A/N Congratulations Lucas VN and Flowing Tears, you both won. Leave your OC's name, description, and personality in a review or PM.
Sorry, Flowing Tears, this is not going to be a happy story for now, but it does get better for Starscream, I promise. Oh, and this updates every Friday, I do believe you are thinking about All Part of the Plan which updates on Sundays.
Ch 3: Unfair
Rushing down to the med bay I impatiently wait for the door to open. Something was definitely wrong, I could feel it deep in my spark. Several mechs were already in the med bay when I stepped through, a few of them restraining my apprentice who was shrieking something in seeker at the top of her vocals. It took me awhile to figure out she was screaming 'Monsters, cruel, sadistic bastards!' in a mantra.
The bots holding her were Astrotrain and Ironhide. Something was dead wrong. All optics turn towards me as I make my way to the center to find Ratchet sitting on the edge of a berth and staring listlessly at the ground. Hook stood nearby, faceplates covered by his servo as he leaned on a wall. "What's going on?" I demand quietly. Astrotrain had clamped his servos over Skyseam's mouth components by now, leaving her muffled insults the only sound in the room.
"I need you to keep an open mind here." Ratchet begins. Astrotrain lets out a sudden yelp and pulls his servo away, shaking it. Skyseam had a nasty habit of biting.
"Don't listen to anything he says!" She manages to get out before Ironhide shuts her up by pushing her chin component upwards.
"Tell me what is going on this instant!" I command, spinning around to look Ratchet full on in the optics.
"Skyfire... Doesn't have much time left in him. There's a virus eating away at his processor." He lets the words sink in and I take a small step back. No, this wasn't happening. "There is not cure for this virus. I need you to make a decision here Starscream. Offline him now, without causing him pain, or keep him online and watch as he dies from the inside out, slowly and painfully."
My servos clench and I feel my frame shake. Why? Why me, why Skyfire? Surely he didn't deserve such a cruel fate; surely I could somehow take his place? "I-Is there n-no other option?" I choke out, diluted energon beginning to spill out from my optics. I back up, prepared to run out and pray this could just resolve itself. I wasn't ready to deal with something like this. The several other bots in the room move to block me, Thundercracker and Skywarp giving me guilty looks.
"I'm sorry but there isn't. Nothing can save him. I know because I've tried before on one other. I regret Elita isn't here to help you through this." Elita? Wasn't she that femme that was in love with Optimus? "Have you come to a decision?"
I wouldn't, couldn't, let Skyfire suffer slowly just so I could have a few more selfish orns with him. My spark clenched painfully at the thought that this would be the last time I would ever see my little Skyfire. "Yes, can I see him before he goes though?" I ask quietly.
Ratchet nods and leads me to a back room. Skyfire was sitting on a berth in the corner, arms locked around his legs. I wipe my optics and walk over. "Hey sweet spark." I murmur as I sit down next to him. He unfolds and crawls over to me sitting in my lap and cling to my front.
"Hook said I wouldna see you again nomores." I stroke his helm. "Daddy, I'm scared."
Wrapping myself around him I rest my chin over his helm and take a shuddering breath. "I know, but that's okay cause I'm scared too."
Hook walks over quietly, holding a syringe. "Now listen to me Skyfire, I love you very much." I tilt back to look at his face plates. He had begun to cry. I press a gentle kiss to his forehead, stroking his back. "You're going to have to be very strong now okay? Hook is going to put you to sleep now."
"Will you be here when I get up?" He asks as Hook injects him, the glitch in his systems stopping him from feeling the pain of the needle.
"Of course I am sweet spark." I murmur, his optics starting to dim. "Of course I am." I hold him tight against my frame in a final embrace, rocking back and forth.
I don't remember how long I sat there, feeling completely broken. It was long after Skyfire had turned a single shade of grey and had grown fearfully cold. What had drawn me out of my broken state of mind was another presence in the room. Optimus walks over quietly and sits down on the edge of the berth, not looking at me.
Finally, after a long silence, Optimus speaks. "Before I was a Prime Elita and I had decided to start a family. Our only sparkling died of a virus in his circuitry. No matter how many medics tried to explain it to her she always blamed me. It wasn't until further into the war that we had started trying to rebuild our relationship."
"Why are you telling me all this?" I ask, menace seeping into my voice.
"Because even though Elita hated me after that I was still there for her. I just wanted you to know that, if you'll have me, I can be there for you too." He finally turns to look at me and I curl a bit tighter around Skyfire's offlined form.
"… I would… appreciate it." I mutter. Prowl bursts in the door, fans whirring loudly.
