Shattered Team (Rewritten)

Chapter 10: Get It Through Your Head

               Smokescreen awoke to the sound of Bulkhead's voice "Smokescreen! Wake up!!" All the bot did after opening his eyes and pushing himself off the ground a bit was lay back down and close his eyes "A few tears left his optics "Did you see?" He asked. "You heard what he told me..... didn't you?" Bulk's eyes shot open wide. He fell quiet for a few seconds "W-wh...... What?" Smokescreen rolled over and sat up, bringing his knees to his chassis "You saw what happened! He tried to kill me!! I wouldn't be here if you didn't save me from him!!!" He whines.

           The wrecker places a servo on his friend's knee plate "Smokes what are you talking about? There's hardly a scratch on you!" The rookie opened his optics and looked at his armor plates seeing exactly what Bulkhead said; hardly anything. Just dirt.... "But he!!!! H-he— wait, where are we?" He looked around. "You were getting the key, what did you think happened?" Bulkhead answers. Smokescreen replies "I thought I was... you know what? Nevermind! Where are we?"

          Bulk calms his friend "Smokes! Calm it! We're out getting the omega key. What happened to it?" Smokescreen remembered "Oh! Right... um..." he looks around, recollecting himself "I—— I had it!! I swear it was in my servo!! I mean... until.... Something hit me from behind.... The con must have had backup with him!" Bulkhead nods "That's what I was gonna say.... That relic's long gone by now. Ratchet, we need a bridge."

               Smokescreen started panicking "I...." His voice started breaking "I told Optimus I'd return with that key... He's gonna be furious with me knowing that I fail—" Bulk stops him "Listen, kid. He's not gonna be that mad with us. And Alpha Trion said we need all 4 keys to restore Cybertron, remember?" He wraps his arm around his friend, walking with him through the bridge "We just need to hang onto the one we have and find a way to get the others back from Megatron.

            Back at base, Cee and Smokescreen got into an argument. She couldn't believe how he lost it that easily. Smokescreen's doors were down as far as they could be. Bulkhead covers for him "Smokescreen was sucker-punched. Could have happened to any of us!" Smokescreen pushes him away "B-but it didn't... because I was the one who dropped his guard, I was the one who blew it, I was the one who failed..... Some great warrior I'm turning out to be."

          Arcee snaps once more "You still don't get it, do you? A couple of victories wont make you a legend, and not every mission results in winning. Not for me, not for Bee, not even for Optimus. We've gained relics and we've lost some.... We've also lost friends. We've even lost a world, but this is one time we get a do-over. We have a chance to bring back Cybertron and everyone in this room needs to be in sync. This isn't about you or your destiny!"

         Optimus turns to them "Arcee you have made your point, and I'm sure I can get it through his head a lot better than you can." Smokes breath quickens and stutters as he saw Prime's fist tighten as he said that. Arcee reasons "Optimus, he needs to hear this, you might actually become a great warrior one day, and I sincerely hope that you do, but greatness begins and ends with putting the team first, not your personal scorecard." The rookie steps forward "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you guys. I'd put myself in front of a blade for you." "So would I. But you need to stop trying to be a hero and start being an autobot." Arcee argues once again. Smokescreen sighs "You know what? Maybe I'm just not good enough. You guys seemed fine without me anyways." He begins running off—-

              But a big servo catches him. "I said we are going to talk. Do not leave just yet." Prime says to him in a calm tone. "Autobots, We will be back. They both transform and start driving out. Smokescreen had to do it, he didn't want to.