I Am A Soldier:

... Xanth.

You around, boy? Need... something. Get up here if you hear this.

... Why are the birds speaking.

[Ironhide can be found sitting outside of his artichoke pod and casually throwing rocks at one of the aforementioned birds in irritation.

The bird does not shut up.]

-- Eugh! Filthy... wretched...! Off me!

[Well. Anyone who was wondering where the hell Ironhide went off to, look no further for your answer. There are crashing sounds as the big Autobot tears his way out of the jungle. Underbrush is trampled, trees actually punched -- despite the fact that it doesn't really help matters.]

Where is that energon...

[He does sound displeased, more so than usual. Tramping around the jungle, getting stuck, and deprived of fuel for a long while doesn't do wonders for the old 'Bot's temper. And the rain isn't helping matters.]

I hate this place.

...

Rodents are supposed to die when you step on them. What is the matter with these creatures!

[There are a series of loud stomps, followed by cursing. In many languages.]

Get away! Disgusting little beasts!

--guilty as charged! _{One of them.} You came from them, you were one of them once. You _know you were. Why not just let it all out? You were _{a Decepticon} once--

[A loud thwack interrupts - metal impacting metal. Someone dislikes what he's hearing. Nevertheless, the voice continues speaking, albeit cut off by the Autobot's snarling.]

--hat's why you can't _{keep them safe.} You worry you can't. _{You're right}. Optimus. Jazz. _{The little one}. Can't keep the female safe either. She _{blames you}, they all do--

[This time, it's cut off by an engine revving.]

--what about _him, you say? Is that why it's supposed _{to be secret}? It's not. Everyone already knows. _{You can't hide it}. He's _disappointed in you. You're going to _fail him like you did everyon--

[Ironhide doesn't bother answering the voice verbally. Not at that. All there is, is a roar and the sound of a heavy fist impacting a wall. Or a bee.]

--you can't even _{say it}. Can't even say you love hi--

[And the transmission is forcibly ended.]

[Ironhide was going to speak up, to say something - check on Mikaela, bother his team, something.  But when he flips through the network, and notices another missing ID...

There's just an angry snarl before the comm goes dead.

Then he's off, storming around the ship.  He doesn't deal with loss all that well - he doesn't deal with feelings all that well.  He ends up on the Bee Deck, as usual, and just starts punching the nearest buzzing creature he can find.

Should anyone come across him, he'll still be there, whacking insects and growling to himself in Cybertronian.]

[All the video shows is Ironhide scowling down into his comm.  He seems to have left the party, and is, instead, in his/Ratchet's room.  Propped up in bed.  Surrounded by pillows.  Oh yes, he is not a happy not-robot.]

...

I am still like this.  Why am I still like this.  It did not last this long the last time.

[The video is accidental. What one can see, at first, is the tiny golden arm of a frog. Specifically, C4. The frog peers into the camera for a second before becoming bored and hopping off.

This leaves the screen clear to show off the rest of the room. Amidst the piles and piles of random objects, including but not limited to, a lampshade, books, a small blackboard, golf clubs, little bottles with plants inside, toy boats, a shovel, stuffed whale, soil samples neatly labeled, stuffed dog... and so on and so forth. All of it is very organized.

And, of course, sprawled out in the center of the room is a pile of black metal... and a pile of neon metal, stretched out on top. Ironhide has an arm draped over his companion, whose head is resting comfortably on his chest. Neither of them appear to be awake.

The feed cuts out... but the comm is still very much on.]

[An accidental transmission, this time. Silence at first. Is it recording from the site of the downed ceiling?

... Judging from the sudden gasp of air through intake cycles, no, it's not. There's no slow wakening when you're an Autobot. Everything comes back online at once. And you lie there, staring at the ceiling, trying to get your bearings.]


Where...? Oh.

[Metal creaks, and he groans, deciding against moving for the moment.]

What happened?



((ooc: So. What do you lose when you're a giant robot who wears no clothing? Or carries possessions? Either way, he's back in his room. Bracing himself for scolding.))