Prime Blood Swiped Away Chapter 11-Final (Casey is free, but in what condition? The pod emerges!)

Prime quickly calls the team together. They come to ranks. He points to Sideswipe, "You are leaving here. Sunstreaker and Ironhide, escort him. I don't want to know where you go. Radio silence until the new bot arrives or you need extraction."

Ironhide scowls. Prime returns the scowl. He knows Ironhide doesn't want babysitting duty. But he turns away from the face. "We are clearing the base. Bee and Ferrous have returned. The Decepticons are mobilizing."

"Casey," is all Sideswipe has to say. Prime just shakes his head. He won't reveal any information. Sideswipe joins Ironhide's scowl. Prime draws a firm line across his face. They won't question him, but clearly aren't happy with his orders.

"Go. Now. Don't look back." Prime's orders are clear.

Ironhide motions to speak to him alone. Prime steps aside so they can speak privately. Before Ironhide can open his mouth, Prime holds up a hand, "You know why I'm sending you."

"I'm the best at defense."

Prime shakes his head, "No. He will need your support."

"I'm not a counselor. Why doesn't Ratchet-"

"Because I ordered you. I don't have time for a debate Ironhide. Please go now. Take Wroughtiron. Take whom ever you want with you, but I want you out of here in the next few nanoseconds. The Decepticons are on their way. I can't have them capturing the pod. I can't let Sideswipe be tricked into going with them. It's going to be very tough to extract Casey. I'm not even sure if it is worth the risk to the others."

"Sir…?" Ironhide tries again to be supportive. "Let me-"

"Don't make me light a cannon under your shell. Go now. This is not open for debate. It is an order." With that Prime reluctantly turns his back on his old friend, ending the conversation.

Ironhide watches him walk away and dispense orders to the others. Ironhide turns to Wroughtiron. With a simple hand motion, Wroughtiron joins his father at Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's sides. They quickly exit the base. Prime turns back and watches them leave. He sends his silent prayers with them as they disappear over the rise.

~~The months go by again. Casey awakens in a sea of thick fog. She hadn't seen anything this thick in ages. But she feels funny. Like she is floating. She looks around. She is flying. There is a pain in her side. There is a strange fuzz to her head. She rotates her head up and sees she is in Starscream's talons. No! She knows what is going to happen and she is powerless to make it stop.

The fog is so thick they are flying through. She can see the blaze of fire fight cutting through the fog. Starscream is hit several times and he cries out. But he laughs as he releases her. Now she is no longer floating. She is falling and falling fast. But she can't see through the fog to see where she will land. The fire fight is still going on. She is hit in the leg and cries out. The blast spins her.

The fog clears out below her far too fast. It cuts just ten feet from the asphalt. Impact hits before she can blink. She is out again instantly.

~~For some crazy reason, Ironhide let Sideswipe lead them to their hide away. Sideswipe takes them to the Union Pacific snow sheds near the California -Nevada. It is very cold and dark. They aren't there more than an hour when a massive blizzard comes in packing the Sierra cement tightly around them.

"Why here?" Sunstreaker growls.

"You have to admit, this stuff will certainly screw with the Decepticon's radar. I know mine is all messed up."

Sunstreaker shoves him, "You were messed up from the beginning. What else is new?"

Ironhide growls. The last thing he wants it to be trapped in a cave with these two brothers for an unknown length of time. He rolls his head. Wroughtiron touches his father's hand tenderly, "Don't fret father. I'll help you through this." Ironhide smiles.

~~ The whoop whoop of an EMT siren can be heard along with several calls of orders. She doesn't know how long she has been out. She can barely move. The fog is still think, but the firefight has stopped. There are utility lights cutting through the fog like lasers. She turns her head to the light. She can only roll her head and groan almost silently, "No, go away." But she is powerless to actually move.

The heavy engines are heard even closer. The utility lights are finally in full view, blinding her. She has to close her optics to the blinding brightness. She can hear them turn to their proto-forms. Yet, she can barely think, let alone move.

