Red.
Black.
Blue.
Black.
White.
Black.
Yellow.
Black.
Green.
Black.
The colours flashed before him. Pain lanced through him as he struggled to remain conscious but it was a futile effort. Darkness, sweet and blissful, claimed him and everything else faded.
Little did he know that it was a sign of a greater danger yet to come.
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"How's he doing, Ratchet?" Prime's voice was filed with concern.
The medic sighed as he looked at Ironhide's prone form. Between Megatron's fusion cannon and Starscream's null ray, Ironhide was lucky to be functioning at all. But he had been brought back to the Ark in the nick of time.
"He'll be fine," Ratchet replied. "He could be coming out of it soon enough."
Optimus nodded and looked at Ironhide as well, his expression becoming thoughtful.
Ratchet watched him for a moment before moving on to repair Brawn. Though Ironhide wasn't quite out of the danger zone just yet, there wasn't much else he could. The rest was up to Ironhide. And all he had to do was open his optics.
Optimus stood next to Ironhide, watching him. For a brief moment, his friend looked peaceful, serene almost.
If only it could be that way all the time, he thought mournfully, all the while being careful not to let his emotions show.
He'd been standing in silence next to Ironhide for a few moments when Jazz quietly approached him.
"Prime, I hate to disturb you . . ."
"What is it, Jazz?" Prime asked, turning his attention to him.
"We have an unknown ship coming into Earth's atmosphere. Its pilot and origins are definitely Cybertronian, and she's requesting permission to land."
"She?" Prime raised an optic ridge.
"Yes," Jazz replied. "She. Says her name is Dragon-Nova and that she's looking for a safe haven."
"A safe haven? From who?"
"Don't know," Jazz shrugged. "She didn't give me any details but she looked and sounded pretty desperate."
Optimus didn't like the sound of this. A part of him thought it was odd that this Femme happened to show up right after a major battle. And it really bothered him that she hadn't said why she was on the run. For all he knew, she could be a criminal on the run. But there was only one way to find out.
"Let her land," he said after a moment. "But I want to see her as soon as she does. Her access is to be limited. No one is allowed to be alone with her until I say otherwise."
Jazz seemed surprised by his orders but said nothing about it. He simply nodded and left Repair Bay.
"Getting a little paranoid in your old age?" a weak voice teased. "You've been hanging around Red Alert too much."
Optimus looked and saw Ironhide watching him and smiling a little. The hardened warrior no longer had a peaceful look to his face but his optics were still the same warm blue that they always had been.
Same old Ironhide, he thought with a smile.
"Maybe I am," he confessed softly. "You had me worried there for a moment."
Ironhide snorted and pushed himself up. Optimus could tell that he was pushing himself past the pain.
"Ironhide, take it easy," he cautioned, vaguely aware that Ratchet had finished Brawn's repairs and was now watching them.
"I'm fine," he grumbled.
"Oh no you don't, you stubborn old goat!" Ratchet cried out. The medic quickly crossed Repair Bay to get to them. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
"Accompanying Optimus in his meeting," Ironhide shot back.
"Like hell you are," Ratchet growled. "I didn't bust my can to keep you alive just so you can get up and do more damage to yourself. You're staying here until I'm satisfied that you're not going to keel over when you stand up!"
Ironhide looked ready to say something in his defense when Optimus decided it was time to interject and quickly.
"Don't worry about it, Ironhide. I'll have Prowl and Jazz accompany me. Just get some rest."
He nearly scowled at that but Prime saw he grudgingly accepted it. Gently, Optimus rested a hand on Ironhide's shoulder.
"Rest, old friend," he murmured so only Ironhide could hear. "You deserve it."
Ironhide gave him an odd look before Optimus turned away to walk out. Within a matter of seconds he could hear Ironhide and Ratchet bantering between each other.
Thank Primus some things will never change, he chuckled to himself as he left Repair Bay. He quickly hurried to his office.
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"Well, well, well," a voice sneered. "Look who's finally awake! Ol' Megatron and Starscream too much for ya to handle, old timer?"
Ironhide duly ignored Slingshot, even though he wanted to deck the Aerialbot. But he wasn't certain he could do it. His vision had started to blur some since he had come to and he hadn't exactly been able to hide it from Ratchet.
