Saviour

Disclaimer: I don’t own Transformers or any of the characters associated with it.

Chapter One: Fallen

There was a soft thud as the red jet collided with the ground. The surrounding trees swayed precariously and whatever animals had been in the proximity hastily made their retreat. The forest was thick and in the middle of nowhere, there was no human life to speak of.

“Tra… Transform…” Starscream gasped. He barely had enough energy left in him, but he managed the transformation back into his robotic form. He fell sideways into a tree, clutching at his side. Glistening Energon blood was slowly trickling from a gash there. More cuts plagued his arms and legs, and there were some smaller ones on his face. Some of these wounds had been growing steadily worse for weeks, even months. He’d lost track of time.

Starscream winced as he attempted to walk. His circuits were grinding and he felt the sting of tears forming in his optics.

“No… I am not weak…” he thought firmly to himself, but the pain was unbearable.

His legs gave way and he fell with his back against a tree. He gazed at a wound on his left leg. The leg was completely mangled and torn. Words could not describe how much he despised the Decepticons right now.

Starscream felt himself slipping out of consciousness, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

---

“Optimus! You have to come and see this now!” Red Alert’s voice rang out through the Autobots’ base, but Optimus was the only one there to hear him.

The Autobot leader rushed to Red Alert’s side, still expecting to see the kids eagerly doing their best to help. But no… they were gone now… and so was Smokescreen…

Shaking his head to try and eradicate his grief, Optimus addressed Red Alert.

“What is it?”

“Something just crashed in a forest all the way over in Russia. I… think it’s Starscream sir…”

“Starscream crashed?”

“I know. Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? Should I go and check it out?”

“No, I’ll go. You stay here and monitor those four.” Optimus pointed to the screen showing Jetfire, Blurr, Hotshot and Scavenger training.

“Yes sir.”

---

The Warp Gate took Optimus a fair way away from where Starscream had crashed. He had a hunch as to why Starscream had crashed on the planet, and he didn’t want to frighten the young Decepticon away. Starscream had been missing for nearly three months now, and his sudden reappearance could mean very ill news.

Optimus walked through the thick woods until he came to a clearing. There was no need to try approaching quietly; he could see the poor Decepticon lying unconscious on the ground. His left leg looked as though it had been run through a shredder, and blood was splashed in violent shades of purple across his beaten, dusty body. Optimus felt an odd pang of pity towards the younger mech.

Sighing, the Autobot walked up to Starscream and sat next to him, pushing him into a more comfortable position. He would have to wait for him to wake up before moving him, he didn’t know how serious his injuries were.

Optimus didn’t know as much as Red Alert about treating injuries, but he knew the basics and that would be enough to stop Starscream from dying. He withdrew a small medical kit and began working on the most serious of Starscream’s injuries, a large gash across his chest.

---

Starscream groaned as he came to. As consciousness washed over his body, so did a wave of pain. With another groan Starscream tried to sit up but fell backwards again. He cried out and bit his bottom lip to stifle it.

“Take it easy kid,” came a voice from somewhere near him. Starscream couldn’t see properly, not while he was blinded with pain…

“Who’s there?” he gasped. He did not like being so vulnerable. Was it Megatron? Megatron would kill him. And Megatron would certainly not tell him to “take it easy”.

“It’s me,” came a soft voice. A figure stepped out from behind a tree and crouched next to the injured Decepticon. It took him a few seconds to register, but Starscream recognised the other. And he panicked.

“Prime! What are you-” he tried to get up again but only managed to make the cuts on his arms worse. Blood oozed painfully from them.

“Calm down, Starscream. I won’t harm you, I promise.”

Fear flitted through Starscream’s optics despite the Autobot’s words.

“You may as well just kill me now, Prime. I’ve nothing to live for… I’m defenceless. Go ahead, no one would miss me…” Optimus had expected this, but it still saddened him to see the once so confident Starscream be reduced to this. The seeker’s optics misted over slightly as he spoke, bowing his head in shame. He honestly believed everything he was saying.

“I’m not going to kill you, Starscream. Now please calm down. You nearly died a few hours ago.” Starscream fell silent. So, Megatron had meant to kill him. If it hadn’t been for his mad dash for freedom, he would have died at the hands of the one person he thought he could trust for so many years…

“So what are you going to do to me then?”

“Right now, treat your injuries.”

“But… why?”

