Further Complications
Chapter One
Warning: Implied Starscream/Thundercracker intimacy.
Two days later, the Autobot base.
"Well, at least I can walk about without falling over now." said Sam.
"At least when you fall in my body, you don't leak and get damaged. This pathetic fleshy body of yours is ridiculously fragile!" said Starscream, who was sitting on the edge of ratchet's table as Mikaela stuck another Band-aid on him, this time on his knee. He had several on his hands, elbows and knees, and three on his face – one on the chin, one on the cheek, and one on the forehead.
"Perhaps you shouldn't be so impatient." She chided him. "I've heard of the expression 'trying to run before you can walk', but you're the first practical example of it I've ever seen! Slow down and learn to do it slowly at first, then progress up to being faster."
"That's easy for you to say." He said to her. "I have a base and followers to get back to." Starscream said. Then he turned to look up at where Sam was standing, towering over everyone in the room. "Though seeing you trying to learn how to fly is going to be some real entertainment that I just might stick around for."
"I think I have an idea on that." Ratchet said. "Sam, come with me. Starscream, you have been walking around in that body without sleep fort almost a full twenty-four hours. I've shown you where you can recharge the human body, so use it!"
"Eight hours out of every twenty-four?" whined Starscream. "Eight hours of recharge keeps my body going for a week!"
"Yeah, well you're not in your body you're in mine, and as Ratchet explained, for you to get back to yours, mine needs to stay healthy, or you die and I stay stuck. So I'll thank you to look after it! Unless you really want to die in my body and leave me alive in yours?" Sam said, not in a diplomatic mood at seeing how banged up Starscream's carelessness and impatience was leaving his body.
"Oh, all right." Starscream said sulkily. "No wonder your species is so technologically backwards if you have to spend a third of your pitifully short lifetimes in recharge!" Ratchet picked Starscream up off his table carefully, and set him on the floor, and he stalked off to the bed Ratchet had made up for him. If optics could be rolled, Sam would have rolled them.
"Thank God he's gone! Much more moaning, and I'd have slugged him one!" Mikaela hissed.
"Well, I'm glad you didn't!" said Sam. "Starscream's abused my body enough without you adding to it!" He turned to Ratchet.
"So what's this idea you have regarding getting me to fly?" he asked.
"Well, Sam, as you know, we had to ring the Decepticon base to explain that Starscream had been hit by lightning and was currently being repaired. Technically true, even if we didn't explain all the circumstances. We call, say you've had a problem with memory loss-you've forgotten how to transform and fly, and we ask for Thundercracker to come, to connect to you via datalink – I can teach you how to initiate a datalink- and feed you the how-to-fly info. I'm suggesting Thundercracker, because not only is he not as vicious as Skywarp, but he loves flight, and so I think he would agree, I think he would not deny flight to another Seeker. whereas Skywarp might just refuse to comply."
"How do we convince Thundercracker that it's not a trap?"
"Think you can imitate Starscream over a com?" Ratchet asked. Sam nodded: he'd been carefully trying to imitate Starscream's syntax and tone since they had both gone to the Base. Ratchet had warned him that the Decepticons might want proof that 'Starscream' was all right and not being held prisoner at the Autobot base.
"Okay, I contact them, tell them you need to relearn how to fly, invite Thundercracker out here, give him an assurance under Protocol Five of the Treaty of Iacon – that's a treaty the Decepticons know we'll honour – that he will be free to go once he's done the data transfer. Then you speak to him, telling him that you trust us to honour our deal, us being honourable Autobots and all that." Ratchet said. "So he comes, does the transfer, you tell him that you want to stay a few more days, as you have our assurances that you are free to go whenever you wish but there are still parts you want me to do – that'll buy us more time, they know I'm a good medic –he leaves, and we decide what to do after that." Ratchet says. "You'll at least be able to fly."
Sam nodded. "Okay, let's do it. Let's do it now, while Starscream is in recharge so he can't balls things up." Sam said.
"Are you sure you're ready now, that you don't need a bit more time to get into character, Sam?"
Sam lifted his head, and said in a haughty tone "Are you going to allow me to contact my people, Medic, so I can get this indignity of having to learn to fly, as if I were a Sparkling again, over?" Ratchet grinned at him.
"Come right this way, Supreme Decepticon Leader Starscream." He said. "The com equipment is over here…."
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
Sam played his part to the max, Ratchet reflected, and they had secured a promise from the Decepticons that Thundercracker would be at the Autobot base within two hours. For their part, they promised to lower the force-field once he'd landed and was scanned to be sure his weapons were powered down, so he could enter. The force field would be left down until he left as long as there was no threat of the others attacking: Thundercracker said he would keep that fact to himself so as to avoid temptation.
