"Well? How is he?!" Bulkhead urgently questioned when Ratchet stepped out of the med bay, his hands gripping the catwalk's rails in nervous anticipation. Some of the other Autobots were also awaiting to hear about Wheeljack's condition.
"Wheeljack sustained critical damage to his central nervous system," Ratchet began gravely, "I've managed to get him stable, however, his systems are virtually fried and I'll have to do more work on him otherwise. What on Earth happened to him anyway?"
"He went after Soundwave while Smokescreen and I were busy with Breakdown and Knock Out. We had our afts handed to us and by the time we caught up with Jackie…" Bulkhead tightened his hold on the rails in frustration. "I swear, that drone is going to pay the next time I see him!"
"Bulkhead, revenge is not the answer, nor the solution of helping Wheeljack." The team leader responded, resting a supportive hand on Bulkhead's shoulder. "What he needs now is the support of his friend."
"Blaster?" The Prime appears next to the uncharastically worried Autobot, "Is there something troubling you?"
"I just have lotta things on my mind as usual."
"Any of those thoughts concerns your brother?"
Was Blaster that see through? The Dj bot gave a sigh. "Course. There's a whole section of my processor dedicated to him. It could be my imagination, but Wheeljack's injuries are way too… messy for someone like Soundwave to cause. Don't take this the wrong way, but Soundwave likes to make his victories as clean and effective possible."
In other words, Wheeljack should be with one with the Allspark. Optimus understood the message, aware of Soundwave's reputation of once being a gladiator with an incredible ability for tactical and precise kills.
"However, Wheeljack got a sloppy job. We should thank Primus for that, although it's just bothering me that something may wrong with him. Aside from joining the Decepticons." In all this seriousness, he added that last remark to lighten the mood.
Meanwhile, Smokescreen was having his own 'crises'. "I can't believe I got the invisible century taken away from me! And by that narcissistic medic!" It was like watching a baby crying about his candy being stolen.
"Smokescreen, I can think of a hundred things that could be worst than losing a fashion accessory…" Yes, Arcee knowns the ceinture is an important relic that the Cons have now, but Smokescreen is being overly dramatic about it while Wheeljack went through pit and back with Soundwave.
"We should be more worried about the device the Decepticons got a hold of." Jazz focused the group on the bigger and more important issue on hand.
"Which I could have gotten if I didn't mess up…"
"Smokescreen, consider yourself lucky you got out with your life and the phase shifter interacted with the rest of you. It ain't cool to think about what you could've done if you didn't do it." The special ops said, which actually seemed to calm down the newbie.
"Say, why didn't you have the invisibility thingy and phase shifter on at the same time?" Rosanna hums. "You could have practically been unseeable and untouchable."
And Smokescreen lost his chill. "I'm so stupid!"
Eject was surprised at the quick change. "His processor must still be recovering from the flu."
"Or still recovering in general." Arcee rolled her optics.
… … … … … … … …
"I-I can't move…!" came an alarmed choke from the med bay.
Ratchet swiftly attends to Wheeljack, already fearing the worst and prepared for the outcome. But first, his patient needs to be in a relaxed state of mind. "Wheeljack, stay calm."
"Whaddya mean stay calm!? I can barely feel half of my body and- argh!" He clutches the patched up area of his chestplates. "And the parts that I have feeling left hurts like slag…"
"You're experiencing paralysis due to fried circuitry. The damage is extensive, and it's going to take time before you can have some mobility… You've been out of commission for a few days, and- Wheeljack, don't force yourself to move!" Is this mech serious? Trying to rise off the mech berth like he got an armor scraps on the knee plating.
"I didn't move in days, so of course my joints are a little bit stiff." Thankfully, Wheeljack couldn't muster enough energy to lift himself off.
However, knowing his persistence, Ratchet couldn't afford Wheeljack to try again. "And not because of lack of activity!" Wheeljack, this is serious! If so much as a wire snaps, there's no fixing the damage it could cause! So I order you stay down and rest until I say so otherwise."
