Chapter 137

=0=Diego Garcia about the same time

Ratchet supervised the off loading of the little con then they carried him inside toward Med Bay. Mechs moved out of the way as others followed, curious about the newcomer. Little information was known yet but he'd been in Shockwave's company so it wasn't good.

Ratchet looked at the small vehicle, scanning it to get baselines on its condition before attempting anything more. He noted that it had been rewired, adapted to be a power link to mechs more his and Prime's size. The little mech was small even for a mini-con and it was rumored that the village heading for Autobot City was of this make of mini-con, small, compact, micro even and highly prized.

He finally looked though a broken window to reach inside to manually moved the cog through its process until a small blue and white mech was lying on the berth. It was off line and looked the worse for wear. Reaching for his diagnostic scanner, he plugged it and himself into the small bot and began to formulate a list of injuries, a course of treatment and repair. Behind him, Sunstreaker waited.

Bluestreak stood nearby holding a recharging Orion.

Ratchet turned to Sunny. "We need volunteers."

Sunstreaker nodded then silently walked out the door and down to the rec room. He returned with several mechs who began to donate energon for the patient. Using theirs rather than stored energon for transfusions was easier, better and faster.

Sunstreaker watched as Ratchet showed him how to take the transfusions carried out that part of the process. While he did that, Ratchet began to open the little bot and strip out the alien additions while at the same time restoring and replacing parts that should have been there all along.

=0=Silverbolt and Diego

The big jet landed several hours later and the hold door dropped. N.E.S.T. personnel claimed Nast and walked him to the Army brig nearby at N.E.S.T. HQ.

Prime rolled out along with his team and then they waited as Trailbreaker and Smokescreen brought out the mini-con on a stretcher. Lennox and Epps along with Graham walked with the bots to the Embassy, then to the conference room for the post mission debrief. Entering the building himself, Prime paused with Prowl for an update as the others continued onward.

Ironhide followed the stretcher to Med Bay. Entering, it was quiet and almost serene.

Ratchet was standing before a screen watching as data from the first mini-con scrolled past.

Ironhide looked around and saw that they were the only ones in the room beside Trailbreaker, Smokescreen and the mini-con.

Ratchet directed them to put the mini-con on another berth and he nodded to Ironhide with a smile before turning to his patient. The two big mechs waited as Ratchet did the same diagnostic process on this patient as he did the other, then he turned to them. "We're good, Smokey and Trailbreaker. Thanks."

They nodded then began to leave, slapping Ironhide on the shoulder as they passed him. He walked to Ratchet patting him on the aft. "Hey."

"Hey," Ratchet said. He leaned in and they kissed. "You didn't take Shockwave out?"

"Hard call for Prime. He's coming back in a month and we expect to net the whole lot then."

"Good," Ratchet said. "Anyone who power links mini-cons without their consent deserves to be boiled in oil."

Ironhide nodded. "Where's spud?"

"Bluestreak and Sunny have him," Ratchet replied. "They helped me a lot the past few."

"That's nice," Ironhide said rubbing Ratchet's aft with his servo. "So is this."

Ratchet smirked as he glanced over his shoulder. "I have to get these two up so that they can be monitored by someone else. Then I think you and I have a date with the berth."

"'Facing after battle," Ironhide said. "Rule number one or two. I can't remember."

Ratchet grinned. "You missed the riot."

Ironhide looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What riot?"

"Pull up a chair, Ironhide. I have such a tale to tell."

Ironhide smiled as he pulled up a stool. Sitting by the berth, he listened as Ratchet told of the Battle of The Fortress Courtyard™ and the Last Stand of the Wrecker™. By the time he was done Ironhide was chuckling and shaking his head.

"I wonder when mechs will get it through their damned processors. You don't frag with Wreckers." Ironhide shook his helm.

"Kup's still got it," Ratchet said as he ripped out a lot of unnecessary wiring from the chassis of the mini-con before him. "I wonder how many helms would explode around here if mechs knew that Perceptor was a Wrecker, too, and a damned fine one?"

Ironhide snorted. "All of them."

=0=Bluestreak and Sunstreaker

They sat on the berth together with Orion lying on his tummy between them. He flapped his arms as he looked up at them, chirping and clicking away to beat the band. They smiled and patted him, kissing him on his helm as he grinned back.

=0=Prime and Prowl

They left Ops Center at last and walked to their quarters to enter and sit together on the couch. The little mechs were elsewhere, staying with their 'Uncles' as their fathers unwound. Only after a good facing and back rub did Prowl tell Prime about Autobot City and the Fabled Riot of 2010™. He took it well Prowl thought before he disappeared into Prime's arms once more.

=0=Hound and Trailbreaker

They sat in the rec room with Silverbow on Trailbreaker's lap, the three of them catching up together. Silverbow, holding her pink bear looked at her dads, watching them as they talked about the mission. She didn't understand any of it but it never entered her processor that she wasn't the safest, most loved femme in the galaxy. She leaned against her father and watched as outside the door birds flew in the blue sky and the sun shone on the tarmac. People walked here and there across the area going about their business on her adopted home world. The terrors of her past were fading and falling away as she sat and listened to the incomprehensible conversation around her.

She was content.

=0=Ironhide and Ratchet

They walked from Med Bay together entering their quarters to fall into each others arms. A 'face and a longer conversation made the bad things go away and as Ironhide held Ratchet, talking to him and feeling content he considered himself the luckiest mech in the world. The only thing better would be Orion cuddled up against them both. That would have to wait until later. For now, the two of them together was perfect.

=0=Shockwave

He reached the Nemesis to walk inside, the crew there looking at him with curiosity. He was different than Megatron and The Fallen. He didn't strike them nor did did he yell. He was emotionless and analytical. His coldness and cruel logic were deeply feared and they worked at a higher peak with him there than they ever did with Megatron. Megatron might kill you face-to-face because an emotional outburst overtook him but with Shockwave, you never saw the knife coming.

He walked to the command deck and moved to the sensor station. He would work there all night organizing his plans and his thoughts about what would come next. As he sat in silence, he once again wondered where Megatron was. It would be good to know he thought. Loose ends were dangerous.