Author's note. Once again I'm overwhelmed by the response to my story, thank you everyone. Sorry for the slight wait in getting this chapter up, but I didn't want to rush and make a mess. Reviews are very welcome.
Skyfire's POV.
How had this happened. Why had this happened. These were the thoughts of the Autobot shuttle Skyfire as he stared down at the broken seeker cradled in his arms.
Mere moments before he had been returning to base when he'd noticed there seemed to be some sort of commotion over by some rocks. Curious he transformed from his shuttle mode and flew over to see what was going on.
As he flew closer he could see Optimus, Ironhide and Prowl gathered around something. He could also make out Bumblebee standing further back. What were they looking at, there was something on the ground at Optimus's feet. A sudden jolt went through his spark as he saw what, no who it was. Starscream.
But something was wrong, something was very wrong. Starscream was crouched on the ground. Weeping wretchedly, seemly trying to shield himself though Optimus and the others were making no move to hurt or even apprehend him. What was going on.
And as he came steadily closer he could hear the pain in Starscream's sobs, such raw pain that Skyfire himself cried out.
"Starscream"
At his cry, his comrades turned to face him as he landed and came hurrying over to them. To his amazement as he approached the seeker, the others having moved out his way, he saw something in Starscream's optics. Was that a flicker of ..hope?
"Starscream" he repeated more gently this time, coming as close as he dared to the seeker, who when emotional didn't like anyone too close. Starscream's sobs had ceased though tears still flowed down his cheeks, making Skyfire's spark ache. And then Starscream whispered his name, almost in question.
"Skyfire?"
Skyfire gave him a small nod of yes. His face shone with concern as he grazed at Starscream, he had never been one for hiding his emotions. The two stared at each other for a moment. Then Starscream's face crumpled and he lunched himself at Skyfire with a wild cry.
"Skyfire"
Skyfire had jumped a bit, but Starscream wasn't attacking him, he was hugging him. Skyfire automatically put his arms round Starscream as the seeker bawled, clinging tightly. As he rubbed his hands comfortingly across Starscream's back, he looked to the others for an explanation, but they just shook their heads, they had no idea what was going on. And then he heard the whispered pleas.
"Please don't let them hurt me, please Skyfire. Don't let them."
"I won't" said Skyfire as he held the seeker even closer to him. What else could he say. What else could he do. "Your safe Starscream, nothing can hurt you, I'm here"
Skyfire realised his old friend was slipping into stasis lock as his pleas and sobs became fainter. His spark ached even more at Starscream's next words.
"Don't leave me, Skyfire, don't leave me again."
"I won't, Starscream, I promise" Skyfire said firmly as he felt Starscream's hold on him weakening.
"Don't" whispered Starscream as he finally fell into stasis lock with a drawn out shudder. Skyfire carefully rearranged his friend, yes friend so that he was laying bridal style in his arms. He couldn't believe what had happened.
Yes he had seen tears of anger, tears of frustration in Starscream's optics. Starscream had shed some tears with gritted teeth when he been severely injured. But he had never seen him cry. His friend had changed, but there were still some things Skyfire never expected Starscream to do.
Skyfire stared intently at him for a few breems before, looking up to up at Optimus, Prowl and Ironhide. He was dimly aware of Bumblebee staring to move closer.
"What has happened to him?"
He said this to Optimus, who shook his head grimly.
"I don't know Skyfire, I just don't. But I have a bad feeling about this."
"Yer not the only one, Prime" said Ironhide. "I seen ole Screamer do begging before but this.."
"He was truly afraid" said Prowl grimly. Prowl now stepped forward and touched Optimus's arm. "Prime, we need to get out of here, whatever happened to Starscream could potentially happen to us."
Bumblebee gave a small squeak of alarm and now hurried over close to Optimus. Optimus patted his shoulder saying reassuringly.
"I don't believe we are in any immediate danger, however it would be prudent to get inside the base. Skyfire" he said kindly.
"Can you manage him?"
Skyfire nodded, and stood up. The five of them set off back towards the base, with Optimus walking beside Skyfire. Prowl and Ironhide walked closely at their heels while Bumblebee walked between them.
"We'll take Starscream to the Medical Bay first, Ratchet will look after him while we have a meeting and discuss the situation. Prowl contact Red Alert have him increase security, for now. And contact Jazz, I want him in on the meeting too."
Prowl nodded and comm'd the two Autobot's. They walked in silence, each absorbed in his own thoughts. Skyfire was his part was numb with worry for his old friend who, incredibly had reached out to him. Skyfire had thought he had lost him when he became an Autobot, as surely as Starscream must have when he was lost in the ice.
But could this mean they could rekindle their friendship? He knew how angry Starscream had been when he'd 'betrayed' him, but this incident surely proved that Starscream missed him as painfully as Skyfire had missed Starscream. The way he had clung to him.
He looked sadly down at the limp seeker in his arms. Starscream's expression was peaceful but he still had lines of pain etched in his tear streaked face. One of Starscream's arms was hanging lifelessly, swaying slightly as Skyfire walked. Skyfire couldn't bear seeing it, so he hoisted Starscream more securely in his arms so that his arm was no longer swinging.