"I'm sorry to intrude but Starscream is needed immediately in the Control Room!" Optimus glances at his second then looks back to me. I let out a small sigh and gently place Skyfire on the berth, folding his arms over his tiny chest plates. With a lingering touch to his helm I climb off and head towards the door, my plating feeling heavier.
Optimus walked next to me in silence. We reach the command center and I step up to the screen. A heavily damaged Soundwave looked back at me, half shattered visor revealing a pained optic. "Starscream: Requesting immediate medical aid." I narrow my optics.
"And why would the Decepticon Second in Command be asking for my assistance? Did you finally figure out who played the part of the living shield for the Decepticons?"
"Imploring: Please, Rumble needs immediate medical attention. Begging: Please." I feel my spark wrench painfully. Sure I didn't like Soundwave, a lot of Cons didn't like him, but I knew the Casseticons were in reality his creations. Everything looked so different when you lose a creation.
"Then give me your coordinates. I'll send Skywarp and Astrotrain to fetch you." Soundwave takes a shuddering inhale before giving me the coordinates. I turn around to see my small audience, this time a half and half mix of Autobots and Ex-Decepticons. Pressing a servo to my comm. link I search for Ratchet's frequency. "Ratchet can I ask you a favor?"
"Depends." The medic says, sounding cautious.
"Soundwave is heavily damaged and by his request it sounds as if Rumble is as well. I'm going to be sending out Skywarp and Astrotrain but they'll be unable to warp back if any one of them is in critical condition."
"Just send Hook."
"I can't, I need us to show a unified front rather than two separate factions trying to take down a third party. I would send 'Fire instead of Astrotrain but he's busy on the modifications." I hear the medic sigh.
"Fine."
"Alright Soundwave, we're sending out a team." Soundwave nods, optic flickering. "Don't you dare offline!" I shout at him and his optic flares back into life.
"Starscream, we're ready to depart." Skywarp calls along the link. I send him the coordinates. Finally taking a seat I continue to watch the screen, waiting for the team to get there. Optimus stood quietly next to me.
After a few moments Soundwave speaks again. "Rescue Team: Arrived." He informs me and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding in. Soundwave disconnects and I lean back.
"I didn't expect you to be so merciful. Not to mention you just put the entire crew in danger." I feel my lip components curl in a sneer and my servos grip the arms of the chair so hard the metal buckled under my touch. I hear the ex-cons drag the bots out of the room with a myriad of excuses. As the last one files out and the door closes I bow my helm.
"And what would you have me do?" I ask from between clenched denta plates. "The Casseticons are his sparklings Optimus." Tears threaten to spill over again and I jerk my helm to the side in hopes of hiding them.
"… I wasn't condemning your actions, rather I was commending them. Reports told me that you hated Soundwave. That you can overcome something as petty as hate… I admire it. Although I do wonder where you'll keep him. The schematics I looked over said you don't have a brig."
"We can lock him into one of the spare quarters with limited access to the rest of the base. I won't deny him visiting med bay."
"You're exhausted, you need more recharge." Optimus states, offering me a servo up which I spot from the corner of my optic.
"Nonsense, I just recharged several joors ago." But I take the offered servo anyway.
"You were in med bay for the better have of the orn." I look over at him in shock and his optics soften. Gently he wipes away the diluted energon from the right side of my faceplates and I flinch back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to overstep a boundary."
"I… didn't mean to flinch… The last bot to show any concern for my well being was Skyfire. I guess it's just a reflex that I think I'll get beaten every time someone reaches out." I take a small step forward and tighten my grip on his servo with a gentle squeeze.
A wave of exhaustion hits me and I slump forward, banging my helm into Optimus' chest plates, right under his windows. "I think you're right about that recharge." I begin to loosen my hold, preparing to walk back to my room alone, but Optimus tightens his grip. "But now I'm thinking you don't want me to." I say, close to chuckling.
"It's just I don't think you should be left by yourself."
"I'm not cuddling with you if that's what you want."
"Don't be ridiculous." He starts leading me out and ignores everyone we pass. I, on the other servo, scowled irately at those who stared. He leads me to his room, or my former one, much to my surprise.
"I can just use my room." I mutter as he leads me over to the wide berth.
"Well, even if we head to your room I still need to pick up data pads to keep me busy while you recharge." I flop down on the berth and give his arm a demanding tug. Optimus looks down at me, data pad from the bedside table in his open servo. "I thought you said you weren't cuddling."
"Shut up, you need recharge just as much as anyone." I mutter and he sits down next me on the berth. Locking my arms around his waist I rub my helm into his abdomen. I hear the click of a data pad being set down and Optimus shifts my arms to farther up his frame. Nuzzling my faceplates into his shoulder plate I fall into an uneasy recharge.
A/N Some fluff for you guys near the end there. I apologized if I made you sad. But never fear, things get better from here on out.