Possiblities

by Kd Zeal

Trapped in a cave by the Twins, finally released by Ratchet, Starscream has long way to go to recover. Finished

1. Chapter 1

This was an rp between Dende and myself. She played Ratchet, I played Starscream. Very much fun. Inspired by LittleMewLugia's Drone and Claustrophobia fics, with her permission, so if it seems familiar, that's why. We don't own Transformers, we're not making money. Please, enjoy the fic!

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Striding through the halls with a pace that betrayed his anger and irritation easily, Ratchet moved swiftly to the rec room, where he knew the twins to be receiving this month's duty roster. Ironhide had just received his maintenance check for the orn and had offhandedly joked about how a Seeker trapped in a cave beneath the ground would hold up and for how long. After inquiring what he was going on about, knowing not to contemplate his friend's words too seriously, seeing as he knew him well and wouldn't ever expect him to actually do what he was just speculating about, Ratchet had caused a few... dents in one of his work surfaces. Actually, he had quite literally lost it and Ironhide had been required to hide himself behind the repair berth on which he had been resting his bulk just astroseconds before. Ratchet had been livid at discovering that the twins had done what Ironhide had just lamented over, spilling it in the rec room the night before during one of Jazz's many well organized parties to lift their soldiers spirits. Fact was, Ratchet was still livid, he wanted to slam the door open just to hear a satisfying resounding crash, but, like most doors in the Ark, the one to the rec room just slid open obediently at his approach. Two of his wrenches went flying without regard nor a cursory glance, hitting their unsuspecting targets dead on, and an uproar starting around him, but Ratchet didn't notice, nor would he have cared.

"What in the smelting pit went through your glitched excuses of CPU's when you did that?! How long has he been confined in there already? Enemy or no enemy, no one, absolutely no one deserves such cruelty! But knowing both of you I should've known not to expect better of you! Do you even realize what you rejects have done?!" he thundered madly, a dangerous gleam in his optics that had the twins taking small steps back from him. It was times like these that the Ark bots realized just how much those hellions could actually fear the CMO, because he was bloody scary when in a full blown rage.

How... how long had he been in here? Starscream didn't know, he had lost track of time. It didn't matter anyway, there was no reason to keep track of time, he wasn't going to get out no matter how long he was down here. Huddled in the middle of the tiny cave, the Seeker kept his optics trained on the blocked entrance. Sometimes, he thought he could see light seeping through the small cracks. Most of the time, he knew he couldn't. Hands convulsively stroking his wings, Starscream continued to stare at the entrance and whimper, he was probably going to start screaming again soon... He thought he heard something like the sound of engines, he must really be desperate if he was having auditory hallucinations... it was still enough to start his screaming again.

As it had shaped up to be one of the worst dressing downs the Twins had ever received at full volume, Optimus Prime and Prowl had tried to intervene, yet a warning head shake and frantic flailing of his arms from Ironhide had made their leader reconsider. Listening to the almost garbled words the CMO practically spat out, his vocalizer glitching at the higher notes, so stressed were his systems, the Autobot leader's optics widened in surprise, then quickly narrowed in anger. He didn't even have to order Prowl to throw them into the brig for at least three human earth days, actually his 2IC had suggested to contain them longer. In his anger Ratchet whirled around from the by now cowering twins, glaring all around the rec room, making Ironhide shrink back with a guilty expression on his faceplates. Like most others that had partied the night before, he had laughed about the Seeker's misfortune, never even contemplating the consequences such actions may have had on the Decepticon's systems. Yet now, after Ratchet's quite detailed tirade, he knew all too well, and as Sideswipe whimpered out that he had been in there for almost six weeks now, Ratchet's vocalizer fritzed out from sheer denial. Even with his vocalizer down, he was a formidable force, and he quickly got what he wanted from their commander, making the twins lead the way to the cave, requesting Ironhide as back-up should the Seeker be too far out of his mind to realize that they were there to help him and turn hostile instead of docile.

Turning wheels already burned rubber as they hit the tarmac, seeing as Ratchet had started with high gear in mid transformation. It was fascinating how fast Ratchet could be when need be, he almost managed to outrun and outmaneuver the twins, not a feat easily accomplished, almost biting their rears to drive them on faster and faster, his sirens blaring full scale.

"Please... is anyone out there, let me out...!" Starscream's words were very much hopeless, screeched from habit and despair, not hope. So far, the Seeker had mostly been able to keep himself from clawing at the rock... mostly, his hands were still covered with dried energon from a few failed attempts. He was SURE he heard the wail of a siren now... He hadn't heard anything but the echo of his own screaming before. Aside from screaming, the Seeker didn't move, hands still clutching his wings just to provide stimulation for them.

Approaching the slope in which the mentally insane frontliners had imprisoned the enemySeeker, Ratchet felt an uncomfortable tug at his spark while listening to the desperate pleas for help, mixed in with apologies, inquiries if there was even anyone there and sometimes even sobbed out promises that he wouldn't do it again, that he would keep to any regulations, even stay on the ground if he'd only be released. By now Starscream's mental state had apparently destabilized so badly already that he was pleading with imaginary torturers, the twins were amongst the names he cried out to, as well as his trine mates and even Megatron. Most surprisingly though was the number of Autobots he was begging to release him, clearly stating that he subconsciously still knew who had imprisoned him.

Dimly, Ratchet noted that the Seeker kept to the names of soldiers he had encountered on the battlefields, such as the twins, Ironhide, Prowl, Jazz, yet not Optimus. Strange indeed... Out of all the Autobots, surely the Decepticons 2IC had to know that Optimus was the most merciful one, so why wasn't he asking for release from him? Revving his engine angrily after he'd shut off his siren, he got the twins to transform and started on melting down the rocks that had kept blocking the entrance. "Stand back from the entrance, Starscream. We're getting you out," Ratchet advised, yet received no reply from the Seeker. Instead of reacting to his words, Starscream's cries didn't even pause, though they were merely quiet murmurs and sobs by now.

Apparently they had quieted down with time as the Seeker realized that there was still no change. Movement outside of the cave probably wouldn't have registered on his scanners anymore by now. Ratchet was certain that he had fried those already, likely due to keeping them online for far longer than he should have, instead of just sweeping the area he probably kept a constant overview of it in his processor. For a short time that would have helped him, keeping him sane, knowing that the sky was still out there. Ratchet had worked with fliers before, in fact one of his instructors in the Academy had been a flier. Seldom as it was to have a flier model become a medic, he had been one of the kindest sparks Ratchet had ever encountered.

Ironhide was monitoring the twins' progress and signaled him with a motion of his hand that it was safe to approach for him now. Transforming into his bipedal mode swiftly, he pushed past them once the rocks crumbled, cutting the molten mass into slices with a medical high power laser so they would get out of his way faster. Peering into the dark, he encountered two flickering red optics that quickly blackened out at the harsh assault of the bright light they weren't used to anymore. The cave's ceiling was so low hung that he had to crouch down onto his knee joints to see even that far in. It was a pitifully small enclosure, no matter what the deed done... this had been an exaggerated cruelty on the twins' part. Holding out his hand, hoping that the Seeker would still be able to use some small range scanners, if he hadn't fried those as well, Ratchet steadily approached the shivering mess of the once proud Air Commander.

"Come on, Starscream... the entrance is open now. You can get out of here... all you need to do is either follow my voice or grasp my hand and I'll guide you." He spoke softly to the clicking mech, knowing that not even Ironhide had ever heard him use such a tone with a patient, or even a friend for that matter. Ratchet hadn't wanted to have to use it ever again... not after the trauma Bluestreak had went through... not after listening to the youngling's horrible recounting of the destruction he had been forced to witness and function through.

He had despised the Decepticons for their cruelty then and he still did, yet right now he was equally angry at the twins for their actions against the frightened Decepticon that would now fall into his care, if he wanted to or not, for Hook would surely not be able to deal with such severe mental trauma. He would have to let Optimus know about that, they would need an escort to take them back to the Ark, Starscream would surely be unable to fly the distance and if Ratchet was honest with himself, he surely wouldn't want him to either.

