A squadron of Vehicons are standing vigil outside an energon mine seemingly keeping watch until Optimus and the Wreckers appear and order them to surrender. The Vehicons open fire, but are quickly cut down by the Wreckers' forward advance with Lucy at the front and center deflecting their blasts and the Stealth Team which were Arcee, Bumblebee, and Smokescreen attacking from the rear.
Once the Vehicons were taken care of and the energon the was secured, Optimus gave orders to the Wreckers to reconnoiter the mine while the Stealth team would transport their energon spoils back to base.
"I've always wanted to roll with the Wrecker." Smokescreen gleefully stepped forward with enthusiasm that earned him a few questionable glances especially from Ultra Magnus and Optimus.
He quickly straightened himself in a professional manner but the eagerness in his optics "Uh, sir."
As the Wreckers went ahead to reconnoiter the mine and Stealth team proceeded to transport their energon spoils back to base. Lucy stays behind with Optimus watching as the Wreckers disappeared inside the entrance of the mines.
Her gaze fixated on the mine's entrance with her arms folded. The voices of her teammates were drowned out by her own thoughts. There was something stirring in the pit of her stomach, a feeling that something was about to happen. She couldn't put her finger on it but this feeling kept intensifying by the minute.
Throughout her inner thinking, the Ground Bridge had appeared to which Arcee and Bumblebee walked through with the carts filled with energon. At that moment, the other half of the Wreckers came back from reconnoitering the mine, Bulkhead and Smokescreen walking alongside each other.
Her stomach was at its boiling point and decided to share her concern to Optimus. However, as she turned to speak there was a sudden rumble and the earth beneath them began to shake causing the entrance to crackle. Dust and fallen debris landed on top of the two mech as they stared at each other in confusion.
"Whoa, what was that?" Smokescreen said, sharing glances with Bulkhead then back at the entrance where the supposed explosion emanated.
Optimus's heavy footfall was heard as he now faced the entrance, his features showing off not only his shock but also his immediate concern. The fact that the other half haven't returned was enough to make his processors race with all sorts of horrible scenarios acting out in his mind.
Yet, Optimus failed to acknowledge Lucy's distressed form.
Bulkhead and Smokescreen kept their optics towards the inside the mines still processing on what could've possibly caused the sudden explosion. They were so engrossed in their own thoughts when suddenly a blur rushed by them which they simultaneously caused them to recoil.
"What the- Lucy!"
Smokescreen called out to her but by then she was already out of sight.
She kept on running deeper within the mine. With her heightened senses she could still hear the ongoing battle even when she stood far outside the mine with Optimus. None of them had this ability, she was the only one that could hear the battle cries and the clashing of metal between metal. Having this ability certainly pained her to be the only one that hears it.
Her quickened footsteps ceased as she now flew across the cavern at incredible speeds. The sounds of the battle getting closer and closer.
Eventually she arrives where the fighting emanated from inside a spacious part of the mine. There were stalagmites protruding above and below the cavern including one that was torn off from the ceiling and is now smashed inside the rocky wall. The place was a complete wreck but...where was Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus?
"Prepare to perish."
A menacing voice declared, causing her to whip her head towards it.
To her horror, she bears witness as a terrifyingly large Cybertronian with scales for armor. His shoulders are adorned with large spikes on his back and head. Wings were present in his back that bore a strikingly familiar beast that she had encountered before.
The Predacon.
Predaking bearded his frighteningly sharpened claws preparing to strike down on the fallen Ultra Magnus but was stopped by a feminine voice screaming for him to stop. With his claws still raised above his head as he turns his head towards the voice that dared to stop him from killing his prey. His ferocious snarl immediately dropped at the sight of a painfully familiar femme that stood across the cavern.
His gaze remained fixated on the femme and his unsheathe claws slowly dropped to his side. Her frightened features caused him to take a step back. Right when he was about to reach out to her until suddenly Predaking was forcefully slammed behind his back by something. His large form crashing into the stalagmites and then slamming face first into the ground with fallen debris crashing on top of him. Even more so when the culprit that threw him aside started shooting off the rest of the stalagmites within the cavern to which the large stones fell right on top of him that left him buried beneath them.
Disoriented from the initial whiplash, it only took Predaking a second to quickly recover before bursting out of the rubble in a fury. Predaking's glare faltered, not only did he saw another bulkier Autobot tucking one of his soldier under his arm but also the femme he was previously gawking at was now carrying the blue mech, the one he had severed the hand off of him.
She had Ultra Magnus' unconscious form over her with his right arm draped over her shoulder. Her saddened features meet the Predacon one last time before she hovers a few feet off the ground as she takes off with Optimus following suit.
"What? No! Come back!"
Predaking shouted and began to chase after them throughout the mine until he reached the surface. Once he was out in the open, he transformed into his beast mode and continued his hot pursuit.
The Ground Bridge appears in the middle of the sky and without giving it a second thought Lucy flew into the Ground Bridge first. Everyone else was waiting for them in anticipation regarding the energon mine, however, they were all taken aback in horror when Lucy flew in and was carrying an unconscious Ultra Magnus with her. Then Optimus came in with Wheeljack tucked under his arm.
"Ratchet, I need you to check on Wheeljack while I stabilize Ultra Magnus!"
The sound of electricity crackling brought Ultra Magnus out of his stasis, his optics blinking into focus. It was the ceiling of the hangar that stared back at him at first until he groggily turned to his left to see Optimus standing over him. The crackling sound grabbed his attention once more and turned his helm to see Ratchet finishing the last touch in cauterizing his wound before pulling away.
