"You have GOT to be kidding me."
Ratchet had returned to the base just a few minutes before, Ironhide and Bumblebee tagging along. Sam, Mikaela and Simmons were there, too. Everyone stood around the fallen Decepticon, wondering what had happened. Ironhide took one look and then went to the wall of the hallway and leaned against it, crossing his arms. What Optimus was asking was WAY the hell out of left field. Ratchet looked up at Optimus incredulously. Optimus shook his head.
"No, I am not, Ratchet. He needs help. You are the best equipped for it," he said, kneeling down and inspecting the damage that Ironhide had inflicted. Ratchet stared down at the unmoving figure, noting how his optics were still operating, but dimmed significantly. He was in stasis now, and would not know anything that was going on. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, not liking the idea of helping a Decepticon.
"But Optimus, he's a-"
"Decepticon?" Optimus interrupted, looking up at his medical officer, a slight hint of annoyance veiled in his voice. "It shouldn't make a difference, Ratchet." He said pointedly. Ratchet stared at Optimus. Something had changed.
"Optimus,what happened?" He asked quietly, hearing the others behind him settling in; they were going to be there for a while. He watched as Optimus stared at Starscream, his internal processors whirring quietly, indicating he was thinking.
"Starscream...he was once an aspiring scientist on our planet long ago. Do you remember the times when anyone on Cybertron could bring ideas to the Leaders?" the Autobot leader asked of Ratchet. Ratchet nodded simply, listening to Prime. "Well, he was one of those who brought forth an idea. Young, ambitious... his idea had been turned down. But today, I managed to get through to him. He remembered something..."
Ratchet stared at Optimus in shock. Never had he seen his leader have this much compassion for a Decepticon. He shook his head, still confused as to why Starscream bothered Optimus so much.
"But, why does..." Ratchet started, but he was cut off.
"Because I was the one who turned his idea down." Optimus said simply, a hint of sadness clouding his deep voice. Ratchet blinked, shocked.
"You feel bad, like you forced him to join the Decepticon side", he said sofly, amazed. Optimus didn't say a word. Ratchet stared at his leader for a moment longer, then kneeled down beside him, flicking on the lights on his chest to better inspect the damage. If Optimus had good reason for helping a Decepticon, then by all means, he had just as good a reason to follow it. He finally understood why Starscream seemed to mean a lot to Optimus now. It had been several thousands of years since that had happened, and Optimus had long since forgotten that time. He knew the war now, and that knowledge always seemed to sadden him just a bit. Ratchet knew where Optimus was coming from. He missed the old peaceful times as well. But this was here, now. And he was here in front of a Decepticon, faced with attempting to repair him. He scanned over the badly damaged Decepticon, noting the damage. He let out a low whistle.
"Who did this again?" He asked, turning around and looking at Ironhide, raising a thick metal brow. Ironhide saw his look and shifted nervously, suddenly in a light he didn't want to be in this time.
"...I did."
Ratchet's eyebrow seemed to go higher as he stared at him.
"You damn near killed him, Ironhide. There's a lot of damage here," he said, turning back around to Starscream. Mikaela watched with interest, thinking. She glanced at Sam, who was watching with wonderment. They were this close to Starscream and they weren't in danger. Ironhide made a sound that sounded remotely like an engine revving, but deeper and more gutteral.
"Well, he's a Decepticon," he said defensively. "How was I supposed to know that Optimus wanted to SAVE him??" he asked, uncrossing his arms and standing away from the wall. Optimus held his hand up.
"Ironhide. Stop. My reasoning is this: The Decepticons may not be on our side, but they are Cybertronian, just like us. Today was a breakthrough in my eyes, Ironhide. Think about it. We may yet have the chance to start repairing the rift that formed so long ago by this simple act of helping someone on the opposite side. Do you want to fight in this war the rest of your life? If we have the chance to start the repairing process, then we should take that chance, no matter how small it is," he said, his words once again sinking into everyone and making perfect sense. Ironhide stared at him, then growled and walked a few feet away. He wasn't happy, but he knew Optimus was right. NONE of them wanted to continue fighting in this war for longer than they had to, and this was the perfect chance. Starscream, though not liked by much of the Decepticon faction, would be considered a leader by some. Once found out that the Autobots had helped him, it would create a ripple effect, though small, assuredly. Optimus turned back to Ratchet.
"Can you help him, Ratchet?" He asked, looking down at the damage, recording all of the areas that were burnt and in some cases, still sparking here and there. But that had decreased significantly since he went into stasis. Ratchet took another moment to inspect, finally nodding.
"Yes, but I may need some help. There are some repairs here that are very delicate and may need some assistance from someone here," he said, pointing at the area where the blast had affected Starscream the most. It was charred and some of the wires and inner workings were fried and even melted together. "But I don't know if I can give his wing back. It looks as if Ironhide's weapons disintegrated it. His regenerating systems should do most of that, but I need to get this damage repaired first in order for them to work. Once done, his stasis period will be shortened considerably. He will, however, need a recharge of energy. Due to my scans, I am seeing that he has lost energy due to another injury unrelated to this one." He looked back up at Optimus. "I will need time." He said matter-of-factly. Optimus nodded.
