Jack watched the dry desert roll by as they made their way to the Autobot base. It had been a dull couple of days. Ever since the Autobots had refused to let them come to the base, Jack had been left stewing in boredom. The explanation they'd given was vague — something about a possible Decepticon trap. Whatever the case, the humans had only been told a few crucial details:
One, they now had a downed Decepticon in stasis lock sitting in their med bay.
Two, that Decepticon happened to be Starscream. The very same Con who had made their lives miserable countless times.
And three, they were to stay close to the Autobots at all times. No exceptions.
The three autobots and their human partners pulled into the base easily. The large bay doors closing behind them. Jack glanced around when he took off his helmet. Feeling a sudden prang of unease at how tense the Autobots were.
Jack trusted the Autobots, but sharing space with an infamous Decepticon (even one in stasis) was enough to put anyone on edge. Jack hopped off Arcee's seat once she came to a stop, standing to the side as the familiar whirring and grinding of gears sounded as she transformed.
Arcee stretched, her blue plating grinding as she raised her arms above her head, rolling her shoulders back to work out the kinks. Jack caught sight of Raf stepping out of Bee's passenger side. His backpack was clutched tightly to his chest. The kid looked about as anxious as Jack felt.
Miko, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She practically launched herself out of Bulkhead's cab. Jack winced as she slammed Bulkhead's door shut with enough force to make his frame shake.
As soon as her feet hit the ground, she pumped a fist in the air. "Where is he?!" She shouted with excitement, her voice echoing through the cavernous space. "I want to see a scrapped Con!"
Bulkhead quickly transformed and blocked her path with a massive foot before she could take off. "Miko, we talked about this," he scolded, sounding exasperated.
Miko crossed her arms and huffed, her nose scrunching in defiance. "No, you talked about this. At me."
Arcee groaned, pinching the bridge of her—nose? Jack wasn't sure what to call it, —Head fin, maybe?— but the gesture was unmistakable. She stepped forward, her voice clipped with irritation. "Starscream is very dangerous and unpredictable. Even in stasis, we have no idea what could happen. This isn't a game, Miko."
Jack glanced at Raf, who had edged closer to Bumblebee. The yellow scout let out a series of beeps and whirs, clearly agreeing with Arcee, though Jack couldn't understand the words.
Raf hesitated, clutching his backpack tighter. "Miko, they're right. Starscream is dangerous. I don't think it's a good idea to go near him."
"Oh, come on!" Miko groaned, throwing her arms up dramatically. "I finally get a chance to see the biggest pain in our backsides flat on his back, and I don't even get to go near him?" She pouted, kicking a loose rock across the floor.
Jack bit back the urge to scold her. Experience had taught him that it wouldn't make any difference—Miko only listened when she wanted to.
Bee chirped again, this time more sternly, and Raf gave an awkward nod of agreement. "Maybe we should just let Ratchet and the others handle it," Raf said.
Miko rolled her eyes, her shoulders slumping. "Fine," she muttered, dragging her feet as she turned toward the stairs. "Guess we'll go play stupid video games or something."
x
Not even twenty minutes later, Jack realized Miko was missing. He sat up from the couch, scanning the room until he caught sight of her making a mad dash toward the medbay. To absolutely no one's surprise.
Jack cursed under his breath and ran after her to make sure she didn't get herself hurt.
By the time he arrived, Miko was already standing close to the medical berth, staring up at it with wide eyes. Ratchet was turned away, focused on the monitors, oblivious to the tiny intruders. From their angle, they couldn't see the top of the berth, only Starscream's limbs and part of his side. His wings looked worse for wear, covered in dents, and his wrists and ankles were pinned to the table by some sort of cuffs.
Jack frowned as he noticed Raf sneaking into the medbay behind him. He reached for Miko's wrist, attempting to pull her out, but she yanked her arm away and darted around the table.
"Wow, he looks like slag," she commented loudly. Jack facepalmed, grabbing Raf's hand instead.
