Co-Authered by Kitra and Omicron

"Human spoken dialogue"
"~Human speaking rough Cybertronian dialogue~"
"Cybertronian spoken dialogue."
::Cybertronian communication/Comm. Line dialogue::
-Bumblebee's translation dialogue-

Added note: Somehow I missed putting the proper chapter 9 up O.o so here's the update for that, look back at "Dark Energon" for the formally missing chapter!

Atlantis

Rescue Team

Wing carefully tucked Jack against his frame, twin blades flashed in his hands as he drew both his short swords out of their sheaths. The blades crossed in front of the human protectively Wing pressing his back against a wall to make sure he could not be ambushed.

The human retreated to press his back against the wall, well back and behind the blades that were bigger than him. "Oh man..." Jack breathed, watching as purple light became visible dim of his shoulders and arms.

Wing hummed reassuringly, huddling protectively over the human, trusting Cliffjumper to know what he did best. "You okay Jack?"

"I don't know," The teen admitted, clutching his Key as he press against Wing's leg for protection as Cliffjumper moved ahead to confront what was in the dark with a growl.

The jet gently bumped the teens shoulder with his forearm. "It's gonna be okay." He glanced down to check on the teen briefly before his optics went back to scanning the darkness for the aggressor.

There were all sorts of sounds coming from the dark now, at least in that passage Cliffjumper had gone, away from the feeling of a spark. The boy gripped the forearm and pushed, pointing down the way they had been heading, "Wing, if their waking up, we have to find that mecha," he said as the red warrior just blocked to the path to them, "And get that other femme out of here."

Wing nodded and moved his arm away, then nudged Jack. "Go ahead I'm right behind you. Cliff should be able to handle this for the moment. Better scout the area while he makes sure we go unnoticed for now." He glanced to where the shock trooper was undoubtly doing his job.

The boy hesitated, and it was understandable before he pulled his bandana up and started off, this time at a near trot. Wanting to go faster but he seemed to know not to run, and was avoiding being too fast. The teen fallowed his Key to another large form sitting just inside this passage as it opened to slope down to still water. There was a smell of salt water from it, and fish moved in the light under the surface. Even barnacles and muscles were seen on the edges.

Jack was right up on the new mech's leg, glancing back at Wing as he pointing to the long Great Sword clutched in front of him. The chest plates almost completely open and head bowed, he was using his own bulk to shield a smaller mecha wedged into a crack behind him.

"He's still alive!" Jack said, pushing a hand against the Knight's front, and then pressing against the metal to listen and feel the weak spark pulse before looking back up at a rather... unhealthy looking Great Sword.

The jet froze when he felt the contaminated swords field aggressively pushing against him. He muted his vocalizer to avoid the keen that would have done nothing but cause trouble for now. Shifting closer, Wing carefully used on of his own swords to pry the Great Sword off and push it to the side. He was not keen on finding out if it could hurt him right now.

"What about the smaller one?" Wing croaked, carefully reaching into the chest to push the inner armor, that had undoubtedly closed to shield the spark before he had dropped offline, away, revealing the small pulsing orb beneath. He gently brushed it before manually closing the other Knight's chest entirely.

He eyed the smaller frame that had been shielded, but suspected the grey faded armor was a very good indicator for a spark that had long since departed.

"I can't tell," Jack said, trying to climb the old, but still smooth armor. he pressed his Key to the mech, taking a few deep breaths as he tried to focus. "There's... something in the shell but its not like you or this guy... lower I think? smaller?"

"A sparkling?" Wing whispered quietly, it was the only solution he could think of, but for it to have survived for such a long time... Almost impossible. He motioned Jack to get out of the way as he lifted the barely alive knight up and dragged him away.

As the larger form was pulled away, a connection line between the two snapped. Not before tugging the minibot, and the smaller minibot jerked before he slowly collapsed in a heap. Even in death he was curled around himself, to protect that tiny spark. It seemed the Knight had rigged the connection to give his energon to the mini- intending to die and not need it, so in a longer stasis both carrier and new spark would stay alive. But it seemed that the Minibot dedicated all his recourses and self to keeping his sparkling alive, to the point of sacrificing his spark to save it. Though much of the details of this wouldn't be known until Ratchet had a chance to look at these mecha.

