Kin

Chapter 10: War's Cradle

Ratchet turned around in his med bay making sure everything was in the right place. "All right." He looked down "Your job is?"

"Take energon to those who need it." Shadow said softly holding a little metal tray. He smiled up softly.

"Good." Ratchet pet his helm softly. "I'll need your help…it might get very hectic in here." Ratchet said turning slowly and setting up a few more tools.

The youngling turned looking around as the ship quaked again. "Sire…" he frowned looking around "Optimus…Ironhide." He murmured.

"Your parents will be fine." Ratchet lied, he could not know that for sure. He wasn't even sure Ironhide could survive this not if anything happened. He turned making a final scan of the area to make sure he was fully prepared for anything.

"Ratchet?" Shadow walked up and took the medic's servo. Ratchet looked down meeting the youngling's gaze quietly. "I love you." Shadow said and grasped onto the medics leg.

"I love you too." He told the young one softly pressing the little helm to his hip joint. They all did, everyone on the ark cared for Shadow and loved him like he was not only a child, but also one of the crew. Their fondness of him was the reason they fought for him.

Shadow's little door-wings trembled slowly. "It's starting." Another quake. Ratchet looked around shaking his head.

"Yes…. let's go into my office until we are needed." Ratchet ushered the youngling away slowly his processor filling with dread. "Primus help us all…"

"Who's Primus?" Ratchet blinked and looked down at Shadow with blank optics. "Father said he would tell me one day but he never has."

Thinking a moment he smiled as another quake rocked the ship. Holding shadow close he sat down in his chair lifting the youngling up into his lap. "The story of Primus…" he began with a sigh "Is long but I'll tell you a little…. A long time ago…on a very distant planet called Cybertron." He smiled and Shadow listened intently between blasts and explosions that rocked the ship. One blast in particular scared the little one into Ratchet's arms and the medic smiled looking down at him. "And Primus ...created us all."

"THERE! OVER THE RISE!" Prowl motioned Prime ahead with a drawn out wave of his arm. "MEGATRON!" He said over the sounds of the weapons fire.

Optimus turned and looked back at Prowl "Alpha team…on my mark." Ironhide readied his firearm stepping up beside Optimus. "You will remain here…" Optimus commanded.

"Like pit I will." Ironhide grunted pressing forward ahead of Optimus

"THAT'S AN ORDER!" Optimus moved to decibels Ironhide had only heard under extreme strain. The serious of meeting those Optics compiled with the ache in the bond left Ironhide shaking his head. Stopping only two footfalls ahead of Prime he sighed. He frowned fully and nodded content to comply with the order as given; he knew it would take orders by Prime to keep him out of this.

"Yes Sir." He turned around meeting his bonded's gaze for only a moment before pulling the secondary sniper team with him. "Wheeljack! Perceptor, move to higher ground…focus on the seekers!" He commanded "Take them out of the sky!"

Turning Ironhide met Primes gaze one last time. "Go…" he said firmly "Before I stop you." He said tossing a side arm in Prime's direction.

Catching the weapon in mid air Optimus turned and sprinted down the hill line, meeting up with Prowl, Jazz, and Bluestreak. Heading over the rise; the four mechs found the last of the decepticons piling into the space-bridge. "Megatron! You coward!" Optimus said stopping his advance holding up his arm to stop his men.

"Not this time." The decepticon leader lifted a small device and pressed the button along it's top. As the space-bridge activated; the decepticons were ported away; setting off an explosion behind the four Autobots.

"JACK!" Bluestreak screamed, and in a panic he ran up over the hill "Come on guys ...the cons are gone we've got to get back." The grey mech ran up over the hill, the pursuit to the bridge had been a futile one. "WHEELJACK!" Bluestreak's panicked cries filled the air as he sprinted toward the base.

"Optimus?" Prowl turned seeing their leader on the ground, on his knees clutching his torso plate. Panic ran through Prowl's processor as he collapsed next to prime on his knee joints.