Ratchet spun around, his optics instantly locking onto the three intruders. "What are you doing—"
"He's not slag," someone else interrupted, cutting the medic off. Everyone's eyes shot up to the unexpected voice, and to the human now standing on top of Starscream's chest plate. A boy with black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black shirt and had a deep scowl on his face. A. very familiar boy. Jack's eyes widened in recognition.
Miko crossed her arms and glared up at the boy. "Who are you? And why does he get to see Starscream, but we don't? So unfair!" She huffed.
The boy looked ready to snap at her, but Jack stepped forward instead. "You're the kid from the race," Jack said, his voice cautious. "You were racing with Knockout."
The boy's eyes shifted to Jack, widening in recognition. "Damn, small world." He paused with a grimace. "I'm so sorry about that whole thing, by the way. If I had known, he would try something like that…" He ran a hand down his face. "Did that gash heal up okay?"
The kid walked to the edge of the medical berth before taking another quick glance at Starscream, then Ratchet, before jumping down and heading over to Jack. Jack had forgotten that the kid was taller than him and, also, not really a kid. He was definitely older than Jack, by about two years at least.
"May I?" the boy asked, gesturing toward Jack's head.
It took Jack a second to realize what he meant. He nodded hesitantly, tilting his head to let the boy examine the spot where he'd been injured. The boy gently grabbed Jack's chin, tilting his head to the side for a better look. After a moment, he hummed in approval before letting Jack go and stepping back. "Looks like it healed nicely. I'm glad."
Jack shrugged. "My mom's a nurse. She helped me keep up with it." He smiled. "I'm Jack, by the way. I guess we didn't get to properly introduce ourselves last time." He reached his hand out to shake.
The boy stared at it for a long moment before accepting the handshake. "Danny," he said.
Jack turned and gestured to the boy behind him. "This is Raf." The boy waved up at Danny. Jack then turned, pointing to the pink-haired girl who was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "And that's—"
" —Miko!" She interrupted, immediately flying into a barrage of questions. "Why were you with Knockout? Were you kidnapped? Why did you almost die that one time? Was that you? Why are you sitting on Starscream's chest? He's a good-for-nothing 'Con, you shouldn't touch him. How did you live on the ship? Why are you here? Were you inside Starscream when he got like this?"
Danny flinched, stepping back at the onslaught of questions. His expression shifted rapidly from confusion to annoyance to outrage before finally settling on irritation. Jack grimaced at the awkward interaction.
Crossing his arms, Danny moved closer to Ratchet, clearly debating whether to answer. Finally, he spoke. "In order: He needed a human front. Not really. I don't know what you're talking about. Who was me? Because I can. And he isn't 'good-for-nothing,' and I care about him, so don't insult him. I got by. Starscream was hurt. And no."
Danny's frown deepened at Miko's smug expression as she looked at Starscream's motionless frame. "Don't gawk at him. He's hurt," he snapped. Raf edged closer to Jack, clearly uncomfortable.
"But I want to see what a piece of scrap like him looks like all beaten up," Miko said, completely ignoring the boy's obvious distress.
Danny's expression darkened, but before he could say anything, Ratchet intervened. "You three aren't even supposed to be in here. Get out. This is a medical bay, not a viewing gallery."
Miko threw her arms out dramatically. "Wait, how come he gets to stay?!"
"Because he isn't pestering me and stopping me from doing my work. Now, out." Ratchet pointed firmly toward the door.
"Miko, come on," Jack urged.
"Unfair !" She complained.
Ratchet crossed his arms. "My medbay, my rules. No unauthorized visitors. And if I catch you in here again without permission, you'll be banned indefinitely."
Miko scowled at the medic, but he met her glare with one of his own. She finally relented, stomping out of the medbay.
Jack followed closely, throwing one last glance over his shoulder. The boy visibly relaxed, letting out a relieved sigh and a 'thank you, Ratchet' as the door slid shut behind them.
x
Danny sat in the medbay on the berth next to Starscream, looking down at him and monitoring his vitals. Ratchet was out doing something or other—Danny didn't know what. Hopefully, the medic was finally getting some recharge now that Starscream was stable.
"Ratchet?" Startled at the sudden sound, Danny glanced up, only to be met with the face of a yellow bot. A very familiar yellow bot.
