//------------------------------// // Two of a Kind // Story: We Need A Medic // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// Two of a Kind An hour passed before Optimus finally finished wringing out a plan with the other Autobots that he was finally satisfied with. Pinkie and Fluttershy had passed the time talking about Pinkie’s vacation, which included a lot of car counting, as well as Fluttershy’s time with the Autobots. She had just gotten to where she had first met Soundwave when Ratchet came over, a look on his face telling Fluttershy they were going to talk. “Optimus still isn’t too happy about this,” Ratchet told Fluttershy once Pinkie had left to go bug Prime. “He asked me if I could create a hologram of you that we could use as bait in your place, but at this point it’s safe to assume that the Cons are tracking you and your friends through your magic, so a hologram wouldn’t cut it.” “If they’re tracking us through our magic does that mean they can find us down here?” Fluttershy asked, suddenly very concerned with all the time she was spending in the Autobot base. “Doubtful. The walls are too think and we are too deep underground. Not to mention there is a scrambling device that will scramble any transformer radar without the base code for twenty miles. You’re perfectly safe down here with us.” “Unless I get stepped on.” “True.” “…hey Ratchet, thanks for sticking up for me back there,” Fluttershy said after a moment of silence, glancing over at the bot with regret in her eyes. “I know that what I said sounds crazy, especially since it was in a dream, but-“ “You are concerned about your friends and want to save them as quickly as possible. I understand,” Ratchet said before he sighed. “But I will ask that you do not be so hard on Optimus or think that he does not know what he is doing. He has led he Autobot far longer than you have been alive. He takes every risk and factor into consideration before he makes a decision if he is able to. And he has seen so many innocent lost to the Deceptacons evil that he hates to put them in harm’s way.” “I see. I hope I didn’t make things harder for him.” “You did, but honestly your idea is probably the best chance we have of finding the Cons base before they manage to capture another of your friends,” Ratchet replied as his face darkened. “And I agree with you that it is only a matter of time before they capture another of your friends. The Cons have been far too accurate with their attacks, and if your dream is true, then they somehow know our movements.” “Yeah…and about…what I said…about never listening to me…” “You were correct,” Ratchet finished before Fluttershy could continue. “I do believe that I know what is best and I do have a hard time listening to others. Transformers can change their shape as easily as a cloud but you’d have a better chance of changing titanium with your hands then changing a transformers way of thinking. I am, to steal one of your Earthling terms, a stubborn old goat.” “…yeah, you kinda are,” Fluttershy agreed with a small laugh, which quickly vanished when Ratchet’s face fell. “You were also right about my not listening to you when we received that dispatch about the humans that needed help. I keep thinking back to the situation and wondering what I could have done if I had just listened to you. Had I gone as fast as I could, we would have gotten there a full two minutes earlier. Maybe early enough to save the humans before the Cons killed them.” “Ratchet…maybe we would have been able to save them. Or maybe they would still have all been killed and Soundwave would have killed you as well before Optimus could arrive. We’ll never know,” Fluttershy replied before flashing a gentle smile at Ratchet. “All we know is that if it happens again, we’ll get there faster without delay. That’s what we can do.” “Hmm, would you look at that. That might be one of the rarest things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Ratchet smirked at Fluttershy, who gazed back up at him with confusion. “A teenager that actually listens and learns from her elders. Perhaps if Miko was capable of listening like you do she wouldn’t have gotten in trouble as often as she did.” “Miko?” “A story for another time. Right now I need to go check up on Curbcheck and make sure there weren’t unforeseen side effects of whatever you did to fix him,” Ratchet said as he stood up and started to walk away, before glancing over at Optimus. “And Fluttershy, you should probably talk to Optimus as well. Despite whether or not you agree with how he does things, he truly does have you and your friends best interest at heart.” Ratchet headed off after saying this, leaving Fluttershy to glance over at Optimus Prime, who was standing next to a holomap planning out the bots next move. Fluttershy took Ratchet’s words to heart and decided to talk to Prime. She activated her harmonic form, and accidentally fried a power saw with her magic, so that she could fly over to the table where Optimus was working. She landed to his side and glanced to see that he was bobbing his head side to side. ”I am more than meets the eye, I am a fire in disguise. I am better than the reeeeeessssttttt…I am the countess,” Optimus muttered to himself as he worked on the map, not noticing Fluttershy until she walked into his field of vision. “Hello there, Fluttershy. What can I help you with?” “Were you…just singing a