Wheeljack grumbled an affirmance, which Ratchet heard a hundred times from bedridden Autobots he's dealt with in the past. There's usually one thing that mech's in Wheeljack's position would like to hear.
"You can have visitors now if you like. Everyone's been worried sick about you."
"Including you, Sunshine?" Good to know his sense of humor wasn't fried out.
"Don't make me induce you into stasis lock."
… … … … … … … … … … …
"Jackie! Glad to see you up, buddy." When Bulkhead heard the news, naturally, he'd be the first to jump into the med bay, next to Miko who was out of school for the day.
"Yeah. You were out for a while. How do you feel?" The Japanese teenager asked, elated to see Wheeljack's open again.
"Like I stuck my digits in an oversized toaster oven…" right after said toaster oven stabbed Wheeljack with his own sword. "Worst part about it, thanks to tall, dark, and brooding, I'm on medical leave for Primus knows how long."
"Hey, it sucks to be on bedrest. But you'll be back on your feet in no time!" Encouraged the green Autobot.
"Exactly! You're tough as nails!" For emphasis, Miko threw air punches.
This brought a small smile on the once gloomy face. "Thanks, kid."
"And I bet Soundwave got the worst of it too, isn't that right?" Miko enthusiastically questions.
"Yeah… You think I look bad, you should have seen the other guy. So, did I miss anything?"
… … … … … … … … … …
"Has anyone seen Raven?" Arcee walks into the main room holding a rather cranky Chirpwing on her hips. She pretty much took the responsibility of taking care of this child while still being Jack's guardian. How is she not exhausted yet?
Smokescreen, who was playing chess with Jazz, looked up. "Who's Raven?"
"The cat plushie that Chirpwing won't take a nap without."
As to prove a point, the little techno-organic whined excessively. "Raven… I wan' Raven!" Ever since his voice box started to function normally again, it was cute, until expressing how cranky he was.
"He loves that thing more than I did as a kid." Jack's mom, June brought some of his childhood toys for Chirpwing. His absolutely favorite of the bunch was a black and white kitty plushie.
"It's funny he calls a cat plushie Raven. You know, because it's not a bird. It's a cat. He gave a cat a bird's name." Too bad Eject fails to know that if you explain a joke, it's no longer funny.
"Someone is proficient in knowing animals. Chirpwing may have competition." However, Rosanna's joke can provoke a few snickers.
"Raven…" Chirpwing whines, looking quite irritable for a child who is missing their nap time. "I wan' Raven…"
Arcee sighs, having to hear this for the past ten minutes. "Do you remember where you put him?"
Chirpwing sniffs, threatening to cry. "No, I wan' Raven now…!"
"Geez. Does that kid want some cheese with that whine?" Jazz remarked.
"You gotta love that child logic. Ah… I remember going through that with my minicons." Blaster looked off into the distance like a parent reminiscing about their children.
"You still deal with it now with those two," Laughed Jazz, "'Blaster, I lost my microphone, find it for me' 'Blaster, I no idea where my lucky football is and my favorite team is playing tonight!'" he replayed the classic moments via mimic.
Offended at the crude imitation, the pink minicon scoffs. "Rude!"
"We don't sound like that!" huffed the other minicon.
"I dunno, he captured you guys to the tee." Smokescreen chuckled, moving his white bishop to corner Jazz's king. "Ha. Took your queen." The kid grinned triumphantly, seeing Jazz's shocked reaction… that only lasted 2 seconds.
"Checkmate. You left your king wide open." It was Jazz's turn to grin.
"Great. It means you two aren't busy anymore. Now help me find Chirpy's plushie." Arcee demanded the two mechs for assistance.
Right after chuckling at Jazz and Smokescreen's groans of unwilling acceptance, Blaster notices Bulkhead and Miko exiting the med bay. He decides to pay a visit to the Wrecker, strolling up to downed mech. "So, how was the nap?"
