MTMTE OneShots, Headcanons, and Inserts

The Exchange: Request

For xXDream-MistXx

For the love of my life, Misty. I hope you like it, babe. You can find her on DeviantArt at xXDream-MistXx. She writes and makes wonderful art.

Request: Nova* and Rodimus fluff. Small things. And angst. Maybe something is about to happen to one of the bots on the Lost Light (captured or something??) and Nova trades herself for them behind Rodimus' back. She turns out okay after Ratchet fixes her and Rodimus doesn't know whether to yell at her or hug her.
*Nova is short for my OC, Nova Gen or Nova Impact Generator, from my fanfiction More To Her Than Meets The Eye
*For those of you who don't know touching foreheads is a Cybertronian kiss.

It was another peaceful day on the Lost Light, or as peaceful as it can get around here. The bots on board always have a knack for getting into trouble, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It keeps things interesting. Though, it's unfortunately what got us into this situation right now.

It was Dance Night at Swerve's and Rodimus has always had a way of bringing the party out of me. Normally, I'd be the kind of bot that sits at the bar with a single glass of Engex and makes small talk or watches the bots on the dance floor with a smile. However, this was not the case tonight. I don't exactly know how, but at some point, Rodimus had come over to me and convinced me to dance with him. So here I was just dancing my spark out with my Amica. Rodimus was a rather touchy dancer. He loves to grind and tease when he dances, but I didn't mind. He was always a very physical Amica with me, so I was used to it. We were all having a blast when the Lost Light suddenly shook violently.

All of the bots that were dancing were instantly sent to the ground, and the music and flashing lights flickered and stuttered to a halt. I groaned from my spot in Rodimus' lap and looked around to make sure everyone was okay.

"What the hell!?" Rodimus yelled in frustration once he sat up.

I turned back to Rodimus so I could check on him. I cupped both of his cheeks and pulled his face a little closer to mine. "You alright, Roddy?"

"Yeah, I'm good. You?" He reached up and rest his hands on top of mine. He leaned forward and touch our foreheads together for a split second.*

"I think so, but we need to find out what that was." I let go of him and got to my feet. I held my hand out to help him up and he took it. Even though I could only stand up to the bottom of his chest, I was able to lift him easily thanks to my load-bearing ability.

"Agreed." Rodimus and I met up with Drift at the door and the three of us ran to the bridge to see what happened only to find a ship at least twice the size of the Lost Light and a familiar face pulled up on the screen. Well, familiar to me.

"Overdrive?" I recognized the big green and yellow grounder as one of my former targets.

"Commander Nova Gen. It seems the intel was correct. You are traveling on this vessel. Long time, no see." He spoke with disdain in his voice. I got a few questioning glances from the bots in the room.

"Actually, I'm no longer a commander. I quit when the war ended." I corrected him with a friendly smile. "I'm glad to see you in good health. Though I must say, I certainly wasn't expecting to see you ever again."

"I'm sure you'll find that there are a lot of faces on my ship that you never excepted to see again." Overdrive sneered at me.

"Oh? Was there a prison break?" I tilted my head in curiosity.

"Still as lightsparked and carefree as ever, I see. That's going to change very soon."

"Excuse me!" Rodimus cut Overdrive off before he could say anything else. "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

"Who the fuck are you?" Overdrive asked as though he honestly couldn't care less.

"I asked you first." Rodimus crossed his arms over his chest with an immature and spiteful tone.

"I asked you second." Overdrive mirror him and returned his tone tenfold.

"Fine! I am Rodimus Prime! Captain of this ship! Now, who are you?" I could tell that Rodimus was getting angry with Overdrive because every word that left his lips was louder than the last.

"Someone who doesn't care what you have to say." Rodimus let out an offended sound and I comforted him by rubbing the base of his spoiler. "Now, Nova Gen, you will turn yourself over to us."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen. Nova isn't going anywhere." Rodimus cut him off confidently. However, Overdrive just chuckled.

"We thought you might say that. Which is why we picked up these two outside the ship before we fired on you. Overdrive stepped away from the camera to show two of our crewmates. A badly beaten Chromedome was laying of the floor leaking energon and was Rewind laying on his front while a very large bot, whose face wasn't shown, was stepping on his back to keep him from helping Chromedome. They must have been stargazing again.

I gasped in horror and stepped forward. "Overdrive, please don't hurt them anymore."

"You have thirty minutes before we kill them and start blowing your ship to pieces. I know you're a sentimental bot, Nova, I'm sure you'll make the right choice." Overdrive smirked darkly before he cut the feed.

I instantly steeled my resolve and walked up to Rodimus and hugged him tightly. I then turned toward the door and moved to make my way to the shuttle bay, but Rodimus grabbed my arm before I could take more than two steps away from him. "And just where do you think you're going?"

"I have to go, Roddy. My life isn't worth the hundreds on this ship. It's not worth the lives of Rewind and Chromedome. And it's not worth your's. I would gladly trade my life if it meant he will spare my friends." I turn back to face him with sympathy in my eyes and I lifted my hand to stroke his cheek with my thumb.

