VIII

Orion rocked on his feet, twisting his wrists in the cuffs. Ultra Magnus stood behind him, checking things off on his data pad. Orion could hear his fingers slide along the surface. It was subtle at first but as Orion began to grow irritated by his predicament, the louder the swipes became until Orion thought he was going to burst. He let out an audible sigh, drawing Ultra Magnus' attention.

"Are you alright?" Ultra Magnus commented

"I'm just a little surprised this is happening. To think my life used to be so…perfect," groaned Orion.

"Everything around here…seems to be changing," mumbled Ultra Magnus.

"What do you mean?" perked Orion.

"The council is putting more and more ridiculous laws and regulations. I like rules as much as the next bot, probably more so, but even I say things are getting troublesome," sighed Ultra Magnus.

"You could always stand up for yourself…and others. My friend used to say it was the right of the people to bring change," Orion smiled lightly.

"Right of the people…" whispered Ultra Magnus. "It's hard to believe you were arrested at all, let alone for such activities as these."

Orion nodded, glancing back at Ultra Magnus. He had the faintest feeling in his chest that the two of them could of been friends in another life, perhaps the one he was constantly seeing. The vault doors opened loudly, revealing a weary looking Ratchet. The poor medic was rubbing his wrists, peering up at Orion with a fake smile. Ultra Magnus stepped forward, unlocking Orion's cuffs.

"You're free to go. Hope I don't see you again," grumbled Ultra Magnus, turning back to head inside.

"Orion, you okay?" Ratchet mumbled, stepping forward.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" Orion gasped, "This is all my fault. I should've just left well alone."

"Hey," snarled Ratchet, grabbing Orion's wrist. "If you ask me, this means we're along the right track."

"What?" Orion moaned.

"Something's seriously going on as the council is at the heart of it. That's all I've learned while I was sitting in this cell!"

"Ratchet, calm down," sighed Orion, walking toward the exit. "I've had a long night."

"C'mon Orion, I believe in this more than anything," Ratchet nodded, chasing after. "If the council takes me out, I'm going down kicking."

"Since when did you get so feisty?" smirked Orion, holding the door open for Ratchet.

"I've had a long night too," yawned Ratchet, walking out. "Sleep deprivation can do that to a bot."

Orion groaned, squinting his optics as he exited the regulation building. It had been less than a day since his arrest but it felt like a lifetime. Orion followed Ratchet to the street, watching the cars race by on their way to delivers. Orion winced, thinking about how all these people could race around without knowing what was going on with the council or anything that Orion and Ratchet had been up to in the past few days.

"There's no going back, is there?" whispered Orion.

"Huh?" perked Ratchet.

"To a normal life, to being oblivious to everything," Orion sighed. "We can't forget what's happened can we?"

"Not that I want to," grinned Ratchet. "But I think we're gonna need some back up."

"Agreed. How many credits do you have left?" offered Orion.

"Why…do you ask?" whimpered Ratchet.

"I met two very interesting bots…"

"While you were imprisoned?"

"Yes, but I'm sure one of them will interest you," grinned Orion. "He specialized in revolutionized medical idea called the Cortical Psychic Patch."

"Haven't heard of it," shrugged Ratchet.

"It links two minds together," explained Orion.

Ratchet perked, looking brightly at Orion with a huge grin on his face. Orion knew Ratchet would like it.

"We…I…Let's…I can finally see it! We can finally see what goes on in that processor of yours!" cheered Ratchet.

"But only one bot knows how it works and he's currently imprisoned."

"You said two bots?" groaned Ratchet. "What'd the other guy do?"

"I'm not going to tell you," chuckled Orion, looking away.

"That's not reassuring," mumbled Ratchet. "I can check my credit account. You check the bail setting, assuming they have one."

"Thanks, Ratchet."

"Don't…don't talk to me until after I recharge," yawned Ratchet, waving Orion away. "You'll owe me for this. I'll add it to the list."

Orion smiled, watching Ratchet cross the street. A good recharge and Ratchet would be back to normal. Orion sighed. If only he could be returned to 'normal' like Ratchet. While he wasn't completely sure about releasing the two criminals into Iacon, he needed the one for the Patch and the other for…precaution. Orion snarled, thinking about how different he was now, thinking about illegal medical procedures and allying with known criminals.

A quick stabbing pain. Orion kneeled, groaned, a hand to his chest. He felt like he was being torn in two. The world around him shivered, flicking into darkness. He couldn't move, could hardly see. This was a bad one, that was for sure. Of course Ratchet had to leave right before this. Orion whimpered, shutting his optics tightly. Even with his optics shut, he could see a bright light.

The pain began to fade slightly. Orion could finally feel his servos. He opened his optics slowly, looking up at the brightest light he'd ever seen. Everything was dark except this bright light. He felt the platform beneath his feet. A force pulled him up. His feet were planted solid, optics peering upward. The beating of his spark echoed into his audio receptors. It was a bittersweet nightmare.

"Optimus…"

Orion stood felt a presence, resting a hand on him. It was reassuring, safe, like it had been there all along but he couldn't feel it until now. All the same, the name Optimus rang out. It got stuck in his vocal processor, choking him. His body shook, knees giving way until he was kneeling again. Gasping, trying to reclaim his sanity, Orion shut his optics again.

"Help…" whimpered Orion. "Please…"

His ankles slipped, forcing him to collapse. His body felt tight and yet he felt free from it. Was this what going offline felt like. Suddenly, he felt the hand on his shoulder again. Reassuring, passively leading Orion to open his optics again. He was on the ground, a shadow stretching over him. Wearily, he looked up.

"Orion Pax, are you alright?" Ultra Magnus mumbled, helping Orion sit up.

"What…where am I?" mumbled Orion, looking around.

"You're just outside the regulation office. You appeared to have passed out," Magnus instructed. "Do you need a medic?"

"Ratchet…Ratchet is my medic," groaned Orion. "He's…He went to the bank…I think."

"You need a medic now. We have some inside, let me help you in."

"Why are you helping me? If I'm everything the council told you I was, why would you help?" Orion sighed.

"I don't believe you to be anything they said you were," countered Ultra Magnus, helping Orion into a standing position. "From what I've seen, you don't have it in you."

"Am I flattered or insulted?" Orion grinned.

"Just shut up and let me help," grumbled Ultra Magnus, leading Orion inside.