Rattrap groaned as he woke up scared shitless. Faces had swam around his mind. Faces he had long ago suppressed. The nightmare he'd had locked in what he now saw as the CR chamber had been horrible. All he wanted to do was get back to his room as quickly as he could. The door opened with a hiss and a plum of heated steam.

Cheetor grinned as Rattrap stepped out. "Rattrap!" He moved toward Rattrap arms open to give him a hug. Rattrap took a step back and held up his hands. "Hey come on RT it's me Cheetor..."

Rattrap ducked under Cheetor's arms and sprinted out of the room. He ran smack dab into Primal which sent him to the floor. "Take it easy Rattrap," Optimus said with a chuckle as he went to help the spy off the floor. He was rather startled when Rattrap scooted backwards quickly, got to his feet and turned down a corridor.

Rattrap nearly shook something loose when he flattened himself against the wall when Airazor started to walk towards him and he slid into another corridor to dodge around Tigertron. He was sprinting towards his room when he saw Dinobot. He merely elbowed the larger Pred with a "Outta my way Chopperface." He finally made it back to his quarters. He locked the door as soon as it shut and curled up on his berth, hoping that he would forget everything.

Rhinox entered the command room to see everyone there, looking rather bewildered. Well everyone except Dinobot. And Cheetor looked like he was going to cry. "What's going on?" He put down the arm load of various food stuffs he had grabbed for Rattrap. "And where is Rattrap?"

Cheetor scuffled his foot on the floor. "He came out of the chamber, and well I tried to give him a welcome back hug and he just panicked."

Rhinox listened as they each told him about Rattrap's strange reaction to their presence. However he did notice that Dinobot hadn't said anything. "Dinobot? Anything to add?"

Dinobot gave his customary growl. "If I had to make a wager... I'd say he is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome."

Rhinox paused to think this over. "It's likely..."

Optimus cut in. "We should leave him be in any case for now. Forcing our company on him might not be the best idea.." He looked at Cheetor. "And it wasn't your fault Cheetor."

"Okay Big Bot."

"But go and drop off all this..." He gestured to the small pile of various fruits Rhinox and put down.

"Gotcha!" Cheetor scooped up the food and headed off. When he got to Rattrap's room he neatly put the food down and knocked. "Yo' Rattrap. Big Bot wanted me to tell you that we've got something here for you to eat, I'll...just leave it right out here for you..." A thought accrued to him. "Oh and uh I'll drop off a cube or two...Look its really good to have you back." He paused a bit and looked around. Seeing no one he continued. "Even Dinobot was starting to worry about you. But don't tell him I said so. He'll skin me alive. So, uh, yeah. I'm gonna go, but uh, well it's good to have you back." And he left.

Rattrap remained in his room for three days, ignoring everyone who tried to talk to him. Rhinox was getting concerned. He remembered the last time Rattrap had sequestered himself like this, and it hadn't been pretty. One day he asked, "Has anyone heard him speak since he got out of the CR chamber?" Just about everyone said "No" at the same time except Dinobot.

"He told me to get out of his way," the raptor-bot said.

Rhinox just shook his head, not saying anything to his friends... Now he knew what Rattrap was doing and right now they really couldn't afford for him to turn in on himself so he went to Rattrap's room. Finding the door locked he used an override code and entered. He found Rattrap in robot mode curled up on his berth staring at the wall. "Come on Rattrap. We both know this doesn't help. Look, we can take care of this the same way we did before." Rattrap just looked at him. "Yeah I kept the blasted thing, snagged it when I found out that you were going on the exploration mission too." Rhinox smiled. "And no I'm going anywhere until you start talking. And we both know I'm more patient then you are stubborn."

And so Rhinox waited patiently, completely ignoring Rattrap's glares. Finally Rattrap lost the battle of wills. "Fine, ya wanna know... fine..." and Rattrap explained what happened. Every hit, every punch, every kick. For hours he talked to his friend. "...an' den Waspy came in got me out... an' you guys got me home...I..." He drew a shuddering breath and broke down. "I haven't been dat scared since I was attacked..." He balled up his hands into fists as cleansing fluids built up in his optics and tears ran out down his face. Rhinox went to hold his friend as he had done so often years ago when Rhinox had gotten Rattrap to admit what his problem was back when they had shared an apartment, but Rattrap nearly fell of the bed trying to avoid his arms. Then Rattrap said something that made him freeze. "...I mean really Chopperface roughed me up de other day but..." He looked up at his friend and realized that his mouth had been running without his consent again. He had only meant to think that to himself, not say it aloud.

