> We Need A Medic
>  by Onomonopia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Call
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A dozen young teenagers sat side by side next to each other in a field not too far from the main high school in their town, talking with each other or checking their phones as they waited for the first class of their summer lessons to begin. None of them were there because of bad grades, though some were in the red, nor were they there because of a punishment. Each of them was there of their own free will. Except for a girl with pink hair, who hadn't really had any other options.

Fluttershy sat by herself with her chin resting on her hands, watching the birds as they flew by overhead. She sighed longingly as she watched them soar, wishing to herself that she could be in a summer class that was working with small animals. In the previous couple of years, Fluttershy had spent every summer taking classes that her school offered that revolved around taking care of animals. But this years the fates had been cruel to her and landed her in the situation she was currently in.

'It could be worse, though. At least this class is small in number and doesn't have me needing to talk that much,' Fluttershy thought to herself as she glanced at the other teens. 'I just wish that some of my friends would have joined up with me. It's lonely being all by myself.'

'Twilight's off at a book camp, Rainbow Dash is having fun at the beach and Pinkie is taking a road trip with her family. Applejack's working and Rarity hates dealing with blood. And who knows what Sunset is up to,' Fluttershy thought to herself with a dejected sigh.

But all thoughts of her friends were banished from her mind as a siren chirped. The sound of the siren ceased all talks amongst the teens and even managed to pry their eyes from their portable screens. All teens turned their heads towards the road, where a group of three ambulances were driving towards their location. The teens rose to their feet and ran over to where the ambulance were parking, while Fluttershy continued to sit and watch from a distance.

Three adults stepped out of the now parked ambulances and greeted the teens, who were all trying to get a closer look at the red and white vehicles. Fluttershy gave the ambulances a quick glance over, but aside from knowing how important they were to saving lives, she only saw them as bigger cars that made loud noises. The instructors for their class began to talk to the students gathered around the vehicles, pointing to the vehicles and telling the group numerous facts about the red and white transports. Fluttershy chose instead to focus on a small squirrel that was running across the field.

"Still off by yourself?" Fluttershy tore her eyes away from the small mammal, glancing up to see her instructor, a nurse named Carol, looking down at the girl. Fluttershy moved her hair over her face and chose to look anywhere that wasn't where the teacher was. "Fluttershy, this is your third class with us and yet you choose not to interact with the group. It's almost like you don't want to be here."

"No, that's not true...it's just..." Fluttershy weakly stammered out, before choosing to look away once more. The instructor let out a sigh before she sat down next to the girl, pulling out her phone and opening Fluttershy's information.

"Let's see here. You go to Canterlot High, have pretty decent grades and have spent the past couple of summers in any summer course that would allow you to work with animals," Carol said, glancing at Fluttershy to see if she would add any facts. "Well from the sound of your information it seems that you would rather be in one of the veterinary classes than here with us. Why did you sign up for this class?"

"Because my teachers told me that I had already done all of the summer classes that I wanted to sign up for," Fluttershy admitted bitterly. "I was perfectly willing to take the classes again, but they said that couldn't happen. I was also just as fine staying at home and reading. But the summer credits have been helping my resume and my teachers believed that it would be best for me to expand my horizons this summer. So here I am."

"Ah, so you want to work with animals when you grow up, huh?" Carol asked Fluttershy. Fluttershy nodded in reply, before drawing up her knees and wrapping her arms around them.

"Yeah, I love working with the little guys. I've always had a connection with them and can't stand to see them get hurt. So I've done my best to become a vet, so that I can save them," Fluttershy revealed. "That's why this course was suggested to me. Since I cared so much about saving animals lives, my teachers and parents thought that maybe I'd like to learn a little bit about how to save human life."

"I see. Sorry that you got stuck with us."

"Oh I don't mean to say that what you guys do isn't important. It's a brave and noble job. It's just not...me," Fluttershy quickly stammered out. Carol gave Fluttershy a smile before she rose back up to her feet, glancing over to see that the crowd around the ambulances had cleared out and now the students were off to the side talking with the other two teachers. 

"Well I can't do anything about you getting stuck with us, but I can promise that if you give this a try, maybe I can help you learn a thing or two. Never know when the information you learn here might come in handy," Carol offered to Fluttershy. Fluttershy thought it over for a moment before she sighed and rose up to her feet. She dusted off her skirt before she followed Carol over to the ambulances.

The moment the pair of them got close to the vehicles Fluttershy could tell that there was something different about the vehicles. One of the ambulances looked like a car, while another one looked like a van. But it was the final ambulance that gained Fluttershy's eyes, as this one was far bigger than the other two and seemed to have far more features, though what those features were she couldn't tell.

"I see that you've already picked out some differences. Most people think of this guy here when they think of an ambulance, but there are actually several different models," Nurse Carol said to Fluttershy as she patted the side of the truck style of ambulance. "We have everything from cars to ATVs and even a couple of boats. But this guy here is the tried and true ambulance that most are familiar with."

"And what about this one?" Fluttershy asked as she gazed at the third rescue vehicle. Upon a closer inspection Fluttershy could see that not only was this ambulance bigger than the other two, but it also seemed to be coated in layers of armor that made it look like a vehicle meant for war.

"This is a newer model, something that the government has been working on," Carol told Fluttershy. "War zones and natural disasters have people that need saving, but a lot of the times the risk is high to the first responders as well. These new models are designed to be able to go into these hot zones while providing protection for those inside."

"That sounds dangerous," Fluttershy thought to herself, running her fingers along the side of the ambulance.

"Well, this can be a very dangerous job. But someone has to do it. And there's no greater reward than helping to save someone's life," Carol told Fluttershy. Fluttershy took a moment to respond, for while Carol was talking her hand had ran over a small symbol that she didn't recognize. It looked like a small face, but of what she couldn't make out. "Well?"

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Fluttershy asked Carol, snapping out of her thoughts.

"I asked if you would want to rid along with me at our next class?" Carol asked Fluttershy. Fluttershy lowered her head and thought about it for a moment. Carol must not have liked the look of Fluttershy's face, for a moment later she sighed. "How about this. You give this a chance, an honest chance, and if you still don't like this class I will have you transferred to one of the animal care classes that you love so much. Sound like a deal?"

"I...suppose that wouldn't hurt," Fluttershy replied meekly. Carol seemed to seemed to be happy with the answer and her smile reflected that.

"Perfect. Just wait for me here after the next class on Saturday and you can ride along with me," Carol said, before she turned her head back to the rest of the class. "Now that we have that sorted out, how about we go back over and join the group. They're talking about how to resuscitate a person."

Fluttershy hid behind her hair once more and Carol took the hint, smiling to Fluttershy kindly before she turned and walked away to join the rest of the class. Fluttershy watched her go, sighing in relief when Carol was out of earshot. 

"I don't know about this," Fluttershy said aloud as she leaned against the ambulance, gazing up at the sky once more where the birds were flying around. "They seem nice and all, but this isn't what I want to do. I want to help the small creatures of the world that can't help themselves. I should be out there helping animals, not standing next to a bunch of trucks with people I don't know."

Fluttershy then sighed once more as she lowered her head, only to catch something out of the corner of her eye that didn't belong. She lifted her head to the top of a nearby building, which had nothing atop it. 'But for a moment I thought I saw something. Like a bird, but it was...metal?'

Carol called over Fluttershy and Fluttershy returned her thoughts to where she was. She pushed herself off of the ambulance and walked over to the rest of the group, never noticing that the ambulance seemed to be watching her the entire time. Once she was out of sight, the ambulance adjusted one of its mirrors to look at the spot where Fluttershy had been staring. For a long moment it waited to see if there was anything above the buildings, but when nothing happened the vehicle centered its mirror once more, convinced that it was just its imagination.
> The Call (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a sigh Fluttershy laid the book she had been reading upon the bedstand next to her bed, a book given to her by Carol that was about rescue crews and the different tasks they did. She stretched out her arms, a yawn escaping from her mouth as moonlight entered in through her open window. She turned her head towards the moon lit sky, bathing her face with the light of the stars while a summer's breeze floated into her room. Fluttershy reached over to the lamp at her bedside and turned the switch, turning off the light in her room.

Fluttershy laid onto her back and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep as quickly as possible to prepare for her big day tomorrow. Yet try as she might to fall into slumber, her brain had plenty of ideas that it wanted to discuss with her first. All of the information that she had read about in the book swirled around in her mind, causing the teen to think of what she would look like in the uniforms that first responders wore. Those ideas quickly faded from her thoughts only to be replaced with how nervous she felt about being inside one of the giant, metal vans that she had only seen around accidents.

But then her thoughts wandered off the beaten path and went to a darker place. She thought back to the metal bird that she was certain that she had seen. Fluttershy had a near encyclopedic knowledge of animals and knew for certain that there was no animal living that resembled anything close to what she had seen. At least, not in her world. 

'But if that was a creature that came from Equestria...'

BUZZ!

Fluttershy peeked her eyes opened and rolled her head to the side to see that her phone had buzzed. She glanced at her clock to see that it was far too late for her friends to be texting her, telling her either it was an emergency or Rainbow Dash was bored out of her mind. She assumed the later. Not wanting to be rude, she grabbed her phone and turned it on, a smirk crossing her face when she saw the text was indeed from Dash.

'Hey, you guys still up?' Dash's text said in group chat.

'Well I am now. What is it?' Applejack replied.

'Just seeing how you guys are doing. After all, friends are supposed to care about one another after all.'

'You're bored.'

'SSSSOOOOO bored! It's been raining non-stop here!'

'Well I know that I'm having the time of my life!' Pinkie interjected. 'We're playing count the red cars and we're nearly in the hundreds!'

'How long has your family been driving?' Fluttershy responded.

'Only about thirteen hours today. There's so much that's happened! We saw a family of birds fly overhead, a semi-truck with cows drove with us for a while. We even got to see a thunderstorm in the distance! Though we had to stop for a little bit when Limestone tried to open the door with her head. Said something about relieving the boredom or something like that.'

'...are you still driving?'

'You know it! Oh my gosh, the hundredth red car! YAY!'

'So what's up with you guys,' Rainbow texted. 'Anything interesting happening while I'm away?'

'Not much. Work. More work.'

'I'm going to be riding in an ambulance tomorrow,' Fluttershy added.

'That sounds cool! Think they'll let you play with the sirens?'

'I hope not,' Fluttershy replied, before a thought came to her. 'Hey, has anybody heard from Sunset recently? She hasn't contacted us at all in the past week. Think something might be up?'

'Eh, the scouts camp she volunteered at is pretty out in the woods, so I wouldn't be surprised if they had zero bars. Maybe she lost her phone or a bear ate it or something like that.'

'Like the time we went to the zoo and you dropped your phone in the gator pit? And we could hear your solo song playing from inside of the gator's stomach?'

'You're never going to let me live that one down, are you?'

'Nope.'

'Well, I hope she's alright. I'd hate anything to happen while she was out there,' Pinkie added in.

'I think she's the lucky one. Surrounded by so much nature and all of those animals. I'd give anything to be in her position,' Fluttershy said, adding a frowny face to show her feelings.

'Come on Shy, you get to ride around in a giant truck that blares a siren that makes everyone get out of your way. Sounds awesome!'

'Maybe to you...hey, have any of you guys seen anything...different around town lately?'

'How would I? I'm at the beach?'

'I mean, Applejack, have you seen anything out of the ordinary?'

'Can't say I have, but I haven't been that far from the farm lately. Why, think we've got some visitors from Equestria paying us a visit?'

'Can't say for certain, but I thought I saw something the other day...I'm sure it was nothing.'

'Well keep an eye out and let me know if anything strange pops up. I'm going back to bed. Night ya'll.'

The conversation wrapped up after that, prompting Fluttershy to turn off her phone. She set it atop her book on the bedstand, before turning over and wrapping herself in her covers. After talking to her friends she felt sleepy, allowing her to close her eyes and begin to drift off.

Yet she couldn't fall asleep that fast. In a last ditch effort to keep her awake her brain made her think of Sunset and the metal bird that she had seen. Why hadn't Sunset contacted any of them? She wasn't the type to leave her friends high and dry. And what was that metal bird? Was it a creature from Equestria? Or was it something else, something that even Equestria didn't know about.

Then the dreams took hold.

[(o)]

'This is way too early.'

That was the only thought that allowed itself to cross Fluttershy's sleepy mind as she walked towards the high school. She had received a text from Carol at five in the morning, telling her that due to work reasons she would have to move up their time to earlier in the day. Fluttershy had been tempted to say no, but she figured that Carol was working hard and that the lady was taking time out of her day to try to show Fluttershy the cool things about her job.

It was only right that Fluttershy tried to make as much of an effort in return.

'You're doing this for the animals Fluttershy. You'll see what she has to offer, drive around in the ambulance for a bit, then respectfully ask to be transferred to the animal care summer class,' Fluttershy thought to herself, started to wake up as the world around her came to life as well.

Birds began to chirp overhead, calling out to all that the day had officially started. Within minutes of the birds calling out small critters began to scamper around, eager to get a head start on their day. Squirrels ran from yard to yard, looking for any sign of food. They perked up as she walked by, but aside from a smile and a wave she didn't bother them.

Yet once again as she looked up at the birds flying overhead her mind was drawn back to the metal bird she had seen. 'Is the poor thing lost? Maybe it flew through a portal from Equestria and got stuck in our world. Why did Sunset have to pick now to go silent on us? I could really use her help in sending a message to Equestria.'