She hears the heavy footsteps approach her carefully. She feels the warmth of body heat kneeling beside her and the call to orders, "Bee, Brawl, Cliffjumper, keep guard. Let me check her out." Then Ratchet's face comes close to her, "Casey, it's Ratchet. Are you alright?" He slips a hand under her head to turn it carefully to face him. He shuts off most of his lights, seeing her squint against the brightness.

"Help me," she whispers. Then instantly, "Leave me be!" she growls.

Ratchet tries sympathetically, "It's alright, Casey. You are safe now."

"Yes I know," she smoothly smiles, then instantly snaps, "Get away from me!" He strokes her face and smiles, "Peace, Casey, peace. I'll get you back home."

"My son?" she softly asks. Ratchet opens his mouth to answer, but with all her strength she slams his mouth shut with the palm of her hand under his chin and barks, "Shut up! Don't speak!"

Ratchet realizes she is having an internal fight. But he figures it is the horror of capture and her human side not being able to sort through all this. He carefully lays her back down and steps back to show her with his body language he is no threat to her. She very carefully rolls to her front. She pulls her torso up supported by the palms of her arms on the ground and rigid arms. Then breathing heavily she pulls her knees up. She whispers, "Save me, Ratchet." But then snaps her head up and faces him with fear and furry, "Shoot me Ratchet!" Her arms begin to shake.

He steps closer to her, "Casey, let me help you." She backs away from him shaking her head. "Something must be loose. Let me help you."

She pleads, "I need you to help me," then she roars, "They did someth- AHHHHH!" she cries out as a shrill pitch and pain shoots through her head. She slams her head to the pavement to change the pain. Ratchet gets it quickly and orders the others to stand back from her.

"Casey, they made you a Trojan Horse," Ratchet gasps. She nods her head carefully. Then with her last ounce of strength she alt-form and peels out across the asphalt. Ratchet cries out for her to stop but he knows his words fell on deaf audio receptors. Her engine is at full throttle tearing across the asphalt. She is running from them. Ratchet knows why she is doing it. It doesn't lessen the weight to his spark.

But he didn't expect the sickening crash he heard shortly. The red tail lights turn the fog a horrifying blood color. He races towards them not sure what he would find kicking on his flood lights. The others follow him closely with guns drawn. But they all sag when they come upon the wreckage. The '68 silver Stingray is crushed against a massive bolder. There's liquid mixed with shrapnel all over the ground. Ratchet kneels beside her and lays a very tender hand upon her roof. "Oh Casey, what have they done to you?"

"Ratchet?" she very weakly whispers his name.

He strokes the roof carefully, "Yes Casey."

"I feel…," she give an exhaling breath, "…better." Her lights dim out.

Ratchet steps back and spies a painful spiked mind-probe under her mostly obscured by her rear wheel. He picks it up. Then he recognizes the Cybertronian count down. With all his might he hurls it away from them. He throws his body over her crushed remains. The others help cover them. The explosion is bright and ricochets off the boulders of the canyon., deafening everyone. When the rumbling stops, they all slowly stand up. A rock slide can be heard in the distance. Several tumble and bang against them.

Bee looks most relieved. Cliffjumper looks around for more aerial attacks. Brawl is the only one to speak. "That was meant for the base?"

Ratchet strokes Casey's roof, "It was meant to explode when removed. That's what she was trying to tell us. That's why she fought our extraction. She knew she was a rolling time bomb."

Bee leans in, "Can she be saved?"

Ratchet shakes his head looking at the readout on his arm, "I won't know until I get her closer to more diagnostic equipment. But I still have a weak life sign, for now."

"Should we be worried about more bombs?" Brawl is concerned.

"I'll call Wheeljack to bring the mobile unit."

Bee swallows very slowly and turns directly to his friend. "Serum or antidote?" Ratchet sadly shakes his head. Bee gives him a curious look as to why it isn't an option. Ratchet tenderly strokes her roof again, then taps it lightly with the tip of his finger. Bee steps back sighing heavily. He understands clearly. The explosion that transformed her to this body took all the antidote they had. It isn't even an option.

"Sideswipe?" Cliffjumper asks simply.

