Lament for our Fallen, a transformers fanfic

REVENGE OF THE FALLEN SPOILERS=SPOILERS=SPOILERS=SPOILERS, BIG SAD ONES!

Do not want? Do not read! (I saw the movie legally on Saturday, since it opened in Japan on the 19th.)

I don't own or claim to own Transformers or any part thereof. This is not related to any of my other fics.

SPOILER BUFFER

LAST CHANCE! GOOOOOOO BAAAAAACK! You were warned …Here we go!

Lament for our Fallen

…

Turning toward the sound of helicopter blades his jaw dropped in horror; something in his gut jerked in the moment the cables were released.

No.

There was yelling around him, the sounds of booted feet on pavement. But he could hardly hear them. He couldn't tear his eyes from the falling…

NO.

He wanted to lurch forward, to yell, to run, to somehow stop time. The moment it hit the ground- that horrible, inevitable, ohGodinHeaven he could already hear the noise it would make by whywhywhy is it taking so-

…!

It was a hundred-thousand times worse than he'd imagined. The thud of the enormous mass impacting the tarmac, the crunch and squeal of battered metal crushed under its own weight, the snapping of cables as the great form bounced pitifully and arched as if in pain… It all seemed so distant for how close- but wait, he never had managed to move toward…

He was forced to tear his eyes from the settling wreck. Someone was yelling at him- someone who seemed so insignificant- all he could do was yell back- but who was he in comparison? What was the point of small people yelling at other small people? Why were the biggest voices in the crowd the least troubled? Why, why when…

Everyone scattered. He didn't notice exactly when, but his eyes were drawn back to the dark shape on the airfield, already half-covered with dirty tarpaulin, weighted with random objects. A scream of frustration was welling up in his throat; something shifted to his side and his burning eyes were met by the infuriatingly, wrongly calm depths of cool blue-

He threw his arms down to his sides in anger. "Aaaaaagh! This is so wrong!"

"Will.."

"NO! Don't you care?! What are you! Am I the only one here who hasn't become a cold lump of steel?! I can't even belie-"

"Will." The low rumble was insistent this time. The blue lights dimmed and brightened in negation, "We've been doing this a long time. Every age we think we've lost everything, only to lose it again, and again. Takes a piece of your spark every time you give in to grief and fight a fight you can't win." The pause was still calm as the black mech turned and began to move off where he had been directed, "Eventually there ain't no more pieces left to fight with, ain't no part that wasn't hurtin' before to hurt some more with… You learn it's best not to try. It's not what he would want."

The Captain whirled around and kicked the running board of the nearest Jeep, hard. "NO! Damnit, he deserved better than this!" His face twisted in a snarl and he dashed into the hangar, slamming open the door as he ran in.

When he exited the same building, he slammed the door closed twice as hard. He now remembered why he shouldn't pick a fight with his superiors. It was like yelling at a wall, struggling against an inescapable tangle of red tape, like beating your fist against something that wasn't really there. He looked with hate at the hangar and the tar below his boots. There was no justice on this soil today.

In the distance black plastic fluttered.

He winced when he glanced in that direction. The sun was setting behind the mountains to the rear of the hangar; the shivering shadow looked small and alone on the empty expanse of dim reddish dusk. Not even the light offered any signs of compassion.

He jogged over, slowing as he approached with eyes lowered. He ran his hand through his dirty, sweaty hair, dropping it awkwardly, a sudden wave of guilt washing through him. He didn't even have a hat to remove. Nothing to offer. He shrugged and fidgeted awkwardly. What could he do, anyway, that could show even a fraction of the proper respect? It would never be enough. But something, some token of acknowledgement, was better than nothing…

He dropped his chin to his chest, "So sorry…" his voice cracked a little as he looked up and threw his hands in the air in resignation, "This is so stupid! This is the biggest load of… of BS that I've ever seen in my life. I don't know what to do, or say… but damn it someone should say something! A friend, an Autobot- anybody! I know it shouldn't be me, but it sure as Hell shouldn't be no one!"