"What are you talking about?" Rhinox asked in a dangerous voice.

Rattrap swallowed hard, no stopping his motor-mouth now. "Well...When Chopperface and I got back from da cave ting... Well we uh..." And Rattrap explained the night spent with Dinobot to Rhinox. When he was done he scrubbed his face with his hands. "...An' when I was in da ' CR chamber... It started out wit' Dinobutt... den...'dose Preds... den Megs and crew... Primus it was just a mesh..." Rattrap clutched at the ridge on his helm. "..Fuck I remembered der faces again!"

When he was done Rhinox said, "Rattrap try to get some sleep, you really need it. I'll bet you haven't slept since you got out of the CR chamber. Get to bed. Doctors orders." And with that he left. Thoughts swirled around in Rhinox's head. Cheetor having reopened an old can of worms... the cave in... Dinobot taking Rattrap roughly as a lot of Preds do... add to that his capture... a haze of red began to go over Rhinox's optics... Dinobot. He had ripped the seal right off of Rattrap... causing massive problems, causing Rattrap to remember the faces of his attackers. Faces they had worked so hard at repressing. That thought over-shadowed the rest. He would make Dinobot pay... He found the ex-Pred re-organizing the weapons room again. "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" he bellowed charging at Dinobot. His fist connected with Dinobot's chin hard enough to break one side right off of the Pred's face, knocking him out cold. But Rhinox didn't stop there. The old feelings had returned after so many years and he brutally began to work over the unconscious bot. A few minutes later the red haze lifted and he looked down at Dinobot. '...I think I may have over done it...' He leaned down to check if the bot on the floor was still functional. Seeing that Dinobot was still functional, he left to get a toolkit to repair the damage. When he returned with the toolkit and looked down at Dinobot he realized that he was still too angry to trust his hands to do repairs, so he left the kit next to the fallen warrior and left before he wound up killing him.

Some time later Rattrap exited his room. Rhinox had managed to shake him out of his funk and that had allowed him to grab a few hours nap. After his nap however Rattrap had quickly become tired of his own company so he went to find some. Maybe he'd get Rhinox in on a game of poker or something. He was looking for the tech when movement caught his optic, causing him to jump a bit. 'Okay so maybe you ain't still so good der rats,' he thought to himself as he looked for what had made the movement. He realized that it had come from the weapons room. Rattrap sighed to himself. 'Chopperface, I'll bet.' He gave a shrug and walked in. Maybe Dinobot could use a hand. Anything to not have to think about his own problems at the moment. He halted when he saw Dinobot. The bot was sitting on the floor, half scrapped and he was trying to wield part of his jaw back on. 'Why does he always have ta do shit da hard way,' Rattrap thought seeing that Dinobot hadn't taken off his helm, making it much harder to fix the jaw. "Yo' Chopperface! What da slag happened ta you?" Dinobot merely scowled at the rat. "Yeah yeah. Come 'ere I'll help ya wit' dat. You just hold dat Ginsu factory you call a jaw in place an' I'll have it welded back on in a click. Den ya can tell me how ya ended up looking dat." Rattrap took out the familiar welding torch. "Ha. Million an' one uses. Okay lets get dis helmet offa ya," Rattrap said as he began to undo the latches. When Dinobot growled he merely commented, "Yeah yeah. Stow it Bronto-Brain." He undid the last of the latches and removed the helm. After he set aside the helm he saw Dinobot's head and gasped. Scars were crisscrossed over his head, but one stood out, the Predacon symbol. It seemed to have been burned into his head. "Whoa. Where'd ya get dat? Eh never mind lets get yer jaw back on den ya can tell me." It took the better part of an hour to get Dinobot's jaw on right. Dinobot opened and closed his mouth a few times to check it but it seemed to work fine. "So ya gonna answer me or what? What da slag happened to ya?"

Dinobot growled softly to himself for a moment before saying, "I underestimated what the training room can do if you turn off the safeties."

"An' instead of lettin' da' CR chamber take care of it, you decided ta try ta fix it yerself right? What am I sayin'. 'Course I'm right." Rattrap sighed. "So where'd ya get 'does scares Chopperface?" Rattrap was idly examining the welding.

"Hellios Prime."

Rattrap dropped the welder. "What?"