Ratchet puts a finger to his lips for them to be quiet. He taps his audio receptor and then Casey. He's not sure how much she can hear and doesn't want to risk her mental well being. They all nod and solemnly look down at her. "Help me, Brawl," Ratchet drops to his wheels. Very carefully, Cliffjumper and Brawl lower Casey on top of Ratchet and secures her as best as possible. Then the rest of them scoop up the remains and together they silently roll out to a temporary base that Ratchet has radioed Wheel jack to join him at.

~~Deep in the snow near Truckee, California, Wroughtiron is trying to keep Sunstreaker from targeting derelict cars on the road far off in the distance. Cars stranded in the second and third blizzard. Sunstreaker groans, "I'm bored." Then he turns to his brother, "Would you hurry up an birth that pod so we can get on with our lives? Why did you choose this place anyways?"

"I didn't!" he growls. He's fed up with this predicament too. His chest is killing him and making him very grumpy.

Ironhide shoots him a strange look, "What? You said we had to come here. What do you mean you didn't choose it?"

"I was driven here. I was directed here. I have no idea why," Sideswipe is getting uncomfortable. He keeps rubbing his chest.

"Are you alright?" Ironhide looks concerned.

"I just have this horrible burning in my chest. It keeps getting worse. It almost feels like a warning sensor going off."

Ironhide leans in quietly, "It will be time soon."

"Really?" He has a mixture of hope and concern in his voice.

Ironhide nods with a smile. "Just as a warning, it's going to get worse. It will bring you to your knees."

"Great! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Ironhide tilts his head, "You are kidding, right? Do you really want me to tell you how bad it is going to get?"

Sideswipe waves his hand away, "No. Don't tell me."

But within the hour, Sideswipe feels a different burning in his chest. It wasn't a burning, it was something crying out. Sideswipe blows a hole in the snow so he can exit the snow shed. With out a word to the others, he starts marching through the snow towards the east. Ironhide and Sunstreaker couldn't stop him. He couldn't hear them. It was like he was being called. Driven. On autopilot. Ironhide quickly grabs Wroughtiron and they hoof it too keep up. The snow was too deep to alt-form their way out until they got onto the Nevada side and below three thousand feet. Then the freeways were cleared.

Still without a word to them, Sideswipe started tearing off across the freeways. It took all Sunstreaker and Ironhide had to keep up with them. He certainly wasn't answering their calls. It was like he was possessed.

Sunstreaker tells Ironhide, "You know Prime is gonna have our cans for this."

Ironhide growls, "Don't remind me. Just protect the pod. For some reason I trust Sideswipe's judgment."

Then they round the corner off the freeway and onto the dirt road towards the air strip. Then they see what they are headed into…

"Oh scrap!" Ironhide, Sunstreaker and Wroughtiron all groan.

~~Their temporary base is at a private airfield near Reno, Nevada. Wheeljack and Ratchet spend days and weeks trying to diagnose Casey. Their first priority was to get her into proto-form in order to access her spark chamber and other vital parts. Ratchet is beginning to drive Wheeljack crazy by his bickering and single mindedness. Wheeljack finally makes a call to Prime. He knew that Ratchet needed a counselor. Wheeljack cares deeply for his mentor. Watching his mentor sink into despair because he couldn't save one bot, well, it was killing Wheeljack. Warrior medics should be hardened to not being able to save every comrade, but not Ratchet. The others steered clear of Ratchet. They knew when he got into this single minded mode, it was best to give him room.

Wheeljack was taking his turn at guard duty when he saw Prime come rolling in off the dirt access road with Arcee, Chromia, and Ferrous come in with him. They all dismount and proto-form. Wheeljack grins broadly at Prime. He can't help but reach for his hand, "Thank the All Spark you are here."

Prime chuckles, "That bad, eh?"

Wheeljack frowns, "Connie."

Prime turns serious, "Oh, that bad." Wheel jack nods towards the tent. Prime pats Wheeljack on the shoulder. "I'll see what I can do."

Wheeljack calls over his shoulder, "Go in armed, but please don't shoot him. I have too much work on my own table to make room for you." Prime just shakes his head amused.

