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Jetfire sat against the wall of the cell, looking over his hand, and the awful colouring that had appeared.
After the space bridge explosion, and once they got to safety in what used to be Ratchet’s theater, Red Alert had insisted on checking Jetfire out. Given that he was limping when he found the other Autobots and had gotten shot while escaping the Decepticons, it made sense.
Red Alert was working on Jetfire’s side when something caught his eye.
Rust spots.
When he examined them, Jetfire could swear Red Alert’s plating went pale when it dawned upon him on what exactly it was.
It was basically terminal.
No one could do anything about it.
He was going to be one of the Sparkless.
Jetfire offered himself up, going into one of the makeshift cells to make sure he didn’t spread this to anyone else, or hurt anyone.
All he could do was wait for the infection to take over.
Then they could do whatever they wanted with him.
He studied his hand closely, looking at the rust spots that appeared. It was a matter of time before it would cover his entire body.
A door opened, revealing Red Alert with a ration of energon. He came up to the cell, and slid the ration through the bars.
“Don’t,” Jetfire spoke softly. “It’s not worth it.”
Red Alert’s optic ridge furrowed. “Ratchet’s theatre helped anyone, that goes for you too.”
Jetfire sighed. “I’ll be a Sparkless soon enough, it’s not worth your time or resources to keep me fueled.”
Red Alert turned to leave. “It’s there if you change your mind.” He walked out, leaving Jetfire alone with the ration.
Well.
He was going to suffer with the infection anyways.
Might as well not suffer anymore than he will.
*
It was tough to treat patients who were terminal. Everyone knew they had a limited time. The worst that could happen is that they suffer alone.
Unfortunately, with the few cases that could actually be done before they got dangerous, the infection was found to take a long time to actually do its thing.
It would be tortuous, basically.
The next day, when Red Alert was done with his rounds, he went back to where Jetfire was being held. He wasn’t getting up close with Jetfire, there were still the bars, and Jetfire had pushed himself to the farthest corner.
Red would be fine.
He opened the door, finding an empty container of the ration, and Jetfire in the same corner as the day before, his optics turned off. Recharging, he guessed.
Red Alert had come with another ration of energon, and he carefully walked over to the cell, not wanting to disturb Jetfire. He slid the ration of energon through, and was about to leave, before he heard Jetfire.
“Red Alert?”
“Sorry, did I wake you?”
Jetfire shook his head. “No, I was just resting my optics.”
“Oh. I brought you more energon.”
Jetfire looked at the ration. “Thanks. I’ll have it later.”
Red Alert nodded. “You should get some actual recharge in soon.”
“I will. Don’t worry.”
Red smiled softly before heading back out.
*
Red Alert returned again with another ration of energon. At some point, they would have to cut back on how much they were giving Jetfire, he really shouldn’t be any sort of priority on energon, it was a guarantee he was going to…basically die before any of the patients were going to.
Yet, it was nice that Red Alert cared enough to bring energon.
He slid the energon through, and took a step back, back unlike the past few times, he didn’t leave. “Do you wanna talk?” He asked.
Jetfire tilted his head. “About what?”
Red Alert shrugged. “About anything.”
Jetfire thought for a second. “What do you know about the Sea of Rust?”
“Only that the Sparkless are there, and it’s pretty much uninhabitable.”
“Do you want to know more about it?”
Red Alert took a seat on the floor. “Sure.”
Jetfire smiled as he started talking.
*
“Why do you keep coming in?”
It had been a few weeks, and Red Alert, without missing a day, continued to come in and bring him energon. They would engage in conversation, the conversations now lasting a long time, before Red Alert had to leave to check on the other bots.
Red Alert hummed. “I’ve worked with terminal patients before. The worst thing is going through it all alone.” He scooted closer to the cell, while Jetfire remained at the back of it. “I don’t want you to be alone in this.”
Jetfire smiled at Red Alert, as a warm feeling went through his body, a stark contrast to the ache parts of his framing felt now. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
*
It had been nearly a month, and only now, had the rust infection spread across to his other arm, and was trailing down his chassis.
This…was more tortuous than he initially thought.
Though, he barely knew how Sparkless biology worked.
“Jetfire? Are you okay?”
He hummed. “How long…until…this completely takes over?” He held up his rusted arm for emphasis.
Red Alert squinted his optics to look at Jetfire’s arm in the low light. “About…another month or so.”
Jetfire sighed as he put his arm down.
“How are you feeling?”
“Mentally or physically?”
“…physically.”
“Weird. My framing aches. And sometimes, it feels like my processor’s a bit foggy.”
“Mentally?”
“…not good.” Jetfire felt tears in his optics. “I wish this could be over.”
“I know, Jetfire.”
*
Jetfire was losing energy.
Expected, the infection attacked his spark, slowly losing its life before taking full control of the host. Jetfire could barely move without feeling dizzy or exhausted, and it seemed like just holding a conversation was taking everything inside of him.
“Can you just…I don’t know, talk about anything? I like listening to your voice,” Jetfire whispered, his voice slightly raspy.
Red Alert smiled before getting up. “Give me a second, I have an idea.”
This was an actual theatre at one point, it had tons of old books and plays. He grabbed a stack from a nearby room and headed back, placing the books down.
“Any preference?”
