It was something he couldn't remember. Something important. It was bright, and it was familiar, but he didn't remember. Flashes of black and white, black and white, alternated back and forth before him. He should hurt, but he didn't. Two voices spoke to him as one, but he couldn't understand.

Two of the same voice.

One voice, filled with static, while clear as day, could not drown out the screams.

S-

Sky-

No!

No

Please

Sky, please!

Wake up!

Ratchet's optics jolted online, but he couldn't see.

He did not dream. Cybertronians did not dream. They could only sort through memories, and sometimes those memories were unpleasant.

But that was why they remembered them more vividly than the rest.

Ratchet quietly sat up, his optics adjusting to the dark as the lights were still dim. He shook his head while he let out an exasperated breath. He didn't recognize anything that had occurred in that memory. He wondered if it was a distorted memory that had been edited by an injury to his helm, but he dismissed the thought. He took a look around the room, optics resting on a form on the opposite side of the room.

Orion was still recharging on the berth, his face twisted in a troubled expression. Ratchet assumed that Orion's processor was sorting through bad memories as well, and suddenly Ratchet felt much less alone.

Ratchet stood, watching Orion for a moment longer before he spoke.

"Orion, wake up," Ratchet whispered, walking over to the spark monitor to look over the vital signs. Before Ratchet read the screen, he looked back to Orion, who hadn't moved from his position. Orion's optics flickered, but they remained closed. Ratchet frowned. "Orion, I need to preform a mandatory scan of your internals. You need to get up now."

Still no response. Ratchet blinked, leaning closer to Orion and reaching towards the sparkling's shoulder. Ratchet pulled back after a moment, blinking.

"Orion?" Ratchet said in a soft voice as he placed a hand on Orion's forehead. It was only then that he noticed Orion's labored breathing. Ratchet's optics widened in concern. "You're overheating..."

Ratchet swiftly started an uplink, not waiting for who he was contacting to respond.

"Voltlock, I need you in my quarters!" Ratchet yelled as he read over Orion's vital signs. They were dropping fast.

"Gee, Ratch'," Voltlock said, his voice slightly groggy from apparently just waking from recharge. "I didn't know you thought about me that way."

"Voltlock, get over here now!" Ratchet barked loudly, and Voltlock immediately knew that something was wrong. He dropped the uplink, leaving Ratchet to try and stabilize Orion on his own.

The door snapped open, and Voltlock ran inside, screeching to a halt when he saw what was happening. Another mech followed behind Voltlock, but Ratchet didn't notice. He was more concerned about his sparkling.

"What's wrong?" Voltlock asked rapidly, optics darting to his fellow medic.

"Ventilation isn't circulating, on the verge of stasis lock," Ratchet said as he moved Orion into a position which would make it easier to access his major veins and spark chamber if necessary. He made sure to adjust Orion's braced leg carefully, but by no means did Ratchet slow down. "Overheating, Energon evaporating from increased temperature."

Voltlock sprang into action, first turning the temperature in the room down dramatically. He shivered, but he didn't care. Voltlock ran over to Orion, placing his hands on the sparkling's neck. He grimaced, noting that there was barely any air flow moving through Orion's vents. There was no visible blockage, so the problem was internal.

The spark monitor continued beeping, slower each time, until it remained one tone. Movement in the room stopped, and all heads turned to stare in horror at the flatlining sparkling laying dormant on the berth. Ratchet slowly shook his head.

No.

Ratchet knew that he had to do something that he never wanted to do. He hurriedly swiped his defibrillator off of the nearby desk, yelling for Voltlock to stand back. He raised the defibrillator over his charge's chest, hearing it buzz as it charged, and thrust it down. There was a loud crackle of electricity and Orion stiffened from the shock.

His vital signs still laid straight, no response. Fear quickly began taking control of Ratchet as he waited for the defibrillator to charge again. After what seemed like forever, another buzz resounded from the defibrillator, and Ratchet brought it down again, praying that it would work. He couldn't lose Orion. He couldn't.

