Midi's optics flickered as she awoke from an anything-but-restful sleep. The wall which she decided to lean against ended up to give her a sore back, along with, somehow, a headache. Pushing her dark-silver "hair" away from her face, she stood up and walked towards her desk. Perfect she thought, my stuff hasn't been touched, meaning Starscream hasn't woken up yet.
Being reminded of the said Transformer, Midi turned to witness a red seeker whom was still in a deep sleep rather than a coma. Midi smiled, thankful that the battered seeker wasn't feeling any pain at that moment. I better start taking care of those wounds, since Red Alert's hands are already full with Smokescreen and a ballistic Hot Shot Midi thought, smirking at the thought of a certain overly-panicked yellow Autobot freaking out as outrageously as in one of the cartoon shows that the kid's would occasionally watch at the base (along with the news to make sure that no other humans had discovered the Transformers, and to seem like they were doing something important).
Midi, after putting on her faceplate and helmet, left her room and made her way to the med-bay for some supplies to help Starscream. "Breaker, is something wrong?" asked a certain medic. Midi turned around to see Red Alert still working on the weather-beaten orange-and-blue Transformer.
"Um, yeah," Midi replied, reminded by the masculinity in her voice that her mask was on, "I'm looking for some medical supplies so I can help Starscream out a bit, since you've got your hands full already."
"Much appreciated," thanked the obviously exhausted Red Alert, "but do you have the skills? Have you even been trained in the medical field?"
"I did a bit of medical training in my 'former occupation'," stated Breaker with a straight face. "Starscream isn't in danger from just one serious wound; it's just a lot of minor wounds that would amount to a load of pain." Red Alert nodded and pointed to where she could find the medical supplies. After attaining everything that she would or even may need, Breaker bade farewell and good luck to Red Alert and Smokescreen and left the med-bay.
Upon entering her living quarters, Midi gasped slightly at the sight of Starscream on the floor in pain; he must've tried to stand up but with injuries to his legs prevented him from even standing. Putting the medical supplies on the desk, Midi kneeled down and tried to aid the red seeker. "Easy there," Midi told him, being reminded by the male tone in her voice that her faceplate was still on. "Let's get you back on the bed."
However, that wouldn't be too easy considering once Midi kneeled and offered to help the injured seeker, Starscream growled with resistance. Getting her attitude back, Midi stood up and said, "Look, in short: you're too beat up to stand. So, either you let me help you back on the bed or I'll let a furious Hot Shot have his way with you. Now, which one would you prefer?"
Being given those choices, Starscream ceased snarling and allowed Midi to help him back on the bed. After lying back down (and admitting to himself that it was much more comfortable than trying and failing to stand), Starscream inspected the Transformer who appeared to be determined to aid him. The blue-and-silver Transformer had cool orange optics, and after seeing him battle Megatron a while back, he obviously knew how to fight. Maybe it wasn't such an idiotic idea to go to the Autobots for help he thought as he watched the Transformer whose bed he was lying on organize the medical supplies which he had brought in.
"Hey," Starscream said roughly, trying to grab the attention of the blue Transformer. It apparently worked, considering the said Transformer looked at him curiously. "You have a name?" the red seeker asked quietly. Smirking behind her faceplate, the Transformer nodded and told him that his title was "Breaker". As Breaker began repairing him, Starscream kept asking more questions about him (Breaker); why he left the Decepticons, where he was stationed before, and why he despised Megatron so much.
"I left the Decepticons after discovering how they were treating the Minicons," Breaker began as he worked on Starscream's right arm. "Megatron needs the Minicons in order to fulfill his 'destiny' of becoming 'Supreme Ruler of the Universe', and he treats them like tools in which he could just throw away after they become useless. Also, the other soldiers weren't the most reliable; if you were stuck in a tight situation, they wouldn't bother to turn around. I was stationed on a base that was in a stalemate with an Autobot base in the north-eastern quadrant of Cyber City. I started as a Decepticon there, and left there as an Autobot."
