Archive of Our Own

::Skyfire.::

::Are you online?::

::Skyfire!::

Skyfire onlined to the continuous ping of incoming messages from Silverbolt.

::Please!::

::I am now, want do you want?::

::I’ve run out of fuel.:: The panic glyphs attached seemed a little excessive, but Skyfire was used to Silverbolt being highly strung. 

::Okay, send me your coordinates, I’ll come get you in the morning.::

:: Skyfire :: The message was nothing but his name and a string of panic glyphs.
::I’m still 41,000 feet in the air!::

::Oh,:: Skyfire said. Silverbolt was a dead mech flying. Forty thousand feet — there was still some time. ::Where are you? Are you gliding?::

::Yes, and I don’t know, somewhere in Canada?:: The message was littered with panicked glyphs. 

::It’s okay, if you’re gliding we’ve got time to find somewhere for you to land okay. We’re going to get you down safely.::

Skyfire opened a second comline. ::Prowl, Red Alert. We have an emergency. Silverbolt’s engines are failing and we need to find somewhere for him to land now.::

::He was doing a supply run for the humans, Montreal to Edmonton; where is he now?::

::Doesn’t know. Red can you triangulate his position?::

Skyfire started heading for the bridge. They were too far away to do anything but advise, but he’d be staying on the line with Silverbolt until was on the ground.

::Found him, he’s near Winnipeg. Tell him to set his course there, Prowl —::

::Already contacting their air control tower,:: Prowl interrupted, ::Yes, he’s cleared to land there.::

::Alright, Silverbolt, I need you to alter your course — we’re going to land you at Winnipeg okay?::

::Yeah okay, I can do that.:: Silverbolt was starting to sound more confident. 

Skyfire kept his gaze locked on the screen where Red Alert had Silverbolt’s position displayed. ::You’re doing great Silverbolt, you’re going to be alright.::

Jazz and Optimus had joined them on the bridge, though both of them stayed quiet with their fields pulled close. 

::Skyfire, I think I’m falling too fast!::

Skyfire forced himself to stay calm. He couldn’t afford to lose it now. Silverbolt was counting on him. ::What’s your ratio?::

::Twelve to one,:: Silverbolt said, message filled with panicked glyphs once more prevalent in his message. 

“Frag,” Skyfire swore out loud, "he's not going to make it to Winnipeg."

"There isn't a closer landing strip."

"He needs somewhere to land."

"Gimli," Jazz said. "He can land at Gimli — there’s an old air force base."

"How the frag do you know that?" Red Alert snapped. 

"It's been converted into a motorsports park."

"Won't there be humans there?"

"No, only on the weekends."

Skyfire nodded.

::Silverbolt. Divert to Gimli, there's an air force base.::

::Diverting. Okay, I think I'll —:: the comm cut out suddenly. 

::Silverbolt? Silver are you there?::

But there was only empty static across the line.  

"I've lost his position," came Red Alerts voice. 

"His comms are out," Skyfire said. "He's out of fuel, his systems are going offline."

Skyfire started running for the exit.

"You'll never get there in time."

"I have to try!"

Skyfire took off into the clear sky, pushing his engines as hard as he could, but he just wasn't built for speed. He wasn’t going to be in time to make a difference, but he knew someone who might be.

::Remember when Warp got you completely hammered and I flew you back to Iacon in time for your exam?::

The call connected. Thank Primus — not only was his comm code the same, he'd even answered. ::What the frag are you doing, digging up that old memory?:: Starscream snapped. 

::You said you owed me one. I need to call in that favour.::

::What?:: Skyfire imagined he could feel the indignation in Starscream’s field, he could certainly read it in the attached glyphs. 

::I need you to get to Gimli:: He sent the coordinates. ::Silverbolt is out of fuel and falling.::

::What the pit, why didn't you open with that?::

Once again the line went dead. 

::Starscream!:: Skyfire’s message was full of panicked glyphs, now. But the message bounced back on him, recipient unfound. Just how fast was Starscream going?. 

* * *

Silverbolt tried his comms again but got nothing back. It was no use. All his remaining fuel had been diverted to keeping his processor online. He still had short wave comms and his ailerons but that was it.

It was okay. He was going to be okay. He'd gotten the message about the airforce base at Gimli and surely Skyfire was on his way. He'd be fine. If he kept telling himself that he might actually believe it.