Ratchet waited. He waited for some kind of sign that his sparkling was going to be alright. But, as the moments passed, and his charge lay still and silent on the berth, his hands slowly dropped to his sides.

Voltlock watched Orion in shock, then he slowly glanced up at Ratchet, voice barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry."

Ratchet stared at Orion, optics wide in denial. He slowly shook his head. Orion looked lifeless as he laid there, expression twisted into one of pain.

No.

Please.

Ratchet's own spark began to ache. His patient, his charge, his sparkling. Orion. Ratchet took a shaky breath, optics shut tightly. He knew that the defibrillator wasn't going to revive Orion. There was nothing to flow through his viens.

There was nothing to flow through his viens.

Ratchet's optics flew open and he spun around towards the desk. He rushed up to it, reaching into a compartment and pulling out something he had placed there a long time ago, when his sparkling first refueled in his arms. Ratchet ran back over to Orion, a small needle of Energon in his hands.

Ratchet grabbed Orion's arms and stabbed the needle into the sparkling's wrist, carefully injecting the Energon into his systems. After Orion had more energy inside of him, Ratchet immediately took the defibrillator into his hands, and after hearing a loud buzz, he thrust it down.

The defibrillator caused Orion to tense up again. Electricity trailed up and down his frame. Ratchet took a step back and waited.

Please.

The spark monitor beeped.

Ratchet's optics darted to it, and he stayed as silent as he possibly could, hoping he heard what he thought he heard.

It beep again, then again, faster and faster before it was at normal pace.

Ratchet took a step away from his charge, relief washing over him. Orion was stable, for now. Ratchet practically tossed the defibrillator back onto the desk. He looked over to Voltlock, who looked extremely conflicted with his emotions. Ratchet's optics then gazed past Voltlock, and he frowned at who he saw.

Tanker was standing behind Voltlock, making sure to stay out of the way. He was watching Orion with what appeared to be concern, though Ratchet couldn't be certain. Ratchet's optics narrowed slightly. Something about Tanker was unnerving him, but he didn't know why.

Voltlock noticed Ratchet's expression, and spoke up. "I called Tanker back to the Medical Center a few Breems ago. We were discussing what had happened to Orion in the power station."

Ratchet didn't say anything. He just looked back to his charge, who appeared to be unconscious. Ratchet, looked over to the spark monitor with a puzzled expression on his faceplate. It didn't alert him. If something happened to Orion, it should have alerted him. But it remained silent, and the only way Ratchet found out that something was wrong was when he tried to wake the sparkling up.

Ratchet sat down on his own berth and rubbed both hands over his face. He spoke quietly to calm himself down. "He's fine..."

Voltlock heard his fellow medic, and slowly shook his head, voice barely above a whisper. "No, he isn't."

With that, Voltlock turned around, walking out of the room and heading down the halls. He had to go speak with someone important.

Ratchet sat silently on the berth, alternating between watching Orion and looking down at the floor. Orion was safe. Orion was alright. But he almost lost him. Ratchet knew that he wouldn't be able to bear it if he lost Orion. Orion was his sparkling, and he would do anything for him. Never before had Ratchet been willing to sacrifice his very life for someone. Orion meant everything to him. Ratchet couldn't lose him.

He felt a reassuring hand rest on his shoulder. Ratchet glanced up, surprised, then he realized that Tanker was still there. Tanker looked over to Orion, then back to Ratchet.

"I wouldn't worry, doctor," Tanker said with a small smile. "He'll be in capable hands."

Before Ratchet could comment on what Tanker had said, the 'mechanic' had exited through the open door, which shut swiftly behind him. And once again, Ratchet was left alone with his thoughts.

