ordered.
The leader looked at him, frowning. “Snap out of what?”
“Oh good, someone to snap him back.” Said Phoenix as she walked up the steps, stepping around the boy as he played. The  boy looked at them curiously, stopping his play. The woman crossed her arms and watched the leader. “He won’t listen to me anymore.”
“Figures.” Scoffed Ironhide.
“What do we do with him?” Asked Phoenix, uncrossing her arms. “He’s acting like a stubborn child. Maybe we should treat him as such.”
“That is unnecessary,” Began the leader, glaring at the two before him as they talked, ignoring him completely.
“Smokes, go get Doc.” Said Phoenix, startling the child from his playing. The boy watched them for a brief moment before standing, bounding down the stairs. “He’ll definitely know what to do with him.”
“Phoenix, please, this is hardly sound,” he said, shaking his head. He watched the two turn their head to meet his gaze. The woman tilted her head to the side, her long rusted braid swaying.
“I think it’s very sound,” she mused, glancing towards the other man who nodded solemnly. Phoenix pulled the rope of hair over her shoulder, brushing the paint brush like end to her cheek. “You play stupid games you win stupid prizes.”
He shook his head and tried to stand again but was shoved back down once more. Frowning, he looked towards the stairs at the sound of footsteps. Ratchet came up the stairs alone, his hans in his lab coat pockets.
“What is so important that you send the boy to bother me.” He grumbled, looking between the three carefully.
“Look at him, Doc,” Exclaimed Phoenix, waving a hand at Optimus. The leader ducked back in time before her hand could collide with his head. “He’s starving himself for some Primus awful reason. I want to figure out why.”
“We cannot afford to lose our leader, Ratchet.” Said Ironhide, leaning against the railing behind him. He looked from the doctor to the Prime as he watched his friends silently, hands folded in his lap. “If a con like Starscream punched him he’d snap like a stick.”
Ratchet nodded, glancing at Optimus, frowning. The man dropped his gaze away from them, staring at his hands. Below them, the sound of the boys wrestling each other could be heard, a shout from Smokescreen, a cry from Spike and then silence. Their little footsteps ran off into the distance and nothing more came from their chaos.
“Well?” Questioned Phoenix, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently. She let her braid fall from her hand and swing behind her. She crossed her arms, glaring at the man. “Some point you need to give in. You need to get something through your thick helm before you die. How do you think Bumbl-”
“Enough, Phoenix,” Optimus cut her off, tipping his head up to look at her. His eyes were dim, emotionless. Dark crescents found their places under his eyes. His frown was buried under the lengthening stubble as it became the start of a beard.
“It’s clearly not enough,” said Ratchet, shaking his head. “If you don’t have a sense of what you’re doing to yourself, it is clearly not enough.”
“What are you going to do if you have to fend for yourself?” Phoenix interjected, putting her hands on her hips. “Pass out? You can barely stand as it is without looking like you’ll blow away.”
The Prime shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. When he looked up, he looked past his interrogators at Ironhide who has since been silent, watching the ordeal. Phoenix looked over her shoulder and sighed heavily, pulling her braid rather harshly now.
“He’s not on your side with this,” said Ratchet, crossing his arms. “What are you going to do if Bumblebee picks up this new habit of yours, hm? He wants nothing more than to be like you. To severe extremes like this, both of you could end up dead in a matter of weeks.”
“What is it you want me to do?” Asked Optimus after a long moment of pondering.
“Eat. Sleep.” Scoffed Phoenix, shaking her head. “Whatever else you are neglecting to do to keep you alive.”
He nodded slowly, looking between the three once more. Cautiously, he stood, eying Ironhide. When the man did not move from where he was, he straightened his back, correcting his posture. Blinking, he paused from the two steps he took, tense. Once the pixelated vision faded, he offered the three a faint smile before walking off down the stairs.
“Phoenix,” said the medic, watching the leader walk down the stairs, “you’re in charge of him.”
Nodding, the woman quickly followed after the Prime, catching up to him in a heartbeat. He sparred her a glance and sighed tiredly, heading down the halls towards the rooms.

“Where have you been?” Questioned Ironhide, watching the woman walk ito base silently, her hair a mess from the wind and her clothes layered in sand. “Your kid’s been looking for you,”
“Where is he?” She asked solemnly, rubbing her arm as she scanned the base. The area was empty of anyone, silent. She turned her head back towards the man as he cleaned a rifle.
“Where ever the other two are I’m assuming,” he grumbled, lifting a piece of the gun to inspect it carefully. Frowning, he returned to cleaning the piece. “You should keep a better watch on the things you bring in here.”
Sighing, the woman nodded and walked towards the mezzanine, hoping to find her son. When she got to the top she found no one. Placing her hands on the railing she scanned the area beneath her. Aside from the man cleaning the gun, everyone had disappeared. Walking to the television, she turned it and started messing with wires.
“Are you hoping to get cable?” asked Phoenix, wandering up the stairs with the three boys at her heels. Spike ran to his mother and hugged her tightly.
“No, I was just hoping to make it work.” She whispered, pulling her son into her lap and hugging him. The boy held his new toy towards her proudly, smiling from ear to ear at the metal thing on wheels. “Where did–”
“Doc,” replied Phoenix before she could finish. She watched the older boys play, the latter of the two talking loudly about something. The silent boy rolled his eyes and let himself fall onto his back from where he was sitting, staring at the ceiling. “He must have gotten tired of his tools going missing.”
Twilight nodded and picked up a wrench near her leg. “I don’t understand where he gets all of these.”
“He stocked up at the mention of dooms-day,” mused Phoenix, sitting on the couch. She chuckled, wrapping her arms around herself, casting her gaze into the direction of the rooms.
Twilight set the wrench back onto the floor and stood up, moving next to Phoenix on the couch. The rust-haired woman closed her eyes and shook her head, when she looked back at her she smiled. A far away distance in both of their eyes kept the other from speaking for a long while.
“I should go check on Optimus,” Sighed Phoenix, pulling at her braid. “He was supposed to sleep, but we all know him too well for that.”
“You care about him,” said Twilight, looking up at her curiously.
“I knew him for a few years before this..” She let herself trail off, walking away from her.