The Past Always Comes Back to Bite (RID2015 Fanfiction)

Prologue

Cybertron. A world of metal and technology. It had once been the battleground of a war that lasted thousands of Earth years, but for now it was peaceful, healing slowly but surely under the guidance and control of the Autobot Faction.

Those of the Decepticon Faction were thin-spread across the planet, still stirring up trouble and attempting to destroy whatever peace the Autobots had managed to create in the few short years that it had been since the war ended.

On this side of the planet, it was what could be considered night, though the planet's sun was too distant to really make a difference in the light or temperature of it's surface. But even night was as busy as any other time, bots swarming across the surface in all directions going about their business. Their numbers were low in the history of the census, but was steadily regaining strength as more lives emerged from the depths of the Well of Allsparks, always glowing with a soothing blue light that stretched across the skies like the Aurora Borealis of Earth.

One Autobot was admiring the glow from his window, a glass of precious energon in one hand. The hustle and bustle of the world below barely bothered him in his upper-level home. Stacks of data tablets sat on the desk for him to sort through, he'd do that later. There was the faint sound of music from the flat above him, and the hum of the activity below him in the streets.

So much had happened since the end of the war, so much discovery and change; he was having difficulty remembering it all.

A soft chirp from his desk caught his attention, and he moved from the windowsill to collect one tablet in particular, it's screen lit up blue with a blinking white box. A visual communications request.

He got plenty of messages throughout the day, but this one was from a very important bot. He tapped the box, and a solemn face appeared on the screen.

"Ratchet." The bot greeted, his voice warped a little by the weaker signal.

Ratchet gave a slow nod. "Optimus..." He whispered. "...It is good to see you."

"I only wish it was under better circumstances, Old Friend..." Optimus reported. "...I have received word that a shuttle was stolen from the Cliffjumper Memorial Airbase, and accessed the Space-Bridge and warped to Earth's coordinates... Shockwave was among the bots that boarded."

Ratchet's systems froze for a moment. Shockwave...In all the years it had been since Cybertron had been restored, they'd never managed to capture or even locate the mad scientist that had served under Lord Megatron's command.

It seemed that not even Predaking, one of Shockwave's creations from cloned predacon bones, was aware of his whereabouts. That, or he was not interested in telling. Not many attempted bother the predacon, and none dared to interrogate him. You had to be careful around him, especially when he could easily get you in his mouth and shake you like a ragdoll until your optics were knocked out of their sockets and into your feet.

His "subjects" had slowly but surely been emerging from seemingly nowhere, numbering in the teens by this time. Their existence implied that Shockwave was either creating more predacons, or pre-existing subjects had escaped the lab and found themselves under Predaking's care.

Ratchet forced himself back out of his thoughts, returning his gaze to Optimus' face on the screen. "Did anyone get a lead on his intentions on Earth?"

"Not that we have uncovered. However, one of the surviving guards at the airbase was able to inform us that Shockwave was accompanied by four decepticon bounty hunters, and had two unidentified bots as hostages."

"I can only assume that you intend to pursue them."

"Affirmative, and I desire for you to accompany me."

"Of course. Just let me clear my schedule and pack my bags."

The slightest hint of a smile appeared on the Prime's face, but it disappeared just as quickly. "I will send you the meeting coordinates."

"Understood."

The Prime's face disappeared, and Ratchet turned to the piles of data tablets, giving a hard sigh. "...Lifeline and Flatline will not be pleased to see that waiting for them, but that's what they get for signing up as my students."