Chapter 7

Okay, yes I know it was odd for Ironhide to be concerned for Starscream. Chalk it up to his being a 'good guy'. And if anyone noticed, Starscream said 'Optimus' instead of just 'Prime' in the last chapter. THEREFORE PROVING THAT HE IS BEING ASSIMALATED INTO THE SIDE OF GOOD. …. Or something like that.

And by the way, I do not know/think it is possible to 'slash' robots. O.o 's just my personal opinion

And my thanks goes out to Susinko for her input. .

o.o you need to elaborate with me on how his capture would be effecting his bwain. ... So send me an IM! Contact info is on my userpage. I'm available on AIM all day during most weekends until further notice.

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Barricade, I am with the Autobots. Their base of operations is a former human missile silo. Prime is proposing a peace treaty. Send signal for the Decepticon fleet. I will be in contact with you later.

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It had been a week since Starscream's arrival at the new Autobot base. Or… base-to-be anyway. And things had been going smoothly. Or… as smooth as they could be going. So nothing was perfect.

Optimus had been speaking with the human government at length somewhat frequently regarding Decepticon activity and Earth's safety. Bumblebee visited as much as possible, and Ironhide worked on accepting Starscream into 'the family'. And generally speaking, he seemed to fit in fine with the odd collection of personalities within the base. None the less, eventually both Starscream and Ironhide were admitted to the medical bay.

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"Ow... oww... oww... Agh!"

"Support your own weight damnit! Fragging whiner..." There was a soft whine and radio clips of apologies, "No no... You're not in trouble Bee."

"If I didn't need your help to walk, I wouldn't be touching you! So hurry it up! And it IS your fault!"

"I thought I told you to shut up!" There was a loud scraping sound from a foot half tripping along the floor, "Watch it! You aren't the only one hurt!"

Ratchet had been having a rather peaceful day, taking a break from inventorying everything and finishing the whole medical bay overall. He'd even taken his recharge longer than usual, which was highly uncommon. The day had continued with a casual reading on the many life forms on the planet he was residing on; Earth. It was very intiresting to see all of the varieties that a non-metalic organisim (a biological one) could evolve into. And not even that, all the theories and beliefs that heralded great followings called 'religions' were abound. Ratchet had begun reading various mythologies threaded together relating to a country called 'India' when voices and heavy footsteps became audible outside his medical bay door. Everyone knew (and would usually abide by such) that if you weren't injured, you didn't need to be in Ratchet's medical bay. There were the occasional acceptions, who would be booted out regardless of whatever new damage they would recieve while inside, and have to come back later. All too soon, the door was opened, an image of Starscream with his arm around Ironhide's shoulders hobbling in, followed by Bumblebee, who closed the door behind them, remaining around the two almost a bit nervously. They'd looked like they were in from the battlefield.

"Hey Ratchet." Ironhide waved at the medic, grumbling his greeting a bit as his partially severed arm lifted to offer a wave. Ratchet just raised a mechanical eyebrow.

"... Mind telling me what happened?" One of Starscream's optics had blacked out, both Transformers were limping, and there was a large tear at Starscream's shoulder (stopping him from lifting his arm), and most of the mechanical ligaments in Ironhide's elbow had been severed. Bumblebee was hovering in the background a bit, but moved forward to help Ironhide to one of the newly created medical tables. Starscream had started limping toward another table on his own, refusing help when Bumblebee turned to offer it. The armory expert was the one to speak up first,

"Genius here decided to upgrade the shooting range." There was a loud creaking and screeching sound as Starscream seated himself on the medical table, ragged edges of metal grinding against one another.

"Nothing would have happened if HE hadn't decided to turn it on! It was hardly finished!" Starscream pointed his unwounded arm at Bumblebee, who wilted a little. Ironhide growled.

"Don't blame it on Bumblebee! You should have said you were doing upgrades! That place was a slagging death trap!" Ratchet had started to get tools out, going to ask missing information after they finished arguing. If he didn't get fed up with it first.

"Even if I HAD told you about the upgrades, he would have turned the range on anyway! Your softness for that youngling clouds your judgement!" Ironhide's plasma cannons tried to engange, but failed with a saddening broken noise that signaled power being lost. The slightly aggitated mechanic laid a hand on Ironhide's raised arm and lowered it without much resistance in a buiseness-like fashion.

"You shut up! If you hadn't made the range more complicated, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Ratchet was pulling at Ironhide's arm, a forceful tug pulling his body back so he could start the general reattatchments of the arm. More delicate procedures could be done after that, and Ironhide would also heal himself. Luckily, it seemed like both needed minimal energon transfusions.

"You are neglecting the fact that your subordinate's irresponsibility almost got us dismembered!" The main hydrolics had been welded back together to make sure no more damage could be done until Ratchet could concentrate on the wound with more detail. He moved to Starscream's shoulder to stop the energon leak and seal it completely.

"He was just curious!" Ratchet began working on connecting the shoulder hydrolics back, earning a wince and having Starscream jerk his shoulder away as he continued to argue, Ratchet pulled his shoulder back to continue working.