He felt terrible. He almost lost his sparkling. He blamed himself. He didn't even need a reason for it, his sparkling almost offlined, and if Ratchet hadn't gotten there in time-

Ratchet heard the door open, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked towards the entrance, and saw Voltlock standing in the doorway. Ratchet barely acknowledged him, looking back to his charge to make certain that he was still alright.

Voltlock watched Ratchet coldly, and almost snapped at him when he sent him such a disrespectful glance, but deflated when he saw the look on his fellow medic's faceplate. He looked completely exhausted, not physically, but emotionally. Ratchet's expression was blank, but his optics were glowing with guilt and sadness.

And so, Voltlock said nothing, just standing there, supporting by telling Ratchet without speaking that he was not alone.

The door opened once again, but Ratchet didn't look up. Someone stood there for a moment, before speaking. "Ratchet, someone wants to speak with you at the main terminal."

With that, the speaker left, and the door shut on it's own. There were a few Kliks of silence before Ratchet finally looked up at Voltlock fully. Voltlock's expression was completely stern. Ratchet looked back at Orion for a moment, then he stood up. "Will you watch over him?"

Voltlock nodded, still saying nothing. He stepped out of the way, so Ratchet could get through. Ratchet glanced at Orion one last time, then he walked out of his quarters.

Ratchet remembered walking the same way before, when he was brought down to meet Orion for the first time. The tiniest hint of a smile crept onto Ratchet's faceplate. Orion had been so small.

Ratchet soon reached the room where the main terminal resided. It looked the same as it had before. Ratchet walked into the center of the room and activated the terminal. A figure built from light flashed online before him. Ratchet blinked, surprised at the form that the light had created. The figure towered over him, and spoke with a deep voice. "Medic Ratchet."

Their voice was cold and disapproving. They stared down at Ratchet, and even though they were a figment of light, their optics looked liked they could burn straight through him. Before Ratchet could reply, the Guild Member spoke once again.

"The Guilds of Cybertron have summoned you," They said, "Your presence is required immediately."

They ended the transmission before Ratchet could respond. He stood there for a Klik, wondering what he could have done to receive such a hostile request. He shook his head, then turned and left the room. He only made his way down the hallways for a moment before he reached the exit. Ratchet walked out of the Medical Center, optic ridges narrowing in thought.

He was tempted to check up on Orion. He wanted to uplink Voltlock and see if Orion was alright, but he decided against it. Ratchet trusted Voltlock, and knew that his fellow medic wouldn't let anything happen to his charge.

The path Ratchet followed was now unnervingly familiar to him. He didn't hesitate, or wonder if he was going in the right direction, because he already knew. It didn't take long for him to reach the door, the entrance to the Guilds of Cybertron. The door slid open with a screech, and the dark tunnel before him beckoned him to enter. Ratchet stepped into the passage, and once he was inside, Ratchet paused. He turned and looked at the doorway, which remained wide open, as if reluctant to leave Ratchet inside. Ratchet watched the door for a moment longer, then he dismissed it as a glitch and continued down the tunnel.

It seemed darker than it was the last time he had walked through the passage, the light at the end of the tunnel almost nonexistent. Even the clicks and buzzes of metal in the walls were dull. Ratchet didn't think too much about it, as he had more pressing matters on his processor. For example, what the Guilds wanted from him, and Orion's state of health.

Ratchet saw the doorway that lead to the main chamber, and the guard who stood in front of it. The guard watched Ratchet with a frown, before opening the door without asking for identification. Ratchet raised an optic ridge, but said nothing, only stepping into the opened door, which slammed shut behind him.

Even the lighting of the room seemed dimmer than it should have. Ratchet was beginning to think that his optics were malfunctioning, but a quick internal check of his systems revealed that they were working at optimum efficiency. His steps slowed, but he continued forward until he was standing in the center of the room.

The Guilds of Cybertron looked down at him, waiting for a moment before one of them began to speak.

"Do you know why you have been summoned?" The Guild Member questioned, voice stern.