Jetfire shook his head. Red Alert grabbed from the stack, and started reading.
*
Jetfire had been recharging for quite some time, Red Alert watching him. He was basically pressed up against the bars.
Recharge was the only time that Jetfire didn’t look so dead.
As if on cue, Jetfire’s optics fluttered open, revealing that his blue optics were becoming a warmer hue now.
The signature purple optics of the Sparkless…
”Morning, Jetfire.”
Jetfire only hummed and leaned back against the wall.
Red Alert slipped a hand through the bars. “I wish we met sooner.”
Jetfire turned his head. “Why’s that?”
Red was silent for a moment, before gathering his thoughts. “I like you. A lot.” He raised his hand, extending it out to Jetfire. The larger bot also extended his hand out.
“I wish under better circumstances.”
“I wish we could hold hands.”
“You could get infected.”
“I know.”
*
“Morning, Jetfire.” Jetfire wasn’t recharging, Red Alert could tell. He slipped a ration of energon through the bars, before noticing the ration he had left yesterday was left unconsumed.
”Jetfire? Why didn’t you-“
Jetfire opened his optics, and turned towards Red Alert. He tried to suppress a gasp when he saw Jetfire’s face.
“Is it that bad?” Jetfire whispered. Red Alert nodded. Most of it was covered in rust, his optics mostly purple at this point, and if he wasn’t speaking and responding, one could mistake him for an actual Sparkless. Jetfire leaned his head against the wall. “Frag.”
Red Alert sat down. “Jetfire, you need to-“
“It’s not worth it. It’s just not anymore. I'm at a decent level to not starve to death before the infection completely takes over, don’t worry.” His voice was so raspy, he sounded so tired.
“You should recharge, Jetfire.”
“It’s not worth it.”
Red Alert hated that. Jetfire was getting to the point where his fate was imminent. He was accepting it.
At the start, Red Alert accepted it easily.
Accepted that Jetfire was going to be a Sparkless, lose himself, lose everything about him.
Now it was hard to.
*
Judging from his looks, this may be Jetfire’s last day.
His body was covered in rust, he was barely moving or speaking anymore, and when he did speak, it was raspy and slightly broken.
It was now or never.
Red Alert opened up the cell, and walked in.
“…Red…?”
“Jetfire. I need to do something.”
“You…you need to…get back.”
Red Alert came close to Jetfire. Dangerously close.
“I…need to do this.
I need to kiss you.”
“You’ll…get…”
“Jetfire, this is probably your last day. Please. Let me have this.” Only centimetres remained between their faces.
Jetfire slowly nodded. “This…is stupid…”
“I know.” Red Alert closed the gap between them.
It likely would have felt nicer if Jetfire’s lips weren’t covered in rust. But it was something that Red had been craving for a long time now. Jetfire managed to muster up enough strength to cradle Red’s face with his one shaky hand. Red Alert helped him by placing his own on top of it.
After a little bit, Red Alert pulled away, not wanting to overdo it with Jetfire’s current level of exhaustion.
“Thank you, Jetfire.” He took Jetfire’s hand and squeezed it. “I love you.”
“I…I love…you…thank you…”
Red Alert moved and sat beside Jetfire, leaning against him.
”You…leave…”
“I know I should.” Tears were building up in Red Alert’s optics, and one streamed down. Jetfire took his free hand, and slowly, moved it to Red’s face, wiping away the tear.
“I’m sorry, Jet…”
Jetfire tried to speak, but all that came out was a muddled mess of gasps.
“Jetfire?”
Jetfire let go of Red Alert’s hand. “…go…”
*
Red Alert silently hoped that he was wrong. Wrong that it was Jetfire’s last day. Part of him knew that he was wrong. He opened the door to the room where Jetfire was kept and his spark stuttered as he saw Jetfire.
He was standing up for the first time in a long while, and hunched over. Red Alert cautiously moved in, hearing gasping noises.
“Jet…?”
Jetfire suddenly turned at Red Alert, optics fully purple now. He moved towards Red Alert slowly, gasping all the way.
“Jetfire, can you hear me?”
No response. Jetfire extended his hand out of the bars, swinging it rapidly.
“Jetfire, it’s Red.”
It was really for nothing. This clearly was no longer Jetfire, he couldn’t recognize Red Alert anymore. To him, Red Alert was just something else to infect.
He stared down at the Sparkless’ hand, and gently grazed it with his own. The swinging became more violent, more desperate. The Sparkless was gasping radically, desperate for another spark.
”Maybe in another life.” Red Alert removed his hand from the Sparkless’ and walked out of the room. He held back tears as he went to his small quarters. He shut the door and fell to the ground.
Red Alert felt the tears start streaming down his face as soon as he was alone. There was nothing he could do during those months. The most that he could actually do was to be there for Jetfire, and make sure he wasn’t suffering alone. He remembered the soft smile that Jetfire gave to Red Alert, the long conversations they had, the way they both extended their hands out without touching. Jetfire had made it clear that Red Alert was helping during his suffering.
As he wiped away the tears on his face, he grazed a rough spot near his lips. He paused, and touched the spot again. Red Alert got up, and went over to a small mirror nearby, leaning close to examine.
His optics widened in shock as he realized what was on his lips.
The first signs of infection.