Transformers Short Story

Memories

Rose jerked out of sleep, trying to calm her frantic breathing and beating heart. She glanced over at her bedside table with a sigh; 3:15 am, before falling back into her bed, glaring up at the ceiling. She'd had another memory about her life on Cybertron, this one more violent. She was five on the human age scale and it was at the start of the war; when Megatron was still occasionally visiting the capital to try and gain holdings over certain parts of the dying planet. Gold Line was still very new to the world of politics but learning from Alpha Trion and other tutors gave her a simple understanding of both Megatron's and Optimus's positions in the war. Her memory had depicted one of the first raids on Iacon Halls, the day she'd been browsing the halls while her creators attended a council meeting just down the walkway. A terrible explosive had rattled the walls, shaking books and displays from the rows and sending Gold Line stumbling to the floor. She turned her curious optics to the far main entrance, watching as the doors were thrown open and a group of bots stormed the entryway. Gold Line swiftly ducked, hiding behind a large display of the planetary systems near Cybertron to watch the group. She opened up her shared creator bond, "There is a group of bots here... definitely not peaceful..." She felt slight worry from her creators before Optimus's soothing voice washed over her, "Do not engage...stay hidden."  Gold Line turned her optics upon the bots with a frown, watching as they tore into the closest sections. Then she saw him, her creator's old friend turned enemy; Megatron. He surveyed his follower's work with a gritted smile, motioning to the hall where the council meeting was being held with a sneer, "Optimus Prime...he knows nothing of what it means to suffer, he will know now...tear apart his precious books and find his sparkling or mate; they'll be here somewhere." His followers rose to meet his challenge with various cries of agreement or delight, racing through the halls to ambush the council room, pull books from the walls, and search for her. Gold Line franticly smushed herself further into the display, pushing the edges of the shelf flush with the tall stacking sections, hiding her brightly colored frame. She opened her bond again, anxiety pushing her to react quickly, "They're coming for you!...they're going to tear the halls apart, and...they're searching...." Optimus sent her a soothing bond while Ratchet egged her to finish her sentence, "What are they searching for?"  She shuttered her optics quietly, "For us." A hush fell over her bond and Ratchet reached out, his bond clinging protectively to her with a fierce grip, "Where are you? Gold Line pulled her knee joints to her chest plates with a look at the tiny sliver of light coming from the outside section, "Planetary research display...I'm hidden."  Ratchet's bond filled with relief before Optimus interrupted, "We will come for you, stay put."  Gold Line nodded her head, trying to block out the sounds of approaching pede steps or stacking displays crashing to the ground all around her. A low hum filled the air near her, a bot was walking down her section, talking to his comm, "Megatron...we've got the council room surrounded...no sign of the sparkling...Vice says Ratchet's in there too...every single council member is present." He finished his report with a satisfied chuckle, trailing off as he listened to the reply. The bot suddenly turned to survey his section, pulling at books and tossing them carelessly over his shoulder. Gold Line heard the thump of books hitting the floor as she tried to shush her beating heart. The bot walked closer to her hiding spot, leaning on the display to view the model plants with disdain. He knocked a couple off their posts before looking over the entire shelf. Gold Line drew her EM field into herself until it was painfully hammering against her spark; if he flipped over her display she would be exposed. The bot drew closer again and Gold Line readied her frame, slipping into a crouch so she could run if necessary. A blast to her other side occupied her potential attacker's attention and he hurried away, leaving the display intact. She let out a relieved sigh before settling back down, flaring her ear fins in the direction of the new explosion. A bot rushed by her section, knocking into the display, and bumping her painfully into the stacking shelf. She gritted her denta with a wince and rubbed at her helm before freezing; the display had come off the wall from the jostle, leaving part of it open to the rest of the section. She peered around, holding her breath as more bots stormed down her section, seemingly running from something but none of them stopped to notice her. She drew herself to the very back of the display and shut her optics tightly, praying to Primus that she wasn't seen. Another bot collided with the shelf, slamming it back against the wall, leaving her back struts battered and bruised. Gold Line scooted into the middle of the shelf and opened her link again, "I don't know how long I'll be able to stay here." Optimus's strained tone answered, "No..stay there, we're almost to your location."  