"Let me out, let me out, please let me out..." Starscream muttered, still staring blindly at the entrance. His muttering didn't stop as he cocked his head a little, giving every appearance of studying Ratchet before reaching forward blindly. The Decepticon's surprise was perfectly evident when his groping hand found the medic's, and silence fell abruptly as he shakingly explored, first the hand, and then the arm, stopping before he reached the shoulder. "Out?" He moved to all fours, or rather all threes, one hand still tightly latched to Ratchet. It WAS a mech under his hand, he wasn't so far gone to imagine THAT... or maybe he was imagining, it didn't really matter, it was better that knowing he was trapped in the cave.

It took some time, but Starscream finally managed to focus on him, optics still offline, too strained to correctly interpret the bright spectrum already, he wouldn't be able to do that on his own without receiving a calibration first, Ratchet noted. Most surprising, though, was the hand reaching forward, actually managing to find and grasp his own. He held utterly still while the Seeker's fingers skipped up his armor, seeing as any sudden movement would only startle and ultimately disturb Starscream. Still trembling, his wings shivering as if either overheating or affected by frozen coolant lines, the hand reached his shoulder and clasped it firmly. What truly surprised Ratchet was the small, compliant and hopeful vocalization that inquired if he would actually get out now. "Yes, Starscream, we're getting you out. Just follow me." And with that Ratchet lightly laid his hand on the Seeker's elbow, guiding him along while allowing him to support part of his weight on his own, taking the other half on his shoulder without question.

It was... awkward as all pit, trying to crawl out of the entrapment without loosing contact of the mech under his digits. Awkward, and painful, Starscream couldn't see and was too focused on the mech to keep very good track of where the rest of his own body was. The Seeker only whimpered when his broad wings got a little too close to the wall, scraping with an ugly rasp, and he didn't realize they were out until his guide stood. His guide was standing, but he still couldn't see anything, how did he know if they were truly out...? Maybe they weren't out, maybe there had been more to the cave than he'd known, maybe this was just a trick...! Giving a sudden keen, Starscream froze, trembling, torn between shoving his guide away and latching onto him for all he was worth.

Slowly he backed up out of the cave, pausing as he heard the rasp and answering whimper of the Seeker. Oh, the twins would get their share of punishment for this, he would make sure of that. As they emerged into the late afternoon sun he had to stifle a gasp at the energon stains littering the Seeker's wings and hands. Now that he could actually pay attention to his patient in more than just a heat-dark-spectrum, he noticed that some of the energon was partially fresh, leaking from the knuckles that had apparently faced a lot of abuse lately to still be leaking after only a flex of the local systems. A thin stain made it's way up Ratchet's arm to his shoulder, where a bigger stain pooled together and was now slowly trickling down over the red cross emblazoned onto his armor.

A sideways glare at the twins had them backing up and away from them. Standing up carefully, he managed to ease Starscream into a standing position alongside him, if still a bit hunched seeing as the Seeker was trembling, wings still shivering and somehow more believing in the support his hold on Ratchet's shoulder gave him than his own legs. Not a good sign, not for a Seeker as self righteous and arrogant as this one. The twins' abrupt snickering was brought to a halt by the sound of metal on metal as Ironhide slapped both of them upside their cranial units.

"You glitches get outta here this instant. I don't need incompetent and cruel lambos standing in my way," Ratchet growled into their direction, and the twins obediently transformed, engines idling after they had shot up the slope that lead to a somewhat even terrain that could be followed to a roughly street like path. He noted that the Seeker was now trembling worse than ever, but just as he feared he'd break away, try to transform and fly directly into the rocks... he didn't, instead he latched onto his shoulder with both arms now, hiding his cranial unit in between his elbow joints and almost collapsing as his legs and wings rattled from his intense shivering.

His thrusters gave a pitiful garbled noise, as if he had tried to spin them in fright, trying to ward off an attacker. It was a pitiful and sorry sight to experience the Seeker in a state like this, and it instantly went to Ratchet's spark, calming him down enough to give his patient the support he needed right now. "Sorry, Starscream. It's alright now. Do not fear. I'll get your leaks patched once I have enough materials at my hand, for which we'll get you to the med bay. Now tell me: Can you still transform? Don't try it now, just tell me if you can," he inquired gently.

They were here! The imprisoners, the tormentors! He considered trying to fly away, but no, they might still be underground... Starscream wasn't so messed up as to want to injure himself, and so instead he clung to his guide. His guide, his rescuer... the one who made the tormentors go away... and also the one who was asking him a question. With the same blind look at Ratchet's face that Starscream had given before, the Seeker nodded slowly. "T... transform, yes. I... I..." Slag, he had almost forgotten...! "Even outside, I wouldn't... I, my thrusters, I tried to melt, it melted and... and... But transform, yes."

His processor started lightly at the seemingly unconnected statements of the Seeker, but then he made the connection. Apparently the Seeker had, in his desperation, tried to melt the entrance open himself, just that his thrusters had been caught by some of the most likely caused rock drips. Some rocks tended to drip when melting and a quick scan of the cooling, but still a good few hundred degrees warm, slope of rocks that had covered the entrance confirmed that fact for Ratchet. That was probably why his thrusters had garbled, some of the sensitive inner circuitry, probably even some of the vent platings, must have melted as well.

It was reassuring that Starscream still had some kind of direction sense left, after all he had managed to address Ratchet with his head lifted and even though he was just staring ahead blindly, focusing more on the medic's neck joint with his blind stare than anything else, it was reassuring that his processor wasn't lost far enough to have messed up basic functioning yet. The fact that he could transform but wouldn't due to the fact that he wouldn't be able to take to the air was as concerning as it was understandable, he would after all dive to the ground almost instantly without his thrusters to support him.

"Alright, that's a good sign, Starscream. I won't have to alter any transformation cogs then, which would have been a quite time consuming process, and I guess that you want this to be over as fast as possible. We will contact your leader then and tell him that your going to be released as soon as you're stable and don't need immediate medical attention then," Ratchet informed the Seeker. He had always found it easiest to calm the more nervous patients by telling them exactly what he would have to do. Beside that, Starscream was blind right now, so it was only polite to tell him where they'd be going, because he wouldn't be able to see so for himself.

"NO!" Starscream screeched, crying the denial against Ratchet's shoulder plating, where he had again buried his head. "No, no...! Don't make me leave, no, please!" Megatron would be so disappointed in him, disappointed and disapproving, and Starscream couldn't make himself let go of Ratchet. Couldn't make himself let go, but he needed to explain, needed to make Ratchet understand so he wouldn't be forced to go back. "I'm weak, Megatron has no place for weaknesses in his ranks, DON'T make me go back, please!" Explaining would probably go better if he wasn't screaming at full volume while clinging to the medic like an earth-leech...

"Ironhide, have you radioed in yet?" Ratchet inquired and received an affirmative nod from the weapons specialist as well as a data burst. Opening the file, he gathered that Skyfire had been dispatched at his request and that it had taken Jazz a good breem to reason out why. Optimus had wanted to come himself, but Prowl had ultimately vetoed him, stating that Ratchet's logic was sound and that he should stay in base. Giving Starscream a flight based transport would reassure his logic center that he was finally outside and not under ground any longer, and lift his spirits by that knowledge. Ultimately Optimus had had to concede to that logic, sending Skyfire out to them with Jazz, so that the saboteur could oversee that the twins didn't make more of a mess out of the situation by sending them back to base on ground, with Ironhide as their baby sitter. Distracted by the data burst to a point where he kept only a light tap on the shivering Seeker, Ratchet was taken by surprise at the sudden shouting and reflexively jerked his head around, trying to cover his audio receptors by changing their angle and reception. He had no idea why Starscream was panicking now, until he processed the Seeker's last words. Oh pit... why did negotiations have to fall to him in this?

"We would never make you leave, Starscream. We could never be cruel enough to just cast a suffering spark aside.... well, at least normal Autobots wouldn't," Ratchet added with a glare to the idling twins, who reflexively backed up a few more meters. "I will keep you in medical for as long as I deem necessary, but after that you will either be released onto your own or you can have a little chat with Optimus, Prowl and Jazz for more permanent solutions." He aired, absently stroking over the Seekers elbow joint and cranial unit to comfort him.