Jack dared come closer, crawling into the minibot's curl as energon leaked out of the broken connection, to find where the spark was, then back up as he saw gold looking back up at him, "Right here... Can... I mean, can it stay or..." The teen tripped over his own words, he didn't know much about Cybertronian reproduction. Was it passable to get the weak spark out? There was now a distinct feeling of a ticking clock now that the two were disconnected.

The jet churred uneasily. "No. The sparkling needs something to sustain it. I can jury rig my systems much like my near dead comrade did, but it takes me out of the fighting. And I definitely can't carry both of them. One has to stay, and the knight isn't on the priority list right now. We need to get the carrier back to base as quickly as we can."

He glanced around, figuring the tiny alcove of a cave they were in wasn't going to be large enough for the bridge. He glanced back the way they came and then to the water stream, trying to make a decision of what would be the fastest way to a larger area.

There was a thumping sound not far behind them, and the revving of a car engine before Cliffjumper's headlights came into very as the mech rounded that last curve, "That will only work for a few minutes- time to head back up- who are those?"

"Grab the knight and his sword and lead the way." Wing said as he poked around his own systems before rigging the same kind of connection up to feed the carrier's otherwise dead system the fuel it needed to contain the stasis-locked sparkling. He glanced to Jack then ushered the human to jog after Cliffjumper as he lifted the minibot into his arms, processors already turning over ideas on how to get through the tight passages.

"Sword?" Ciffjumper leaned over, reaching for the contaminated blade, and from how he froze- locked up and his optics shifted to solid purple, fangs bared, he... wasn't expecting it. Boarder lining on a dark edge, he struggled without moving to seize his mind back. Growling the mech pushed and gripped the hilt tighter, "...Fragit!" he bellowed, unable to help it. "That thing bites!"

Wing gave the warrior an apologetic look. "It's contaminated. Sorry I didn't warn you. I can't touch it without risking myself. If we find a way to cleanse it, it will probably apologize."

He swiftly moved to Cliffjumper, pressing a part of his own frame and his own sword against red armor, allowing his sword to work against the effects a bit. "We have to move quickly, before time's up for us."

The shock tooper shook himself, Dark energon felt a little more clearly in him as he ruffled his armor so to say. Then with a glance at Wing, the new connection, down at Jack and then very clearly growled at the gem of the Great Sword, "Yeah? Well for now, you- not so shiny, you're going to behave for me." The mech shifted his grip and after something unseen, heaved the sword around to his back to slid it between armor plates to grip it that way without brackets. The mech grunted again, giving Wing a smirk despite everything as he stooped to start lifting the bigger Knight. "Well, found an advantage of once being a terrorcon- thing is listening a bit."

"Good." Wing said as he motioned for Cliffjumper to take the lead again with Jack.

"Jack, you hear anything, don't be shy- and get back behind us." The red mech said as he dragged the Knight, and had a feeling he would be half crawling with this mech- and the other femmie. There was no way he was leaving her down here. When passing the side tunnel he snarled as loudly as he could, threatening what was in the dark to stay back- or reminding it to.

The jet followed as closely as possible, when the passage got tighter he shifted the dead frame around, slinging it over both shoulders as he ducked down onto all fours to get through the tightest part.

Cliffjumper hauled ahead, grunting as Wing ran into his aft, but ignored that, "The frag?" he demanded, leaving the stasis locked Knight to feel and dig around.

Wing churred and regarded the scene. "She's gone?" He glanced down and Jack, then over his shoulder. "Forget it, Cliff. If something or someone got to her we can't go looking. Get going again, this one needs us more than the femme does." Wings voice carried as much authority as the young jet could muster, which was, with his background, quite a bit.

The trooper looked back, a little more blue in his optics, but he glanced back down. Casting around them before grabbing the stasis locked Knight, heaving him forward before spotting the drag marks. He growled and shifted to half drag the mech through the narrow part, watching for the path of the drag marks and back to where the raspy growls and clicks were following them, staying just outside their light, as if it was a barrier.

The white mech was venting in relief when they were back at the point the passages had branched. He glanced back getting a tiny glimpse of their follower.

