1. Guardians (A TFP Fanfiction Story)

Chapter 14

My heart beat worriedly in my chest as I listened to Ratchet and Optimus conversing in dire tones. My eyes grazed over Bulkhead's processor scan, the amount of red across it making me worry even more. Ratchet explained that the information was slower taking over his mind, and soon, there would be none of Bulkhead's own thoughts left. Optimus nodded grimly.

"But... if you stop him, you won't have the full formula for the Synthetic Energon," I said sadly.

"You assume we have a means of stopping it," Ratchet said gruffly, making my face run pale.

"We must try," Optimus instructed. "I will not condone another Autobot loss."

Ratchet sighed, but nodded, still holding me close to his chest chassis. I looked up at him worriedly as he turned back to the monitor. I wondered I was bothering him while he was working. I leaned forward and tapped his metal chest. He glanced down at me, his expression first one of annoyance, but it became gentler when he saw my anxious look.

"Am I getting in your way?" I asked, leaning back while sitting on his servo.

He blinked, before his servo ever-so-slightly drew closer to his chest chassis. "No," he said simply, turning his optics back to the screen.

I watched him as he typed, his digits going a mile a minute. My chest felt tighter and tighter as he searched for a way to help his teammate. I couldn't really tell what the screen was actually saying, only catching the few things that Ratchet had taught me. I could tell, however, that it wasn't saying anything good, because Ratchet's facial expression turned more and more grim. He grumbled frustratedly as he kept looking, only to find a dead end again. My mood sunk deeper and deeper as the time went on. Every moment meant more information in Bulkhead's processor.

"Ratchet?" Miko said worriedly, running over to us. "I think Bulkhead is losing his mind!"

Ratchet and I both froze, looking up at her with tense expressions.

Miko's face fell. "You... already knew."

Ratchet looked left and right before answering her. "Miko, we did not want to alarm you." I nodded in confirmation, bringing my clasped hands to my mouth in worry.

Miko gave me a pained expression. "I just want to know... when Bulkhead's done spewing the formula, he'll go back to being regular old Bulkhead... right?"

Ratchet's gaze went downcast, but I couldn't look away from her. Her frightened face made my own eyes widen and brim with tears, my hands squeezing tighter. Miko's face fell, her own eyes growing bigger before she ran off to where her guardian was painting the equations.

Ratchet sighed, remaining at the monitor but his free servo was still. He stared at the screen with a blank expression, unmoving. His faceplate twisted slightly, and while I was still having a hard time identifying my own emotions, I was pretty sure he was feeling worried and lost.

I leaned forward again, hesitant, but... I wanted to help. I gently placed my palm on his chest and looked up to his helm. He started slightly and glanced down at me, raising an optic ridge. My eyes were still a little wet with tears, so I must have looked rather strange. He blinked, confused, before raising the servo I was sitting on closer to his helm, holding me right in front of his faceplate.

"Is... something the matter?" he asked, his voice gruff, but gentle.

I wanted to reach out to him, hug him the best I could, but resisted the urge. "Are you... okay?" I asked quietly, feeling a bit twitchy under the gaze of his vibrant topaz optics.

His helm tilted slightly, his derma turning up a little. I almost giggled at his expression of confusion.

"You seem... I don't know, upset?" I cursed myself at how dumb I sounded.