TFP: Metamorphosis CH10

Transformers:Metamorphosis is based on a Transformers: Prime 1V1 Roleplay setting created by ♦MachinaeChild♦ & ♦Storm-Blue♦, edited into a fanfiction-like novel for viewer's delight. While Metamorphosis takes place during the Prime generation, previous generations and characters may be referred to, and/or included as the story progresses; as well including OCs that belong to either/or. We hope you enjoy the read just as much as we enjoyed making it! For more questions or concerns, please view the Author Notes below with links and bonus information! Thanks!

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Chapter Ten:

Medical Expertise

Swirling violently, the massive distorted hues lit up the silo as Ratchet delivered the groundbridge to both parties; awaiting for the result of the mission. Lightly, particles began to combine in a motion of silhouettes, soon-to-be bodies as the slimmed femme was the first to emerge; followed by that of the ivory giant limping at her much more fragile shoulder. As soon as the pair broke into the silo, another form set walked in, that of a battered Optimus and distressed Bumblebee.

While no one seemed terribly injured, the three humans of the group ran over in worry and curiosity, obersving up close at their partner's field trophies.

"Wow! What happened to you guys?" Jack exclaimed, running over to Arcee and Bulkhead, instantly noticing the gash along her leg just inches above the tire.

"Don't worry Jack, just a few scratches," Arcee nodded as she helped herself and Bulk to the vertical berths.

Walking besides the two in a skipped pace, Miko observed from the opposing side, a faint grin across her native tone as she spoke to Bulkhead, "That's going to leave a mark... looks like you guys got incinerated."

"Yeah... well, whatever it is, we don't even know if it's Cybertronian. So don't touch me or Cee' til Ratchet checks us out," the giant warned with a smile.

As the two leaned themselves onto the berth, Ratchet was already on duty as he checked out Arcee's leg, Optimus and Bumblebee soon to follow after a very minor discussion over the lost of the artifact. Optimus was not angered not upset in the least, but the young scout always had a tendency to often be harder on himself.

"What's the damage, Ratchet?" the Prime requested as he looked to and fro between his comrades.

"Whoever did this to them... the weapon they used has a particle displacement field... Shakes the molecules lose on a subatomic level and forces solids into liquids without friction if necessary. A rare sight, but not impossible," the medic noted, already removing the damaged steel along the fembot's legging. "Luckily they weren't connected to the source for too long, so the damage is minimal."

Awaiting his turn on the other berth, Bulkhead crossed his arms half way over his torso, observing the damage along his exterior as he nodded to the medic, "Well, that's a relief. For a nanoclick, I thought I was being turned to scrap... But, where would a bot find something like that? Don't tell me these new guys found an artifact for themselves already?"

"It's likely an innate ability, a combination of technology and a special kind of control," Ratchet clicked, attempting to explain in a way that would result in as few questions as possible from Miko or anyone else. "Of course, being mercenarys- Talon and her offspring have access to both Autobot and Decepticon infantry. This is tedious enough that we need to expect unusual weapons from them in the battlefield."

"[Like that radar the femme used on me?]" Bumblebee sulked, his audios still ringing with the tormented sounds that  erupted his processor.

"Exactly. Judging by what you told me before, it sounds like it was some sort of sonic blast... less powerful than something with actual sound amplified, but it still hurts."

"Hm... it seems like retrieving the relics will be even more difficult than we thought..." Optimus sighed, a symbolise of regret filling his tone.

◘ ◘ ◘

"Would you stay still? Despite my distaste for you, I'm still the only medic on this ship," the crimson gruffed, using the reflection of his very own optic hues to peer into Poseidon's busted lens. He and the trine had already made it through the bridge intact- other than Poseidon's battered form, and Dreadwing was last to travel before Soundwave dismissed the channel from his position.

"Didn't see you at Optimus's ground... assuming you got stuck with the big guy?" the midnight falcon spoke, a small grown upon his yellow-dyed face.

