Tinman

Rise Up

Just as Thundercracker was about to brashly squash the little human he paused, a coherent thought dawning on him.

"Wait. You are tiny aren't you?" his tone was introspective.

His change in tone made Annabelle look up at him briefly. The big, black, fist was hovering a few feet above her, in mid-debate about whether to smite her. Before she knew it, Thundercracker unfurled his hand and plucked her up, bringing her close to his optics.

He started to sound slightly happy as his idea blossomed, "Yeah, you're small enough you can find whatever is jamming my gears and get it out. Then this pain will go away!"

Without wasting much time the Seeker leaned back slightly and placed the child in his broken cockpit, completely ignoring his earlier distaste for allowing organics inside his cockpit. Annabelle plopped down in the seat, visibly shaken. She didn't know what Thundercracker wanted or what he was planning to do to her.

But he told her, "Look in front of you. Do you see the broken panel?"

She didn't move or respond.

"DO you SEE it?" Thundercracker's voice rose a bit.

"What a panel?" she asked timidly.

The Decepticon growled deeply with impatience, realizing he'd have to put this in the most basic of terms if he was to get anything done with this human, "Feeble-minded little...do you see anything broken in front of you?"

Annabelle nodded, "Yes."

"Is there a hole there?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Look in there. Do you see anything that isn't metal or wire?"

The child leaned forward, peeking through the broken glass of the panel. She leaned against the panel's edge which made the Seeker flinch. He hissed loudly in pain.

"I sorry! I sorry!" Annabelle apologized, quickly moving away from the area.

"Never mind! Keep looking. Do you see anything?"

"Um..."

The Seeker felt his jaw clench, both with pain and anger.

That's it...I'm going to squish her! Stupid little... PRIMUS THIS PAIN!

"A rock." Annabelle announced.

"What?" he snapped out of his malicious thought.

Deep inside the Decepticon's chest, jammed between several plates of metal and wiring, was the rock, "I see a rock."

"Where?"

Annabelle pointed, careful not to touch the panel again, "In there!"

"Then get it out." the Decepticon ordered tersely.

"But..."

"JUST...do it." he barked, trying to brace himself.

The little girl cringed, wanting to cry. Somehow she found enough control to lean forward and reach into the hole with both hands. Her hands stretched as far as they could but the rock lay just out of her reach.

She got scared and nervously looked up at Thundercracker's optics, "I...I can't reach it."

The red lights slit. Cooling air rushed through his intake vents. This was going to hurt. Slowly the panel shifted inward, closer to where the rock was jammed. A horrible metallic screeching sent shivers down Annabelle's spine as Thundercracker thrashed his arm from the pain.