It looked both familiar and not the armor like someone from the Circle- Maybe not a Knight after all. Or maybe it was. Flushed with purple in the joints and face, optics dark and unlike some other terrorcons there was not much glow. It was starving, and seemed like a sliver of something mech like staring through the hungry gaze.

Cliffjumper heaved the stasis locked mech up and over his shoulders, glanced back and snarled, getting an animal like sound out of the terrorcon as it retreated back into the darkness to hiss. "Come on Wing, before any more show up." He glanced down as Jack climbed up on his foot, aiming his light backwards.

The jet whined softly but nodded and moved, this time taking the lead, not really sure he could stand having the terrorcon close like that. Wing made short work of getting back up and out of the passage, only waiting once he could stand upright again properly.

"So there is a new Autobot," A voice said from the far right side, before Cliffjumper came out.

Wing whipped around, not dropping the frame slung over his shoulders, but shifting it easily to at least pull out one of his blades, the blue plasma flaring to life along the razor sharp blade. "Who are you? And I'm not an Autobot."

A hand cannon was already aimed at him, the black, gold and white mech arched an optic ridge at the sword. He snorted at it, not thinking much of the blade, shifting so that the limp form behind him was seen. The femme that had been hidden below- either something or more likely he had been there and pulled her out.

The jet stayed where he was, unafraid of the blaster. He could toss his sword the fairly short distance, while it was activated. Wing also knew it would easily sever the mechs arm off.

"I do not mean harm, Deadlock." Yes, he obviously knew who the mech was, remembering from when he had seen him through the surveillance.

"You drew first." The Decepticon said, glancing behind Wing and back to golden optics. "Interesting find." He said as Cliffjumper growled behind Wing.

"You startled me." Was the sole answer Deadlock got from Wing as the white mech lowered his weapon, the plasma sizzling out of existence. "What do you want from us?"

Deadlock tilted his head, glanced at the human, his optics narrowed a moment as he saw the Key before Jack could hide it. Taking in the mech that Cliffjumper was bringing out and rumbled, "Just doing my new job apparently, found the Autobots and something important enough that you're being stealthy about." He used the back of a pede to lightly tap against the femme.

Wing chirred. "And what job would that be?" He asked, no sign of the harsh accusing undertones the Autobots usually held for their enemies. He sighed and eyed Cliffjumper. "Calm down already. I have no clue about whatever happened between you two, but today is not for that to be fussed over."

::Wing be careful with him.:: Cliffjumnper warned, but didn't say anything as he kept still, his growl a low rumbling himself. Not unlike what Deadlock was doing.

::I'm not stupid:: The jet chided the red mech, giving no outward sign of the communications as he shifted, sheathing his sword again. Waiting for Deadlock to either make a move or answer him.

"Hunt and destroy Autobots, and all allies." Deadlock said at last as he shrugged, armor plates shifting with the movement, "Or find anything else of 'interest' on this rock." Again he tapped the femme on the ground, "I'd say old armor style like her, and you, can be classed as 'interesting.' As well as a passage full of those beasts."

The grounder got a curious look. "And what do you think this would bring you? Why did you join the Decepticons? In hope of glory? Of saving all that is good on Cybertron? What did it bring you? Our home world is destroyed, and now you want to stand in our way while we try to find remnants of the old times? Civilians who fled and stranded here. Do you want to hand them to Megatron, to see innocents be abused?" Wing spoke calmly, non-aggressive.

He simply voiced his thoughts, unable to keep silent even in the face of danger, knowing he could very well offend the other mech with his assumptions.

Surprisingly there was a moment of hesitation, a moment that Cliffjumper caught first, as he attention shifted to the Decepticon fully. Deadlock snorted, his hand cannon never wavering.

"Glory? You know scrap if the Deceptions aparently." The back shocktrooper growled.

"Uh-huh. So you tell me the Decepticons weren't after the glory of being the 'heroes' who overthrew the old senate, who brought Cybertron back on track, saved the starving population? Tell me that wasn't what Megatron originally had in mind? Before he went insane because he wasn't made Prime and decided to kill everyone who opposed him. He lost sight of his goals long before I was even created. Before my Creators joined the collective exodus, preserving much of what Cybertron once was, achieving what Megatron never would. A peaceful existence, no mech starving, nobody cast out for being unable to perform their function anymore. No gutters... At all."