Ratchet paused, then replied. "I do not."

No one said anything for a long while. The Guilds of Cybertron watched Ratchet, clearly judging him, but not for any reason Ratchet could think of. Ratchet shifted under the weight if the Guild Members stares. He didn't know what they were waiting for, but he knew that it couldn't be that bad. Everything that the Guilds forced him to do had always been for the best.

He had Orion. If it wasn't for the Guilds of Cybertron, Orion wouldn't be his. Life would have gone on as it had before, where he lived in constant guilt over the death of someone he cared for. The Guilds of Cybertron had given him someone to protect, to care for and give a home, and the small sparkling grew into someone who healed the medic's broken spark.

No matter what the Guilds had prepared for him, Ratchet believed that he would make it through, as long as he had that young sparkling by his side.

"Recent events lead us to believe," A Guild Member finally spoke, voice deep and devoid of emotion. "That you are unfit to care for Orion Pax."

That sentence shattered whatever confidence Ratchet had left.

"You have one Orbital Cycle to prepare Orion Pax for relocation," The Guild member concluded.

Ratchet stared forward, not really seeing what was in front of him. The words spoken had made him completely numb to everything around him.

They were going to take him. They were going to take Orion away from him.

Ratchet wished there was something he could do to stop it. If he could do anything, he would, but the Guilds had made their decision.

There was nothing Ratchet could do.

Ratchet glanced down momentarily, then back up at the member of the Guilds. "What will happen to him?"

"He will be placed into another Cybertronian's care," The Guild member replied, gesturing behind Ratchet to someone who had been in the chamber the whole time, staying quietly in the shadows. Ratchet turned to look at the Cybertronian he hadn't known was there, as they stepped out of the darkness and into the open.

Ratchet opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

Tanker stood at the other end of the room, watching Ratchet with false sympathy. He was clearly trying to prevent a smirk from creeping onto his faceplate. He slowly walked towards Ratchet, expression remaining the same. "Hello again, doctor."

Ratchet's voice had left him. He couldn't form a response for the mech that approached him with a sadistic smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth.

Another Guild Member spoke up. "Miner Tanker has experience with acting as a caretaker for a sparkling, as he had been assigned to temporarily watch D-16 for an Orn after a mine collapse. Orion Pax will be in capable servos."

Ratchet didn't register the unintentional jab at his ability to watch over his charge. He didn't register the mention of Tanker's previous charge. He only heard the first word the Guild Member had spoken. Miner. Miner.

Tanker had said he was a mechanic.

"Like I told you before, doctor," Tanker said as he stopped a few steps away from the medic. "He'll be in capable hands."

Ratchet couldn't formulate anything intelligent to say. The only thing he managed to say was just above a whisper. "You."

Tanker's smirk only grew, and he looked as if he wanted to reply, but then he got a better look at Ratchet's expression and he frowned, in what appeared to be a mixture of disappointment and annoyance. The smile quickly returned, though, and Tanker gave Ratchet a curt nod of acknowledgement before he turned around and began walking away.

Before Ratchet could say anything else, Tanker was already half way across the room, heading back into the shadows. He turned his head slightly as he walked to flash Ratchet another smirk before he left through an exit Ratchet had never noticed before.

The medic stayed standing there for a Klik, then he realized that he had been dismissed. Ratchet walked back to the entrance, with it's doors wide open. Once he walked through, the doors shut behind him. The guard watched him with disdain, but said nothing. Ratchet stood there momentarily, then he started back through the passage way.

The tunnel looked pitch black to him, but he still knew where he was going. The metal in the walls had gone completely silent, or Ratchet was unable to hear them. His processor was unable to grasp what was going on. Suddenly, there was light.

The door was still open. In most cases, Ratchet would think about how it was probably malfunctioning, but he was too focused on what he had just been told. He walked outside, but he didn't stop. He continued towards the Protihex Medical Center, unable to see any of the other Cybertronians who walked past him.

