Transformers Age of Extinction: Bluebeam

Way Down We Go

I fell to the ground soon after the gunshot. I heard Ratchet order Hound to close the ramp as Sideswipe cursed and shot at the soldier that had remained in the hangar. I felt the ship take off and obliterate the hangar's roof and scuttle, making the ship shake.

"Ashley!" Cade yelled as he ran to me, checking me over.

"I'm alright-" I groaned as I sat up, looking down and finding no injuries.

To my surprise, Jackson was now laying down in front of me, unconscious.

A bullet in his abdomen.

"GET THE MED KIT!" I yelled at Cade as I turned Jackson over to inspect his wound better.

He...he saved me.

Cade soon returned with the medical kit so we could treat him. Thankfully the bullet had perforated and exited his body, which caused less damage than if it would've stayed inside.

I quickly got to work, cleaning the wound and stopping the bleeding. I used a lighter and a needle from the kit to stitch the injury to the best of my abilities before bandaging him up. By the end, my shirt and hands were covered with blood.

"He should be fine..." I said after we moved him to another part of the ship where we would be resting.

"Are you sure you are ok, though?" Cade asked.

I sighed shakily.

"I will be...this isn't the first time someone tried to kill me, remember?" I said, looking at the scar on my arm. "I'll go get cleaned, can you keep an eye on him?"

"Sure thing"

I smiled and walked a few minutes around the ship before finding a small pool of clear blue water. It looked like a giant sapphire, and for a few moments I wondered if it was safe, so I decided to consult the Bots before anything else, and they confirmed it was safe for humans after a quick scan. I was curious as to what the pool was used for before we took over. Side watched over me as I washed my hands and arms.

"That was close," he mumbled.

"It was," I sighed, "but hey, I'm ok, ain't I?" I smiled, but it quickly faded as I noticed Side's expression, "Side...?"

"You could've gotten badly hurt, Ashley, or worse, dead, and I-" he paused, "I don't know what I'd do if that happened..."

I looked at him sadly and approached him, placing a hand on his arm, which made him turn to look at me. He seemed troubled, his usually goofy and sarcastic self vaporized into a figure of worry and fear.

"Side, you want to know the truth...? I'm not ok...I was just as scared as you were...just like I was back when Savoy threatened to kill me...I thought I would die...and in front of you guys no less..." I let out a shaky sigh, "just because someone smiles...doesn't mean that they're ok..." I whispered, pressing my forehead against his arm and closing my eyes, "I'm scared, ok? Not of just dying, or of ever seeing my parents again, I'm terrified of losing all of you...first to Cemetery Wind and now to these... these bastards..." I gulped down a lump in my throat, "we lost Iron Hide...and I nearly lost Ratchet...I don't want you to die..."

"I don't want you to die either..." Side whispered, gently moving his arm and picking me up.

"I thought I had...gotten over this fear...but Cemetery Wind was destroyed and the Chinese government was working with the American government...Tessa and Shane left for college...everything was going well...and now this?" I sighed, leaning against his hand, "when will it ever stop? When will we stop fighting?"

"I...don't know Ashley," Side said, "but...what I do know, is that we'll always have each other's back..." he gave me a small smile, brushing my hair gently, "won't we?"