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His wings were crushed, his whole frame mangled, and his HUD lights were flashing warnings all over. He was losing his energon fast, and his frame was shutting down. He had done his best to get where he was, just outside the rockfall, just outside the mines. He leaned his back against a rock and held his servo over his abdomen to slow the bleeding. His vision became blurry, and he was not completely conscious. He groaned in pain. He was sure the others didn’t make it. He felt maybe that he should have perished with his brothers, but knew that if he did manage to live, he would continue to fight for them and honor them.
--
Optimus Prime and Bumblebee were paired together, scouting for energon. There was enough exposed energon that gave them a beacon to trace. They were out there understanding, Decepticons or not, that their need for the fuel was of utmost importance.
The yellow sports car scouted ahead of Optimus, his blaster hands formed. His forearms followed his gaze as he looked around for the enemy. So far, everything had been clear, until he heard a voice about twenty clicks ahead of him. It was a groan, a plea for help. Bee beeped to himself, ready to come across the enemy. It was likely a Decepticon, likely in distress by the sounds of it. He notified Prime, who came up a few steps behind him with the energon locator in his hand.
“Bumblebee, approach with caution," Optimus directed, forming his own blaster cannon with his free hand. He followed closely behind Bee, armed and ready to fight their way out of whatever the Decepticons threw at them.
Bumblebee stayed low to his core, causing himself to be a smaller target, but also ready to spring-load and jump into action when he saw the source of the noise—an Eradicon lay there half dead at his pedes. He aimed his blasters at the drone and called back to his leader with a long, curious, unsure beep. He notified Optimus that they were likely safe, that it was just the one jet Vehicon, and that it was injured and likely wouldn’t cause a threat.
“Autobots…” the Eradicon spoke weakly, too tired to form a defense.
Bee charged his arm cannons and furrowed his optic ridges. You’d better stay down, Decepticon. He thought.
Optimus now stood over the lonely Eradicon with his scout, his lips pressed in concern.
Bee questioned Optimus if he should end the Eradicon, put him out of his misery, and keep scouting.
“No, Bumblebee, I do not think we should end the lives of our enemies when they are defenseless,” he reproached.
--
Allen’s frame was full of emotions, being caught by the Autobots on top of dying like he was. There was no way he could slag them and fully expected to die by the hands of the yellow Autobot that day. It filled him with hate, and he sincerely wished he could fight them. It was too much for his frame to handle. So he lay there with just one option if he didn’t want to die. Dare he ask? “Help… me… please….” He forced out of his vocoder.
Bee beeped. What had the ‘con just asked?
Optimus stood there, derma pressed. His arm transformed back into his servo, and he reached up to his HUD to make a call, “Ratchet, send a groundbridge and bring your medical kit," he ordered.
What?! Bee beeped. Optimus couldn’t be serious.
“I will not withhold help from those who ask for it,” he replied.
Seconds later, a green and blue swirling portal bridge opened, and Ratchet came running through, “Which one of you needs medical attention?” he asked in panic, confusion, and desperation. Having anyone on Team Prime wounded was a very serious matter. Once Ratchet was through the bridge, it closed behind him. He stood there looking at Optimus and then Bee, who was standing over one of the Decepticon foot soldiers. “Optimus?” he asked, looking at the Prime begrudgingly. He hoped that Optimus wasn’t going to ask him to do what he felt he was going to ask.
“Ratchet, this Eradicon requires your best medical care,” Optimus said simply.
“Optimus, you’re kidding? A Decepticon foot soldier? He’s about dead. Why not just let him finish dying?” he huffed, shaking his helm.
Optimus looked at Ratchet disapprovingly, “He has asked for medical assistance. I will not refuse someone in need, whether Autobot or Decepticon; all lives matter, and we must live by example. One day, this war will end, and there will only be one victor. We do not yet know who that victor may be, and by showing a good example, I hope to bring a common understanding that we are all Cybertronians and we all have the right to live, especially when asked.”
Ratchet sighed and rolled his optics, “We don’t even have enough energon to survive ourselves. I don’t see how aiding the Decepticons in letting us starve is going to make any difference in the end.” He huffed. He would, of course, listen to Optimus, but he wasn’t going to be happy about it. Ratchet knelt by the Eradicon and opened his medical kit. He first started cauterizing the leaking sore before he worked over the rest of the drone.
Bee stood over Ratchet, arm cannons still set on the Eradicon just in case there was a trick the Decepticon planned on playing.