Fluttershy shivered slightly in the cold morning air and she zipped up her pink jacket, before she sunk her face into her collar in an attempt to get warm. Despite the roads being nearly empty that early in the morning, Fluttershy raised an eyebrow when she spied a purple S.U.V. sitting alone on the side of the road. Aside from the purple coloring, Fluttershy also noticed a strange symbol that looked similar to the beak of a bird. She didn't remember seeing a car like it in the neighborhood before, but she dismissed it with the thought that someone had bought a new car.

Once again her thoughts went back to Sunset and she dug her phone out of her pocket, firing up a text to her friend.

'Hey Sunset, how are you doing? It's been a while since we last talked and I'm just wondering if you're alright. I know that you're probably fine, but I just want to make sure. Hugs.'

As she sent the message Fluttershy felt a bit of concern begin to clutch at her heart. Ever since she and her friends had been introduced to magic, she had always felt a little less safe. Yes, she could wield a portion of that magic and had overcome numerous foes alongside her friends, but there was always that thought in the back of her head. That there was another world out there, another world filled with beings she couldn't begin to comprehend.

The sound of an engine starting snapped Fluttershy out of her thoughts and she glanced behind her to see that the purple S.U.V had started up. She turned her eyes forward once more, glancing down at her phone in hopes that Sunset would respond. The car drove up next to Fluttershy, who was so absorbed in waiting for a reply that she didn't notice it until she heard a car door open.

She turned her head in time for a metal tendril to strike her in the chest, sending a surge of electricity through her body. Fluttershy collapsed silently to the sidewalk, dropping her phone as she fell. The tendril wrapped itself around her body before she connected with concrete, while her phone shattered against the ground. The tendril then dragged the unconscious body of the girl into the back seat of the car and the car door slammed shut the moment she was inside.

The S.U.V. waited just a moment to see if anyone had noticed what had happened, using the scanners in the vehicle to scan the nearby houses for any calls to the police. When it found that no one had seen what had happened, it put the petal to the metal and took off, leaving only a shattered phone on the ground to show any signs that something nefarious had taken place.

[(o)]

"Huh, she's late," Carol muttered to herself as she glanced down at her watch, which read five after eight. She was standing outside of Canterlot High, where she was supposed to meet Fluttershy. "She was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago and yet she still hasn't shown up. Maybe I was asking too much of her when I asked if she could change the ride along to this morning. Maybe I should call."

Carol tried the number that had been given to her by the school, but after a moment she ended up with Fluttershy's voice mail. The nurse sighed as she hung up, before she began to look up Fluttershy's home phone in the girl's school files. Yet even as she fretted over the teenager and wondering what had become of her, she never noticed that one of the ambulance's that they had brought to the school the other day was no longer parked where she had left it.

Or that it was the very same armored one with the weird symbol on it.
> The Call (3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Consciousness returned to Fluttershy in one, painful thud. Her eyes snapped open and she shot up in her seat, only for another thud of pain to course through her head and nearly reduce her to tears. She gritted her teeth while groaning in pain, trying to lift a hand to her head to stem some of the pain. Yet when she tried to lift her arm she found that it was securely fastened to her body.

Terror was the first emotion to break through the wall of pain that Fluttershy was in, clearing her head and pumping adrenaline through her veins. She glanced down at herself to find that she was bound to a car seat, with her arms and legs secured with metal wires. Fluttershy tried once to break free of the bonds, but when that failed she knew that it would be pointless to try again.

Wondering if there might be another way to break the bonds, the teenager looked around at where she was sitting. she was inside of a larger car, one that had strange purple lighting in its interior. A wall of black glass separated the backseat from the front, one that Fluttershy could not see through. The windows next to her were clear, however, yet when she looked out them all she saw was a place that she didn't recognize. She was aware that the car was moving, but other than that had no idea what was going on.

She tried once more to struggle against her bonds, but the metal held strong. For a moment she considered using her magical power to break through the bonds, but with the stress she was under she found that she could barely muster a spark of magic. She swallowed hard to keep the fear down before beginning to decide what her next course of action should be.

'Think Fluttershy. You've been kidnapped, but why? Why would someone want to kidnap you?' she thought to herself in a bit of a panic, with her brain not able to think straight. A glance down at her hand, which still had a faint trace of magic on it, gave her an idea what they were after, but if they knew of the magic she had that meant they knew about the others and Equestria. And that was not a good sign.

"Heh, look who finally woke up."

The voice came out of nowhere, getting Fluttershy to nearly leap out of her seat despite the metal bonds. She let out a small yelp before she glanced at the black glass before her, wondering who was on the other side. "Thought that you were just going to sleep on our entire ride together. Not that I would mind, mind you, but it does get lonely on this road and we've got quite the drive."

"Who are you? Why did you kidnap me?" Fluttershy asked with as much courage as she could muster. Her courage amounted to her words being squeaked out.

"Ha, look at you trying to be tough. It's almost adorable. Kinda like an insectacon that's trying to look cut so it can get some scraps. Didn't work on me then and it won't work on me now," the voice replied with a laugh, but Fluttershy heard no mirth in his words. What she did hear was danger, cruelty and, strangely, mechanical whirring. "But I'm always happy to give out my name. Call me Fuel. One guess as to why."

'What kind of name is Fuel? Maybe a code name?' Fluttershy asked herself. The pain in her head was all but gone, but in its absence was left a lot of questions and a whole lot of fear. Fluttershy didn't feel her phone in her pockets, meaning that she had no way to contact her friends. 'I could always try using my magic to try to escape, but even if I get out of this car there's no guarantee that I can get away from this person before they catch me again. And they might be so courteous next time.'

Her thoughts on how to escape were interrupted when the sound of a siren blaring gained her full attention. She shifted around as much as she could in her seat so that she could glance behind the car, her eyes widening when she saw an ambulance driving a ways behind them with its sirens on.

Fluttershy heard the driver grumble slightly, before he began to speak with someone else. Fluttershy couldn't hear what the other person was saying, but from the way that the driver was responding it was clear that he was supposed to drive as conservatory as possible.

'They don't want to draw attention to what they've done. All I need to do is get that ambulance to notice me. But how can I possibly get its attention?' Fluttershy asked herself. The driver moved into the right lane and slowed down so that the ambulance could pass, deciding it wasn't worth drawing any attention to the car.

The ambulance drove right up next to the purple car, that was driving as perfectly as possible not to draw any attention to itself. Fluttershy tried to throw herself against the door, hoping that maybe it would do something, but she was strapped in too tight. The ambulance didn't drive by the purple S.U.V. just yet. Instead it drove parallel with it, almost as if it was scanning the vehicle.

'This could be my only chance! I've got to try this!' Fluttershy thought before she closed her eyes and focused. A moment later wings shot out of her back and pony ears appeared atop her head. It was only for a brief moment, but in that brief moment she was fueled by Equestrian magic. And the ambulance noticed.

Tires screeched as the ambulance took a hard right and slammed into the side of the S.U.V., getting Fluttershy to yelp while whoever was driving swore in a language that Fluttershy didn't recognize. The vehicle swerved left and right as it tried to stay on the road, but the bigger and far bulkier ambulance was completely in control. Metal crunched and sparks flew as the two vehicles pushed back and forth against each other, but while they did that Fluttershy looked to the other side of the car and out the window.

Her eyes went wide as she realized what the ambulance was doing. Off the side of the road was a large entrance to a waterway, one that had numerous pipes and a long river of dirty water. And that was exactly where the ambulance was trying to push the two of them to. Fluttershy began to wonder if she had traded one madman for another.

"If you can hear me in there, hold on for your life!" another voice said.

The ambulance did one last slam into the side of the S.U.V. and the bigger vehicle won out. The S.U.V. was driven off of the road and down into the waterway below the road. Fluttershy braced herself as best as she could, but despite the long fall the driver seemed to be doing an unbelievable job keeping the car from rolling over. If she didn't know better and wasn't in fear of her life, she would have guessed that the driver and the machine were one. The S.U.V. managed to stay on its wheels all the way to the bottom, but when the car came to a screeching halt Fluttershy could smell burnt rubber.

"Argh! Damn that bot, driving me off of the road like that. Who does he think he is?!" Fluttershy heard the driver swear in the front seat.

She peeked out the window to see the ambulance driving down the ramped side of the waterway, until it came to a stop not that far from the vehicle Fluttershy was trapped in. For a brief moment the two vehicles seemed to stare at each other, with the sirens still blaring. But then the ambulance turned the sirens off, leaving the two in silence.

"So you managed to track me down. Seems that we underestimated your Autobots tracking skills," the drive said to the ambulance.

"I'm going to give you one warning, con. Drop the girl and drive home to your master, or you're going to be leaving her in parts," the driver of the ambulance replied. Fluttershy noticed that his voice sounded just as mechanical as the driver of the car she was in, but this voice sounded older and far more pissed off.

"Drop the girl? No way, old bot. We've gone through too much trouble hunting these little girls down, so there's no way I'm giving it up to a rusted old can that's way out of his prime." Upon listening closer, Fluttershy began to realize that the voice of her driver sounded far younger than the one in the ambulance. She was also beginning to wonder why neither of them were getting out of their vehicles or shooting at each other. That worried her.

"Last warning. Give me the girl or you're going to be needing a new pair of optics."

"No."

The next thing Fluttershy knew the door next to her was flung open and she was propelled out of the car. She landed on the ground with a thud, getting her to seethe with pain as she landed hard on her elbow. But the pain quickly became a distant memory when she witnessed what happened next.

The car that she had been in suddenly began to shift and change, with metal plates moving as it rose up. The ambulance followed suit, with pieces of it moving in a way that Fluttershy knew that no vehicle should be able to move. Then she realized that the two vehicles were beginning to take on shapes, shapes that made them humanoid. Hands shots out of the end of arm like appendages, before a head emerged from within the chest of the ambulance. 

Within moments two giant robots were standing over Fluttershy, both of them staring down the other. The one that she had been inside had a sinister smirk on his face, while his eyes were hidden behind a red visor. The other one had a pair of blue eyes that reminded her of a computer screen, but his face was hidden behind a massive mouth guard that covered his lower face. Both robots retained their painting and coloring, making it seem like a giant ambulance was taking on some kind of techno monster.

"Got to admit, I was pretty upset with Ultracon when he told me I'd be doing a snatch and grab," the giant robot with the voice of Fuel said to the other one, before his hands turned into sickles. "But if I had known that doing this lame mission would net me a chance to kill a legend such as yourself, I would have said yes a whole lot faster."

"That's quite an imagination you've got there punk, if you think you have any chance at bringing me down," the giant ambulance said, before a pair of blades shot out from above his wrists. "Time to give you a taste of reality. And I'll warn you now. This medicine is bitter."
> The Call (4)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two robots both let out a cry of battle before they charged towards each other, with each step they took shaking the ground upon which they walked. As Fluttershy watched the two giants barrel towards each other, her survival instincts kicked in and the teenager pushed herself to her feet so that she could run as far away as possible. She had just started to run before the giant robots crashed into each other, generating a shockwave that tore Fluttershy from her feet and hurled her across the ground with the sound of a car crash.

As Fluttershy skidded across the ground on her face, Ratchet began to dissect his opponent. Fuel let out a laugh as he lifted his left arm and threw a punch at Ratchet's head, one which the doctor ducked underneath. Ratchet attempted to severe the central motor within the Deceptacons chest, only for Fuel to leap back to avoid being sliced. Ratchet went in for another slice, only to have his scalpel caught by the hand of Fuel.

"Come on old timer, surely you can do better than that!" Fuel yelled before he crashed his fist into Ratchet's lower jaw, nearly knocking the veteran off of his feet. Ratchet recovered his senses in time to rip his blade from Fuel's hand, before backing away and rethinking his strategy.

The Deceptacon that he was up against was younger, faster and had far more to prove than Ratchet. 'But that makes him exceptionally vulnerable to any attacks on his pride,' Ratchet though in an experts opinion. Ratchet crossed his scalpels before lunging forward once more, driving the tip of his blade towards the Deceptacon symbol on Fuel's chest. Once more, Fuel caught the blade.

"Is that really all you can do? The legendary Ratchet, one of the bots that brought down Megatron, is nothing more than just a myth?" Fuel asked with a laugh, yet he never moved the blade away from where Ratchet had been aiming. Instead, he took that time shifting his left hand into an axe. "Well, at least I'll be able to tell the bots that I put an end to that legend."

"Here's the thing about legends, no matter how absurd they may seen. There's always a hint of truth in them!" Ratchet snarled before his blade retracted back into his arm, which then shifted into a Neutron Assault rifle. Fuel had just enough time to let his optics widen in shock, before Ratchet unloaded the full power of the assault rifle into his chest. 

Fuel roared in pain as the laser blasts tore into his armor, forcing him to fall back and take shelter behind a column that held up an overpass in order to get out of fire. Ratchet ceased firing when his foe was out of his sight. He kept his gun aimed at where Fuel had hidden behind the pillar before he slowly began to make his way towards the column.

"Come out with your hands up con and maybe you'll get back to Cybertron in one piece," Ratchet advised the Deceptacon.

"Keep yapping and you'll never make it back to Cybertron!" Fuel roared before he rolled out from behind cover, both of his arms changed from appendages to twin cyber cannons. Ratchet sprinted sideways as Fuel began to fire, the rounds of the cannons lighting up the ground where Ratchet was just a moment before. As he ran Ratchet took aim with his rifle and returned fire towards Fuel, who started moving to the side to avoid being hit as well.

