"Here Mini-Con Minicon...whatever your name is!" The sound echoed into the void of the cave. With no reply still, the femme was starting to grow worried for the pet. It had looked bad staggering into this mazy of rocky shaking crumbling tunnels to begin with, with the constant falling rocks and occasional lava drip...well, she didn't quite expect it to last long in here. Especially not with the heat increasing steadily, with no sign of stopping; even the rocks glowed red. 

Maybe I should go back and get help....no....I can do this...even if transforming isn't an option....

Her arms flew up suddenly, an instinct....as a small platoon came crashing down on her, bouncing off her makeshift shield. Stupid rocks. 

She glanced around the hollow cavity that seemed to stretch on for miles without end. 

Stupid cave. 

A light hissing began to fill her audio receptors, and, unconsciously, she jumped to the side as a few drops of molted rocks dripped down on the very spot she stood only mere milliseconds ago.

Stupid life. 

Faint rumbling echooed in the distance, the sudden sound making her flinch and coil in fear. Whimpering. she grasped her arms, and squeezed them tight. Such an insignificant act, yet it always seemed to bring her confort, it was a sweetspot for her, a weakness no one knew about. Well, no one except her. Were any of her enemies to find out about it, and it would be game over for her. 

Whirr!

I recognize that whirr.

Letting her audio receptors guide the way, she began running through the rocky terrain, down turns, curves, anywhere she believed he sound came from, The ground was shaking violently now, springing her up and down as if it were a trampoline. She staggered to the side, nearly ramming her helm into a  rock edge. Through the loud crashing that surrounded her, she strived and pushed her peds forwards, groaning as dust began to fill her vents. 

Then, her hand slipped through the stone. 

Well, more, ran out of stone. She staggered to the side again, nearly toppling over, her peds practically tripping over the other. Through teared optics, she squinted her optics, pushing to break the seeing barrier the dust seemed to create. 

And there she saw it, the small metal bird, crashing against the walls of the larger cavity in the  caverns, shaking and wobbling through the dust. She took a loud step forward, her ped sending a stone toppling down into the dark unseen ravine that layed only inches away from her. The shaking nearly sent her stumbling down, if she hadn't sent herself flying backwards. A slow echo of the rock crashing against the rock below, and she held her breath as the shadow through the dust spun slowly to face her. Then, her cry of pain echoed through the cavity as a purple shot struck her upper thigh, leaving a large gushing gash that seared with pain and agony. She howled once more as another shot grazed her shoulder. Grunting, she hit the rock, and groaned with pain. 

"NO! Please...stop!!" She yelled, instinctively, grasping the dust with her digits. She heard only the soft whirring of the mini-con circling her. 

Probably preparing to take the next shot. 

Then...

She felt a light nudge against her abdomen. Groaning, she lifted her helm slowly, and was met with the small head of Laserbeak, continuing to push her away from the crumbling edge. Her limbs shaking violently, she forced herself to her peds, shaking  and crying out in absolute agony. Her voice shaking, she wrapped her arms around the little con, and held it close to her chassis. 

"I'm...gonna get...you out...of here." She panted gruffly, and staggered towards the opening. Suddenly, she was thrown back as rocks collapsed abruptly over the opening. Gasping and whimpering with pain, She staggered backwards, taking caution to watch the edge behind her. She glanced around frantically, scanning the cavity that began to light up with a warm orange glow. A wave of stings seared through her energon veins, and it took all her might not to grasp the energon that dripped all around her limbs and into the puddle on the ground. Her helm spun, and began to feel unstable, and with ebbing strength, she fell to the ground. 

"Get up...get up, you weakling. Move, move!! Why can't I move?" 

With shuddering limbs and groaning metal, she lost all methods of tapping into her near non-existent strength recourses, and her vision faded to black. 

Just let me die here now.

"Whirr...Whirr..." 

Leave me alone

"Whirr....whirr..." 

Wait...the minicon...

"Whirr...whirr..."

It will not die...not when I can do something about it. 

Much against her protesting limbs and frame, and fighting with her common sense, she sought to clench her fist. 

Come on.....come on....

With heavy pants, she forced her digits closed. 

One corner down.....

~~~~

Laserbeak stared at the fallen femme, and frantically began pushing against her lower abdomen. He scanned her, frantically searching for any sign of her, of her being ok, of her standing up, of her waking. He began pushing harder, under her arm, trying to lift it up. 

This femme had saved his life before, now he was going to save her. 

He sent a frantic SOS to his master through the bond, and continued to nudge her. A glimmer of hope shook through him as he noticed her fist begin to shake, and clenched closed suddenly. He nudged it softly, hoping to help it open. 

It let out a soft whirr suddenly as the two strong arms enclosed him, and held him close to her chilled chassis. 

And a soft groan echoed through the increasingly-warming cavity through the growling of the falling rocks, and she seemed to gasp for air as her icy-blue optics flew open. She shuddered violently, and squinted as another source of light hit her square in the optics. 

 Wait....where's that light coming from?

Blinking, she glanced around, and froze when a bright yellow light began to stream through a small hole in the dark rock. 

A way out. 

Groaning with pain, she forced herself onto her knees, tightening her hold around the small shaking minicon, who fell limp in her arms. 

Oh  no, oh no....

Her optics stared the gorge in front of her.....30 feet, by the first look...

There's not way I can make it....

Her optics fell to the metal bird. 

....but I have no choice. 

Shaking, she forced herself to her peds,  much against the protest of her screaming pain receptors, and, taking one last shaky breath, ran forward and jumped. 

The confort of knowing there was hard ground under her was whisked away, and scorching air struck her faceplate. Breathing hard, she squeezed her optics shut, not wanting to see the upcoming impact that surely seemed inevitable.