"Arcee, too... I know this dent anywhere after having Breakdown being stuck against the two. Slaggin' femme... always has to kick to get her way," the medic muttered. After having observed the damages up close, Knockout gave another agitated grunt before turning his attention onto the corridors in front of him. "Meet me in the medical bay in 5. I'll get that optic of yours good as new, along with those hideous dents. You're a walking disaster right now!"

Nodding quietly to the shorter ally, Poseidon then threw his attention onto his youth, the golden seeker warbling over to him in a hesitant mess, as he handed over the stolen relic to Dreadwing. Graciously accepting the artifact in hand, this still did not hide away the tension and brief confusion the midnight blue bulk received with it.

Why would the trine turn down the opportunity of giving the artifact to Megatron themselves? Surely it would result in praise and recognition along the ship.

"You may return to your mother, unless you have injuries that need to be taken care of. Knockout will see to this. I will inform Lord Megatron of your success," he nodded to the three. Behind him, the racer gave a distinct 'tsk' in response to his superiority over his place.

"Thank..you. We will.." Solaris crooned softly, being the first to leave as Knockout followed soon after, then Poseidon, as he tracked onward towards the medic's lab. Being left with just the two, the maroon tinted femme simply turned her attention upon Dreadwing, a shaken appearance in her optics.

"Um... tell Megs... I mean- Lord Megatron, that we were only doing what we were ordered to do. It's our job... we're not his men..."

Raising a ridge, Dreadwing fell into a silence as he watched Warsong shuffle away, practically darting after her younger sibling. Was that a warning or a threat?

◘ ◘ ◘

"What is it now?!"

The stinging rhythm of taps and clinks echoed throughout the abandoned control centre as the slender seeker carried his pedes across the room, the whining noise of the siren and rapid flashing of signal highlighting the only working consul in the room. Just moments before, he had observed the only artifact he managed to get his hands on- the Apex Armor, in some attempt of weakness. So far, the piece seemed invincible- its durability withstanding not only Optimus and Dreadwing's tag-team and explosives, but the bottom of the pressured sea, as well. Though the fact that it was just that- invincible, make the silver commander skeptical on its' trust. Everything had it's faults... everything, and everyone.

"Hmmm? And who could this be... an Autobot? Or a Decepticon?" he inquired out loud, raising a claw to his chin as he tapped it upon the guard. A coded signal... this could mean plenty of things. From potential ally, to designated trap from either Cybertronian or Human vigilance. The seeker stared long and hard at the beacon as it's blimp swept through the visual pattern on the map, every few seconds letting out another wave of frequencies.

"... But is it worth the risk," the seeker scoffed, now narrowing his vision as the claw fell from his torso and back to his sides.

Damn his curiosity!

Unable to access the bridge tech in the Harbringer's systems, Starscream depended all upon his manual speeds as he glided into the sky, the sun's rays reflecting off his trimmed colors. At the very least, he would scout the area before landing. He wasn't that stupid; and if it was a trap set by either Megatron's men or MECH, he would get the last laugh.

The only problem of this, was that the area was shaded by woodlands. From above, nothing seemed out of the ordinary; but according to the scanners, the beacon was coming from within.

"What kind of mockery is this... no Bots, no Cons, no Humans... just what kind of signal is this?" he growled, growing impatient. Seeing no other way to observe the situation, Starscream transformed, landing in the only clearing provided that wasn't near civilization. Tapping a series of commands into his comlink across his right arm, the small visual screen began to chime, the signal closing in for every footstep he made. Once the signal was close enough to optics view, he gave a brief scan for any heat detection- the result: several deformed blobs in which indicated wildlife, and a medium sized humanoid.

Somewhat startled, Starscream switched his optics back to norm, the light dash of purple in the distance collided with the ground. It was her. Stretched out in the dirt, laid the lavender headed girl; unconscious and in a pool of her own fluids, a compelling red compared to the blue nutrition of energon. Bending to one knee, a staggy claw stretched outward, poking at the cotton flesh.

