Hey everybody! Got it up before 2019! Yeesh! So not much to say, other then i'm really struggling to sit down and write. Kinda figured you guys knew that already since my updates have been horrible. I've got ideas but they never sound as good on page as in my head. Also, this time of year really bums me out, family stress and i've never liked this time of the year. That being said, it sounds like I've finished my overtime so that means i don't have to go to bed at like 8 pm and can have a bit of a social life again.

Ha! Who ya kidding.

Anyways, here's chapter 53!

Rouge8946: Thanks for the understanding. :)

Guest: Yes, i don't plan on giving up. Might take a few years, but i wont give up.

Outofthedeck: Oh, you'll like this chapter then :D

Jazzilynn Hall: Never heard of him before you mentioned him. Very interesting charactor for sure. I might end up having to create a character that later on shows up during the war to terrorize Ratch some more. We'll see.

MadnessJones: The joke is, at work one of the old contracts is very similar to PITA so I always found that funny. I'm gonna hold off on Hook, defiantly gonna have fun introducing him but he's a bit to laided back for this job.

DreamChaser99: Thank you so much!

TwinPersonalities: Fixed (i think) and better yet, i've got an offical Beta that gonan clean everything up nice and proper. First three chapter have already been redone.

LGTracy:Glad yous till like it. ;) and yes, i fixed it.

Something dictionary related: Yeah, that's what happens when i post when tired.

Child of Jon Snow: I'M BACK!


Ratchet jolted online, vents heaving and his core temperature far too high for comfort. It took him a klick for sort out what was real and what was still in his processor but the sharp smell of the medbay was impossible to replicate. He'd dropped into recharge slumped in a chair beside Carbon's berth.

"Primus that was awful." He muttered, sitting up and stretching. His side throbbed at the motion and he pressed his servo against it, cursing Ripsaw under his breath.

"Ya 'urt more then ya lettin' on."

He nearly jumped out of his plating, whipping around to see Sterling sitting on the floor beside the doorway to the workshop. His legs were stretched out in front of him, his arms loosely draped over his lap and a half empty cube of energon on the ground beside him. It was obvious he'd been there for a while.

"When the frag did you get here." He demanded, standing up.

"Bout six joors ago." He said with a shrug. "Came in late last night. Ya were already out cold an' Ah know 'bout Carbon's proximity alarm. Didn' want tah wake either o' ya so Ah crashed 'ere."

Ratchet blinked, before shaking his helm to try and wake himself up.

"What about Carmine?" He asked.

"She knows Ah've been worried sick 'bout Carbon." He said softly. "She didn' mind if Ah stayed 'ere fo' tah night."

"You do that often?" Ratchet asked with a frown.

"Naw, Chrome don' let meh stay overnight if Ah ain' leakin' out." Sterling said with a smirk. It faded almost instantly and his gaze locked on Ratchet. "Ee's gonna beh ok, right?"

"Carbon? He'll recover." Ratchet said with a sigh, sinking back into the chair with a groan.

"An' ya?" He asked.

"So will I." Ratchet replied, glancing at the mech. "Carbon sure means a lot to you huh."

A hard look flashed though Sterling's optics and Ratchet stiffened.

"Yeah." He said after a moment but he'd lost his relaxed posture.

"Sterling…" Ratchet trailed off before sighing. "I'll just say it as it is. Do you know what a Memory Dump is?"

"Nev'a 'eard of it." Sterling replied, optics hardening again.

"Pretty much, its when a mech has suffered severe processor damage to the point they have no control over their own processor. It's a survival mechanism. They subconsciously copy all of their memories in an effort to preserve them, but the copies gets dumped into the medic instead." Ratchet explained, avoiding Sterling's gaze. "It can fragment both mechs worst case scenario, but the best is the medic is left with the duplicate files."

"Wha' are ya saying." Sterling growled.

"Carbon was under a huge amount of stress and I…" Ratchet trailed off, absently rubbing at his bracer. "He wanted me to sync with him, I guess to explain things because he was non-vocal at that point and…"

"Tha' memory dump 'appened tah ya." Sterling supplied.

"Yeah." Ratchet said with a nod. "The vast majority of his memories were duplicated, including most of what happened in Kaon and…. why he was sent here."

Sterling's gaze sharpened on him and Ratchet flinched hard, his plating flared.

"Go on."

Ratchet didn't respond, not sure how to word his thoughts without setting off the much bigger mech. Abruptly Sterling looked away, pulling his leg up to his chassis and resting his arm on his kneejoint.

