AN:
Sorry bout that delay, little case of writers block, plus life... the usual excuse. Also, I had an overnight across the way in Missouri along with a short computer error, but nothing that had stopped me much. Each chapter I'll try to make at least 500 words longer than the rest, or maybe 1000+ more.
:Normal POV:
Ratchet stood over his work glaring down at it. He'd recently gotten other parts of the equation as Lot provided them, but it was still far from complete, and it was needed now more than ever: the energon stockpile was at an all time low. He picked up the jar of green liquid and swirled it around in the bottle. Raf came over to him as he was about to test it on an engine.
"Hey Ratchet, can I watch?" the boy asked him. He was shaken from his thoughts and looked up.
"Well, I suppose you are equipped with protective eye wear. Come over here," he responded. Raf laid a smile upon his face and walked over to where the engine was.
"Thanks, Ratchet!" he exclaimed happily to the medic.
"Hmm? Yes, yes. Now, all there is to do is to add it to the engine," he muttered. He placed the injector in the fuel compartment of the machine and it slowly drained into the object. It sparked, then came to life and revved.
"It works! Bee!" the boy called to his guardian.
"Hup hup, it requires more testing before it can be used as ammunition, and lifeblood," the CMO explained. The boy shrugged then walked off as Bumblebee called him. "Sometimes, I wish I could do more," Ratchet sighed. He took another vial of the green energy and injected it into his forearm. He staggered and fell to the ground. The next thing he knew, Raf was shouting in his face.
"Ugh, how can such a small being be so loud?" he asked no one in particular. Raf jumped off his chassis and he stood up one hand on his head.
"Are you okay, Ratchet?" Raf asked him.
He stretched and spoke. "I'm fine. More than fine, energy levels are up by twenty percent." Suddenly Optimus spoke through the comm link.
"Ratchet, lock on to Arcee's coordinates and bridge her back!"
"Understood. Arcee, decelerate and prepare for transportation."
"Negative, Ratchet," she objected, "I'm too close, and we need this energon." Ratchet sighed and looked on his screen. Ten more blips came up behind Arcee and fired projectiles. Ratchet watched as the red dots closed in on Arcee and the other dots closed in around her.
"Raf, man the Ground Bridge," he called to the human as he ran through the open bridge to aid Arcee. He flew through bridge located in the sky and landed atop of one of the seekers surrounding her. He unsheathed his swords and came at them, decapitation one of them instantly and stabbing another through the midsection. Arcee watched as the medic downed the seekers quickly, and did it with style. The other Autobots climbed the mound of rock and rushed to the medic's aid, but they saw that he didn't require any. They arrived as he offlined the last Decepticon.
"Hooah."
Scene Change!
"You should have seen Ratchet out there – he was in overdrive! We should all try this stuff," Arcee observed as Ratchet tossed her a vial of the faux-energon.
"Or give Ratchet more so we can take a break," Bulkhead submitted. Optimus looked suspiciously at the medic and contemplated the pros and cons in his processor.
"The initial results prove promising, but I am ordering that further testing be confined to machines, not Autobots. We need a warrior in the lab more than we need one in the field right now, old friend," he said in his baritone voice.
"Ratchet, I'm detecting a stray energon signal," Arcee called from over at the main console.
"And if we're not moving it..." Bulkhead trailed off.
"Decepticons," Optimus started. "Autobots, prepare to roll out. Ratchet, remain here. We will not require a medic on the battle field."
"But you might require another warrior. Bumblebee can handle Ground Bridge duty," Ratchet scoffed at the Prime. He paused for a moment, then spoke.
"Very well. Bumblebee, activate the Ground Bridge." The teleportation device swirled into existence, and produced a green aura. "Autobots, roll out!" the Prime yelled over the roar of the bridge before transforming and driving through the portal along with the others.
On the other side when Ratchet arrived, the other Autobots had taken cover behind a deceased tree as they spied upon the Decepticons moving crates of energon out of a mine. Ratchet huffed, and ran forward doing a front flip on to the tree and using it as a spring to the next one. He landed in a front hand spring and pushed off landing on his feet. He transformed and sped down the hill towards the Cybertronians.
As he reached the bottom, he transformed in mid air and landed on a Decepticon, riding his chassis over to the others.
"It's alright – I'm an emergency vehicle!" With that, he unsheathed his swords and ran at them slicing and stabbing as they fell to his Synth-En addicted state. The Autobots came charging over the hill bringing the extra firepower to the battle and felling 'cons as they shot. The other 'bots and Decepticons were busy with each other, and Ratchet caught a glimpse of a lighter purple one attempting to flee the battle. Naturally, he followed. The 'con had just finished climbing the fifty feet tall cliff and began running when the medic sprawled over the edge. He stood up, dusted himself off, and looked over the horizon, sunspots slightly blurring his vision.
He looked down and bent over to grasp a rock. Doing so, he took aim and carefully but lethally threw it fast and far enough to vanish into the sky line. A speck fell from the heavens and impacted the Decepticon in the helm downing him immediately. He walked over to the enemy soldier to question him.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked the Deception innocently.
