Chapter 4: Reunited
Ratchet paced back and forth waiting for some sort of sign that Pax and the small group from the Triage Team was alive. It had been many hours since the last time Sentinel had reported to Optimus about being close to the meeting point with Shockwave. Ratchet kept checking their trackers but they hadn't moved in so long. Ratchet began to get more and more worried. The Triage Team had lost so many members over the last couple solar cycles. The Decepticons were starting to become more ruthless as energon became more scarce in many areas on the planet. The Triage Team members were Cybertronians that were skilled warriors as well as the top medics within the Autobots faction. Ratchet hated that Pax had been accepted into the group since it was very dangerous. He continued to pace and soon sensed someone come into the room. "Any word from Sentinel about them and how their mission is going?" Ratchet said as he turned and asked his sparkmate.
Optimus shook his helm before walking in and having the door close behind him. "No, I haven't heard anything about the group or any of the members. Sentinel isn't answering any of the other pages either." Optimus elaborated as he came over and placed his hand on his sparkmate's back. "She will be fine, she is just as strong and as stubborn as you were at her age."
"That is what I am worried about. She doesn't respect Sentinel Prime and the Triage Team is a fraction of their former glory due to losing so many members over the cycles. I do not want to lose my daughter or my son to this war," Ratchet frowned.
"I am aware, neither do I. They are both strong and stubborn and off doing their own thing. They will return to us… one way or another," Optimus said before leaning down and kissing his sparkmate. Optimus pulled away and smiled before walking out of the room with Ratchet, he noticed a commotion at the front of the base. The pair glanced at each other before moving towards the front. They moved through the crowd and saw Sentinel being held up by some other bots. He looked like he had gotten the scrap beat out of him. Ratchet's optics widened as he didn't see many members of the Triage Team either. Only a handful were there and were in even worse shape than the other Prime. "Sentinel, what happened?" Optimus asked.
"It.. it was a trap, they killed the others that didn't get away," he said as he coughed up some energon. "Shockwave is a monster, you were right about never trusting him, Optimus," he said before some dragged them back to a medical bay.
Ratchet looked around frantically as the bots walked by. "Where's Pax," he said before Sentinel got fully dragged into the room. He reached to his side and tossed a blade back towards the medic. Ratchet's optics widened before he went and picked up the blade that was covered in energon. There were some Cybertronian markings along it to say who it belonged to. It was Pax's. "No…not my Gadget. Primus no…not my daughter!" " He said as he dropped the blade as his optics widened. "No," he said again before placing his hands over his spark chamber as he felt sadness rush to deep cracks of his spark.
Optimus stood a few yards from him and felt his sparkmate's pain and so much more. Yet the Prime could not go and comfort his love. The two hid their relationship for so long. Optimus looked down and simply walked away to attend to other duties to distract his mind from what was actually happening. It was another day in this war, those close to him perishing due to a fight with his once friend. Optimus had a war to focus on, he had so many others to protect and worry about. His own daughter was gone and the Matrix made sure he did not mourn her as much as Ratchet was.
Pax could barely look up and see her creators arguing. "Enough," she whispered and the pair stopped and looked down at her. "Enough with the yelling and the arguing….please." she said as she looked up. Her hands were quivering as she held them down at her sides. Optimus sighed and walked closer, Pax flinched as Optimus raised his hand to touch her face. Pax glanced away, unable to even look at her sire.
"Pax…" he trailed off and placed his large hand on her cheek and had her look at him. "Breathe…" he whispered as he could tell her spark was racing. "Breathe Gadget," he said again. Pax blinked a few times and took a few slow breaths to allow her system to calm. Optimus's posture softened as well as his stern look as he brought the femme into a hug. Pax hugged him back for a few moments. The group was shocked as they saw the Prime showing some emotions rather than remaining stoic. Optimus noticed this before shaking his helm and glancing towards his sparkmate for some assistance.
Ratchet smiled before turning to the group, "Enough standing around and gawking, go about your normal business," he said as he motioned Pax to follow him back into the medical bay.
Pax sat down and placed her hand over her spark chamber before looking up towards her creators. "I was unaware that you both were apart of the group Wheeljack was bringing me too," Pax whispered. "How did my scans look? Anything irregular that could be causing me to be ill and having these traumatic dreams?"
Ratchet shook his helm, "Nothing that very much changed from the last scans available for you. It could possibly be you reacting to the past and events triggering you to see them within your dreams," Ratchet elaborated. "Though, I do want to do more scans to ensure certain aspects."
"To ensure that I truly am your daughter? I understand especially with…" Pax trailed off and stood up before looking at her creators. "Ask me anything…." Pax said as Ratchet began scanning her over.
"What is your brother's name and rank," Optimus asked quietly.
"Atrounus Pax, also known as Trion, and he is a commander and a second in command to Sentinel," Pax elaborated.
Optimus nodded to the correct statement, "Who was your partner?"
"Firestorm, she perished on Cybertron," Pax said. Soon the Autobots came towards the medical bay. "She has a son…who I took in after she perished," Pax said as she looked down.
"There is something else we could check," Ratchet said as he walked towards a shelf in the medical bay and grabbed a metal case and brought it over and opened it. He pulled out a blade. "Is this your blade?" Ratchet asked. Pax looked up and her optics widened. She opened the area on her arm where it would be to reveal it was empty. "What is written on your blade to show it is yours?"
"My name, and the phrase 'No matter the triumphs and losses, you will be forever in our sparks' and it was signed by you two, unless that is the other blade and then that one says 'Separated by planets but together through spark' signed by Atrounus," Pax said. Ratchet smiled and went and hugged his daughter once again. Pax shakily hugged back, "I missed you more than words can convey," she whispered.
