Plague

Plague-chapter 2

"Alright, Astrotrain." Scrapper said, "let's weld up this wound. Are you ready?"

The triple-changer nodded uncertainly. His processor was still a bit foggy, Scavenger supported him as he sat. They had managed to cool down his systems somewhat and he didn't feel like his energon pump would burst out of him anymore, but even with the anesthetic nanites he was given, the wound where he was struck by the asteroid chunk was still quite sore.

However, he wasn't ready for the blazing agony that shot through his frame the moment Scrapper's torch touched it. It was so sudden and overwhelming that he couldn't keep himself from screaming, he struggled in Scavenger's arms to get away from the burning sensation. Scrapper deactivated his torch immediately and Hook was already there, sticking an injection of sedatives into Astrotrain's medical port while the other Constructicon gently pushed one of the ice packs to the wound. Astrotrain's struggling ceased and he grew limp as Scavenger let him lie back down on the berth.

Scrapper shook his head, "I guess I did more damage than good." he murmured and frowned when he leant down to take a closer look at Astrotrain's chest. There was dark discolouration on the base of his neck, not yet rust, but Scrapper was sure it was a forerunner of another spot on his frame that the germs had attacked.

It was like this thing was decomposing the metal that made up their bodies.

Starscream came out of the wash racks just as Astrotrain's painful cry rang through the repair bay. He stood frozen, watching the scene with wide optics and only dared move when he saw the Constructicons managed to stabilize the triple-changer. He could imagine how it must have hurt when the burning torch touched the sensitive wound and he flinched with a pang of sympathy and fear. Will he be this sick, too? No, he'll find a solution until then. He had to.

He made his way over to the glass that separated them from the rest of the base where his trinemates were waiting for him anxiously, but he stopped when he reached Megatron who was sitting on the berth next to Astrotrain's. The Decepticon leader still refused to lie down, even though he felt himself weakening, too, and he wore an unreadable expression as he starred at Astrotrain, his optics bright with fever.

"How are you?" Starscream asked and the leader snapped his head up as if he had just noticed his second standing beside him.

Megatron shrugged and winced as the movement sent a wave of pain down his backstrut, "I'm overheating. It still hurts. And you? You didn't even let Hook examine you."

"I've already examined myself." Starscream murmured, crossing his arms across his chest.

Megatron raised an eyebrow, "And?"

Starscream vented with a scowl and pointed down on his thigh, Megatron leant closer to see the already brownish small spot on the otherwise shiny red plate around the Seeker's waist. The leader of the Decepticons sighed, "Starscream... are you sure you can handle this now that you're ill, too? We should contact Shockwave-"

"I have everything under control, Megatron." the air commander huffed, "I'll figure out what it is without that drone's help, thank you."

With that, he left the Gunformer and walked up to the glass. Skywarp hurried over eagerly and pressed himself to the glass while Thundercracker stood behind him with a worried frown as his optics roamed over Starscream's form.

"Star!" the purple Seeker exclaimed, "What happened? What's this Cosmic Rust?"

Starscream frowned in confusion, "Cosmic Rust?"

"Soundwave said that's what it's called."

"Starscream," Thundercracker spoke up in quiet worry, "are you infected, too?"