pop song?” Fluttershy asked, trying not to crack up at Optimus singing. “Yes, I am singing an Earth song from an artist called Rara, I believe,” Optimus said with a chuckle. “On our drive over here, Pinkie adjusted my radio so that it would play all of her favorite stations, most of which were pop songs, which she played at full volume on the way here. And while I have successfully managed to change the stations back to your planet’s classical pieces, which are my favorite, I have yet to manage to rid my cortex of these infectious melodies. That one has been stuck there for five days now.” “That’s downright hilarious.” “Pinkie would agree with you. Speaking of,” Optimus muttered as he glanced around for the party girl, but couldn’t find her anywhere. “Does she normally disappear into thin air when with you and your friends as well?” “I wouldn’t call it normal, but yes. She does that,” Fluttershy informed Prime before she turned to look at the map, watching as all the different scenarios on it unfolded. “Ratchet told me to come over here to speak with you. I think he wanted me to apologize for the way I acted.” “There is no need to. I understand why you said the things you did. I also understand why you wish to so rapidly save your friends. But the sooner one puts a plan into motion, the higher the chance of something going wrong,” Optimus said. Fluttershy realized that he wasn’t just saying that because it sounded true. He was saying it because he had plans that had failed due to lack of time spent on them. “Does that mean you’re not going to go with my idea?” “I am making some changes to your idea,” Optimus said, with none of the previous levity in his voice. “I have tried to find numerous ways around it, but unfortunately the Cons will only come if they sense the magic of you and your friends. So it is with a heavy spark I must agree that in order to draw them out, you must be used as bait. I am not happy with this.” “I am sorry that I’ve caused you to be unhappy. But I have to save my friends, no matter the personal risk to me. They would do the same,” Fluttershy replied with strength in her voice, noticing how much stronger her tone sounded compared to how she used to talk. “I am certain they would. Most of them would probably not even ask to do so. They would just do it,” Optimus replied with another chuckle. “When we learned that you were in danger, Pinkie threatened to run here on foot if I didn’t drive her. Of course, I would have never let her come alone. And after seeing you be willing to risk your own life to save the others, I am certain that all of your friends would be willing to do the same.” “Speaking of my friends, there’s actually something else the Autobots have asked of me that I don’t agree with,” Fluttershy added on, getting Optimus to glance down at her. “Keeping you secret from my friends. I mean, I can understand not telling the whole public about the giant aliens, but why not my friends? I can trust them and so can you.” “Most of your friends already know about us. Applejack caught our scout mid transformation and was brought into the circle. You and Pinkie are already aware. And sadly, so too are Rainbow and Sunset. Rarity…does not seem to care about the car parked outside her house all day,” Optimus replied before giving Fluttershy a look. “Or are you speaking about Twilight Sparkle, the seventh member of your group?” “I just don’t like having to hurt her feelings to keep this truth from her. Ever since we first met her she’s tried so hard to earn our trust. So when I said I didn’t trust her it was like I had stabbed her in the heart,” Fluttershy admitted somberly. “I feel like she deserves to know the truth.” “…I will tell you this, Fluttershy. For now, our secret must be kept. The less that know of us the easier it is to move around unopposed. But after all of this is over, I will personally introduce myself to Twilight and explain to her I am the one who asked you to stay silent. How is that?” “Actually, I think I’d rather have Ratchet do it. He could always use a little more social interaction,” Fluttershy said with a smirk and even Optimus allowed himself a laugh. “But thank you for offering to do that, Optimus. I am glad that the Autobots have such a kind leader like yourself.” “And I am glad that you are here with us, Fluttershy. You have saved one of our own and I will eternally be indebted to you for that,” Optimus said with a bow of his head. “Please, the Autobot’s have saved my life so many times. Saving one of you doesn’t make up for it.” “Maybe not to you, but to us it means a great deal,” Optimus said before he glanced over at the approaching Ratchet. “However, it is already very late and I am sure after your last disappearance that your family may have some concern if you do not show up at home once more. Ratchet will take you home. I will take Pinkie later.” “Alright. Goodnight, Optimus,” Fluttershy said to Prime, who had gone back to work. She then walked over to Ratchet, who lowered her to the floor before transforming into an ambulance. “Hey Ratchet, can you put on some rock on the way home?” “Rock? Why rock? That doesn’t sound like it’s something you’d listen to?” Ratchet asked as Fluttershy strapped in. “Normally, I wouldn’t. But Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, got a song stuck in my head that I want out. And believe me, if he’s singing it, then it’s a catchy one.”