"We shall stay here tonight. Sam, Mikaela, if you need a ride back to your homes then I am sure Bumblebee or Ironhide would be willing to give you a ride." he spoke, looking at the two. Sam shook his head.
"No, I want to stay here," he said, stepping a step closer to Bee. He wasn't about to leave his best friend behind again. Optimus nodded, understanding. He looked at Mikaela, who also shook her head.
"I'll stay...maybe I can help somehow...?" She partly asked, partly stated. Ratchet turned to her.
"Mikaela, our systems and your earth vehicles are completely different," He stated, looking at her, watching as her look turned to slight disappointment. He thought about it for a moment. He could at least direct her as to what to do. He looked at Starscream's injury again, then turned back to her. "However, you may be able to do some of the repair work that I cannot. You can help me, and I will help you to do so." He nodded at her, raising a large metal hand and waving her over.
Mikaela smiled, happy to be of help. She glanced at Simmons, who, dispite his earlier attitued, seemed interested in what was going on. He took a step closer, trying to watch, but not wanting to get too close. He had already done enough damage and he knew it. One wrong move would have one of them training their guns on him, and he glanced at Ironhide, betting it would be him. So he just stood back, watching.
Mikaela stepped up next to Ratchet, and he picked her up gently, his large metal fingers curling around her waist. He moved her over to where the damage was and set her down on Starscream's back, uncurling his fingers. She started to lose her balance as she stepped wrong, and Ratchet kept his hand there, watching as she grabbed his finger for support. Once her balance was gained back, she nodded at Ratchet.
"Thanks, Ratchet." She said, looking up at him and smiling. Then she looked down, staring in wonderment. Never had she been this close to Starscream, much less had she ever touched him. It was unnerving at best. She shook her head and took a couple steps forward, kneeling down and looking at the damage. Ratchet pointed at a group of wires and metal that had been meshed together.
"I need to get those wires free. Do you think you can do it?" He asked, hoping she would be able to help. Granted, he COULD do it, but it would take more time and tools that he didn't have. Mikaela looked over it, and then looked at Sam.
"Sam, you got a knife on you?" She asked, needing something small and sharp to help. Sam, looked down, rummaging through his pockets, coming up with nothing. He looked up, shaking his head.
"Nope. Left it at home. Sorry..." He said, giving a sad sort of half smile. Mikaela sighed softly, looking down. She could try with her nails, but...
"Here."
Everyone turned to the voice, surprised to see Simmons holding out a switchblade knife. Optimus raised an eyebrow and Ironhide snorted. Ratchet nodded and Mikaela smiled at him.
"Thank you, Simmons. Ratchet? Could you get that for me?" She asked, noting the fact that she would have to climb down to get it. Ratchet nodded and held his hand out to Simmons, who leaned forward and gingerly placed it on Ratchet's finger. Bumblebee made a wierd noise that sounded vaguely like someone trying not to laugh and Sam looked up at him, grinning. He found this situation funny as well. Simmons was, in effect, helping Starscream.
Ratchet gave the knife to Mikaela, and she flipped it open, setting to work, carefully working the wires and metal apart. Ratchet too, set to work, and thus began a night of tedious repairs and work. Over the night, everyone except Ratchet and Mikaela had retreated to the base's mess hall, where Sam and Simmons found something to eat. Sam made a couple of sandwiches and grabbed some water bottles and took them out to Mikaela.
Mikaela was so engrossed in her work that she didn't see Sam at all until she reached up to wipe the sweat from her brow.
She saw him out of the corner of her eye and turned to him, smiling down at him.
"Sam, what are you doing here? I thought you were with the others." She asked, wiping her hands on her pants. They were covered in lubricants and oils, along with black char from the injury. Her face and shirt were equally streaked with the same black char and lubricants, showing that she had really gotten into her work. Her hair was tousled, messy looking now, stray strands and flyaways sticking to the side of her face and forehead by the sweat. Ratchet looked up from his work. They had made some serious progress, and the injury was cleaned up quite a bit and the repairs were coming along nicely. He held a hand out to Mikaela.
"If you want to rest for a bit, you may. You are overworking yourself." He said, noting her level of fatigue. She smiled at him and nodded.
"I am not taking a nap, but I will take a short break." She said climbing into his hand. Ratchet lowered her to Sam and she stepped off, looking at Sam, who held out the sandwiches and water.
"Thought you could use something to drink and eat," he said as she took the food from him. She sat down on the floor, leaning against Starscream's shoulder for support. Sam joined her. "Ratchet's right, you look exausted. You should get a nap or something." He said, looking worriedly at her. She bit into one of the sandwiches, noting the turkey, tomato, cheese, mayo and mustard. It was good. She looked at Sam, shaking her head, swallowing her bite.
