Location: Outlying Tower

[blackwingdove]

Jetstorm turned abruptly when he was out of sight of the Medical Ward and took off at a fast 'skate towards one of the side-doors of Metroplex. He didn't want to face all five Stunticons at once, not like this

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[blackwingdove]

Atop his tower, Jetstorm stares up into the night sky, mouth open but vocoder strangling the defiant cries before he uttered them. Fingers dig into the metal of the spire, not quite punching through, not yet.

The great shadow-wings flap slowly, revealing some of the stars they block out, then covering them once again. It covers the sky over Autobot City and the surrounding countryside, malevolent and terrible.

The stink of it fills his sensors, rotting flesh and burning cities, corroded metal and burning oil. Every flap of those monstrous wings sends more of the noisome stench downward, and he nearly gags.

"Jetstorm. Jetstorm," Skydive's voice breaks over his senses like a wave. "It's not real, Jetstorm. You're hallucinating. It's not real."

How could it not be real? How could those moon-bright eyes not be there, after all he had seen and done?

"It's not?" He whispers.

"No," Skydive answers softly. "It's not."

"Nothing's there, Jetstorm," Air Raid adds. "Nothing at all."

"You're certain?" Jetstorm's fingertips punch through the metal of the tower as the massive wings flap again. "Please? You're certain?"

"We're sure. You're hallucinating," Slingshot replies. "Sit still and be quiet until it fades."

His brothers glance to the side as best they could, to the place where they saw Menasor rise and fall ten minutes ago.

"Very quiet," Skydive says.

[attair_al_fada]

On his return, Skyfire circles Autobot City, noticing both Jetstorm above and Motormaster below. He circles lower, then unfolds himself, damping down his thrusters and settling near Jetstorm on lifter alone.

"Jetstorm?" he asks in that calm voice. "What is wrong?"

[blackwingdove]

The jet stares at Skyfire silently, wounded bafflement on his face. He keeps shifting his attention from the great white spaceship to the sky above.

"He's there, he's real," Skydive assures Jetstorm quietly.

[attair_al_fada]

Skyfire glances from Jetstorm to the head of Skydive dangling from his wing and back.

"What troubles you, Jetstorm? What do you see?"

[blackwingdove]

Jetstorm stares at Skyfire for a long moment, the hurt surprise fading. "What do I see?"

He meets the white shuttle's optics squarely, his own optics too bright by far. When he speaks again, there is an edge to it.

"Wings. Noisome, foul wings that flap too slow." Metal shreds under his hands. "They blot out the stars over the city and countryside. Red, red eyes as bright as the moon- two bloody moons in the sky."

"And you-" He looks the shuttle up and down. "Vivisected derelict, flickering lasercore bared to the world, and that one's hooks in it, drawing life."

[attair_al_fada]

Skyfire steps forward and gently cups Jetstorm's face in his hands. Gentle blue optics look into Jetstorm's.

"Focus on this world, Jetstorm. Not that one. That one deceives and will draw you astray, engulf you in its madness and devour you. It already lies to you. I'm in much better health than you see."

Skyfire's glance flicks to the others. "Skydive, Air Raid, Fireflight, Slingshot--what do you see?"

[blackwingdove]

Jetstorm trembles like bird in hand as Skyfire touches him, soft ragged sounds escaping from his vocalizer.

"We don't see what he sees," Fireflight answers.

"Yeah, you're just fine and there's nothing up there between us and the sky," Slingshot said.

[attair_al_fada]

Skyfire looks into Jetstorm's optics.

"Easy, easy. You're looking down the wrong reality, Jetstorm. Don't keep hold of it--listen to your brothers, let them guide you on the right path," he says gently.

One big arm slides down and gently holds the trembling jet against Skyfire's body, letting him feel the life within. His other hand gently strokes the distraught jet's helm.

