Disclaimers: Transformers are owned by Hasbro.
I make no monetary profit from my fanfic/fanart.
Summary: A story about understanding and friendship
Rating - PG
~~~~~~
UNDERSTANDING
"Highbrow ...." complained Blue Streak in a fit of frustration. "Speak English...."
"I am addressing you in English."
"Yeah? Well how come I can't understand a word you're sayin'?"
"Simple. Your intellect vocabulary is not as vast as mine. I was stating, that next time the Decepticons attack, we should be prepared."
"Oh. Is that all."
"I would consider it a matter of the utmost importance."
"Later Highbrow..."
Highbrow approached Optimus Prime.
"Concerning the previous Decepticon assault, I reason that it would be logical to devise an ameliorated way to construct a Decepticon alert system."
"I'm already working on one, actually. You can help me if you like."
"Affirmative, Prime. I'll assist you."
"Thanks."
Highbrow was carrying toe device to the construction room, when Cliffjumper passed him and stopped.
"What's that?"
"This device," replied Highbrow, "will alert us directly and precisely when the Decepticons are going to attack us."
"Are you sure it'll work?"
"Negative. I cannot decipher that at this moment in time. We have to test it."
"Hope it works."
"As do I."
Later that night, Hardhead, was trying to work out the bugs in a computer program for the further development of Autobot headquarters and for the life of him, couldn't figure out what was wrong, so he called Highbrow.
"I can't work out the bugs in this stupid computer program."
"I fear your logic is faulty, Hardhead. It is not the computer program that is at fault. It's the inferior operator."
"Yeah, yeah " said Hardhead impatiently. "Well, can y' work out what's wrong?"
"Affirmative, Hardhead. I believe I can."
"Go for it."
Highbrow sat down in the chair. "There are the errors," he pinpointed.
"Where?"
"Use your optical sensors ... " There. "
"Well, can you fix them?"
"Of course. It is simplicity itself."
"Just do it, please, any show me what you're doin, so I can fix 'em next time."
"You simply shift sector 1b to 1a, sector 12 to 14, then shift parts 10 to 11 and then to ... "
"I think I'll just ask you to do it."
"That's quite all right, Hardhead. If you have any errors, just notify me."
"Ta. Are they okay now?"
"Affirmative, the program is 100% correct."
"Thanks."
Highbrow stood, not understanding why his friends couldn't understand such simple things. He knew he was more intelligent than he was, but it was so simple to him.
Highbrow approached Optimus Prime.
"Have you completed the Decepticon alert device?" he asked.
"Almost, Highbrow. It just needs to be tested. We can execute a test stimulus."
* * *
"It works perfectly under test conditions" noted Optimus Prime. "Let's hope it does in a real situation."
A few days later, the Decepticons launched to a full scale attack-all out attack on the Autobots. The Decepticon detection device detected the enemy.
"At least it works," said Optimus Prime. "Quickly, we have to prepare ourselves. It's all of the Decepticons - and they've extra weapons. It'll be worse than the last attack if we don't use our secret ammunition supply. I'd rather not, but we have no other choice."
"I suppose it's the only meritorious way out of an unmeritorious situation" said Highbrow.
"Yeah, me too, like he said," Ironhide said.
The Autobots began to battle with the Decepticons, trying to use as little ammo as possible. The Autobots began losing the battle.
"Prime," Highbrow said. "I calculate defeat in less than 5.7 minutes unless we take evasive action."
"Although I do not want to use more ammunition, I'm going to have to, otherwise we will all be destroyed."
The Autobots began to use more of their ammunition and managed to gain the upper hand. A Decepticon blast from above, hit First Aid, an Autobot who hated fighting. He fell onto the ground. The Decepticon blasted First Aid several more times. The Autobot was frightened and hurt. The Decepticon blasted him again. Highbrow saw First Aid lying helplessly on the ground and the Decepticon about to blast him again. Highbrow hating fighting, but felt had to protect his friend. He shot the Decepticon, who crashed, then retreated with the others. Highbrow rushed to First Aid. The other was bleeding semi-conscious. Highbrow gently picked him up. First Aid was shivering.
"It's all right," calmed Highbrow.
Slowly, First Aid became unconscious. Highbrow gently carried him inside.
"Optimus, First Aid was considerably damaged in the battle. I have to begin repairing him immediately."
Optimus Prime looked at the Protectobot, hoping he was hoping to be all right.
"I can repair him, Highbrow," he said.
"Negative, I will."
Highbrow took his friend into a room and began to repair him. It was easy for Highbrow, as he knew exactly what to do, but First Aid was badly mutilated. Highbrow didn't like the sight, but he cared about all his friends. The other Autobots didn't realise how much he cared about them. They didn't understand him. They thought he was a snob, the way he acted, the way he talked and did things. This upset Highbrow, although he told no one. He wished his friends would understand how he felt and cease always using him to do things that they couldn't understand. He liked to help, but not to be used. He did not consider himself superior.
Highbrow cleaned up First Aid and repaired his body, then re-energised him. He then waited patiently to regain consciousness. First Aid eventually did. He gasped and sat up quickly and looked frightened.
"No need at be alarmed. You're perfectly safe."
"Ohh, Highbrow. It was terrible ... I was so frightened..."
"I know."
"Thanks, Highbrow."
Highbrow smiled and gently helped im off the repair bed and walked with him into the main control room.
First Aid sat alone in his quarters and recalled the frightening incident. He hated fighting and didn't want to fight in the war anymore. He wanted to escape from it all.
Later, First Aid walked to the main entrance and was about to transform and drive away.
"Where are you going?" asked Highbrow.