"Megatron must have been softer than the stories said if he was taken down by a bot as weak as you!" Fuel said with a cackle, before he lifted both cannons and began to vent his weapons. "But don't worry, the new con in charge is far beyond anything Megatron was. And once I drag your twisted shell back to him, you'll get an up close look at his power."

'Now!' Ratchet thought before his form began to change, folding and compacting to change from a giant robot to an ambulance. He hit the ground wheels first, which screeched before Ratchet hurled himself towards Fuel. Fuel's optics widened once more before he took a fully loaded ambulance to the chest, which knocked him off of his feet. Fuel slammed onto his back while Ratchet transformed as he descended from his tackle.

Ratchet hit the ground legs first and sprinted towards Fuel, who was beginning to start to sit up. Before Fuel evne had the chance to think of a counter attack, Ratchet drove his foot into the face of the Deceptacon and flattened him once more.

"Game over, punk," Ratchet informed the con as a blade shot out of Ratchet's wrist. Ratchet pointed the blade at Fuel's face, watching as Fuel's optics slowly focused on the blade just inches from his face. "Surrender and come quietly. Or else you're going to have a few new scratches on your paint job."

"You think I'm scared of a rusted old bot like you? I already called for backup the moment you ran me off the road," Fuel said with a smirk, which grew even wider when Ratchet's eyes narrowed. "They'll be here for me any moment. You got lucky against one con. Let's see how you handle a dozen of us."

Ratchet's response was to slam his fist right between Fuel's eyes, sending the con into sleep mode. Fuel fell back without another word. Ratchet let out a tired sigh as he stood victorious, but after taking a moment to recover he cast his glance towards the horizon. His eyes narrowed as he spied the faintest traces of movement off in the distance, informing him that he had little time to act.

Ratchet then turned his gaze towards Fluttershy, who had used her common sense to flee for her life while the two robots had battled it out. The Autobot shook his head at her actions before he transformed back into an ambulance. He chased after the fleeing teenager and with his wheels he caught up with her in under a few moments.

Fluttershy let out a yelp as the ambulance raced by her before skidding to a stop in her path. She glanced around in hopes of spying another way out, but wherever she looked the ambulance would then drive into her line of sight, telling her that there was no chance for her to escape.

"Fluttershy, I need you to listen to me," Ratchet said in his metallic voice. Fluttershy backed away from the ambulance, which then moved closer to her. "I know that you are scared right now and probably have no idea that is going on, but I need you to come with me."

"Yeah, the last vehicle that could turn into a giant robot I came across kidnapped me. I have zero reason to trust you," Fluttershy said to Ratchet in a very calm tone. She placed her hands together and then placed her fingers under her chin. "So instead of going with you like you suggested, I am, and this might seem out there, going to go home and sleep the rest of this day off. It was nice to meet you, whoever you are, and goodbye."

"Hold it," Ratchet barked, freezing Fluttershy in her tracks. "...look, I know you don't trust me. And you shouldn't after how you're first encounter with a transformer went. But unfortunately, the guy I just knocked out called his friends and they're on their way to grab you and scrap me."

"Wait, so more jerks like that are on their way?" Fluttershy asked. She then crouched down and held her hands to her head. "Oh my gosh, what should I do? Do I run? Would running even help me get away from robots that can transform into cars?"

"The way I see it, you've got two options," Ratchet said to Fluttershy, who looked up at the ambulance once more. "You can come with me and I'll do my best to outrun the cons. Or you can stay here and leave yourself at the mercy of the friends of the bot that kidnapped you. Think about it and be quick, because they'll be on us in a matter of minutes."

"Okay, you're making it sound like you're the better choice of those two options, but why should I trust you?" Fluttershy put forward. "I mean, you don't exactly sound nice and I know nothing about you. The only reason you sound like the better choice is because you haven't tried to kidnap me. Why should I trust you?"

"Because like you said. I haven't tried to kidnap you yet," Ratchet replied before the ambulance's door opened up. "Get in."

"And if I say no?"

"Then I'll will take you by force. For your own protection."

"This day started off so nicely," Fluttershy muttered to herself. But then she turned her gaze towards the distance and her eyes went wide. There were at least ten different vehicles all driving towards them, but despite the different chaises all of them were the same purple and black color of Fuel. For a brief moment she considered her options before racing towards the ambulance. 

In a single motion Fluttershy hopped into the passengers seat and slammed the door shut behind her. The moment she was in the seat the seatbelt wrapped itself around her, strapping her safely in place. She could hear the ambulance's tires squealing as they began to spin rapidly, before the whole ambulance lurched forward. Ratchet drove up back onto the main road and tore off down the road, his siren's blaring to life.

"Um, so now that I'm completely trapped, care to tell me who you are and what's going on?" Fluttershy asked, before an explosion went off outside of the ambulance. A shriek escaped Fluttershy's lips and she held her hands over her head, while the ambulance began to make some drastic movement choices as more explosions rocked the outside of the rescue vehicle.

"What's going on is that those cons in purple are after you! It's my job to make sure that they don't get their claws on you. Hang on!" Ratchet roared as he put the pedal to the metal. As the rescue vehicle raced down the road, Fluttershy looked out the window to notice that the other vehicles she had seen were quickly gaining on them, despite Ratchet's head start.

"Um, they're catching up to us," Fluttershy informed Ratchet before another explosion rocked the ambulance.

"I noticed!"

"Can I do anything to help? Maybe help you steer or something like that?" Fluttershy asked.

"Can you stay seated?"

"Yes."

"Can you not touch anything?" 

"Yes?"

"Can you be quiet?"

"Oh, I'm very good at that one."

"Well then congratulations, Fluttershy," Ratchet said before a laser shot by the front of the ambulance. "You're already helping."
> The Call (5)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm going to die."

Having come to grips with that fact, Fluttershy found she had the courage to look in one of the ambulances rear view mirrors to see what was trying to kill the both of them. Driving behind the ambulance was an assortment of ten different vehicles, each of them with the same purple and neon coloring that Fuel had been painted in. And all of them had laser cannons aimed out the front of their hoods. Which they were using proficiently.

The ambulance swerved to the left and right in motions so jerky that Fluttershy was certain that she would have been flung around like a rag-doll if her seat belt hadn't infused her to the chair. Explosions and purple lasers rocked her vision as they detonated just on the other side of the glass, all that was separating her from a gruesome and most likely painful end. Her nails had dug into the seating beneath her and she was certain that it would take a crowbar to pry her from where she sat.

But what spooked her the most, more than the explosions or the cars that all seemed to be after her or the giant robot brawl she had just witnessed, was the fact that the ambulance had no driver. The giant robots were definitely a close second, but there was something about a car moving on its own without anyone behind the wheel that made her shiver. Even giant robots were supposed to have people piloting them. But the wheel turned on its own and the occasional curse when an explosion got too close was proof enough that not only was the ambulance she was in a giant robot, but a completely sentient one at that.

"I'm going to die i'm going to die i'm going to die," Fluttershy muttered to herself over and over, her eyes wide and sweat dripping down her face.

"Will you quit that whining, I'm trying to drive here!" Ratchet yelled at Fluttershy, getting the girl to leap up in her chair. Another explosion was followed by another curse as one of the Deceptacon drove up beside the pair. A scalpel blade shot out from the ambulances side and sliced through the cons tires, sending him skidding out of control. With a scream that would haunt her dreams Fluttershy watched as the car crashed into a boulder and exploded into a ball of fire a moment later.

"You...you..."

"It was him or us," Ratchet replied in a tone that was devoid of any emotion. "And don't worry about that happening to us. I don't care how may wet behind the gears Cons they send at us, they won't get you. I survived Iacon, the fall of Cybertron and the war with Megatron. I'll be scrapped if I let myself die here. Now hold on, things are about to get intense."

Fluttershy flattened herself against her seat. If the ambulance was telling her that things were about to get intense, after what she had just seen, then perhaps she had been too hasty in assuming she was going to die before. It made much more sense that now was when she was going to die.

Ratchet's engine roared with the ferocity of a caged animal and Fluttershy felt herself being pinned in her seat by the acceleration. Ratchet then swerved right off of the road and came crashing down off of the highway on a long stretch of land with nothing to obstruct Shy's view of the horizon. A glance back at the highway showed that the purple cars were following them, with all eight of them in hot pursuit.

"Wait a moment..." Fluttershy muttered to herself. "There's one of them missing."

"What do you mean?"

"There were ten when they first started chasing you. You then...took care of one of them, so there should still be nine. But i only count eight." Fluttershy's eyes snapped to the mirrors to see them adjusting themselves to count the Cons, before her missing driver swore once more.

"By the Primes you're right. Alright, time to end this chase. Ratchet to base, I need immediate air support," the ambulance who Fluttershy learned was named Ratchet called in. A moment passed of only static. "Wake up fliers, it's time to do what you're trained for! I said that-"

Something screamed by overhead and Fluttershy glanced up to see a purple jet, only for the screaming of the jet to be drowned out by a colossal explosion that detonated just in front of the ambulance. Fluttershy barely heard Ratchet yell something to her before the rescue vehicle tipped over onto two wheels and started to crash onto its side. Then the side of the vehicle transformed into an arm, which slammed into the ground and righted Ratchet. He slammed onto his wheels and took off once more.

"Fliers! Where in the name of the all spark are you?!" Ratchet roared into his radio before another missile narrowly missed the pair.

"Ratchet, this is Silverbolt! We got your message and are en route! We estimate it will be five minutes before we get there!"

"We may not have five minutes!" Ratchet snapped in reply before he shifted the ambulance into reverse. The moment he did so he cranked the wheel hard to right and spun the whole vehicle around so that he was hood to hood with the Cons following him. A rifle transformed out of the top of the ambulance so that it could unload laser fire into the oncoming Cons. Most of them scattered under the hail of laser fire, but one of the closer ones couldn't react in time and a moment later was a ball of fire and scrap metal.

Ratchet fired a few more times into the oncoming Cons, but driving in reverse was slowing him down at a rapid pace. He whipped the vehicle around so that it was facing the proper way before flooring it once more. Fluttershy saw all of the dials behind the wheel go red as the engine roared with fire once more. But this time the Cons were ready for them.

The faster of the ground based Cons drove parallel with Ratchet, staying far enough away to avoid his blades but close enough so that he didn't have much room to maneuver. The more heavily armored Cons drove up from behind and began to fire at the rescue vehicle, who started to take far more hits with less places to go. Then, through the windshield, Fluttershy watched as the Deceptacon jet flew down in front of Ratchet, turned around, and began to open fire with its machine guns.

Fluttershy let out a shriek as she ducked down with her head in her hands as laser blasts pelted the windshield. Alarms blared in the cab, which was quickly followed by smoke beginning to pour from the side of Ratchets engine. Fear clawed at Fluttershy's heart as it truly sunk in that this was it for her. Her life would end at sixteen and she would die in the clutches of  a being she knew nothing about. Also that it would most likely be a giant, fiery ball of metal and death. Because why go out in a lame way like old age?

"Fluttershy, I need you to listen to me," Ratchet's voice said clear as day through all the gunfire and explosions. "I know things seem bad right now and I know you're scared. But I will get you out of this alive and I will not let any of these Cons lay a hand on you. I just need you to calm down and trust me."

Fluttershy wasn't sure why she put so much faith in his words, especially when the ambulance skidded to a halt, but for a moment she was able to take in a deep breath and calm down. But then the fears came back in full force when she saw the six cars encircle the ambulance, with the jet hovering to a halt on the outskirts of the ring of cars.

"Well well, Fuel was right. This old bucket of rust is the infamous Ratchet," one of the Cons laughed, but kept his lasers aimed on the smoking ambulance. "What's the matter, did the Autobots run out of actual warriors and had to resort to using old bots? Or did you just want to get that feeling of having your tail pipe kicked by us one last time?"

"Well, so much for getting away from them," Fluttershy squeaked.

"Once their flier showed up I realized that we couldn't get away," Ratchet revealed to Fluttershy, who wondered if she was supposed to feel better by learning that information. "So instead, I decided to stall for time and leave them as open to a surprise attack as possible. Notice how they're all facing us instead of looking around? Or that it's been five minutes?"

Right as he said this a missile rocketed into the engine of the flying Deceptacon, causing it to shriek before it crashed into the ground in a giant ball of fire. The explosion took out two more Deceptacons, while the rest aimed their weaponry into the sky to try to combat the recently arrived Autobot fliers. It was too little too late and a moment later more missiles came raining down from on high, decimating the Deceptacon forces.

"Ratchet, we've opened a path for you! Get out of there!" the voice of Silverbolt yelled over the radio. Ratchet didn't wait to be asked again and a moment later he drove past the flaming wreckage of what used to be a small squad of Deceptacon warriors. As they drove away Fluttershy looked at one of the rear-view mirrors and watched as the red and orange jets bombarded the rest of the Cons, who, despite desperately trying to fight back, were completely decimated. A shudder escaped from her body as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"That's war, kid," Ratchet said to her a moment later and Fluttershy began to wonder if this giant, sentient robot could actually sense how she was feeling. "And whether you wanted to be or not, you're now involved in it."
> Robots In Disguise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was still setting on the horizon. That was the only thing Fluttershy could take comfort in given her current situation. Even though she had just survived watching giant robots decimate each other before following it up with a road rage fight similar to Mad Max, the sun was still setting as it always did. She curled up in her seat and wrapped her arms around her legs, finally letting out the breath that she had been holding during the entire battle.