He didn't hear all of what Ratchet said, Starscream knew he was only processing little parts... only listening to the words he wanted to hear. 'Never make you leave'... how nice... The Seeker suddenly noticed he had a death grip on the medic, and pulled back a little with a soft click. He needed contact still, needed to know he was safe from the imprisoners, and not alone, but... Feeling a familiar tickle over his chassis, Starscream squeaked, looking around blindly and twisting... "Wind? Wind... outside? But why can't I see..." He shook his head, his conclusion had to be wrong.

A soft clicking was his only answer as Starscream pulled back a little, apparently assured for the moment, so he let him go, taking his hand away from his cranial unit and gesturing to Ironhide to look where the twins had gone off to, seeing as they weren't visible anymore. Startled by a loud squeak he turned to his patient, an expression of wonder, doubt and intense concentration flashing over the Seeker's face as he contemplated why it could be that he was feeling wind on his wings. The fact that the scratched, dented, and energon stained appendages could register the little breeze at all calmed Ratchet greatly.

"Yes, Starscream, you finally are outside. But I must caution you to tread carefully still. I will have to recalibrate the input data stream of your optical sensors and that is not going to be easy. So it might take a little time, for I will recalibrate them one setting at a time," he quietly explained to the Seeker. Starscream still looked lost and confused, if a little more comprehending and trusting than before. Ratchet knew he had a long recovery ahead... a long time in the brig for the twins, it appeared, seeing as Optimus had decided that the twins would spend every breem they weren't on duty in the brig until Starscream had made a full recovery.

Ohh... his optics weren't functioning correctly. That... "Please... R... Ratchet? You're Ratchet? Please..." He knew others were around, the tormentors were, and... and hadn't Ratchet spoken to Ironhide? It didn't matter, he needed to know this information, and... and it just didn't matter, he was weak, weak like an Autobot... "What did I do? Why... why was I punished so much?"

He was startled by the Decepticon once again as he actually spoke in a quiet and hesitant voice. It wasn't really surprising that Starscream knew his name, what was surprising was the way he pronounced it, without the usual malice or intended insult. "That's a difficult question to answer, Starscream. I'd say the twins were just being random glitches again, but on the other hand, they actually had a right to be upset. You see, when you took out that last power station... you didn't only scratch Sunny's paint, but you actually managed to blow up a facility where they produce his specially ordered paint, so he couldn't get a repaint for a month. I have no idea why he is as picky with his paint as he is, he just is and he was probably just still angry about it and when they saw you on a solo patrol, they jumped at the chance to get some payback. Being the malfunctioning rejects that they are, however, twisted that random idea into the torture you received. I'm sorry, Starscream, but my guess is that they honestly believed you deserved so." Ratchet tried to tread carefully, uncertain as to how the Seeker would react to such news, but there was no angry outburst, nor any other physical response he may have had expected.

Starscream simply stood, looking in Ratchet's direction and absorbing the information. "Did I?" He wasn't asking if he had done the actions, he DID remember them... at least, he thought he did. He was just trying to figure out if he HAD deserved what the tormentors had done to him, or if hadn't. Ratchet... didn't quite seem to think he had, not calling it torture like that... A wing trembled, and Starscream absently reached over and stroked it, trying not to be angry with his body for betraying his concern. He was weak, he'd already said that, so he didn't have to be angry over losing control, not yet, not until he was strong again.

The tremble in the Seeker's question was pitiful at best, made even worse so by the almost spasmodic trembling of one of his wings, which he tried to alleviate by stroking over it. Not that that worked, but it did remind Ratchet of the Seeker's anatomical specialties. Fliers in general responded positively to the stimulation of their flight appendages, so Ratchet chanced to trace the wing edge with one of his digits carefully, smiling lightly as the platings stopped trembling.

"I refuse to be a judge on that. You'll have to decide that for yourself." He responded kindly, but made it clear that he would not influence the Seeker's opinion on the matter. Lifting his head at the sound of a familiar rumble in the air, he could see a streak of white approaching on the late afternoon sky.

He drooped at the unhelpful answer, but brightened a little as the medic helped bring his body back under control. Ratchet's hand felt good, gentle and careful... Starscream decided for himself that Ratchet did NOT think his punishment was deserved, at least not to the extent to which it had gone. Feeling much cheerier, Starscream lifted his head as he heard an engine coming from above. What had Ratchet said... he was going to be taken back to the Autobot base...? But if the transport was coming from above... Skyfire! Despite the hand still on him, the Seeker's wings started trembling again. "I don't want him to see me like this..."

"Starscream..." Ratchets vocalizer caught on the name, surprised at the Seeker's insistence not to see the scientist that had been his friend long ago, but ultimately understanding that that was probably the precise reason why he didn't want him to see him. "He won't scan you, I promise," he murmured, shifting his digits up the Seeker's wing edge once more, intending to reassure him, while he sent the message to Skyfire via com link. The shuttle agreed to land a safe distance away from them, so that they could approach him from the back where his scanners wouldn't be able to pick them up if he blinded them, counting on the protection Ironhide and the twins would provide.

He was acting like a frightened, cowardly sparking, hiding like this... And worse, Starscream didn't really care, at this point in time he would be perfectly content to just take Ratchet with him and hide away from everyone, just his rescuer and the sky. It was stupid and irrational, but the Seeker just didn't care about rationality at the moment, no one ELSE had come for him, no one else cared, so why should he care what they thought was rational? He gave a soft sight as Ratchet again tried to calm him, just barely managing not to moan. The hand felt nearly as good as the breeze he could still feel.

Seeing as there was no verbal reply from Starscream, Ratchet assumed that it would be okay. He just hoped he had understood the Seeker right. Receiving the message from Ironhide that Skyfire had indeed landed just behind a hill, where there was just enough space to fit his bulk, Ratchet tugged lightly on Starscream's elbow joint. "Can you walk with me just a little further? It's not too far and I'm certain you wouldn't want me to carry you there. The twins and Ironhide are en route to the Ark already, only Jazz is going to accompany us. Is that alright with you?" It wasn't as if it would matter, or do them any good should Starscream disagree with anything, but Ratchet still felt compelled to tell him and ask his opinion. His processor needed stimulation after the weeks he had spent lacking it and Ratchet didn't want him to revert back to a shivering mess. At least now he appeared to trust him... well, somewhat anyway.

Well, no, he really didn't want to be carried, not where everyone could see him anyway. "My legs are fine," Starscream answered Ratchet's query, a ghost of his normal arrogance coloring his voice. His hand, however, never let go of the Autobot. "Jazz... Saboteur? He's alri... music? It was silent..." Starscream made a vague motion at where the thought the cave was, trying to convey without really explaining... Music would make things DIFFERENT than what he had just suffered, the more differences the better.

It was a good reaction he got out of Starscream, some of the Seeker's usual persona appeared to be resurfacing into his processor as he quite indignantly pointed out to him that he could use his legs after all. If the situation hadn't been so serious, it would have amused Ratchet to hear him arguing with an Autobot like this. Yet the situation was this serious for a reason, the Seeker had been hurt beyond reason by two of their own and it was on him now to repair the inflicted damage.

Difficult though it was, he still got the hint the Air Commander subtly tried to give him, sending Jazz a quick data burst took care of the request instantly. They could suddenly hear some hearty jibes and rhythmic pulses flowing though the air and he instantly felt the tenseness evaporating out of Starscream's wing plates. "Come on then," Ratchet said. He pushed slightly and let go of the wing, guiding the Seeker with a hand still on his elbow joint, neither encouraging nor berating Starscream for clasping his arm a little bit too tight with both of his own, obviously concerned about loosing the Autobot leading his way to safety.

Starscream DID give a softly disappointed mewl as the hand left his wing, but Ratchet wasn't trying to get away, just to give him enough room to move. Seeking out Jazz from the sound of the music playing, he tried to give a smile, the music DID help and as long as the Autobots were helping him, he'd have to play nice anyway. The Seeker couldn't help the scared whimper he gave when he felt metal under his pede instead of the organic dirt, this meant he was soon going to be enclosed again, and worse, so close to Skyfire... Starscream decided not to think about it as Ratchet led him to a seat and took one beside him.

Walking up the slope and over the hill to meet up with Jazz and then board Skyfire was no problem at all, Starscream kept pace with him easily and even went so far as to throw a quick grin at Jazz. The slightly confused saboteur grinned back widely, winking his hand at them as he followed them up the ramp, crinkling his faceplate as he received Ratchets data burst that the Seeker was momentarily blinded due to a still lacking calibration of his optical input sensor. Taking seats, Ratchet made sure to have Starscream sit between them, hoping it would prevent the Seeker from starting too badly should Skyfire's start jolt his systems.