Ratchet stopped the bleeding and began setting up an energon IV into the mech’s main energon veins. He then continued patching the mangled Eradicon.
Were the Autobots really helping him? He never would have imagined this. In fact, he thought he was dreaming. He figured he was so energon-deprived that he was having hallucinations. But he soon realized it really was the Autobot’s medic patching him up. He started to regain focus as the fresh energon flowed through his systems.
The Eradicon began watching the doctor work. His orange optics were trained on the Autobot’s handy work. The welding and straightening out of his frame (especially his wings) barely hurt. He didn’t know that was possible. The medic had very gentle hands, and his work was flawless. Maybe he really was going to live after all. A small feeling of joy entered his spark, but then followed with sincere conflict and confusion. Why were they helping him just because he asked? He knew he was no one to the Autobots; even to the Decepticons, he was just a number. And Knock Out never spent that much time with the other Vehicons. He did quick work of them and sent them back on their way. It was understood that with such large numbers of their kind and just one medic, even with the aid of other medically trained Vehicons, that if you were too severely damaged, you would be scrapped for parts. In the end, they were all sacrificed to the cause, and that was that. That’s just how it was supposed to be, although the Vehicons didn’t agree with it. They did their best to keep each other alive. They were all they had.
“Would you quit staring me down while I work?” Ratchet huffed in his grumpy manner.
“’m sorry… I just didn’t know this could be so… painless,” he paused, still staring at the medic, “…thank you,” he couldn’t believe what came out of his own vocoder.
Ratchet stopped working for a minute, meeting the Eradicon’s gaze, his intake partly open in shock from the gratitude he was just receiving… from a Decepticon. “Mm-hmm, that’s nice,” he mumbled as he got back to work.
Optimus was smiling when he saw the interaction. This is what he hoped for all of his encounters with the enemy. He wanted them to learn that they were all the same, deep down, and without the badges, they were all Cybertronian. He hoped he could win more Decepticons over to his side so they could end the war and start on their way to peace and building the future.
Bee eventually let up on his blasters, but still continued to watch the Decepticon for any sudden movements.
It took quite some time with them being open in the field, which made all of the Autobots, and even the Eradicon, nervous. None of them wanted to see any battle. Ratchet made a couple more welds and checked the patch on the Eradicons abdomen. He then ran his arm scanner over the drone to get a final diagnostic. The Eradicon was topped off on energon, thanks to the Autobots’ stores. It did not make Ratchet happy to use so much of their energon when they were so low on their stores. Any energon they had was best put to use on his team if they were in dire need. Ratchet was satisfied with his work and started packing up his medical gear.
Allen looked over his frame. It was in great condition (considering), never something Knock Out would have attempted. What little repairs remained could easily be fixed on the Nemesis. Even though Allen knew Ratchet was reluctant to help him, he did an amazing job. He shifted his weight to get up, making the Autobots nervous, no doubt. Bee trained his weapons on him again. Allen grunted as his stiff frame moved to an upright position. He looked at Bee, who was ready to shoot, and then to Optimus, who had his hand on Ratchet’s shoulder with a smile. Allen laughed to himself, “I never thought I’d be saying this to an Autobot…” he paused, thinking of the depth of the matter, “but… thank you, all of you.”
Optimus smiled at his medic and then at the Eradicon. If this Decepticon could be open minded and appreciate what they’ve done for him, maybe he could be won over to their side, “I appeal to you the same as I would any Decepticon, turn your back on the Decepticon cause and help me end this war. For your sake and for all who have fallen,” he spoke, his open hand gesturing for Allen to join. Optimus really hoped in his spark that the Eradicon would join, and after him, maybe more.
All of them stood agape at what Optimus had to say, but it was Allen who had to answer. His spark turned with mixed emotions. He’s always hated the Autobots for slaughtering his kind without a second thought, mowing them down like they were nothing and meant nothing. The death toll and hatred the Autobots had for the Decepticons were all he knew. Arcee was a prime example of that. But were they honestly so bad if they were willing to patch him up? Was this a side he wasn’t allowed to see before? Could they really just be like this and not mindless killers? This was the leader of the Autobots, the actual leader, the Prime himself, and he was speaking these words. It was shocking. If the other Autobots followed Optimus Prime, would they act like him, too? He couldn’t get over the thought of being this close to the strongest fighter of the Autobots, Megatron’s enemy number one. He, in this moment, could not see this fierce enemy that Megatron made him out to be. Allen slowly walked closer to the Prime, a few feet away from the scowling medic. He wasn’t sure if he had ever seen Optimus this close without his battle mask. His features were soft, and his optics searching.
