Spin-off from Danger is My Middle Name. The alternate Autobot ending. This might be confusing if you haven't read that, because you won't know some of the characters, but you don't have to read Danger is My Middle Name if you don't want to. The pairing is, of course, Twins/Ratchet, my OTP. SLASH! Don't like, click the back button. Disclaimer- I don't own Transformers Prime. Rating, still T.
The Lost Chapter
Ratchet paced nervously around the base, awaiting the rest of the Autobots. It was a miracle the base hadn't collapsed after all the damage the Freaks had done, what with messing with the delicate balance of the planet and all. It was extremely dangerous of them. Pulling the moon in front of the sun, summoning a tornado, setting off earthquakes, making it rain fire, really now, that was dangerous!
In order to keep his mind off certain...bots, he began to ponder more on the Freaks. What kind of creatures had used humans as carriers to bring about some strange and strong creatures like the Freaks? He had seen many alien species in his admittedly long-ish lifetime, and never before had he met any creäture that could have brought about the Freaks...unless the species had gone extinct, and that was why they'd chosen to implant their own growing children into human carriers.
The sound of engines approaching the base jerked him out of his thoughts, and he snapped to attention, standing up straight and staring intently at the drive-in entrance. Optimus led the way, of course. Bulkhead, Wheeljack, Arcee, Bumblebee, and finally Smokescreen followed after him. When no other bots came through, Ratchet flicked his gaze to his leader, trying to keep the pleading look out of his optics.
"They are outside, Ratchet. Speaking to Lifeforce. Go, we'll take care of minor repairs until you return," Optimus urged. Ratchet didn't need to be told twice. He collapsed into his alt mode and raced outside as fast as his tires could carry him.
When he got outside, he transformed again, and stood off to the side. There was a small group of mechs long thought offline gathered around the small Freak, talking quietly to her. When he arrived, a couple of them looked up, including...his mates. Oh Primus thank you thank you! It wasn't imaginary, it was real, they were alive, standing a few feet away from him. The Twins grinned and rushed at him, all but tackling him. He yelped in alarm as he felt himself falling, but couldn't bring himself to care less when he hit the ground and had the breath knocked out of him.
Lifeforce smiled slightly as she approached and stood a slight distance away to avoid being squished by mistake. Ratchet flicked his gaze to the Freak girl. She smiled at him, and then explained, "My spell is permanent. Those who were dead have been given a second chance at life, and are in perfect health. Their real age will catch up to them soon enough, and then they will age normally. I wish you and your kind the best of luck." With that said, the Freak healer turned and walked to where Soul Stealer was waiting for her, his eyes watching the whole area carefully, searching for any potential threats to the healer's safety.
Lifeforce reached his side without incident, and the two Freaks turned away to help with cleanup, for the Freaks had made a right mess of things. He suspected that some of their people had been trapped in the rubble and they were looking for survivors. Ratchet's attention was returned to the awakened Autobots. Including his mates, there were seven new Autobots awakened and reborn. They were the only ones that had been in range of Lifeforce's spell; here, and on Cybertron.
Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Jazz, Mirage, Cliffjumper, Hound, and Trailbreaker, all of them brought back from the Well of All Sparks. Unlike last time, Cliffjumper was not a zombie. His plating gleamed with its normal healthy red color, an easy-going smile on his face, seemingly unfazed by what had happened.
Mirage, his plating gleaming in the sun, was as dignified as always. He looked at his surroundings with some disdain, having never liked being dirty, rather the opposite of his best friend, Hound, who was always rolling around in some kind of filth like an earth canine.
Trailbreaker was mellow about it all, glancing around as though he couldn't really care less where he was, but knowing he needed to be aware of his surroundings in case of an attack, however unlikely it may be now.
Then there was Jazz. The black, white, and silver visored mech was standing in a relaxed stance, listening to earth music playing through his radio. It seemed that even in the short time he'd been on earth and wasn't fighting, he'd already found a way to download some local music. However, there was a tense air about him, one only someone who'd known the mech for a while could pick up on. The tenseness was probably due to the fact that he was searching for Prowl over their bond, and was only getting faint echoes because of the distance. The tachtician had never been the same after his smaller mate had died, and had fled the Autobot forces not long after Jazz was declared killed in action.
Finally, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. The two were completely unfazed by the fact that they were back from the dead, and stood near him protectively. Sideswipe with that happy little smile on his face; the one that made him look like an idiot, while Sunstreaker's features were impassive for the most part, except for the 'I'm better than you all' sneer.
"Head into base to speak to Optimus," Ratchet ordered, deciding to break the tense silence. The other Autobots filed in ahead of him, and he followed them into the base last. When he entered, Smokescreen and Bulkhead were there, hovering anxiously.
"Ratchet, have you seen Miko or Lae?" Bulkhead asked when he walked in. Ratchet shook his head. He allowed slight worry to appear on his face.