First Aid wished Highbrow hadn't seen him.
"I don't want to fight anymore. I hate it. It's terrible... I can't stand it anymore ... I wanna get away from it all ."
"First Aid, I understand exactly how you feel, but I fear your logic is faulty. Running away doesn't solve anything."
"I can't take anymore fighting! I hate it!"
"As do I, but running away will not stop it. We all have to battle in this war. If we win there won't be anymore warfare."
"What if we don't win? What if the war goes on forever?"
"That is an argumentative point, but it is hypothetical, First Aid, but running away is illogical."
"Running away may not be logical, Highbrow, but then neither is war."
"That is a valid point, First Aid, but two illogical situations do not produce one iota of logic."
"You always have an answer for everything, don't you? Please... I want no part in this war ... I can't cope anymore..."
First Aid transformed and sped out of Autobot headquarters.
"First Aid, come back!" yelled Highbrow, feeling concerned for his little friend.
Highbrow ran to Optimus Prime.
"First Aid illogically thought he could elude the war by departing with us. I tried to stop him, but he would not listen to me."
"It's his choice, Highbrow. We can't force him to return if he doesn't want to."
"But it's illogical to escape problems by running away."
"I know, Highbrow, but that's the only way First Aid feels he can escape. I'll organise a search party for him. You and Kup can search for him, but if he doesn't want to return, it's his decision, don't force him."
"I understand, Prime."
"I observed him drive away in a north easterly direction," Highbrow said.
"Kup, Highbrow, you search in that direction. I'll keep in close radio contact with you both. Notify me if you find anything."
"Affirmative, Prime," said Highbrow.
Kup transformed into his vehicle mode and Highbrow transformed into his twin-rotor helicopter mode. Together left to find First Aid.
They searched for quite a long time.
"This can't be the way he went ...." complained Kup.
Highbrow looked down from above.
"I have optimum video perception 90 degrees vertical proving affirmative."
"What?"
"I can clearly see that this definitely is the way he came. His tyre tracks are directly below us."
Kup transformed and examined the tracks. "You're right."
They began following First Aid's tyre tracks, which went on for quite a while.
First Aid sat underneath a large, dark, overhanging tree, feeling lost and very lonely. It was beginning to darken.
"We've been searching for hours now and it's getting dark. How about we energize? I'm starving."
Highbrow gave Kup an energon cube from the small supply he had brought.
"Thanks."
Highbrow drank his energon cube slowly and they resumed their search.
The sky now very dark, First Aid sat under the same tree, hungry, lost, frightened and lonely.
"Highbrow was right. I shouldn't've run away ... How am I gonna get back? ... I don't know the way ... I didn't track it..." He hoped everything would be all right. He tried to go to sleep. It was hard, but he managed to, under the tree.
Kup and Highbrow were searching for a long while. Highbrow transformed into his robot mode and landed.
"It wouldn't be unreasonable to surmise that he went onto this grassed area. Evidently his tyre tracks stop here."
"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock, but where's First Aid?"
"I do not have that information in my data banks at this moment in time, but I suggest we resume our search in this direction."
Kup followed Highbrow onto the grassed bank.
"I wanna go home ... " First Aid said softly to himself. " If only I'd listened to Highbrow."
First Aid was starving. He hadn't had anything to eat since Highbrow had repaired him.
"I'm gonna die here ..."
Highbrow strained his ears when he thought he heard sobbing, He walked over to it and parted the overhanging branches.
"First Aid!"
"Highbrow!!"
Even Highbrow couldn't explain the relieved look he saw on his friend's face.
"You appear hungry," he said.
First Aid nodded, unable to describe his relieved feelings himself.
"You're all right now," Highbrow said grateful his friends was alive and well and handed First Aid an energon cube.
First Aid drank it. "Ohh thank you, Highbrow. I thought I was gonna die out here .... I should've listened to you. I'm sorry I was angry with you."
"It's all right First Aid, and I doubt you would have died. You have a tendency to take things to the extremes."
First Aid smiled. "I suppose I do."
Kup caught up to them.
"At last we found you" he said smiling, feeling glad First Aid was all right.
"Thanks, both of you" First Aid said.
They both smiled.
Highbrow's sensors bleeped a warning.
"My detection sensors have detected the entire Decepticon force heading our way. I suggest a maximum velocity retrogression."
"You mean beat it?" Kup said.
"Precisely. Let's move."
Highbrow transformed into his helicopter mode.
"You two," he said quickly. " Get inside me. You will not make it on the ground."
"It'll be a tight squeeze," said Kup.
"I know, but I can't risk you both getting destroyed. Quickly. Enter."
They both climbed inside Highbrow.
"Switching to after jets. Calculations show, we have an 87% chance of survival."
"Sounds good to me," First Aid said.
They made it to Autobot headquarters with Decepticons blasting after Highbrow. Highbrow flew into Autobot headquarters, returning fire at the Decepticons, then transformed. First Aid ran to Optimus Prime.
"I'm sorry, Prime ... I should've listened to Highbrow. I'm sorry."
"I know, First Aid."
Highbrow smiled. "We all make mistakes. Even me from time to time ..."
"You?! Make a mistake?! " exclaimed Hardhead. "That'd be the day!"
Highbrow smiled. "Occasionally, Hardhead, occasionally."
First Aid would never like fighting, but if that meant being lonely and away from his friends, he would rather be with the people he loved. Everyone welcomed First Aid home.
First Aid thanked Highbrow again. Highbrow smiled and hugged him, glad his friends now understood that he cared and didn't believe that he was a snob anymore. They understood his true feelings and he understood theirs.
*