[primus_seeress]

*In the medbay, Auspex blinks, as Primus's presence enfolds her mind, unbidden. She silently queries her god, and receives several brief flashes of images... nightmare things: wings, energy loss, destruction, dark fear... she shudders slightly. The sense makes it clear that these are not real things, not spiritual, not anything, only imaginings... but where are they coming from, why are they there? Her optics dim as she concentrates on what Primus would tell her... someone close by, someone she considers to be in her care... Jetstorm? The certainty confirms it: he is the source of these images.

He is seeing that?? He's dreaming again. Why..? Horror dawns on her, and it grows: Please, not that winter chaos-thing they fought, the energy it had, my lord... there was a chance of relapse, that his spark may latch to a chaos-source as it once did, and draw from it, drown in it... no, he must not be lost to Chaos again, all you've done for him would be in vain, I would fail him, fail you... I must not lose him! She may be jumping to conclusions, but the possibility is very real, and the images so dark.. she is badly frightened for Jetstorm. Stay with me, don't go where I cannot bring you back..

*She attempts to comm him. Please let him answer...
Her voice is rather more hesitant than she'd like* //Jetstorm...? Where are you? Are you here, are you still here?// *She's not speaking only of his location*

[blackwingdove]

Jetstorm rests his chin on Skyfire's shoulder and just shudders, the intensity increasing as he tries to mesh the fading lasercore light his optics see with the warmth of Skyfire's closed chest. Skyfire is ruined- Skyfire is whole- Ruined- Whole-

It's not real, it's not real, none of it is real. He is back there, back in the cavern, torn apart body and mind, being reforged-

Jetstorm throws his head back and keens like a damned soul.

[attair_al_fada]

Skyfire holds Jetstorm firmly, letting his energy fields and vibrations resonate against the distraught jet, as intimate an embrace as if they were lovers--

"Easy, easy! Peace," he whispers into Jetstorm's audials, still stroking the mad jet's helm. "Life is real, you're real, I'm real, your brothers are real. Bring your sight back to my world, to light and life. I've seen the black road you're on, it's a deceiver, don't go that way, come back to me..."

Black hole's grasp, hurtling through the twisted dimensions on instinct and calculation, navigating universes of madness to come out the other side, stability of ignorance long ago traded in for the sanity of understanding...

[the_deadster]

Jetstorm's dreadful cry is heard. A cowled head turns--in sudden comprehension, looks up.

"My sword..." Motormaster rises on his lifters; when the other Stunticons begin to follow, he drives them back with a single harsh transmission.

Up he rises to the tower where Jetstorm howls in torment, up from the depths below.

"I'm also real," Motormaster growls from behind Jetstorm.

[blackwingdove]

"So much for being quiet," Fireflight mutters. "Can one of you guys answer Auspex's comm at least?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure." Slingshot, and all of the other Aerialcron heads, is tied into Jetstorm's comm system. What is sent to him, they also hear. //Hey, Auspex. Jets ain't home right now, and we're in the middle of some slag. So, uh, call back later.//

Jetstorm's wail cuts off with a click, and he jerks sharply against Skyfire, as if a sword had gone through his back. The shadow-wings vanish like smoke, and Skyfire is whole as if he was never ruined.

He stares at the second moon for a long moment, then turns away from the ringed satellite, pressing his face against Skyfire's throat briefly. Turning until one fever-bright optic stares at the monstrous black and silver truck with that malefic smile on his face.

"Hello, commander."

[the_deadster]

"Commander, am I?" Motormaster says, more mildly than his usual growl. He chuckles. "I am Ground Commander, come to think of it--since Onslaught bugged out."

He sneers. "Nice little rendezvous, Silverbolt. Does the ex-Air Commander know about your little assignation with his Autobot toy?"

Motormaster's voice drops to its usual growl. "You going to hand over my sword, or am I going to rip it off your body along with an arm or two?"

[blackwingdove]

Jetstorm's expression sharpens. "It's my sword. I got it from Motormaster, and you may not have it."

[the_deadster]

Motormaster gives him a funny look.

"--the slag? I know you took it from me, and it's my sword, you thievin' fragger! I guess you want to do... this... the hard way...."

Motormaster find himself looking down the double barrel of Skyfire's proton cannon.