Without thinking he kicked out- grimacing at the dull clang and jerking away. "I'm sorry… you never treated anybody with anything but respect. You treated us like equals, comrades, friends- and we probably didn't deserve it, haven't returned any of it! You stay to help, and we accuse you of lying; you save our people and we say you're too dangerous. You help us retrieve our dead every battle… and they drop you on the ground from twenty meters like trash! It's just not fair!" He stopped himself from kicking the scraped and charred plate again, the sound of metal hitting pavement echoing around his mind, his voice fading to a whisper.

"Damn it, I don't even know you well enough to know what's right to say," he ran his hand through his hair again, frustrated. "I guess someone needs to tell you… you did it. You saved Sam; he's with Bumblebee and they've dropped off the map. Gotta try to help him keep it that way so the higher-ups don't try to…" He shook his head, "That's not your problem. Don't worry about it; you did the hard part, it's up to the rest of us now I guess. It's the least we can do…"

Lennox sobered from his wandering thoughts with the knowledge that the one lying in front of him would never know the outcome of his efforts, would not be able to worry for Sam again. He straightened to attention, and tried to keep his tone even.

"I… I have had the great privilege, to serve with one of the finest me- finest people I have ever met. Today, we- Earth, humans, Autobots- everywhere, suffered a great loss. It's a loss we- well, I, will never forget. A loss we'll probably be reminded of before this is over… Hell, I'm no good at this. It has been the greatest honor, Sir, to serve with you." He snapped up into a smart salute, "Rest in peace… "

"If there's anything right left in this world, you rest in peace…" He dropped his stance and moved to fix the tarp still flapping idly in the darkening breeze, only to trip into a chunk of dark metal. A rough voice above him suddenly ground out a single phrase.

"Until all are one."

Rubbing a bruised shin, the surprised Captain looked up, "What?"

A pair of twin blue lights glowed softly down at him, the black shape barely visible otherwise. "Something we used to say. Before that time got so close."

"Oh."

The blue optics narrowed and moved around a bit, "Take that end and pull it over there. Let's get this sorted out." Together they worked the tarp off and into a pile. Ironhide pulled the heavy, twisted mass to lie more flatly. More comfortably. Both stood, not wanting to leave, not sure what to do, when a multitude of headlights and the sound of an engine approached.

"Get out of my way, and you lift him up so I can get to his back."

Will jumped out of a transforming Ratchet who stomped past him, and was surprised to hear a pair of boots hitting the ground at his side.

"The doc noticed Ironhide heading out here and I figured this is where you'd be. You ok?" Sergeant Epps eyed him critically in the failing light.

Lennox's answer was interrupted by a sharp clang of metal, "I said gently, dimwit! Now move your light down; and if you're not going to cooperate you can go sulk somewhere out of my way!"

"Yer the one who's not explainin' what they want. What are you doing anyway? Ain't nothing left to be done."

Another clang, "Quiet, you. We don't have time to do this properly but I can at least put him in one piece and seal up this hole. Now hold this right here, yes-"

Watching as Ratchet started welding a mess tray-sized piece of metal he picked up off the ground into the gaping hole in the corpse's back under the erratically moving headlights, both humans were glad of the poor visibility. But Lennox could see the enormous black and steel hand rested gently on crushed, bare metal, could see chartreuse faceplates flinch together when something he pulled on screeched, the mech's loud complaining quieting to somber muttering. And when he glanced back to his fellow human, he could imagine the troubled frown as he observed the same scene without being able to see it.

Planting himself firmly facing the action, Captain Lennox managed something between a smile and a grimace. "No, Bobby. One of the bravest guys I ever knew is dead on our airfield, and the only funeral he gets is the respects of four soldiers who can't do a damn thing right now. So no, I'm not ok. But you know what?"

An uneasy rustling beside him, "What, Will?"

"I'd rather be out here feeling lower than shit and doing right by Optimus Prime than being "ok" right now." And with that he strode forward to lend a hand, gathering pieces shed by the empty shell on impact. Epps had to strain to continue hearing his bitter words.

"'Ok' can wait until morning. Tonight we pay our respects to the fallen."

*******

I held it together through the death scene, but seeing his body hit the ground… total waterworks. :

TB readers: I have a surprise for you soon. I just had to get this out of my system first.

Thanks for reading!