Transformers Prime: A Sparkling Issue

Chapter 2 - A Little History, Color, and Water

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the large concrete silo that made the kids jump. A clattering followed like more metal hitting the floor.

"It came from back there!" Jack sprinted off with the others and Optimus right behind. Seconds later, they rounded the corner of the platform and skidded to a halt. Jaws dropped and Miko gasped.

Bright splotches of red, orange, yellow, and two shades of dark and light blue paint were slowly spreading across the floor, and four little sparklings were right in the middle of the colorful scene. Arcee, who was now mostly yellow, sat atop a small crate with a paint can in her little servos, dumping the remains of the butter colored contents out onto her lap. It rolled from the puddle between her legs, down the side of the crate, and onto the floor. The rest of the paint cans lay strewn on the floor in their respected colors. Miko had left those paint cans there from when she had worked on her school project with Bulkhead that one time in case she ever needed them again, and had forgotten all about them. Obviously, the sparklings had discovered them sitting on top of the crate and Arcee had managed to climb up, knock them down, and rip the lid off the one she now held. Bulkhead was lying flat on his back in a mix of yellow and oranges making what could only be described as paint angels, a bit of stray red making a pinkish yellow smear on one "wing". The pail that had once contained the dark blue Ratchet had between his little legs, repeatedly reaching inside and scooping out what was left. Paint dripped from his arms as he flung it into the air like confetti, his helm nearly as blue as Optimus's. Bumblebee was amusedly rubbing his servos through the slimy substance, slowing turning the lighter blue and red he sat in into a type of lavender purple. He slapped at it and bleeped a giggle as it splattered on his faceplate.

In short terms; it was a mess.

"You were saying a moment ago?" Jack muttered.

Miko's jaw hung open. "Oh. My. Gosh!"

"How did they even do all this so fast?" Rafael mused in wonder.

"How could you let them wonder off like that?!" Jack snipped at the Japanese girl. "You were supposed to watch them!"

Miko's finger stabbed at the boy's chest. "Hey! Don't blame this all on me! You were on baby bot duty too!"

"There is no one person to blame," a calm baritone interrupted. All eyes turned up to the tall mech behind. "We were all careless in our attention to them. Now that we have learned of the consequences that can come from such negligence, let us simply attempt to not repeat our error." The kids looked down in guilt.

"Yeah, you're right," Jack admitted. "I guess we really should just focus on..." he eyed the mess with a sigh, "cleaning all this up."

Miko groaned long and loud with a roll of her head. "Not how I planned on spending my day."

"Well the first thing we need to do is get them cleaned up before that stuff dries on them," Rafael said in a get-down-to-business way. "Plus they're all filthy from being out in that canyon." He looked to Bumblebee who still had smears of dirt on his chrome faceplate from his dirt snack along with the lavender spots. "Then we focus on cleaning up this spilled paint."

"In other words," Jack smirked, "it's bath time."

Optimus and Jack left the others to watch the sparklings while they rounded up supplies. Optimus found some empty oil drums in the storage room which he sliced in half with his fist blade to make four perfect little bot-sized tubs. Jack collected bottles of soap that they had for when the Autobots needed a wash (as none of them were fond of going through car washes), some sponges, soft brushes, and lots of towels. They met back at the main room where Jack filled the tubs half full with warm water and squirted a generous helping of soap in each. Then they were ready.