Hey, Guys! Consider everything up to this chapter revised. XD
Story time!! Has anyone seen the newest Batman movie? The Dark Knight? Well I just had an ice hockey game on Saturday and I had to do a double take because the time-keeper was dressed up as the Joker! It was awesome! One of the referees came over to my coach and was like: "Don't upset the Joker! He can rig your car to explode!". It made my day even though we lost 5 to 3.
Anyway! Thanks to:
DemonGirly91 - Yeah, I would totally kick Ratchet's ass...or at least yell at him...a lot.
TFSTARFIRE - Yeah, depression is horrible. I've never experienced it first-hand, though. Don't worry - read the chapter to find out what happens to Nexia! ^^
Elita One - lol *poke* continue reading to find out!
Stesuna the Dragon - I have to thank you for helping me come up with a name for my unicorn. He'll play a big part in the next couple of chapters! *hint hint wink wink*
Chapter 18
The Medic's Sorrow-filled Cry
Because of their previous encounters Ratchet decided that the best place to look was the lake where all of their important memories were held. All of their chance meetings seemed to take place there. He remembered all of the good times that they spent there, spark lifting somewhat, and remembered when she looked into his optics for the first time.
The injured winged girl had trusted him and automatically knew that he was an Autobot - one of the good mechs from Cybertron. Even then her beautiful and haunting eyes sent his spark and processor wheeling, making him feel something that he hadn't felt in thousands of years…not since Moonracer. It made him feel important…and able to love.
The Autobot medic had to admit that he missed the blue-green femme… but it was a silly little crush; she was only his best friend. He thought he was in love at the time but it was all in his head. He was in love with the idea of being in love. What he had with the Cybertronian Phoenix was something much greater than anything he could have had with the other femme.
After a few hours of searching he decided to go by himself. He sent the others back towards the base to create a sort of stabilizing serum to help her fire powers. The panicked medic sped towards the lake, hoping that she was there, and if she was that he wasn't too late. It was his entire fault that she was so emotionally unstable in the first place.
"Please be there." the medic whispered to himself as he sped towards the great body of water in his vehicle form. He cursed himself for being so slow while moving on the ground while Nexia may be suffering as he thought. It wasn't his fault being the shape and weight that he was…but he was blaming himself.
He sped on, finally coming upon the lake of Tranquility. His spark beat painfully within its chamber as he prayed to Primus that he would find her in one piece. The Autobot medic tried to reach through their bond…but he grew more desperate when all he could feel was wave after wave of diluted pain and despair.
Suddenly, the frantic medic heard a strangled cry, causing his spark to tighten painfully once again. It started pounding erratically within his spark casing…he refused to picture the worst possible scenario within his processor.
He launched himself forward through the foliage just in time to see Nexia disappear under the choppy waves of the lake. Her eyes were closed and her jaw was clenched in pain - the attacks had started! Ratchet let out a panicked shout as he reverted to his bipedal mode, dashing towards the blood-stained water, and tears of energon streaming down his face once again.
"NO!! No, no, no…" he cried out hysterically, which was a far cry from his normal calm and grouchy attitude. He moved as fast as he could as he shoved his way through the waves, crashing his hands through the water and underneath the shadowed outline of her body. She hadn't moved much…which was probably due to her light weight.
The Autobot medic hastily removed her frail form from the large body of water and mentally cursed himself at the sight of her drastically pale skin and drooping wings. She looked like she was dead. Her lips were blue due to the lack of oxygen and a trickle of blood escaped from between them. Her skin was the color of paper…and her veins were almost completely visible.
The skilled medic quickly set the winged girl upon the ground and reverted back to his vehicle mode. He could feel the pulse of Nexia's spark getting fainter so he activated his holoform, rushing to his spark mate's side. He whimpered mentally, trying to push the feeling of helplessness away from his spark.
He injected a serum he concocted back at the base to help increase her heat temperature…but she would need mouth to mouth resuscitation in order to help her breathe again. He couldn't pause here; time was of the essence. Ratchet could only hope that he wasn't too late.