::There you are.:: Silverbolt's short range comm caught the message easily.  

::Starscream!::

::Yes.:: Starscream matched speed and fell into formation behind him. ::Any reason you didn't comm me?::

::You're the one always saying that we’re enemies and I shouldn't come to you for flying advice!::

::This is different.::

::How?::

::You could die.::

::I could die on a battlefield.::

::That's — look, you need to slow down.::

::What?::

::I don’t have time for a math lesson. This is a fragging terrible glide::

Silverbolt tilted his flaps and slowed down. It wasn't worth arguing with Starscream. Especially at a time like this. Silverbolt knew Starscream as the better flier. 

::Okay, that's good::

Skyfire took measurements again. ::Oh! I'm falling slower.::

Starscream's field pressed against him smug. ::Told you. You were going too fast.::

::Thanks, Star.::

* * *

::Silver, you're too high.::

::Frag.:: Panic filled Silverbolt’s field. ::I can circle around, right?::

::No, you're too low for that, and you'll gain too much speed and overshoot the runway if you dive.::

Silverbolt's field flared in panic. ::I have to do something! What if I transform?::

::You’re still going way too fast for that — you’ll have to land in alt. I have an idea though. Do you trust me?::

::I — frag. What do I need to do?::

::I used to glide as a youngling, I can get you down.::

::You mean…?::

::Lower your firewalls — I will control your steering.::

Silverbolt vented. Full control. ::Okay.:: 

Silverbolt lowered his firewalls, and felt Starscream slip into his systems across high density comms. His vents cycled higher — he could feel Starscream. It wasn’t quite as intense as cabled interfacing but it was close. 

Starscream pulled his wings up, turning Silverbolt’s entire body sideways. His spark leapt, spinning faster in his chamber. He’d never flown like this before. It was terrifying and exhilarating, his trust in Starscream the only thing keeping the terror at bay. 

The wind rushed across his wings, panic leapt in his field. He was falling out of the sky. Starscream, deep in Silverbolt’s system, tilted his ailerons back, and he leveled out, landing heavily on the disused runway. 

Starscream pulled out of his systems almost immediately and Silverbolt was left to break. Starscream touched down just behind him, somehow managing to land in root form — touching down neatly on the tarmac despite the fact that he’s been going just as fast as Silverbolt only moments earlier.

Silverbolt rolled to a stop on the tarmac still not quite believing that he’d made it to the ground without crashing into it. He transformed back into root mode. Alerts screamed across his HUD for ‘ critically low fuel’ . His joints locked, freezing him in place. 

Starscream moved closer. “Silverbolt? Frag! Where is your auxiliary fuel port.” Silverbolt stayed frozen in place, watching the static battery icon on his HUD. Forget low fuel; his battery reserves were at 5%. Frag, he really should have paid more attention to that. 

Starscream ran his hands over Silverbolt’s left wrist, brushing his secondary dataport. Silverbolt’s auxiliary fuel port was in his other wrist. He was just glad he’d made it into root mode. With his earth alt he doubted Starscream would have been able to find his port. 

Starscream’s finger brushed the right cover. “Hah, there it is.” He freed a cable from his own wrist and connected them. 

Silverbolt’s joints unlocked and he sagged as fuel pressure returned. He ended up on the tarmac with Starscream sprawled across his lap. 

“You back with me?”

Silverbolt nodded slightly. “Yeah.” He brushed a hand across Starscream’s wing. “Thanks Star, you really saved me there.”

There was a loud burst of static and Silverbolt looked up to see Skyfire standing there, staring, vents going at full speed, plating gently pinging as it cooled. “Is there something I should know?”

Starscream looked up, his field rippling with amusement. “No.”

“No.” Silverbolt said far more uncertainty. 

Skyfire let out a long vent. “How long.”

“Why, Skyfire, I have no idea what you are talking about.” Starscream said. “I did this as a favour to you, remember?”

Silverbolt looked down. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

Skyfire vented again. “I’m the one who asked Starscream to come and I don’t exactly want to try explaining that to high command.”

Starscream disconnected from Silverbolt, carefully making sure Silverbolts lines were secure, and climbed to his feet. "Later then," he drawled. He took off into the air without waiting for an answer, leaving them alone on the strip of tarmac.