"Redemption"  Part 12
By Ivy Bohnlein


     "Whiz!" Scattershot's voice rang through the hallway.  "Medic!
Hey!" 
     Whiz rose and made her way from her impromptu research station to
the main doors of the medbay.  Odd to hear Scattershot asking for
medical help.  He usually had to be knocked unconscious before he would
submit to repairs.
     Then she saw who was with Scattershot.  Firestar lay limply in his
arms, one hand dangling loosely in a way that made Whiz's circuits jump
in panic.  The stranger part, and probably the cause of the sour look on
Scattershot's face, was that Cyclonus had one arm over the Technobot's
shoulders and was dragging himself along weakly.
     "What happened?" Whiz asked in disbelief. 
     Scattershot grunted.  "Firestar got it from Sky Lynx in th' ambush.
My Technos were in th' shuttle with her - the other 'Bots should be
bringin' 'em along soon.  The 'Con here was like this when he showed
up."
     "Galva... tron," Cyclonus managed, then he hung his head and
clutched his free hand to his wounded side. 
     Whiz's face suddenly resolved into grim understanding.  "I see.
Get them each on a table, and I'll get to work." 
     To her surprise, Scattershot seemed almost gentle as he set
Firestar down upon a lab table, then walked Cyclonus to a perch of his
own.  "I ain't hurt," the Technobot commander declared, as if he
expected her to argue.
     Instead, Whiz just said, "So I see."  She gathered her instruments
and moved to Cyclonus' side, smiling inwardly at the surprised look on
Scattershot's face.
     "Not... me," Cyclonus gasped out, his intake of air shallow and
jagged.  "Help Firestar.  She... needs you." 
     "I will," Whiz assured him. "As soon as I'm sure you'll be all
right."  She inspected the scorch marks where paint had been vaporized
and armor had been burned away.  Sparks leaped up from the gashes as
stray pulses of electricity leaked out of broken circuits.  "You
sustained some major damage and then pushed yourself too hard, as
usual."
     Cyclonus lay back, rested his head on the table, and stared up at
the ceiling.  "She needed me," he said simply. 
     "Galvatron's the one who did 'at to ya?" Scattershot demanded as
Whiz went to work.  "Aren't y' his right hand man?"
     The wounded Cybertronian hissed against the pain as a split circuit
was rewired.  "Things change," he intoned. 
     With a wry smile, Whiz placed a gentle hand on Cyclonus' forehead.
"If we're lucky, they will.  Now rest; I'll take a look at Firestar."
     As Whiz worked, the Technobot leader examined the Cybertronian
second-in-command.  "You took 'at hit to save her." 
     Cyclonus turned his head to regard Firestar's unconscious form.  "I
would do anything to save her.  And Galvatron must understand that we
can no longer follow him blindly into his madness."
     "An' I bet he *loved* hearin' that," Scattershot smirked. 
     Gesturing weakly to the tear in his side, Cyclonus said dryly,
"Something like that." 
     Scattershot nodded, then glanced at Whiz, still singlemindedly at
work repairing her sister Femme's injuries.  "You're different.  All of
you.  More like what I've always told th' 'Bots we need to be."  He
searched for the right word for a moment.  "Stronger."
     "This strength is not easily found, my friend.  The price we paid
for it was too high," Cyclonus muttered. 
     "Never figured you t' be the type t' call someone 'friend' so
easy," Scattershot remarked, with a puzzled glance at Cyclonus.
     A faint chuckle escaped him as Cyclonus replied, "I forget that you
have not known me as I know you." 
     Scattershot shuddered almost imperceptibly.  "Not 'at future
garbage again." 
     Whiz put her tools aside as she checked Firestar's vital signs once
more.  "It's where we're from.  You can't even imagine all we've lived
through."
     "If you are fortunate, you will never have to know."  Cyclonus
turned his gaze on Whiz and her patient.  "Firestar?"
     "She's still resting."  A rare smile crossed Whiz's face.  "But
she'll be just fine.  Now it's time to take a closer look at you."