"Shut up, Slingshot," Silverbolt snapped. "If it hadn't been for him, you'd be the one in here. Maybe even worse off than what he is!"
"Aw, stow it, 'Bolt," Slingshot snarled. "Ain't no way those two Decepticons could've gotten me."
Ironhide heard Silverbolt say something in return to that but what, he hadn't been able to tell. The lights of Repair Bay, the noise and raised voices, and a buzzing in his audios were starting to get to him. He closed his optics in an effort to shut everything out.
What's wrong with me? I've never been like this after a battle.
"Ironhide?"
Just leave me alone, he groaned inwardly.
"What?"
"We have an incoming message from Cybertron. Seems that someone there wants to talk to you."
Ironhide could practically hear the grin in Sideswipe's voice.
"Patch it through to Repair Bay, Sideswipe," Ratchet ordered.
"Will do, Ratchet," Sideswipe replied.
"Come on, Ironhide," Ratchet said gently, helping him to sit up. "Open your optics. You know she's going to be expecting it."
Ironhide merely nodded, opened his optics slowly, and, with Ratchet's help, slid off of the medical bed. Carefully, they made their way to a terminal. Ironhide sat down as Ratchet punched in the code to pick up the transmission. Within a matter of seconds, Ironhide could barely make out Chromia's image on the screen.
"Ironhide? Are you all right? What happened?"
Ironhide nearly smiled.
"I'd make a wise crack about you being concerned," he drawled, "but I'm not. I appreciate the gesture."
"You better," she shot. "Elita's gonna kill me as it is. But you didn't answer me. What happened?"
"Got into a firefight," he shrugged. "What else?"
"I'm serious, Ironhide." She was suddenly serious. "What happened? There's something wrong. I can almost feel it."
Should've known she'd know.
"I don't really know, Chromia," he murmured, "but I'm all right. Go on. I'm all right and I'll see you as soon as possible."
"Promises, promises . . ."
He almost smiled at the grin he heard in her tone until she had trailed off. She was worried but there wasn't much else he could tell her. There wasn't much he could tell himself. Something about this was familiar but he couldn't place it. It hovered on the edge of his memory and he didn't want to be flying off on a hunch.
"Take care of yourself, Chromia. I know I don't need to say it but . . ."
"I know . . . And you take care of yourself, too. No more jumping in front of Megatron's fusion cannon."
"Yes, ma'am," he deadpanned. She sighed softly then just chuckled before the communication went dead.
"Whoa, who was that gorgeous Femme you were talking to, Ironhide? I bet you I could really make her go crazy!" Slingshot boasted.
"Yeah. Crazy all right. She'd be wondering why she'd even be bothering!" Silverbolt retorted. Once again, the two Aerialbots began to quarrel.
"Ironhide, doesn't it bother you that he's talking about Chromia like that?" Ratchet whispered.
"Yeah," Ironhide whispered back. "But not much that I can do about it now, though."
"True," Ratchet conceded.
"'Sides," Ironhide smirked. "Chromia would take one look at Slingshot and laugh."
"Before or after she decked him?"
"Both."
Ratchet chuckled at that as he helped Ironhide back onto the medical bed. Ironhide closed his optics once more, losing himself in a myriad of thoughts, colours, and memories, but the only clear image he had was that of Chromia.
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"I assure you, Optimus Prime, I am not a criminal or spy. I am merely a weary traveler, seeking refuge for a short while."
Optimus Prime just stared at Dragon-Nova from across his desk. On either side of him sat Prowl and Jazz. Both of them were obviously convinced by her story but something about her still bothered him. He glanced over her again.
Dragon-Nova stood no taller than what Jazz did, her optics a warm yellow. Her paint nearly matched her optics, traces of orange and silver all over. If it weren't for his suspicions, Optimus would've found her extremely attractive.
"You do realize," he began, "that I can't offer you complete sanctuary. Should someone be looking for you and have adequate proof to support him, I will be obligated to turn you over to that person."
"Fair enough, Optimus Prime."
"Now then . . . do you require anything? Quarters, energy . . .?"
"No, thank you," she replied warmly. "Nothing like that. Just some supplies to do some minor repairs on my ship. That's all."
"Very well. I'll have Arcee meet up with you in twelve breems to see to whatever it is that you need," Prime stated.