"Was it worth it?" Starscream asked quietly, recollecting how poorly Megatron treated him in the past and blamed him for any faults during a mission or otherwise. He also thought of his former comrades and what they were probably doing at that time. Cyclonus is most likely asleep, Sideways is probably plotting like the slagger he is, Tidal Wave is most likely doing nothing until Megatron tells him to breathe, Thrust is DEFINITELY kissing-up to Megatron, and Demolisher is probably fawning over "how great and powerful" Megatron is. He smirked, knowing that all of the mentioned soldiers were most likely doing exactly what he thought at that moment.
With a nod, Breaker supported his question and told him that "he never looked back, but the past often threw itself into his face whenever it could". Starscream gave a murmur of agreement after hearing this just before cringing with pain from Breaker's repairs. "Sorry," Breaker yelped, jerking back the medical tool which caused his pain "but at least I'm done with your repairs!"
Hearing this, Starscream sat up and smirked with delight that his body didn't hurt. He carefully stood up and also found it much easier. "Thanks for the help," the red seeker muttered, "I don't think the other Autobots would've helped me as much as you have . . ."
"To be honest, neither do I," implied Breaker with a regretful tone.
"Well, it could always be worse."
"How do you figure that Starscream?" asked Breaker curiously.
"I could be here without someone who understands what I'm going through . . ."
Breaker looked into the yellow-orange optics of the defiant seeker and looked at him in a completely new perspective. He was staring right back at her; not glaring or anything like that, but just looking at her. The red seeker almost seemed like he was trying to figure something out about Breaker, but he just couldn't find the answer that he wanted.
A loud ratting on the door brought both of the former-Decepticons back to reality. A surprisingly flushed Breaker answered the door, but saw no one; that is, at her height. She quickly looked down into the eyes of four beaming human boys, each one beaming with a smile to their friend. "Morning Breaker!" they piped up. "Are you ready?"
"Ready? Ready for what?" the mentioned Transformer asked quizzically. Breaker became more puzzled at how the children all of a sudden had faces of extreme fright. Realizing that Starscream had come into view for the children and, being boys and assuming that the Autobots were going to punish the "Big Bad Decepticon" for abruptly running for help, obviously could not believe in a million years that Starscream would be joining the group.
Giving a nervous chuckle, Breaker quickly explained that Starscream was put under the former-Decepticon's supervision, having already gone through what the red seeker has. The boys seemed to understand and relax; appreciating that Megatron's former Second-in-Command was put under a good watch. "Does this mean we'll have to call it off?" Carlos asked sorrowfully.
"Whoa, I never said anything about that," Breaker stated with pep, remembering what the children had asked her if she was ready for. "I promised that I'd join you a week ago, and that's just what I'm gonna do!" Carefully, Breaker leaned down to the human boys and gently tapped Carlos on the head.
"Tag; you're it!" Breaker said hurriedly as she sped down the hall, the laughing humans close behind on their Minicon partners (Billy and Fred were riding Sureshock, Alexis's partner; they figured it'd be alright considering she wasn't there at the moment). Starscream, dumbfound at how a Decepticon could become so light-hearted and actually "play" with children, followed behind the humans after Breaker. If Breaker could be kind, could he?
Carlos, getting close enough to Breaker while riding his skateboard-transforming Minicon partner Grindor, jumped as far as he possibly could and latched himself onto Breaker's leg armor, screaming with joy how Breaker was now "it". Breaker stopped and laughed openly, complimenting Carlos on his victory for the human team. "I'm sorry, but what in Cybertron's name are you doing?" Starscream finally asked, the curiosity getting too extreme for him. The humans all looked up at the red seeker, slightly afraid and startled over not realizing that he had followed them.
"It's called Tag," Breaker said, getting over the laughing fit which Carlos had brought. "It's a human game. In short: someone is 'It' and has to 'tag' another person in order not to be 'It'. Since it's a Transformer verses humans, we've decided to make it one-verses-a-team. You want to join in? I'm warning you right now, you'd have to be on the kid's team."