     Cyclonus tested his side by drawing in a deep breath of air.  With
a slight wince, he reported, "At least the pain is fading."
     "I can do a little more for it, even with these primitive tools.  I
was just trying to keep you alive before."  Again, Cyclonus caught a
fleeting glimpse of a smile.  "Not that a quick regen wouldn't be nice
right now."
     Cyclonus wondered about the smile, and studied the medic more
closely.  As she worked on his injuries, he noticed a lightness in her
movements that was unfamiliar to him.  Despite what had happened to him
and to Firestar, Whiz still seemed to be in a good humor.  Something had
changed her since they had parted ways.  She was beginning to open up --
slowly, perhaps, but the ice was melting nevertheless.
     Before he could ask what had affected her, more Autobots burst in.
Several were wounded - the other Technobots among them - but most of the
damage was minor.  As Cyclonus raised his head to view the commotion,
several of them recognized his face and gasped.
     "Cyclonus! What he do here?" Snarl demanded.  As the Dinobot
ponderously transformed from a stegosaurus to his more humanoid form,
the other Autobots reacted by arming themselves.  Before Cyclonus could
even open his mouth to respond to Snarl's question, he was staring down
the barrels of several Autobot weapons, each uglier than the last.
     Scattershot imposed himself between Cyclonus and the crowd of
newcomers.  "He helped us catch Sky Lynx an' he got hurt.  We're almost
done fixin' him up so don't shoot him an' make Whiz here start all over
again."
     The Autobots lowered their weapons, though most kept them at the
ready in their hands.  Cosmos stepped out from the crowd and addressed
Whiz.  "They've captured Sky Lynx!  He's in the brig, but he's hurt
badly.  If you don't take a look at him, he might die!"
     Cyclonus may have been the only mech' in the room who noticed the
way Whiz's internal struggle played out across her face.  Certainly, he
was the only one present who could understand it.  Simply through
inaction, she could end her million-year war before it even began.  But
to do so, she would have to go back on her responsibilities as a medic,
and deny the meaning of being an Autobot.  
     Whiz placed her right hand over her tools and silently considered
the play of light across the edge of her scalpel.  It had been a long
time since she'd been called an Autobot, and even longer still since
she'd called Sky Lynx 'friend'.  But here, now, things were different...
     "I'll see him," she said softly.  "Just let me gather my tools." 
     "Where are the other medics?" asked Silverbolt.  "We've got more
wounded here." 
     As Whiz threw a few tools into a medkit, she reached over her
shoulder to hit a button on the terminal, bringing a roster to life on
the screen.  "Maverick's already at the spaceport taking care of triage,
and I'm calling in First Aid right now.  Other available medics are
either off-planet or... injured themselves."  Tactfully, she didn't
single out the medics with primitive alt-forms, but they were likely
included in her 'injured' category.
     Silverbolt nodded.  "All right, get the wounded up on the tables.
Anyone who's not too badly damaged, try to identify some of the problems
for when First Aid gets here."  Those in the room scattered to prepare
for the medic's arrival, though Cyclonus noted that all of the Autobots
avoided the lab tables in his vicinity.  It might have to do with
Scattershot hovering above, his steely glare warning away the curious or
those looking for trouble.
     Whiz's hand rested on Cyclonus' shoulder briefly.  "I'm going down
there.  Do you need...?" 
     "I'll be fine here.  Firestar will awaken soon," Cyclonus replied.
He studied her face and detected signs of her reluctance.  "You will do
what is right."
     She gazed at the ground.  "Yes."  After a moment, she took up her
toolkit and turned toward the door.  "I'll check in on you later."
     "Good luck," Cyclonus told her quietly. 
     She nodded, then disappeared through the sliding doors. 