"Ya want tah know if Ah know why Carbon's 'ere." Sterling said. "Tah real reason an' not tah slag Copper told Gunner."

"That he just happened to be in the area." Ratchet said softly.

"Gunner always knew tha' was slag bu' Copper wasn' talkin' an' neither was Carbon." Sterling said with a shrug. "Ah told ya before, Ah ain't as glitched as everyone thinks Ah am. Ah knew why they sent ah Kaonite 'ere."

"And you're alright with that? That he was literally sent here to terminate you?" Ratchet asked hesitantly.

Sterling gaze locked on him and Ratchet stiffened at the dangerous look in the mech's white optics.

"Ya 'ave Carbon's memories? Ow many 'Unters has 'ee off'ed when they're codin' finally snapped their processors." Sterling demanded. "They send mechs tah terminate in Kaon, ya know that. When 'Unters are near their breakin' point, where do ya think they send 'em. Kaon mines are full o' big broken mechs more than capable o' offin' ah crazed mech. An' who cares if they offline in the processes, as long as tah 'Unter's been taken care of. They'd already beh 'alf terminated from selion, it's not like tah Royals were loosin' ah 'ealthy mech tha' could still work."

Ratchet's gaze slid to Carbon, still unconscious on the berth beside him. The mech was near stasis he'd been so exhausted but he was stable.

"Ee nearly did off' meh too." Sterling continued softly. "Ee should have bu' 'ee didn'. Ah 'owe 'em fo' tha'."

"What?! When!" Ratchet demanded, gaze snapping back to Sterling.

"When ya fell." Sterling said. "Parenty Ah got ah little protective ov'a ya an' attacked 'em. 'Ee choked meh out enough tha' they could grab ya an' get out. All Ah remember is hauling tha' thing to tah surface an' Carbon waitin' tah take meh back tah Chrome."

"So you really don't remember anything when that coding activates." Ratchet asked.

Sterling shook his helm.

"Vague flashes, mostly yells an' screams. In Straxis, 'Pacto'a would tell meh wha' ah missed, 'ere it was Carbon. 'Ee always gave meh more details then 'Pacto'a, guess cause 'ee saw first 'and tah damage Ah caused." Sterling replied. "Ah'd rather wake up in tah medbay then in ah cell like in Straxis. Only way tah calm meh down if Ah 'aden't drawn energon or passed out from mah systems goin' intah emergency shut down. Carmine gave meh somethin' solid tha' would bring meh out of it before Ah crashed mahself an' Carbon stops meh before Ah 'urt anyone again."

"Again?"

"Sandy ain't tah first mech Ah've 'ttacked by accident." Sterling replied. "Last mech tah get between meh an' tah mech Ah was protectin' got torn apart."

"I'm sorry." Ratchet said softly, shocked that Sterling was telling him all this.

"Guess wha' ya wanted tah 'ear was tha' yes, Ah know Carbon's 'ere tah terminate meh an' Ah made 'em swear tah go through with it if it meant Ah'd 'urt someone else. Ah coudlen' live with mahself if Ah terminated ah gang member again cause some Primus-cursed codin' snapped in mah helm."

"Sterling…" He trailed off not knowing what to say. He nearly had a spark attack when Carbon suddenly sat up and swung his legs off the berth. He'd set the spark monitor to only alert himself if anything changed and it screamed in his helm as Carbon pulled the sensor out from under his plating and the IV from his bracer.

"C-Carbon!" Ratchet stammered, shooting to his peds to grab the mech's arm but Carbon easily shook him off, limping heavily to where Sterling was sitting.

"Ya shouldn't beh up." Sterling said casually as Carbon crouched down in front of him. In response, Carbon brought his fist around in a hard punch that nearly knocked Sterling over.

"Carbon!" Ratchet yelled as Sterling caught his balance, a servo going to his jaw as Carbon snarled viciously at him.

"Alright!" Sterling snapped, rubbing his jaw. "Ya didn' 'ave tah 'it meh."

Carbon raised his servo like he was gonna backhand the mech and Sterling scrambled to his peds.

"Ah'm goin' Ah'm goin!" He huffed, heading for the door only to come up short when Carbon grabbed him by the back of the neck with a snarl. "Now wha'!"

Carbon snarled again before jabbing a digit at Ratchet. Sterling stared at him a klick before flinching hard. Carbon released him, arms crossing over his chassis as Sterling's armor flattened.

