Irregularity

CHAPTER 9

Starscream attempted over and over again to get the boosters back online, to no avail.

He and Bumblebee managed to get power back to the bridge, but trying to get the main engine and the flight controls back online was a different matter. It was proving to be very difficult to just get the engine online. The flier curled his servos into fists and growled, then taking a deep invent. He turned to look at Bumblebee, who stood at the captain's terminal. He seemed to just be staring at it, not doing anything and focused on nothing.

"Bee," he called, gaining the smaller bot's attention, "can you check the engines again? Flight controls are still being a glitch."

"Yeah. On it." Bumblebee said.

He padded away, pistol in his servo. As soon as he left the bridge, Starscream faced the flight controls again, tapping screens and buttons again. He stopped after a moment, sighing and shuddering his optics.

The encounter with Deseeus still alarmed him. Especially when... HE spoke to them directly. Hearing Deseeus call him a herald didn't make it much better. It just reminded him that he was a prisoner to this thing, and he could never escape. Starscream shivered.

His comm-link crackled, and he flinched. He tuned in with a sigh.

"What is it?" He asked.

He didn't mean it to come off as snappish, though Bumblebee didn't notice or didn't want to deal with his scrap.

"I need some help. Mind coming down?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm on my way." Starscream replied.

The flier turned and made his way to the engine room. The halls and most rooms were still dark to conserve power, though it made his paranoia spike. He quickly reached the engine room, the door permanently stuck open. When they forced it open earlier, they apparently broke it. He padded inside and went for the main engine.

Bumblebee was kneeling next to the engine, an open box of tools next to him. A side panel was on the ground next to the tool box, the smaller bot rummaging around the engine's components. He looked up at the flier, standing and shaking his servos, oil and lubricant flung everywhere. Starscream shielded his face, groaning as the liquids landed on his body.

Gross. He thought.

Bumblebee didn't notice his disgust, looking over at the exposed mechanisms, glaring.

"I have no idea how to fix it." He growled, "I can't tell what's wrong with the fraggin' thing."

The flier sighed and rolled his optics. He lightly pushed the smaller bot out of the way, kneeling next to the engine and beginning to look around. After a moment, he hummed.

"Looks like a simple fix. At least, for someone with experience." He said.

Bumblebee groaned and crossed his arms. "I've never worked on an engine, okay? I actually never worked on anything real complicated." He said.

"Quit complaining and go to the bridge." Starscream said, "Activate the boosters when I say so."

The yellow bot rolled his optics and padded out of the engine room. He really wanted to spit some insult, but he resisted the temptation. He made it back to the bridge and stood at the flight controls. He didn't have to wait long for Starscream to comm him.

"Power up the boosters." He said.

Bumblebee got to it. He managed to get the boosters online fairly quickly, and the ship jerked forward. He braced himself against the console to keep himself standing, and the ship began to move. The flier came back over the comms to laugh.