                          ********** 

     The corridor between Iacon and Autobot Headquarters seemed longer
than Whiz remembered.  Her toolkit was heavy in her hand, and her doubts
weighed her down further.
     Was it worth it?  If the monster within Sky Lynx had already
awakened, could that be reversed?  Would it be kinder to Sky Lynx, and
better for all of Cybertron - for all the galaxy, for that matter --  if
she allowed him to die?
     And what would he do to her when she was within reach of his claws?
     She shook herself as she emerged into AHQ and turned toward the
brig.  The guards beside the doors were an unusual pair: Broadside,
probably posted to bring Sky Lynx down in case of escape; and Blurr, to
follow the giant gryphon if Broadside failed.  Whiz nodded to them both
as she passed through the thickly shielded doors and was confronted by
the dark but active confines of the brig.  Her optics were drawn
immediately to the active forcefield across the largest cell, where she
saw the slumped and unconscious form of a very battered Sky Lynx.
     "Whiz."  Rodimus stepped forward from the shadows.  "I didn't know
if you'd come." 
     "Someone had to.  Maverick's busy at the spaceport and First Aid
should be in the medbay by now." 
     A small frown crossed Rodimus' face.  "I'm don't know what I would
have done." 
     "So you passed that decision on to me?" Her lips twitched upward in
a slightly mocking smile. 
     He nodded, still thoughtful.  "I suppose so.  I'm not even sure if
we should repair him at all..." he trailed off, obviously uncomfortable
with the thought.
     "I'm a medic," Whiz replied stoically.  "It's not even a choice for
me." 
     He scrutinized her face.  It was the old blank mask again,
completely unreadable.  "As an Autobot... as the *model* Autobot... the
answer should be obvious to me too.  But I'm not perfect, Whiz.  I have
doubts."
     She sighed and looked back into the cell.  "I have doubts too.  I
just don't have a choice." 
     Rodimus looked past her rigidly set shoulders and into the cell.
"He's unconscious now - has been since he was brought in.  We might not
have been able to get him in there, otherwise."
     She didn't turn.  "I'll have to sedate him before I get started.
We can't afford to let him get loose again." 
     Rodimus agreed and waved a hand to Caern, who was overseeing the
guards in the brig.  "Lower the field." 
     With a buzzing sound, the curtain of energy in the mouth of the
cell sparked and disappeared.  "You're clear," Caern announced.  "But
I'm putting it back in place behind you."
     "I understand."  She shifted her grip on the toolkit and put on a
brave face, then practically marched into the cell.  With a low hum, a
golden glow filled the mouth of the cell and sealed her inside.  With
Sky Lynx.