As promised, Thundercracker arrived within the two hours, performing a graceful landing outside the gate. Ironhide scanned him, confirmed that no weapons were online, and lowered the force-field before opening the gate to admit him.
Sam was waiting for him, with Ratchet next to him: as it was early in the morning, the Base lights were on, so they could see.
"Thundercracker, let's get this over with. I want to feel the wind caress my body as I fly through the air again." Sam said.
Thundercracker walked over, and to Sam's surprise, lay a hand gently on his chest.
"Of course, my Lord Starscream." he said. Sam initiated a data link as Ratchet had taught him, and Thundercracker began the upload of information.
It hit him like a physical force. Suddenly, he knew not just how to fly in this body, but what it was like, how it felt to fly under his own power, to throw himself into the air and be free from the ground below. He realised he was feeling Thundercracker's own feelings, the fierce joy the Decepticon felt at having the freedom of the air, and it was breathtaking.
He realised, as the feelings receded, that he has stumbled backwards and his knees had loosened. He was being supported by Ratchet from the back, and Thundercracker was holding his shoulders, arms partially around them and fingers splayed, spread wide so as to not put the thin wing ends under too much strain from the weight of his body. The Seeker's red optics gazed into his with some worry and confusion.
"Lord Starscream, what's the matter?" he asked.
"Your gyros need realigning some more it seems, Starscream." Ratchet said. He nodded to Thundercracker. "Thank you. As we promised, you are free to go." Sam gripped Ratchet's shoulder to push himself upright as Thundercracker helped steady him, and then stepped back, dropping his arms from Sam's suddenly tingling wings. What was the tingling about, he wondered, but did not ask.
"Thank you, Thundercracker. I believe the Autobots will keep their agreement, they are bound by their own honour. I will return when I am mended."
"You have five days to repair our leader and return him to us, Autobot." Thundercracker said to Ratchet. "Even that is generous, for he looks in much better physical health than I had thought he would be." He turned to address Sam.
"If these Autobots do not return within five days, we will come in force to rescue you, brother." Thundercracker said. Once again, he touched Sam's chest, this time only momentarily. Then he turned, took off, transformed, and screamed off in jet form.
"Okay, this could be problematic. We have five days to come up with a solution." Ratchet said. "However, for now, do you feel up to practicing your flying skills?"
"Yes." Sam whispered, remembering the feelings he had received from Thundercracker. "Yes, I do."
Turning, he tapped into the information, leaped for the air, and transformed. A few minutes later, he was just a dot in the sky.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
When Sam returned, four hours later, Starscream was up, awake, and in a foul mood. Mikaela, however, was exhausted, and would not wake for several hours.
"You should have woken me, we could have told Thundercracker the truth and he could have flown me back to the Base!" Starscream whined.
"Are you sure that he would have believed you? He could have just squished you." Ratchet said.
"No, I would have got you or Sam to hold me, and you could have told him. Then I could have told him some things only I and my wing-brothers known, and that would have convinced him." Starscream said.
"Assuming you could have, what about the others? Could you make them believe, and even if you could, don't tell me that there aren't those there who might not see "accidentally" squishing you as a way of taking the leadership." Ratchet said.
Starscream actually paled, sweat breaking out on the face of the human body he wore.
"Yes, you're right, of course. There are a few I don't trust. I can't go back, not like this, but if they don't get me back, they'll either attack here – and possibly kill me in the process anyway – or they'll abandon me, turn on my wing-brothers, and hold a leadership contest." He said.
"That could be bad for your people as well, Sam, if the challengers decide that breaking, killing, or enslaving humans-or even your whole planet – is a viable part of the challenge criteria." Ratchet said.
"is there anything we can do?" Sam asked.
"We can pray there'll be a storm within five days, or hope I manage to design something to change you back within that timescale. Neither are very promising I'm afraid." Ratchet said gravely. Then he gave a start, his optics brightening.
"Actually, Sam, with Starscream's help, there is something you could do!" he said.
"What's that? Sam asked. Ratchet didn't answer, instead turning to Starscream.
"Did I tell you how good an act Sam put on out there? I don't think I did, did I? Had I not known differently, I would have thought that he was you. He certainly managed to fool Thundercracker. With your help on certain details, I bet Sam could put on an Oscar-winning act for your followers, Starscream!"
He turned back to Sam.
"Supreme Decepticon Leader Starscream, of course we can return you to your followers in five days, if you agree, of course."
Sam realised what Ratchet was suggesting, and felt light headed. Even Starscream had worked it out, and to Sam's horror, was nodding slowly.
"You are joking, aren't you?" Sam asked, even though deep down, he knew that he was not.