"He's… not here right now," Danny answered, staring at the mech. It was the same mech Danny had found buried under that collapsed energon mine all those months ago. The same one he'd helped repair.
The bot's optics snapped to Danny, widening in recognition. They then flicked up and down Starscream's prone form. "You can understand me?" He beeped, stepping further into the medbay. He glanced nervously around, as if worried Ratchet might throw a wrench at him.
Danny smiled up at the bot. "I mean, yeah. I understood you before, didn't I? Sorry, I don't have the energy to speak Cybertronian binary right now." Which was true. Danny needed his ghostly voice box rather than his human one to speak the language fluently. Without it, it would sound ridiculous.
The bot's field burst with recognition. "...You." He stepped even closer, lowering his head to Danny's height for a better look. "You were the strange human who helped me in the cave! I thought it was all a hallucination from energon loss." He looked down at his servos. "But I had mended parts. Ratchet said I was lucky…"
Danny sensed the bot scanning him again. "You look… different." The bot tilted his helm to the side.
Danny froze. Shit. That's right. This guy was the only one who had seen him in his ghost form. Right now, Danny looked completely different. More human. What did he remember? Did he remember Danny's powers?
"I changed a bit," Danny shrugged, trying to play it off. "I'm glad you're looking better, though! Ratchet did a great job."
"Not without your help. You really saved my tailpipe back there. Thank you."
Danny tried to wave off the praise. "I would have done the same for any Con."
Something Danny couldn't quite identify filled up the bot field, and he tilted his helm towards Danny."Did you think I was a Decepticon? Is that why you helped me?" He asked carefully.
Danny shrugged before glancing to the side. "Well, I didn't know you were an Autobot at the time."
The bot's doorwings drooped slightly. Danny quickly held his hands up. "But it wouldn't have changed anything! You were hurt. I would've helped either way. I just didn't notice at the time. Not that it should matter when it comes to saving lives."
The bot nodded but suddenly stiffened. "The phone call you made… you tried to call Knockout?" His tone was cautious.
Danny nodded. "Yeah, not like the jerk picked up anyway," he scoffed.
The bot shifted from one pede to the other. "Maybe it's a good thing he didn't."
"Why?" Danny raised an eyebrow.
"Doubt I would've survived being taken as a Decepticon prisoner," the bot shrugged.
Danny frowned. "Right…" These guys were in a war. Still, Danny wouldn't have let anything happen to him. Right?
The bot shifted again. "So, you're here now? ...With Starscream ." His optics ran over the Seeker's frame again.
Danny tensed, already anticipating having to defend the 'Con. This was going to get really tiring. "I am," he said cautiously.
The bot seemed to consider his words before asking, "Why?"
"Why am I here, or why am I with Starscream?" Danny raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I know why you're at the base, but why are you with… him ?" He gestured toward the Seeker.
"Because he needed me, just like you needed me back in that cave all those months ago." Danny's hand ghosted over Starscream's plating. "I go where I'm needed and help anyone who needs it, even if they don't admit it." The bot seemed to nod slowly in agreement. A silence passed between them for a moment.
"You know," Danny started. The bot's optics snapped back toward him. "I never did get your name."
The bot didn't have a visible mouth, but Danny felt his EM field shift, like he was smiling. "Bumblebee."
"Well then, Bumblebee. Nice to officially meet you." Danny stuck his hand out for the mech to shake. "My name's Danny."
Bee nodded and shook Danny's hand between two fingers. "Nice to meet you too, Danny."
Authors notes:
Thanks again for all the love! There will be more to come soon!
Also, I wrote another little spin-off. Sorry guys, the plot bunnies are bunny-ing. This was originally going to be an alternate scene in this story, but there was no room for it! So I changed it up a bit and made it its own little thing. Check it out if you have time if you like Protective Dad Soundwave™, you will Like this one 3
Beaky and the Bots
- The Autobots find Laserbeak crushed under a collapsed energon mine and decide to take him under their wing –ha– and heal him up. Ratchet's worried about a security breach, the humans think he's cute, and Soundwave is in panicked dad mode on the warpath for his lost baby, who is being held for ransom by the Autobots.