Gold Line pursed her lip plating, listening as her hall went silent again. After a few moments, two large bots stepped into her section, approaching her display from the far end. She tentatively looked out the small peephole, her frame suddenly overcome with warmth as the familiar forms of her carrier and sire filled her view. She listened for the sound of any other bots before pushing the display away, revealing her frame with a huff, "Took you long enough." She rose to her full height, dusting off her frame and noting the spots of Energon already coating her creator's forms. Ratchet tugged her to his side and fretted over her with a set look, "We got here as fast as we could." She pulled away from his scans with a nod, "I know." A chilling voice interrupted the reunion with a chuckle, "What a lucky find...the entire Prime descendency in one group." Gold Line turned her optics to measure the bot who had spoken, he was thickly built with a blue and orange wreckers frame. He smiled at them cockily before reaching to his comm, "Megatron...I've got them." Optimus stepped forward threateningly, "Let us go." The mech readied his weapons with a glare, "Not a chance." Ratchet slung his arm around my frame protectively, his eyes narrowed at the sight. His Medic Code prevented him from having any weapons besides surgical use so he was useless against an attacker like the mech. Optimus, on the other head, retracted his hand, turning his gun on the bot, "Do not make this mistake." The bot blinked, a smirk overtaking his features, "Like this?" He sent a shot in our direction, narrowly missing Ratchet's shoulder plating. Ratchet gritted his denta and pulled me behind him, Optimus's snarl surprising the mech, "Do not touch them." "Or what?" Another bot entered the section with notable satisfaction; Megatron, "You'll do what Prime?" Optimus snapped his battle plating over his intake, glaring at his old friend and readying his weapons. Megatron raised his optic ridges with a smile, "Ah, I see." He inspected the mounted cannon on his forearm before surveying the group, his gaze landing on her. He tilted his helm to study her, a weird expression filling his optics and he hesitated briefing before shaking his head in disgust, "You're on the wrong side of the war sparkling." Ratchet's EM field shook with anger, "You don't get to decide that for her." Megatron nodded silkily, "Of course, but you do huh?" He glanced at his companion with a dismissive nod, "Breakdown, go guard the council room with the others...make sure no one else escapes." The bot nodded and thundered off to his new post. Megatron watched him go before turning his attention back to them, "I'll give you one more chance to end this here Optimus, you surrender and I will spare your followers." Gold Line watched this interaction with wide optics, whispering to her sire, "Don't do it...he won't keep his word." The warlord turned on her with interest, "My word? Yes...it means nothing to you...but is it worth spending thousands of lives over it?" Optimus snapped to answer, "Do you not already sacrifice your soldiers and mine enough?" Megatron shook his head, "You missed your chance once again old friend." Optimus flinched at the term before straightening powerfully, "No Megatron...it is you who has missed yours." He charged the bot, taking him off guard but Megtaron overcome his surprise quickly, parring his blow with a smile, "Your no match for me Optimus...deep down your still Orion Pax." Optimus swiped his blade across Megatron's chest plating, "I am Optimus Prime...the thirteenth Prime, student to Alpha Trion and successor of Sentinal." Megatron wiped the Energon from his chest plating with a sigh, measuring Optimus a steady look, "And I am Megatron of the Pits, Warlord of the Decepticons...and your destroyer." He launched himself at the Prime, tackling him to the ground and into one of the stacking compartments. Ratchet hurried Gold Line to the far side of the section, glancing back at his mate with a worried expression. Optimus pounded at the Warlord with his pedes, sending him off his frame, "Ratchet go!" Ratchet sent him a glare before scooping up Gold Line, silencing her protest, and racing down the halls toward the main entrance, using his heightened senses to dodge the opposing side. Gold Line pushed her helm into Ratchet's chest plating, listening to the soothing beat of his spark as he raced towards the exit. Only one bot was standing guard, the rest spread out further in the halls. Ratchet slowed, approaching the bot with caution. The femme turned her eyes on Ratchet with a hesitant look at Gold Line in his arms before sighing, stepping away from the door with a sharp tone, "Come peacefully and you won't be harmed." Ratchet shifted Gold Line to the ground with a simple order; stay at his side until Ratchet told her to run, "Don't make me do this." The femme took a step forward, drawing twin blades from her side, the dark metal glinting in the dull light of the hall. Ratchet sighed harshly before positioning his fists into a more defensive posture, stepping in front of his sparkling.  The femme launched herself at the medic; Ratchet dodged and knocked her frame to the side, motioning Gold Line to the door. Gold Line started towards the door when the femme bowled her over with a shriek, pulling her up, a blade at her pipes. Ratchet froze, eyeing the femme with hardening optics, "Let her go." The femme gripped her blade tighter, the tip slicing into Gold Line's throat column, a drip of Energon leaving the wound, "Surrender." Ratchet met her optics and kneeled on the ground, his hands resting on his side passively, "Now let her go." The femme eyed him before setting her blade aside, her grip tightening on Gold Line's forearm, "Don't move." She pulled the sparkling to her side, "Follow me." Gold Line shot a panicked look at her carrier before tugging at her forearm, freeing her frame, and rushing backward. The femme turned swiftly, her blades raised to strike but Ratchet was faster and he intercepted the blow, his shoulder plating dented with the pressure. He tore