The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 3 (245) edited for boo boos :D
-0-The airfield at Polyhex
They froze as the security car pulled up and blocked their view. They could see the ship over the top of the vehicle but not the femmes or the passengers preparing to leave. Elita glanced at the group outside the fence a moment, then leaned into the window of the security office asking even more questions around the numerous calls he was getting from other bots and places.
Jazz and Chromia standing with Tagg and Kestrel turned to talk to the pair who had lowered their helms the way that most of the workers on Cybertron were seen to do. No one dared or had the energy it seemed to look directly at each other. They blocked the view of the pair as best they could with their own bodies as they waited, appearing to be friends gathered to talk together.
A door opening and closing could be heard, then footfalls coming toward them. Chromia glanced casually over her shoulder and saw that four mechs were heading their way. She looked back at the wan pair. :Don't do anything. Let us take care of it. Be prepared to move with us when we tell you. Do you understand me?:
Tagg looked at Chromia with a defeated expression. He gripped Kestrel's servo and nodded. :Save Kes. He's got bad knees. He won't be able to run. Save him:
:We're saving both of you: Chromia said with her typical firmness.
The four bots paused behind them. Jazz and Chromia turned to look at them with hard expressions on their nondescript scarred faces. The security mechs were impeccably detailed signifying extremely senior individuals in the Decepticon public administration. The one in front looked at them, then nodded curtly. "I would like to see your identification."
Chromia glanced at Jazz, then sneered. "Why?"
"Because I say so," the mech replied. The others spread out, their servos by their firearms.
:Give them your identification, Chromia. We can't protect against this spread of fire:
She unsubbed her disk and handed it to the lead mech, standing with barely contained contempt as he examined it.
"You are from off world. You are pirates bringing contraband to Cybertron. Your passes appear to be in order."
"Then what's the problem?" Chromia sneered.
"Who said there was a problem?" he asked looking at both clearly. He reached into subspace and brought out a series of data wafers enclosed in a band. He put it behind her disk and handed it over. "You need to leave and take them quickly. Optics are everywhere."
Jazz and Chromia glanced at each other, then looked at the mechs with puzzlement. The leader grinned. "Your expressions make a lot of things bearable. I will remember them a long time. Give my regards to the Prime. Tell him we will be ready when he is."
For a moment they just stared at the mechs, then they nodded, their expressions bearing as much gratitude as they dared give in public. Turning, holding on to the arms of their debilitated prize, they slowly walked past the security group and into the gates of the airfield. The trip to the ship seemed to take forever but when they reached it, servos helped all of them aboard.
Jazz paused in the doorway watching as Elita was detained by the same group. They chatted a while, her identity disk inspected, then she turned and hurried forward boarding quickly. The door slammed shut as she moved forward slipping into the pilot seat.
Jazz looked out the window as the group watched them go. When the ship was turning to join the outgoing flight lane, only then did the four leave, their vehicle driving sedately away. He turned and looked at Elita. "Did they tell you who they were?"
Elita who allowed the ship to go into automatic control for departure glanced at him. "That, my dear Jazz was Soundwave's Chief of Staff, his personal attache and two of the most senior members of the Elite Guard."
They sat back and considered that silently. Jazz looked back in the hold and saw that Tagg and Kestrel were comfortably seated among the mechs who had spent their orns taking care of them, protecting the genitors of their Prime from capture.
It was a short ride out of Cybertron air space and as short a ride to the space bridge. When they reached it, they fell into the storm and disappeared from their home space once more.
-0-At the airfield
They had received word that the shuttle was coming through the bridge so the support team hurried to the runway to wait for them. Ratchet was there with a runabout, Ironhide by his side. They stood watching the skies as Ratchet waited for a ping from Prowl that indicated he had finally told Optimus. When it came, Ratchet gripped Ironhide's arm pulling him to one side. "Ironhide, I have something to tell you. You will have to be very important to Optimus for a few orns."