"You doing alright, kid?" the voice of Ratchet asked Fluttershy. The girl didn't respond right away, as her thoughts were back at the battle she had just survived. She knew that the Deceptacons were after her. They had tried to kidnap her once and if Ratchet hadn't interfered they would have done it again. But she couldn't close her eyes without seeing the burning wreckage of what once had been, she believed at least, sentient and living beings.

"No, but I think I can manage," Fluttershy whispered before opening her eyes once more. "So, you're name is Ratchet? That's what one of your...friends said over your radio."

"Yeah, the names Ratchet. Sorry that our first meeting involved a hail of laser fire and explosions."

"That was...yeah. Alright Ratchet, you seem decent enough, so I'm just going to ask this right out of the gate. I don't want this to sound offensive or mean spirited, but...what are you?" Fluttershy asked. The moment that question made it's way past her lips, the whole dam burst. "And what were those cars that were chasing me? Why and how can you turn into a giant robot? Why are you here and why are they chasing after me? Do you think that-"

"Fluttershy! Breath," Ratchet cut in. Fluttershy stopped talking and took in a few deep breaths, feeling slightly better. "You've been through a lot today, more than we wanted you to go through when we eventually introduced ourselves to you. And I'd say that you have more than earned the answers to the questions you are asking."

"Well...I'm waiting for those answers."

"Heh, sadly i am not the best bot to answer your questions. That would be my leaders job. I was just supposed to keep an eye on you and make sure to keep you safe should the Cons figure out where you were. Sorry, but I can't answer anything right now. You'll have to wait until we get back to the base," Ratchet answered. Fluttershy thought about his answer for a moment before she narrowed her eyes. She didn't like his answer. So she was going to get a better one out of him.

Magic flowed through her veins as she closed her eyes and Fluttershy willed the power of harmony to flow through her veins. Her eyes snapped open a moment later and her body was consumed with her magic, causing wings to appear from her back and ears to form upon her head. The magic of kindness flooded through the cab of Ratchet, causing his sensors and instruments to start to go haywire.

"What are you doing?!" Ratchet roared as he struggled to get his already damaged body back under his control.

"Ratchet, I appreciate you saving my life, but if you do not tell me more about what I want to know, then I will use my magic to make an exit and this is where we will part ways," Fluttershy said in a polite, but also very serious, tone.

"And you didn't do this to escape the Con earlier because...?"

"It took me a while to shake off whatever that Deceptacon did to me."

Ratchet slowed the ambulance down until it came to a complete stop on the side of the road, where he then parked the rescue vehicle and went silent. Fluttershy was beginning to wonder if she had pushed her luck and was just starting to think whether or not she should apologize to Ratchet when the Autobot's engine came to life once more, but it was only to turn on the radio.

"Transformers. That is what the race of my people is called," Ratchet said to Fluttershy as a soft violin piece began to play. "We are a species of autonomous machines that have been around for more millennia then I care to count. Our natural abilities allow us to transform our bodies to any vehicle of your planet or any planet that we scan. Hence our species name."

"Our home was the planet Cybertron, a living planet of metal and technology that held millions of Transformers. We all lived in harmony for the longest time, learning and inventing. Expanding and taking our world to new heights. Oh yes, the golden age of Cybertron was a sight that could be akin to the sight of the all spark."

"Transformers...a species of giant robots," Fluttershy repeated, just to make sure that she hadn't suffered a head injury while being kidnapped by Fuel. "Alright, say that what you said is true. Why are you here on Earth and, more importantly to me, why are you all so fascinated with me? I'm certain that compared to what you're civilization is capable of, I'm hardly a blip on your radar."

"Hehe...what our civilization turned out to be capable of is war, as it turns out," Ratchet said in a bitter tone, one that was filled with millennia of sorrow. "Eventually Transformers that did not like the old ways emerged and rebelled against how our world was structured. In response the Primes, leaders of our world, created a defense force called the Autobots to keep the peace. The symbol i wear that you noticed the first time we met is the symbol of the Autobots. It stands for peace and unity. And for a time, the Autobots kept the peace."

"But the Deceptacons are the bad guys. And they fought the Autobots," Fluttershy added on, getting Ratchet to chuckle in a bitter tone.

"Oh, it wasn't just any old Con that could stand against the Autobots. It was one of the greatest warriors that Cybertron has ever produced. A warrior that could slay even the Primes. Megatron." As he said this name, an image appeared on the inside of the windshield of another Transformer, one that was silver, angular in design and had a look in his eyes that told Fluttershy he was truly evil.

"He was the one that created the Deceptacons. He was the one that led the revolt against the Autobots. He was the one...that doomed our world of Cybertron," Ratchet spat with fury and rage. 

"Your home...was destroyed?" Fluttershy asked with horror.

"Was, Fluttershy. Emphasis on was. Thanks to the efforts of my leader, the last Prime, and my team of Autobots, we managed to defeat Megatron and restore our world back to a state that Transformers can live on it once more. At least we're trying to," Ratchet added on under his breath. "Our battles with Megatron raged across the stars. Deceptacons battled with Autobots across the galaxy until our battle came to an end on this planet. Earth."

"Here? But I've never heard anything about giant robots fighting to the death for the sake of their doomed world on the news. I think that would be something that even I would notice."

"That's because we're robots in disguise, Fluttershy. Remember, we can transform our bodies to mimic the vehicles of your world. Also, we worked with your worlds government to stay hidden, revealing ourselves only when we needed to save the lives of people that had accidentally gotten mixed up in our war. Although we did wonder how the world to react to when Megatron declared himself ruler of the world."

"That happened in Nevada, right? I heard something about some stuff going down out there," Fluttershy muttered before she shook her head to get back on track. "So all this time you've been hidden among us, hiding out as vehicles?"

"Not entirely. About ten years ago we ended our battle with the Deceptacons and returned to our world, for what we hoped would be a very long time. Recently however, there have been some...disturbing developments that have brought the Autobots back to your planet."

"What developments?"

"The Deceptacons are back. Not that they were ever gone to truly begin with, but without Megatron they were scattered and afraid, to the point that they would never try something like this. Starscream tried to lead them for a while, and that was entertaining to watch, but now there's a new leader that has risen from the ashes of the Deceptacon army. Ultracon."

"Ultracon? That...sounds less than intimidating."

"Mock the name all you want, the Con is as dangerous as they come. While he lacks the fighting experience and raw power Megatron had, he makes up for it with his ability to inspire Cons to fight and his deadly assassin skills," Ratchet muttered. Fluttershy glanced up at the windshield once more to see if there would be an image to go along with the name, but the screen remained on Megatron. "His actions on Earth are what brought us back to Earth after all of these years. He is the reason that I was sent to watch over you this summer. Because he's after you and your friends."

"My friends?" Fluttershy asked in a serious tone with an underlining hint of fear. "What about my friends? What does a giant, manipulative assassin want with me and a bunch of high school girls that haven't done anything to them?"

"It's not what you've done, Fluttershy. It's what you could do. What you and your friends have the potential to do," Ratchet answered cryptically, before his mirrors adjusted themselves to look at the horizon. The sun was all bet sunk behind the horizon and a growl escaped Ratchet's engine as annoyance washed over the Bot. "Fluttershy, I'm going to be taking you to our base. You'll be safe there for the time being."

"Um, excuse me, you could repeat that? I think that my mind must still be messed up from getting shocked, because I'm fairly certain that you just said..."

"You're coming with me," Ratchet replied in a far more stern voice. "We're closer to my base than we are from your home. It's getting late and with all of the damage that I've taken from the battle with the Cons, I don't know if I can fight off another attack like that. I need repairs and I can't them at your house. Sorry, but we're heading to base. That's the final word."

"So I'm getting kidnapped again?"

"Well...yes, if we want to get technical about it."

"Fine, sure, let's just go to your base," Fluttershy said with a sigh as she strapped herself back in, crossing her arms as the ambulance got back onto the road and started to drive. "I just really hope that this doesn't become a thing."
> Robots In Disguise (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Autobots base was underneath of a hill far from the town where Fluttershy had grown up. Fluttershy knew that a normal person would have been shocked senseless when they saw a hole open beneath the hill and a bridge of light energy formed beneath it, but after the giant robots and the transforming battles, she was running out of the energy to be surprised. So it was with slightly wide eyes that she and Ratchet drove down into the depths of the hill.

"You know, I should say I'm surprised that you have a secret base like this, but if fiction has taught me anything it's that all alien life have a secret base somewhere," Fluttershy muttered to Ratchet as she looked out the window just as Ratchet drove off of the bridge of light and into the heart of the Autobot base...and when she laid eyes upon the alien home, Fluttershy's eyes widened further than she thought was possible..

The walls, floor and ceiling of the base were all constructed with a strange metal that gave off a light that Fluttershy could tell was not of this world. She also spied piles of blue cubes that pulsated with an eerie power, one that made her rainbow magic churn in her stomach. But finally there were the near dozen other Autobots, who were all similar in size to Ratchet, but each of them was shaped very differently.

Some of them, the fliers from earlier, she recognized easier because of the wings protruding from their backs or the fact that some of them were hovering off of the ground. Other Transformers had wheels sticking out of their backs, while she spied one that she assumed was based off of a tank, if the giant cannon sticking out of its left shoulder was any indication. But despite the differences or how comical some of them looked, Fluttershy couldn't help but stare in awe at the alien life that was walking around before her eyes.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Ratchet asked with a clearly pleased tone in his voice. "While the Autobot army might still be recovering from our war with the Deceptacons, we have a younger generation of bots ready to fight against any Deceptacon uprising that may rise up in the galaxy. Most of them may be rookies, but they all have the hearts of Autobots. I bet you're wondering how we got so many in such a short time?"

"The only thing that i'm really wondering is how did you guys build this place without the government catching onto you and trying to capture you for dissection?" Fluttershy thought aloud, having been taught, by fiction, that the government would rest until they had gotten their hands on the body of an alien specimen.

"Actually Fluttershy, we have a few allies of our own within your Earth government. In fact, when we returned to this planet to hunt the cons that came here, I contacted an old ally of mine and he set us up with this base," Ratchet said, before Fluttershy heard him chuckle. "Of course, I updated it with all of the cybertronian advancements so that it could actually function, but Fowler's contribution was generous."

Through the windows Fluttershy watched as all of the Transformers heads turned towards the smoking Ratchet and looks of concern spread across their faces. Ratchet drove over to a section of the base that had numerous machines that Fluttershy couldn't figure out, before he came to a stop and the door closest to her opened up. Taking the hint, she stepped out of the ambulance. Yet the moment her legs touched solid ground her knees gave out and she collapsed to the floor, her whole body shaking.

"Are you alright?" Ratchet asked her.

"I think it's finally setting in just how close I came to dying," she replied meekly. A groan escaped Ratchet's lips before his whole body began to change and morph, transforming him from an ambulance to his true robot form a moment later. Once he was at his full height he pressed a button on his wrist and a metal table shot out from the metal floor beside him.

"Sir, how did the mission go?" an Autobot that had racing paint asked as he walked over to Ratchet, who had sat down on the metal table.

"Not as well as I had hoped. While I managed to secure the girl, I was far from undetected in doing so," Ratchet replied with a grunt as he laid down on his back.

"I have a name you know."

"Yeah, we heard all about that," another bot with racing strips said as he walked up besides the table, but his strips were red and black while the others were blue and silver. Aside from that difference the two could have been perfect images of each other. "We heard you crying out for help on the comms before our fly boys had to go out and save your bumper. Pretty rookie mistake for such a legendary vet to make if you ask me."

"Well nobody asked you, Curbcheck," Ratchet snapped back in a low voice and the younger bots snark faded. "And yes, I did get my chassis banged up a bit, but I succeeded in my mission. And sometimes, as you will learn, that's all a bot in the field can do. Now then, where's Optimus?"

"He's out right now, sir," the other bot replied with a far more formal voice. "After...the loss of Taillight and...he wanted to be in the field more. He's currently monitoring one of the five girls while under cover as a cow transporter."

"Of course he is. Well, until he gets back I'm in charge," Ratchet said with a hint of a challenge in his voice, but while the younger bots may have been brash and cocky, they knew better than to question Ratchet's experience and leadership skills.  When no argument was given, Ratchet grunted and leaned back on the table, opening up his chest compartment as he did so. The machines that had been as still as statues when Fluttershy had arrived suddenly sprung to life and swarmed around Ratchet with a speed she didn't think they could make.

"What are they doing to him?" she mostly asked herself, but the audio receptors of Curbcheck were better than he let on and a chuckle escaped his mouth.

"Aw how cute, the fleshy is trying to understand how cybertronian tech works," Curbstomp said with a laugh. Fluttershy turned her gaze skyward to see the giant racing bot smiling down at her and instantly she hid behind her hair and averted her eyes, drawing forth another bellows laugh from the bot. "Oh this is just dumb and small, it makes me laugh."

"Tell me brother, do you know how any of this cybertronian tech works?" the other racing bot asked his brother and instantly Curbchecks laughing ceased. "I thought so. Perhaps you should't be so hard on the "fleshy". After all, this is her first time seeing it. You grew up around it and still don't know how it works. Who is really the dumber one here?"

"Can it, Stickshift," Curbcheck snapped back at his brother, getting Stickshift to chuckle slightly at his brothers anger.

"To answer your question Fluttershy, these are medical drones I created to provide medical aid and repairs within the base," Ratchet said from the table, where a flurry of sparks was raining down from his chest. "While they are far too easy to shoot apart in actual combat, here in our base they can provide repairs to all sorts of injuries and damages. While not as good as me, they can get the job done in a pinch."