"Maybe you should head back into the CR chamber if your audio-receptors are that damaged. I said Hellios Prime. I was born there, raised there. That is my home world Vermin." Rattrap could hear the pride in Dinobot's voice. "A world started by Predacon prisoners who survived on that desolate world and turned it into a home."

"Yeeeeeeesh. Yer a Hellion... I always said ya was but I didn't tink literally." Dinobot chuckled. Rattrap went on. "I've heard it's a hard...place...to...live..." His words staggered to a halt as he looked over the rest of Dinobot's injurious. He knew those fist shaped dents all to well, and it made him angry. "You liein' sack a' cold slag!" He hauled Dinobot to his feet, and handed the warrior back his helm. "Yer gettin' inta dat slaggin' R chamber."

"I don't need the CR chamber," Dinobot retorted, putting his helm back on. Yet he allowed Rattrap to half drag him along anyway. He felt a familiar prick of shame for lying, but his pride was as dented as his body.

"Yeah yeah, sure, sure," Rattrap said, tugging the reluctant Dinobot along. "So what did ya do ta piss Rhinox off dat badly?" Dinobot froze in his tracks, for a moment he thought about trying to convince Rattrap that Rhinox had nothing to do with it but he shook his head at that idea. "What Chopperface?"

"The last thing I remember hearing was 'Do you realize what you've done.'" Dinobot turned to face Rattrap fully. "What did you tell him Vermin?"

Rattrap sighed. "I told him about...uh...ya know..." Rattrap trailed off. Thinking about what he had told Rhinox. He then realized his grave yet simple omission. "Ohhh shit."

"Vermin..." Dinobot's voice had a knifes edge to it as he saw Rattrap start rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well I t'ink I may have forgotten to let em know who started everyt'in'." He looked up at Dinobot. "Hey I didn't mean ta say anyt'ing. But my mout' started talkin' wit'out may say so..."

"Of that I have no doubt."

"And I t'ink I started more towards da middle..."

"And neglected to tell him that you started it."

"Uhhh... yeah." Dinobot merely shook his head. When they got to the control room it was empty. "Alright ya slag-spoutin'-saurian. In ya get." Rattrap was furious, but not at Dinobot. Dinobot entered and the CR chamber closed. As soon as Rattrap was sure the CR chamber had shut down Dinobot he went looking for Rhinox. Predictably he found the tech head in his room. He banged on the door. "Yo' horn head!"

Rhinox was startled to hear Rattrap knocking, but he figured he knew what the rat wanted. He took out an old device and set it down on his work bench. He then opened the door and Rattrap walked in. "Rattrap..."

Rattrap cut across him like a dagger. "What da slaggin' FUCK were ya t'inkin! I SAW da marks on Chopperface! I know what da dents yer fists leave look like! Especially on ot'er bots! Did it evea' occur ta ya dat I started t'ings wit' Chopperface!"

"What?"

"You heard me! I started t'ings wit' da Scale Belly!" Rattrap caught sight of an object on Rhinox's work bench. "...An' you can take dat Memory modifier and cram it up yer exhaust pipe! I'm done runnin'. Bein wit' ol' fossil face got me ta wake up. I've been runnin'. An' frankly I'm done runnin' from my problems." He turned to leave. "Oh an' one more t'ing. If you evea lay a hand on Chopperface like dat again, you'll regret it." He looked over his shoulder and grinned darkly. "Remember what I know about you." And with that he walked out. As he left the room something was nagging at him. But he was tired again from everything so he decided to sleep on it. He opened the door to his room. It was littered with tools, parts and garbage. He made his way to his berth and laid down. As he slept a nightmare of a memory came to him. Vividly he remembered Megatron toying with one of his broken limbs. Inferno had just sucked the Predacon leader off and had left.

"Oh you simple Vermin. I can make all this stop, but you seem as stubborn as Dinobot." The Predacon tyrant chuckled and began to grow hard again, as Rattrap screamed from Megatron twisting the broken limb. "Ahhh Dinobot. Once so loyal. Almost as loyal as Inferno."

The dream shifted to another conversation. Inferno was on his knees in front of Megatron, while Megatron smashed his fist into Rattrap's body. "What would you like me to do my Queen?" Inferno asked.

"Just keep doing what you're doing Inferno, yeeesssss." He leered down at Rattrap. "Did you know Dinobot used to do this to me?" Rattrap's optics went wide. "Oh yeeesss, this and soooo much more..." And Megatron laughed evilly...

Rattrap sat bolt up-right. Now there was something he needed to talk to the raptor about.