Prime carefully steps into the tent. He sees Casey is on the gurney with a warming tarp over her body. Ratchet is pouring over his terminal set up directly next to Casey's head. He is humming and ha-ing over his data. Prime crosses his arms over his chest carefully. It's been a long time since he has seen Ratchet this focused. It always moves him to see Ratchet so devoted to saving their lives. But not just their lives, their well beings.

"Ratchet," Prime softly calls to him.

"Go away. I'm working, " Ratchet barks not even looking up. Prime knows better than to stop him. Ratchet leans over Casey's head and moves one of his wire probes to a different area of her memory banks. Prime comes to the other side of Casey's head. Ratchet growls and pushes Prime's head back, "You are in my light, you oaf!"

"Ratchet," Prime softly states and lays his hand on Ratchet's. Ratchet sees that it isn't just any bot's hand. He looks up to Optimus.

"Optimus," embarrassed he quietly acknowledges him. Optimus smiles at his busy friend. Then Ratchet scowls, "They called you, didn't they?"

Optimus continues to smile, "They are worried about you."

Ratchet's voice wavers, "I can save her. I have to save her."

Optimus puts a supportive hand on his shoulder. He won't tell Ratchet to stop. "Tell me what you know."

Ratchet sighs heavily. He steps back and motions for Optimus to come around to his terminal. He points out to the specific readings. "She is still in there. She's unconscious. Wheeljack has repaired the body. That wasn't hard. Except where they ripped off her armament. They were pretty brutal. For the time being we haven't replaced that. We want to wait for her mentality to return before we make that adjustment." Prime nods his approval. Ratchet takes a deep breath. He taps the terminal. "I don't know how to bring her around."

Optimus lays a hand on Casey's forehead. "Maybe it isn't for you to bring her around. Maybe it is for her to do it herself. You have to admit, she has been through the trials of the Badlands and Koan in a very short amount of time."

Ratchet nods. "Yeah, Lennox and Epps have been describing their Hell to me. That sounds exactly what she has been going through."

Optimus turns Ratchet to face him, "Then maybe it is time to step back and let her heal on her own."

Ratchet shakes his head. "Not yet. I have found certain part of her memory that causes her spark to grow stronger. If I can tap into enough of those, maybe… just maybe…"

Optimus smiles at his friend's determination. "Ratchet, maybe she needs to reach it alone."

"She shouldn't be alone while traveling through this Hell. She should have…," he can't finish the words. Instead he looks out over the towering mountains of the Sierra Nevada framing their view. "Oh, Connie…."

"I know you want to return Casey to Sideswipe." Then he softly asks him, "Do you want to go back to Connie?"

Ratchet doesn't even turn to his friend. They both stare out to the mountain. "Did you go to Poco?"

Optimus takes a heavy sigh and won't even answer that question. Even to one of his most trusted confidants. "Look, I'm here to get you straightened out. I'm here to console you." Then he straightens up and turns commander again, "Now tell me what else you know."

Ratchet doesn't move. "Mindwipe's cranial spike bomb did some serious damage to her. It severed many positronic leads. It was crudely and forcefully installed. That bomb was never intended to be removed. When she slammed into the boulder, it tore the bomb loose. I've spent over a lunar cycle just trying to figure out her pathways. She is not like us at all. It's…" he rubs his forehead in frustration. Prime can tell Ratchet has been very diligent in trying to figure out Casey's brain pattern. Ratchet sighs and continues, "I have found a few pieces of her memory that bring her stronger readings. Two in particular give her the strongest. But I don't tap into them for too long. I want her to reach make the connection for her self. I've seen the connection pathways growing and reaching for them. But it is a slow process."

"Do you know what the memories are?" Ratchet sighs heavily and nods. "Painful?"

Ratchet shakes his head, "Far from it." He takes Optimus over to a different monitor. He readjusts the wires on her cranium. Then a few key strokes to the terminal. Optimus and Ratchet can see Casey's version of the memory.

Sideswipe holds his hand out to her and leads her to the dance floor. His hand slip around her waist as hers lay upon his chest. She begins dancing with Sideswipe. Then the smile on Swipe's face and he leans his face close to her ear.