Bee closed the gap, standing behind the Eradicon, still being that cautious scout.
Allen turned his helm towards the yellow bot next, seeing the blueish white cannons primed to take him out, “I…” he started, looking back to the leader of the Autobots, “can’t,” he answered.
Ratchet rasped his lips and rolled his optics, throwing his servos in the air. He had hoped maybe his work didn’t completely go to waste, but he already knew what the Decepticon’s answer was going to be. It was always the same.
“It’s not so simple,” Allen spoke in defense, “I have brothers, the other Vehicons and Eradicons. I care for them deeply. I can’t just turn my back on them. I fight for them; I protect them if I can. I can’t just stand on the other side and take them out,” he shook his helm, the idea made him sick. “And I can’t simply join you; I’d be an easy target, a traitor. I just can’t see any of that,” he looked down and shook his helm again. This whole interaction gave him something to think deeply about. Who were the Autobots, really? “But, you’ve opened my optics, and I feel maybe I have a better understanding of what you’re like. I mean,” he awkwardly laughed, “I don’t think I’ve seen any of you this close unless it was in battle. I mean, Optimus Prime…” he shook his helm in disbelief, “It’s hard to believe you’re standing right here when I know Megatron wants your head. It’s crazy, I know how strong you are—and yet you have been a very gentle leader here today. I really do appreciate you guys saving my life. It might not seem like it, but that makes a world of difference to me.” Because Optimus decided to show compassion, he was going to live to see another day. He was going to live and fight them another day, too, and he knew Optimus knew that.
Optimus smiled gently.
“Well,” Allen spoke once more, “I can’t be in your debt, you know that, right?” he placed his hands on his hips and flinched a little in pain. “I can’t just wave goodbye and then start fighting you the next day, knowing what you’ve done. I don’t want that on my conscious…” he was thinking about what he was saying. He shook his helm, “Gah—this is so stupid, I could get slagged,” he spoke to himself. He looked over at the caved-in mine; this was just the back end of it. The collapse was likely caused by the activity inside. It was still an active mine, and he knew his brothers were inside. He knew why the Autobots were here, too. Maybe he could avoid the deaths of the other Vehicons and still give the Autobots what they came for.
“I am going to get you some energon to replace what you’ve used on me,” he decided, “maybe more as a thank you. I know Megatron has been starving you out, I know what that feels like, believe it or not.” The drones were only topped off with enough to keep them moving. “I don’t want you following me into the mine or getting close. It’s an active mine, and I don’t want to see anyone killed today. I don’t want to ruin this. But you have to know how much of a risk it is for me to do this. It’s straight-up treason. I’m mad at myself for agreeing to do this for you because it’s wrong… but I don’t want to owe you guys anything. It’s going to be a battle next time we come across each other, and I don’t want to feel bad about it.” He reasoned away. “This is what I’m going to do,” he started. He had a plan to get some crates of energon out to them. He had to think his strategy through without mistakes. He needed to sneak in, get a handful of crates, and wheel them outside for the Autobots to take. The input from the Autobots was nice; it just really threw him off. Once they had a plan, he was ready to set it into action. “Once it’s done, I’ll give you the cue.” He once again looked at all of the Autobots. Bee, surprisingly, lowered his weapons at some point, maybe when they were going over the plans. He may never have another moment like this one, and he wanted to take it in. His spark was scared, his processor confused, and dancing around the moment he was in. It was just so unbelievable. “Ah—I need to get out of here before you toss an Auto-badge on me,” he laughed. Maybe they were all the same, all just Cybertronians.
“I understand you are putting yourself at risk, Alpha-113N. Just know the resources will be going to a good cause,” Optimus spoke.
Allen hummed, “I doubt it.” It made him shiver to have his designation spoken by the Prime himself. “I’m off,” he transformed, “later losers!” he laughed as he made a swing around them and off to complete their plan. He hoped that was the last time he had a moment like that with the Autobots. There was no one he could share this moment with, not without being outed that he was openly traitorous Decepticon. He hated giving supplies to the Autobots, he really did, but he felt like his spark couldn’t feel right in his chassis knowing what they did for him when it came to their next battle. He didn’t want to owe them. He didn’t want to feel kindness or compassion for them after today was over. He wanted to stop thinking about it all. But something changed in his spark that day, and he had a feeling that knowledge would not leave him.