"Did you really suffer that much damage protecting me?" Fluttershy asked as she looked at the floor and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't start a pity party, I'm not dead yet," Ratchet grunted as he waved the machines away, before sitting up on the table. "Ugh, it's as I feared. I suffered a deep wound from one of the missile strikes. It's not serious, but it will be a while before I'm fully functioning at one hundred percent."

"Should we give you an energon infusion?" Stickshift asked.

"No, that won't do me any good. I will recharge why body and then get back to work," Ratchet replied with another grunt as he hopped off of the table, casting a glance down at the confused Fluttershy. "Energon is essentially the blood of Transformers," he said with a nod towards the giant piles of blue cubes. "Unlike human blood, it can be mined out of planet's that have been infused it with. Our home Cybertron generates energon at a fairly rapid pace, allowing us to sustain our thousands of years of living."

"So...all of you live off of these cubes," Fluttershy repeated, just to make sure she was getting it.

"Yep. It's what keeps me feeling strong and going fast," Curbcheck said as he began to flex, while his brother placed a hand on his face. "You think riding in that rusty old ambulance was fast fleshy, you should try a real vehicle like me out next time."

"My name is Fluttershy, not fleshy."

"And I suppose this is where introductions should be in order," Ratchet butt in as he walked in front of the other Transformers. "These here are the twins, Curbcheck and Stickshift. They both are incredible warriors, but only one of them seems to have a check on their ego," Ratchet added before glaring at Curbcheck, who found the floor interesting all of a sudden.

"Over there are our fliers, Jetstorm, Air Raid and Silverbolt. They're the three best fliers in all of Cybertron, even if Silverbolt is slightly afraid of heights."

"A jet that is afraid of heights? Isn't that...counterproductive?"

"Maybe, but don't bring it up around him. He gets defensive," Ratchet muttered before scanning the rest of the main room. "Let's see, Detonator is the tank looking bot, Screech is our scout and Wideload is a wrecker..."

"Ratchet," Fluttershy cut in with such a serious tone that all three of the bots looked down at her with shock. She stole what courage she could muster before she took a step forward. "I am certain that all of these Autobots are wonderful...aliens and I would love to learn more about them later, but you promised me that your leader would tell me why the cons are after me and my friends. And your leader isn't here. So I want to hear it from you."

Ratchet's face fell for a moment as he considered his options, but after a moment he shook his head and his natural serious look covered his expressions. "Alright, I suppose a promise is a promise. Fluttershy, remember what I told you about Ultracon?"

"Aside from his name, which is still not that intimidating, not really."

"Well while he may not be the fighter or tactical genius that Megatron was, he is very skilled in deception, assassination and, most importantly, securing legendary items that could turn this simple resurgence of the Deceptacons into a brand new war. And war is what we are trying to avoid."

"Okay, but how does this relate to me and my..."

"I see you figured it out. Your magic is an incredible and untapped source of power," Ratchet said grimly. "Ultracon believes that the magic of you and your friends may be the key to creating a new breed of super Deceptacons, ones that cannot be bested by a regular Transformer. That is why he is hunting you and your friends."

"Then we have to warn them! We-"

"We already have measures in place to keep your friends safe," Ratchet reply, but his voice was still grim. "Nearly all of your friends is currently being monitored by an Autobot. Optimus is watching Pinkie, Holy Diver is keeping an eye on Rainbow Dash, Applejack is being monitored by RV, Wildride is watching Rarity and I am watching you. So right now we are doing all we can to make sure that-"

"Wait a moment," Fluttershy cut in, noticing that there was one missing. "What about Sunset? She has the Rainbow Power as well? Who is watching her?"

"...Taillight was watching Sunset."

"But...but I heard Stickshift say that-"

"Yes. Taillight was killed by the Deceptacons trying to protect Sunset. Fluttershy...the cons already have Sunset Shimmer."
> Robots In Disguise (3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robots in Disguise (3)

Silence. That was the only way Fluttershy could respond to the information that Ratchet had dropped on her. The Autobot looked down at the girl with pity in his eyes, daring not to say anything else. The twins kept their mouths shut as well, though it was written plain as day on Curbcheck’s face that he had some things to add. Even the other bots in the underground base had stopped what they were doing and turned their optics to Ratchet and Fluttershy, keeping a hushed silence as they awaited further developments.

“How?” was all Fluttershy could spit out when she found the strength to talk again.

“Taillight’s vehicle form was a pickup truck, something that wouldn’t stand out all that much amongst a bunch of campers,” Ratchet explained. “He was supposed to keep an eye on Sunset Shimmer while she was away at camp. We had hoped since she was further away from where the rest of you were that the Cons might take longer in finding her. We were wrong.”

“The Cons attacked Taillight an Sunset five days ago, when Sunset was hiking on her own through the forest. Taillight rushed to her aid thinking that the Cons were trying to kill her, but instead rushed into a trap that had been set for him,” Ratchet spat venomously. “The Cons knew that we were watching you girls, so they attacked Sunset to draw out her protector first. Taillight was ambushed by seven Cons, all of who were some of the most dangerous criminals to ever walk Cybertron. Poor kid didn’t stand a chance.”

“I found what remained of Taillight a few hours after we got his distress beacon,” Jetfire said from the side. “There…wasn’t much left of him to identify, aside from the Autobot symbol left on his remains. That was also where Sunset’s trail of magic went cold.”

“They…took her, right? They didn’t kill Sunset?” Fluttershy asked in a whisper, almost too afraid to find out the answer. 

“No. If our intelligence is correct, Ultracon either needs or wants all of you alive to harness your magical powers,” Ratchet replied before pressing a button on his wrist. A giant image of a map sprung up in front of his optics and for a moment he stared at the image. “But after that incident, we have tripled our efforts on keeping the rest of you safe, to the point that even Optimus himself is in the field. And so far it seems to have dissuaded the Cons, save for their attack on you.”

“So when are you going to go get Sunset back?” Fluttershy asked.

“I beg your pardon?”

“When are you going to get her back? Mount a rescue operation and save her from the Deceptacons!” Fluttershy said in a raised voice, though it wasn’t much louder than her usual tone. Ratchet shared a look with the other Autobots that had gathered around, a look that caused most of them to shake their heads. “You’re not going to rescue her?”

“Fluttershy, at the moment we are doing everything in our power to find your friend so that we can bring her back safe and sound. But we can’t just rush around blindly in a vain hope that we will find her! Not only would that be the most inefficient way of finding your friend, but it would leave us completely open to attack from the Deceptacons.”

“B-but you’ve beaten the Deceptacons before! You won the war against them!” Fluttershy yelled in reply, barely registering what Ratchet had said. “And I watched you and your friend bring down over ten of them just earlier today! What is stopping you from doing that again?!”

“Fluttershy, you are clearly tired from a long and stressful day,” Ratchet said in a calm voice as his optics scanned her emotional state. “My recommendation to you is to go home and get some sleep. Come on, I’ll drive you there-“

“I am not leaving here until you tell me why we aren’t going out to save my friend!” Fluttershy replied in a shout, but from the way tears were forming in her eyes Ratchet could tell that she the fear within her was causing her to act this way. “She could be being subjected to heaven knows what and the giant, laser shooting robots that are supposed to be on our side are sitting around doing nothing!”

“Listen here fleshy,” Curbcheck began, crouching down so that he could glare at Fluttershy. “You better keep that temper of yours in check, or else things are not going to go well for you. Losing control is the last thing you want to do.”

“Pot meet kettle,” Stickshift muttered so that his brother couldn’t hear.

“Enough, Curbcheck,” Ratchet cut in and the younger bot backed away from Fluttershy. Ratchet knelt down and placed a fist on the ground so that he could lean his face in close to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, in the short time you have known us you have only seen us succeed. You do not see us as living beings, but giant, unstoppable beast of metal that can’t be bested. That is why you do not heed my warnings when I tell you an open search is too risky.”

Then Ratchet narrowed his optics and Fluttershy was bathed in the blue light generated from his eyes. “But allow me to say this so clearly that there is no chance of you misinterpreting it. We are not invincible fighting machines. We are much like you humans. At our best, we seem unstoppable. But we still hurt. We still bleed. And we can still very much die. And as painful as it is to admit, I will not risk the lives of everyone here on a fool’s mission to find a girl that has been taken by the deadliest foes know to Cybertron. Are we clear?”

Fluttershy wanted to argue. She wanted to say something smart like her friends would that would get the Autobots to start searching for her missing friend right away. But she wasn’t as gifted with speech like Twilight or Sunset and she couldn’t be fierce like Applejack or Rainbow Dash. So all Fluttershy could do was stare at the ground and hope that her long hair was covering up the hot tears that were dripping from her eyes.

“I bet Optimus would send out a search party,” Curbcheck muttered just loudly enough so that the bots and human closest to him could hear. His muttered words got him two kinds of responses. The first was a look of disbelief from Fluttershy, who stared up at the giant bot who had kept mocking her yet now seemed to be speaking on her behalf. The other look, however, was from Ratchet.

“Maybe if he was desperate, but Optimus is ten times the leader I ever will be and even he would admit that there is nothing more we can do at the moment,” Ratchet scolded Curbcheck in a low voice. “Even if we could get past all of the Cons I am sure are waiting for us at their base, we still have no idea where their base is. It could be anywhere on this planet and that is if it isn’t a mobile base. Optimus wouldn’t send us out against those kind of odds.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s times like these I miss Megatron,” Stickshift muttered with a shake of his head. “Yes he was ruthless and vile, but he was far too proud to hide, which made tracking him and his flying battleship much easier to track and break into.”

“The only reason that you can say that is because you never had to face Megatron, youngster,” Ratchet snapped at Stickshift, who held up his hands defensively. “The reason Megatron never bothered to hide was because he was far too powerful for any Autobot, or army of Autobot’s to stop. Only Optimus can match Megatron’s might and skill.”

“All I am saying Ratchet is that Ultracon seems to not trust his combat skills, as he has chosen to hide unlike the former leader of the Deceptacons,” Stickshift tried to correct, but Ratchet was finished listening to the younger bots. His body shifted and a moment later he was in his vehicle mode, which opened its door for Fluttershy.

“Come on Fluttershy, let me get you home. You’ve had a long day and your parents are probably worried sick about you, if I remember anything of Earth culture,” Ratchet said as he waved his door a few times in a hurrying motion. But Fluttershy stood silently with both of her eyes closed, getting Ratchet to sigh after a few moments. “Fluttershy, as I said we’ve done all we can. Once we learn some knew information-“

“He wouldn’t be anywhere on the planet,” Fluttershy cut Ratchet off. “Not when almost all of his targets are so close together. The two of us with magic that aren’t in town right now are Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, but even Pinkie’s on her way home. If I were Ultracon, I would have my base somewhere close by to where my prey was, so that I wouldn’t have to take them as far and allow for a higher chance of their escape.”

Ratchet stayed silent for a moment before he transformed back into his robot form. “Jetfire, take your team and search in a twenty-mile radius around the town,” Ratchet ordered, but he didn’t seem convinced by Fluttershy’s logic. “If you find anything, and I mean anything, out of the ordinary, you come back to base and report it. Do not engage by yourself.”

“Yes sir!” Jetfire replied before he and his teammates transformed into their flier modes. They spun around and rocketed out of an escape tunnel, leaving Ratchet to transform back into his ambulance form for Fluttershy once more.

“There Fluttershy, we are doing something. Now will you please allow me to take you home?” Ratchet asked. Fluttershy could hear the weariness in his voice and she recalled that despite the horrible day she might have had, at least she hadn’t been blasted by missiles and lasers. With a sigh, she decided that she had taxed Ratchet’s patience enough for that day, so without any further argument she stepped inside of the ambulance. “Twins, you’re both with me. After today I’m not letting any bot carrying one of these girls to go out by themselves and that includes me. Get a move on.”

The twins transformed into their vehicles forms, both of which were the same model of car just painted differently, before they grouped up behind Ratchet as he headed towards the exit of the base. Fluttershy wanted to lean her head against the window and drift off to dreamland, but after what she had seen and heard she figured it would be a while before she ever slept again. Then she recalled what Ratchet had said about seeing anything out of the ordinary.

“Hey Ratchet?”

“What?”

“Remember how you said to be on the lookout for anything strange? Well yesterday, after I was done speaking to my teacher, I thought I saw something that looked like a metal bird watching me from a distance,” Fluttershy said and immediately noticed how quiet Ratchet went. “Do you know anything about metal birds?”

“It must have been your imagination, Fluttershy,” Ratchet said in a soft voice.

“No, I’m fairly certain-“

“Fluttershy, there is only one Con I know of that uses a metal bird. And if Ultracon had managed to free him and had sent him to retrieve you, then you would be in Deceptacons hands right now. Because I would be dead.”
> Not That Disguised
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not That Disguised

It was a mostly silent drive back to Fluttershy’s house. She wasn’t in a mood to talk to Ratchet and he clearly had other things on his mind from the way he kept muttering to himself. Curbcheck and Stickshift were constantly racing and trying to drive the other off the road, meaning that neither of them paid any mind to the teenage girl in the ambulance. 

Though honestly Fluttershy was grateful for the silence. After having calmed down about the revelation of Sunset having already been taken, the full weight of the day Fluttershy had just gone through was fully beginning to sink in.