Ratchet stepped into the Medical Center, and began walking down the halls. The other medics paid him no mind, but he didn't notice. He made his way through the halls, knowing exactly where he was going without really knowing where he was. He couldn't believe that one sentence the Guilds of Cybertron had said could have affected him so much.

Perhaps it was because that one sentence was going to destroy what meant the most to him.

"Hey, Ratchet," A voice called from behind the medic, yanking him from his thoughts. Ratchet stopped and turned around to see who had spoken, spying Voltlock walking towards him.

Ratchet frowned. "I thought you said you were going to watch over Orion."

"I know. I made sure he was alright before I left. I just..." Voltlock paused to think of a good way to say what he wanted to say. "I thought you might need someone to talk to."

Ratchet expression didn't change. He didn't reply, just waiting for Voltlock to finish so he could get back and see his charge for what may be the very last time. Voltlock looked slightly sympathetic, and he took a step towards his fellow medic.

"It's for the best, Ratch'" Voltlock said, trying to light the mood with his fellow medic's nickname. He gave a small smile, trying to make Ratchet feel better. "He'll be alright without you. He's a smart kid."

Ratchet was almost calmed down by what Voltlock had said, until he realized what exactly had been said to him. Voltlock knew. There was no way Voltlock couldn't have known, unless he was there, or someone told him, or he was the one who-

Ratchet froze.

"You..." Ratchet said, voice barely above a whisper before raising dramatically. "You did this?"

"There was nothing else I could do," Voltlock replied, smile immediately disappearing.

Ratchet tried to stay calm. He really did, but the thought of losing someone else completely drowned out whatever rational thoughts formed in his processor. He tightened his fists and almost went completely rigid. "They are going to take him. Once Tanker gets custody of Orion, I will never be able to see him again!"

"Ratchet," Voltlock said, placing his hands on Ratchet's shoulders to keep his fellow medic facing him. "He isn't safe with you."

Ratchet was about to respond, when Voltlock's words sunk in and he slowly unclenched his fists, leaving his arms limp at his sides. Whatever comeback he had in his vocalizer had left, and wouldn't allow any other sentence to form. His optics gazed directly at his fellow medic, but he was unable to see him. He looked down, the situation he was in finally beginning to overwhelm him.

"My main concern is Orion," Voltlock continued, internal fans activating from the stress. "I am not going to stand around and just wait for that kid to get seriously injured, maybe even offline, because you don't know what you're doing! Do you not understand?"

Ratchet had lost the will to fight, each of Voltlock's words stabbing deep into his spark. But, even though the words pained him, Ratchet could not bring himself to get angry. He couldn't bring himself to feel anything at all. He felt like his circuitry had been severed, leaving him entirely numb.

Voltlock waited for a response, then huffed in annoyance. "I can't believe you."

He spun around, walking away from the distraught medic, leaving him standing alone in the halls.

Ratchet stood there for almost a Breem in the empty hallway, before he began making his way forward, towards where he needed to go. The walk seemed longer than it should have, partially because Ratchet was so focused on what was happening to his charge, and partially because he walked much slower than he intended to.

Voltlock had told the Guilds of Cybertron everything. How it was in the beginning, where Ratchet had yelled at the poor sparkling, when Orion had run away, when Orion got hurt in the underground, and when Orion almost offlined. He must have agreed that Tanker should look after Orion, as Tanker seemed to know ahead of time. But all Ratchet wanted to know was why. Why Voltlock would do such a thing, why he would believe Tanker when the 'mechanic' said that it was the sparkling's fault, why he would remove his charge from his care, Ratchet didn't understand.

Orion meant so much to him, and Ratchet wondered if that was making him blind to what others could see clearly. Perhaps Orion would be better off if he had never been placed in his care in the first place.