Golden optics blazed, daring the grounder to defy him. He bristled with anticipation, expecting to trigger the 'cons aggressive side, make him shoot the jet for pointing out the obvious.

"Where did it get you? On a backwater planet, fighting over every last scrap of Energon, hiding from the natives to avoid excessive conflicts. You are back at the beginning, with one difference. There is no Cybertron to save anymore."

Deadlock wasn't looking away, as furious as he was... defeated almost behind the red. Resent and anger, pain and loss echoed in his field even from the distance. He listened before growling, "Its always been about survival- and if your creators wanted some pipe-dream like that then they should have stepped up long ago, instead of leaving us," He waved at Cliffjumper with his cannon and then rapped his own chest over the glaring Decepticon emblem, "To die in the gutters. One thing I've learned is it doesn't take a Prime to change things. Glory is for the officers, no one cares about the troopers, the grunts."

It sounded almost like it was half another conversation. This mech wasn't happy, he wanted something but didn't know what he wanted, nor if he could believe in anything but his own harsh reality.

Cliffjumper rumbled, when he spoke up it was more the tone he used with Bumblebee, "Deadlock..." There was more history between the two, but from that tone it wasn't a lovers one, broken by war. Family?

"My creator always cared about the soldiers under his command. Dai Atlas was anything but an unfair pompous general. He couldn't change things on a planetary scale but he did change things well before the uprisings within the joint Crystal City." Wing argued sharply. The gem in the hilt of his Great Sword flaring to life with the white jets own strong emotions flaring. "My creators survived a lot of things and changed what they could for the better."

The jet settled from his bristling as quickly as it had come and he eyed Deadlock. "I know a place where you would be able to help end this war. But it's not at Megatron's side anymore. He's only out to destroy everything and establish a tyranny."

"There's more then one place for you Deadlock, there's always been." Cliffjumper added, not dominating over Wing as he could see the other trooper was listening- not all too happy but there it was. That tilt of the head and shift in stance, ready to stay, fight or bolt.

"I never was at Megatron's side," Deadlock snorted, something like a half smirk half snarl coming from the mech, "Turmoil never let go of the leash."

"What?" Cliffjumper muttered.

"If he never let go, why are you here?" Wings voice softened, watching the, to him, open frame language. "And if you've got some slack on it, why not sever it now? Leave them altogether and start a new existence. Not as Decepticon, not as Autobot, but as a neutral?"

"Control chips don't work like that mech." Deadlock snarled, covering the flicker of temptation. He froze as Scarscreams voice was heard over his coms.

"We could remove that, you know. We just need to give you an incentive to get knocked out. For that though you would have to trust us." The jet obviously did know how that thing worked, enough to know that Deadlock wouldn't be able to come with them peacefully no matter his desire to do so.

Deadlock stared, glared, shifted and answered his com, unable to help the actions but the words. "No Autobots here Starscream, just more of the scrap you want, and tunnels." He couldn't just leave, or rather it didn't seem that way to him at least.

Wing didn't make a sound, waiting for the comm to end. "Do you really want to work for them, or are you just doing so because they control you with a chip?" He asked, his voice sounding utterly innocent.

The Decepticon trooper eyed Wing, shutting the comm down before a frustrated sound escaped him and he turned his back, starting to stalk away. Scared off maybe, He pointed to the femme as he passed her on the ground, "Get her and get out, they'll be here in a few kliks."

Cliffjumper nudged Wing, ::I know him, don't push him here Wing. Wait until he's really alone.:: He said as he also commed for a ground bridge.

Wing nodded and chirred sadly. "Until we meet again." He shifted and moved over to the unconscious femme, settling onto one knee next to her, free hand carefully shifting her around until he could pull her up enough to drag her back with him through the ground bridge. It was a good thing the dead carrier on his shoulders was such a light weight.

He glanced over to where Deadlock had gone and sighed softly, then moved after the others through the bridge.

Jack ran in almost last, trotting along beside the femme, glancing back before put a hand on her own. He saw the look Deadlock had given him, and was nervous but also had picked up on the tension. He sighed as the Autobot base came back into view. Bumblebee trilled in alarm before trotting into the bridge to help with the femmie, and Ratchet barked a sound too- his sirens burping as he came as well to help Cliffjumper.