"Pleasant," Wheeljack looks up at the orange Autobot, "I had a dream that Ratchet was actually nice to me… Although, that was only because he was going to tell me some terrible news." Good thing said medic is out calibrating the groundbridge.
"Isn't that reality?"
"Could be," Wheeljack shrugged the best way he could, "So what brings you here? You know a song that will instantly cure me?"
"I can get Rosy on that."
"As long as it's something new. I already had to suffer through Bulk's obsession phase with her music. There wasn't a day in the jackhammer when he didn't ask to play her songs on the comm links. I got tired of listening to 'Asteroid Star Blitz' and I used to like it enough to tolerate it."
"That was one of her most popular song," Blaster mentioned. Then he changed the subject. "I actually got a question. If you don't mind talking about the fight you had with Soundwave."
"Oh, my darling brother? He didn't ask much about you. He didn't say a lot, to be honest. I don't think he has a sociable personality." Judging by that tone, he is still a little sore about the recent fight that left him a cripple.
For that reason, Blaster made sure to word his questions more carefully. "I heard you two fought toe-to-toe with him before. During your second encounter with him, did he seem different?"
"Well… I did notice a few things. He's a lot shorter. I can see part of his face. Oh! He wears clothes now."
Blaster deadpans. "Seriously, Wheeljack?" To be fair, that question was a little vague.
"What else is there to say about a mech who has nothing to say to me? All I cared about is making sure he stays down one way or another. It may not have started out as a fight to the death, but he was fine if it went that way."
"Then let me change my question. How did that fight go down? Minus the end part."
Wheeljack raised an optic brow. "Where are these question coming from?" Normally, he would tell his stories out like a sailor tells his tales without a filter, but with Blaster, it feels like an interrogation.
"From a curious bot who likes to have information about showdowns."
"Nosy bot sounds more like it. But if it would please the crowd of one," Wheeljack shifts into a more relaxed position, "It was me vs versus faceless. I caught him running off and I stopped him in his tracks. At a glance, the battle was one-sided, The mech couldn't keep dodging my attacks forever and I wasn't enjoying having a pint-sized opponent. I threw in a few quips to express my disinterest, and right when I thought I had him, well, no need for me to spoil the ending."
Thinking about it now, Wheeljack definitely had the advantage of height and thick armor. Even that much could have weakened a skilled Soundwave. "What did you say to him?"
Wheeljack paused to think. "Right before I had my lights knocked out, I taunted about not seeing his bird buddy documenting his screw up."
"Laserbeak?"
"Soundwave must of still had a grudge when I shot him out of the sky."
"I'd believe it." Dang, it's a surprised he lived at all. If someone messed with Blaster's minicons, he'd make sure they would never walk again… oh. Good thing he didn't say that out loud.
"Does that satisfy you?"
"Very much. Sorry if this became an interrogation. It's kinda in the job description to collect data and analyze it for future reference."
"Any excuse will do to stick your olfactory sensors anywhere." Wheeljack waves him off.
"At least your sense of humor isn't damaged. Get better soon, dude." And with that, Blaster took his leave, processing the new information. Although, that was put on hold when his minicons appeared in front of him.
"How's Wheeljack? I… Eject and I wanted to see how he was doing." Rosanna asked, correcting herself in mid sentence.
"He's alive. He's a little down in spirits, unfortunately," Blaster began, followed by a gloomy sigh, "If only there was someone who can raise his morale from the grave by the power of music."
"I'll do it!" The cybertronian popstar beamed, her visor twinkling, "I mean if he likes music."
"You can't go wrong with 'Asteroid Star Blitz.'" Blaster recommends.
"Okay!"
Upon hearing a favorite song, Bulkhead's excited gasp rivaled that of a teenaged girl. "I love Astroid Star Blitz! Er…" Miko, on the other hand, eyes narrowed as if she's judging her guardian. "It's uh second to Slash Monkey's, 'Ride or Die Tryin'."