Autobots gaped at them as they marched through the Ark's corridors but a stern glance from Ironhide and Optimus halted any questions. Skyfire felt his face heat up slightly, he didn't enjoy too much attention and he held Starscream closer. As they neared the Med Bay, Jazz caught up with them.
"Hey, there" he greeted in his usual easy fashion. He stared unabashed at the prone seeker. "What happened to the Screamster?"
"Later, Jazz" Optimus replied. "Ratchet" he called as they entered the Med Bay. Ratchet looked up from the data pad he was studying, when he saw Skyfire, he immediately jumped to feet and hurried over.
"We don't know what happened to him. He was conscious when we found him but suffered some kind of breakdown, whether it was due to his CPU crashing or." Optimus broke off helplessly.
"Put him on the table" ordered Ratchet, his optics running over Starscream's form, looking for signs of obvious injury. As Skyfire moved towards the table, Ratchet gave Bumblebee a critical look.
"You were in a fight" he said flatly. "With Starscream I presume?"
"It's nothing" said Bumblebee. "I've been in worse scraps with the twins."
"Nonetheless, you're coming back later for a check up" Ratchet said firmly, his tone leaving no room for disagreement. He turned and strolled over to the table Skyfire was gently laying Starscream. Ratchet grabbed a scanner and started his initial examination.
"Come and see me, Ratchet, when you've finished looking over Starscream" said Optimus. "We'll be in Room 12B1, discussing what happened."
"Maybe I should stay" Skyfire whispered, trying to smooth the lines of pain out of Starscream's face. "I promised"
"He won't be waking up any time soon" said Ratchet, as he examined Starscream's head. "He's pretty out of it. If anything changes I'll call you, but I think it's best if I examine him alone."
Skyfire stood uncertainly for a moment, but he would only get in Ratchet's way if he stayed, he knew the medic hated people hovering over him as he worked. And so he followed the others out the room, casting one last look at the prone seeker.
Once they were in the meeting room and everyone but Ironhide, who always preferred to stand, had sat, Optimus spoke.
"I think we should begin with Bumblebee and what happened between him and Starscream.
"Well I was just outside the base playing with my new ball that Spike gave me, when somebody grabbed me and started dragging me away. At first I thought it was the twins."
"Doesn't everybody" muttered Jazz.
"When I realised it was Starscream, I stated struggling, thinking it was another kidnap the small Autobot plot. He roughed me up a bit before throwing over those rocks. But then."
Bumblebee paused and shook his head, he was still really confused about the whole incident. Optimus and Prowl had frowned at the 'roughed up' part but didn't interupt as Bumblebee continued.
"He was weird, really weird. He started ranting about how he'd show us, I asked if he'd blown a circuit and he went crazy and started punching like crazy. I was trying to fight him off me, but then I saw that he was..crying."
Jazz looked dumbfounded at this information. Everyone else looked grim.
"He just kept muttering how he wasn't weak. And that's when you guys appeared" Bumblebee trailed off looking at Optimus.
"We had heard a commotion near those rocks so naturally we rushed over to investigate. We found Starscream wrestling Bumblebee on the ground, and naturally I ordered him off."
"Optimus sir" Bumblebee suddenly said. "I know it looked bad from where you were, but somehow, I don't think he really meant me any harm. If that makes sense."
"In light of what happened, yes it does somehow. I went over to apprehend Starscream when..he..started shaking, and collapsed on the ground seemly convinced we were going to hurt him."
"Did you offer him any violence" asked Jazz though he thought he knew the answer to that question.
"Our guns were trained on him" answered Prowl. "But he surely wouldn't expect anything less since we found him hurting Bumblebee. But apart from that nothing."
"Prime jus put his hand on Starscream's shoulder and that's when he seemed to have some sorta panic attack." said Ironhide. "That's why we're so uptight, we don't know what happened to him."
"Correct, Ironhide, he only seemed to calm down a bit when Skyfire came over to investigate. Before that he was pleading with us not to harm him." Optimus said brow furrowed.
"I've never seen him like that" Skyfire said. "He...clung to me and begged me to protect him."
"We've certainly never seen him like that either" Prowl began but there was an almightily bang as the door to their room flew open and Ratchet stormed in. Everyone jumped in shock at the noise and at the look of fury in Ratchet's optics. Opitmus leaped to his feet as did the others. Ratchet was welding his infamous wrench in a menacing fashion and looked ready to use it on someone.
"What's happened" asked Optimus as Skyfire cried "Is it Starscream, is he alright?"
"No" growled Ratchet, his optics blazing. "He fragging well isn't."
"Ratchet" Optimus began. "What?"
Ratchet breathed in sharply, his face a mask of sudden pity, before saying in a voice of anguish.
"He was raped, Optimus. Starscream was raped."
Author's note. Ah a cliff-hanger. Next chapter, Ratchet's POV and the Autobot discover the true horror of Stascream's ordeal. I'm probably not doing Ironhide's accent the way it should be, there was this great story where someone wrote Ironhide's voice so well, you could practically hear it. Ah well, I'll do my best. Till the next chapter.