He nodded, a worried expression on his face. "What's up, Ratchet?"
"The team did all they were supposed to do and Dai gave them a very important thing to bring back here. He gave them Optimus's genitors."
It took a moment to sink in, then Ironhide gripped Ratchet's arms. "They made it?"
"Apparently but they aren't in very good shape. I have a runabout to take them to the emergency room. You be here for Optimus. Take another ship if you have to but I'm not going to let him come with us. There won't be room."
Ultra Magnus walked to them pausing by their side. "I'm here, Ratchet."
"Good, Magnus. The team found Optimus's genitors. They're coming and they aren't in good shape. Optimus needs you and Ironhide," Ratchet said.
Magnus blinked, then nodded. As he did, they all turned and saw Optimus hurrying out of the courtyard. He ran through the traffic, Prowl hurrying along behind as they both aimed for the airfield. By the time they arrived, a shuttle was beginning to descend from the sky.
-0-On the way down
They were huddled in the shuttle, all of them pressed for space. The mechs were silent, all of them filled with disbelief at the idea of leaving Cybertron behind them. The city below was clear to their optics and they were silent as they watched the apparition that was appearing below, overcome that something miraculous was happening.
Elita flew as carefully as she could, the air traffic controller holding other ships in orbit to give them priority. Prowl had called and given them a code fifteen for their shuttle. They had every priority and privilege that any ship could have. Even Primes would have to wait for this ship to land and be taken care of.
The ground was coming up fast so she slowed the vessel. It moved forward then touched down near a group of mechs and a runabout. She set down with great skill and the ship settled, the engines powering down. Before she could rise up from her seat the doors were opened and servos reached for mechs.
The mechs who had protected Kes and Tagg stepped out, then took over. When it was time for the pair to move, they reached in and gently picked them up. Carrying them out, they turned and saw a medic signaling for them to put the two on stretchers. As they turned to do that, they paused.
Optimus Prime was standing nearby watching them with an unreadable expression on his face.
-0-A moment earlier
They walked out, the door closing. Prime rose to go but Prowl stepped forward halting him. "Optimus, I have news for you. I want to tell you here in private."
Prime paused, then nodded. Prowl's energy was incredibly bad. He froze, then gripped the winger's arms. "The infants?!"
"No," Prowl said hugging the big mechanism to himself a moment. He stepped back and looked up. "The team is back and they did incredibly well. Dai Atlas gave them a task to complete because things are so insecure on Cybertron."
Prime nodded. "What?"
"He gave them the task of bringing your genitors back to Mars. They're through the bridge and coming in for a landing."
It was intensely silent, then Prime sat down. Prowl cupped Prime's face in his servos. "Optimus? Are you alright?"
Prime sat stilled, the firestorm in his processor overtaking him a moment. Then he looked up at Prowl. "My … ada is here? My atar?"
"They're coming, Optimus. They need medical attention. They're ailing but it doesn't sound like anything Ratchet can't fix."
Prime stood up a moment, then looked at Prowl. "I have to be there when they land. They might be frightened. If they're hurt or sick, I have to be there."
Prowl nodded. "Come on. Optimus," Prowl said, then halted him. "Ratchet has a runabout to take them to the hospital. We can take another ship too. But they will go with him. Okay?" he asked anxiously.
Prime looked at Prowl and absently nodded, the words from his bond falling onto deaf audials. He was in turmoil and the shock was settling in. He gripped Prowl's face in his servos, then he turned and hurried to the door. Prowl stood a moment, then turned running to catch up.
He thundered across Ops Center, then burst into the rec room. Bots parted to let him, then Prowl go past, watching as they exited the Fortress turning right to the airfield. It was a short run to the group gathered together. He was only marginally aware of Magnus, Ratchet, Ironhide and others. He only could see a shuttle land, the door finally opening.
Bot after unknown battered bot exited, all of them turning back to watch the hatch door. Then two climbed back in and came out again holding two sick injured mechanisms. Ratchet was directing them to stretchers and as they turned they paused. They saw him standing there.