"...Always the same with you humans. Can never tell when you're alive or dead," the seeker scowled, prying the girl from the ground by the back of her jacket like some sort of infected object. Almost lifeless- the girl dangled there, the only movement provided by that of gravity's momentum and the wind.

His expression sneering into that of disgust, the seeker's crimsons darted in almost every direction before properly sitting the girl in the palm of his opposite hand, transforming as his claws slid carefully into position that left the girl fail-proof into the cockpit. In a battle of spark over mind, Starscream blared his thrusters in a U-Turn, taking back into the direction of his own hide-away.

Twenty Minutes Later.

"Bring HUMAN medical kit?! Oh, don't tell me this bastard hurt someone!" Ratchet burst all of sudden, startling all of those who were in the room not only by the silence, but the use of human language he had picked up over the years.

Arcee and Bulkhead were repaired for the most part, and noon was coming to a close, which meant the kids would be leaving soon with their guardians to get back home in time for school preparation and sleep. Bumblebee was enjoying a new lecture from Rafael on his science class, while Miko had been in the process of tuning her guitar; Jack watching the process as he carried on a lively conversation with she and Bulk.

However, the outburst managed to cast a divided silence amongst the crew, every pair of optics and eyes alike set upon the medic. Even Optimus- who stared through his teal lights with a bit of annoyance.

"Er... I mean," Ratchet pardoned, feeling somewhat embarrassed, "Starscream sent a... very odd request. Specifying the need of a human medical kit."

Immediately, the Prime's face turned grim, walking over to observe the message himself. Across the screen, the large set of letters scrambled across the hues: 'S.O.S. Bring Human Medical Kit'. "I do not believe Starscream would purposely harm an organic... nor would he help MECH unless under some sort of compromise with Silas... I do believe that this might just involve Len."

"Optimus..." Jack spoke out, knowing exactly where this was leading to. "If Len is as dangerous as you say she is, is it really necessary to help her? I mean, if she's not with Silas, then she's a Decepticon, right?"

"If anything, I can try to fix...I mean, heal, Len on my own. I've been doing research of my own lately, and with the few times I have assisted Mrs. Darby, I think  I could cope to whatever the girl has done to her... _{though she probably deserved it}," Ratchet offered, muttering the last section to his audios only.

Weighing the options, Optimus eventually nodded to the two offers, giving Ratchet a small pat on the shoulder.

"That will have to do, for now. Though I humbly request that Jack please phone his mother. If Starscream is asking for medical attention that he can not provide himself, I fear that it may be urgent and in need of a professional in that anatomy."

With a slight frown, Jack nodded, "Okay... but only if I can go with her. I know you guys will keep her safe, but there's no way I can just sit here at base while she's out there." Compromise or not, the raven haired boy had already pulled out his phone, accessing the hot-key thumbpad as the dial began to ring.

"If Jack goes, can I do? Boy's aren't suppose to hit girls, but let this Len chick try something, I'll punch her down in her place!" Miko chanted, bouncing around impersonating a boxer's movements.

"Mrs. Darby will not be required to attend personally. We just need access to her tools, and with that, Ratchet has a mechanism of his own that will allow him to work appropriately... However, if he does manage to run into trouble, we may have to regroup," Optimus said firmly.  Having his face planted into the phone, Jack delievered a silent 'Okay' before speaking through the device, his mother on the other side of the reception.

"Hey, Mom? The Autobots have a bit of a situation... we kinda need your help."

"Jack? Is someone hurt? Are you kids okay?" the distressed voice vibrated from out the speaker.

"No, no, mom! It's okay, we're fine... It's someone else. It's... hard to explain. Just, we need you to bring your kit. Optimus and Ratchet will handle the rest, and I can fill you on the details when you get here," Jack assured, making gestures with his unoccupied hand as if it had potential to mentally settle his mother's imagination.