“Like I said, you nearly died. Now don’t move, this will sting.” Optimus began using a strong disinfectant on Starscream’s right leg. A large amount of dirt had lodged itself in all of Starscream’s injuries when he crashed. Starscream automatically pulled away from the Autobot as pain seared through his circuits.

“Starscream, I promise… I’m here to help you.” Optimus knew the young Decepticon would be scared. He always forgot just how much younger than the other Decepticons Starscream was. He was definitely younger than all of the Autobots, even Hotshot. He was a skilled warrior, and an incredibly intelligent scientist, but he lacked a certain knowledge that came with maturity. Starscream stared up at Optimus, fear plastered to his scratched face.

“But… I’m your enemy… Surely…”

“Starscream,” Optimus interrupted. The Decepticon locked optics with the Autobot leader. This may have been closest they had ever been without firing blasters at each other. “Let me help you.”

“Why are you being so… friendly to me?” Starscream asked. His voice cracked slightly at the last part of the sentence. He was slowly edging away from Optimus.

“Because I think I know what you’ve been through. And I want to help you.”

Starscream stared at Optimus in disbelief.

“How long has Megatron been treating you like this?”

Starscream didn’t reply. Instead he stared at a bush to his left, as far away from Prime as he could look. Tears threatened to well up in his optics, but again Starscream told himself to be strong.

A sharp jolt of pain ran through Starscream’s leg. He hastily pulled himself away from Optimus, who was holding a strange thin metal object in his hand.

“Starscream, I know you’re scared but-”

“What’s that? What are you doing?” The Decepticon demanded.

“It’s just a welder. I can’t close the wounds completely but at least you’ll be able to walk.”

“A-and where would I be walking to?” He was using the little strength in his arms to drag himself away from the Autobot. It hurt so, so much but he just couldn’t stop himself. He didn’t want to die, not really. Not now that he’d finally escaped.

“Starscream, you’re only injuring yourself more!” Optimus yelled. He knew how difficult it must be for Starscream to trust anyone at all, let alone an Autobot, but he couldn’t help but get angry.

Optimus stood up and glared down at the injured Decepticon. He was about to lose his temper when he saw tears falling down the poor creature’s face. He closed his golden optics and sighed, sympathy taking over him as it always did. Starscream had obviously sensed the other’s anger as he spluttered,

“Please… don’t hurt me…”

Now that was something Optimus had never expected to hear come out of Starscream’s mouth. Although it was definitely a step up from “kill me now”. He knelt beside Starscream again, placing a comforting hand on the Decepticon’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Starscream.”

“For… for what?” Starscream was obviously still expecting the Autobot to harm him in some way.

“For what Megatron has done to you.” Optimus replied, trying to sound as comforting as possible for the panicking Decepticon. “You’ve been through so much already… you didn’t deserve this at all.” Starscream and Optimus Prime locked optics again and the Decepticon quickly turned away. Although he stretched his leg back out, clearly a sign that he trusted Optimus enough to let him finished his work.

It had purely been an educated guess. But it appeared that Optimus’ hunch was correct.

Optimus smiled to himself and continued to work with the welder. Starscream winced and dug his fingers into the dirt. He had felt pain like this so many times before… and it had been his strongest desire to never feel it again. He thought Megatron had saved him from that pain, but he had betrayed him… Had he taken Starscream in, only to use him as a toy to take out his frustrations on? Fresh tears began to fall down Starscream’s face as Optimus attempted to close the wounds on his right leg. He looked sadly to his left one. To him, it looked broken beyond repair. But then, he wasn’t a doctor.

“This should do for now,” Optimus said when he had finished his work on Starscream’s right leg. “Until I can get someone better at this kind of thing to repair you completely.” Starscream turned sharply to look at Optimus, bright orange optics wide with panic.

“What?”

Optimus chose to ignore Starscream’s question and began working on his left leg. After a while he sighed and put down the welder.

“I knew Megatron was twisted but I can’t believe he does this to his own men…”

“Just me…” Starscream muttered, gazing miserably at his lap.

“Excuse me?” Optimus asked, looking to Starscream.

“He… he doesn’t hurt the others… only me…” he muttered, looking down at his mangled leg.

“I know…” the Autobot sighed, picking up the welder and continuing his work on Starscream’s left leg. He knew it. He could always tell from the way Starscream jumped when Megatron barked an order at him. The seeker always had a mask of malice and cruelty on, but that mask crumbled whenever Megatron was near him.

Starscream was silent for the next fifteen minutes as he struggled not to cry out in pain. The welder burned the wounds shut, and Optimus didn’t have any kind of painkiller on him.