Prowl stood next to Optimus holding his servo. Prime had gripped it tightly when he came to a stop, holding onto Prowl as if his life depended upon it. It probably did he would think at a later date. But for now, there was only his telescoped vision of two weary nearly unconscious mechs in the arms of others he didn't know.
He stepped forward, his grip pulling Prowl along. When he came close he paused. He stared at them, at their obvious hurts and the dull damaged armor and paint schemes that they wore. He reached out to touch Kestrel, his servo linger on his cheek. His ada didn't open his optics. He just lay silently in the arms of a mech who didn't look much better. He nodded and the mech walked onward gently laying Kestrel on a stretcher. Tagg joined him on another, then both were boarded on the runabout.
Ratchet pausing nodded to Prowl who nodded back. Then he jumped on and the hatch closed, the vehicle lifting off to fly with speed to the hospital landing pad. Optimus watched it go, the group gathering around him. He stood on the airfield holding Prowl's servo like his life depended upon it and as he did he considered that he didn't recognize either of the mechs flying away to the hospital at all.
Magnus turned and called to the pilot of a small shuttle. He entered and fired it up. Then Magnus turned to Optimus. "Optimus," he said gently as Arcee and the others stepped closer, their expressions filled with concern and hopefulness. "Orion!"
Optimus broke his gaze, then looked at Magnus. "Dion?"
"Orion, we can go with them. Come on," he said nodding to the shuttle. "You need to come with us. We're your friends. We're with you."
It broke the spell, the gentle words. Prime glanced at Prowl who squeezed his servo. Then the two walked to the shuttle with Magnus and Ironhide. Magnus looked over his shoulder. "All of you. To the emergency room. He needs us there."
They nodded and turned hurrying to the shuttle that brought them. Then Elita paused. Turning to the ten mechs standing pensively on the tarmac she nodded. "Come on. You're family too."
As one, they turned and ran for the shuttle. It lifted off without a sound and followed swiftly behind the one carrying Prime.
-0-At the landing pad
Ratchet jumped out noting that the doctors and specialists he had called for were lined up waiting, their expressions filled with seriousness and compassion. He turned and with an orderly lifted the stretcher with Kestrel. The big mechanism was silent, his optics offline and his affect quiet, almost sleep like. They moved to a gurney where orderlies with the utmost care lifted Kestrel onto it. It was then wheeled inside for the elevator that would take him one floor down to the emergency room. They were taking Tagg out when Prime's shuttle arrived. He leaped out before it landed and hurried to Ratchet. Holding the stretcher too, he watched as his atar was gently placed on the gurney for his ride downstairs.
Prowl and Ironhide, Magnus and the others who had arrived in their shuttle gathered, their expressions filled with worry and concern. When the gurney began to move, they walked in and entered elevators. It would take two trips for everyone to arrive in the lobby of the emergency room. All around the huge open space were emergency suites. Doctors were crowded around two as the group massed.
Jazz slipped through the crowd and moved to the wall of the room where Kestrel lay, Ratchet working to hook him up to machines. In the next room, Prime by his side, Tagg was getting the same treatment at the servos of Cambo and Gypsy. The data began to flow. Prime held Tagg's servo and looked at the alien face of his father. It was obvious that they had been changed to protect them. It was spark arresting to want to see them and not be able to look at the handsome faces of his parents, their amused optics smiling at him, loving him more than life itself. It was incredibly painful.
Prowl slipped out and slipped into the room with Kestrel. He walked to the berth and took Kestrel's servo into his own. This was the bot who had borne Optimus, raised and educated him against great adversity and had been half of the love and ethics that had made him the best mech Prowl had ever met. It was searingly painful to see them in this condition. The feelings of Optimus were even worse. He was too upset to even mute them. Prowl was glad. They would suffer together until they didn't have to.
-0-TBC
2013 (3)