"Ah'm sorry fo' goin' 'aywire on ya last night." He said after a moment and Ratchet stiffened. "Ah was worried sick but Ah should nev'a 'ave jumped ya like tha'."

"It's alright Sterling." Ratchet replied, glancing away. "No one got hurt."

It was like a weight lifted off both mechs and Carbon smirked as Sterling visibly relaxed. Ratchet realised that that was all the mech had wanted to hear. That everyone was alright.

"Alright then. Guess Ah bett'a 'ed 'ome." He said after a moment, glancing a Carbon before turning and heading outside. The doors hadn't even closed before Ratchet had spun on Carbon but the mech was already sitting on the berth.

"The frack Carbon!" He demanded.

The mech lifted one shoulder in a shrug before his gaze lifted to Ratchet. They were the brightest he'd seen them since Kaon and Ratchet felt a weight lift from his chassis. "I guess he has been acting a little off."

Carbon gave him a flat look and Ratchet smirked.

"You heard all that didn't you." He asked and Carbon nodded. "Would you terminate Sterling?"

Again Carbon nodded, slower this time and Ratchet sighed, glancing away.

"I'm just glad you're doing better." He said after a moment before taking a step forward and jabbing a digit into the much bigger mech's surprised face. "Don't ever jump off a berth like that again or I will weld you to it! You nearly gave me a spark attack!"

Carbon smirked before laying back down with a deep sigh, optics already closed.

"What, just gonna pass out again?" Ratchet demanded, fists propped on his hip bolts. The mech nodded with a smirk and Ratchet continued to scowl at him. "Good. I need to see what kinda parts Chrome's got laying around and then I need to make a run into Iacon to go harass someone. I expect you to still be here when I get back."

Carbon nodded again and Ratchet turned to walk away but paused, glancing over his shoulder toward the black mech.

"I told Dusty I'd use him for scrap metal if you tried to start working before my say so." He said. "I'm serious Carbon, you have to rest."

The mech onlined his optics to look at Ratchet and give him another nod before shuttering them again. Ratchet watched him for another few nano-klicks before shaking his helm and walking into the workshop. He'd already taken a full scan of Carbon's joint, now he just had to see if Chrome had what he needed to build it.

ooOOoo

The mech looked up at him as Ratchet was escorted into his office before back to the piles of documents spread across his desk. Ratchet saw the moment it clicked in the mech's processor who he was and he hid a smirk when the mech shot to his peds.

"Ah-naw, not you again." He snarled. "You got a lot of nerve coming back here after that fraggin pit-spark of yours decided to start a riot!"

"To be fair, your mech set him off." Ratchet replied levelly despite wanting to punch the mech. He was back at the Stockade trying to get in to see Chrome and so far, everyone had been digging their heels in and he was starting to get fragged off. Nobody had directly said he wasn't allowed there, but they sure were dragging this out.

"What do you want." He demanded, armor bristling.

"Chrome." He said. "I wanna see him."

"Like frag. Get out."

"I'll just come back next orn, and the next." Ratchet growled, leaning on the mech's desk to glare at him optic to optic. "Until either he's out or you rust in your grave."

The mech held his glare before snarling.

"And you would too." He demanded.

"Absolutely." Ratchet said with a smirk as the mech looked away.

"Glitch." He spat, slapping the intercom. A moment later the guard Crux walked in. His optics widened when he saw Ratchet before he scowled.

"Good to see you too Crux." Ratchet said before waltzing past the mech and to where he knew they'd been keeping Chrome.

ooOOoo

"What the frag is with the horrible paint." Chrome demanded as soon as the door shut. Ratchet stopped dead in his tracks before glancing down at his still gleaming chassis.

"I like this color." He objected, crossing his arms over his chassis to glare at Chrome. The florescent yellow paint was still fresh and mostly damage free and he intended to keep it that way as long as possible. "What about you. I could say the same for your helm."

Chrome scowled, glancing away as if to hide the ugly patch welded over his optic.

"It did get worse didn't it." Ratchet demanded, walking over to the mech. "You glitch!"

"I'm the glitch!" Chrome objected. "Last I heard you and Carbon had started a fraggin' riot!"

"Not totally." Ratchet growled, his turn to glance away. "One of the guards set Carbon off like you wouldn't believe."

"Try me." Chrome growled, his tone dropping.

Ratchet hesitated before explaining everything that happened up until the point where Sterling had gone haywire on him.

"You fraggin' glitch!" Chrome yelled as soon as Ratchet finished updating him. "Are you out of your fraggin processor?!"

