Optimus groaned as he woke up, helm pounding and the world spinning making his tank bubble and turned with uneasiness. The Prime wasn't sure what had happened, one minute they were scouting the mine for energon cubes then everything just went black. An odd array of events took place to get from there to here but, to Optimus' discomfort, there was no memory of such. That made him overwhelming….frustrated….
Pushing himself up to sit on his knees, confused at himself, everything felt off. He felt lighter…
Looking around the mine, seeing the unconscious youngling that looked familiar to him. The important question was why, how were they here. Younglings were rare besides Bumblebee and smokescreen thanks to the war and the unfit environment on cybertron to even produce sparklings. So how-
Bright blue optics looked back at him which belonged to a white and red mech. He was just as confused as Prime was, sitting beside the white and grey mech who was still out of it.
"Prime?…." Optimus' optics widened, speechless as he looked upon the youngling. It wasn't surprising that he knew who Prime was, well at least questioning correctly, It was the voice, that voice was familiar…..too familiar. Sounded just like….Ratchet when they were younger. The idea of a youngling sharing the vocal range of his old friend's past self was interesting. Sharing that voice crack and none interested range of speaking made prime snort.
Laugh even.
Something he hasn't done in a long while. It felt as if a weight was lifted off of his spark right then and there. Relaxing his spark and flutter in his amusement, only continuing as the youngling looked at him in annoyance mixed with clear embarrassment.
"Optimus I do not believe this is a good time for you to be laughing"
"My apologies, old friend, I couldn't help-" He stopped speaking, servoes moved to his throat. Touching it in his own surprise at the sound of the voice that left him. His voice.
"Guess I am not the only one who sounds different or, wel their younger self I suppose." Ratchet smiled as he stood up after patting the resting, what Optimus could only assume was, Wheeljack.
"What…..what hap-"
"I am unsure, the last thing I remember is us mining down here before we spotted Megatron. After that " The young medic shrugged before groaning and lightly stumbled back, somewhat struggling to keep his balance. "Helm hurts…."
"Mine as well" Optimus mimicked him minus the stumbling, looking at the curled up Megatron. Smaller and lighter framed warlord recharging soundly with not a care in the world, back to being his brother before everything changed. Optimus couldn't end him right here and now even if he wanted to, instead the prime picked him up with ease. Smiling at how Megatron used to be so 'tiny' compared to him. Of course the mechling was taller but his weight never matched that, not to optimus….Orion anyways.
"OW!" A voice screamed out followed by a loud 'CLANK!!' startling Prime a little yet, surprisingly, the sleeping mech never woke up. "Ah right, Megatronus was a heavy recharger.' He looked relieved, having the warlord awake right now would cause noise. He couldn't do anything to any of them due to his frame free of weapons and it is far too light to hold any form of combat, it was just the fact the mechling would make a lot of noise and fuss for the three of them and probably run off. Knowing, more like assuming, his team….followers would end him when they spot him and Optimus….his spark wouldn't be able to handle that.
"What the frag ratchet?!" Wheeljack exclaimed. Looking back, Optimus sees the poor mech rub the right side of his faceplate as Ratchet was typing away on his arm.
"You weren't online and we can't wait for you to be next cycle. " the young medic responded bluntly before eyeing the mechling besides him. "So you are up to speed wheeljack, somehow we have been reverted back to younglings. I still have a communication line….just not one that automatically connects to the base or anyone on our team." Without looking Ratchet holds up his other servo to stop wheeljack from talking.
"I know how to reach them, so we aren't stranded." Ratchet was already typing away at the keypad on his arm, grumbling and mumbling under his breath something along the lines of 'stupid earth area codes' and so on. "It is safe to say everything changed as well. No weapons, no 'autobots' lines in the slightest, no codes and maps of any sorts. So let's hope to get out of here as fast as possible."
"...Alright…" Wheeljack stood as well, picking up the swords he brands, amazed that they were still here. "These aren't...weren't a part of me, physically, so they are still here which is good so we aren't completely defenseless." The wrecker smiles proudly, a good choice proven once again with their new situation.
"I, also, still have weapons in my code Ratchet. Nothing special but…." Optimus added, resting Megatron down so he could put him on his back instead. "It isn't the quietest….at least not, like our pistols and the axe is close range..."
"Your armor plates are, or at least should be, too light for combat really" Ratchet mumbles as the look of realization and remembrance took over his faceplates while the 'soon-to-be' wrecker looked confused.
" You had weapons as a youngling Prime?"
"I...yes, my mother and I lived alone for a bit in a not so great area of Iacon when I was younger…." Optimus didn't sound proud of that fact. "But it is more of a temporary stun….kinda.."
Wheeljack squints at that but doesn't question it any further, not vocally anyways.
"Why are you taking him with us?"
"Because we can not just leave him here…." Optimus didn't realize he was glaring but the tone of his voice was cold and growl-like that even shocked himself before clearing his throat.:"Knowing him, he would head back to the Decepticons. Right now, he isn't himself so it would be the same as sending an innocent to their death."
"Yes, like all those innocent mechs and femmes that he murdered in this war."
Optimus had nothing to say about that, he simply shifted the warlord so he wouldn't fall or slip. Wheeljack's point was valid. There wasn't anything Optimus could say against it….Doesn't mean he was upset by it, that expression was clear as day before the battle mask snapped into place.
"Ratchet, did Ultra Magnus respond yet?"
"Not yet and I do not care where he goes. Taking him as a prisoner seems to be the right choice for now. I and him should be defenseless right?" The Prime nods letting Ratchet continue with a small sense of ease. "Then he is safer with us. We are Autobots Wheeljack, not monsters." He lightly glances at the ex-wrecker, in the soft cold tone he usually had, making him sigh in defeat. Seems that Wheeljack decided not to start an argument against the medic, there wasn't much of a point to try against two. Optimus relaxed, happy that someone understood his reasoning.
The medic walked off, heading to the exit. "Let's get going, the mines are too low under-ground for the bridge anyways. It is best to head up." The pedesteps of the young medic slowly drift out of their audial-sensors' range. Wheeljack was soon to follow before Prime rested a servo on his shoulder.
"I...I understand that this is uncomfortable. Getting rid of him now would seem like the right decision but…I need you to trust me." The expression on the taller of the two wake mech had softened, looking more like the adult version of himself with the clear sadness in his optics, an emotion Wheeljack had picked up on eons ago. He shot a smile prime's way, wide,'toothy' pearl whites filled with the familiar charm the wrecker was known for.
"Always had sir and I don't believe I would be stopping anytime soon."
The Prime smiled back in return, chuckling softly as it seemed the old habit of Wheeljack pets his shoulder returned in a similar fashion to what Jack does to Raphael.
"Thank you, friend."
"Now come on, before Ratchy gets upset that we are taking too long down here and actually decides to leave us." Wheeljack laughs, finally putting away the swords and pulls the wagons they brought with them as they exit. Meeting a somewhat grumpy medic, who seemed to be more tired than angry at the moment which was understandable since they all were.
Luckily for the now younglings the ground bridge arrived, stepping through together and wanting nothing more than to recharge. Praying to Primus that this was all an odd dream more than reality. Most of them anyways.