Ratchet drops his voice quietly, "Only her spark knows the emotional attachment to this memory." Optimus nods. Both Ratchet and Optimus are lost in their own thoughts of tender times with their own mates. The memory fades out as she slips from Sideswipe's grasp and off the dance floor.

Optimus clears his throat. "You said there was another memory."

Ratchet shakes his head, "I won't access that at this time. I only pull it up when it is clear I will not be interrupted. It is extremely personal." He inclines his head in a way that Optimus clearly understands. Both Optimus and Ratchet have to look away from each other. Their own memory banks are in overtime to their own personal highly classified memories.

Chromia comes into the tent. "Hello. The team wants to know what they can do to help."

Optimus and Ratchet shake their heads to come back to reality. Optimus smiles seeing Chromia's daughter, Ferrous, come in behind her. She clearly looks like her mother, but with her father's tenacity for a fight. Ratchet even chuckles seeing Ironhide's family.

Ferrous looks up at them, "Okay, what did I just miss?"

"Nothing!" Both Optimus and Ratchet answer too quickly. Chromia laughs at them trying to cover up a private conversation. Cybertainium and steel or not, embarrassment is clearly written across their faces.

Chromia tries again, "How is our patient?"

Optimus lays a hand on Ratchet's shoulder, "In excellent hands. She will come around in her own time." Optimus turns back to Ratchet, "You may not want to do that anymore. She may find it is much easier to live in the past with peace, and not want to return to the present. Try to find when the pod was released. That should bring a striving reason to come looking for it."

Ratchet sees it, "I never thought of that!"

Optimus smiles, "Family, a clear motivator for humans." He winks at Chromia. She just laughs at him shaking her head, "Watch it Prime, I can still kick your can." He just narrows his gaze at her, daring her to say that again.

"MOM!" Ferrous gasps at her mother for talking to their leader that way.

The conversation is quickly ended by the sound of Wheeljack calling, "Prime! We've got incoming! Friend and Foe!"

Prime calls to Ratchet, "I'm going to need you out here. I'm sorry, but she will just have to heal her self."

Ratchet calls to him, "I'll be there in a minute. Let my try what you suggested."