"Understood, Optimus Prime," Dragon-Nova nearly purred. She stood up and calmly walked out of his office.
As she walked out, Optimus felt himself slowly starting to relax. Once she was gone, Jazz and Prowl looked at him, bewildered.
"What was that all about?" Prowl asked.
"I don't know," he sighed. "I just don't trust her. I want a roll call done every five Earth hours. I want to make sure everyone stays accounted for."
"You afraid everyone's gonna slowly disappear?" Jazz teased slightly.
"Yes, Jazz. I am."
Prowl and Jazz just looked at him, unsure of what to say next but he knew that they would not question his orders. For that, he was more than grateful.
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"Well, mistress?"
"Their leader will not trust me nor anyone who travels with me. Best not to even try with him. We only need one from here anyway," Dragon-Nova murmured to her lackey as she walked through her ship. She easily navigated the corridors to the core of her ship.
"That is good, mistress. Who . . .?"
"His name is Ironhide. He slipped past me once before, though I'm not sure how. This time, however . . ." Dragon-Nova shivered with delight as she thought about everything she wanted to obtain from him. Images of him filled her mind and her desire for him heightened to the point where she could almost taste him. Her lackey speaking brought her out of it.
"The one who took two different shots in that battle? He will definitely be a very valuable asset to us as well, mistress."
"I know," Dragon-Nova smiled. "The trick, however, will be to get him on board and to here."
"Here" was the center part of the ship. Unlike other ships, the core of the ship contained a chamber with a single chair. The chair faced what appeared to be nothing more than just a blank, metal wall. But the wall itself was an illusion. For behind the metal rested a crystal of awesome and unknown powers. Powers unknown by many, that is, except for Dragon-Nova; she'd long since learned what it could do. Anyone else who found out quickly forgot for the crystal drained them of a very special essence. It was an essence Dragon-Nova knew how to utilize and one that she desired above all else.
"Mistress. . . how do you know that this Ironhide will be the only one we'll need?"
"You'll see," she promised softly. "You'll see."
Behind the metal wall, the crystal sang its song.
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". . . been two day . . . "
"I know . . . but everything's coming bac . . ."
The rest of the conversation was drowned out by the buzzing in his audios and a wave of darkness. Ironhide felt as weak as a newborn Earth kitten and he hated it. From nearby he could hear the sounds of an argument brewing. It didn't sound like Optimus and Ratchet. He groaned inwardly when heard it was Silverbolt and Slingshot once more.
"You had no right to tell her anything, Slingshot!"
"Shove it up your tailpipe, Silverbolt," Slingshot snapped. "She's offering to help!"
Why is it that I can hear the arguments more clearly than anything else? he wondered idly. He also wondered why his thoughts were more in the past and on certain memories than what they had been before. Still, the only clear image he was ever able to make out was that of Chromia. Ironhide hoped that it would all stop soon. He had other places he wanted to be other than Repair Bay and listening to Silverbolt and Slingshot argue.
The voices grew louder, and, with a sickening realization, Ironhide knew that they were walking towards him.
"Just leave me alone!" was what he wanted to shout at them but all he could manage was a groan. He felt disgusted with himself.
"Will you two stop it?" Ratchet groused. "Every time you two start to argue, you seem to hone in on Ironhide. Enough is enough!"
"In my office now. Both of you," Optimus ordered sternly. By his tone, Ironhide knew that it did not bode well for either one of them. He listened as the two complied and headed out. The voices around him started to fade once more.
" . . . going to move him . . . needs a. . . . spot . . ."
"Very . . . do it quickly, though . . . him to be uncomfortable . . ."
". . . any other way . . ."
Ironhide wanted to protest about being moved but he still couldn't manage anything more than a groan.
"It's all right, Ironhide," Ratchet murmured. "Just taking you to a quieter location."
Soon Ironhide felt himself being lifted up and onto a hydraulic gurney. Pain and dizziness assaulted him in the process and he bit back a cry.
"Gotta hurry . . ."
Ironhide blacked out at that moment, no longer able to hear the rest.
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"What is going on?"
Silverbolt winced at Optimus Prime's tone. The Aerialbot leader already knew that Prime wasn't happy with them for arguing to close to Ironhide. It was the first time he had ever seen Optimus Prime close to losing his temper.