"You're the spawn of a glitch that trained me, makes sense that I take after you!" Ratchet shot back, armor flaring at his mentor's sudden and unexpected anger.

"I can't believe you went after Carbon like that! You glitch what would have happened if you hadn't made it back!"

"I wasn't gonna let them take him Chrome you know of anyone here what they would do to him!" Ratchet snapped. "He's only alive because I went after him!"

"And risking the safety of the entire fraggin gang!" Chrome snarled, armor on end. "Have I taught you nothing?! Ripsaw could have terminated you!"

They were optic to optic and well within each other's EM fields. Chrome's anger pressed against Ratchet's field and he snarled, refusing to believe that he'd done the wrong thing.

"You taught me the gang is all that matters and you can bet your fraggin aft I was gonna do whatever it took to get Carbon back." Ratchet snarled, jabbing a digit at the medic. "The gang's risked their life for me again and again, don't you dare insult me by implying I would do anything less than that. It may have been a glitched risk but it payed off. Carbon's back, he's functional and that's all that fraggin' matters!"

Chrome held his glare before a faint smirk crossed his faceplates.

"It never even crossed my processor that you would be able to pull something like that off." He said, sitting down finally.

"The fracks that supposed to mean!" Ratchet yelled, not at all ready to calm down or drop the subject.

"I'm proud of you Ratch." He said after a moment. Ratchet's jaw dropped open at the compliment and he sank into the other chair.

"You're… you're what?" He stammered in a suddenly weak voice, convinced he was hearing things. Maybe Focus had missed something and he was right, maybe Ripsaw did damage something more than just his audio.

"I'm proud of you Ratchet." Chrome repeated with the same smile. "I am. I didn't think you'd last this long but you're turning into one pit of a medic and I'm proud of what you're become. Risking your life like that for Carbon, those mechs are my brothers Ratch. And I'm honored that you'd put in the effort to not only help the gang, but to actually become a part of it."

Ratchet felt like he'd been poleaxed and suddenly he couldn't look at his mentor. His spark was far too tight and he felt his vents skip.

"Ratch?" Chrome asked in concerned. "What's wrong."

"When- when I was still in school, before the Academy…" He stammered, armor pinned tight against his frame. "I would have given anything to hear that from my sire. Anything to hear that he was proud of me."

Chrome was beside him and the mech placed a heavy servo on his shoulder guard.

"He never did." He asked, but it sounded more like fact.

"Never. Carrier did, but not Avalon. Nothing I did was good enough for him." Ratchet continued in barely above a whisper, his frame trembling. "I wanted to please him so much… that's all I wanted. Was to make him proud."

Chrome was silent and it suddenly hit Ratchet what he'd just said.

"Ratch…"

He flinched hard at the soft tone but Chrome just dragged the chair over to sit in front of him.

"There's nothing wrong with that." Chrome said, choosing his words carefully. "I mean…. A youngling-"

The door slid open and Crux stood in the door way.

"Times-"

"Frag off! We're having a moment!" Chrome yelled, engine snarling. Ratchet couldn't help but laugh at the alarmed look Crux gave the medic before scowling.

"Five klicks." He growled sliding the door closed again.

"Pit fraggin guards." Chrome growled before shaking his helm. "I'm serious Ratch, I am proud of you and more importantly, I know I can trust you to watch the gang. As I was saying, younglings should want to please their creators, it's natural for them."

Ratchet nodded, unable to swallow the lump the size of his fist in his throat.

"As for this," he touched the patch that covered his damaged optic. "They removed it before it could get worse and really start messing with my processor."

"Your processor's already messed up." Ratchet said, returning the smirk as he stood. Crux opened the door again, slowly this time and Chrome growled at him.

"Chrome?"

"Yeah-?" Chrome cut himself off as Ratchet's arms were suddenly around him.

"Thanks." He said quietly. "For everything you've done for me. You don't know what that means for me to hear that."

Chrome returned the embrace before they pulled apart.

"You're one pit of a mech Ratchet." Chrome said, servos still on the younger mech's shoulder guards. "Don't ever forget that."

"Don't intend to." Ratchet replied, taking a step back and turning toward Crux. He hesitated in the door before glancing back. Chrome was watching him with a strange look in his remaining optic and it took Ratchet a moment to realise what it was.

The look that had faded from his sire's optics when Ratchet told him about wanting to become a medic, and not follow his sire's tracks as a politician. The look that vanished entirely when he found out about the real reason for him becoming a medic and a pained version in his carrier's optics.

Love.