"...I'll be there in ten," the hushed tone agreed, "Be careful, Jack."

Closing the flip-back, Jack looked up at the Semi with a hesitant smile, "She's on the way."

"Thank you, Jack," Optimus nodded, "I'll be going with Ratchet to discuss the situation with Starscream. Contact us once oyur mother has arrived so that we may get the medical assistance we require."

◘ ◘ ◘

The heavy armed doors slid with ease, granting Dreadwing access to the commander quarters where Megatron had been standing, arms limp by his sides as he looked over the terrain below. A scenery that was growing old, and quick.

"Sir, the Artifact," Dreadwing greeted, removing the lid of the white casing as he bowed to reveal its' contents. Inside, was a purple glowing mass. Something that was beyond familiar.

"Irony has taken us as fools," Megatron smirked, grabbing one of the cubed cases from its' protective covering. "It must be another Decepticon relic.. it being Unicron's fuel."

Peering up, the red optics of the blue mech puzzled upon their findings. "Dark Energon?"

"It seems so. To the very least, we can be grateful it isn't more of that Tox-En," the tyrant rolled his optics, dropping the smaller cube back to where it originated from. "Take it to the brig where the rest of it is stored. I have no use for it right now."

"Yes, my Lord," the jet nodded, lifting from his formal greeting as he turned the way in which he came.

In the medical bay, Knockout was already preparing his station for Poseidon's remaining injuries. With Breakdown's forever longing absence, the least he could provide was the help of an unlucky Eradicon during the medical treatments. Nothing compared to having a functionable guard on the battlefield like the pathetic insecticons, but it did the trick.

"Don't put that there! Put it back where you found it- I have no need for it when dealing with this type of surgery," the crimson snapped immediately, causing the drone to jump and hastily remove the one tool he had put in place, almost like a habit for those of minor injuries regarding the bust. Unknown that the patient was in need of facial treatment, the Eradicon shakingly held his position after replacing the tool, awaiting any further command from the medic.

A beam of blue and purple raised from the data pad to the left of the berth as Knockout pulled up Poseidon's file. His components were definitely unnatural- but then again, so was any other mech who had four pairs of optics.

'Knock, knock.'

"It is open, you know," the medic curved over his shoulder, scrolling into the information once more to perfect his knowledge. At the notation, the lab doors twisted open, revealing that of the blue shaded lockheed. His appearance was just a bit better than from when he had left him in the dock, a messy work of patches and removed debris- probably from Talon.

"You're lucky I have just enough materials to fix those optics of yours... usually my patients only lose one," Knockout cooed, faintly recalling Breakdown and his mishap.

"Then I am in your debt, Doctor," Poseidon merely said in return, following Knockout's gestures as he placed himself against the berth, the Eradicon buckling him in accordingly. When that had been said and done, the said drone gave a flick of the wrist, the switch turning the berth diagonally as the light above was aimed just specks away from the seeker's crest.

Instantly going to work, Knockout first observed in close range the clean up Talon provided. Granted, there was still shattered debris in the further back of Poseidon's joints, but common sense was enough to tell that it required tools - not digits.

"Your mother is quite handy at repairs... not as handy as my profession, but well enough for a praise," he cooed aloud, taking a small scalpel to the mech's cheek as he plied away the rest of the battered chips from the blows.

"She knows enough to survive, at least," Poseidon replied, somewhat monotone as he kept his speech short and silent, not wanting to disturb or distress the doctor at work. To his left, the Eradicon simply stood, watching the procedure through until he was required for assistance.

Once the debris was removed, the crimson followed up with buffering along the side of the helmet, removing that of the scratch marks, then followed by pumping out the dent delivered by the Autobot femme. It wasn't the easiest job- this was usually when Breakdown would come in and just brute strength to pop the dent back in place- but even the Eradicon had less strength than the field-ops specialized medic. Third time's the charm.

