Shards (Transformers Prime, Shattered Glass)

Chapter 9

It was several hours later when Knockout returned to the medical bay. Laserbeak was still there, but on one of the workbenches, not the table.

Raf wasn't lying down either, he was sitting up and looked like he was staring off into the distance, if it wasn't for the bandage.

Knockout cleared his throat quietly "Rafael?"

The little boy didn't move, but he answered quietly "Doctor?"

"We've made up somewhere that's a bit more comfortable for you."

"Oh...Okay... How am I going to-?"

Knockout reached out his hand and carefully scooped up Raf and Carmine.

"I'll carry you."

"Woah, woah, am I...is this...your hand?"

"Mm-hmm."

"I...wow...I mean I knew, but you're bigger than I thought."

"Actually Knockout's kinda short," Breakdown said, coming up alongside them.

"Yes and Breakdown's kinda ugly."

"Hey!"

Raf giggled but his laughter quickly turned to a violent cough and Knockout stopped walking until he'd managed to catch his breath again.

"Are you alright? Do you want me to get you some more water."

"No, I...I'm okay," Raf's fingers dug against Knockou't palm as he tried to steady himself "I'm okay."

Knockout looked down at him, concerned, then at Breakdown, who could only shrug.

"You're sure?"

"Y-yeah."

Knockout sighed and started moving again.

---

"So...it's not...much..." Knockout set him down and Raf sat, but reached out, feeling around him.

"It's a box, Knocks," Breakdown said.

"Yes, but it's a large box. Oh, and if you need anything, Laserbeak will be here."

She twittered quietly and landed on top of the crate. Raf tilted his head, following the sound "But, don't you need to be with Soundwave?"

"We agreed I should be helping you."

"...Thank you," he turned his head towards where he thought Knockout and Breakdown where "Thank you."

---

"Ah, Smokescreen, you've returned. From your unsanctioned mission. I hope you have something to show for your efforts."

Smokescreen shot a lazy smile at Wheeljack "Do I ever come back empty-handed?"

"Yes," the blue Autobot commander replied "Often."

"Well not this time," Smokescreen rolled his optics "This time I've returned victorious."

"Oh really? Well unless you've got Megatron's head in your subspace I doubt it'll impress Optimus."

"Well, not quite so glorious," Smokescreen pulled off the phase shifter and set it down, revealing a small memory card that he'd slipped between his armor and the shifter "But I did download a part of the Iacon database."

"What?"

Smokescreen flicked the card beneath Wheeljack's chin "Iacon database Wheels. As much as I could before they came for me."

Smokescreen omitted the fact that he'd downloaded nearly the entire database on the other card before it came up with a full memory and had to switch to another card. And that he'd lost that card.

Hey, what was in the past was past.

Wheeljack snagged the card out of Smokescreen's hand "We have to give this to Prime right away."

"Well duh," Smokescreen danced past him, reclaiming the key with a dramatic slide "What do you think I was going to do?"

He walked backwards, grinning at Wheeljack, and his heel caught against the frame of the door.

The card flew out of his hand as he wildly tried to regain his balance.

"Smokescreen!" Wheeljack dove for the card but another pair of servos had snatched it out of the air.

"Thank you Bumblebee," Wheeljack took the card as the scout offered it to him "Smokescreen, I will give this to Optimus Prime, YOU can go scrub the Energon processers."

"But, but, awww," he stormed away with a growl, purposely shoving into Bee, who gave him a scowl of reproach.

"Oh, sorry," Smokescreen held his arms out wide "Is someone there?" He tilted his head as if listening "No? Oh, must've just been our resident ghost."

----

It had been hours since the explosion, but smoke still rose from the carcass of the house, ash drenched firemen still patrolled through the wreckage alert for any signs of the fires restarting, but only now did people dare to come and start staring.

Sierra was one of the first ones there, her curiosity overcoming her and her bicycle carrying her far faster than her sister. She cruised slowly down the opposite side of the street, until she wobbled to a stop and put her feet down on the ground so she could just stare.

"What happened?" her fair-haired sister squeaked as she caught up.

"They said it was a gas leak."

Sierra turned to find a boy about her age standing on the edge of the sidewalk, his own eyes staring across the street at the house.

Usually she wouldn't have believed a word that came out of Vince's mouth, but the look of utter shock on his face convinced her that this time, he wasn't joking.

"Did...did they all die?"

Vince nodded.

"Oh!" Sierra's sister squeaked and for a second Sierra thought she was going to throw up.

"I heard someone say they died instantly. Incinerated the second the gas lit," Jackson Darby broke in on the conversation as he walked up.

"Oh, ugh, Sierra, let's go home. Please."

Sierra ignored her sister's plea and turned her attention on Jackson.

"Who'd you hear say that?"

He shrugged "Someone at the diner."

"That's...horrible..." Vince said quietly.

Jackson shrugged.

Sierra resisted the urge to lean down and slap him. Neither he nor Vince were the kindest or most sensitive of people, but Jackson seemed fairly unbothered while Vince was as shocked as she was.

"Sierra, please."

Sierra sighed and pressed down on her bike pedals, shooting past the boys, her hair flying behind her.

"Was it anyone we knew?" Jackson asked after watching Sierra and her sister disappear.

"Raf. Remember him?"

"Mm..."

"Little Hispanic kid, glasses, he jumped ahead a grade."

"Oh yeah. He was kinda annoying."

Vince just shook his head and walked off, hands shoved into his pockets.

Jackson stared for a few more minutes, until his phone buzzed. He answered it as he began to leave.