The tightness in his spark returned as Ratchet turned away but it was a warm feeling instead of the sharp heat of selion. One that made him feel better than he had felt in a very, very, long time.

ooOOoo

Ratchet was still grinning as he turned onto the road up to the mine. Not only did he have the parts to rebuild Carbon a new joint instead of trying to salvage his, but the minerals Focus had dropped off later that morning were doing wonders for the mech's systems. Another orn or two of recovery at this rate and he'd be mobile again, possibly back on light duty in a cycle. But to top it all off, Chrome was proud of him!

He was practically bouncing on his tires as he came up the last stretch to the mine and immediately hit the brakes.

Quicklight was pacing the front of the mine, looking like he was debating whether or not to go in. Abruptly the mech spun around and he sensed him, green optics locking on him and Ratchet transformed with a low growl.

"Ratch, I got to talk to you-" He started to say but Ratchet walked past him.

"Don't want to hear it." He growled, not even looking at the mech. "Get out of here before something happens to you."

"Would you just listen to me for a klick!" Quicklight demanded, grabbing Ratchet's arm. He froze before turning back to the mech, optics blazing.

"Let. Go." He said. Quicklight's entire posture abruptly turned submissive, his armor pinned tight against his armor as he released Ratchet's arm and took a step back.

"Well that ain't something I've seen before." Impactor rumbled from directly behind Ratchet.

"Ah Royal puttin' 'is servos on ah miner." Sterling continued. "Careful, 'is paint might come off an' stain ya optics red. Wouldn't want 'is grime rubbin' off on ya."

"I don't want trouble, I just need to talk to Ratchet." Quicklight said, armor pinned impossibly tight.

"And I said, I don't want to hear it." Ratchet growled. "Get out of here before you get hurt."

"Guessin' ya know tah Royal?" Sterling asked.

"Should I tell them who you are or do you wanna." Ratchet asked, arms crossed over his chassis.

Quicklight mumbled something and Ratchet took a step forward.

"Wanna say that again?" He demanded. "I'm deaf on one side thanks to you, you gotta speak up a little more."

Quicklight's optics went wide in alarm before he growled lowly.

"Would you stop being an aft for five klicks so I can explain-" Quicklight ground out, glancing nervously at Impactor.

"I'm the aft?!" Ratchet yelled, engine roaring. "You turned me into the Elite fraggin' Guard! Carbon could have been terminated! Ripsaw dented my transformation cog taking a chunk out of my hide!"

"I had no choice!" Quicklight yelled back over the furious snarls from the much bigger pair of miners. "Avalon contacted me first fraggit!"

"Like I'm gonna believe a word you say." Ratchet snarled. "I trusted you against my better judgment. I won't make that mistake again."

He turned away, heading back into the mine.

"What do you mean you have a dented t-cog." Quicklight asked.

"What part of that can you not wrap your processor around?" Ratchet demanded, turning to glare at the mech.

"Ratchet for frack's sake I had no choice! I didn't know this would happen to you!"

"What did you expect to happen Royal." Impactor demanded.

"Not this!" Quicklight snapped. "Avalon said that if I didn't inform him when we got back to Iacon he'd have my creators and Nova arrested. You think you're the only glitch that could have gotten in trouble for that stunt?"

"I never asked you to come, I never asked you to get involved." Ratchet growled. "Nova was more than willing to take the risk-"

"And he knew it!" Quicklight yelled, jabbing a digit at Ratchet before jumping back when Sterling took a menacing step forward. "Fraggit all you glitch! He knew Nova would help you, he' been watching us this entire time! As soon as we left in our shuttle he knew what was happing. He'd contacted me before we were even in Vos."

Ratchet didn't say anything and Quicklight glared at Sterling. "You think you're the one ones that care about family, I love my sister just as much as any of you and if you think I'd let his psychotic sire hurt her you're as glitched as they say you are."

"So instead ya turned in ya friend." Sterling shot back, looming over the much smaller mech.

"Wouldn't you!" Quicklight demanded.

"Naw." Sterling replied, taking a step forward so that he was suddenly well within Quicklight's EM field. "Ah 'unt down tah mech tha' threatened 'em an' make 'em eat their own spark."

"Should have seen what kinda shape the last mech that threatened Sterling's family looks like." Impactor said with a grin that bordered on insanity. "Mech was missing an arm last I heard."

Quicklight took a step back, armor clamped tight against his frame and he shot a look at Ratchet.

