Forever Alone: Transformers Prime

Chapter XI

Ratchet had Jack help distribute water to Julie every 15 minutes while the others were gone. Jack was helping pour water into her mouth to allow her to drink, while there were iv's connected to bags of fresh water that she was hooked up to as well.
"Ratchet, bridge us back now." The coms sounded. Julie slowly shifted on the medical bed and sat up. "Optimus, don't." Julie cried, but nobody heard her.
"We must have an autobot down." Ratchet cried.
Julie watched as Bumblebee and Arcee walked in with Raf in Arcee's arms.
"Raf." Jack cried.
"No." Miko yelled.
"What happened?" Ratchet cried.
"Megatron." Arcee replied.
"Quickly, into my laboratory."
Julie quickly pulled the iv's out of her arms and hopped out of the medical bed, knowing they would need it. Ratchet laid Raf down on the medical bed, not noticing right away that she was gone.
Raf laid on the medical bed, while Julie watched from nearby in the shadows. "Oh, Raphael isn't responding, we must run diagnostics of his assemblage, vital statistics. Ah, my tools, they're all wrong."
"It is all my fault, I should have protected him better." Bumblebee cried.
"We need to call my mom." Jack cried.
"Your mother may be a nurse, but does she know anything about the effects of energon on the human body?" Ratchet cried out.
"Do you know anything about the human body?" Jack cried out, "Mom, it's urgent."
"The weak will perish." Ratchet whispered. "Be strong, Rafael."
Julie watched as the portal in the room turned on and a car drove in. "Mom, thank..." Jack cried.
"Grab my bag." The woman cried as she ran in.
"Measuring the extent of the absorption should determine the proper course of treatment." Ratchet said.
"If I don't get this boy stabilized now, he will not leave this table alive, do you understand me?" The nurse cried out.
Julie walked into the room. "Madam, let me see." Julie cried. The others turned to her.
"Julie, what can you do?" Jack cried.
"I am a nurse, my dear, there is nothing you can do that can help. Just let me do my job."
Julie ignored her and laid a hand on the boy's forehead. "A dark matter runs through him. I don't know what it is, but I can feel it. It need's purified."
Bumblebee started to freak out and punched a wall nearby. "Megatron will pay!"
"Bee, listen. You think I don't know how it feels to watch a partner... harmed? Revenge won't help Raf right now, you need to keep your emotions in check." Arcee cried.
"Julie, get away from the boy." The nurse cried.
"Ratchet, how is raphael?" Optimus's voice sounded through the room.
"It is too soon to know,"Ratchet replied.
"He's in good hands."
"Not mine, Optimus. Curse my cybertronian pride. We've accepted these humans into our lives, yet I've bothered to learn so little of their science or medicine." Ratchet cried.
"Pull yourself together old friend, Raphael needs you."
"And I have grown to need him."
"Lock on to my coordinates and activate the ground bridge."
"Jack, help me get Raf to the car, he's going to the emergency room." The nurse cried.
"Nurse Darby, your doctors won't be able to comprehend what's afflicting him, not without a decade of study." Ratchet replied.
"I don't have time to argue."
The effects of an energon blast on an autobot can be devastating enough, but this is a human. I'm not getting any readings. How could I not have seen this? Raphael has been infected with dark energon." Ratchet replied.
"You mean, Julie was right? About the dark matter in him?" Miko asked.
"How could she possibly have known?" Nurse Darby asked.
"That doesn't matter, dark energon is devouring Raf from the inside out, we must expel it and fast. The only possible way I know. I need energon." Ratchet said.
"Wait, you said energon was devastating to humans." Nurse Darby said.
"Under normal circumstances, quite, but I am relying upon the dark matter currently invading Raphael's body to meet it head on." Ratchet replied. He filled up the jar with energon as he hooked up to a machine. "I need him over here, now." He cried as he threw him into a machine and closed it.

"Pulse rate is stabilizing." Nurse Darby said.

"Bumblebee." Raf whispered.

"Raf, you're okay." Bumblebee cried out.
Ratchet watched as the others all hugged Raf, and turned to look for Optimus. "Optimus, we did it." He looked around the room, "Wait, where is Optimus?"
"He stayed behind on the Nemesis. Said he wanted to fight megatron." Bulkhead said.
"Bulkhead, you let Optimus face Megatron alone?" Arcee asked.
"I didn't have a choice." Bulkhead replied.
"It could be a trap." Ratchet said. "We need to get a fix on his location." Ratchet worked on the computers as he worked on pulling up Optimus. "Wait, where is Julie?" Jack asked.
"He's right, she disappeared after I told her to leave." Nurse Darby said.
"Locked onto Optimus's signal. Wait, how is this possible?"
"What is it?" Arcee asked.
"We need to get Optimus out of there, now." Ratchet cried out.