With all the basic foundation put back in its place, the only thing that remained after the hour was the optic lens. Poseidon's main optic would be a no brainer, having the usual shape and no special requirements other than just a protective casing, being that his actual optic wasn't damaged. What was troubling the medic- was the three other lens, that were optics by themselves. Unless he had the exact materials and programming from Cybertron itself, Knockout could not possibly restore Poseidon's vision as a whole. Whatever extra sensors that existed in his other three sockets, would be no more than duds with a lens cupped over them.

"Due to your... splendid biological make up, I am afraid I cannot restore your vision to its full potential... but at the very least, you won't be completely blind on this side of your face," he stated bluntly, taking a few of the plexi-glass carved lens replacements from a tray to his side.

"No worries there... I expected this. I will make do with what you can provide me, Doctor," the Martin accepted, optics fixated at the light above.

"Very well then... This may hurt..." Knockout smirked, closing the space between he and Poseidon's face as he tweaked away at the wiring from the optic. Ridding over any loose wires, he carefully plucked them out, and plucked the disconnected cords back in place, then popped the glass back in place.

Surprisingly, the only sign of emotion the patient had showed was a wince here and there- mainly when the cords were being tugged around. Other than that, there was no audio present that gave proof of any sort of torture.

"Well then, that should do. My work is done... I doubt you need the strain of any physical therapy."

"Thanks, Doctor. Like I said, I owe you one," Poseidon nodded, awaiting the Eradicon to unbuckle his bounds as he caressed his wrists. Giving a sudden bow of departure, the Lockheed then left without another word.

"He's oddly polite..." the drone scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to react.

Waiting for the merc to take his leave, Knockout then turned to his assistant, a smug look upon his face. "Of course. If you aren't polite to someone who has their hands clutched around your spark, how do you expect to get out alive?" Gracing a hand upon his chin, he continued with a more enthused tone, "Unlike racing, people don't respect you if you treat them nasty."

◘ ◘ ◘

His attention bouncing from screen to girl, Starscream couldn't help but feel a drastic fall of pride in the pit of his spark chamber. Not only was he embarrassed of calling out for Autobot assistance when he was not in trouble himself; but that he had nothing to compromise- and this made him weak by default. Surely, had he had even the slightest of exchange, it would turn the request into a threat, leaving him in the upper hand. However, things were playing out in anything but his favor.

Shifting quickly on his peds, the seeker examined the screen, the response of the S.O.S. returning positive and with the faint message that they would be there shortly. They just needed the coordinates to bridge. Great... now, not only was he weak, but now he had to give away his primary position... and all for what?! This stupid human girl who apparently has some unknown correlation with him?! The way she greeted him, spoke, acted... it was all too familiar, yet nothing rung a bell when trying to recall the girl. In fact, this was the second time he had come in contact with her- ever, the greeting at MECH's headquarters being the very first he could recall.

"I can't believe I'm doing this..." he muttered angrily, punching in the coordinates and sending in a rush the response back to the Autobots. Stomping over to the metallic slab the girl's frame was slumped upon, Starscream observed her unconscious being one more time, before going outside of the Harbringer to await his drawn company.

◘ ◘ ◘

A few seconds past the given time, the roaring of an entering vehicle rumbled through the entrance hall of the silo. Slowing to a stop in her regular parking spot, June worked almost subconsciously as she moved from driver seat, to the trunk, as she lifted and retrieved her medical kit.

"Hey mom," Jack waved as he casually walked over, assisting her with the fairly large bag.

"Jack," she greeted happily, taking him by the back of the head as she kissed his forehead motheringly, "So, mind telling me what this is all for?"

"Uh... I'm not even 100% sure to be honest," Jack scratched the back of his head, walking along side his mother as they approached Optimus and the much larger medic.

"Thank you, for coming here on such short notice," Optimus greeted warmly, kneeling down in attempt to be respective height. "And perhaps we should explain the situation. It would be rude of me to ask for your personal belonging and not fully inform you as to why..."