"Primus…Ironhide…" Jazz started to run "STAY WITH HIM PROWL." And soon the Porsche was gone. Prowl reached out laying a hand on Optimus' forearm trying to make some sense of what their leader was feeling.

"Sir?" It felt like the worst question in the world and the words are slick with fear. Optimus' optics dimmed slowly and came back brightly. "Sir …I…I.."

Optimus pushed him back standing forcefully. "He's alive…I need to get to him." He uttered quickly. "He's going into Stasis Lock."

"Primus." Prowl stood and tried to help Optimus, but the Semi wouldn't have it. He stood and tore away toward the base; his SIC hot on his heels.

"There on the table." Ratchet ordered as Prowl and Jazz lifted Ironhide's body up onto the medical berth. "hurry and get him up there while I get him hooked to the computer." Ratchet ordered pulling up lines to hook into the main system panel turning to reach back to force the screen around to his optics. "Come on Hide don't do this to us."

Bluestreak entered with Wheeljack in his arms, the scientist was online. Prowl motioned them over. "Put him on the next birth he's going to have to wait." In the mass hysteria around them the larger mechs didn't notice the child at their feet, who's optics turned to the size of saucers.

"Creator?" Shadow dropped his little tray spilling the energon across the floor. His optics began to glaze over with lubricant and he started for the berth trying to run to Ironhide. His Creator laid lifeless, servos hanging down off the medical berth as Rachet and Prowl moved to try to find a spark pulse. "Ironhide?" Prowl turned slowly looking down.

"Shadow." He murmured.

Optics cast to the little one on the floor. As a shadow loomed down over the little one coming to him, kneeling down, as the view of his creator was blocked off. "Shadow." Prime had entered behind Jazz and snatched the small mechling up in his arms in mid-stride. "I've got you…" Optimus pressed the little one close to his chassis.

"Sire?" He pointed back to Ironhide's lifeless body. "What's wrong with Ironhide?" He shuddered and shifted vents sniffling as the lubricant leaked out of his optics. "Why doesn't he get up!"

Optimus looked down at his some with sheer shock, he didn't know how to answer that question. Instead he pulled his helm closer and spoke as softly as he could. "Quiet…No questions now." Optimus said taking him out of the medical bay. "Just be with me right now, and I shall be with you." It was hard for Optimus to say, his vocals were cracking and his servos trembled holding the little one against him.

Moving to their quarters he was stricken. His Spark throbbed in its chamber. Opening the door he carried Shadow into their room. Laying in the berth he and Ironhide shared he held the small mech closely. "Your Creator is very sick Shadow." Optimus began slowly "Very sick…and this ….He may not come back from."

"What do you mean?" Shadow looked up wiping at his own optics.

"Ironhide may not come back online." Optimus reached his hand up pressing the digits into his optics to try to fend off the lubricant leak that dared to try to get out.

"Not online?" Shadow knew what that meant, his little body quaked as Optimus pressed the little one to his Chassis. "No ..NO…NO NO NO!" Shadow screamed pounding his hands on Optimus' chassis.

Optimus didn't stop him; he just continued to run a hand over the back of the little one's helm and back-strut. "Shadow…" he said softly "Try to be positive." Though he found that he was having difficulty with that as well.

The chime posted at his door. "Come in." Optimus called out. Sealing his optics holding the little one tightly to his chassis.

The door slung back and Jazz strode in. "I uh came to sit with ya." He said walking through the living area to the berth-room to see Optimus holding Shadow closely. Optimus' optics illustrated enough pain and anguish the third in command had to look away a moment to compose himself. "Prowl said he'd call if something changed." It was all he could manage.

Optimus didn't open his optics, he just nodded. Jazz turned his body away and reached back touching Optimus' servo. His servo was clutched upon and they just sat there like that, hand in hand. Optimus keeping Shadow close as he could. Jazz shook his head and lowered his optics to the floor and thought how he would feel if it was prowl. He shuddered and shook his head again. He felt like he could purge and the silence that was hanging in the air was making it worse. If it wasn't for Shadow's shudders and cries, he would not be able to handle it. He was barely handling it as it is.