Transmute

Chapter Three: Discoveries

"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."

- C.G. Jung

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Ratchet clenched his servos in frustration. He had been searching for the Nemesis all night now, but nothing. He came up with nothing. Their cloaking devices were just too advanced.

It frustrated him beyond belief. Primus knew what the Cons were doing to Rafael and Bumblebee right now. And he here was not making any progress whatsoever.

His frustration must be visible to some extent, because Optimus came to his side. The medic felt a large servo being placed on his shoulder.

He sighed heavily, the only acknowledgment he gave for now. His servos had been resting idly on the keyboard for several minutes. To say that Ratchet was exhausted was an understatement.

All the stress of worrying about his teammate and now the added panic when Rafael went missing. It was a lot on his processor and spark.

During this train of thought, he hadn't even noticed that he was slumping back, almost tripping over. Optimus was the only thing preventing that from happening.

"I think that you require a break, old friend," he spoke softly.

The medic sighed again. He knew that the Prime was right and he was too tired to protest. He rubbed his optics with a servo and stepped back from his console.

"Fine..." he muttered. As much as he wanted to keep searching, it would do his friends no good if he overdid himself.

Ratchet allowed Optimus to take him to his room and was left alone after that. He sat back against the wall and closed his optics, knowing that recharge would take him eventually.

Optimus instead went to the console, picking up where Ratchet had left off. Finding the Nemesis was their first priority.

Jack had been watching this interaction from the human area. He found it mildly interesting, to see Ratchet's stubbornness melt away before the Prime. A feat that could only be accomplished by Optimus.

His attention shifted when Arcee called out to him. She stood close to the railing, arms to her sides.

"I should take you home Jack, it's getting late."

There was a certain weariness to her tone that concerned Jack. It made him wonder if she was getting enough rest.

"Sure thing Cee. I'll be right down," he replied. The boy lifted himself off of the couch with a groan. His limbs had been stuck in the same position for so long that they ached.

You're sixteen and complaining about aching limbs, get it together Darby. He scolded himself as he stretched.

Walking down to ground level, he met with Arcee at the front of the base. She tossed his helmet at him and transformed.

Jack put his helmet on and took place on the seat, gripping the handles. He felt Arcee's engine humming as she drove out of the base.

"Did Miko say where they were going?" the femme asked.

Miko and her guardian had gone out a while before, but the girl never said to where exactly.

Jack shrugged. "All she mentioned was rocky terrain. Maybe she wanted to go out and try some stunts with Bulkhead."

Arcee twitched her side mirrors. "Something has been off about her ever since your adventure in the caves," she mentioned.

The boy gripped the handles a little tighter. "You noticed it too?"