‘Alright, let’s recap. Giant, robot aliens exist and they have the ability to transform into cars and other vehicles. Sure. They are also at war with one another and are constantly trying to kill each other in giant destruction derby’s. Okay. And finally, the Autobots, who, at the moment, are the good guys, are trying to keep me and my friend’s safe from the Deceptacons, the bad guys, yet have done only an alright job so far,’ though Fluttershy before she groaned and slid down in her seat. 

‘I would say that all of this is crazy and that I am simply dreaming, but this sounds like the kind of crazy thing that would happen to us,’ she thought with a sigh. ‘After all, we’ve fought soul stealing sirens in a battle of the bands, so of course we’d have to deal with giant aliens that turn into cars. Next will probably be something like, I don’t know, card games that decide the fate of the world.’

Fluttershy then leaned her forehead against the window, letting the coolness of the window cool her very warm head. She figured that after all of the stressful things she had just gone through and witnessed that she would be bed ridden for days on end. She also wondered if any of her friends would believe her if she told them about what she had learned, even though they all had robots secretly following them.

“I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Ratchet’s voice sliced through Fluttershy’s thoughts and brought her back to reality, where she looked at the steering wheel with the Autobot symbol on it.

“Wouldn’t recommend what?” Fluttershy asked.

“Telling your friends. At least not yet,” Ratchet clarified for Fluttershy. “If they know then they will start acting differently then it’s only a matter of time until other humans figure it out. And once they do, it’s only a matter of time until they out both Autobots and Deceptacons…and then that will force our war to be out in the open.”

“So you want me to lie to my friends, who have helped me against beings I’d never thought I’d fight, and allow them to walk around unaware that giant robots are coming after them in a way they’d never see coming?” Fluttershy asked, hoping her words sounded as sarcastic as she was trying to make them.

“For the time being, Fluttershy,” Ratchet said with a bit of a sigh. “Right now neither side has the upper hand on the other. The Cons have Sunset and now we have you. I do not want to do anything that will risk tipping that balance in the favor of the Cons, not until Optimus is back and he can give us more…insightful instructions on how to save your friend. Please, for the time being, just try to act like everything is normal.”

“But…fine,” Fluttershy said with a sigh of defeat. “You did save my life from Fuel, so I suppose I owe this to you. But I will tell you right now that keeping this a secret from my friends won’t end well.”

“Thank you, Fluttershy. I’m glad to meet at least one human teenager who knows how to listen to instructions,” Ratchet chuckled. Fluttershy was about to ask more about what kind of teenagers Ratchet had hung out with in the past, but before she could a panel above her popped open and a license with her face plopped onto her lap.

“What is this?” she asked as she picked it, taking a moment to read over it before her eyes went wide. “Ratchet, this license says that I am certified to drive an ambulance!”

“Correct. While I was at the base I had one of the minicons make it for you while I was being repaired,” Ratchet informed Fluttershy, who couldn’t tear her eyes from the license. “Since I am going to be the bot looking after you, you need a reasonable excuse for why you always have an ambulance with you. Fortunately, because of that class you were taking you now have a reason for me being around. All this license does is make sure that no one questions why you’re constantly driving off with me.”

“B-but I don’t know have to drive you! I don’t even know how to drive a regular car!”

“Then it’s a good thing that I drive myself. The license is just for show.”

“But isn’t this illegal?! Forging a license and given it to someone who doesn’t even have a regular driver’s licenses?”

“Not to worry, Fowler himself helped me with getting that for you. That license there was issued by your government to you. It is not a counterfeit in any way.”

Fluttershy swallowed and felt a lot of fear and doubt get swallowed down as well. Out of everything that she had gone through that day, the idea of her having to one day drive the armored behemoth she was sitting in was what scared her the most. She groaned tiredly before sitting back in her chair, staring out the window at the stars in the sky. 

“Have I really been gone all day?”

“You have. Your family will be worried about you.”

“Not really. They trust me and know that I know better than to get myself mixed up with any shady people. Then again they never really could have guessed that I would end up with a shady robot instead.”

“Are you saying that I am a shady character? I am nothing but the definition of honor and trust.”

“Ratchet, you’re a transformer, a being whose entire race can shapeshift into other forms. That sounds pretty shady to me.”

([0])

Just as Fluttershy had predicted, her family hadn’t been that worried when she got home. They told her that they had gotten a call about how she didn’t show up for her class and how they couldn’t reach her on her phone. She responded by telling them that she had met a new friend that she had spent the day with and that she had dropped her phone and broken it. Which was true. She just left out the part about the giant robots. 

Her mother gave her what was supposed to be a scolding speech about staying in contact and always keeping appointments, but her heart wasn’t in it. Bother her mother and Fluttershy knew that the teenager knew better. Fluttershy, who was clearly exhausted from her day, headed up to her room and collapsed upon her bed. She had fallen asleep for maybe an hour before the phone ringing woke her up. She tried to go back to sleep, but a few moments later her mother entered into her room.

“Dear, it’s for you. Applejack is on the phone.”

Figuring that sleep wasn’t going to be an option that night, Fluttershy took the phone from her mother and held it up to her head. “Hello?” she muttered in a tired voice.

“Wow, sounds like you just gone done running a marathon, sugarcube,” Applejack’s voice said over the phone. 

“I’ve had a long day. What’s up?” Fluttershy yawned in reply. 

“Just wanted to call to make sure that yer alright. Earlier in the day we had yer parents call us and they were asking to see if any of us had seen ya,” Applejack responded with relief in her voice. “And with Sunset missing and our history with magic, ah was starting to get worried that another threat from Equestria had popped up in our world.”

“Well you’re not that far off,” Fluttershy grumbled under her breath, knowing that Applejack couldn’t hear her.

“So since yer alright an all, ah was wondering if ya wanted to come over to mah place tomorrow?” Applejack asked, but something about her tone caught Fluttershy’s attention. She wasn’t sure if she was just so tired that Applejack sounded different or if there was actually an edge to her voice, but something was different. 

“Sure. Guess I can. I can drive over in my new ambulance,” Fluttershy muttered sleepily, not realizing what she had said until it had already come out of her mouth. She tried to think of a reply that would change what she had said, but aside from wanting sleep, her brain didn’t have any helpful suggestions.

“Whoowee, you’ve been in that class for a little under a week and already they’re letting ya drive around an ambulance,” Applejack said in an impressed tone, but Fluttershy was too busy mentally kicking herself to notice. “That sounds like a heaping helping of fun. Do they let ya play with the sirens?”

“No. Take a step out of line and the ambulance yells at you,” Fluttershy said with another yawn, only catching what she said a moment later. Applejack had been confused by what Fluttershy had said, but she simply assumed that with how tired Fluttershy was she had messed up.

“Well ah’ll let ya go the and hanks fer agreeing the meet with me tomorrow. It’ll be…a weight off of mah mind to have somebody ah can finally talk to about this.” This time Fluttershy fully heard the concern and worry in Applejack’s voice, which made Fluttershy drag herself out of dreamland slightly as concern for her friend began to form.

“Applejack, what’s wrong? You sound nervous and you never sound nervous.”

“It’s…well, it should be nothing but after looking into it a bit ah’m fairly certain that it is something, but what that something is ah have no idea,” Applejack replied quickly, her stone mask starting to crack.

“What is the matter?”

“Fluttershy, as crazy as this is going to sound…ah think I’m being followed by a giant robot.”
> Not That Disguised (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not That Disguised (2)

“Robots in disguise. In disguise. How hard is it for a transformer that has been changing shape all of his life to understand that sentence?!” Ratchet asked aloud, yet the teenager in the front seat knew that Ratchet wasn’t talking to her. Ratchet was just having one of his outbursts that Fluttershy had learned were common to him.

The morning following Applejack’s call Ratchet had essentially blackmailed Fluttershy into going with him to Applejack’s farm. While she was having breakfast, he flashed his lights into her house to try to get her to move faster. When she had replied by shutting the blinds he had turned on his siren. That got her out of the house in a hurry.

So Fluttershy sat in the driver’s seat of an ambulance while she finished up her breakfast, not bothering to keep her hands on the wheel to pretend to be driving. There was no one on the road that early and whenever there was they barely paid here any attention. Ratchet had made an offhanded comment about there being a security device that dims the windows so that people would have a hard time looking inside, but Fluttershy figured that Ratchet was just one of those bots that people ignored.

“Well maybe now that Applejack knows about the transformers we can let her in on the fact that there’s a war going on that threatens our safety,” Fluttershy said quickly, hoping to catch Ratchet off guard. 

“Not a chance. If what I know about your friend is accurate, she’s honest. Too honest. Meaning that if someone were to ask her about us she would most likely tell them everything,” Ratchet snapped back. It was clear to Fluttershy that RV getting themselves exposed had put Ratchet in a foul mood. “The only saving grace is that it seems that Applejack does not believe that she’s being followed by us and thinks she may be losing her mind.”

“If even she doesn’t believe it, why am I getting dragged over to her place at seven in the morning?” Fluttershy asked while stifling a yawn.

“To erase all doubt. You will be speaking with her and discerning how much she may or may not know,” Ratchet instructed Fluttershy, yet it sounded more like he was commanding her to do it. “And I know this may be hard for you to do, but please don’t accidentally let it slip that you know anything about us as well. Again, the more people that know…”

“The higher the chance of you guys getting found out. I got it,” Fluttershy grumbled back. Satisfied with her answer, Ratchet went back to grumbling to himself about the incompetence of his teammates. While he did that, Fluttershy reached down to the passenger’s side and pulled up her backpack, which she then opened up. “Hi there everybody.”

A series of soft cheeps answered her greeting, for inside of her backpack was a number of baby birds. Fluttershy smiled at all of them before she opened a small part of her bag and pulled out a handful of worms, which she then began to hand out to the babies.

“What in the name of the allspark are those diseased ridden vermin doing inside of me?” Ratchet asked in a simmering tone.

“There a group of baby birds I found abandoned in their nest. I think their mother had been killed by a hawk,” Fluttershy replied in a tone like iron. “I’m taking care of the until they’re old enough to fly on their own and no longer need me. But as they still need someone to take care of them at the moment, I bring them with me wherever I go. That includes in here.”

Ratchet snarled slightly, but he could tell from her tone that she wasn’t going to budge on this issue. He angled one on his mirrors so that he could glimpse down at the flock of birds, before sighing and readjusting his mirrors once more.

“So why didn’t you have these oh so precious baby birds with you when Fuel kidnapped you the other day?”

‘I left them with my mother. She looks after the animals I take in when I can’t bring them with me. Like when I was supposed to be at class.”

“Or when you’re driving around in an alien robot,” Ratchet muttered, but not soft enough so that Fluttershy couldn’t hear. She frowned at his reply and stuck out her tongue at his mirror. “Why do you even bother taking them in? They’re surely more trouble than they are worth. You should have let nature take its course.”

“Oh yeah, let nature take its course. Let it claim thee baby animals before they have a chance to live,” Fluttershy said in a mocking tone. 

“That’s how the world works.”

“What was I supposed to do? Just sit there and ignoring their cheeps for their mother? I was just supposed to sit there and let the injured innocent be claimed by death even when they hadn’t done anything to deserve it?” Fluttershy asked with fire in her voice, slightly scaring the birds. “I was just supposed to stand by and watch even though I could help?”

“…no. No I suppose not.”

Fluttershy blinked a few times in confusion while her anger was tempered by her bafflement. She had expected Ratchet to get angry at her or at the very least call her naïve or something like that. But from the way he had spoken and how tired he had sounded when he had done so, made Fluttershy wonder if he had ever been in a position like hers before.

“So you truly plan on taking care of those annoying little things for the rest of your life?” Ratchet asked. “I read in your profile that you want to be a vet and that the only reason you were in medical class was because your teachers asked you to be. Have no interest in the medical field.”

“Not really. I love animals so much that I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do besides work with them,” Fluttershy replied with a shrug before smiling down at the birds. “After all, who could resist working with such little cuties like you guys?”

“Heh, how nice it must be for your life to be so simple,” Ratchet muttered, getting Fluttershy to wonder what he meant.

She never got the chance to ask, because when she looked up through the windshield she saw Ratchet pull into Applejack’s driveway. She unbuckled herself and zipped the birds back up, but before she could get out the glove box on the passenger’s side opened and revealed a small earpiece.

“That’s a communicator I had built especially for you,” Ratchet informed Fluttershy. “Until you get your cellphone repaired, this is how you can stay in contact with both the Autobots and your friends. I have already programmed their numbers and ours into it. All you need to do is say aloud who you wish to contact and it will do the rest.”

“Oh. Thank you,” Fluttershy replied.

She placed the device into her ear, slightly amazed at how well it fit. When she had done so the door to the ambulance swung open and allowed her to exit. She waved by to her birds before she walked up the pathway to Applejack’s front door. Once she was gone Ratchet closed the door and watched for a moment, before he felt like he was being watched. He angled his mirror down to see that the five birds in Fluttershy’s bag had managed to open it slightly and were now all looking at his mirror.

“What?”

[=O=]

“It was right around here that ah saw the varmit,” Applejack told Fluttershy. The teenager had barely wasted any time in dragging Fluttershy out into the woods near where Applejack lived, leaving Fluttershy winded by the time the pair had arrived. Applejack had energy for days and so she was able to trek ahead without any problems. Fluttershy was struggling just to keep up.

“So…are you sure it was a giant robot?” Fluttershy asked in-between gasps for air. “Maybe it was just an illusion. Or maybe your eyes were playing tricks on you. Could’ve been an evil creature from Equestria. We seem to be getting more of those recently.”