"It's alright, shhh," he comforted him quietly, stroking over a wing lightly and allowing the Seeker to press up against the side of his chassis as much as he could while still staying seated. Starscream's wings were quivering, his dermaplates opened as if to admit a scream that never left his vocalizer, digits lightly scrapping at the paint of Ratchet's lower arm. Frightened, the Seeker was utterly frightened, but the supportive hand Ratchet kept on his wing appeared to help him at least a little bit. It had to be a disjointed feeling to know that he was flying because of another instead of his own engines when Starscream so clearly had the ability to lift his own chassis from the ground himself.

This was... wrong... He could fly... no. He couldn't. Not right now. Aside from being blind and his sensors shorted out, there was the simple impossibility caused by the damage he had done to his thrusters. He couldn't fly, and couldn't feel the wind against this wings, and... Starscream was aware that he was panicking again, scratching at Ratchet... He kept silent, Skyfire had to know he was here, but if he screamed, he would KNOW... and know just how badly off Starscream was. But with Ratchet's hand against him, the Seeker could almost imagine the touch was the wind. Searching blindly, Starscream found Jazz's hand, put it against his other wing, there, that helped the illusion, he'd be okay now... he thought he'd be okay. As long as the ride didn't take very long...

Apparently Starscream had either just lost it completely or his wings were a distraction to his processor that kept him from panicking. Either way, Ratchet was glad Jazz didn't fight the Seeker, not that it would have done him any good, Starscream's grip was tight, or rather it had been until he'd let go of Jazz's hand to wrap himself around Ratchet's right arm once more, clinging to him and shivering, but not whimpering anymore. Could it be that he was... ashamed? It made sense once Ratchet contemplated it. Starscream was proud, vain, and obnoxious beyond reason, of course he would manage to find something wrong with letting anyone but a medic know about his weakened state. And even that small amount of trust probably wasn't even due to Ratchet's profession, but the simple fact that he had found out before the Seeker had had time or advantage to hide it from him.

Comforting the shivering mech as best as he could, instructing Jazz to keep his touch to light motions so as not to further the Seeker's damage via com link, Ratchet mentally prepared the med bay. He knew exactly what he would need for the repairs already and radioed in to have Wheeljack search for the materials he would require in a bigger amount than the med bay's standard capacity. That would mean he wouldn't have to go screaming for the missing parts later on and chance scaring his patient into stasis lock or even worse, a panic attack that would worsen his condition needlessly. It was a precaution he seldom took with their own soldiers, but that had a reason, because if the soldiers feared him, they had a slimmer desire to getting scrapped on the battlefield.

"How long?" Starscream asked suddenly. Realizing how vague the question was, he went ahead and explained further, "The repairs...!" The simple fact was that he needed something, conversation or... Okay, pit, just how long had he been in that pit? He wished there was something for him to do, more than just sitting here, forced to fly in another like a common grounder, using a pair of Autobots to fool his processor... Maybe he should play like he was an Autobot him... okay, no, he'd just have to settle for being a weak Decepticon.

"Only a joor or two to fix your chassis, if I don't find further complications after a deep-scan. Weeks to recalibrate," Ratchet supplied vaguely, keeping in mind that Starscream hadn't wanted the jet to see him, so he probably didn't want him to know how badly wounded he really was. The energon had dried by now, most of it. Some had caked over the Seeker's joints, freezing his fingers into a clawlike state. He would have to pry it off carefully if he didn't want to have to replace the delicate circuitry of the flier's hands and digits as well. Rubbing over the wing a hint firmer in reassurance, he felt a change in altitude. They were landing.

Starscream nodded, thinking, as he felt the change in altitude as well. At least his systems were working that well... A couple of joors for his body, he could deal with that... as long as Ratchet stayed close. The Autobot was a medic, of course he'd stay close, so that wasn't a fear... The recalibration, though, that was a problem. That was how long it would likely be before he could truly fly again. Not that flying blind couldn't be amusing at times, but only if the option of sight was still there, and Ratchet probably wouldn't even let him UP as long as he was blind. "Okay," he acknowledged, then stood up as he felt the transport land fully.

The Decepticon didn't even wait until Skyfire had given them the all clear to get up. It was probably a notion only supported by the Seeker's long term memory that let him know when it would be safe to stand up in his larger companion. Eerily enough, it calmed Ratchet, for it told him that there was no immediate damage to the mech's databanks, at least not those he needed for long term recollection.

"Thank you Skyfire," he politely aired the phrase he had come accustomed to in the past orns. Skyfire was a dear friend now, not that any of them had been able to replace Starscream in his processors, but at least he knew that the jet wasn't hurting as much anymore as he had before.

"Careful," Ratchet cautioned the Seeker, supporting him as his sense of direction really wasn't up to par, so he led him down the ramp into the hangar, where Optimus stood waiting for them.

Once again, Starscream allowed Ratchet to guide him, wishing the medic hadn't thanked Skyfire, hadn't made it so slagging obvious who had given him the ride... RIDE! And now he was being led around... Somehow, Starscream didn't think that Ratchet was impatient with him, though, although the Decepticon had nothing on which to base such a conclusion. When the Autobot stopped again after moving... not very far, Starscream couldn't deny his... unease, moving to stand more behind Ratchet. Optimus was around, he HAD to be around, the Seeker could almost feel the optics on him... he didn't want Optimus to see him in this condition, so weak. It wasn't a wise practice to let the leaders of your enemy see you at your weakest.

"I appoint myself Guardian of Starscream under protocol five of the Iacon Treaty," was the first thing that came to Ratchet's processor as said Seeker stopped moving, even going so far as to slightly hide behind him. No question there, Starscream knew precisely where he was and just whose optics were resting on him. Optimus shook his head wearily, if in denial or disapproval Ratchet didn't know, neither did he care.

"I cannot allow that. It would be unwise to have our CMO preoccupied with babysitting an enemy instead of attending to his duties." Optimus had the audacity to contradict him, which caused a motion of slight panic from Jazz, who flailed his arms and head in denial wildly. Prowl managed an irritated scowl, enough to tip their leader off onto the fact that he had just done the rudest thing ever. He really wasn't a born diplomat now was he?

"Should my duties be affected, which right now stand in direct correlation to Starscream, you are free to take whichever measures you see fit," Ratchet replied calmly, internally seething as he sidestepped Ironhide, who quickly dodged out of his way, blocking Optimus from following him into the medical wing.

"Processor glitched remake of a petro-rabbit bitten junk pile," he grumbled darkly, starting at the amused chuckle he earned from his patient and nearly causing the Seeker to trip as he stopped abruptly, turning wide optics onto the Air Commander in surprise. Had that just been a laugh? Had he just amused a Decepticon? And even worse yet... had that been Starscream laughing without malice or contempt?

Starscream was absolutely silent while Ratchet... negotiated with Optimus. Negotiated wasn't the word, it was more a declaration of intent followed by simply not accepting objections. Starscream found that he approved. He shouldn't have been surprised when Ratchet reacted so abruptly to his amusement, but what else was he supposed to do but laugh? He had a feeling the medic was looking at him, that was, after all, the general follow-up to stopping in surprise... Starscream smiled, still clearly amused, "And here I thought all Autoscu... Autobots were in awe of their Prime." Now he knew for a fact that Ratchet wasn't going to leave him... not until he was strong again.

"I wouldn't compare wriggling through his innards on a regular basis because the slagger can't fricken take care of himself with being in awe of someone. I'd call it my duty, and he knows better than to deny me that by now," Ratchet bit back, inexplicably angry about the words, even though the Seeker had amended his intended insult. "Let's get you to medical before the rest of the Ark decides that now is the perfect time for some little injury," he grumbled on, fully at home now that he could see the doors to his med bay again. Not liking to be kept from it any longer, he tugged on the Seeker's elbow joint. Strangely compliant and silent, the Decepticon's Air Commander let himself be led, hopping onto an examination berth once directed to do so. Ratchet sighed in bliss as the doors of the med bay locked via an automated mechanism he had installed himself. Finally... some peace and quiet to himself.