"I told Dragon-Nova about Ironhide," Slingshot replied. "She said she could help."
For a moment, it looked as if Optimus Prime was going to explode. Silverbolt took one step back. He noticed Slingshot had as well. Then it was gone.
"I don't want anyone talking to Dragon-Nova about Ironhide, Slingshot. Nor about anyone else. Do I make myself clear?"
"But . . ."
"Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Optimus," Slingshot replied sullenly.
"You may go now."
Hurriedly, Slingshot left his office. Silverbolt watched him leave before looking back at Optimus.
"Ironhide means that much to you, doesn't he?" he asked quietly.
Optimus acted as if he hadn't heard him. He just sat there, lost in thought.
"Optimus?"
"Hmmm?"
"Ironhide means a lot to you, doesn't he?" he asked again.
"Yes," Prime nodded. "He's been my best friend for a very long time."
"Since you were . . .?" Silverbolt trailed off.
"Since before I became Optimus Prime? No. Alpha Trion had not been able to save Dion," he replied sadly. "Alpha Trion introduced me to him and Kup a few orns later."
"How long has Ironhide been around again?"
"At least since Sentinel Prime was alive," Optimus stated. "You can't tell it now but he was a lot more easy-going back then."
"Ironhide? Easy-going?" Silverbolt murmured in surprise. "I never thought I'd hear anyone ever say that about Ironhide."
"The war has changed him, started to before I met him. It's changed all of us," Prime said. "He's lost a lot of friends due to it. And he's taken more hits for me than what he should have. Ironhide's survived this long through sheer stubbornness. I intend to make sure he lives to see the end of this war."
Silverbolt simply nodded. There wasn't anything he could really do or say to something like that. He completely empathized with Optimus but he couldn't help but wonder what Optimus would do if Ironhide didn't make it.
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"What now, mistress? You can't give him the formula. They won't let you near him."
"We no longer need the formula. The crystal will bring him to us."
"How?"
"You shall see."
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Ironhide groaned as he slowly came to. The first thing he noticed was that his vision was clear. Painfully clear. He blinked some as if trying to correct it.
"Ironhide?"
He looked up to see Optimus Prime and Ratchet standing next to him. A quick glance around the room told him he was in a private section of Repair Bay.
"What happened? Why am I in here?" he demanded grouchily.
"Oh yeah. He's definitely feeling better," Ratchet quipped.
"What?"
"Relax, Ironhide," Optimus ordered. "You were moved here for your own sake. It kept anyone arguing away from you. You were awfully sensitive to any loud noises for a while there."
Ironhide frowned slightly but he did recall, if just barely, being out of it and wanting everyone to leave him alone. Still, the whole situation seemed fishy and reminiscent of something from the past.
"So how'd you do it, Ratchet?" he asked.
"Do what?"
"Fix the problem. Like you always do," he said.
"I didn't," the medic replied quietly. "You just kind of. . . snapped out of it on your own."
They fell silent for a few moments, each becoming lost in thought. Ironhide's thoughts turned to the things that he vaguely remembered about the past few days and things from several vorns past. As he thought about it, he mulled over some possibilities before he came to one conclusion: He needed to confront Dragon-Nova. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Outside," he replied.
"Ironhide, I don't want . . ." Optimus began.
"Don't want me to what? Go near this Dragon-Nova?" Ironhide asked. "Prime, I think I can handle myself in this."
"Something about her isn't quite right, Ironhide," Optimus protested. "I don't want anyone to go near her . . . I even don't like sending Arcee to be her liaison"
"I agree with you, Prime," Ironhide stated. "Something about her isn't quite right and I think I might know what it is."
"You do?"
"Possibly . . . But I need to see her and be able to get close to her to find out."
Ironhide saw the conflict warring in Prime's optics. He knew from experience alone that the desire to protect was a strong one and one not so easy to shake. Ironhide just hoped that Optimus would trust him on this.
"You know something, don't you?"
"I'm not sure, Prime," Ironhide replied softly. "I need to confirm my hunches."
"Very well," Prime said after a moment longer. "But if you're gone longer than what I deem is necessary . . ."
"Yes, Optimus. I'm just not going to make any guarantees, though."
"I know," Prime sighed. "Which is why I'll send someone after you. Even if it's not necessary."