"Why is the blood of Unicron erupting from beneath the earth?" Optimus asked.
"A question, Optimus, that you shall take to your grave." Megatron replied.
"Not on my watch, Megatron." Julie cried.
Optimus and Megatron looked over and saw a tall femme, in the colors of a deep blue and a emerald green. "Who are you?" Megatron asked.
"Not someone of your concern. Know that you shall pay for the destruction of my home. The very thing I live to protect." Julie cried. A green portal opened up behind Megatron and immediately Bulkhead came running through and shoved Megatron off of Optimus. Arcee came running out right behind him and standing beside Optimus. Julie walked over to Optimus while Bulkhead distracted Megatron. "We have to get Optimus out of here." Julie cried.
"Quickly, we must pull them through." Ratchet cried as he came out through the portal. Julie stood nearby as Ratchet and Arcee both helped Optimus up. "Bulkhead, now now now now." Arcee cried. Bulkhead immediately transformed into his car form and drove toward the portal, while Julie held her stand towards Megatron. A blast hit Megatron, sending him flying as Julie went into the portal right behind Bulkhead.
Bulkhead and Ratchet helped aid Optimus as they walked into the base from the portal, Julie walked in behind them. "Easy Optimus, from the looks of things you've been exposed to a massive amount of dark energon." Ratchet said.
"I am not the only one." Optimus said as he looked over at where Raf laid in a medical bed nearby.
"Hey," Raf said as Optimus looked down at him.
"He's lucky to be alive." Nurse Darby said.
"Megatron found more of the dark stuff." Jack asked as he came down the stairs from the platform.
"A volcano, full." Arcee replied.
"The question is how?" Bulkhead said.
"No, the question is what. As in what in the world is the blood of Unicron doing here on earth?" Ratchet spoke.
"The cons killed a unicorn?" Miko asked. "White horse with a horse on its head. Prances around all sparkly."
"Unicron, an ancient evil whose fossilized blood comprises the matter which we call dark energon." Ratchet said. "As legend would have it."
"So you're saying, this Unicron is some kind of boogeyman?" Nurse Darby asked.
"Boogeyman?" Ratchet asked.
"Make-believe creepy guy who hides in your closet." Miko replied.
"No, Nurse Darby. Unicron is very real. Was, that is." Ratchet said. "While I do believe he once existed, I just don't subscribe to the theory that his primordial life force is the substance which harmed Raf."
"I've heard enough." Nurse Darby replied, "Jack, please. Help me get Raf into the car."
"Wiat, you can't leave? It's not safe." Bumblebee spoke up.
"Mom, I thought he was doing better." Jack replied.
"Raf needs to be examined by real doctors and Raf's family needs to know what's happened. His real family." Nurse Darby exclaimed.
"Mom, Raf's family can't protect them, not like they can." Jack said.
"June, it deeply grieves me that I have failed, but I will do everything in my power to ensure that no harm comes to our human friends or any human ever again." Optimus said as he stood up.
"Optimus, they're children. They do not belong in your world. They should be worrying about grades, prom dates, pimples. Not their own survival." Nurse Darby said.
"Nurse Darby, there is something that you don't understand. The world is dying." Julie said as she was now in her normal form. She had her wings spread out, blocking the way to her car. "You can't leave. Even I am feeling weaker by the minute. I am losing control of the earth's balance."
"Mom, dark energon is pouring out of the earth." Jack said. "It doesn't do that. This could be about everyone's survival, not just ours."
"You three children are coming with me. I don't know who you are, but get out of my way." Nurse Darby cried as she looked at Julie.
"I am warning you, there is a storm forming and you think you will make it out there on your own?" Julie cried. "Nobody knows the earth better than me."
"Get out of my way. We are leaving and we will not be coming back." June said as she pushed Julie out of the way and went to put Raf into the car.
"I understand." Optimus said, as he looked down.
"That's it?" Miko asked. "After all we've been through together? 'See ya?' What about our freedom to choose?"
"That may fly on their planet, but not here on Earth." June said. She looked at Miko again and pointed at the seats in the car. "Get in."
"Miko scoffed, as her arms crossed over her chest. "Do you really expect me to ride in a non-transforming vehicle?"
"Miko, I'm serious." Nurse Darby yelled.
"You're not my mother."
"Miko!" Bulkhead warned.
"Neither are you!" Miko yelled at Bulkhead.
Nurse Darby looked at Jack, "Well, I am yours. Let's go, Jack."
Jack turned and looked at Arcee, "She is your mom." Arcee said, though there was clear worry in her voice as she looked at Jack.
"I'm staying." Jack cried. He looked down to the side, avoiding eye contact with his mother. "I'm sorry."
Nurse Darby looked shocked, but she spun on her heel and walked to the car angry.
"Ratchet, activate the groundbridge." Optimus said to Ratchet.
"No, thank you." she said, before backing up the vehicle and driving into the tunnel entrance. Bee started to follow them, but stopped as the car disappeared.
"Bee you need to go, they are in trouble." Julie said. "I can't come help, I'm needed here."
Bee nodded before he transformed and drove after them.