Ratchet blinked when he realized that he was trembling. He paused, then took a breath to calm himself down. His shaking slowed, then he got a good look at where he was, and found that he was at the entrance of his shared quarters. Ratchet stayed still for a moment, composing himself so he wouldn't worry his charge, before the automatic doors slid open and he stepped inside.

Ratchet's optics immediately looked to Orion, who had woken up, and Ratchet's spark ached when he saw the state the sparkling was in.

Orion smiled weakly at his caretaker, relieved that he was there. "Ratchet."

Ratchet tried very hard not to wince at the sparkling's speech. Orion's voice was filled with static, and sounded completely worn out. His breathing was still labored, but not as severely as before. His colors were slightly faded, and his optics glowed dimly, flickering. His expression was tired, though there was happiness clear on his faceplate. The leg brace he had been wearing was gone, apparently having been removed while Ratchet wasn't there.

Ratchet had to keep himself from shaking. "Hello, Orion."

Orion's smile grew. Ratchet walked over to the sparkling, taking a seat at the foot of the berth. Orion let out a weak cough, but his smile still remained. He looked exhausted, but he didn't want to rest.

Ratchet sat there with his arms crossed, still trying to make sense of everything, even though he already understood. He just didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe that his sparkling wasn't going to be there anymore.

He shut his optics. He didn't know if Orion knew what was happening. Voltlock knew, so he might have told Orion while Ratchet was talking to the Guilds of Cybertron, but Orion wasn't acting like someone who was about to leave the only home he's ever had. Though, Ratchet knew that individuals dealt with grief differently. Some laugh. Some cry. Some seek revenge against the ones they believe wronged them. But, there were also those who blocked the pain off and went along as if everything was alright, even when they knew it wasn't.

Ratchet almost dozed off, but before he could drift into recharge, he remembered something that made his optics snap open in shock.

The wireless communicator.

It didn't alert him to Orion's condition. The spark monitor registered the sparkling's state, but Ratchet didn't know why it didn't show it.

Ratchet stood up, walking over to the spark monitor resting beside his charge's berth. Ratchet stepped behind it, opening the back panel, and ran his scanner over it's internal components to see if anything was damaged. The light of his scanner stayed blue, then flashed red. Ratchet's arm returned to normal, then he carefully reached towards what seemed out of place.

One slab of metal stick out in an awkward position, bent at an angle that seemed out of place. Ratchet gently pushed the metal slab back into place, and the spark monitor beeped cheerfully, and Ratchet was suddenly bombarded with alerts, each stating Orion's condition at the times they should have been received.

The oldest one was sent when Orion's vitals had lowered before raising back to normal. The next few listed Orion's temperature and vitals steadily declining. The most recent was of Orion's vitals at a critical low, on the verge of flatlining.

Ratchet suppressed a shudder at the very thought of what could have happened if he hadn't woken up in time.

Ratchet slowly closed the back panel, then walked back over to Orion's berth, taking a seat next to his charge. He leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, optics closed, enjoying Orion's company for as long as he could.

Orion stayed laying down for a moment, then he slowly sat up. He crawled over to Ratchet, taking hold of his caretaker's hand. Ratchet blinked, then looked down. He paused, then smiled, gently picking Orion up and holding him close. Orion nuzzled into Ratchet's chest as Ratchet closed his optics once again.

The silence returned, and they stayed in that position. There was no noise for such a long period of time that Ratchet wondered if Orion had fallen into recharge, before he heard a voice.

"Ratchet," Orion said, voice just above a whisper. Ratchet didn't reply, only nodding in acknowledgement for the sparkling to continue. Orion hesitated, then asked his question. "Who is Skylight?"

Ratchet opened his optics, eyeing Orion inquisitively. "Where did you hear that name?"

Orion merely shrugged. "I read it on the datapad. She got hurt in a mining accident."

Ratchet said nothing. The sparkling on his chest shifted his position so he could see the medic's face clearly.

