In the end, Starscream insisted he fix Swindle's injuries, and even went so far as to keep Hook and the other Constructicons at bay with a crow bar. No one quite knew where he got it, and Hook swore it wasn't part of his tools. So Starscream went on to do a complete check over of Swindle, the first thing he decided to repair was the helm, mumbling here and there about how Hook should have covered the delicate circuitry instead of leaving it an open wound. Swindle - having Starscream in his head heard most of it. The Seeker seemed paranoid that he could of caught something with a head wound open like that, or that he could of gotten some water into it and shorted something. And it appeared to have some dirt and grass from when he fell to the ground.

So after cleaning the injury - which surprisingly didn't hurt the smaller Mech - he started patching it up. Welding new metal together carefully, slowly to keep from hitting something delicate or fatal. It turned out to be a slow, painful process, but he wasn't allowed into stasis until they were done repairing him. Just in case something went wrong, they didn't want him going into stasis and never coming back out. So Starscream put all his focus into not messing up Swindle's head more than it already was, while Hook fixed up Vortex. Onslaught watched from the side, awaiting his turn and keeping an eye on Brawl to make sure the tank didn't get bored and break something.

Vortex seemed to be enjoying himself, though. And distracting Hook from fixing his neck by messing with random things within reach, talking and forcing the medic to stop to keep from damaging his throat farther, or pointing at random things and asking what they were. Hook had to push everything out of his reach, everything except the tool kit he needed to repair the Helicopter. And, of course, Vortex got into it. He took a handful of bolts and screws.

And started chucking them at Brawl who was seemingly sulking in a far corner all on his lonesome.

The room filled with silence aside from stiffed giggling, the clank of screws and bolts colliding with Brawl's head, and the occasional sound of welding or power tools. It was an eerie kind of silence, a stiff silence. One that felt as if it were the calm before the storm, which knowing his Family...is exactly what it is. Things got a little more tense when Skywarp suddenly decided it would be fun to distract Starscream by mocking Vortex. So he grabbed a handful of bolts and screws and started chucking them at Starscream.

They hit him in the head, wings, but mainly right between his shoulders.

And of course, everyone knows Seekers are sensitive around the wings. So every time a bolt or screw hit him in the wings they would flinch, shift upwards or down. When one would hit him between the shoulders a reflex would kick int that would make him suddenly stand straight, and Swindle had a good view of the fact Starscream was retraining a reflex to turn and shoot whoever was behind him. But he would only growl at Skywarp, send him a glare, then get back to work.

And Skywarp would wait a few minutes before doing it again.

Swindle started leaning back as Skywarp readied to through another one, Starscream he become a bit tense. Which meant he was likely angry. And Swindle didn't want an angry Starscream working on his head when that next screw or bolt hit him. He knew very well that Starscream might accidentally break something if he was still working on him. Starscream lowered his hands, noting Swindle's expression and the leaning away from him. He drooped his wings slightly, angrily.

And when Skywarp threw the screw, Starscream rounded on him. Catching the screw in his right hand, he drew it back, and threw the screw right back. It was thrown with more force then Skywarp had been throwing them. It hit the violet Seeker right between the optics, with a yelp he tumbled off the berth he had been occupying. Starscream turned around, smirking as a satisfying clank filled the room. He got back to work on Swindle's nearly fully repaired helm.

From across the room Vortex busted into laughter and fell off his berth, being in mid throw Brawl turned to see him fall, and sneered. Onslaught just sighed and shook his head, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall closest to the door. Swindle refrained from giggling or anything, sense...Starscream would probably get irritated from him moving while he's trying to fix his head. "Done." Swindle tilted his head up some, Starscream smirked and flicked his helm with his finger middle finger. "All you have to do is get it painted to match the rest of your helm." He swept away something from Swindle's helm and looked him over.

"Now, let me have a look at that voice modulator." The SIC mumbled as he knelt down and poked at Swindle's neck, just above his chest-plate. Swindle nodded and removed the outer plating protecting the wiring within. Starscream started messing with wires and snatched a tool - one which Swindle missed - and started messing around in his neck. Swindle felt a wave of uncertainty wash over him, not really liking others messing around with wiring where he couldn't see. Though it confused him.

Starscream was just in his head, and that didn't bother him.

Probably just the damaged emotion chip thing talking.

After a moment, something sparked in his view, and he felt that uncertainty swell. Luckily Starscream pulled out, smirking, and placed the plating back over his neck. "Alright, Swindle," Starscream stood, and looked him in the optics. "Try and talk." Swindle nodded, and tried to think of something to say. He glanced around the room.

"Brawl," The tank lifted his head. "Stop pouting, it doesn't suit you." Swindle smirked as Brawl looked at him, then scowled before returning to his "pout" position. Everyone knew he was only pouting because he got in trouble with Onslaught, and didn't get to fight anymore after Swindle was hurt. And because he had monitor duty today, soon actually. Probably right after his check-and-repair.

Swindle looked to Starscream, who now had that smug smirk on his face as he looked to Hook, who glared back at the Seeker. "Starscream," Starscream looked down to Swindle. "Thanks." Swindle smiled, and Starscream's smirk faded to reveal a very confused Seeker. After a moment he smiled back - somewhat nervously - and nodded. "Anytime." He turned and strode over to Skywarp, who had yet to get up off the floor. In fact, he had stayed there and decided throwing screws and bolts in the air and trying to catch them in his mouth without swallowing was more entertaining.

Starscream caught one as he threw it, dropped it so it hit him right in the left optic, before bending down and dragging the Violet flyer to his feet. "Come on, Warp. I'll repair you when we get to our room. We were supposed to meet up with Thundercracker a good twenty minutes ago." He started shoving the slightly larger flyer towards the door. "Ooh, 'Cracker's gonna be maaad!" Skywarp giggled, grabbing Starscream by the arm.