Prime warms up his Ion cannon, "You have two minutes." The first blasts are heard near the tent, "Maybe."

~~~Sideswipe in the lead, with Ironhide, Sunstreaker hot on his tail come tearing down the dirt road. Prime is clearly angry at seeing their arrival. But he takes his anger out on the incoming Decepticons. Ironhide joins Prime's side keeping Sideswipe pinned between them. Ironhide picks off a few too. He growls as he takes a hit to the arm, "This wasn't my idea, Prime!"

"I don't really care!" Prime barks back.

Sunstreaker fires off as well, "I tried my best. But he was on a mission." Prime just growls yanking Sunstreaker to take his position guarding Sideswipe while he rushes out to take Starscream on himself. Ratchet leaps out of the tent joining Prime's side in hand to hand combat with Starscream.

They all turn when the tent flies through the air with a banshee cry of furry. Ratchet gasps to Prime, "I should have call you sooner."

Casey has risen and shoved the tent aside. She leaps upon the nearest Decepticon's back, yanking his head back by the visor of his helmet. She yells, "Don't just stand there! Help me!" Neither side knows who she is calling to. But Sunstreaker takes a chance and starts firing off at the throat of the 'Con. It begins to flame and Casey leaps off as it begins to fall.

They don't have time to talk, because Ironhide is shot and is beginning to falter. Casey has already charged towards the protection detail. This is what she was trained for. As Ironhide is shot in the knee and begins to slide to the ground still firing, Casey charges. Sideswipe has his arms raised targeting an airborne assailant. He can't see the danger he is in. Casey doesn't have to look, she can feel it. A 'Con is lining up exposed Sideswipe for his shot. With a final cry she lunges. Sideswipe makes his final shot a success. Just as he looks for his new target and his arms fall out directly to the right and left of his body, he realized his swollen chest is completely exposed. Then he sees Starscream's twisted arm fire from under Prime's arm towards him. He knows it is too late.

From nowhere Casey sails into his view and is slam into his chest by Starscream's cannon blast. Sideswipe instinctively wraps his arms around her. Instantly something erupts from between Sideswipe and Casey's chests. It shoots straight upwards in a blast of blue and silver energy. They look at each other and instantly know what is happening. She smiles at him, "Ready?" He only beams her his dashing smile. They extend their arms outward. She slides her hands down his arms and entwines her fingers with his. To his right, his sword instantly changes. The blades split with a blaster muzzle in between. To the left his, hand changes to a rapid fire mini crossbow. He steps forward and touches his feet to the sides of hers. He grows another six feet taller and the legs more solid and powerful with duel tires. Casey's dips her head to touch under his chin and disappears. His helmet instantly changes to a full face shield and a highly intense targeting system. Her chest merges with his making his front and back streamlined and armor plated, much fewer chinks to be found.

There is a flash of blue and silver over their heads as the merger is completed. The head of the new Swipe looks up to see a silver blue force field come down over the body as a silver object settles on the helm. The voice modulates to the growling fierceness of two parents bound together to protect their offspring. Prime lets go of Starscream surprised to see them combine. The enemies turn their fire to the new combined unit. The blasts are absorbed, no harm done to the unit.

Starscream gasps, "No… it can't be…."

The new Swipes-unit aims both weapons at Starscream, "I have a message for Mindwipe." The unit fires off the arrows dipped in acid into Starscream face. Starscream begins screaming in pain. He backs away trying to whisk the painful arrows away. A couple other 'Cons back away. They don't get far when Swipe fires off the sword-cannon at each of their left knees. Then the unit begins advancing towards Starscream again. Starscream tries backing away. But can't get far. The heavy wheeled foot has his neck pinned to the ground between his tires. He aims the crossbow to the forehead. He fires one deep and right into the center. "Tell Mindwipe I'm coming for him." Then Swipe stands back letting Starscream escape calling retreat.

Prime and the others are stunned. Ratchet and Wheeljack go to the wounded. Prime steps up to Swipe. The blue/silver sheen dissipates in front of the friend. Then Prime is surprised to see Casey's head back out from under Swipe's chin and the units return to two separate Autobots. They stand side by side holding each other's hands and beaming. Casey speaks first to Sideswipe, "Okay, now that was very cool!"

Sideswipe beams, "Yeah, I'll admit that was fun."

Prime shakes his head at the two cocky 'Bots. He taps their chests, "The pod?" Casey and Sideswipe look up. Just then a huge silver and black spotted Stingray fish floats down from the sky and lands in their out stretched hands. It proto-forms and turns to it's parents smiling. He retains his speared tail, his parents blue optics and a helmet very much like his father. He turns to his mother, "I am Manta." Casey smiles and nods stroking his face with a finger tip. Then he turns to his father, "I can fly!"

Sideswipe laughs. Who would know his son would have his pilot capabilities. He strokes the child's head with a solid and strong supportive finger.

Then the child turns to his commander. "Sir, I am ready to serve for my family." Prime is taken back and has to hold back his own emotions for just a moment. He knows he must not show weakness, but it is so hard right now. He straightens up and smiles, "You have already shown your desire. Be at peace right now. We will talk later." With that Prime nods his head to the Swipe family and turns away. His own memories turn to his own family, solemnly.

Prime reaches Ratchet working on Ironhide's knee with Wroughtiron. He pats their shoulders. "It is a good day for us." He inclines his head towards the Swipe family. Ratchet and Ironhide sigh contently. They had all been worried about the infant. It is good to know there has been success. And other life has come to the Autobots. There is hope for their future.

Hey bro, now that the sparkling has emerged, you can interface!

mental face palm and then a mental thwack to his brother

End

Manta and his family will return in Flying Fish. Casey & the Swipe team will show up in several other Prime Blood stories along the way. (Magnitude, Rod of Fire….) See Prime Blood Contents for synopsis and links.

Okay, can anyone guess why the little one is call Manta?