He was behaving because he WANTED to be repaired, wanted very badly to be back to operational specs. He also rather wanted to continue talking, even if Ratchet hadn't appreciated his humor. Hearing Ratchet's sigh, Starscream looked toward him curiously. That was almost the same sound he would make when he was safe and alone in his lab... Well, Ratchet was a medic, it seemed the rumors were true, the medbay really was HIS domain. "I regret forcing myself into your sanctuary," Starscream commented, the words awkward against his glossa. He did mean it, at least half because he didn't want to anger his rescuer, and because he knew how annoying it could be to have someone you didn't like inserting themselves into your domain.

"Had you forced your way, you wouldn't have gotten in," he informed the Seeker calmly and directed his steps to a storage cupboard where he knew he should still have some light grade. Finding what he'd been searching for, he noted that there were only three cubes left. Not enough in case an emergency came up. Ratchet would have to brew new cubes soon, it appeared. Maybe he could set up a new batch of high grade while he was at it as well...

"Please lie down, on your front, Starscream. I'll start with your wings and thrusters, seeing as they're the most delicate work compared to the tactical network in your hands." Fleetingly, his processor entertained how strange he had to sound to the Decepticon. Usually medics dreaded hand work, because it was as delicate as work could become when not involving spark matter. The wires filling a mechs digits with function and sensors were small and easily the most vulnerable wires a mech possessed in a limb, yet he had always enjoyed working on them, entranced by their intricacy.

Starscream actually smiled a little at Ratchet's reassurance, listening to the foot-steps and trying not to listen to the echoes. Of course they were inside, that was the only place a medbay could really be, and the Autobot's medbay... Slag, the Ark was at least half underground, wasn't it? No, he wasn't trapped here... Ratchet wouldn't... his savior wouldn't do that to him. He wasn't trapped... he wasn't alone. No, he wasn't alone...

Cocking his head, the Seeker considered Ratchet's words for a moment, finally nodding and complying. He didn't really like exposing his back to an enemy, too many vital networks there, but he didn't fully have a choice. And Ratchet HAD appointed himself his guardian... Trust was not something common among Decepticons, and Starscream especially was bad at it, but still, he had to trust Ratchet.

After he had gathered the tools and parts he thought he might need, Ratchet was pleased to find that Starscream had indeed done as he'd asked, lying down on the repair berth, his wings spread over the edges, feet and thrusters dangling lazily off the berth. If he hadn't known differently, Ratchet would have described the position as relaxed, yet as a medic Ratchet did know different and saw the posture for what it was. Unease, fear and a need for reassurance, mixed into a barely there hint of trust. Slowly approaching the still form he noticed that the wing tips were trembling lightly as if it was taking a lot out of Starscream not to bolt and run.

"I will numb your sensory array for the necessary repairs. Most flier models have more sensory access panels hidden beneath their wings. I'm guessing that your make-up fits that generalization?" He asked for clarification, reluctant to startle the Seeker with the procedure. If he knew what he was doing, surely he would dismiss bolting for the door any time soon out of his calculation processor... or at least Ratchet hoped so.

As long as Ratchet kept talking, he would be okay. Starscream thought so, at least... "Y... yes. Aside from a lighter alloy in parts of my chassis, I'm a standard Seeker model..." And then, because the only way for Ratchet to know this was to tell him, and if he didn't know, he wouldn't be expecting it, and that would just be bad... "Numbing might fool me into forgetting I'm... still whole. So... talk to me?" Unmaker TAKE him, he was so needy...

"Of course," he instantly conceded and lightly put his hands onto the Seeker's left wing, lifting it high enough to wriggle a hand underneath and access a sensory panel, shutting off the input of the mech's right leg. "I'm going to start on your thrusters then, so that you may relax your processor somewhat before I advance onto your wings," Ratchet went on, partially because Starscream had asked for conversation, partially to make him aware of the fact that he didn't want to cause him pain or unease. He was a medic, after all, and he did not seek for his patients to fear the med bay... if they weren't the twins, only those two really had to fear him here.

Mmm... the medic's hand really DID feel nice against his wing... even if it WAS followed by the complete loss of sensation in his leg. Starscream whimpered again and forced himself to listen to Ratchet. The medic was very thorough, letting the Seeker know exactly what he was doing at any given moment. The Seeker tried to hold up his end of the conversation... it didn't go so well, he'd never been very good at mech systems. He was actually better at biological systems, though THAT was a piece of info he didn't want getting about.

"It doesn't look good, to be honest. I'm afraid I'll have to hollow out your thrusters entirely, rebuild the platings and reweld the sensor and data connections. You really did a number on yourself, just melting down the rocks without thinking about where the boiling rock would go to." Ratchet shook his cranial unit in disapproval. Starscream really had acted like a moron in the cave, but on the other hand, he really couldn't blame him, he must have been irrational from fear and claustrophobia alike by then.

"Hey, at least I had the idea to melt the damn things. That was good at the time..." He wasn't at all surprised that Ratchet would have to repair so extensively... it had hurt when the damage was done, and, like a moron, Starscream had ignored it, kept going until his thrusters simply wouldn't fire any more... and then, if he remembered correctly, he'd tried kicking the hot stone. Okay, wow, he'd been... very much not thinking.

"Yes, it does show that at least some part of your logic circuitry was still functional. Then again, that part wasn't exactly extensive, nor strong enough to actually dissuade you from the idea. You see what it got you after all... damage, and that in itself is a bad thing," Ratchet reminded the Seeker, even though he had to admit that the decision to try and melt the obstacle away had been an unexpectedly sane one, had Starscream actually bothered to take note and care of where the molten stone had flown to. Scratching the by now cool rock out of the vent was a tedious affair and he was only halfway down by now. Once the rock was out he would have to singe off the molten vent plates, not a fun activity, but necessary so that he could get the rest of the rock out and actually reach the sensor and data port connections at the base of the thrusters.

By shifting a little, he could look under his wing just enough to see Ratchet's hands on his thruster... It was actually... what, relaxing? Nice... reassuring. Yes, reassuring. Someone was here, he could see... "It was strong enough to keep me from body-slamming the rocks. Really, Ratchet, think about how functional it is in the best of times... I... Regularly trying to backstab Megatron doesn't show very extensive logical function, does it?"

"It might not show logic, but it does show courage of spark. Essentially you know that he's wrong, you're just going about showing him that in a very suicidal way." He smirked at the Seeker that slowly appeared to be regaining enough coherency so that his processor could actually be called mostly functional once more. It took him a good three breems to get almost all of the rock down to the venting system out of one thruster... now onto the next one.

"I'll be disabling the sensor nodes in your other leg now," Ratchet warned Starscream and carefully settled his hands onto the Seeker's sides to brush underneath the wing gently, lifting it and feeling for the hidden panel he needed to open in order to do as he'd said.

Starscream shook slightly as the hand searched about on him, though the reaction wasn't from fear this time. And even though he knew exactly where the desired panel was, the Seeker let the medic search on his own, looking under his other wing to watch the 'progress'. "It's not so bad, having me legs numb... though if that door was unlocked, so... other people could come in, you'd have to sedate me to stop me living up to my name." It was still mostly talk, words exchanged to reassure him that Ratchet was here, that he still wasn't trapped... it was getting easier, a little.

The Seeker was shaking, from sensor backlash or from fright he couldn't determine. But then he voiced part of his concern and Ratchet contemplated how indeed this could be different. Usually he was left in peace while working, or as close to peace as one could get when being the medic every injury had to be reported to and repaired by. It was tedious work at times, but as fulfilling as he'd wanted his life to be. Finally he found the panel and gently pulled it open to shut off said sensor input. "Don't be startled now," he cautioned Starscream so that he wouldn't jerk at the abrupt numbness. Yet the jet held himself well and merely shivered. Stroking over Starscream's wing in apology as well as praise, he stepped back around the repair berth to take care of the Seeker's other thruster.

"I can feel your hand," Starscream explained as sensation died. The soft hand against his wings made him shiver again, but he said nothing about it. After all, he had been the one to teach Ratchet to do that in comfort, and it WAS a comfort. And if he was feeling anything but comforted by it... well, the medic didn't really need to know about that, this wasn't the time anyway, he was still so badly injured, so badly... Not as badly as he had been, Ratchet was doing well.