“While ahm more than likely to believe that last one, ah know what ah saw,” Applejack replied. “It was a giant robot. It looked like it was…a car maybe? Ahm not sure the model, but it was definitely some kind of robotocized motor vehicle. And it was standing here in this outcropping watching me. That ahm sure of.”

Fluttershy took a moment from her panting to look around at the woods. The trees were large and tall, meaning that she could understand an Autobot trying to hide by using them. But RV was supposed to be keeping an eye on Applejack, so if RV had been spotted out here that meant Applejack had been out here as well. Fluttershy needed to know why.

“So why were you out here all by yourself?” Fluttershy asked as casually as she could. So naturally her voice sounded like she was accusing Applejack of being the world’s greatest thief. Applejack’s response was to give Fluttershy a baffled look.

“Haven’t ya been listening to a word ah’ve said? Ah was out here because ah was being followed by a giant robot,” Applejack said slowly this time. “At first ah thought it was a car following me, so ah took off into the woods to try to lose it. That’s when ah heard a strange sound, almost like…twisting metal. Then a few moments later ah spy this giant, purple robot staring at me from the trees.”

Applejack had turned away from Fluttershy to point to the spot where she had seen the robot, so she was spared from seeing Fluttershy’s face being drained of all color upon hearing the color of the giant robot. “Well ya better believe after seeing that ah hoofed it for mah life. Thankfully ah made it back to mah home safely, but ever since then ah can’t stop thinking about it. Ah tried talking to the others, but they all thought ah was seeing things. But ya believe me, right?”

“Sure Applejack, I believe you one hundred percent. Now if you will excuse me I just remembered something that I need to do so if you will excuse me,” Fluttershy said rapidly before she turned on her heels and raced off back towards the ambulance. Applejack watched her go with a raised eyebrow, before she too took after her friend when she heard a branch snap.

Once she had arrived back at Applejack’s house, the first thing Fluttershy did, aside from taking a moment to regain her breath, was to race to the ambulance and rip the door open. “Ratchet, you won’t believe it. It wasn’t RV that was following Applejack it was a-“

But Fluttershy’s story would have to wait a moment, for when she completely registered what the inside of Ratchet’s cab looked like she realized that he was going to be furious with her. Feathers were strewn across the seats, bird poop covered nearly every surface and five cheeping birds were tearing out the stuffing of one of the seats. With a meek smile Fluttershy slowly turned to look at the front of the vehicle, where Ratchet’s engine growled like an angry tiger.

“Get. Them. Out.”
> Casuality
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Casualty

“And you didn’t see RV anywhere?” Ratchet asked once more and once more Fluttershy gave the same answer.

“No, I didn’t see him or anything else that remotely resembled an RV,” Fluttershy said once again to Ratchet, whose engine growled with frustration at her words.

The moment that Fluttershy had told Ratchet that it had been a Con chasing after Applejack he had buckled her into his seat and drove off back towards the Autobot base, with Curbcheck and Stickshift following them from where they had been hiding.

“Curse it all this isn’t good. It’s bad enough that a Con has learned where Applejack lives, but now with RV seemingly missing as well,” Ratchet muttered to himself.

“Why are you so worried about RV? He’s a giant, metal robot with laser arms. He will be fine,” Fluttershy reminded Ratchet, who sighed in reply. “What I want to know is why you’re leaving Applejack completely unguarded against a Con attack in the future?! They already followed her to her house, who knows what they will try next?!”

“Do not think for a moment that I’ve left her unguarded. The moment you told me about the Con I sent a silent command back to the Autobot base. After the loss of Taillight, we implemented a new system, so that if one of the Bots looking after your friends perishes or goes missing, we have a backup on standby. As I speak Lowrider, one of our scouts, is on our way to her home. Lowrider comes with a cloaking device, so she’ll be hard for either Con or human to spot.”

“Do you think the Cons are responsible for the disappearance of RV?” Stickshift asked as he drove up beside Ratchet, with his brother flanking Ratchet’s other side.

“I don’t just think they might be behind it, I know they are behind it,” Ratchet growled, but it was the experience in his voice that made his words ring true.

“But RV was one of the new Wreckers! They’re the toughest of the tough! What kind of Con could possibly bring down somebody as strong as RV?” Curbcheck asked. Ratchet went quiet for a long time after being asked that question and during that time Fluttershy was aware of the nervous hums coming from the engines of both of the twins.

“What’s a wrecker?” she asked Stickshift once she had lowered her window. 

“They’re a group of Autobots founded by Bulkhead. They’re called wreckers because they’re known for causing a huge amount of damage to Cons and breaking through any kind of barriers that the Cons try to place in their way,” Stickshift explained. “There’s only ten or so of the new wreckers, but they’re nearly unstoppable bots. So the fact that one of them is missing…”

“Means that the Cons have someone on their side who is either as tough as a wrecker or has a bot that knows how to deal with them,” Curbchek finished for his brother with a roar of his engines. “I don’t like being out in the open like this. Ratchet, let’s just use the ground bridge and warp back to base. I don’t like being out here.”

“Neither do I, but you know that the ground bridge is only to be used in emergency situations,” Ratchet snapped back. Curbcheck was about to argue, but a rev of Stickshifts engines ceased the argument before it could begin.

“There’s a lot of terms being thrown around I know nothing about. What’s a ground bridge?” Fluttershy asked.

“Think of it like a teleporter, except for bigbodies like us,” Ratchet briefly explained.

“Okay. So then, to go along with Curbcheck, why aren’t we using it to just teleport to and from the base? Seems like the safer option.”

“Because, as I spent so many cycles arguing with Curbcheck, the ground bridge is not as safe as it used to be. Ultracon has new technology that allows him to know when and where a ground bridge is traveling to. Opening a bridge from base to go somewhere is safer than teleporting to base. So I will only do it as a last resort.”

“I see,” Fluttershy said despite not seeing at all. “How does the ground bridge work exactly? Does it have to be a specific location? Or can you teleport to people? Because I’m thinking maybe we could use it to-“

An explosion detonated right in front of where Ratchet was driving, bringing an end to that conversation. Fluttershy screamed in terror while Ratchet fought to keep himself from rolling over, before giving up entirely and allowing himself to roll. As he rolled he transformed from his vehicle mode to his robot mode, allowing him to land in a kneeling position. Curbcheck and Stickshift transformed into their vehicle modes as well and began to open fire on the Cons that were attacking from above.

A quick scan of the area from Ratchet revealed a small group off boulders to the side of the road. His right arm shifted to that of his rifle and he fired upon the Cons while also running towards the boulders. He slid behind the boulders and opened up his chest cavity, where Fluttershy was shakily standing in the center.

“Out out out!” Ratchet instructed before he ducked down to avoid being shot. He held out his left hand for Fluttershy to walk onto, which took her a moment to do so since her head was spinning. The moment her feet touched Ratchet’s hand he lowered her to the ground behind the boulders, where he dumped her off so that he could go charging back into the fight.

“How did they find us?! This route was supposed to be secure!” Stickshift yelled over the fire as he dove off the side of the road to take cover in a ditch. The eight Deceptacons came flying down from the sky and landed in front of the Autobots, opening fire in volleys so that the Bots had no time to counter attack.

“Perhaps they got the information out of our missing teammate RV!” Curbcheck roared before he dashed out with his arms both changed into shotguns, before a hail of gunfire forced him to dive behind a mound of rock and dirt. “If they needed to know where we were going, they would need to take at least one of us alive!”

“Well that certainly would make us easier to ambush!” Ratchet snarled in reply. He dove behind a sign on the highway and used it for cover, but he had to crouch down low due to the fact that the Earth metals in the sign didn’t do much to stop the energon bullets fired by the Cons. “Cons due click and five!”

Stickshift understood and whipped out from behind cover, his machine gun already firing as he did so. Thanks to Ratchet telling him the exact locations of the Cons in advance, his bullets tore one of the Con’s chest plate’s and turned his insides into scrap. The other Deceptacons began to focus their fire on Stick’s location, allowing Ratchet and Curbcheck to retaliate and fire upon their exposed flanks. 

Ratchet’s rifle was the most accurate gun the Bots had with them, so he was focused mostly on taking the heads off of the Cons and keeping their attention away from Curbcheck. He had terminated two of the Cons before they finally began to split up and split their fire between Ratchet and Stickshift equally, meaning that none of them were Watching Curbcheck. 

With a cry of battle echoing from his mouth Curbchek charged into the rear of the Deceptacons, firing his shotguns wildly into his foes. Each shotgun blast ripped apart a Con and three of them were already gone before the Deceptacons had any idea what was happening. Yet when the turned to focus on the raging Autobot ripping them apart up close was when Ratchet and Stickshift when to work blasting them to pieces from behind. 

Yet as that battle raged one of the Cons had slipped off of the side, not landing with his comrades but instead landing a distance away, where he activated his camouflage and snuck in close. By a pair of boulders he spied a single, female human that was watching the battle by herself. A human female that gave of an energy signature that matched the one he was supposed to bring back. So while his dying comrades kept the Bots busy, he snuck in close to capture his target.

Fluttershy had been so enamored by the battle going on that she never registered the earthshaking footsteps that were getting closer to her until it was too late. She only realized that a Con had snuck up behind her when his shadow fell over her, getting Fluttershy to slowly turn and stare up at the purple con that was reaching towards her. Her voice failed her when she needed it the most, so all she could manage was a small squeak as the Con reached down to pick her up.

“Hey! Hands to yourself!”

A fist slammed into the side of the Con’s had and sent him sprawling into the dirt. He was down for only a moment though and after taking a second to register what had happened, he spun around and pointed his blaster at his attacker. Unfortunately for the Con, that second was a second too long. A burst of energon bullets erupted from Stickshift’s gun and the Con fell dead a moment later. Stickshift narrowed his eyes at the body of the Con, before he knelt down next to Fluttershy.

“You alright, Shy?” he asked her.

“Um, yes. Thank you,” Fluttershy replied meekly.

“Not a problem. Come on, while Ratchet and Curb finish this up, let’s get you out of-“

BANG!

A high-power round tore straight through the back of Stickshift and ripped clean through his spark, before bursting through his chest on the other side. Energon sprayed from the sniper round and splashed the ground around Stickshift, covering both the ground and the girl standing there in blue life blood.

Slowly Fluttershy lifted her hands to stare at the blue enegon that was covering her hands and arms, eyes widening as the terror of what had just happened took hold. The sound of something heavy hitting the ground beside her drew her eyes away from her hands and to the body of Stickshift, who was lying motionless next to her. She stared at his face, which was now blank and expressionless, with eyes that no longer held the blue light within them they once did.

She barely registered to roar of agony and rage that emanated from Curbcheck nor did she register Ratchet racing over to her side. All she could do was stare with blank eyes at the similar blank expression on Stickshifts face.

Ratchet, on the other hand, had something far more terrifying to be staring at.

Walking towards them, with one arm as a sniper rifle and the other as an energon launcher, was a Con Ratchet had never hoped to see again. He was slender, angular and purple, calling back to the way the Cons of old used to modify themselves. But it was his face, or lack of, that made Ratchet’s optics widen in horror. For in place of his face was a single, emotionless visor, one that covered all of his features. And that alone was enough to tell Ratchet what to do next.

“Ratchet to base. I need a ground bridge on my coordinates right now!” Ratchet roared into the coms before reaching down and grabbing hold of Stickshifts body. The Con lifted his rifle and fired at Ratchet, but Ratchet used his fallen comrades body to block the shot. Ratchet returned fire and forced the Con to use his wing like arms to block, allowing Ratchet a moment to bark orders.

“Curb! Grab Fluttershy and get into the ground bridge!” Ratchet barked at Curbcheck as the ground bridge opened behind them.

“I ain’t going anywhere! He killed-!”

“He’ll kill all of us if we don’t go and then your brother will never be avenged! Now MOVE!” Ratchet roared in a voice that killed all further argument. “As soon as you get through tell them to close it. I’ll be right behind you!”

Curbcheck realized what Ratchet was saying and bowed his head, so as Ratchet laid down covering fire Curbcheck raced over and snatched Fluttershy into his hands. Curbcheck dashed into the swirling vortex of the ground bridge and vanished from the battlefield, leaving Ratchet to slowly back towards the vortex while continuing to fire at the Con. A wave of relief washed over Ratchet as he backed into the portal and felt its energy wash over him, before he glared at the Con one last time.

“Soon,” the Con said in Ratchet’s voice.

And then the ground bridge closed.
> Losses
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Losses

The ground bridge closed behind Ratchet as he walked into the Autobot base, carrying in his arms what remained of Stickshift. There were numerous holes and dents in his body from where Ratchet had used him as a shield, an action Ratchet would hate himself for later. But none of those wounds had meant anything. Stickshift had been dead from the moment his spark had been blasted out through the front of his chest.

As he walked towards the operating table Ratchet glanced around the base to see the reaction of his fellow bots. Most of them looked on with sorry and shame, sad to see that another of their comrades had fallen in the war with the Deceptacons. Curbcheck was off in the corner, trying to make a new tunnel for the base by punching the wall with his fists. Ratchet couldn’t bring himself to tell him to stop. And then there was Fluttershy, who was curled up into a ball out of the way, looking lost in more ways than one.

Ratchet set the body of his comrade down on the operating table and, even though he knew it was pointless, performed a system check on him. There were vitals, no signs of cranial activity: Stickshift was dead. Ratchet sighed bitterly before he turned his head at a bot’s approach. Curbcheck was walking over to Ratchet and had a look in his optics that Ratchet hated to see. Hope.