"What? Why's that?" Starscream asked, puzzled over how he'd be on the human's team instead of paired with Breaker.
"Because," Breaker stated with a large smile shining in her optics, "You're too slow to keep up with me!" With that said, Breaker quickly tapped the red seeker on the shoulder and ran, screaming "TAG, YOU'RE IT!" down the hallway.
"SLOW! You OBVIOUSLY don't know who you're dealing with here!" Starscream yelled furiously, speeding down the hallway after the laughing blue Transformer who had just claimed him "It". The children, laughing over how Breaker had just made fun of the red seeker, followed close behind, not wanting to miss something memorably hysterical.
After what seemed only a short while, the laughing Breaker, followed dangerously close by Starscream and the children, managed to run up and down every hallway in the entire Autobot base. Starscream even had to admit that this game was indeed rather enjoyable, and started laughing after Breaker. It wasn't until Breaker led them into the training area that Starscream tackled Breaker to the floor with both Transformers bursting into laughter. The kids were giggling at the sight of Starscream still on top of Breaker and yelling "Who's slow NOW!" with a beaming smile on his face.
"That had to be the best game of 'Tag' EVER!" cried Billy after everyone had gotten over their laughing fit, smiles and smirks plastered on their faces. Starscream, getting off of Breaker, sat down next to the blue Transformer and let out a large sigh of agreement. Breaker sat up and looked at the red seeker with a slightly evil grin. Starscream noticed this and leaned away from the Transformer, wondering what Breaker had in mind.
Suddenly, Starscream found himself tackled onto the floor, Breaker straddling him on top of his waist. The seeker's optics grew huge at what Breaker cried out next and struggled to get the blue Transformer off of him before-
"TICKLE FIGHT!"
Breaker furiously tickled the red seeker in the small spaces showing; his neck and sides being the best choices. Starscream, feet flaring and arms struggling to get Breaker to stop, laughed hysterically, telling the blue Transformer to get off before he thought of something mean to do to "him".
"Not until you BEG!" Breaker stated with a beaming smile, still delivering the same onslaught of delight as before. The human boys were laughing so hard that they were gasping for air in between their fits. Billy and Fred were holding onto each other for support of not toppling over from their giggle-fit, which didn't do much good since they fell anyway, still laughing their heads off.
Somehow, Starscream managed to get Breaker off and was able to get in the same position as "he" was on him. "NOW," the red seeker began, "It's YOUR turn to BEG for MERCY!" With that small declaration, Starscream delivered the same onslaught of delightful torture as the blue Transformer had done to him; the children laughing even harder now, if physically possible.
This commotion didn't go unheard by the other Transformers, mind you. Optimus, Jetfire and Scavenger were having a meeting in the command room and heard it all the way from the training area, which is almost on the other side of the base! Every Transformer, aside from Red Alert who was still working on Smokescreen, made their way to the training area to witness what was causing the small group to be crying out with such laughter.
All of the Transformers who weren't present at the time entered into the training area at the same time, and all gasped with shock over the sight of two former Decepticons who were now rolling on the floor in order to tickle each other! Optimus stepped forward to oppose such behavior yet, after noticing that the human boys were enjoying it as much as the tickling Transformers were, the Autobot leader stopped and smirked behind his silver faceplate.
"Well, I'm glad to see that the two of you have become comfortable with your new atmosphere as an Autobot," Optimus said loud enough for the children and the two giddily-laughing Transformers to hear over their humor. Starscream and Breaker stopped rolling around and looked up into the optics of their comrades who were chuckling over the bizarre scene that they had just witnessed the two former-Decepticons perform. They both looked at each other with embarrassment, feeling their faces grow hot with crimson awkwardness, and gave the other a weak smile.
"Well," Breaker muttered quietly to allow only the red seeker and the human boys to hear, "you've gotta admit: it was fun while it lasted."
"Yeah, I'll give you that," Starscream replied as silently as Breaker had before, thinking to himself Maybe with you here, things won't be as bad as I thought; only with you here though . . .