"Which is a good thing. You should still be receiving sensational data from everywhere but your legs." Reaching for the thruster, he began the tedious work of scrapping the dried rock out from inside of it once more. Working in silence was a rare thing for him, not because he liked to talk, but because Wheeljack tended to try and help him with repairs. It wasn't as if Ratchet didn't like the engineer, it was just a fact that Wheeljack's help was seldom limited and only rarely silent. He tended to talk during repairs, explaining to the patients which part was which, why it was important, what kind of function it held... which had bored patients into recharge already.

Ratchet didn't entirely seem to like talking while working, so Starscream tried to accept that, twisting his upper body to look... wait, LOOK? "I can see. Not well, staticky black and white... I... thought it best you know." He wouldn't have realized it was black and white if his vision had been clearer... After all, both Ratchet and himself were very... stark, not much for color on either of them. He liked it that way, less distractions, made what color there was just stand out, highlight so beautifully. Well, Ratchet, of course, his color was even more utilitarian, proclaiming his occupation...

"You what?" he was startled and let go of the almost finished second thruster. Stepping up to the top of the berth, he urged Starscream to kneel, directing him with light movements of his hands. Grasping the Seeker's helmet with both hands, he initiated a medical scan onto his optics. One of his lenses had indeed fixed itself, his repair system was very slow, but at least it was trying now, which showed that his spark wanted to survive and that was a good thing. Probing the area around Starscream's optics with his digit tips for maximum sensitivity and accuracy of the gathered data, Ratchet calculated that the one lens was all the Seeker's repair system would do for his vision.

"Hmmm... I still gotta re-calibrate almost all of it, the data will still be scrambled for a while, so try not to rely on your optics too much, they might just decide to play tricks on you." He warned Starscream of the possibility of a memory being mixed into the actual data stream on his optics, while looking directly into his optics to see for himself if the Seeker would react to it by adjusting the lens or not. It wasn't unusual after taking heavy damage, some medics called it the waking dreamer phenomenon, because the patient was dreaming, reviewing a memory in great detail like they did during recharge to better file the data away, while still being fully conscious, which was confusing for the processor.

He winced just a little at the probing digits, trying not to react, to be strong in at least SOMETHING. Starscream nodded at Ratchet's warning, "I know. I've..." He looked away, tried to, jerking his head in the medic's hands. The Autobot didn't need to know everything. He knew enough, thanks to his weakness, thanks to those slagging twins... Funny he had never noticed how well-formed Ratchet's face was, clean-lined and shockingly expressive.

"You... what did you see?" he queried. It could have been nothing really, but the way the Seeker held himself, how rigid and tense his wings suddenly became indicated that there was something upsetting him. Starscream of course didn't have to tell him, but patient medic confidentiality would ensure that he'd keep any and all information to himself, so who knew, he might just risk it in his current processor state.

"Does it matter?" Starscream answered, half-functioning optics going back to Ratchet's face. "I don't want to think about it... I've learned that only makes it more likely." He didn't want to see it all again, all the death, all he had caused... "I think I did deserve... I had to have, why else would so many, so often...?" He didn't want to think about it, didn't want to talk about it, make himself even weaker. "Why are you letting me be weak? Encouraging it? I need to be strong, not weak."

"I'm trying to show you that there is no wrong in being weak, because admitting to weakness can make you stronger, for you can receive help to work through it. Oh, how to make you understand... If you're injured and don't tell anyone, how do you suppose is your damage going to be fixed? Never, that's how. Are you following my logic there?" Ratchet asked, not entirely certain that the Seeker had understood what he'd wanted him to understand. Reaching out to supportively pass digits along the Air Commander's wings, he felt the appendages quivering underneath his touch, almost bending themselves to press back against him.

Starscream sneered even as he pressed his wings into the touch. "And just who do you think would help me, Ratchet? Answer me that, WHO on the Decepticon side would aid me when I seem weak, who would not simply offline me and be done with it? Who do you suggest I go to when memories wake me, when ill-repaired systems ache? WHO?" Anger laced his voice, a shield for his hurt, for his WANT. Reaching up, Starscream tenderly cupped Ratchet's face, still sneering. "Foolish Autobot... you really have no idea what it's like, never even thought... that I might understand your logic, and still find it faulty."

He was startled by the Seeker's openness and quite taken aback by the sudden caress of hands upon his faceplate. It had been vorns... no, eons since someone had approached him like that. On the other hand, maybe Decepticons initiated intimacy differently, Starscream was still sneering after all. If an Autobot would have done what the Seeker just had, put his hands onto his face for a non-medical reason... then Ratchet was certain that he wouldn't have refused. In fact, his systems were thrumming with growing energy already, even though he tried to fight it, Starscream hadn't offered nor asked for anything of him so far after all, so he'd wait it out, like he'd done back on Cybertron, back in the days when he'd been rumored as 'hard to get' as the humans called it.

"Up until now I would have believed your trine did. Yet apparently I was wrong in regards to that... They were the only ones looking for you, by the way." Ratchet couldn't help but try to make Starscream feel at least a little worthwhile, he was a talented flier after all, and what his hands were doing... digits creeping up to his audio receptors to skim over the plating lightly... an appreciative sigh almost managed to escape his vocalizer, but Ratchet caught it in the last possible line of code.

"They... wouldn't know how..." Belatedly, the Seeker realized that Ratchet's hand was trembling against his wings... He had forgotten, Ratchet wasn't used to the way he... he toyed with people, how had that even started? This time he stroked the face intentionally, dropping the sneer in favor of something closer to a real smile. No, he hadn't really intended, only considered, doing anything with the Autobot medic... but Starscream knew from experience that the burn of pleasure through his systems would likely help him. At least help him for a little while, maybe long enough to get through this...

It had been so unbelievably long that the Decepticon's gentleness wasn't a reason for concern to his processor, but was seen as a long overdue invitation. Ratchet felt his limbs tremble against the Seeker's wings, his digits gripping the plating slightly in order to quench the shaking, but it was too late already. Judging by the look and halfsmile he gave him, Starscream had caught on. What should he do now? If he took this further it could be considered treason, yet if he denied the Air Commander now, who knew how it would affect his mental stability? "And how would you calculate your desired help?" Ratchet couldn't keep himself from asking, his optics dimming just a touch further.

"You know... for Seekers, what you're doing is almost the same as what I'm doing to you. Difference is, you didn't know... and I toy with people too much. But I'm not now." And then he dropped his hand, turning his face away a little while still pressing into Ratchet's hand. "It would help remind me that I'm free. But if you don't want," me, the word wasn't said, "or just can't..." The haughty smirk had a bitter edge this time, "Despite what you may have heard, there are plenty of things I simple do not do. So you can just go back to repairing me if you'd rather."

"I'm sorry, I do admit that I did not realize that," Ratchet admitted, bowing his cranial unit slightly in embarrassment. He would not have expected Starscream to so openly admit to having teased him on purpose, far less to offer turning his teasing into something... well, honest was probably the wrong word for it, but substantial would probably describe it adequately enough.

"I have little to no objections regarding my patients' comfort." He tried to keep his answer as professional as possible, after all, the Seeker hadn't indicated with any word nor move that he wanted anything from him on an emotional basis, and Ratchet would be slagged if he'd offer it without at least some incentive of the Air Commander indicating that it would be received favorably.

It wasn't, exactly, a request... He couldn't have expected such a thing, for an Autobot to ASK for such a thing... but it WAS permission. "If you get some objections, you tell me... and of course you didn't realize, why would you think I'd direct you to..." The words cut off and Starscream cycled his vents and lifted Ratchet's head carefully, deliberately. "I'm snarky. I'm trying to hide I'm weak... don't know why, with you, pretty stupid, no?" He didn't really want to talk about that... didn't want to talk at all, come to think of it. So instead, he moved in to kiss the medic.

Ever so carefully he raised his cranial unit, meeting the contemplative gaze of the Seeker. His logic circuitry had to have been damaged fairly badly seeing as Starscream had admitted weakness in front of him, an Autobot. But it didn't matter now, not with the Seeker's faceplate so close to his own, not with his dermaplates settling onto his own ever so tenderly. Ratchet wouldn't have expected it of him, but apparently Starscream did intend to take care with him and not just provoke a completely mindless interface. It was trust, trust on a deep level and he wasn't certain if he was receiving it because he was a medic or because he was himself. Certainly it would be nicer to be at the receiving end of such trust for himself, but Ratchet was no fan of illusions, he knew that the Decepticon's Air Commander probably would have needed some kind of stress relief sooner or later, it just so happened to be him who would help him achieve it. Opening his dermaplates in response to the questing glossa, Ratchet was startled by the low moan that was accompanied by lithe arms wrapping themselves around his torso.

