Protector XXV
Ratchet's spark went out to Kory as she clung to Al's limp figure, her body trembling with silent sobs. Optimus pulled up beside the Search and Rescue Hummer and opened a private line between them.
"Ratchet?" The red and blue Semi asked.
"Al's dead," the CMO said in a flat tone as he started to move again.
The entire ride back to the base was in complete silence. Optimus relayed the information to everyone in the convoy, except for Barricade. The red and blue mech, along with everyone else on the base, knew that the cop car had very strong feelings for the young red head. Because of this Optimus feared that the former Decepticon would become violent and decided that it was best for him to break the news to him himself.
By the time the seven of them arrived back at the base Kory had passed out from a combination of exhaustion and emotional overload. Ratchet, not bothering to transform, drove into the med bay and locked the door behind him.
The instant Barricade pulled into the base he shifted into his bipedal form and started towards the bay doors. He was stopped by the large hand of Optimus Prime resting in his shoulder. The black and white mech whipped his head around and was about to yell at him for stopping him, but the look in the Prime's dimmed optics made the energon in his lines run cold.
"No," he whispered as a look of panic spread across his metallic features.
"Barricade-" Optimus said as he tried to pull the black and white mech way from the med bay doors.
"NO!" Barricade yelled as he wrenched away from the red and blue mech's hold. "AL! AL!! AAAAAAL!!" He screamed as he banged his fists against the heavily armored doors.
"Barricade stop!" Optimus yelled as he pulled him away from the bay. The former Decepticon fought against he much larger mech's hold, but eventually gave up and let out a howl of grief as he clung to Prime's chassis.
Prime supported a good amount of the black and white mech's weight as he broke into grating sobs. No Autobot had ever seen such a blatant display of emotions from a Decepticon, former or otherwise.
In the med bay, Ratchet rolled to a stop and activated his holo-form. His spark ached when he looked down the unconscious form of Kory draped over her beloved friend's dead body.
"Kory," he said softly as he rested a hand on her shoulder. The brown hired teen opened her dark blue eyes slowly and looked up at Ratchet. Before the medic could even say anything, Kory sat up, opened the doors and climbed out of the Search and Rescue Hummer.
"Kory!" Ratchet called as his holo-form climbed out after her.
"Take care of Al," the young woman said in a flat tone as she continued to walk away from the Hummer. The CMO felt his spark break as he watched Kory walk away in such a lifeless manner.
The blue eyed teen simply made her way across the room and sat in a corner of the med bay. There she pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees.
Ratchet sighed and moved the lifeless form of Al from the back. His holo-form laid the young woman's body on the ground and the hologram disappeared. The sound of clicking and whirring gears filled the room as the CMO shifted into his bipedal form. Glancing at Kory, he scanned her quickly and found that she had a few scrapes that needed to be bandaged and a few bruises. Picking Al up, he sat her on a small human sized table and covered her with a sheet. He would deal with her body once he cleaned and bandaged Kory's wounds.
Crossing the room to the young woman he kneeled in front of her and his holo-form flickered to life. The blue eyed teen looked up at the brown haired holo-form and was greeted by a soft smile. Ratchet then started to tend to the small cuts on her arms and face. A few minutes later and he was almost finished patching up Kory when raised voices could be heard right outside the med bay doors.
"My fault?!" Ironhide's low voice boomed. "You're Decepticon buddies are the ones that did this!" He yelled.
"You're the one that wasn't keeping an optic on Kory!" Barricade roared back. "And now Al's dead!" Ratchet's energon boiled and his holo-form dissipated. Unlocking the med bay doors they hissed open and he was greeted by the sight of Ironhide and Barricade mere microns from beating the slag out of each other.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" The medic yelled. Every mech in the room froze under the fragged off CMO's glare.
"Do you two have any idea how Kory feels?!" He snapped. "Hearing you two argue like this only make it worse!" No sooner had Ratchet said that his audio's picked up on muffled sobs. Ratchet was instantly at the young woman's side.
"Shhhh its ok Kory," the medic said as he tried to calm her down. "Kory!" A five foot tall blur shot out of the med bay and sprinted down the closest hall. Ironhide made a move to chase after her but Ratchet stopped her.
"Leave her alone," the medic said in a sad tone. Ironhide's optics dimmed in sadness as he watched her run down the hall.
"C-Can I see Al?" The black and white mech asked softly. Ratchet's gaze softened at the former Decepticon's request. He nodded and showed him in.
Barricade kneeled beside the table that Al was covered on. His spark ached. Clasping his hands together he rested his forehead on them and closed his optics.
"Is there nothing you can do for her?" He asked in an almost inaudible voice. The CMO rubbed his optics.
"There is," he sighed. Barricade rounded on the medic, eager to hear what it was.
"But," Ratchet said firmly. "Its extremely risky and…I can't do it alone. I need the mech that first purposed the idea."
"Who?" The cop car pressed, he would fly all the way back to Cybertron to get them if he had to.
"Wheeljack."
Kory had made countless left and right turns and was now deep within the base. Not only that, she was lost as well. Sniffling, she put her back to the wall, slid down it and pulled her knees to her chest. She still couldn't believe what had just happened. Al was dead, and it was her fault. The stinging of tears came to her eyes and she rested her head on her knees. Kory was so deep in depression that she didn't even hear the sound of an approaching mech.
"Hey," a voice said softly. The young woman's head snapped up and she came face to face with the red Lamborghini twin Sideswipe.
"H-Hey," Kory sniffled as she wiped her face with the heel of her hand.
"Need a lift?" Sideswipe asked with a smile as he rested a hand in front of her. In that bright smile Kory saw Al, and she could never say no to Al. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she climbed into the younger mech's hand.
Sideswipe sat her up on his shoudler, figuring that she'd have a better view from up there then his hand. He had only been walking for a few seconds when he started to hum an old Cybertronian tune. The soft vibrations of Sideswipe's humming slowly relaxed Kory's tired body and she felt her tensed body relax. Feeling this, the red twin smiled.
"Thanks Sides," Kory said softly.
"Anytime," Sideswipe replied softly, a smile gracing his features.
A/N: XD (runs and hides from readers)