Sighing, the big mech leaned back slightly to allow his voice to project more clearly. "Starscream made the odd request that apparently a human in his care or presents needs assistance. We believe it is a human genetic that I used to know many years ago the first time i ever came to this planet. She was a friend of Starscream's before and it stands to reason she may have returned to him now."

Raising a questionable brow, June was instant to ask just why a Decepticon would take in a human much like an Autobot.

"Starscream and a human? Didn't see that coming... but whatever it is, just, please get it done and over with. I want to be clear I'm not exactly pleased to be helping the enemy. Had it been Silas on the floor, I wouldn't give another thought in leaving him out to dry," June sighed, motioning Jack to hand over her kit. "I trust you Optimis. If you know who this person is, I do hope that you are assured you're doing the right thing in helping them."

"Thank you for understanding. I shall find some way to repay you, this I promise," Optimus nodded deeply and gingerly handed to medical pack from Jack's hands over to Ratchet's.

The medic himself nodded to June. "Thanks, and trust me this whole thing is confusing for all of us. A lot of gray areas have started showing up recently..." he said heavily before opening the groundbridge..

"We will hopefully make this quick. If not, we'll inform you all otherwise," Optimus departed through the gate, followed by Ratchet.

"Be careful," June waved, taking Jack by the shoulders as they both took several paces back, the thickness between the warp gate causing a noticeable drift. Raff waved a small farewell to Ratchet from the balcony, as Miko held her ground on the opposite side, leaning against Bulkhead's torso.

"I don't see why we have to help her..." she grumbled.

"Not just because they're Autobots, but because we're human," Jack called out, staring sternly.

◘ ◘ ◘

As the majestic swirls began to highlight the surroundings, Starscream took one step forward, crossing his arms lightly against his chest as he awaited the visible bodies to form. "Prime... Ratchet," he greeted soothingly, his smirk curling into that of a crooked smile.

"Backstabber," Ratchet greeted snarkily, much to Optimus's disappointment. But the joke had been there in the air and the old mech had to grab it.

"Where is Len?" Optimus got down to business, knowing it was her. "I would appreciate if we are prompt about this."

Smirk twisting to a quick distaste, Starscream simply growled beneath his breath. "I see word travels, much faster than I had expected..." he scoffed, raising a brow toward Optimus. Waving a clawed hand, he escorted the two in the crashed war pod. Taking notice to the much smaller medical kit in the hand of the medic, information did not fall short as there was also the lack of human hands to operate with such tools, and this made the rouge weary.

"Tell me, Doctor..." he peaked, the 'r' rolling heavily at the tip of his tongue, "Since when have you mastered the human biology?"

"That's none of your slagging business," Ratchet spat slightly, but kept his tone in check despite his words. Optimus none the less gave his medic a starn look which had Ratchet rolling his optics slightly.

"If it is not too much trouble, I would like you to explain what has happened while Ratchet heals your... human friend," the Prime rumbled, gesturing to Ratchet.

"If the brat's bleeding out, you better hope you got to her in time, Starscream... not much I can do if she's already offline," the doctor continued to sass, obviously in no mood of riddles and sidelines.

A hushed snicker escaped the vocal vibe of the seeker as he continued down the darken halls, making his way forth to his own command centre. "I assure you, she is... no longer bleeding. However, she seems to be in a temporary stasis," he explained vaguely, red optics glaring over the bulk shoulder towards Ratchet.

As they approached a grand door much like one in the Nemesis, the automatic Decepticon confirmation scanned over the seeker, granting he and the two Autobots permission to enter. To the right hand side upon one of the countertops, was the limp body of the beaten girl; contorted in a less than comfortable position with battered scars, cuts, and bruises. The sight made the seeker's gut quench at first, but he silently turned upon a heel, throwing his head towards the girl as he directed the medic.

"And before you come to any of your preposterous conclusions.. she's the one who sent out the beacon. I only found her in this condition."

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(To Be Continued)