Transformers: A Matter of Fate

JOKES AND CELEBRATION

CHAPTER 21

Jokes and Celebration

"Yep, he's already driving me nuts."

Sideswipe laughed a little as Mark sat down next to him in the mess hall the next Saturday. The mech put his legs up on the table and looked at Mark with a cheeky grin. He had lasted longer than he had expected him to in Prowl's presence, that much he had to give him. "So, Prowler's given you a nice taste of how strict he can be, I take it?" Mark shot Sideswipe a sharp glare "What?"

"You find it amusing?" Mark asked, groaning "Do you know the caniption he had when he saw me with Grimlock yesterday?" He asked "He practically all but dragged me away from him. In front of that hot private, you know, the one right out of high school? The blond?" He asked.

"I don't look at human femme's that way." Sideswipe snorted "But slag, that does sound rough."

Mark grumbled something under his breath and crossed his arms. If he knew it probably wasn't the right time to be making jokes, he might have joked that the boy should quit acting like a sparkling. But he had a distinct feeling that he would be met with something to his helm, and the last thing he wanted was for his paint to be chipped. "Primus, you're gonna have a conniption if Red Alert ever comes to Earth." Mark raised an eyebrow "I could tell you who he is, but that would spoil the fun."

Mark rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "So..." Mark paused a moment "What do you do to keep out from his watch then?" Sideswipe raised an optic ridge "Oh come on, Sides. I know you well enough by now to know you have to know a way." He added as the mech chuckled slightly "I'm your little buddy, you've gotta let me in on your secret."

"My secret?" Sideswipe laughed "You mean twenty-eight vorns of dealing with him and knowing how he works?" Mark laughed a little at that, though it was clear by the look on his face he was still annoyed "Aw come on, he's not that hard to figure out. Just don't do stupid stuff when you're around him, or at least when he's looking." He nudged him a bit "You can't be that bothered though."

Mark shrugged, he supposed he wasn't too bothered by it. After all, despite how serious, and sometimes, as much of a buzzkill he sometimes was, Prowl was a nice mech. Oftentimes asking him how his day was, and when he passed him in the halls, having idle conversation. But then again, he was also the mech that didn't come into the mess hall to eat, and kept to himself unless he ran into you. So he wasn't totally sure that Prowl was really the "friendly" mech he made himself out to be towards him.

"I guess he's at least a nice guy." Mark replied "He could be like Coulton, serious and a dick and a half."

Sideswipe gave a quiet growl at the mention of Coulton's name, as most people often did. "Heh, yeah. Prowl's annoying at time, but he is a good guy, I'll give him that." He explained, sipping on his energon slightly "In fact, he gave Coulton a piece of his mind earlier. I almost called you in to see, but I knew you had homework to do." Mark chuckled a little "So... He giving you any more trouble?"

"Hound won't let him near me." Mark replied "I haven't even seen him."

"Good, I hear he's been saying some nasty slag about your dad that you don't need to hear." Mark cringed, though he wasn't entirely surprised by that either, the man had a grudge against everyone it seemed "So, I was thinking that we could do some more combat training today." Sideswipe told him calmly "You're making good progress, so I was even thinking you could start working on sparring." He added.

"Really!?" Mark asked, a grin spreading over his face, the mech nodded "Awesome, Sides! I can't wait!" He quickly began to scarf down the food in front of him violently.