Ironhide smiled slightly at that. Prime was just about as stubborn as he was.
"I'll be back," he promised as he slid off of the bed. Without giving them a chance to say anything else, he was gone.
Ironhide walked to Dragon-Nova's ship with an air of confidence as old memories, long since forgotten, had finally resurfaced. Everything fell into place.
"There has been talk of a Femme who wields a great power. What it is behind it, none know for certain. It has been said that those who discover it never return.
"None know this Femme's name. None know what she looks like. At least, none around today. Those who have apparently seen her and vanished had reported weakness, loss of vision, vertigo and a buzzing in their audios. Should this happen to you, let someone know. She must be apprehended before she does any more damage to our ranks. That is, if she does exist. . ."
You were right, Optimus, he thought as he approached the ship. You were right. And I have some buddies to avenge.
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"He's on his way, mistress."
"I know this," Dragon-Nova smiled. "Get everything prepared. We leave as soon as he's on board."
"Yes, mistress."
Dragon-Nova's smile got bigger as the order began to be carried out. She intended on having some fun with this one before making him hers.
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Ironhide stared at the massive ship, unimpressed by its "unique" design.
The ship was similar in shape to Cosmos, only larger. Given the ship's size, Ironhide surmised that there had to be a crew on board. Before he could really look over the ship, however, the main hatch opened and a warm yellow Femme stepped out. She smiled brightly at him and he took a moment to assess her.
Millions of years spent with Chromia (and Elexis before that) had taught him many things about Femmes. They weren't always what they seemed. Chromia had an amazing knack for knowing which Femmes she could trust and which ones she couldn't at first sight alone. A beautiful face didn't mean a beautiful personality. They'd both ran into Femmes like that over the vorns before the Ark left Cybertron. And Femmes, under many circumstances, were far deadlier than what anyone ever gave them credit for.
And, in looking at this Dragon-Nova – that was who he was guessing this to be –, he knew he didn't trust her. He knew that there was more to her than what she was letting on. How he knew that she was Dragon-Nova, he didn't rightly know. He just knew.
"Ironhide," she purred, "so good to finally meet you. I've heard an awful lot about you. How about you come on board for some energon? I'd like to get to know you better."
I bet, he thought in slight amusement. Dragon-Nova, you are simply moving way too fast. You must be desperate. You're getting sloppy.
"Sure," he agreed. "Why not? Got nothing better to do right now anyway."
She smiled at him again and motioned for him to follow her. Ironhide complied, warning bells sounding off in his head with each step that he took. It was only after he was onboard the shuttle did he truly understand what was going on.
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"Optimus, she's leaving! And Ironhide's onboard!"
"Omega Supreme, Cosmos, Aerialbots, Skyfire! After her!"
Jazz watched in fascinated horror as the Aerialbots and Omega Supreme took off after the shuttle. He just hoped that Ironhide would be all right.
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"There's something I'd like to show you, Ironhide."
Ironhide watched Dragon-Nova warily as he followed her to what appeared to be the heart of the ship.
I think I know what it is. I can hear it and I can feel it.
"What is it?" he asked innocently, trying to play along.
"It's a surprise!"
Ironhide fought back a snort. He was tired of this 'game' and had been from the start. He wanted to put an end to everything right now but he couldn't just yet. He had to wait for the right moment, which meant getting there first.
"Don't worry," she continued. "We're almost there."
"How much longer till we get there?" Ironhide inquired.
"Not much," Dragon-Nova replied enigmatically.
They walked in silence before reaching a multi-coloured door and Ironhide knew that, whatever it was that he was feeling, was behind that door. Now that he was there, he suddenly felt unsure of how to defeat Dragon-Nova.
Something'll come to me. . . I hope.
The door whooshed open and Dragon-Nova entered. After a split second of hesitation, Ironhide followed her in. She walked over to a chair and motioned for him to sit in it. Slowly, he complied. Once he was in the chair, his arms and wrists were bound almost instantly. Ironhide glared darkly at her.
"What? No comments on how you've been betrayed?" she smirked. "Usually, the Mechs who are brought here tell me that before they change their minds. That's too bad that you don't. I was hoping for some memorable last words from you."
Ironhide just scowled at her. He was tempted to say something nasty to her but, since she had just confessed that that was what one of the things that she wanted from him, he wasn't about to give her the satisfaction.