"Just trying to get far enough away from his Autobot stink," the Cybertronian warrior growled in response.
"Does your boss know you have a potty mouth? Maybe I should tell him in person," Ratchet suggested.
"Get melted, fragger!"
"Melted? Now there's a concept," Ratchet cautioned. His servo transformed into an ark welder. "I won't ask you a second time – Where. Is. Megatron?" he growled to the bot.
Optimus had just felled one of the last 'cons when he heard a screaming Cybertronian admitting to knowledge. His eyes widened as he looked for Ratchet. He rushed up the hill to see a Decepticon with a half-welded face and Ratchet talking to him. He watched as the CMO warped his hand into a battle sword and raised it, causing the leader to rush forward barely catching his medic before he offlined the bot.
"Ratchet! What are you doing!?" Optimus yelled to the small orange bot.
"Getting results," he growled back to his commanding officer.
"And breaking protocol," Optimus finished. "That was a Decepticon miner – Servant class, not warrior class."
"Did you happen to find an energon mine ripe for the taking?! I did! And did you also find the exact location of Megatron, because I did too! We've been squandering our resources when we should be hitting him hard, and where it hurts!" Ratchet yelled at the larger mech in front of him.
Optimus looked grieved, and glanced at the ground. "I am afraid the synthetic energon has been clouding your mind. I am confining you to base until further notice. Ratchet froze for a moment, as if he were speculating how much trouble he would be in if he directly went against his commanding officer's orders.
Ratchet turned his back on the Autobots, and began to walk towards the Ground Bridge. He disappeared into the bridge and the Autobots paused, then started walking towards the vortex.
:Lot's POV:
I was now almost half-Cybertronian standing fifteen feet tall. I saw Ratchet walk through the Ground Bridge I had just opened, but he suddenly stopped, then glared. He muttered a curse then turned around and ran through the open swirl, and I, being curious, followed. I could run much faster with my larger body, now. Right as I entered the bridge, the Autobots came through. I exited and saw Ratchet driving off in the distance kicking up dust and I yelled after him.
"Ratchet! Where do you think you're going?!" He stopped and threw it in reverse. He seemed to hold a larger respect for me than for my human friends, be it I was Conian, or I was half-Cybertronian, I did not know. He sped backwards towards me. I stood tall above him, well, that was until he transformed and towered over me at least ten feet.
"What do you want?" he questioned me.
"Where do you think you're going?" I repeated myself.
"I've got the location of an energon mine and Megatron – I'm going to take him down," he responded in a growl. I could tell he was angry, and he wasn't thinking straight, but if Optimus hadn't convinced him, I probably couldn't.
"Then I'm going to help you. You need it anyway, and I'm armed, you know, mostly." I held up my right hand with slight difficulty it being fully metal. The upside was I could make it transform into a small energon weapon or a sword should the situation require it. He mulled it over for a klick, then agreed to have me along.
"But you have to follow my orders to the letter, and do exactly what I say you need to. And stay hidden. And if we need, let me do the talking... it's best if you don't talk at all," he ordered. I nodded and we were on our way. It was kind of awkward riding on top of Ratchet, being too tall to fit in the cab compartment. And the back wasn't easy to get in and out of anyway.
We arrived at the enterance to a large cave by human standards, with passages large enough for a Cybertronian to walk around in robotic form. Well, probably not Optimus, 'cause he was like, a million feet tall. I stepped off and Ratchet transformed and unsheathed his swords. Megatron was just inside the cave and I could hear him talking to Starscream. I had learned a lot about Autobot and Decepticon history to know they weren't the best of friends ranging from taking the last energon cube to assasination attempts.
But I heared a third voice, speaking with an accent. I couldn't quite understand what they were saying even with awesome Cybertronian audios because there was at least ten feet of rock between us. I heard weapons fire and moved around the corner of the cave-room entrance to see a smaller red and grey mech in the grips of Megatron. Ratchet's optics opened and he spoke in a whisper.
"I had no idea he was on earth – must've just arrived. I know that mech." Ratchet charged Megatron catching him off guard and knocking him back into the wall. He growled and pushed against the cave to level himself.
"Ha! The Autobot medic? Far from safety, aren't you?" he asked my temporary commander. The mech pulled a blaster out and fired a few shots into Megatron's tank making him studder back a few steps, then other Decepticons detained the apparent Autobot. Ratchet struggled with his neck in the servo of the 'con leader. Megatron started to interrogate the medic, asking things along the line of, 'Where are the rest of you? How did you find this location? Would you rather be a ninja or a wizard?' ... Stuff like that. Ratchet said nothing.
I couldn't let this idiot get killed to I did the only thing I could – fired my peashooter at the large grey mech holding my friend. It hit him upside the helm and he staggered in what probably felt like a sting.
"What was that?!" he bellowed.