Ratchet felt... good in his arms, strange, but good. "I think you're the first grounder I've willingly..." Starscream began, muttering against the medic's mouth, and then he shut up, applying himself more fully to the kiss. He could be sweet, he could be gentle... because it was impossible for Ratchet to think any less of him than he already did. Starscream moaned and rubbed white armor, they were two black and white mechs in his black and white world... Aside from a little static, his vision wasn't robbing him of anything, then.

"Willingly what?" It was dangerous to ask, dangerous in the sense that he truly wanted to know yet was afraid of the answer as well. Was he the first grounder Starscream had kissed? Was he the first grounder Starscream had hugged? Or was he... was he the first grounder Starscream could imagine willingly interfacing with? And if so... who had been the other? If he was the first the flier willingly would interface with, then he had clearly interfaced unwillingly before already, and that thought was just disturbing for Ratchet, disturbing and shockingly worrisome. What else had Starscream suffered without their knowledge? What more would he tolerate of Megatron's torture before he fought back... maybe for the last time before he would be annihilated by the mad Decepticon tyrant?

"Willingly... this. Told my weakness, guided in touch... THIS. I'd rather not talk... I'd like this to not get spoiled." He had no clue how to touch Ratchet, where to touch him... There was nothing that stood out on the medic, no wings, no gun barrel... there was the chevron on his helmet, that was always an option, but there had to be SOMEPLACE else... Heh, maybe the Autobot thought that Starscream was only seeking his own pleasure from this. That would explain why he was being... well, flatly, unhelpful.

"Alright." He didn't really understand, but it wasn't necessary right now, after all Starscream appeared to need this, needed to loose himself in something. So he would make certain that he did. Skimming his hands over the top of the Air Commander's wings, he was surprised by the tremors running through the Seeker's chassis. The resulting moan sounded almost painful, but appeared to be a liberation for the Air Commander and so Ratchet continued, spreading his digits over the delicate wings carefully and stroking in smooth circular motions.

Starscream moaned again, almost closer to a whimper this time. He had managed to forget, or possibly had never noticed in his distraught state of mind, that his wings were injured, leaking... though a good part of the energon on them was streaked from where he'd touched them. But Ratchet's touch was light... no, not light, but delicate, as delicate and careful as any other touch he'd given, and Starscream pressed into it. The Seeker's own explorations, however, were coming up flat, and he was finally forced to ask. "How... How do I touch YOU? I don't... you're not easy to figure out!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize...Well, tires are sensitive on a grounder, more sensitive the more they are used for fine tuning or high speeds. Mirage and the twins would be good examples." Ratchet tried to explain, but found himself faced with a glare and a growl from the Seeker as he almost viciously pressed their frames together. The snarled words took a while to be worked through by Ratchet's CPU but then he understood that Starscream hadn't asked for general clarifications, but only those in regards to him specifically. Sighing in defeat, he gave up the valuable information that could cost them dearly should Starscream ever wish to deploy it on the battlefield.

"My windshield is sensitive, due to the flash lights mounted at its sides, with a direct re-rooting to it." It was a special feature he had asked Wheeljack to install before they had left Cybertron, in case he ever needed to operate on a patient in deep space or somewhere else where the was no sufficient light source for his scanners to do their work satisfactory. "My chevron is most sensitive, so I wouldn't advise you to touch it unless you want me on my knees." Fixing the Seeker with a serious look, he took one of his hands into his own, playing their digits against each other. "Hands are a medic's tools for healing, just like your wings are your tools for flight, I guess you can imagine..." Ratchet trailed off, briefly shutting his optics as the Seeker eagerly rubbed over some seams between his digits, causing him to sigh with contentment.

No wonder he hadn't been able to find any of Ratchet's hot spots on his own. He probably would have discovered the windshield eventually, but hands... And the medic made a most... satisfying sound when Starscream followed up on the information. "Like this? And you, do you need any suggestions?" Freeing one hand, he began to feel the windshield, watching Ratchet carefully. He would get to the chevron later, would very much like to go after it. The thought of Ratchet on his knees from pleasure very certainly had its appeal, Starscream thought that he would love to be allowed to do that, but the serious look Ratchet had worn... he was still an enemy, and the Seeker mewled and brought the medic's hand to his face, trapping it between faceplates and his own hand.

He started a little at Starscream's apparent enthusiasm, which he had most certainly not expected. The Seeker was passing his hand over his windshield masterfully and it left Ratchet wondering how he could know how to invoke such strong reactions with such simple appearing touches. Then he thought about the offer, the Decepticon Air Commander had, after all, just offered to list his own weak spots in exchange. "Beyond your wings, faceplates, canopy, cooling fans, probably even your thrusters, the very tip of the nose of your jet-form and most likely your three tires, two hidden in your knee joints, the last just beneath the back of your neck joint, right underneath your most important link-up's? Hmmm... surprise me," the medic decided to answer, smiling as the Seeker indeed gasped as he briefly, fleetingly touched most of the mentioned areas with a teasing swipe of his hands.

"Oh... you are... no fun!" Starscream answered, gladly laying down again. "But I think you missed... the instrumentation in my cockpit itself..." That was the one place that Ratchet HADN'T named... Starscream thought, at least. The dizzying list and soft touches had, again, confused the Seeker. Well, just focus on the immediate things right now... things like getting one of Ratchet's digits into his mouth, and how about he press their glass, different yet so similar, together, instead of just rubbing it.

Crying out softly as the Seeker inadvertently pulled him onto the repair berth with him, pressing his canopy against his windshield and scrapping them against one another, causing such delicious friction and varying pressure. He gasped the Seeker's name as two of his digits were encased by pliable dermaplates, a soft glossa swirling around one of them enticingly slow. Tracing his left hand down over the canopy, starting at the last sensitive part he had pointed out, the small hidden front tire of the Decepticon's alt-mode, he splayed it over the Seeker's upper thigh, ever so slowly sneaking it up over the nose, rubbing the plating seams with firm pressure before he continued onto the canopy itself, lifting it by slipping a digit into a sideseam and triggering the automatic process that would lift the carefully crafted glass structure. Once the intricately constructed cockpit revealed itself, Ratchet reached for the instruments by curling his digit and stroking over the smooth leather of the pilot seat. "You couldn't possibly have meant... this?" Ratchet asked in a purring note, flicking his digit tip against an edge of the equilibrium gouge and then grinding it firmly against the pilot seat.

He was already a mass of need from Ratchet's exploration, so when the medic reached into the cockpit, Starscream could do little more than mewl and arch up. He was always so needy and vulnerable after a grounding, and it was only more obvious after the torturous one he had endured. Luckily for him, Ratchet wasn't the sort to take untoward advantage of his state, offering no pain, no cutting words. "Yes," he hissed around the digits in his mouth. "Yes, there... Ratchet... so safe, oh..." It wasn't fair that the medic was still so sensible and controlled, but then, if Starscream had learned one thing about his life, it was that fairness rarely existed.

Firmly, the Seeker's canopy pressed into his windshield, the hard edges drawing a direct line towards its center, which had Ratchet trembling in reaction to the tingles it spread over the entire expanse of the windshield along that line. "Primus... don't stop..." It was simultaneously much more than he wanted to say, yet it still wasn't enough either. If he could have, he would have asked for the Seeker's touch, but he didn't dare, instead he reverted his attention to the flier's wings. But Starscream didn't appear all too happy about that, protesting loudly, requesting for his cockpit to be touched again, even going so far as to whine in tune with his thrusters in a needy note.

Reluctantly Ratchet debated how to follow the request without letting go of the wing's tip, where he had found most sensitive sensor nodes. He was very reluctant to release them from his grasp again, seeing as the growing heat and vibrations of those nodes easily carried over the plating and into his own joints and sensor nodes within his sensitive hand. An instantaneous decision was made within a split second and Ratchet leaned down, delving into the cockpit with his glossa, a wildly screaming Seeker arching against him at the new contact.

