Let's Roll Out, Mate! [BOOK 1]

CHAPTER 31: HOSTAGE II; REPERCUSSIONS

Arcee has never Smokescreen this quiet before.

Since the moment they met, she's always viewed him as many things. Cheerful, laid back, optimistic, annoying, cocky, friendly, extrovert, confident, the list goes on.

But quiet was never a part of it.

Yet, here he was, sitting on the medical cot in the med bay, optics dull and staring blankly ahead at nothing as Ratchet patched him up and replaced his tires and the splint on his right servo with a brace this time.

She gazed over at Bumblebee and saw the young scout lingering nearby gazing at Smokescreen in just as much worry. The rookie barely even winced when Ratchet had to pop one of the pipes in his pedes back in place.

Smokescreen barely even registered the pain, if anything he probably would've welcomed it. The same thought ran over and over again in his processor as though mocking him.

'You failed her. You failed Eve. You failed her. You're her guardian. You're supposed to protect her and you failed. You couldn't even do such a simple task. You failed. You failed. You failed. You let Eve and Miko down. You let Bulkhead down. You let everyone down. You failed you failed you failed you failed YoU FAilEd......' he thought.

Ratchet patched up the last wound and looked at Smokescreen in worry. This wasn't new to him. As a war medic, he's seen dozens of Autobots, even the toughest soldiers, go into shock like this. But that didn't make him like it.

He couldn't blame the kid. Ratchet didn't have a human charge like Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead or Smokescreen so there wasn't much he could say about this. But he saw how close Smokescreen was with Evelyn and how they became fast friends the moment they met. If anything, a small part of his processor can't help but wonder if the young Autobot sees her as more than just a friend.

They heard pede steps and saw Optimus enter the med bay. He walked over and stopped beside Smokescreen.

"Smokescreen." His voice managed to snap Smokescreen out of his stupor.

"Optimus...." Smokescreen said. He briefly lifted his helm up to look at him before looking down. He couldn't even bring himself to look at his leader in the eye and tell him about his mistake. 'How much worse of an Autobot could you get?' he asked himself bitterly.

He felt a servo laid on his shoulder and looked up to see Optimus looking at him, optics filled with....concern? Why was he looking at him like that? Shouldn't he be looking at him in shame?

"We all make mistakes. But that doesn't mean those mistakes are our fault." Optimus told him.

"But it is. I failed." Smokescreen croaked out. "I was her guardian, I was supposed to protect her and I failed. It is my fault." Smokescreen said and he furiously blinked to chase away the tears coming. He quickly wiped them away before they could fall. "I'm so sorry." was the only thing he could think of saying out.

He hated it. He's always hated crying in front of others. It made him look weak, as though he was just a kid. He wasn't a kid he was a member of the Elite Guard and the Team Prime for Primus sake!

"Soldier, all of us have been there." Optimus said as the others gathered around him.

"I lost Tailgate and Cliffjumper." Arcee said.

:Megatron almost killed Raf once when he was with me.: Bumblebee admitted.

"And Miko almost got squashed by Breakdown." Bulkhead added.