His Spark, Her Soul

Chapter 5

Miko was the first one to break the silence, "You what?" Everyone had the same look of disbelief on their faces. No way had the Optimus Prime aided in someone's death, especially if they were on the Autobot side. Optimus nodded slowly, it was the first time he had admitted his mistake. "I delivered the final blow." He placed his arms slightly behind his back as he took a few steps away from everyone. "But I had miscalculated my attack and ended up missing the bot I was aiming for. Niki died instead." Ratchet stood tall. He glared daggers into Optimus' back. "Per her final request, I took Ratchet in to be our medical officer." Optimus turned to look back at Ratchet. "Ratchet, you're a doctor, couldn't you save her?" Miko asked and Ratchet shook his helm slowly, "I didn't even get to try to save her."

"...and that concludes the graduation ceremony. Congratulations graduates!" The principal shouted. Everyone screamed and shouted with excitement before the crowd turned to chaos as everyone looked for their own groups, to leave and party. Niki ran over and nearly tackled me in a hug "Ah! Ratchet! I did it! I graduated!!" She beamed with happiness. "If it wasn't for you being stubborn enough to actually tutor me, I probably would be watching you all graduate from the crowd." I patted her back and smiled, "It wasn't as hard as you thought." We were joined by Knockout and Breakdown. "Let's go celebrate!" The three of my friends dragged me out of the school and off to a quieter location. The stars were visible from our spots on the ground. "What are we doing here?" I asked all three. Niki smiled as Breakdown set down a blanket, making sure it was big enough for all three of us. Knockout set down a basket, and what seemed to be High Grade Energon. "I thought, since it was officially our last night together as a group, we could have our own little party. Maybe get drunk under the stars." Niki explains as she led me over to the blanket and sat me down. "Drinking?" I asked her with a look and she laughed, "You promised me that if we all graduated together that we could have a party." I thought about it and nodded, I had made that promise to her. "One drink." I held out my cup as Breakdown and Knockout joined us. "Sure, buddy, one drink." Knockout had a smug look on his face and that's all I can recall about that particular evening. Only a few days after graduating and the hospitals hired on all four of us. In different wings of course. Knockout and I were the main surgeons. Breakdown became a bodyguard for the hospital and Niki had surpassed as a Nurse. The hospital was just like how class explained it would be, slight difference with actual patients but we thrived from the bottom to the top. Only a month into my work and the City of Primes heard of my work and transferred me to their main hospital. It took a bit of getting used to the silent nights. All of my friends had been changed to different locations. Different hospitals. Niki refused to actually let our friendships just fizzle into nothing because we wer so far away. She called each of us as often as she could, even if we could only speak for a minute.
And then it happened.
War.
The divide among us happened swiftly once the news had spread of Megatron declaring war against the new Prime. The hospitals were flooded with wounded mechs and femmes.
The staff also divided. Those of us who remained neutral slaved day in and day out to keep up with the demand. The city itself was slowly crumbling into nothing as war consumed everything in it's path like some kind of sick monster.
No one was sparred.
Not even Niki.
Her town had been the first to be swallowed by the sick monster and I lost contact with her for the longest time. I feared that she had been killed at the servos of some lunatic!