He understood grounders were fascinated by wings, but... slaggit, Ratchet took his hand OUT of his cockpit, and that was just... why would anyone do that, it felt so good...! And then a glossa began to map out his instruments and that... that was just too much, Starscream shrieked, babbling pleas for more, more, don't stop, don't you dare stop! But he couldn't let this assault go with no reprisals. Oh, not at all, and this seemed like a good time... Moving slowly, in case Ratchet decided to object, the Seeker reached for that chevron, careful, treat it gently, he wanted Ratchet to feel good, not to be in pain.

Smiling at the favorable reaction he had gained from Starscream, he stretched his glossa to reach a little deeper into the Seeker, trying to carefully prod the pilot stick, which he presumed to be highly sensitive. Rubbing the wing tip in his left hand firmly, he felt his engine coming to life, directly responding to the vibrations that were traveling through his frame due to the Seeker's thrusters. They weren't even repaired yet, but removing the dried stone had apparently given Starscream the ability to at least online them again, even if they were still no use for taking flight. Cold air rushed over his digits as Starscream shrieked around them. His moans went directly to Ratchet's core and he wondered why he should resist. Just then he found his answer, careful digits tracing his helmet edge only to reach for his chevron, were what made his decision so easy. Shouting in pleasure himself, he almost crushed the wing tip within his grasp as wave upon wave of pure desire flashed through his processor at the delicate and suggestive touches to his chevron. He couldn't help himself anymore, biting at the cockpit edge in a slightly frustrated fashion to show the Seeker where he wanted to reach but couldn't. Simultaneously his right hand had spasmed, probably scratching the entire neck joint onto which it had slid after Ratchet's jerk had dislodged it from the Decepticon's mouth.

Starscream growled a little as pressure on his wing increased. Not to the point of pain, not with how much he was riled up. He had been through worse in the course of interfacing, willingly even, what was a good interface if it didn't leave scuff marks. The nip took him by surprise, was he understanding correctly... He trusted Ratchet, trusted him more than he should, perhaps, and it would feel good... so why not? That didn't mean that Starscream wasn't trembling as chestplates moved, trembling and screeching and ironically trying to keep Ratchet so lost in pleasure that the medic didn't notice how very vulnerable Starscream really was.

Moaning at the intensity of the desire Starscream evoked within him through the massaging touches to his chevron, Ratchet finally felt the Seeker's canopy moving, sliding to the side to expose vulnerable wiring and important systems. If he made just one wrong move, he would hurt the Decepticon, which he did not intend to do. Opening his own chestplates to mirror the show of trust, he found himself almost unable to move, the way in which Starscream was so openly moving against him, almost begging for their sparks to merge already... some of this franticness disturbed him somehow.

"Are you alright...? Should I stop...?" Ratchet asked in a voice tinged with equal concern and desire. He wanted, oh how he wanted to, but he would not scare his patient, shaking him up any further mentally at this point wouldn't do him any good.

Oh no, no WAY was he going to let Ratchet stop, not when they'd gotten this far. And Ratchet himself, his own glass had parted, and he was just as vulnerable as the Seeker was now. "Don't stop. Don't STOP, Ratchet. I want... want you, need..." Starscream needed this, needed to have pleasure dominate his systems, even just for a little while. And needed, wanted, the sense of safety he was sure merging with Ratchet would gain him. Fingers still delicately stimulating that chevron, Starscream used his other hand to reach into the Autobot medic, trying to override Ratchet's worry, as novel as the Seeker found his concern to be.

Digits inside of him, lightly scratching at the sides of his spark casing as well as some of his internal systems... they were electrifying and Ratchet gasped. He was too startled to do much more though, so he let himself be tugged closer until his spark hovered over Starscream's. All he would need to do would be to slowly sink down and they would merge, sharing their entire beings with each other. Ratchet had never done this just out of a flux, like he was doing now, usually deeper feelings had to be involved for him, yet on the other hand he couldn't deny the Seeker's obvious need for reassurance, so he would deal, even if Starscream never even looked at him again after this. "Alright... if you're certain," he acquiesced, and ever so slowly bent down over the Seeker's spark, drawing the moment out just a little more by running his glossa over the chestplate edges and up the delicate neck joint.

"Yes, yes, certain, yes, yes please, Ratch', yes, please...!" Pleading was nothing new to Starscream, though rarely done in search of pleasure. His head rolled back, it was hard to be afraid about exposing his neck when Ratchet was hovering over his spark. The Seeker pulled at Ratchet, wanting him nearer, as good as it felt now he wanted more... He didn't give Ratchet the same courtesies the Autobot had shown to him, took no care to ensure this was what HE wanted... Ratchet wasn't protesting, so he didn't mind, how could he mind, he would feel good against Starscream, and the Seeker knew that he would feel just as good to the medic. Ratchet would enjoy it, so why should he mind?

Trembling lightly he sank down onto the Seeker's chassis, covering his frame with his own and moaning against his neck at the pure bliss that assaulted his processor as their sparks twined themselves together. Primus, how long had it been...? Too long, far too long since he'd felt the heat of another's spark spreading through his own. Just why did the Seeker have to be an enemy again? The thought fled his mind and he felt more from Starscream's side of the merge than realized on his own that his digits were curled around the Seeker's wing tips on both sides, sliding down over the sensitized plating to lightly scratch over heated hip plating. On the other hand he felt the fire of the Air Commander's hands sliding over his own frame, down from his shoulder joints towards his lower back, leaving burning trails of sensor nodes in their wake.

Autobots were different from Decepticons. This was a well known fact, after all, if they were the same, they wouldn't be at war. Starscream was surprised, though, that the difference carried through to their sparks... or was that the fundamental difference which caused all the others? No matter, not now... Ratchet was so CARING...! And it couldn't simply be that he was a medic... Starscream had merged with Decepticon medics, and they held none of this care. The deep enjoyment, that was familiar, but Ratchet... Ratchet wanted, needed, to know Starscream was enjoying it... The Seeker buried his face in Ratchet's neck, licking at the metal, whimpering and moaning and SO close to screaming.

The position into which Starscream had moved them unknowingly was intimate beyond belief, and he wondered how much of that was intentional. Opting not to think on it for the time being, it would only cloud his processor with doubt after all, he raised his left hand up to the Seeker's neck joint for an additional distraction. Ratchet could loose himself in his work, which he always did with his hands, so if he kept his hands busy, his processor would leave him alone with such confusing questions and doubts. Sliding along the delicate neck joint, he moved his hand to the side, letting it come to rest on the back of Starscream's cranial unit.

Dragging it downwards, tracing weld lines and armor seams ever so carefully, he finally reached just beyond the neck joint and slowly worked the catch open with his digits. Playing over the rarely used front tire with light strokes and firm dips of his digit tips into the tire marks had the Seeker jerking against him, twitching from delightful shocks that were running amok with his systems. It was sensual beyond comprehension to feel another's spark quivering from sensor input alone and it filled Ratchet with a sense of pride and accomplishment, for he very much enjoyed offering this storm of elation to Starscream.

Oh, Ratchet just didn't want him to show any restraint, any control at all, did he? Because, oh, that tire... his own wing-mates never touched it, Starscream wasn't sure if ANYONE had touched it before, and certainly not so tenderly, so carefully. "Ratchet... Ohh, Ratchet...!" The Seeker nearly crushed the Autobot medic to himself, screeching and mewling, and the charge was building... Starscream could usually hold out longer, when he was stable, sensible. As it was, barely working vision whited out in a rush of sensor data, an inferno of pleasure and heat.

The Seeker's overworked systems couldn't take the strain of their merging sparks for too long and they forced them into overload far too soon for Ratchet's liking. He knew he would have enjoyed to bask in the Seeker's closeness for just a little longer, but that was selfish and he knew it the astrosecond he thought it. Holding the trembling Air Commander until his shaking finally died down to only small shivers due to far too overstressed systems, Ratchet slowly let go of Starscream, noting that the mech had finally fallen into recharge. It was best for his systems and the medic knew that he probably wouldn't even remember most of their merge's details upon onlining. Diligently, he closed the Air Commander's chestplates manually, ordering the motion of his own with his processor, and couldn't help but trail his digits over the smooth canopy one last time.

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