"What the frag?" The medic demanded, looking at the grey frame Wing had.

"There's a stasis locked sparkling within." Wing quietly said as he moved over to gently deposit the frame on the ground, settling next to it. He knew the Medics invasive scans would turn up the young sparkling that he and Cliffjumper couldn't see but the key had.

Ratchet almost teleported beside Wing, his field flared and then seemed to... shut off as he controlled the reaction, "A what?" His scanners on full force, "Dear Primus- Bumblebee! Get over here, drop and open!"

The scout warbled, ::Me?::

"I know your frame best right now," Ratchet was opening the grey frame up, not nearly as gentle as he would have been with a living carrier. The medic was hunting for the sparkling inside, the other two survivors would be fine comparatively.

Wing stayed out of the way, watching quietly. He made sure the life line connecting his systems to the dead ones didn't get caught up in the frantic surgery. He kept his frame from shaking with anxiousness, chirring softly. His field shifted through different stages of weariness, sadness, hope and fear, all emotions tied to the sparkling.

Bumblebee was dropping down beside Wing, confused but offering a hopeful churr as he rolled onto his back. Tapping Wing's arm to get his attention and help get off the heavier chest plates off, blue optics wide and nervous in a different way, as he knew that he was possibly about to be a new sergeant carrier.

Wing cooed and helped the scout, easily allowing that to take his mind off of the surgery. He patted the yellow mech, trying to reassure him.

The yellow mech was talking, rambling but not in a way for the translation program would understand. Random sounds attempting to catch up with him, he wasn't scared but also goggling at this, looking upside down at Ratchet as he set aside another part. The growls turned softer as the medic found what he was after.

Wing chirred and chirped back, watching Ratchets hands intently as the sparkling was extracted carefully. "I don't even want to imagine how long the little one must've been there all alone."

"Not as alone as you would think." Ratching pointed at the older conection with his free hand before getting a smaller injector to flush more energon into the systems the sparkling was still linked to, "Either that mech, or the mini here had some medical history or they were fragging lucky." He was waiting, scanners alive on the tiny form. It had formed completely, but stayed small in stasis.

A sound much like, "oooooooo..." came from bumblebee as cliffjumper came near, now that the bridge was closed fully.

Wing hummed. "I suspect the carrier. The mech jury-rigged his systems the same way I did and I know it would look different if a medic did it. Less sloppy."

He eyed the sparkling, optics softening as he hummed a wordless tune a lullaby the older mechs would undoubtly recognize as a very old one.

As more energy was absorbed by the young spark, the shell shifted as Ratchet gently dripped some lubricates in the tiny joints.

"Wing, I'm going to need your help," Ratchet said as he used his free hand next to free the Knight, having the energon covered. The medic motioned to Bumblebee, "What do you know of Creation chambers themselves?"

"Next to nothing. I got to see a sparkling emerge, got some basic education but I never looked into more. I'm not seeking to become a creator for quite some time." The jet admitted quietly. He rightened his armor again after the feed was removed then moved to assist Ratchet in any way he could. If Wing was anything, he was a fast learner when it came down to it.

"I'll talk you through what needs to be done, go back to Bee." Ratchet nodded to the buzzing, confused scout, "His chamber isn't going to be filled, and this bitliet needs some time in one before coming back out." The mech sent a small pack to Wing of how to start getting Bumblebee's armor out.

"Got it. Just say, I'll do." Wing took a moment to look at all the data he got then shifted around to the yellow mech to set to work, strangely enough his hands were as steady as those of a medic despite the insecurity his field showed. He glanced up to Ratchet, waiting for further instructions.

"You're going to have to start shifting this..." Ratchet highlighted and sent the image, even as he carefully moved to be on Bumblebee's other side, pulling the dead carrier so not to extend the conations to the sparkling, glancing over. He purred to the scout before starting to talk Wing through getting to the creation chamber, and how to open it, not minding Bumblebee gripping his leg.

The scout had a hold off both Ratchet and Wing's armor, hanging on but not a pained grip at all. He wasn't protesting at all, but still chirped wordlessly as he watched, trying to help.