… … … … … …
As time passed, Wheeljack's injuries proved to not be as fatal as Ratchet emphasized it to be (although, that was mainly for the purpose of making sure he actually rest). Wheeljack trudges around in the main room as he yet again tries to walk off his injuries as nothing. He still stumbles on walking- if you could call it that- not to mention most of his body still feels numb like his circuits are encased in ice. After being permitting to at least stand a few times a day, Ratchet recommended Wheeljack to use crutches if he desires to get around, which the Wrecker refuses to use.
"Wheeljack, aren't you suppose to be taking it easy?" Jazz, being concerned, reminded him to not be too hard on himself.
"Did you take it easy when you had stitches?"
"We have two very different types of injuries. Don't compare the two, mech." It was fruitless trying to convince Wheeljack to stay off his pedes.
"Leave it up to the power of the great Rosanna and her musical ability and charm to raise the spirits of the Wonderful Wheeljack." Rosy, despite sounding really braggy, is happy to see Wheeljack on his pedes.
Miko is too, but there's no way in pit she's giving any credit to Rosanna of being any help.
"Couldn't have done it without ya." Wheeljack did not have the spark to tell Rosanna he really can't stand 'Asteroid Star Blitz, so he put in a request for a new song, In the meantime, he needs to find a way to unscrew Blaster's head from his shoulders and throw it into the deepest, darkest hole on the planet.
"You gotta be kidding, Raf," Jack spoke into the phone with Raf on the other line. "You of all people grounded?"
:: Big time. I misplaced some homework and blew a couple of tests. ::
"Translation- A-minus instead of A." Since the conversation was on speaker phone, Miko chirps in.
:: I'm probably spending too much time at the base. ::
:: Rafael, I hope you're not on the phone in there! :: Blurted Raf's mom in the background.
:: No, mama! Say hi to Bee for me. Until I improve these grades, I'm off Team Prime. ::
Miko frown at the news, right after glancing over at Wheeljack struggling to put his full weight on his pedes. "Just as we get one back, we lose another."
… … … … … … … … … … … …
The terminals make an alarmed beep. Soundwave noticeably perks up when it turns out to be a detected life signal. Alas, he shrinks down in disappointment, but straightens up, by the time Megatron and Knock Out sees the screen upon hearing the sound.
"Strange. Lord Megatron. It appears that Dreadwing's signal has popped back online, albeit corrupted." Knock Out puzzled over this conundrum.
"Investigate with caution, " Megatron commanded, "This may well be an Autobot trick."
… … … … … … … … … … … …
"Didn't you tell me Airachnid finished him off?" Once stepping out the groundbridge with a small army of vehicons, the techno-organic Knock Out questions his partner while standing on a vehicon's shoulder.
Breakdown shrugged, looking around at the military base from the same view as the redhead. "Well, I didn't see a body per se… So, maybe?"
Before more doubts spread in the bruiser's mind, a loud explosion caught their attentions, followed by one of the nearby buildings gaining a new hole in the wall. Emerging out of it is a silhouette of a very familiar flier.
"Dreadwing?" Breakdown was astonished, believing the flier was gone for. "I thought Air…" He stopped. Something was not right by the way Dreadwing was looking at them.
Knock Out sensed it too. "What happened to you?"
"As much I would want to return the question, I do believe neither explanation will be nearly as interesting as this to Megatron." The poser flashed a briefcase towards the Decepticons. Breakdown froze, recognizing the voice to not be Dreadwing's but Silas… "So, take me to your leader." The looks of confusion gleamed off of Dreadwing's green optics.
And that's a wrap! So so sorry for the late update. School life started again and I was STRUGGLING. But everything is manageable now. I haven't forgotten about this story, I swear~!
I have this entire chapter already planned out and 67% completed, so the rest should come out relatively soon.
Next time, we're going to have the events of the Human Factor playing out a little bit differently~
