The Guardian (Reader x Optimus Prime)

9 - The Dead Universe

"So what you're saying is that Shockwave is raising titans from the dead and Cybertron as well as the rest of the universe will end?" Rodimus questioned.

"To put it in Layman's terms, yes," I affirmed. "This universe is in danger."

"What do we do?" Magnus asked.

"Someone has to go to the Dead Universe. I can't go, but some of you can." I explained.

"How come you can't go?" Rodimus asked.

"Because I don't know how well the Dead Universe will react to me coming back," I said seriously. "Orion, I suggest that you, your team, Rodimus, and anyone aboard who may have experience in the Dead Universe go there. I'm not sure what you'll find, but I can tell you that it needs to be stopped. When my team and I went in, we had to fight and kill a resurrected Quintessa." I growled.

"Quintessa? You mean a Quintesson?" Rodimus asked.

"No. Quintessa is very different and much more dangerous. She is a sorceress and she is manipulative." I growled. "I must excuse myself. Brainstorm and or Perceptor should be able to help the lot of you. I will stay here and protect the Lost Light."

I walked out of the bridge and kept going until I reached my suite. Inside, Whirl was laying on his back on his berth with one leg crossed over the other and his arms behind his head.

"What's got you in a mood?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Nothing. The Dead Universe is stirring and you all are in danger." I said whilst sitting down hard on my berth.

"Huh, interesting." He hummed, unbothered.

"See, this is why I like living with you. You don't make a big deal out of anything." I chuckled.

"Yeah well, can't blame the empurata victim." He shrugged.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way." I apologized.

"I'm past it. Now it's just a joke." He hummed, looking up at the ceiling, unmoved.

"Give me your claws," I said suddenly, getting up and walking over to him.

"What?" He said, confused.

"I said give me your claws, you can trust me," I said calmly, jutting out my hands. He slowly gave me his claws and I looked over them. "I'm going to dislocate them real quick, it won't hurt."

"Are you fucking crazy?!" He squirmed.

"Whirl, let me help you damnit. Trust me." I said firmly. His optic narrowed suspiciously and he relaxed.

"Just don't mess them up, it's all I got." He huffed. I chuckled and placed my hands in the correct positions.

"Don't worry, I have the experience," I said, distracting him from the sudden *thunk* of his claws being dislocated. I jammed my fingers in the seams and started healing the poorly constructed claws. "I did this once for a friend of mine. He was a miner just like Megatronus and he was sentenced with empurata for refusing to work in unstable mining tunnels."

"Functionalists?" Whirl asked. I hummed in affirmation and he scoffed. "They can all fuck themselves."

"I agree. I may not have ever lived under the old order, but I've seen the damage it caused. I would never wish that on anyone." I said lowly, focusing on reforming the metal of his claws.

"Neither would I." He replied, squirming a little at having to stay still for so long.

"I'm almost done. This would have gone faster if I had-" I stopped as I felt a familiar tingle at the back of my mind. "Ratchet?"