What remained of Ultra Magnus' hand was nothing more than a stump of jagged metal. He's thankful that he came out of the ordeal alive, a loss of limb wasn't going to stop him from fighting alongside the Autobots.
"They will take good care of you." Optimus reassured him.
Ultra Magnus turns to look back at the Prime. "Optimus, when we spoke earlier, what could be greater than an army?"
"A human concept, one I have learned since coming to Earth…" Optimus glances over towards his team. "Family."
As if on cue, everyone gathered around the operating table. Ultra Magnus hadn't uttered a word, it wasn't needed since his features showed off his acknowledgement and immense respect towards them.
"If it weren't for Lucy carrying your back strut back to base and treating your wound you could've gotten another beating by that Predacon." Arcee blurted out.
Arcee's sudden statement caught Ultra Magnus completely off guard. His optics widen and searches for the femme eventually spotting her beside Ratchet and was staring directly at him. Ultra Magnus genuinely didn't know what to say. His voice box was caught within his windpipe.
Yet, he mustered enough strength to mutter out towards her.
"My actions towards you in the beginning were offensive and disrespectful. You have every right to scold me for what I've put you through because of my inability to sympathize."
She blinked in disbelief, not really expecting an apology coming out of him. Then she shook her head with a lighthearted chuckle.
"You have been a pain in my rear since you arrived on Earth… but I should also be the one to apologize for yelling at you earlier today." She then meets Ultra Magnus' gaze. "I don't regret what I said however. It had to be said and no one else was willing to admit it upfront."
All of those who were present during the heated argument glanced at one another in a silent agreement. If there was one thing that they've all learned over the course of the months and personally seeing her growth emotionally and physically, is that she isn't afraid to say what needs to be said. She even gained enough confidence to be vulgar in some cases when before she barely uttered a single profanity. Overall, she has never shown the desire to become power-hungry like Megatron does, instead, she merely utilizes them to further benefit her team to get the upper hand during their battle against the Decepticons.
"I… I deserved that." Ultra Magnus admits with an extended sigh.
He shuts his eyes with shame before immediately shooting them open and looks over to see Lucy standing beside him with her servo resting on his shoulder-cap.
"Nonetheless, our resolve is certainly a slow one, its a step into the right direction. For now you should rest. You will need it until Ratchet fixes up a replacement for your hand."
True to her word, Ratchet had successfully repaired Ultra Magnus' mangled right hand with the spare parts available at his disposal.
Ratchet heaved quietly to himself, unaware that Lucy had heard him from across the hangar because of her heightened senses. She makes her way over to him and when she gets closer she can see him pinch the middle of his brow-ridges, a concerned expression on his face.
She surveys the room making sure that there was no one present which thankfully everyone else had gone off to do their own thing. Her hand gently rests on his forearm, observing him as he lowers his hand from his face and turns to meet her gaze.
"Somethings been bothering you ever since we've returned from the mines." Her assumption was proven to be correct when he averted his optics.
"Ratchet."
He refused to meet her gaze and this encourages her to pry whatever is causing him so much concern. If only she could read minds like she did that one time with Ultra Magnus, but part of her is secretly glad that she didn't get to keep that skill. She wouldn't want to invade her friends' thoughts.
"Is it because of Ultra Magnus' newly hooked appendage?"
"Partially. But that's not what's been on my processors." Ratchet said in a hush tone, still not daring to meet her eyes.
"Then what is Ratchet?"
Without much of a warning, Lucy felt her hands being engulfed by Ratchets' and he was now fully facing her. Her heart fluttered from the sudden contact as his digits firmly wrapped around her wrists.
"You. It's you that has been on my processors. After this mission and knowing that the Predacon can not only transform but he chased after you! Primus, do you have any idea how fearful I was for your safety? I-"
Ratchet hitched his breath, shutting his optics tightly to calm himself. Being mindful not to raise his voice to a stasis induced Ultra Magnus not too far from where he and Lucy were. He opened them once more to stare at her with one strong emotion that was meant for only her to witness as he tightened his hold on her wrist.
"I truly care for your well-being, more than I ever imagined to. I've come in terms with my feelings towards you but… how can you feel this way for me? Why not go for someone else of your age instead of an old bot like me."
"Don't say that!" She quickly refuted. "You have always had a special place in my spark since the very start and that has not changed in the slightest!"
Lucy twists her wrists until her hands are properly positioned within his palm. She looks down at their hands where a warmth in her chest began to gradually grow the longer she stared.
"There's an emptiness whenever you're not around… and I want you to be a part of my life, Ratchet. I really do." She raised to meet his optics giving him a tender smile.
"Will you let me be a part of your life?"
Ratchets' optics suddenly brightened a smile making its way on his faceplates. He proceeded to eagerly pull her closer before resting his forehead against hers. She instinctively closed her eyes and nuzzled closer to his forehead.
"Of course."
{A/N}
It's been awhile hasn't it? Inspiration was at a lull (which is ok!) until I finally got the motivation to whip up a new chapter! Not gonna lie I had to rewrite it several times because the scenes and the perspective just wasn't working. Eventually when I rewrote the opening it was when everything seamlessly clicked perfectly and the scenes flowed almost naturally. Quite happy on how this one turned out and I hope it was worth the wait!
Until the next one! -xoxo