"It's not going to matter, anyway," Dragon-Nova continued. "You belong to me now. Keep your optics on the wall. Your surprise is there."
Ironhide frowned at that, puzzled, and turned his attention to the wall. He was certain that he'd be seeing the bodies of his long lost comrades lined up, if the tone of Dragon-Nova's voice was any indication. Ironhide braced himself for the worst.
Instead of dead bodies, however, Ironhide was greeted with the sight of a very large crystal swathed in red light. He was confused. Ironhide had been very certain that Dragon-Nova had killed his friends but he hadn't expected this.
"Don't worry, Ironhide," Dragon-Nova crooned. "It'll be all over in a few moments."
Ironhide heard the sound of a switch and a faint humming sound before a beam of light hit him in the optics. Slowly, he felt everything slipping away, as if he was being drained of his life. His last coherent thought was that of Chromia and knew in that instant that Dragon-Nova would target her next. Anger welled up inside of him but he remembered no more after that.
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"NOOOOOO!"
Dragon-Nova looked at Ironhide as he let out a strangled cry and smiled to herself.
Soon, sweet thing, soon. Your essence will be mine and so will your girlfriend's. Pity I didn't have enough time to do with you as I wanted.
"Mistress, we have a problem!"
"What is it?"
"Well . . . first of all, we're being followed . . ."
"Like that hardly matters," she snorted. "We can lose them. What else is there?"
"We detected an explosion in your vicinity. It's setting off a chain reaction! We can't maneuver!"
"What? That's impossible!" she scoffed.
"It isn't, mistress. It's coming from the crystal," was the reply.
Dragon-Nova glanced at Ironhide. He was definitely struggling against the crystal's powers but was ultimately losing. His blue optics were slowly turning violet, which was normal. He let out one more strangled cry before falling limp in the chair. That's when it happened.
The crystal suddenly stopped and backed off. Dragon-Nova heard Ironhide groan slightly before she heard an explosion. Immediately, she was at Ironhide's side, checking a small vial that set next to the chair. In it was a pale purple fluid.
"Not enough," she muttered. "Gotta get it back. Need more."
"I don't think so!" a voice declared. Dragon-Nova looked around but saw no one before losing consciousness. When she came to, Ironhide and the vial were gone.
"What's happening?" she demanded.
But no one answered. Confused, Dragon-Nova got up in time to see a silent countdown on a monitor. With a cold realization settling into her, she made a mad dash for an emergency exit. . .
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Optimus Prime watched as the Aerialbots and Skyfire arrived at the Ark with Mirage, Ironhide, and several unidentified Autobots. At that moment, Dragon-Nova's ship exploded, but he wasn't concerned about that. He was more concerned about Ironhide and his health.
"Ratchet! We need you out here STAT!"
"On my way, Prime."
Optimus looked at Mirage and noticed the vial in his hand.
"What's that?"
"His life essence," a tired voice explained. "As Dragon-Nova didn't get a chance to drink it herself, he needs to drink it for his strength to return."
Optimus looked up to see who had spoken. Recognition lit his optics as he looked at the warriors standing around Ironhide.
Time for some files to be updated, he thought.
"Thank you," he murmured. "And welcome back, Moonshadow."
"Thanks . . . Don't really know who you are but it does feel good to be back among fellow Autobots. From the looks of it, we've got a lot of catching up to do."
"Yes, you do," Prime agreed as he took the vial from Mirage and gave it to Ironhide. "But first . . ."
"A trip to Repair Bay?"
"Indeed."
"Thank you. Thank you very much."
"It's no problem."
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Ironhide opened his optics and silently cursed the headache that he had. Why did his head hurt so much? He felt as if he'd been run over by Devastator and Menasor both.
"Oh look. Sleeping Beauty has awakened once more," a familiar voice teased.
"C-chromia?" he slurred.
"Who else?"
"How . . .?" he began as she became clearer.
Chromia held a finger to his lips.
"Don't . . . don't ask. Just know that it was arranged. Now get some rest. I'll still be here."
"Good," he murmured, settling back. He wasn't sure what had happened exactly but he knew he'd find out in good time. For the moment, oddly enough, he was content to rest. Tomorrow was another day.