"That was my peashooter! There are many like it, but this one is mine!" I yelled back and changed him ducking under his sword, firing more shots into his back. As he swung at me, the grey mech used it as a distraction and escaped, then turned invisible, leaving me to question that later. He appeared right behind Megatron and sliced him with all the force he could muster, severing his right arm.
He howled in pain and rushed Ratchet, stabbing him to the left of the spark with his sword. It only penetrated about a foot before both the mech and I tackled him. Just then, the other Autobots arrived bring the hurt. Seeing he was outnumbered and at a disadvantage, he grabbed his arm, transformed, and rolled out. The mech finally spoke.
"Ah, Ratch, ya didn' need ta go an' get yaself hurt. Ya coulda just punched him or somethin' like that." He spoke in a thick southern accent, almost hard to understand if you hadn't been around him for long, like me.
"Now you're an interestin' lil creature, don' reckon Ah've seen one of ya round the universe," he looked down at me.
I paused for a moment translating what he said in my helm. "I'm from the planet Conia, and am being transformed, pun intended, into a Cybertronian. You may call me Lot," I replied. "It's not like I don't want to talk, but being there's a ton of 'cons around here, we should probably be getting back to base."
"Agreed," Optimus said. "Rafael, open the Ground Bridge." A swirling portal appeared before us and we walked through. Texan looked around and decided to get acquainted with the locals. I followed him over to the kids hoping to at least catch his name.
"An' what'r these critters?" he asked. Jack spoke up.
"We're humans, uh, and this is Earth. I'm Jack." He looked rather surprised, not ever hearing a bot with an accent before. He might have just been shy, I dunno.
"Nice ta meet ya, Ah'm Jazz, but you can call me Jazz. And you'r?" he asked towards the other children. Jazz, huh, pretty sure I read about him somewhere in the history archives. I pulled out my tablet and searched his name to find he was the SIC of the Autobot troops and a caring leader.
"I'm Miko. Where are you from? From Cybertron, right? How long have you been here? Why do you talk in an accent? Were you in the South? How old are you? ... Oh. And this is Raf," she said pointing to the young boy who was giving her an annoyed look. Raf gazed up at the bot and waved a quick hello.
"Nice ta meet ya as well. Can Ah speak ta O.P.? Been awhiles since Ah last saw him," Jazz questioned.
"Sure thing. I'll give you a tour of the base later," Miko replied quickly, then ran off with Jazz following her over to Ratchet and Optimus having a conversation. Ratchet was on the med-berth with an energon cable plugged into the left his chasis after being stabbed. He had another cable attached to the right side of his spark chamber siphoning out any Synth-En that had remained when the rest of it had its exodus from his body.
"Jazz, it has been awhile," Optimus baritoned to the saboteur before giving him a short hand shake.
"I reckon it has been too many vorn, O.P. How ya been holding up with the Hatchet?" he asked the leader. After listening to conversations around the base I figured out that Hatchet was the twins', Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, name for Ratchet. He was well known for chucking wrenches at unwanted mechs or femmes when he was either working on something important, or wanted to be left alone.
"Indeed. He has not caused prolong troubles. How have you fared after the exodus of Cybertron?" he replied with a question. I read that the fall had been centi-vorns ago, so they must have been separated for quite some time.
"Ah been jumpin' around from rock ta rock for the last ten vorn or so, met some people, lost some people, been quite ta ride. Ah see you made friends with some of ta natives here?"
"Yes, but the majority had no knowledge of us. These few are three of five not counting Lotan."
"Yeah, Ah don' believe he counts bein' half 'Tronian and all. What happened ta em?"
"Do you recall the data cylinders of before Cybertron's Golden Age?" He got a quick nod. "One ejected its contents into his mind, transforming the body along with it to survive. We have yet to remove it," Optimus explained.
"Ah see. Well it's lovely talkin' ta ya, but Ah'm flat out tired. There wouldn' happen to be a small room, or even floor, Ah can lie down on is there? Ya know Ah can sleep on a rock," he continued.
"Indeed. Follow me," Optimus gestured for the mech to come with him. I watched as he led Jazz to his new quarters. I turned around to 'The Hatchet' and spoke.
"You know that mech?" He opened his optics and turned his head to speak to me. Then he paused and sat up in his berth.
"Yes. He's given me quite the trouble in past experience. Him and the twins enjoy pranking poor sparks who aren't the wiser to have a secure lock on their quarters. I wouldn't worry though, it's mostly the twins who start these things. He can give you that look and you can just tell he's trying to act innocent. That was a stupid move you pulled back in the cave. He could have just flicked you and you would have offlined." he lectured me.
"Look who's talking? 'Let's inject myself with synthetic energon! That'll go well!'. Besides, I couldn't have just let Jazz die in there," I joked.
He looked over my half blue and red painted Cybertronian body then attempted to speak. "I need to rest... go find something else to do." Yep. He was back to his old grump of a self.
I walked off to find an activity to keep me occupied.
AN:
This time, gave ya a small insight into his looks. Anyway, it hurts my eyes and fingers to type Jazz speaking, even though he is one of my favorite characters. Anyway, 'til all are one- err, next chapter