Then one night, I thought I had spotted her whilst taking a break from the crazy hospital that had basically become my home. I didn't think twice about following her as swiftly as I could. She was much faster than I was. We left the city before I even knew what happened and she met up with a group of unfamiliar bots. She unrolled a map and spoke, pointing to different locations. I was too far away to hear what was being said, but the group didn't stay too long. Níki turned and started back my direction and I waved to catch her attention.
"Ratchet? What are you doing out here?" She asked as she walked over. I looked her up and down. She had changed a lot since I last saw her. Her frame was discolored and scratched. She looked like she had been in several fights. "I could ask you the same thing." Pointing to the Decepticon logo on her shoulder. I didn't really care what side she was on, I just wanted to know why. She glanced down at it and then looked back up at me, "Oh, it's just a metal patch." She pulled it off to reveal an Autobot logo. "I work the sides. Feeding Decepticons slightly false information while retailing all information to the Autobots." I gave a slight nod.
"I'm just trying to help end the war before it gets much worse Ratchet. I didn't really have a choice. The hospital I worked at was destroyed and it was either lay down and die or help." She explained further as we sat down to catch up on everything. She told me that Knockout and Breakdown were working the same as her. They fit in better because the Decepticons didn't have a medic before Knockout. I told her about the struggles of the hospital, how it was barely standing on it's own and how they staff has picked sides. "It's a miracle that it is even still standing." I muttered and she carefully placed a servo on my leg, "Ratchet, if you ever need a break just meet me here. I come once every week to give information to the Autobot Scouts." "I can do that." I replied. She gave me a gentle smile before carefully walking over, placing a soft kiss on my cheek, "Keep up the good work." And then disappeared into the night.
Several weeks went by and it became natural to meet Níki after she spoke with the Scouts. I felt we had grown closer than ever before. But then one night Níki didn't show up on time and the Scouts got worried. Maybe her cover had been blown and they'd have to meet her somewhere else. I stayed in our usual spot, hiding from sight and turned when I heard something. I glanced down the way where the Scouts were and I clenched my fists. It was Níki, she was looking a little worse than wear. She yelled out to the Scouts, "Run!" And not far behind her was none other than a group of Decepticons. They had caught onto her false information and Megatron ordered her death and the death of the Scouts she had been giving information to. The group, instead of running, turned to fight and the battle became deadly. Megatron had showed up to personally see to it that the mole in his army was squashed. I watched in great fear as Níki fought with the Scouts, all of them charging at Megatron. But they were no match.
He threw her aside like a toy.
The pain that was drawn from her lips hurt me to the core and I was moving before I realized it. I got the surprise drop on Megatron and slashed as his helm, which he barely dodged. He glared at me. I stood between him and her. Megatron unleashed his sword and charged me. I was very under skilled to be fighting a warlord but I had no choice, if I stopped, she would surely die. He got the upper hand and kicked me aside. My back slammed into a nearby rubble and it trapped me under it. He grinned knowing that I wouldn't be in his way any longer and made his way over to Níki, who had just gotten to her pedes. She was struggling to stand up but looked him straight in the optics, "I don't care if you end my life, Megatron, you will not win." I could barely see through the cracks in the rubble. My pede was trapped underneath it and I didn't have the strength to lift it off of me. He looked at her. She was holding onto her leaking side, one optic closed. The energon that slid down her face made it look like she was crying. He merely smirked. "You were a fool to deceive my army." "At least it worked." She spat at him and he gripped her up by the throat, squeezing. She gasped out, gripping his servo trying to pry it off of her neck cables. "Do you take me for a fool!?" He growled and she grinned. He slammed her body against some nearby rubble and she cried out again. "I'm going to squash you like the bug you are!" Megatron unleashed his sword and held it at her spark, "Any last words?" She glared daggers at him and shouted "NOW!" The new Prime had jumped out of hiding and charged at Megatron with his own sword. But something went wrong.
Megatron was not the one who was stabbed.
Níki was.
The new Prime's sword had missed Megatron, who had dodged, and stabbed straight through her chassis. Megatron stepped back and laughed, letting go of her throat and watched her sink to the floor. "My job here is done." And he left. "NÍKI!" I screamed out, finally getting the rubble off of me after freeing my pede. I limped over to her as fast as I could, shoving the Prime out of my way. I hit my knees as swiftly as I could, pulling her close to my chassis as I began to inspect the damage done to her. "Hang on Níki! Hang on!" Her good optic slowly looked up to meet mine, "...Ratchet..." She paused, taking in a breath "...is that you?" "Yes, Níki, it's me!" I cried out to her, putting pressure on her major wound, trying to stop the leaking. Happiness filled her optic and she gave me a weak smile, "Ratchet..." Her servo lifting to touch my cheek. The one she had kissed all those weeks ago. "Stop talking, save your breath!"
I couldn't do anything to save her. Her wounds were to severe. She would die before I got her to medical supplies. She shifted slowly "Ratchet, I-I just want you to know that I have always loved you." "I fell in love with you the cycle you fell into that stupid arena." I uttered "I was just too afraid to tell you." She cracked a bigger smile, "I know Ratchet, I know. I was waiting for you." Her optic began to dim and she looked over at the new Prime, "O-optimus, I ask that you please take care of Ratchet for me." "I promise." His baritone voice boomed softly behind me and I felt anger. Níki looked back at me, "Ratchet, please don't hate him. It was an accident." And those were her final words. Her optic closed and her servo slid down from my face as her helm fell limp. "Níki? Please...Níki!" I cried out but it was useless. She had already joined the Allspark. I rocked slightly back and forth. I couldn't think. I just wanted to hold her close to me. A servo touched my shoulder and I looked back at the new Prime with a glare. "I apologize Ratchet." He spoke with a sadness in his voice and regret in his optics but I didn't care. He was the one who cause her death.  I shrugged his servo off of my shoulder and stood, holding Níki close to me. "Per her final request, I will join your side but don't think of it as a favor to you." The Prime was young and clumsy. Clearly he didn't know how to be a proper leader. "Of course not." He said softly and led the way back to their base.

"...the war got worse before I could properly bury her." I spoke, glancing at the team listening to my story. "Knockout and Breakdown heard of her death through the grapevine and grew to despise not only the Prime but also me, not understanding why I could work alongside her murderer."