He gently rolled Nexia onto her back, mindful of the great wings that were hanging limp away from her body, and pinched her nose shut. He grasped her chin and forcefully but gently blew air into her mouth. He then pressed down on her chest ten times, pumping the air back out of her respiratory system. He repeated the process several more times as he felt tears well up on his holoform's eyes. Maybe he was too late.
"Please, Nex. I can't live without you. My life has no meaning, no purpose without you. I'm sorry…" he pleaded, glasses sliding down his nose due to the tears. He was about to push down on her chest once again but she jerked, water spewing from her mouth.
His eyes were wide and a large smile was immediately planted on his face as he thanked Primus for saving his mate. The Autobot medic quickly turned her over to her side to let her cough up all the water that accumulated in her lungs. When she was done Ratchet quickly sank to his knees and pulled her into his lap, burying his nose into her wet hair.
"Oh, Nex. Please forgive me for being an inconsiderable old fool. I love you so, so much." he whispered into her hair as she blinked into confusion. She was wondering why she wasn't dead. She looked around her surroundings as her eyes widened, finally remembering the reason she was there. She tentatively looked up at him before smiling shyly, bring a weak hand up to cup his face. It wavered so Ratchet brought up a hand to help keep hers up.
"Ratchet? What are you doing here?" she rasped questionably, bringing her hand back down to wrap her arms around his waist. At the sound of her voice he started whispering apologies into her hair. He didn't' want her to see his bloodshot eyes.
She looked up at him for a second then kissed him fully, effectively silencing him. He pressed his lips against hers in a desperate attempt at reassuring himself that she was actually alright. Her lips against his was like euphoria - he was sure that their bond was beginning to mend itself. They broke apart as Nexia reached up to wipe away some stray tears that were still sliding down the medic's face. She was surprised - she didn't know that holoforms could cry.
"I'm sorry, Ratchet…" the winged girl mumbled as her eyelids drooped. She was getting really tired…but she knew that she had to stay awake. All of the lessons from Ratchet swarmed through her mind; if she went to sleep then she could slip into a coma. The medic's facial expression changed from remorseful to surprise. He thought for a moment why she would be sorry but couldn't find an appropriate answer.
"Why should you be sorry?" he asked softly, lifting her chin with his finger so he could look her in the eyes. In them he found self-loathing; something he never wanted to see in her eyes ever again. The winged girl still sat on his lap, not that he minded, but she started fidgeting and biting on her lip in embarrassment. It was also mostly due to the fact that she was cold.
"I should have kept testing. I didn't mean to make you angry but I was just…so tired. I knew that you wanted the data and I knew that you were only trying to help…but I was afraid that my spark would shatter if I kept FlameSpark summoned any longer." she finally looked away, shame apparent in her eyes. She couldn't bear to look at the medic any longer. She thought that it was her entire fault.
"No." Ratchet finally said, voice filled with his own self-loathing. The winged girl was not accustomed for his voice to sound like that; Ratchet had always been a prideful mech. Nexia jerked her head back up to look at his face, surprise evident on her own. She cocked her head to the side as if she were trying to solve a puzzle.
"What did you say?" she asked, carefully scanning the face of the medic. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were blazing with anger…but the anger was directed at himself. The winged girl was shocked with the tone he used but she was determined not to let him see. She only wanted things to go back to the way it once was. The medic drew his arms from around Nexia's waist and instead cupped her wet face in his sturdy hands.
"I am the one who should apologize. You've done nothing wrong. I admit that running all those tests had caused me to loose my focus…but all I wanted was the best for you, love. That is no excuse, though, and for that I apologize. I just wanted you to be alright." he said, lowering his forehead to rest atop of hers. Her lips trembled as if the winged girl were about to say something but the medic beat her to it.
"No buts. I love you now and forever. Never doubt that." he said, smiling warmly at her. She smiled back, gently brushing his light blonde hair out of his face. She kissed him on the lips, licking them slowly as she asked for entrance.
He pressed back just as gently but suddenly Nexia froze, another searing wave of pain rippling through her system. She let out a strangled cry as her eyes widened to the extreme. She collapsed into Ratchet's arms, unaware of the frantic medic shouting her name.