"Jack and Raf are still missing too," Arcee said as she limped over. Ratchet quickly assessed the situation. Arcee, Bumblebee, and Wheeljack needed immediate medical attention, but would not be willing to rest until the humans and Freaks were found. He shot a glance to Optimus, who was now standing up.
"Bulkhead and Smokescreen, you may go search for them. The rest of you should remain here for medical treatment," Optimus ordered. It sounded like a suggestion, but they all knew it was a command.
Smokescreen was relieved to be allowed to search for Miko and Lae. He couldn't believe how attached he'd gotten to the standoff-ish girl, and he would be glad when she was found safe and sound.
~E.l.s.e.w.h.e.r.e~
Sonar had reached out with her powers, but found herself unable to hear anything. No brain activity, nothing. It was like there was a wall of static in her way. Maybe it was because Puppetmaster and Razor had been buried deep under alien technology that was more advanced than pathetic human technology. She'd become too lazy. She was so used to hacking simple human machines, she forgot that she should be exercising the full extent of her power, lest she lose it. Ah, well, after this, she would remedy that mistake.
"Sonar! I think we've got something!" Warp shouted, appearing over the top of the mound of metal. Sonar quickly followed the blood-red-haired teleporter to where Blackout and Flamethrower were hauling metal. Toxin stood nearby and would occasionally touch a particularly stubborn piece of metal, melting it on contact.
"I'm getting brain frequencies! Hurry up and dig them out!" Sonar snapped, stepping forward and shoving Warp out of the way.
"We're going as fast as we can! It would help if you would let Warp bring other Freaks on scene to help us, you know!" Blackout snarled back. The black haired muscular Russian Freak was at the end of her admittedly small amount of patience. Her hair was in her face, she was sweating a lot more than normal, it was hot, and she could feel blood oozing from the wounds on her back. She just wanted to return to HQ, have Thyme patch her up, and then sleep for the rest of the day.
Sonar was about to snap back, when suddenly the last stubborn piece of metal was lifted away. "Need some help?" Smokescreen offered with a cheeky grin. Blackout grinned and sat back, relaxing as Bulkhead lifted the final piece of metal and threw it to the side.
Sonar scrambled down into the hole, with Flamethrower and Toxin right beside her. Razor and two human boys were at the bottom. It seemed Razor had turned herself to steel and thrown her body over the humans to protect them, although why she would risk her life for two humans was a mystery to them. The humans were fine, stunned and passed out, but Razor was bleeding profusely, out cold, and no longer steel.
"Damn it! Warp, teleport and get your sister out here! Toxin, go find Lifeforce!" Toxin quickly back-tracked and raced off to find Lifeforce while Warp disappeared in a flash of red light to get his twin sister. "Blackout, Flamethrower, help me get these humans out of here so when our healers get out here they have room to work on Razor!" Sonar shouted.
Seconds later Blackout scrambled down beside them and helped lift Razor off of the humans while Sonar dragged the youngest boy out first. His glasses were shattered, but no splinters had gotten into his eyes, and other than a knot on his head, he looked like he was okay.
Then Flamethrower and Blackout brought out the older teen. He had blood splattered all over him, but he didn't have any wounds, so it was probably Razor's blood. "Any sign of Puppetmaster?" Soul Stealer asked as he raced into sight with Lifeforce and Toxin. Sonar shook her head as Lifeforce shoved her way to the Freak second-in-command.
There was a flash of red light, and then Warp was standing there with Thyme. The healer darted toward Razor and was instantly setting to work with Lifeforce, evaluating damage. "Looks like she suffered a lot of brain damage, which temporarily shut down her powers," Lifeforce stated.
"Good. We can't work and worry about getting cut by steel at the same time. recommendations?" Thyme responded.
"Speed up her brain. It'll heal faster and we won't have to observe her as long."
"How long to speed it up?"
"Until she hits the stop point. Then full healing powers kick in and will deal with the rest of her injuries."
"She could lose several years of her life if I mess with her brain functions like that!"
"No, not really. Looks to me like she was going to stop aging pretty soon anyway. And it's either lose several years of life, or lose life altogether. Do what I say," Lifeforce snapped, glaring at Thyme. The normally timid thirteen-looking girl was all business now. She knew what was best for a patient, and you don't argue with her, damn it!
Thyme glared right back, but finally gave a reluctant nod. Lifeforce smiled slightly and said to everyone else, "Alright, get moving, nothing to see here. Come on people, we still need to find Puppetmaster!"
The others scrambled off to continue the search, not doubting that the two healers would save Razor and willing to leave them to their work.
~L.a.t.e.r~
Two hours had passed since they found Razor, and the young girl had been moved to a Freak-owned building. Bulkhead was greatly distressed. What would happen to her? Would she be alright?