"No. I am not tired, for one, and two, the way Optimus is reacting to this whole situation...it is rather motivating. Ratchet has been rather helpful in directing me on what to do, and when I get into working on something, I usually don't like stopping until it is finished or I get tired enough I try to sleep with the grease,"she said, grinning. Sam laughed at her, watching her take another bite.
"Fine then, have your fun. Just be careful. Don't hurt yourself," he said to her as he stood up. "I'm going to go let Optimus know what is going on. He will be happy to know that the repairs are coming progressing."
"Oh, so you're playing reconissance for Optimus now, huh?" she said, giggling at him. He laughed.
"Sure." He nodded at her and left her with a smile as he turned around and walked back down the hallway. She finished her sandwich, saving the other for later. She set it on a large boulder that had been shaken down by the earlier blasts, placing a napkin under it. She grabbed her water bottle and walked towards Ratchet, who stopped his work long enough to help her back up.
"Mikaela, thank you for your help. Without you, I would not be done until a about two days from now." He said, placing her back on Starscream's back. She knelt down and pulled out Simmon's knife again, setting to work again. Her water bottle rested next to her against her leg.
"Hey, it's not a problem, Ratchet. I don't mind helping." She said, smiling at him and giving him a nod before turning back to her work. It wasn't long before she was completely engrossed in her repairs, listening to Ratchet as he told her what to do.
The morning sun had risen several hours ago. Everyone had either fallen asleep or went into a recharge state in the mess hall, save for two. Mikaela and Ratchet were still hard at work, the repairs nearly complete. Mikaela raised a hand at last, wiping sweat from her eyes with the back of her wrist. Her hands were covered in grease, lubricants and char. Her part of the work had been finished. She had long since gotten the wires free, and she had managed to repair several other things as well. She sat back, looking at her work, feeling proud. Ratchet looked at her with a look of significant approval.
"Well done, Mikaela. You have done better than I thought." He said, obviously impressed. He had been watching over her most of the night, helping her to find what goes where, and she did everything to the best of her ability. She looked up at him,
a grin on her face.
"Thanks, Ratchet." She looked down at Starscream. One of the things she had ended up repairing, which was the most tedious,
was his Spark casing. That was the injury that had been aquired a while back, during the big battle at Mission City. She had been able to get to it because of her size. If Ratchet had tried, he would have had to turn Starscream over to get to it. But she was nimble and small enough to fit in to get to it, working slowly, every couple of minutes describing something and asking Ratchet what to do. Together they got most of Starscream's systems to a point where, when he was brought out of stasis, they would be operating efficently. "How much longer do you think?" She asked, a part of her anxious to see him back online to see if she had done it. Ratchet looked thoughtful.
"If all goes well, we may be able to bring him back online in a few moments. The repairs you did to his Spark casing have helped tremendously. His energy levels have been slowly rising again." He said, standing back for a moment and looking at Mikaela. "Would you please go and get Optimus? He will want to be here."
Mikaela nodded and ran out, her adrenaline pumping now through her veins. This was sooner that she had thought they would him back. His wing was irrepairable, but his regenerating systems would fix that. Ratchet stood there as Mikaela ran out,
staring at Starscream. Part of him wondered if anything they were doing would make a difference. He hoped so. He leaned forward again, tinkering with the last repairs that was needed. He ran an analysis on Starscream as he worked, noting that Mikaela's repairs to his Spark casing were doing much more than he had anticipated. His systems were mostly online, but were still registering as being in stasis. He would have to fix that here in a moment. He repaired a couple more wires and closed a panel, standing back. He ran another analysis, tracing energy signatures. They were rising steadily, a good sign. The energy from his Spark was growing again, indicating he would be coming out of stasis soon.
Loud, rumbling steps shook Ratchet out of his thoughts and he turned towards the noise in time to see Optimus rounding the corner, Mikaela sitting on his shoulder. He stopped next to Ratchet and helped Mikaela down.
"Status report?"
"He's stabilized. His wing will be repaired itself, due to his internal regenerating systems. His energy levels are rising and he will be online shortly," Ratchet responded. "If all-"
Ratchet was interrupted by a loud whining noise as Starscream's systems came back online fully, his optics growing brighter.
A loud groan escaped him as he tried to move slowly, not fully aware of his surroundings. All he remembered was trying to fight Optimus, and then his vision pixelating. He vaguely remembered thinking that he didn't want to go into stasis, not yet. He slowly lifted his head, his hands moving to his side as he tried to push himself up. Ratchet, on instinct, moved to help him up, being very cautious. Starscream finally stood, shaking his head. He looked around, finally registering where he was at. His eyes met with Optimus Prime, and he just stared, a dark look on his face.
"Optimus..."