his frame away from her, ripping the blade from her hand before knocking her to the side again. He turned and grasped Gold Line's hand pulling her out the door and down the stairs quickly. The two raced down the streets before coming to a stop near one of their homes. Gold Line panted, trying to catch her breath, tears springing to her optics as she took in her carrier. Ratchet was breathing heavily, trying to overcome the growing pain in his shoulder plating. Gold Line sniffed and Ratchet's head shot up, looking over his sparkling in worry, his voice soft, "Are you alright little one?" Gold Line rushed to hug her carrier, crying into his comforting frame as Ratchet shushed her softly, "It's alright...I'm okay and so is your sire." She perked up at the mention of her sire before burying her helm back into Ratchet's leg, not able to reach anything else. Ratchet ex-vented softly before picking her up, the movement aggravating his wound again. Gold Line smushed her helm into his chest plating, her sobs turning into hiccups as she tried to calm herself down. Ratchet rubbed her back struts softly, gently rocking her back and forth as she tired herself out. Gold Line wiped at her stubborn tears before blinking up at her carrier, "Do-does your shoul----shoulder hurt carrier?" Ratchet wiped at her wet face plates with a small smile, "Nothing I can't handle, sweet spark...let's get you inside." Gold Line nodded numbly before falling back into his frame with a muted purr. Ratchet pursed his lip plating before walking the small stretch to their protected hab-suit. He activated the high-security system as soon as the door behind them closed, resting against their living room couch with a tired sigh. He peered down at his sparkling, who was slowly falling into recharge on his chest plating. He nudged her slightly, "Why don't you go recharge in the berthroom?" Gold Line shook her head groggily, "No...I want to stay with you until sire gets back." Ratchet's spark clenched but he pushed his worry aside with a small nod, "You can sit here while I clean my shoulder, okay?" Gold Line nodded, slipping off her carrier's frame to lie on the neighboring cushions. Ratchet rubbed at his face plating before going to their storage shelves to retrieve two Engeron cubes. He set one his side of the couch and nudged Gold Line again, placing the cube on a small table to her right, "Here, drink this." Gold Line turned away before curling back into a ball, watching Ratchet as he settled back into the couch to address his shoulder plating. Ratchet eyed his sparkling before opening his subspace, pulling out a medical kit, and opening its contents to find what he needed; cleaning pads. He looked over his wound before pressing the sterile cleaning solution into the mess. He expertly cleaned the wound of Energon and dirt before placing the cloth aside; leaving behind a nice-sized gash. He flipped his hand into a welder and eyed Gold Line with a chuckle as she peered curiously up at him, "Drink your Energon." Gold Line shook her head stubbornly, scooting closer to Ratchet so their frames were touching and she could feel his EM field wash over her. Ratchet sighed before adjusting the flame on his welder, tracing the edges of the wound and pushing them together to create a neat seal. He flipped his welder back to his hand and polished the weld with another cleaning pad, nodding to himself with satisfaction. The sound of the hab-suit doors whooshing open startled Gold Line and she pulled into Ratchet's frame with a whimper, shutting her optics tightly. Ratchet patted her helm comfortingly, smiling as the familiar frame of his spark mate filled the doorway. Optimus quickly entered their hab-suit, the door closing back into place behind him. He smiled at the pair before striding over, inspecting their frames with a worried look. Ratchet reached his hand out to poke at his form, "We're fine...are you okay?" Optimus kneeled to match his sitting height with a measured sigh, bringing Ratchet's hand into his, "I am uninjured...Gold Line?" The sparkling peered out of her ball with new tears in her eyes, "Sire!" She flung herself at the mech with muffled sobs as she clung to his frame. Optimus quickly supported her frame, staring down at her in surprise, turning his gaze to Ratchet in concern. Ratchet pursed his lip plating, patting the space next to him for Optimus to sit. Optimus took his offer and landed heavily next to him, leaning his frame into his as he tried to pass off their sparkling to her carrier. She clung to his chest plating as she felt herself being pulled away, "No!" Optimus immediately stopped pulling and she buried herself back into him. Ratchet leaned into his mate's frame, wrapping his uninjured arm around him, "She'll be okay in a little bit, let her be." Optimus let his frame relax on the couch, hugging his sparkling to his chest plating with a sigh. Gold Line finally calmed herself down to wiggle out of her sire's arms, glaring up at him, "Don't do that again." Optimus raised his optic ridges at her his voice teasing despite the small catch, "I will try not to." She rubbed at her faceplates before making grippy hands at Ratchet, wanting to be held by her carrier again. Ratchet picked her up gently, tucking her into his chest with a soft purr, lulling her to recharge. Optimus watched his mate calm their sparkling with a small smile, warmth in his gaze. Ratchet cut him a sharp look when he felt him staring, "What?" Optimus shook his head with an amused look, "You are amazing." Ratchet scrunched his nasal ridge, "I didn't do anything." Optimus looked down at their sparkling, nuzzling into his frame, "I disagree."