Suddenly they were gone, warped out by Skywarp.

Swindle stared for a moment, before looking himself over. Aside from his head, legs, and throat, he didn't have much else damaged. Hook had already fixed his legs as best they could be fixed without replacement parts, and Starscream took care of the rest. He stared at the ground, wondering if he could walk. Probably not. Don't know 'till you try, though! So without a second though, Swindle slid off the berth. His pedes touched the floor, and he instantly regret it. It didn't hurt, no, but a pressure tightened in his right leg and it bucked under the strain, so he found himself falling to the right. He caught himself on the berth, but a pressure feel kept in his right leg up to his right thigh for a few minutes. Not painful, but very uncomfortable.

Not to mention all the burnt metal rubbing together.

Onslaught eyed their youngest member from across the room, Swindle struggled to find a way to stand and walk. He flexed his legs out a bit, and attempted to stand again, leaning to his left. He managed a balance, now the next problem was taking a step. And walking. Swindle seemed determined though, for every time he nearly fell, or did fall, he would lift himself back up and try again. Onslaught had to resist the urge to go over to help him, knowing Swindle would just refuse, or be embarrassed. He felt the urge to at least run and catch him, but chose to watch as he fell to the floor.

Every time their smallest would get back up, steady himself, and try again.

Every optic on the room would turn to him, and they would pull their attention away. Vortex would eye him for a moment longer, and smile. Likely quietly cheering him on, if there was one mech in this room who actually had any sort of respect for Swindle, it was Vortex. The two spent so much time together they were practically joined at the hip. Being the two youngest members, though Vortex still had a large age gap making him older than Swindle. They were pretty much best friends, even after Swindle had sold them. Vortex was the first to forgive him. It didn't take long for the two to become the best of friends again, either.

Which is why it didn't surprise Onslaught in the slightest that Vortex was willing to embarrass Swindle when he managed to finally get a few steps in, by cheering him on - quite loudly. "Whoo! Way to go Swindle! I knew you could do it! That's the way!" He all but sang to the youngest, who looked up at hims as if he had just hosed him down with a fire hose. If mechs could blush, Swindle would probably be twenty different shades of red.

Instead he just chose to stutter. "Sh-shut up, 'Tex..." And smile sweetly - embarrassed to the core - to take the sting form his words. Vortex just giggled at him, grinning. Swindle managed to make it to Vortex, though he had a horrible limp, it seemed as if he couldn't even move his right leg at times. It made almost everyone in the room want to rush to help him, Onslaught didn't doubt that. Everyone had their optics trained on him until he was sitting next to Vortex, who patted him on the back and congratulated him one "taking his first steps". It earned him a playful punch in the arm.

Vortex had been repaired by then, and Hook had moved on to Brawl. He had welded the injury shut, and just wrapped a bandage around it. And told him not to poke at it, which - of course - prompted him to poke at it. Until Hook threatened to weld his hand to his aft if he didn't stop. It really didn't work, it took another threat to weld him to Brawl or Blast Off before he finally stopped poking at it. And now he appeared to be looking over Swindle's freshly repaired helm.

"It's orange." Vortex muttered, poking the freshly welded on metal patch. Swindle swatted his hand away. "Orange? What's orange?" Came Swindle's reply. Vortex poked the metal again, and Swindle swatted him away again. "The patch. The metal is painted orange. That happy-go-lucky goody goody peace love and hugsies Autobot orange, too." He poked it again, Swindle swatted him again. "Why do we have metal that color?" He tilted his head in slight confusion, slapping Vortex away as he yet again poked the patch. "Dunno. But it's irritating me." Another poke, another swat. Swindle looked over to Hook. "Hey, got any body paint I can use to recolor this VORTEX STOP POKING IT!" Swindle swatted Vortex's hand away a bit more violently this time, Vortex pouted. "Sorry! Jeez." He rubbed his hand.

"Yeah, I have some. But no black." Hook turned and walked to a supplies cabinet, digging through it. "What colors do you have?" Swindle inquired as he hopped off the berth, nearly fell, and decided it would be best to sit back down and let it be tossed to him or something. It would take Hook far less time to get to him anyways. Hook dug through the cabinets, humming, then stopped and frowned. "I only have one color...I have no clue how this got in here either. I thought I threw all of this color out..." He drew out the can, and looked it over, turning it in his hand and checking it over. He shook it, yet, still full. As if brand new.

"Probably Skywarp's doing..." He muttered, and bounded over to Swindle. "What's the color?" Swindle looked up at Hook, the medic frowned. "You should probably just leave it the way it is..." "Any color is better than this cheerful Autobot orange!" Vortex poked Swindle's patch again as he exclaimed. Swindle swatted him away, and nodded. "Yeah, just get it over with." Swindle spun around the injury faced him. "In fact, if it isn't black just paint my entire helm for now, I'll paint it back when you get black paint again. I don't want to walk around with patches visible." Hook went to say something, but sighed instead. "Don't blame me."

He got to work painting Swindle's helm, Vortex - not even bothering to check the color - wondered over to Brawl.

"Just avoid Megatron for a while, Swindle."

"Huh?"

Authors Notes: I've portrayed Vortex as a bit of a dork, huh? Nah, he's just kid like and crazy. Just a warning, there will be a bit of drama in later chapters, Swindle's gong to be getting out and around the base soon. Not all of the Decepticons like him. He isn't that well liked after all. Though he's generally more liked in this story than he is in the show/comics. Just have to wait and see!

Disclaimer: Transformers does not belong to me, not do any of it's Characters.