I'll be There
Explosions rattled the battlefield as debris and shrapnel flew in all directions. Cybertronians were shouting, screaming, running in confusion while missiles tore into the already broken landscape, wrecking and scarring it without mercy.
Overhead the shrill engines of deadly seekers whistled through the air as they flew in formation, zeroing in on targets and releasing an armada of bullets, missiles and bombs, destroying everything in their path in a bright orange fireball.
Prowl dove inside an abandoned, smoking building to avoid a new barrage of firepower from the seekers. Prowl looked around the empty building, his spark pulsing wildly. He inhaled air deeply to cool his racing systems, wishing that it had not been necessary to separate from his group. However, the Autobots were pinned down by the seekers, and it had left him no choice but to scatter his small group to avoid detection by the seekers. He had to find his group. As scattered as their forces were and as desperately as the Neutrals needed them, it was too dangerous for them to find him. He briefly thought of calling Jazz for back-up, then decided against it as seeker engines closely whistled by. Prowl spared a glance at the carnage outside, grimacing as his optics fell on lifeless frames scattered over the once peaceful haven.
Clang
Prowl spun around, aiming his acid-pellet gun at the source of the sound. Nothing. Prowl kept his optics focused and flexed his doorwings, expanding his sensory field to catch even the slightest movement or faintest spark signature. He remained frozen for a few clicks before relaxing slightly, then turned his attention once more to the battle raging outside.
The Autobots were barely holding their own. This was not a normal battle situation, this was a rescue mission. Their main priority was to save the Neutrals still alive and only then to battle the Decepticons and defeat them or at least force them into a retreat, however temporary. At this stage in the battle, the Autobots were doing neither.
He activated his battle computer and furiously computed the chances of gaining the upper hand. He sighed in frustration at the results. The percentages for obtaining the upper hand were nearly non existing, barely reaching into the double digits. That left only one viable option that would save most of their lives and that of the Neutrals': they had to retreat. He balled his hand into a fist and hit the floor, dragging air slowly into his vents to compose himself.
::Optimus Prime, sir, we have to call a retreat. The Decepticons outnumber us and the only way to ensure the lives of the Neutrals at present is by retreating. I recommend a retreat through Delta sector on the eastern boundary as the most viable option at present.:: he desperately commed his commander.
Prowl quickly scanned his surroundings and tried to determine the best route to proceed to a more accessible and preferably stable location. In the background he faintly made out the sound of seeker engines returning.
He ducked, covering his helm with his arm as another missile suddenly slammed into his hiding place, rattling the already flimsy structures to its foundations. The building wasn't going to last much longer, and the seekers seemed to have locked in on to his location.
:: Acknowledged Prowl, what is your current location?:: his comm. came to life with the baritone voice of their leader. Impeccable timing, sir. Prowl thought wryly.
::My current location is 4 clicks north-east of rendezvous point A, co-ordinates 4.3"3.3'. I'm currently pinned to my position and taking fire from seekers::
::Ah'm close to ya position, Prowler, I'll meet you there:: Jazz's concerned voice cut in over the comm. lines.
Another two missiles hit precariously close to Prowl's position. Prowl briefly caught a glimpse of three seekers and noted with relief that it wasn't the lead trine. Yet with his attention focused on the seekers, he failed to notice the dark shadow quietly stalking towards him from behind.
Prowl watched the seekers circle to come in for another round.
:: Negative Jazz, I'm receiving severe fire you would only en –…:: Prowls voice cut off immediately only to be replaced by the ominous sound of white static.
:: Prowl?:: foreboding static answered Jazz. Frag. :: Prowl do ya read me? Report slag it!:: the saboteur shouted into his comm., his voice laced with worry and panic as the lines stubbornly remained silent.
::Prime, can you get a hold of Prowl through yer comms?::
:: Negative. Autobots, fall back and cover the Neutrals. Jazz, head to Prowl's position, and Ratchet, stand by for medical assistance.:: Optimus ordered as they began their retreat.
:: Copy that Prime.:: Jazz said as he darted between the debris, shrapnel and flames as he headed towards Prowl's position, all the time trying to comm. him. Damn it Prowler just answer yer fraggin comm. line! He thought frantically, fear for his friend persistently gnawing at the bottom of his spark.
Jazz ducked behind a crumbled wall as he scanned the area for spark resonances. The fight was moving towards the east, drawn after the retreating form of the Autobots. Jazz's scanner beeped as it picked up a familiar spark resonance and the heavy feeling in his spark lifted, until he noted the read-out strength. That wasn't good.
He bolted towards a blazing building, ducking into the smoke as it enveloped him in smouldering darkness.
"Prowl! Where are ya?" he shouted into the inferno. He coughed as smoke was dragged into his ventilators, clogging his filters and irritating his sensitive system. He quickly closed his ventilators, hoping that he didn't overheat in the time it took him to find Prowl.
He glanced around the blazing structure, according to Prowl's spark signature, he ought to be in this spot. He took a few cautious steps forward and ran his scanners again. Jazz cursed as the heat messed with his infrared scanners. He had to find Prowl, and fast. He stepped forward and abruptly stumbled over something, cursing he turned around to shove the offensive piece of debris. He froze as icy tentacles rapped themselves around his spark as he gazed at what had caused him to fall. It was a frame he would recognise anywhere.