"He turned the range on while we were WORKING on it!" It was getting harder to concentrate.

"You never said if-"

"QUIET! BOTH OF YOU!" Ratchet slammed his fist down on the medical table, denting it and instantly silencing the room. Two and a half sets of optics blinked at him in a little surprise(and perhaps some fear). There was a few moments of silence in which Ratchet glared at the previously arguing transformers before speaking, "... This is no one's fault entirely. Both Starscream and Bumblebee are responsible. Now learn from your mistakes and shut up." He returned to connecting hydrolics and sealing together the plate of metal that had been cut into, allowing what he said to sink in. For a while there, it was quiet, all eyes adverted and or downcast, with the acception of Ratchet's. Ironhide lifted his optics to look at the medic, allowing them to travel to Starscream whose single optic was staring fixedly at the floor as he skulked. Finally he looked to Bumblebee, who was looking very akward between them and the door, feeling guilty.

"... Kid, go clean up the range. We'll meet you later," Bumblebee looked up at the older Autobot, still looking saddened but gaining a glimmer of hope at the chance to redeem himself. Starscream had glanced up at them, watching as the yellow Autobot nodded and gave Ironhide an animated wave before turning to walk to the door, using the panel to open it.

Silence blanketed the room again, perferated by the clinks and welding sounds of Ratchet's work. After a while, Starscream absently lifted his unwounded arm to touch the disabled optic, fingering broken circuits to see if he could figure out what was wrong with it exactly. Ratchet had been able to get the jump on him and work on his shoulder without complaint, but he was going to double check EVERYTHING to make sure he didn't do anything unauthorized, or incorrect. Ironhide had glanced up at Starscream after a while, watching the Decepticon feel for the damage to his optic. If anything... he would still try to cooperate; for Optimus,

"... Sorry about your eye." Starscream's remaining optic looked up at him, blinking, apparently eyeing Ironhide to validate his sincerity, and if he'd accept the other's concern even if it was true. Ironhide accepted the silence as a 'mission failed'.

"... If you hadn't pulled me, it would have been my head," Ironhide's head shot up, blinking at Starscream who had his sights specifically adverted to the ground. He couldn't believe it... "and... I should have told you about the upgrades." Oddly enough, Ironhide was... pleased. Maybe Optimus's wish for peace wasn't so far from actual possibility. Despite the fact Starscream's voice was clearly a bit strained while admitting such facts, and he refused to make eye contact.

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It was about that time again; lunch time. Ratchet had paused his repairs, perpously having left their legs for last to keep them from moving. Starscream's eye had been repaired, and when the medic had left, he'd immediatly gone to inspecting repairs, using the reflection in the table to check his eye. Ironhide had been trying to keep himself occupied while Ratchet was getting them their energon, but eventually his eyes landed on watching Starscream since he was the only thing in the room doing something intiresting. He was finding the Decepticon's checking annoying.

"... Ratchet has been doing this for a long time, and he's good at his job." There was nothing else to do.

"Hnh," Starscream snorted slightly, "If I didn't check after every repair, I wouldn't be here today." He tilted his head as he looked into the table, finding nothing wrong with his optic, and that the vision was clear. So he had done a good job... that was a relief.

"You aren't around Decepticons anymore." Starscream lifted his head to look at Ironhide with a 'yeah, right' look.

"No, I'm around the enemy. I feel so much better." He scoffed and looked back down to the table to double check functionability. Now Ironhide was feeling fustrated since a while ago it seemed that maybe Starscream was starting to accept them as friends.

"What ever happened to trusting us?"

"Perhaps you forgot I'm here against my will. My coming here wasn't exactly 'pleasant'." Now Ironhide was getting just a little pissed off.

"You're here to try making a peace treaty work."

"As if I had much choice."

"Then what was that earlier?" Starscream frowned and looked up at him.

"... What was what?"

"Saying that you were wrong. And thanking me." Geeze, what was his deal?

"... because it was the truth." He leaned over to pick up one of the tools Ratchet had left on the table, starting to work on his battered legs. This left Ironhide looking at Starscream like he was presented with a rubix cube. Why the hell was he so complicated? Megatron wasn't this complicated. Luckily, the door opened to present Ratchet with cups of energon to stop Ironhide from fustrating himself more. He immediatly frowned upon Starscream, who ignored him as Ratchet walked to the tables and put the tray down. When he took the tool away from Starscream, the Decepticon glared at him and looked away. Ironhide settled for picking up a cup of energon and moving away from Starscream to ignore him.

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Mehh...

For inquiring minds: Yes, I plan on finishing this as a story all together (OMGNOWAI). Yeswai. I already know what I want for an ending. But we need more bonding time (because it is fun, that's why. Builds… suspense? Character? Trust? A relationship? Something like that…), and I need people to talk to me about the arrival of other Autobots and Decepticons. Talk to me about their personalities. Wikipedia only carries me so far-!