Friend or Foe? VII
"DECEPTICON SPY!" The paranoid assistant medic yelled as he pointed at Echo accusingly. Every head in the mess hall shot up when they heard that, even Echo's. Said youngling may have been very young, but that didn't mean that he didn't understand what the red mech was talking about. Echo's lower lip quivered and his entire frame started to shake slightly.
Ratchet's scanner picked up on Echo's distress and was angered to see that Ironhide made no attempt to comfort the youngling or to yell at Red Alert. The CMO got to his feet and immediately confronted his apprentice, yelling at him in Cybertronian.
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe didn't even know that a youngling was on the base and were, well Sideswipe was, almost instantaneously in front of the small mech. The red twin meant well he really did, but he didn't know much about younglings, especially ones that were afraid of almost everyone they came across.
It was only when the Red Terror reached out to pick Echo up that the black weapons specialist seemed to realize just what was going on in the room.
"Sideswipe I wouldn't-" Unfortunately, his reaction was too little too late. Echo saw the new mech's hands coming towards him and he panicked.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" Echo curled up into a defensive ball and let loose an audio sensor shattering scream. Every mech in the room, and the nearby halls, had to stop what they were doing and cover their audios to keep them from overloading.
After half a breem of screaming Echo's vocal processor was reaching its max and his throat was starting to burn. However, what he really wanted to know was why the strong black mech or the nice silver one weren't comforting him. They hate me, they all hate me, Echo thought to himself as he continued to scream.
Not even half a second later the mini Decepticon felt a warm hand touch his curled up frame. Whimpering, he pulled away and curled in on himself even more.
"Shhhhh," a new voice soothed as one of the hands rubbed his lower back calmly. Echo didn't know who this new mech was and at this point he didn't care, he just wanted to be held. Hiccupping softly, he let the stranger pick him up and hold him in his arms. A familiar gravelly voice spoke to whoever was holding him in Cybertronian but the new mech simply said something short in reply and turned and left.
It was only when the two of them were out in the hall that Echo realized how warm the mech carrying him was. Letting out a few tired clicks, he onlined his crimson optics and found that he was nestled safely in a pair of large red and blue arms. Echo looked up lazily only to come face to face with none other then Optimus Prime.
Echo's bright red optics widened in horror when he realized just who was holding him. The Autobot leader felt the youngling in his state to panic and wracked his processor to think of a way to calm him down. He feared that if Echo screamed again he would injure himself, and that was the last thing he wanted.
Lifting Echo up he rested the youngling's head on one of his broad shoulders and stroked the back of his helm gently.
"Shhhhh," the red and blue mech soothed as he continued to rub the youngling's helm. "I'm not going to hurt you." Echo hiccupped softly and braved a look up at the large mech holding him. Red optics met blue and he was surprised to see a warm smile on the Autobot leader's face.
Just as Echo was about to say something Jazz appeared from around the corner at the end of the hall. Echo saw the silver mech and let out a string of happy clicks and chirrups as he reached for him. Jazz's face brightened when he saw the bundle of wires in Optimus's arms and picked him up.
"'Ey li'l guy," the silver mech said as Echo wrapped his arms around his neck and clung to him tightly. The saboteur looked at Optimus slightly confused. The red and blue mech sighed and motioned for Jazz to follow him to his office.
A few minutes later the three of them entered Optimus's office, along with Ironhide. Jazz gave the old black mech a confused look, then turned back to the red and blue mech.
"Wha' happened?" The saboteur asked.
Elsewhere, two pods crashed deep in the woods of Southern California. The larger of the two unfolded and stood up.
"What a disgusting planet," it growled in a low voice as it looked over its shoulder, only to see the other pod unfolding. "Wouldn't you agree Thundercracker?"
"Well at least it isn't The Planet of Junk," the smaller replied looking around. Before either of the two new mechs could say anything, their audios picked up on the low rumble of an engine. The sound was followed by the scraping of metal and gears as the black and white form of Barricade emerged from between the trees.
"What the frag are you two slag heads doing on this Primus forsaken planet?" he growled as he folded his arms across his chest. Skywarp snorted slightly at the smaller mech's comment.
"Don't be too happy to see us," he said sarcastically. "We're here because Nemesis decided to…have fun with a certain youngling."
The black and white mech's optics widened in shock upon hearing this new information. All of the Decepticon's knew about the youngling known as Echo and that Megatron had specifically said not to harm him, well not severely anyways.
"How the frag did he get here?" He asked but he quickly cut them off before they could answer. "Never mind, just scan something so we can get the frag out of here."
"You did wha'?!" Jazz yelled at Ironhide in Cybertronian. Echo's head shot up when he heard the silver mech that had been holding him raise his voice. Since he hadn't been around a lot of older mechs, he didn't understand much Cybertronian but it was obvious that the one known as Jazz was not happy about something.
"Jazz, please calm down," Optimus said as he rubbed his optics tiredly.
"Calm down? You want me fraggn' clam down?!" He yelled. "'Hide pretty much jus' demonstrated that he doesn't care 'bout Echo and you want me to calm the frag down?!" The smaller mech was on his feet now, having sat Echo on the edge of Optimus's desk, and was on the verge of hurling himself at the black mech with rage.
"He's a Decepticon," the weapons specialist said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"HE'S A FRAGGN' YOUNGLING!" Jazz all but screamed as he slammed a fist into the wall beside him, leaving a dent in its wake.
"JAZZ!" Optimus said as he narrowed his bright blue optics warningly. It may not have showed, but Jazz had quite a temper if it got the better of him.
"He's still a Decepticon," Ironhide growled as he glared at Jazz.
"D…D-Decp…ticon?" Echo stammered out. The three older mechs in the room looked down at him with wide blue optics.
Echo looked at Jazz then to Ironhide and lastly Optimus. It was only then that he noticed the red emblem on the red and blue mech's chassis. Reaching into his subspace, he pulled out a small purple Decepticon emblem. He looked at the small item in his hands and then looked at the one on Optimus's chest.
Realizing that they weren't the same his crimson optics widened and up at Ironhide. Looking into the youngling's optics he winced inwardly when he saw fear shining deep in them. Fear. He was afraid of him.
"Echo…I-" the black mech was cut off by Echo dropping the emblem and sprinting out the door as fast as his little legs could carry him.
