I Have No Excuse

... More...

We were on the ledge under the bridge. Going by boat was too much of a risk from what had been going on at the moment. So here we were just scouting the area out. The water crashed and churned weakly around the support structures making it all the more difficult to see what lay below the surface. Everything was far too quiet considering what had been going on. Blurr was pacing the other side with Arcee while Mirage and I went at a much more casual pace. Just searching for any sign of the mers causing the chaos. Then I caught a glimpse of something. Just a flash of muted white and soft black. My heart nearly leaped from my chest.

"Prowl?" My voice was soft as I kneeled near the edge.

I was caught between my amazement that he was alive and came back and how he could possibly be the cause of such destruction. Damn. If only I had some m&ms. I took a moment before I whistled a quiet tune. Cautiously I dipped my fingers in the water to snap a few times before drawing them back out. It wouldn't do for me to be wrong and losing my hand in the process. There was cautious movement below the surface and I instinctively drew back a little. Reports suggested more that one. Even if Prowl was back that meant that there was one or more that didn't know me and would probably act aggressively to my entering their space.

"Prowl? Ya down there, Prowler?"

There was nothing for a time and I had began to lose hope when a dual colored mer settled just under the surface. Still and cautious. The much more noticeable red that lined his tail fin came into view for a second and I found my hope replenished. I couldn't keep myself from grinning.

"Prowl. Hey there pal." I greeted as I touched the top of the water with my fingertips.

He glided around my hand and to the ledge where he popped up cautiously. I could see Blurr and Arcee stop to watch us on the other side and the way he glanced to my right every so often I knew Mirage was as well.

"So you've been causing trouble lately, huh?" I setted more casually on the edge. "I really thought ya weren't going to come back. I'm happy and all that ya did, but attacking people is just going to make things worse for ya. Keep this up and you'll end up hurt again."

I could hear Mirage talking to someone quietly via phone or walkie talkie. Prowl glanced around every once in awhile. I couldn't tell if he was just wary of the others or if he was searching for Blaster. He didn't look as bad off as I thought he would. Most definitely underfed, but he looked ok. It felt good to know he was ok and be able to talk to him again.

"Blaster's not here. He's doing whatever it is Blaster's do. He's still on that path to marine biologist though. So anyway ya don't look like you're starving to death yet. A little thinner maybe, but it looks like you've been managing."

I ghosted my fingers along an earfin to test the waters. He didn't flinch away or try and swipe at me so I closed the rest of the distance. Things were just as they were supposed to be for about two seconds before the water broke and I was throwing myself back and out of the way of a large black and white mer. He had way more black and was far more aggressive. This one was, I had no doubt trying to rip my head off. Mirage was at my side in a second and Prowl with a hiss lunged at the other mer. My heart was pounding and the water gave nothing away as to what was happening below it. The sounds however did. Distorted growls and yelps just reached the surface. Then the water was slowly giving off shades of red. The water thrashed and then it just stopped.

4444444444444444444444 The Fours Are Infiltrating The Government!444444444444

I was struggling with the question of whether or not I had killed my friend as we pulled an angry mer out of the water to be loaded onto the truck and taken to the facility. It was covered in slashes and bite marks and I had to guess that Prowl was in a similar condition. However the sneaky and clever mer he was, he was gone. No clue as to where he went, but thankfully Blaster had a brain that wasn't riddled with worry and guilt and had pointed us in the direction of the cove. And low and behold he was curled up on the perch. He had his own gashes and the most we got were some low growls and whimpers. It had been much easier to catch him than last time. Ratchet had about beat my head in and screamed my ear off for being stupid after he and Aid went to work in taking care of the two winged mers. However I didn't mind too much. I didn't care so long as Prowl would be alright.

I sighed as I touched my forehead to the glass. "I really hope I didn't get ya killed."

Prowl was in one of the quarantine tanks and the other mer was in another in the next room. He hadn't given even the slightest hint of waking since he was moved in.

"He's not as bad as the other one. I think he'll be fine." Blaster added his own sigh to the silence. "So what did you do that made them fight?"

"I don't know. One minute I was talking to Prowl and the next that other one was trying to rip out my intestines."

"Well you must've done something. From what I understand so far they're thinking their siblings. It makes sense that they'd fight prior to this when trying to decide an alpha after mourning, but This was not about dominance nor are fights for the new alpha position this bloody or damaging. So again... What did you do?"

"I was just talking to him. Petting his ear fin. Ya know the usual."

"Yeah... You fucked up."

"What? How?"

"You don't just go and touch a mer. You know this. It was probably just trying protect him you idiot."

"Well thanks. That means a lot. You're such a Great friend."

"I know."