Wing moved in tandem with Ratchet, easily helping as much as a trained nurse or another medic would. An undoubtly sign of having been raised by mecha who had spent most of their lives on battlefields and had learned far more than field triage.

Even though both Dai Atlas and Axe had assumed Wing would never need the skills, they had decided to prepare their creation for everything. And while Wing was good enough as a field medic, much of his knowledge came with know how to disable enemies without killing them.

He was told exactly how to coax off the small connection lines off of inside walls of Bumblebee's creation chamber, where to put set them to get ready. How to make the chamber itself to start producing the nanite rich fluid, and then how to get some of Wing's own nanites out of his system at a concentrated form.

The two were the closest, and thus they were going to be improvised creators.

The jet chirred in affirmative, working away quickly. He knew the implications of what they were doing but didn't bother denying the medics orders. This was about the sparkling not about the comfort of two warriors, albeit very young warriors. He watched in fascination as the gestation chamber started working.

Bumblebee meeped, gripping tighter, but he was holding still on his own will, even with the too-intimate feelings being caused and admittedly invasive. His optics dimmed as he resisted the urge to wiggle or groan, and hold still. He blurped when Ratchet moved to hover over, and the first connections were made. Wing could see the small form shift again, the movements stiff as lines where attached to the still open ports in back, front and limbs.

The jet crooned softly and gently patted a yellow arm, back to humming that old lullaby again. He watched as the sparkling integrated with the scouts chamber, then glanced over sadly to the once carrier, knowing that mini would never see his offspring live.

Ratchet rumbled in time with the lullaby, without thinking about it, as he carefully put the sparkling into the chamber. Watching closely as it seemed to wake enough to shift and squirm in the nanite rich fluid. Gave a burbled sound and settled in as Rachet checked the level, waiting until it rose to a level he felt safe to start closing the chamber while Bumblebee was making a drawn out buzz-churring sound that rose and fell.

Wing churred softly and settled a bit more comfortably, now that he knew the sparkling was safe. He calmly stroked Bee's arm, purring at the scout. "Looks like you got someone else to look after besides Raph."

"Lets get him up to the side, Bee you stay still until your systems adjust." Ratchet said, closing up the layers of armor, and then lifted the scout to move against the far side, where Raph was running to meet them. "I'll check the others."

He glanced at Wing, the stasis locked Knight, then pointed Wing to stay with Bumblebee for needed cuddles.

Wing chirred softly and curled up thankfully with the yellow mech cooing softly. He wasn't unhappy about being told to stay out of the way like that. Ratchet knew what he was doing and having Wing hover over his work was not the best solution.

Raph's small hands pressed against Wing's ankle joint before he started to climb over and get faster to his guardian. "Bee? Wing? Is he okay?" He asked, worried at the low mumbles that even he was having trouble understanding.

Wing nodded. "He's fine Raph. Just busy getting accustomed to helping a sparkling survive."

He purred softly and shifted around to curl up against the scouts side, deliberately putting his back to everyone else, cooing and rubbing Raph's back comfortingly.

The boy huffed, scrambled and slid as Wing did that. Then loosing his balance flopped to be laying almost between the two. Raph gave a small sound, as this spot didn't have any grips, until Bumblebee's hand slowly came up to catch. He boosted the human up, chirping at Wing to help as his optics dimmed again, flickering and about to drop into a nap.

The youth was carefully cradled, Wing manipulating Bees arm until he could easily hold Raph again. His own hand stayed as well in case the scouts lax arm slid off during the nap.

"...does this mean Bee is...pregnant or something?" The boy ask, Raph pressed his ear to the yellow armor, trying to see if he could hear something different. He looked up at the small trill from the scout at his question.

Sighing the jet glanced down the scouts frame. "In a way yes. We found the sparkling trapped within the dead frame of it's carrier. One of the knights that had stayed within Crystal City protected both and kept the sparkling alive by feeding his own energon into the dead systems. Saving the sparkling means it must be carried by someone, a surrogate, to finish the last stage." He explained, churring at Bumblebee to allow that nap to just happen.

Blue optics brighter for a moment, and a small text burst was sent to Wing, asking him to watch over Raph before Blumblebee dropped into recharge, his grip became slack. Had he been more awake might have snuggled down but his systems were diverting attention inward to the new sparkling addition.