"Ratchet," Orion continued, voice still quiet. He frowned, optics glancing towards the floor. "She got hurt really bad."

Ratchet still didn't respond. He didn't know how he could. He didn't know what he could say. He wondered why Orion would even bring that up.

"A lot of lives were hurt then. Some of them were killed or damaged. Their families hurt because the ones they cared about were hurt," Orion continued, hugging his caretaker tighter. "I don't want you to hurt, Ratchet."

Ratchet shuddered again, quickly trying to still himself. He swallowed, slowly caressing his sparkling's back in an attempt to calm himself down.

Orion looked back up at Ratchet pleadingly, voice wavering as his emotions began to take over. "You're not going to let them take me away, right?"

Ratchet tried to mask the pain he felt in his spark. He held the sparkling closer. His expression was stern, but his voice wavered under the weight of his own words. "No, I'm not."

Orion looked up at Ratchet, hopeful. "You promise?"

Ratchet almost immediately said no, but he paused and viewed Orion with thoughtful optics. Orion had a small smile on his face, and that smile quickly reminded Ratchet that Orion was still an innocent sparkling. There was no way he could understand how the laws of Cybertron worked. He wasn't able to chose if Orion could stay with him or not, but he wouldn't tell him that. The last thing Ratchet wanted to do was destroy the last shred of hope the sparkling had.

But he couldn't lie.

Ratchet shook his head.

Orion's expression fell, and he looked away.

Ratchet didn't know what he could say to cheer the sparkling up. Ratchet was the only family Orion had ever known. He didn't know what would happen to Orion once he was gone, and that is what frightened him the most. He wouldn't know if his sparkling was alright. Ratchet began caressing Orion's back soothingly once again. He gradually stopped, frowning lightly as he looked down at his charge. He paused, which got his sparkling's attention, then he spoke.

"Orion, I have to go to the refueling station to get you an Energon cube," Ratchet said. "I'll be back in a few Kliks. Will you be alright?"

Orion smiled softly, and nodded. "I'll be fine. I promise I'll stay here."

Ratchet returned the smile, sadly. Orion snuggled deeper into Ratchet's chest, his smile beginning to falter. He held tighter onto his caretaker, reluctant to let go.

Ratchet gently placed Orion back onto the berth, and he stood back up, stepping towards the exit of his quarters. The door opened, and he stopped. Ratchet turned back around to face his charge, who watched him sadly. They locked optics for what seemed like an eternity, before Ratchet reluctantly pried his optics away, stepping through the door. As Ratchet walked away, the door remained open for a moment longer before it silently closed.

Orion would refuel on the Energon, then most likely fall into recharge. Ratchet would probably join him, but not until he finished the report of Orion's final treatment. Later on, he would have to prepare Orion for the transfer. Tanker would be coming to take Orion away during the next Orbital Cycle.

Ratchet reeled, suddenly needing to steady himself. The realization of what happening almost sent him to his knees.

He was going to lose Orion.

Ratchet let out a shaky breath as he entered the refueling station. His optics gazed to the glowing blue cubes that rested in a pile. The Energon sorter was not there. Ratchet didn't think too hard about his absence. The sorter could have left to recharge, and forgot to get someone to monitor the stockpile. Ratchet didn't care.

Ratchet moved towards the stockpile to pick up an Energon cube himself before he saw something in the corner of his optic and he paused midstep. He turned and looked to the other end of the room, which was oddly dark. He tried to make out what he was seeing before his optics widened. He could see the limp form of the Energon sorter against the farthest wall. Ratchet's medical instincts kicked in, and he stepped towards the sorter to see if he was injured.

Something hit him.

Ratchet fell hard onto the floor, audio receptors buzzing from the sudden impact to the back of his helm. He tried to get up, but another whack against his head disoriented him, sending him down once again. His vision began to blur.

He tried to stand, to turn and see what was attacking him, but something hit him again and again, relentless.

Darkness consumed him.