However, his anxieties were nothing compared to Smokescreen's. Lae was still missing. What if they never found her? What if she was dead? What if the Decepticons took her with them when they fled? And worst of all, what if the Freaks gave up?
The two Autobots were snapped out of their thoughts when they heard a commotion. Siren was screaming at the top of her lungs. The two raced over and saw just why she was screaming. A pile of metal was moving all on its own. Upon closer inspection, the two were charging up their weapons as they recognized Soundwave, the TIC of the Decepticon Army.
"Freeze, Decepti-creep!" Smokescreen shouted, pointing his blaster at the 'con as he finished standing upright. However, Soundwave was unfazed and simply moved his arms slightly, revealing what, or rather, who, he had been cradling against his chest protectively. Lae was curled in one of his arms, paler than normal and unconscience. In the other hand, Soundwave held the Omega Keys.
The Decepticon gently set the girl down and the Freaks gratefully picked her up, oh so gently. Warp closed his eyes, and teleported all the Freaks away, leaving Smokescreen and Bulkhead standing there with a Decepticon.
"What do you want?" Bulkhead demanded, watching the sneaky 'con warily. He knew the 'con had almost taken out Wheeljack, and he wasn't taking any chances.
There was silence, and then... "Statement: Wish to join Autbots. Megatron: Insane. Decepticons: Losing. Conditions: Safety of my creations." Smokescreen could of sworn Bulkhead's jaw hit the ground. No one had ever heard Soundwave speak before. Granted, his voice was rather monotone and boring, but still, he spoke!
"We...better talk to Prime."
~E.l.s.e.w.h.e.r.e~
Ratchet could best describe it as...pouting. Bumblebee was pouting, Smokescreen was pouting, Pit, even BULKHEAD was pouting! Although, if he considered their position, he'd probably be throwing a "shit-fit" in their place. First off, Optimus had made the decision that Soundwave could join the Autobots. He would return to Cybertron with them and help rebuild, and as soon as they decided his help wasn't needed anymore, he could go off in search of his younglings.
On the condition that they left the next day. There had been much protest to that fact, mostly from Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Smokescreen. They didn't want to leave their human charges, especially considering that Lae and Miko's conditions were unknown. The two of them had been dug out of a bunch of rubble and then whisked away by the other Freaks before any of them could do anything. Arcee and Bumblebee had brought Jack and Raf in, and Nurse Darby had checked them out, saying they were perfectly fine.
On that note, Raf was crying about the Autobots departure and Jack was being an "angst-y teen for once" as June said. The two were still on the main floor, spending as much time as possible with their friends before they would leave tomorrow.
Ratchet vented a sigh as he walked through the halls. The plan was that Wheeljack would 'Bridge them to Cybertron, and then he'd take the long flight through space, picking up any Autobots he found along the way and sending them home.
Home. Ratchet couldn't believe it. After so long, the war was pretty much over, the Decepticons had dispersed, and they could now rebuild Cybertron. And the best part of it all? He had his mates back. All thanks to a little girl who called herself a Freak. If they'd never encountered the Freaks, what would be happening right now?
"Primus Ratchet, stop with all the thinking! You're hurting my processor!" Sideswipe whined as he appeared from nowhere and draped himself over the medic's shoulders.
"That's not really all that difficult, bit-brain," Sunstreaker snarled, hitting his twin on the back of the head and shoving the crimson devil away from the medic slightly. Sideswipe stumbled back and pouted as Sunstreaker wrapped an arm around Ratchet's shoulders and tugged him closer, smirking in triumph because Sideswipe had been left out of the hug.
"Stop it, you two," Ratchet snapped, and tugged Sideswipe against his other side, ignoring Sunny's indignant scoff in favor of letting the purr from Sideswipe's engine wash over him.
He had missed this.
Missed having his mates on either side of him, cuddling him and treating him like the most important thing in the world. He'd missed being pampered, had missed the silent and supporting company only brought by the unconditional love from his mates.
"We missed you too, Ratch'," Sunny whispered, his grip on Ratchet's shoulders tightening fractionally. Ratchet didn't mind. If they were arguing, being pains in the aft, or being completely sweet and loving, he didn't care. They were back, and that was all that mattered.
As Sunstreaker palmed open the door to Ratchet's quarters, Sideswipe whispered, "We're here, Ratchet. And we're not going anywhere."
It was true. So what if tomorrow everything changed? Hard work began, they packed up and shipped out, so what? All that mattered was they had each other, and that would never change. For now, everything was okay, because they were together and that was how it should be.
There is the lost chapter from Danger is My Middle Name! I really felt like this didn't really belong in with the overall story, so I posted it here. AND it was shameless fluff there at the end. I feel like I have cavities now from all of the sweetness. I think I'll go write a horror story now...
Anyways, review people, and no flames! Oh, check out my profile for a poll, too!