"Don't look at me like that, you knew what you were getting into." Ratchet growled. "You have no idea what I've done for these mechs, or what they've risked for me."

"Ratch-"

"I told you how much this gang means to me, they're the family that accepted me after my own energon rejected me." Ratchet continued with a low snarl. "Don't you remember what I said about the Elite getting someone else to do their dirty work? What the frag do you call what you just did to me."

Quicklight took another step back as Ratchet took one forward.

"I know one mech won't make a difference in the grand scheme of things and I never expected it to. But I. Don't. Care about the numbers and I never will when a mech's life is at stake. You may have done what you thought was right to protect Nova but you nearly got me, and my brother, terminated. And I will never forgive you for that."

Quicklight opened his mouth to say something but Sterling took a step forward.

"Tha's ya que tah leave." He snarled and Quicklight nodded nervously, taking another step backwards.

"Ratch, I'm sorry…" He trailed off as Ratchet turned his back on the mech, walking into the mine.

"Don't hurt him." He said over the comm.

"Fine." Sterling grumbled but Ratchet hesitated when he was out of sight.

"What the frag did you mean you have a dented t-cog." Impactor demanded, coming around the corner with his armor flared.

"Exactly that." Ratchet muttered, suddenly feeling drained. "I just have to be careful transforming, nothing too fast and it will repair itself."

"Dusty know?" He asked and Ratchet shook his helm. "He knows I'm in rough shape but I didn't tell him all the details."

Impactor continued to glare at him and Ratchet glanced away.

"Ee left." Sterling said as he walked up, interrupting whatever Impactor was about to say. "Wha' 'bout ya t-cog?"

"I'm fine, just have to be careful transforming. It's not cracked or anything, I'm just sore." Ratchet repeated, heading farther into the mine before they could continue questioning him. He could feel their optics on him but he ignored them as he headed down the ramp.

Only to have to jump off half way up as Titan came barreling up ramp. He stumbled hard on the landing and hissed as his side pulled. Impactor and Sterling's angry shouts echoed down the shaft and Ironlock was immediately at his side.

"Frag that glitch, he's gonna get someone off'ed at this rate." He snarled, helping Ratchet up. "You ok? Dusty warned us to give you and Carbon some space and that you both were in rough shape."

"Eh, nothing too bad." Ratchet said with a forced shrug, refusing to admit how badly Titan had shaken him. "Just need to let my self-repair kick in. It's nothing serious."

He stumbled when Sterling deliberately bumped into him and he gave Ratchet a murderous glare over his shoulder guard. Ironlock missed the warning look and scowled at Sterling's back as the mech walked off.

"Primus that mech's been acting weird since Titan showed up." He muttered.

"Yeah, talk to me about him." Ratchet said, walking beside the bigger mech. "How much trouble has he caused."

"So far, nothing too serious." The quiet mech said with a shrug. "Considering the slag that he's pulled before, I don't know whether to be surprised or impressed."

"That's right, Dusty mentioned that you were here when he was."

"Primus, that was a long time ago." Ironlock said with a smirk. "Yeah I remember him. Hard to forget a mech like that."

"That bad?" Ratchet asked, dread making his tanks heavy.

"That twisted." Ironlock replied, dropping his voice. Ratchet stopped when he did, his armor flaring at the look the bigger mech was giving him. "That mech… he was good. As in, everyone knew he was causing problems but nobody could catch him at it. Whenever Copper was around, he was a model miner. I'm sure you've heard by now he's the reason Gunner's offline."

Ratchet nodded on response.

"Keep your helm up Ratch." Ironlock continued. "That's all I can say. Keep your helm up around him. You thought Sandy was hard on you, I have a terrible feeling that Titan is gonna make him look like sparkling play."

The bigger mech walked off, leaving Ratchet staring at the ground. He heaved a sigh, before straightening and glancing back toward the ramp where Titan had disappeared.

"Let the fun begin." He growled under his breath.


So wha'd ya'll think of that!? That was a fun chapter to write, i love Ratchet and Chrome's moment. Chrome means a heck of a lot to him as you can tell. I've had QUicklight's and Ratchet argument planed for a while, just didn't know where to put it. But, i think this chapter worked out. I'm happy with this even if it took too long to get out.

So a HUGE massive thanks to GreyHowler who has the joy and privilege of going back through all my chicken scratches and turning it into something awesome. AKA my new Beta.

Chapter 1-3 have been tweaked, and she's got the next 3 when ever she's got time. In the meantime, I'm still gonna post the "first copy" like this, then let her go back over it afterwards.