Phoenix

Hope

She couldn't be dead. Not after all this time...

Megatron had long disappeared from the scene once the rest of the Escort arrived. The medic, Ratchet, had forced himself to stay behind and tend to the Autobot scout.

Surefire ignored the other medics' words, coming as close as possible to see the Captain's limp figure. The rest of the Escort stood back, whispering to one another. No one wanted to believe that their ever-resilient leader had been killed.

Energon still trickled from the corpse. The medics were talking as they worked frantically to revive her, but their words made no sense.

Surefire could only watch.

xxx

The group returned immediately to the bay, bringing the body. Ratchet kept asking if she was alright, but no one gave an answer.

"Lieutenant Surefire,"

Surefire looked at the medic. Ratchet hesitated when he saw the hopelessness in the Lieutenant's optics.

"... Is she...?"

Surefire just shook his head slowly, unable to speak.

Ratchet turned and ran.

xxx

Surefire knelt next to the berth, watching. In his mind he silently begged her to breathe. To show some sign of life.

The only other mechs in the room were the Commander and Blueline. They spoke quietly while the lieutenant watched the body.

"What do you think, then?" The Commander asked after clearing out the other Runners. Blueline wasn't sure how to answer.

"... If she's alive, it's only barely." He replied grimly. "But I'm willing to put my hope in that chance. Are you familiar with Bay 13?"

"The Lucky Bay? Blueline, you can't possibly think that..."

"It's not superstition, Commander." Blueline said. "Many of our best doctors are there, and they have revived more than one soldier thought to be lost."

"But that's on Moonbase One!"

"Which is why we'll have to hurry. Surefire,"

The Lieutenant looked up.

"There may yet be hope for our Captain."