Ratchet gathered her in his arms and began rocking her back ad forth in an attempt to calm the pain. Tears gathered in his eyes as he murmured words of soothing in her ear. He waited with a sense of helplessness as he watched his lover writhe in his arms. The Autobot medic stroked her highlighted hair, trying to calm the massive spasms racking her body.
"Deep breaths, love. Please…concentrate on breathing. Can you do that for me? Please?" the medic pleaded, trying to ease the pain of his beloved. He couldn't stand being useless when his sparkmate was in pain. If he could he would sap the lightning attacking her nerves and take on all the pain himself. She nodded but suddenly doubled over to cough up a mouthful of blood. That was new! She shouldn't be coughing up blood - it should only be attacking her nerves!
Ratchet was startled by the beeping of his scanners as they went haywire, indicating that there was a Decepticon in the area. Ratchet swore and quickly activated his mass communications equipment. He looked around the area, sensors going into overdrive as he tried to spy the Decepticon.
Ratchet to Autobot Base. the medic said, picking up the still slightly convulsing girl. She whimpered with the pain but clenched her teeth in an effort to keep from crying out. She knew they had to be quiet; she sensed the Decepticon in the area. She felt it through her bond with Ratchet.
Autobot Base, here. What is your position, Ratchet? Sunstreaker's worried voice answered. Ratchet scurried to a clump of overgrown bushes and set Nexia down behind them. The shade of her tree kept her body hidden and the brush added an extra effect as well. They effectively hid her wings although the medic couldn't help but worry. He knew that the Decepticon would not hesitate to kill her if they saw her. Then the Cybertronian Phoenixes would be extinct.
There is a Decepticon closing in on our position and Nexia is suffering from her condition! We need backup! NOW! Get your aft over here, now, Sunstreaker or by Primus I'll reformat you into a toaster! Ratchet screamed as the scream of a jet tore through the clearing. His worst fears had been confirmed. It was Starscream - the Autobot medic could recognize the sound of his thrusters any day. The worried medic swore again as a shot came close to the bushes that he hid the winged girl behind.
Ratchet. We're sending some backup! Hang on! Don't let Nex be hurt or I'll murder you! Ratchet heard the yellow warrior's reply but had no time to confirm as a familiar silver-gray jet landed in front of him. The Decepticon sneered at the Medic's holoform as he landed, causing Nexia to whimper softly.
Ratchet only had a few seconds of time to dismiss his holoform and transform into his bipedal mode. The jet transformed in mid-land, hoping to take the Autobot medic by surprise, but Ratchet was too swift. He smirked, thinking that Autobots would always be superior to Decepticons. He stopped that train of thought immediately - thoughts like that would only get his mate injured.
The Autobot medic caught Starscream by the torso and threw the Decepticon over his shoulder. The silver-gray jet shrieked in rage as he barred his teeth, coolant dripping from his mouth. It was a repulsive sight and Nexia shuddered in disgust. The medic could feel Nexia's spark shuddering in pain but even though he wanted to rush to her side the medic knew it would only induce chaos.
Starscream smirked, knowing that Ratchet was worried about something; the look on his facial plates gave it away. The Autobot medic's optics were flickering and his heart simply wasn't in the battle. Since he was a Decepticon that meant that Starscream didn't have to play by the rules.
He sent a swift uppercut to the unsuspecting medic, causing him to go crashing into some of the trees near Nexia's hiding spot. He became entangled within the branches, cursing himself yet again for his lack of attention towards the situation. Leaves and pieces of bark got stuck in his wires, causing tiny jolts of pain to go through his system. It didn't matter; his internal repair system would take car eof that.
"Come now, Autobot. You fight like a sparkling. Show me your true strength!" Starscream cackled, deviously scanning the surrounding terrain for what was distracting the Autobot's medic. That slagging fleshling was probably hiding around here somewhere.
Finally, the jet spotted a pair of familiar glowing organic eyes gazing through a hole in the bushes. Starscream smirked yet again as he fired a round from his plasma cannon, burning a hole into a large tree on the other side of her hiding area. The tree broke due to the strain on the trunk, coming to a crash next to the winged girl. She screamed but instantly slapped a hand over her mouth, closing her eyes in embarrassment. Now Starscream knew for sure that she was there.