"No. We'll find another way." Rodimus wrapped his arms around me and hugged me close.

"I can't take that chance, Roddy." I regretfully pulled away from my best friend. "You don't know Overdrive like I do. He-"

"Out of the question!" Ultra Magnus cut me off as he walked through the door. "I read his file on the way here, and we do not negotiate with terrorists. End of discussion."

"Sorry, Nova. But no one here is going to let that happen." Drift walked up to me and placed a reassuring hand on the small of my back.

"Thanks, guys. Now, we have a little less than thirty minutes to plan so let's get going. I say we sneak on board, shoot Overdrive in the face, grab the two lovers, and quantum jump as far away from here as possible before they even know what hit 'em," Rodimus explained with his usual I-have-a-great-plan smirk.

"How are we supposed to sneak on board?" Ultra Magnus chipped in as everyone began to circle up in the center of the control room.

I bit my bottom lip and felt tears begin to blur my vision. The fact that they were all willing to risk their lives for mine filled my spark with love and thankfulness. 'But I won't let them die for me.' When no one was looking I quietly and slowly backtracked my way to the still open door.

Stealth was often a necessity for my job. You sometimes needed to be able to get in and get out without anyone knowing you were there until you're long gone. So even though I was surrounded by some of the finest Autobot warriors to ever live, I was able to sneak out no problem.

While Ultra Magnus may have read his files, he didn't know the whole story behind Overdrive because his files didn't contain what my team had uncovered when we were sent after him. The whole reason he had become a target was that while he was serving as an Autobot fleet captain almost every planet that he had come into contact with that had sentient life would soon perish. At first, his reports of Decepticons coming in and destroying the planets before they could stop them were believed. That is until someone took a closer look and realized that there was often no Decepticon activity anywhere near those solar systems. It wasn't hard to connect the dots from there.

In total, Overdrive was suspected of destroying over twenty-four planets. A class T crime. My unit was quickly drafted to investigate and put a stop to Overdrive's reign of tyranny.

Not only did we find out that the claims were true, but we also found out how he was doing it. When we showed up many of his crew members instantly turned on him and ratted him out.

It turns out that he would show up to a planet and flash his Autobot badge to the locals so he could get within range to the leaders. When he was close enough he would kidnap the leaders and threaten to kill them if they didn't do as he said.

More often than not, the people would give in to his demands. He forced entire races into slavery only to kill the leaders in the end and destroy all evidence of what he had done. In total, Overdrive had eradicated forty-seven planets, each with vastly large populations. Because of the confidential nature of my team, our findings where never publicly published and Overdrive was labeled as MIA while his crew was sentenced to maximum security prisons all over the universe for many different reasons.

So, in a way, Ultra Magnus was right. There would be no negotiating with Overdrive. From the second he took Chromedome and Rewind he left any plan of letting anyone survive behind. Unless I force him to.

On the way to the shuttle bay, I began recording a message for Rodimus that I'd send once I left the ship.

"Hey, Roddy. I know that you're probably going to be mad at me for this, but there's no other way. I'm going to make a trade with Overdrive halfway and send Chromedome and Rewind back in the pod I'm going to use. The second the shuttle bay doors close I want you to quantum jump and not look back... Listen, I'm really sorry, Roddy. I'm sorry that I'm leaving you again and won't be coming back this time. I'm sorry that I couldn't find the Knights of Cybertron with you like I had promised. And I'm sorry that we don't have more time together. I'm sorry that I won't be there for all the adventures you'll have. I'm sorry that I couldn't make it long enough to see accomplish all of your dreams. I am so, so sorry, Roddy. Please believe me when I say that. And please don't let this stop you from doing all of those wonderful things you have planned. Keep going. And live your life. For both of us. Because this isn't your fault. I've made my choice, and I don't regret it even as I record this message with tears rushing down my face... Please. Say goodbye to everyone for me. Especially Ratchet. Be sure to tell him that I'm sorry I didn't have enough time to say goodbye myself. He's always helped me. Even when he didn't have to. Even when it wasn't easy. And I truly appreciate that. Oh, and I want you to know one more thing before I go. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you, Rodimus."

I stopped the recording as I settled into the control seat of a two bot shuttle. I gave the command for the bay doors to open and sent the instructions to Overdrive's personal frequency.

Once I had the pod out of the doors I sent the message to Rodimus. Almost immediately he tried hailing me, but I just couldn't bring myself to answer him. I knew that he would be able to convince me to turn back, and it was too late for that. 'Forgive me, Roddy.'

Another pod from Overdrive's ship met me half way just like I had instructed him to. Once my pod doors connected to the other's I walked over and opened them. I was immediately met with the sight of Chromedome and Rewind being held at gunpoint.

"Don't do this, Nova." Rewind begged.

"It'll be okay. Go." I gave Rewind a closed eye smile and stepped aside to let them through only for them to be roughly shoved past me. "Hey-" I went to help, but one of the bots, that I now recognized as former Autobot scout Scour, roughly grabbed my arm, denting the metal.

"I don't think so."