                            ********** 

     Cyclonus reached his hand over to take Firestar's.  Her fingers
rested limply in his, and he could only accept Whiz's word that she
would soon recover.  But as he waited, he observed the activity in the rest of
the room.  The medic, First Aid, had arrived and was patching up those
with minor injuries.  Some of the wounded were coming in with patches
already, which had been applied to their more serious injuries back in
the spaceport hangar. 
     Something was bothering him, but he couldn't identify it.  Perhaps
it was just the suspicious looks he was receiving from every one of the 
Autobots in the room.  He was unused to thinking of them as enemies, but
clearly they didn't have the same problem. It had been tolerable while 
Scattershot was blocking him from their view, but he had been forced to 
leave, and Cyclonus was now feeling the full weight of the Autobots'
fear, suspicion, and even hatred. 
     *Decepticon.*  It wasn't audible, but the word hung in the air.  It
was accusing.  A word like *murderer.*  Killer.  Torturer.  Destroyer.
     *Evil.* 
     He hadn't been a Decepticon in centuries.  He hadn't even thought
of  himself that way until yesterday, when he walked into Darkmount beneath
the brooding emblem of the Empire.  To Cyclonus, it was nothing but a
fallen empire, reduced to a few pangs of nationalistic pride in the
memories of its former soldiers.  But to the Autobots, the Empire was
alive and well and making their lives miserable.  And he, Cyclonus, was
a living symbol of that Empire.
     He squeezed Firestar's hand gently.  Still no response.  And his 
creeping feeling of wrongness was growing.  Maybe if she was awake, she 
could reassure him.  She was a former Autobot, and yet she had learned
not to see him as an enemy.  He pushed down his pangs of regret and fear
that his present interference could change all of that.  Now, the enemy was
the Primitives.  That was all he could allow himself think about. 
     The Autobots must feel as uncomfortable with his presence as he
felt when speaking to Razorclaw face-to-face in Darkmount.  It was just a
matter of changing.... 
     "Why you First Aid messing with me, Snarl?  Me tell you, me
*fine*!" The roar seemed to fill the room. 
     Cyclonus jerked out of his reverie and bolted upright.  That was
the source of his discomfort.  Snarl had been in this medbay the entire
time, which meant that he had been one of those who had come in to tell Whiz
that Sky Lynx needed help.  He had been exposed at least once, and there
was no guarantee that Sky Lynx was unconscious at the time.  Snarl had
just become a major threat.
     First Aid was taken aback.  "But I..." 
     "You keep hands off of Snarl!" the big Dinobot reached out and
shoved First Aid away, knocking him backward and nearly sending him into a 
collision with a med-table. 
     "Hey Snarl, calm down.  There's no need to..." Cosmos began. 
     Snarl bristled visibly.  "You all take his side.  Who help Snarl?
None! Me go!" 
     As the Dinobot transformed into a stegosaurus and moved through the
stunned group of Autobots to the exit doors, Cyclonus shouted hoarsely, 
"Stop him!  He is infected!" 
     The note of authority in his voice was enough to spur several of
the Autobots into action regardless of who gave the order.  As they moved to
block the Dinobot's path, Snarl growled, "You all listen to Cyclonus,
not me?  You no friends to Dinobots!  Me quit!" 
     That was enough to make some of them pause, and Snarl was able to
push past the others and force his way out the doors.
     "I've never seen him act that way before," Cosmos noted.  "I know
he's got a temper, but..." 
     First Aid rubbed his chestplate.  "That was no warning shove.  He
meant that." 
     "Yeah, but he's right!  Cyclonus has no right to be giving us
orders in *our* base!" Strafe argued.  He had signs of at least two
medical patchjobs on his frame, but he was still fired up.
     Lightspeed, showing nearly the same level of repairs as Strafe, 
countered more reasonably, "But Strafe, he went berserk before Cyclonus
even said anything." 
     "Yeah..." Strafe sounded temporarily stumped.  "But he *still* 
shouldn't be ordering us around!" 
     Cyclonus interjected, "I intended only to alert you to the threat.
I was not attempting to issue orders." 
     First Aid looked at Cyclonus appraisingly.  "What will happen now?"
he asked, aiming the query straight at the Decepticon. 
     "We do not fully understand how this affliction is spread.  It is 
reasonable to assume that Snarl now considers you to be his enemies, and
if he has contact with others with Primitive alt-forms, they will begin
to feel the same way," Cyclonus explained, noting to himself that it was
the first time the Autobots had granted him any authority.
     "Then we have to stop him before he reaches the other Dinobots!" 
Bumblebee exclaimed. 
     Cyclonus caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of his eye and 
turned his head just in time to see Firestar stir and begin to sit up.
She groaned and placed her hand to her forehead.
     "Firestar," Cyclonus whispered, unable to keep the excitement out
of  his voice.  He reached out his hand and she took it absently, obviously 
still muddled. 
     The other Autobots were too absorbed in their ongoing discussion to
notice, and Cyclonus was only peripherally aware of them.  He heard
words, but didn't bother to identify voices. 
     "Why should we take *his* word for it?" 
     "Maybe because he knows what he's talking about?" 
     "He's a Decepticon!  How can we trust him?" 
     "Didn't you see Snarl?  How do you explain that?" 
     Cyclonus had optics only for Firestar.  "Are you all right?  You
needed extensive repairs." 
     "Will be," she responded, her head clearing.  She looked at him
more carefully and saw the telltale signs of his brush with Galvatron.  "What
happened to you?  Why are you here?" 
     He grimaced. The argument behind him had become nothing but a dull 
murmur.  "I heard that your shuttle was under attack and went to help
you, but Galvatron was less than pleased.  He... 'contested' my decision to
leave Darkmount." 
     "For me?" she slid off of her table with a teasing smile.  "I would
have been fine, you know." 
     He got down from his table to stand beside her, and swept her into
an embrace.  "I would brave his wrath a hundred times to save you." 
     She sighed, leaning into his arms.  He enjoyed the warm silence for
a moment, then realized... silence? 
     The lab had fallen into a dead quiet.  Cyclonus looked up and saw
that everyone was staring at him and Firestar, and half of them
literally had their mouths wide open in surprise.
     While Cyclonus struggled to decide what to do with his hands,
Firestar beamed at the assembled audience.  She was enjoying the
attention,  Cyclonus thought sourly, trying to reassemble his dignity.
     "Autobots," Firestar grinned, "Let me introduce you to a whole new 
Cyclonus." 
  
    
[TBC]



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