"Nexia!" Ratchet screamed, jumping to his feet when he finally disentangled himself from the forests' branches. His spark was hammering away inside his chest but that was not the point. He had to make sure his mate was safe. He would do anything to protect her from the chaotic mind of Starscream.
The medic rushed to the aid of the winged girl but when he had his back turned Starscream found his chance. Oh he was a conniving evil sonofaglitch. The silver-gray jet slashed Ratchet's shoulder with a blade made from solid energon, carving deep within the medic's metallic flesh. Ratchet fell to his knees and grunted in pain while Nexia screamed in terror, causing Scarscream to smirk in victory. Tears welled up in the winged girl's eyes once again as she whimpered in fear.
The medic knew the situation was bad; the wound he sustained was on the back of his shoulder…so there was little he could do to staunch the heavy flow of energon. Starscream smirked and raised his photon cannon, prepaired to shoot the medic in he spark chamber and end his life. Oh, how he was enjoying the satisfaction of ending an Autobot's miserable existence. He was about to pull the trigger but a loud shout caught his attention, causing him to look over to where the winged girl was hiding.
"Wait!" she shouted up to the large mech, panting in pain. She stood, ignoring the twinges of fire that spread across her nervous system. The waves of pain had still not receded but she would do whatever it took to make sure that no more harm would come to the medic. She closed her eyes and took a breath before opening them once again. This time they were set in determination.
"If you let him go then I'll come with you…willingly." she said, panting slightly. She was regaining her breath, which was good, but if she didn't receive the serum in time she would continue having pain attacks until her spark failed. There was no cure.
"NO! What are you thinking?! Don't do it!" the distraught medic pleaded with her. He was weakening quickly and she knew her time was short. Nexia sent a pointed glare in the silver-gray jet's direction. Starscream looked back and forth between the two figures, trying to figure out if taking the little organic creature was worth it. Finally, he voiced his opinion on the matter.
"What will I gain from letting the Autobot weakling go? What can you possibly do for me?" the Decepticon sneered in her direction. His optics narrowed as she straitened and flapped her wings, rising into the air even though it took much of her effort. She rose until she was level with the Decepticon's optics.
"My powers have grown since the last time we have met, Starscream. I can revive mechs and I can summon the Grand Phoenix, Xylon, and the superior Black Flamed Unicorn, FlameSpark. I can heal and be a great asset: you can trade me for the Allspark shard." she said, raising her head up proudly. The silver-gray jet contemplated her offer before he finally smirked. He would be able to obtain great power in exchange for her.
"Fine. I accept your offer." Starscream cackled, grabbing the winged girl from the air just as his scanners started beeping, indicating that several other Autobots were on their way. Nexia scrambled to grab her katana from the tree she had set it in before the evil jet had a chance to take off once and for all. He threw the winged girl high into the air, jumping into the air himself, before shooting the medic in the leg to make sure that he wouldn't be able to follow them. The winged girl screamed in fury as Ratchet started to cry once again.
"NO! Nexia! No!! No…" the medic wept as Starscream took off into the night sky with his spark mate. The pain became unbearable, causing Ratchet to stagger as he tried to rise. The screeching of tires could be heard as Wheeljack, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe came racing into the clearing. Wheeljack automatically raced to his friend's side while the twins scanned the area for any sign of the Decepticon creep. They were furious as they noticed the familiar jet trail of an F-22 Raptor
"She's gone again! I was supposed to protect her!!" the medic wailed in a pain-induced hysteria. He banged his fist upon the ground as Wheeljack shushed him, placing a hand upon Ratchet's shoulder. Ratchet froze, shoulders tensing as he looked up, causing the other three mechs to freeze in slight fear. His optics were not the familiar blue color of an Autobot…but instead they were pure white - the color of a mech drowned in fury.
"Mark my words, Autobots. I WILL take my revenge on Starscream and I WILL get Nexia back." he stated as Wheeljack injected a sedative into Ratchet's main energon lines. The other three mech's looked to each other in a silent agreement. They would help the medic in any way possible to get their little winged one back safe and sound and to help administer the healing serum. She was, after all, the spark mate of the infamous Ratchet.