Finally, Optimus set the welder aside.

“There. That’ll do for now. But wait a few minutes before you try to stand.” Prime got up and began to pack away the med kit when Starscream spoke.

“Um… Prime, I mean, Optimus?” He turned to face his “patient”.

“Yes, Starscream?”

“Th… thank you…” He winced slightly as a burning sensation tingled in his chest.

Optimus smiled at the Decepticon, even though he knew his faceplate would cover it.

“You’re most welcome.”

Starscream smiled back at Optimus. It was the first time he had smiled in a long time.

“And…” Starscream began, struggling to find the right words. “I’m sorry… for everything I’ve done…” Starscream never quite knew what compelled him to say it, but he knew that that remark may have been what saved his life.

“You are forgiven.” Optimus extended a hand for Starscream to take. “You should be able to get up now.”

Still slightly cautiously, Starscream allowed the Autobot to pull him to his feet. Starscream’s head span as he attempted to stand, causing him to fall forwards. Optimus managed to catch him.

“Are you alright?” the Autobot asked. He was completely supporting Starscream, who was shaking and gritting his teeth.

“Y-yes… Sorry… Sorry…” he gasped hopelessly. Everything hurt so much, and his Spark was going insane as it attempted to support such a heavily battered body. He hated to have Prime touching him, holding him, anywhere near him, but he couldn’t leave these wounds… He would die, and he knew it.

“You have nothing to apologise for.” Optimus carefully moved Starscream over so that he could support the Decepticon and walk at the same time. Starscream did not object.

“Where are we going?” Starscream asked weakly.

“I’m taking you to the Autobot base,” Optimus confessed.

“Am I… a prisoner?”

“No,” Optimus replied.

---

Upon warping into the base, Starscream slipped out of consciousness again. Optimus struggled to carry the injured Decepticon away from the warp pad, but he wasn’t left to do it alone for long.

“Optimus, sir!” The mechanical door slid open to reveal Hotshot and Red Alert. The two ‘bots rushed to greet him.

“Where have you- is that STARSCREAM?” Hotshot yelled, pointing accusingly at the unconscious Decepticon.

“Yes. He needs to be treated now. Red Alert, could you-”

“Sorry sir, but… are you insane?” Red Alert blurted. “Why did you beat him up then bring him back to our base for repairs?”

Optimus sighed and walked past his fellow Autobots.

“I’ll explain in the med bay. Starscream needs repairs now or he’ll die.”

Hotshot and Red Alert gazed at each other in disbelief.

“He’s lost it…” Hotshot muttered.

---

Later in the med bay, Optimus, Hotshot and Blurr watched as Red Alert made much needed repairs to Starscream.

Normally, Red Alert would have given his patient painkillers and then temporarily deactivated them for the operation, but as he had hooked Starscream up to a Spark monitor, he had begun to flat line. Red Alert hadn’t been able to make any preparations and had gone straight into the procedure. Starscream’s stats were now back to normal, but Red Alert didn’t dare to do anything other than close his wounds for fear that he would flat line again.

“He’s going to be in agony when he wakes up,” Red Alert finished explaining to Optimus, who was closely observing the procedure.

The wound across the cockpit on Starscream’s chest was now closed properly, but Red Alert was still concerned about the Decepticon’s Spark Chamber. If it had been damaged, Starscream may be in more danger than he originally thought.

“Good. He deserves it,” Blurr spat from the other end of the room. Optimus said nothing.

“When do you think he’ll wake up?” Hotshot asked after a long and uncomfortable silence.

“Not for a long while,” Red Alert replied. “How did this happen then, Optimus?”

“My guess, the Star Sabre.”

“But Megatron has the Star Sabre,” Hotshot pointed out.

“I know…” Optimus sighed.

“Are you saying that Megatron did this?” Red Alert asked. Optimus nodded solemnly.

“That… that’s sick!” Hotshot growled.

“I’d been wondering why we hadn’t seen Starscream in battle for so long. I thought that this might be happening. Megatron has been known to do this in the past.”

“You’re kidding…” Hotshot gasped.

“I wish I were.”

“Wow,” Blurr said sarcastically. “You know, I almost feel sorry for little Screamer over there.” Hotshot cast Blurr an angry glance. “What? He’s a Decepticon! How can we be sure that this isn’t some twisted plan of Megatron’s?”

“Because I’ve never seen anyone more terrified in my entire life,” Optimus replied.