"Prowl!" He gasped as he turned the frame around. The building chose that moment to give its death throes. It creaked and groaned as it started shaking around Jazz. Slag couldn't ya wait 5 clicks? Jazz hoisted Prowl's limp frame over his shoulder and darted out of the building into the broken street, just as the building shrieked and collapsed in a heap of sparks, twisted metal and bellowing black smoke.
Jazz opened his ventilators to suck in clean air into his overheating engine. Kneeling on the ground, he gently laid the unconscious tactician down. Jazz scanned the perimeter to ensure no seeker or ground-bound Decipticon was in the vicinity before turning his attention to his unconscious friend. He nearly closed his vents again as he saw his friend's mutilated frame.
Deep claw marks decorated his chest, abdomen and back. He was missing a doorwing, while the other one was so mutilated it was hard to determine its true form even as energon slowly dripped from the fresh wounds. His scarred arms also showed signs of close-quarters combat. At least ya put up a fight. Jazz thought as he scanned the surroundings once again.
:: Ratchet, Prowl's wounded, bad. Ah'm gonna need help evacuating him.::
::Copy that. Arielbots are inbound and will be here in ten breems. Once we have the fraggin seekers off our tailpipes, I'll be able to come in on the medical shuttle. Keep him stable till then. Ratchet out.::
:: Copy, Jazz out.:: Jazz gave an exasperated sigh. He didn't know if Prowl had ten breems without a proper medic attending to him. Jazz thought as he started field repairs, painfully aware that it was sadly inadequate for Prowl's level of injuries. He quickly clamped the energon lines in Prowl's neck and chest to ensure the tactician didn't bleed out, though Jazz's scans indicated that the tactician was already dangerously low on energon.
"Prowl, can ya hear me?" Jazz gently shook the black and white. A soft groan escaped Prowl, but his opticts remained off-line. "Hang in there Prowler, Ratch's coming." Jazz said as he gently laid a hand on Prowl's head, looking at the slack faceplate before him.
Dancing flames from the buildings around them cast an eerie glow over the tactician, accentuating the slash marks over his frame and highlighted the leaking energon. Somewhere behind Jazz another building groaned and collapsed, mixing small metallic particles with dark smoke clouds as it rapidly expanded towards Jazz and Prowl. Jazz threw himself over Prowl to protect him from the debris. He had to get to a more accessible area if the shuttle was going to land close to them.
Jazz gently lifted Prowl into his arms, mindful of his injured doorwing. Prowl moaned weakly as Jazz's movements jostled him. "Sorry Prowler, but Ah gotta move you. Just hang in there." In the background he could still make out the sound of gunfire and muffled cries as the battle raged, but it was fading in intensity. A more welcoming sound of an approaching shuttle greeted Jazz's audios as the large shuttle manoeuvred its way towards their position.
:: Jazz, can you get to a clearer area, the shuttle can't land with all the smoke and debris.::
:: Already on my way Ratch, co-ordinates 4.6"4.0'.::
Jazz reached the area just as the shuttle's hatch opened, allowing Ratchet to bolt from the cargo area towards the saboteur. Ratchet didn't wait as he plunged his interface cable into Prowl's neck port, cataloguing the damages as they appeared. Ratchet let loose a string of Cybertonian curses that would have put the most hardened Decepticon to shame.
"Quick, get him into the hold. I need to start an energon transfusion ASAP."
The moment they were in the hold the shuttle took off, heading straight to Iacon base. Ratchet was hastily connecting energon transfusion lines to Prowls arms while Jazz strapped him to the gurney. They worked in silence, the only noise the hum of the shuttles engines as the pilot pushed the engines to the maximum to reach Iacon.
The hull was eerily silent as Jazz looked around at the other patients. Most were unconscious and hooked up to machines. Jazz briefly glanced at Ratchet. He would have preferred Ratchet cursing. The mech was currently leaning over Prowl, examining the wounds to his chest, abdomen and back.
"So…he's gonna be alright ain't he?" Jazz ventured quietly, his own wounds started registering on his systems, but he paid them no heed. He couldn't take his optics off of Prowl. Jazz clutched at the gurney to steady himself. He should have been there with his partner. He promised Prowl he would always be there to watch his back. And yet he had failed.
A hand on his shoulder made him look up into concerned optics. "The wounds are deep, energon loss severe, but I believe he'll pull through. Are you feeling ok? You look like slag." Ratchet stated.
Jazz shuttered his optics and dragged in a ragged breath, releasing it out slowly as he nodded his head. "Yeah I'm ok Ratch. You just take care of Prowler."
With a curt nod and a knowing look, Ratchet turned back to Prowl, and to Jazz's ultimate relief, began cursing as he cleaned the wounds.
As the shuttle lifted towards Iacon, four sets of red optics glinted in the aftermath of the battle, staring after the shuttle.
"I still think we should just have killed the Autodolt. Would have been better." Frenzy grumbled next to Soundwave.
"Objective: completed. Second phase: initiated. Ravage, Laserbeak, Frenzy: Return to base."