I glanced back to my friends to see Rewind trying to help a limp Chromedome into the pod. 'He must have fought hard.' Once the doors were shut, I turned back to Scour. "Tell Overdrive that I'm still within range of the Enforcer in case he decides to shoot them before they make it back," I said with a calm tone and sorrowful face.

Scour simply gave a nervous nod and pulled me away from the doors. When we were almost to Overdrive warship, I looked back in time to see the Lost Light disappear and I let out a sigh of relief.

When we made it back to the main ship, I was thrown out into a crowd of bots. All of which I could recognize as targets my team had been sent after. 'How are they all here?'

I was forced back up to my feet and began to be directed to where I assume Overdrive was waiting for me. The journey wasn't easy, every other bot I passed would strike at me and a few actually stabbed or shot at a limb. By the time I had made it to the helm, I was in worse shape than Chromedome, but I refused to fall.

"Ah. How nice to finally see you face to face after all this time." Overdrive casually walked up to me, while sharing confident and cocky looks and even a few laughs with those around him.

"Yes. You are looking rather well." I smiled kindly at him. My friendly gesture was rewarded by Overdrive raising a fist and bringing it down on top of my head. The impact forced me to the ground with a thud making the crew laugh at my pain.

"I've waited a very long time to be able to wipe that stupid smile off your face." I could hear the evil grin of his face before he raised my head to see it.

"That's not... very nice." I struggled to force the words out of my vocalizer through the static.

"Neither is what I had to go through. What we all had to go through." Was all he said as he tightly wrapped his fingers around my neck cables and lifted me off the ground. "I was planning on dragging this out. Torture you for all the torture you put me through. But I think I've let you rule my life long enough, so I'll keep this short and sweet." Overdrive reached back and pulled the sword along his spine out of its sheath.

'Well. At least he's moving on.' I closed my eyes and smiled as I thought of all the wonderful friends I had, both recent and past. Rodimus' face was the last I saw before Overdrive drove the sword straight through my spark chamber. "AH!" The energon was warm as it rushed to escape my body, and although this was by far the most painful thing that has ever happened to me, I refused to let the last thing I see be Overdrive.

Then there was an explosion. I felt my capture let go of my neck and I hit the ground with the sword still piercing through my chest. I didn't have the strength to open my eyes by I could hear shouting and guns firing. The last thing I heard was a very muffled yet somewhat familiar voice yell, "Nova! NO! RATCHET!!!"

And then all my senses faded and I fell into nothingness.

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.

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I heard a machine beeping. '... Wait. What?' I slowly fluttered my eyes open to see that I was, in fact, not dead, but in the medibay.

"Good to see you back with the land of the living." I turned my head to see my old friend, Ratchet.

"Rat- Ow!" I was cut off by Ratchet knocking me over the forehead.

"And just what the fuck do you think you were doing!?" Ratchet leaned over me a little so he could make direct eye contact while he scolded me.

"Making... a noble sacrifice?" I responded sheepishly not really wanting to be smacked again.

"Didn't I tell you to stay out of harm's way!? Were you actually listening when I gave you that speech or do you enjoy having one foot in the grave!?" I think this was the angriest I had ever seen Ratchet, but I was so happy that I was seeing him at all. "And why the hell are you smiling!?"

"Because I thought I'd never see you again." I couldn't stop the tears from leaving my eyes.

Ratchet sighed and gave a genuine smile, something I didn't see from him very often. "You're not the only one, kid. When Rodimus called me over and I saw you unresponsive with a sword through your spark I thought that was it. After all the things I've patched you up from. I thought, 'This is it. This is the one I won't be able to fix.' But here you are. Defying all odds as usual." Ratchet chuckled and reached down to squeeze my hand.

I was about to say something when I felt a weight on my abdomen shift and Ratchet let go of my hand. "Speak of the devil. Everyone's been in and out, but he's refused to leave and he starts sobbing every time he wakes up and you haven't until he passes out. It's been a hard three days for all of us, but it's been hell for him." I carefully sat up a little to see Rodimus laying over me. I lifted the hand Ratchet wasn't holding before and stroked Rodimus' cheek with my thumb, giving him a weak smile.

He sturred more until his eyes fluttered open. It took them a moment to focus on my face, but when they did Rodimus shot out of my lap. He blinked at me a few time as though he were trying to determine if I was real or not. His face slowly contorted into a mixture of relief, sorrow, and happiness as tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. Ratchet could tell what was going to happen, so he left to give us some privacy.

Rodimus wasted no more time and lunged at me, wrapping me in his arms. "How could you do something so STUPID!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW SCARED I WAS!? I thought I lost you!"

"I'm sorry, Ro-"

"SHUT UP!!! I don't EVER want to hear those words from you EVER again!!!" Rodimus yelled as he sobbed into my neck.

"It's ok." I stroked the back of his head with one hand and his spoiler with the other. "I'm still here."

"You better not do that EVER again!!!"

"I won't. I promise." I hugged him tighter to my body. "How could I when I know this is what will happen?" I asked softly.

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"And where's Overdrive?" I asked.

"I shot him in the face." Was all the reply I got from the red speedster.