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"Don't worry, Junior. It's not all fancy office clothes and paperwork. This is just what I have to wear for the concert coverup."

"I know," Russell giggled, "You had like sixty fangirls rocking your normal look in the crowd. My dad has all three editions of your album, by the way."

Miko shot a victorious look over the boy's head at Jack, who rolled his eyes playfully and hefted the crate of energon. "You do know he's too young to recruit, right?" he asked.

"Raf was 12!" Miko defended, "Give it two years, we'll make it work!" She elbowed Russell and grinned. "Just make sure to ask for Nakadai's Wreckers. You don't want to get stuck with the Science Squad or Dinoforce."

Jack paused. "You know," he said casually, "I think I've said something before about you not calling the Dual Tribes Settlement "dinoforce"."

"You have," Miko agreed, "I ignored you."

"Ah, that explains it then." He shifted his weight and loaded the crate into the cargo unit the unit truck was set to tow.

Miko bent over to stage-whisper to Russell, "At least in my squad, you won't get chucked over a wall for questioning orders."

"That was one time, Miko! One time!" Jack hollered from across the yard.

"You threw someone over a wall?!" Russell laughed.

"No," the man mumbled, rubbing his beard, "I'm the one who got thrown over a wall."

This got Optimus's attention, and he leveled a hard look at Storm Soldier. The large mech shrugged gamely.

"Well if you're going to tell that story," he said dryly, "Don't stop there. Go on, inform the mite what you did afterwards."

Agent Darby flushed red and muttered something unintelligible.

"He ripped up part of a communications array and flung it at my head." Storm Soldier translated cheerfully. "Told me that if all I'd wanted out of our bargain was a replacement Starscream, I was out of luck."

"Oh Jackson," Optimus sighed, clearly torn between pride and exasperation at the pair of them.

"Were you mad?" Russell asked meekly.

"Hardly!" Storm Soldier snorted. "It was the first real fighting spirit he'd shown in weeks!"

"And now we have a system," Jack hurriedly interjected, "I don't interrupt him in front of the Tripredacus council, and he doesn't throw me over walls in the middle of meetings."

Optimus still kept a close watch on Storm Soldier for the rest of the afternoon. Jack privately thought Agent Nakadai warranted more attention, as she'd very nearly convinced Russell to apply for an internship with Unit E by the end of the day.

Description
"Don't worry, Junior. It's not all fancy office clothes and paperwork. This is just what I have to wear for the concert coverup."

"I know," Russell giggled, "You had like sixty fangirls rocking your normal look in the crowd. My dad has all three editions of your album, by the way."

Miko shot a victorious look over the boy's head at Jack, who rolled his eyes playfully and hefted the crate of energon. "You do know he's too young to recruit, right?" he asked.

"Raf was 12!" Miko defended, "Give it two years, we'll make it work!" She elbowed Russell and grinned. "Just make sure to ask for Nakadai's Wreckers. You don't want to get stuck with the Science Squad or Dinoforce."

Jack paused. "You know," he said casually, "I think I've said something before about you not calling the Dual Tribes Settlement "dinoforce"."

"You have," Miko agreed, "I ignored you."

"Ah, that explains it then." He shifted his weight and loaded the crate into the cargo unit the unit truck was set to tow.

Miko bent over to stage-whisper to Russell, "At least in my squad, you won't get chucked over a wall for questioning orders."

"That was one time, Miko! One time!" Jack hollered from across the yard.

"You threw someone over a wall?!" Russell laughed.

"No," the man mumbled, rubbing his beard, "I'm the one who got thrown over a wall."

This got Optimus's attention, and he leveled a hard look at Storm Soldier. The large mech shrugged gamely.

"Well if you're going to tell that story," he said dryly, "Don't stop there. Go on, inform the mite what you did afterwards."

Agent Darby flushed red and muttered something unintelligible.

"He ripped up part of a communications array and flung it at my head." Storm Soldier translated cheerfully. "Told me that if all I'd wanted out of our bargain was a replacement Starscream, I was out of luck."

"Oh Jackson," Optimus sighed, clearly torn between pride and exasperation at the pair of them.

"Were you mad?" Russell asked meekly.

"Hardly!" Storm Soldier snorted. "It was the first real fighting spirit he'd shown in weeks!"

"And now we have a system," Jack hurriedly interjected, "I don't interrupt him in front of the Tripredacus council, and he doesn't throw me over walls in the middle of meetings."

Optimus still kept a close watch on Storm Soldier for the rest of the afternoon. Jack privately thought Agent Nakadai warranted more attention, as she'd very nearly convinced Russell to apply for an internship with Unit E by the end of the day.