“There is nothing I can do,” Ratchet said in a tone of finality, hoping to lessen the blow as much as he could.

“B-but doc, you’re the best of the best,” Curbcheck tried to reason, but Ratchet knew that he was more trying to reason with himself. “You fixed Bee’s voice, you’ve repaired Optimus all of those times…surely there is something that you can do to-“

“Curbcheck. Soundwave shot out your brother’s spark. That is not a serious wound. That is not a life-threatening wound. That is a fatal wound,” Ratchet informed Curbcheck in an emotionless tone. “All I can do for a wound like that, even with all of my centuries of medical training, is say that I’m sorry. He’s gone. One with the All Spark.”

Curbcheck glared down at the ground for a few seconds before letting loose a bellow of agony and rage. He transformed into his vehicle form and raced out of the exit of the base, heading towards the surface. “Cruise Control, go after him. Make sure that he doesn’t get himself killed,” Ratchet instructed, getting one of the Autobots to nod before they too transformed to pursue Curbcheck.

Ratchet then shook his head and started to examine Stickshift’s body for the energon bullet that so easily killed one of the tougher bots that he knew. But in the back of his mind he knew that while the weapon had indeed killed Stickshift, the Con that had been holding the rifle had knew exactly where to place that bullet.

“Soundwave,” Ratchet said through a clenched jaw.

“Soundwave, sir?” one of the other Autobot’s that had been standing close by asked and Ratchet silently cursed himself for letting his anger override his thinking. “THE Soundwave? The one that was Megatron’s right hand bot and was responsible for the deaths of so many of our comrades? That Soundwave is back?”

“Sadly, yes. Soundwave has indeed returned,” Ratchet replied with another sigh.

“But he was trapped in another dimension! One that there was no chance of him getting out of!” the bot said in a panicked voice. “If he’s returned, then what chance do we-?”

“Calm yourself. You have me, a bot that has dealt with Soundwave before. And you have Optimus Prime, a legend who has brought down dozens of Soundwave like Cons,” Ratchet replied as he stared into the bot’s optics, allowing the younger bot to see his confidence in their leader. “Yes, Soundwave is dangerous. But he was at his best with Megatron and now Megatron is no longer around. We will deal with Soundwave soon enough.”

“But sir…Soundwave was only loyal to Megatron. Yet he attacked you and your team while you were returning to base here. Does that mean that Soundwave is now loyal to Ultracon? Or…maybe…Megatron is working with the Cons! Or Maybe Ultracon is just a false name that-“

“Again, calm yourself. Megatron has not returned. Optimus saw to it that Megatron would never bother another transformer again,” Ratchet said. The words did little to instill confidence in the younger bot though. “Look, why don’t you go out on patrol. Take your mind off of things. It’s been a long day for all of us.”

The bot nodded and walked towards the edge of the base, but Ratchet could tell from his expression that the senior doctor had done little to instill confidence. Ratchet frowned before pressing his fingers to the side of his head.

“Ratchet to Optimus. Optimus, do you read?”

Static was all that Ratchet was rewarded with, so with a snarl he walked over to the communications hub machine, which also happened to be the machine that Fluttershy was leaning up against with her head in her hands. Ratchet gave her a sympathetic look, but he couldn’t take time to talk to her. He had more important things to worry about at the moment.

“What is the matter with our comm channels?” Ratchet asked the bot at the controls.

“I don’t know sir, the moment you returned they seemed to start going on the fritz,” the young bot replied. Ratchet sighed as he shooed the bot to the side before taking the helm at the control panel himself. Much like the younger bot had said, something was wrong with the machine. The systems seemed to be working fine, but there was some power, some outside source, that was messing with the communications. And he wasn’t sure what it was.

Yet had he only glanced down to his side at the girl who he had been ignoring, he would have found the answer right away. For the answer came in the form of that girl, who had curled up into a ball filled with anger and helplessness. Every time she closed her eyes she could see the empty, lifeless eyes of Stickshift. And every time she opened her eyes to try and banish the face from her mind, she saw her own body and the blue energon that was clinging to her like she had the power to revive its original owner. But what gnawed at her the most, what burned her soul like a flame that wouldn’t go out, was that she had just stood there. And that drove her to the edge.

With a scream, more of helplessness than it was fury, Fluttershy erupted into her harmonic form. Wings shot out of her back, ears form upon her head and her long hair formed a ponytail at the end. But the true greatest change to her form was the wave of magic that erupted from her when she transformed, a wave of magic that washed over the communications hub behind her. Science and magic met and magic won out.

The machine began to spark and sputter as the magic from Fluttershy soaked into its core, getting a cry of surprise out of Ratchet before he dove away. A moment after he did so the machine gave up on trying to fight the magic. The screens exploded, the wiring burned out and the metal twisted and warped until the communications hub barely looked like what it once did. Ratchet stared at what remained of his precious machine for a few moments, before he turned to Fluttershy with fury building in his circuits.

“Fluttershy, I needed-!”

Yet as quickly as the rage appeared within Ratchet it just as quickly vanished, vanishing as Ratchet laid is optics upon Fluttershy. She stood upright in her magical form, her body trembling from the sobs that forced themselves to come out. Tears fell from her eyes and swam down her face, yet even her tears couldn’t remove the energon from Stickshift that still covered her body. Guilt filled up his spark, getting the doctor to sigh as he knelt down next to her and extended a hand.

“Come on Fluttershy, let’s go talk.”

[=O=]

The ambulance came to halt just in front of a small river nestled in a forest of trees, a place not too far from the hidden Autobot base. The door opened on its own and allowed Fluttershy to exit, which she did so slowly. Ratchet hadn’t said anything to her on the ride over and Fluttershy had stayed silent in reply. 

“Please sit next to the river, if you wouldn’t mind,” Ratchet asked softly.

Fluttershy did as he asked, drawing in her knees and wrapping her arms around them once she had sat down. She then lowered her head onto her knees, making it impossible for Ratchet to see her face. Ratchet knew that he should stay in vehicle form in case a random human decided to walk by, but he also knew that he would look a lot more sincere if he talked to Fluttershy face to face. So after a quick scan to make sure no one was nearby, Ratchet transformed into his robot mode and sat down next to her.

“What happened to Stickshift wasn’t your fault,” he told her. Fluttershy didn’t reply. “In this war with the Deceptacons our lives are a risk at any given moment. Soundwave would have killed Stickshift had you been there or not. That’s the kind of terrible Con that he is.”

“But if I hadn’t been there, maybe Stickshift would have been looking the right way,” Fluttershy whispered so softly that Ratchet had to turn up his audio receptors to hear her.

“Perhaps. Or perhaps Soundwave would have killed all of us. There’s no point in wondering what could have happened. All we can think about is what did happen,” Ratchet told Fluttershy. “And believe me Fluttershy, I have wonder many times what would have happened had I done things differently. What kind of bot would I be, would I still be alive in this war…and would all of the bots I failed to save still be alive if I had done something, anything, different?”

Those words, along with the tone of regret, finally drew Fluttershy’s head from off of her legs. She gazed up at the giant Autobot, who seemed lost in memories that were thousands of years old. She wasn’t sure if she should interrupt those thoughts, but after a few minutes of waiting she found that she couldn’t resist her urge any longer.

“How did you become a medic, Ratchet?” she asked the Autobot.

Ratchet’s response was to smirk and shake his head. “You don’t want to hear that story, Fluttershy. It’s old, it’s boring and it doesn’t have a happy ending. And you don’t need anything else depressing to deal with today,” Ratchet told her, but when he looked down into her eyes he saw the curiosity and need to know. So with a sigh, Ratchet gave in. “Very well, I suppose if I cut some parts out it won’t be too long. It started so long ago, Fluttershy. On the very first Cybertron.”
> Losses (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Losses (2)

“I’m not going to get into Transformer creation or how our spiritual system works or anything like that. I could take hundreds of your Earth years talking and arguing against all of that. So instead of starting off at my creation, I will instead start the story at where I first became a doctor.”

“What drew me to become a doctor was partly because I enjoyed helping others and partly because I wanted a job where I could inflate my own ego. And where better to do both than saving lives. I studied the medical records written by the greatest doctors before me and spent centuries learning and perfecting my soon to be craft. And as naturally brilliant and gifted as I was, it wasn’t long until I passed the exam to get in and became a doctor in the greatest city on Cyberton, Iacon.”

“It took a while before my name got known, but my early days were some of my most important. I took on any and every patient, regardless of class or background. And I saved each and every one of them. No matter how severe an injury or how terrible a severed body, I found a way to put them back together. Eventually my name became one of the most renowned for my skill and expertise, to the point that they called me the Unfailing Ratchet, because I never failed.”

“After a few centuries of success after success, it’s safe to say that my ego was the same size as the list of patients that I had helped. I bathed in the praise and the cheers of others and for a time, as much as I regret to say it, I truly believed myself to be every bit as talented as they said I was. It got to the point where I would ignore the writings and discoveries of other doctors, believing that I knew best. Had things continued the way they did, I would have been the most successful, and arrogant, doctor on the face of Cybertron.”

“So what changed?” Fluttershy asked.

“Megatron. He was a former gladiator that gained renown by being unbeatable in the ring and being a leader that all of the oppressed looked to. And there were oppressed on Cybertron, Fluttershy. At the time, I was too blind to see it. So many bots looking for someone, anyone, who could bring down those in power and establish a balance where they were no longer treaded underfoot. And for that cause, when Megatron rose up against the Prime’s and the Autobots they were right there with him, becoming his massive army.”

“As Megatron wanted to tear down those with power and prestige, and with me having both power and prestige, naturally I joined the Autobots to fight against him, as a field doctor naturally. I also naively thought that I could further my career by doing this as well. The world-famous surgeon who entered into the war for the planet to save as many lives as he could. The media along with the people would eat it up and I would ten times as famous as I had been before. It would have been my crowning achievement.”

“But those who seek glory in war are always the first to have their ambitions shattered by fate. It was at the battle of the rust pits where everything changed for me. The Autobots were supposed to be holding the line against a way of Cons that were moving through the rust storms towards our position, using the storm as cover to avoid our fliers. To counter this, we had a line of eighty or so bots, each ready to fight the Cons as they emerged from the storm. It was supposed to be a slaughter. And it was. For us.”

“The Cons were using a brand-new weapon, designed by Megatron himself. A chemical toxin that devoured a bot from the inside and caused a full system collapse. A slow, painful and lethal collapse. As part of the medical team I had a face plate designed to keep toxins like that out. I was the only one that had such a device. So I was forced to watch as my comrades, all eighty of them, succumbed to death in agony and pain.”

“I did what I could. Tried everything I knew, but at the time the toxin was new and we had no counter to it. All I could do was comfort those that were dying and try to make their last moments as painless as possible. But the one bot who I will never forget, Duststorm, held on longer than the others. He held on longer because he believed in me, the Unfailing Ratchet. The doctor that had never failed to save a patient. And he still had that hope and belief in me in his eyes when his spark finally left his body and he died in my arms. Duststorm was my first true loss as a doctor. He would be far from my last.”

“The war raged on. Both sides constructed new and terrible weapons to use against the other side. And as the weapons grew greater, the body count grew higher. I did what I could, but at every battle I experience more and more failure, more lives that I couldn’t save despite all of my years of training and practice. Their lifeless faces still haunt my dreams to this day. At the battle of the Wildlands I only managed to save one out of a company of five hundred. And that one was myself.”

“Ratchet, I-“ Fluttershy began, but Ratchet held up a hand to silence her.

“If I stop Fluttershy, I do not know if can start again,” Ratchet whispered with a pain and age in his voice the likes of which Fluttershy had never heard. “The failures began to affect me. At this point in the war no one cared if I was the legendary medic or a brand new one. A medic was a medic and we did the best we could. But I still cared. I still cared that I had once thought of myself as being so great and yet here I was, failing so miserably.”

“It began to affect me. I doubted myself when operating, I started to run blindly into combat, almost as if I was trying to die. I began to think if I couldn’t save all of them, then what right did I have to live? And my foolish bumper nearly got what he wanted, for during one of my charges I took an energon shell right to the side of the head, one that knocked me offline in the middle of the scrap lands, essentially our version of no man’s land, where I would have surely met my end.”

“Then how did you survive?”

“The same way the Autobot’s survived after the death of Zeta Prime. How the Autobot’s continued to fight after the loss of Cybertron. Optimus Prime,” Ratchet replied and for a moment all of the pain, grief and agony in Ratchet’s voice vanished and was filled with awe and pride. “Alone, and against his commanding officer’s orders, he raced into the scrap lands and dragged me back to the Autobot’s side, despite an unholy amount of energon fire raining down on him. He got me safely behind our lines and patched up.”

“Then he asked me what had I been thinking charging into enemy lines like that and I told him what I told you. About all of my failures. About thinking myself so great only to have failed so terribly. That I didn’t deserve to live after I had failed so many. I laid it all out before him and he listened. He was then silent for a few minutes before he finally replied. And what he told me changed my very spark.”

“Ratchet, he said to me, I know how you feel. I know what it is like to watch those under your command, under your care, to be extinguished while all you can do is watch on. It is a feeling, a pain, that will never go away. But if we devote all of our time thinking about what we could have done, we forget about what we can do here and now. Yes, many have died under your care, but so many more have been saved by your actions. Maybe all you can only save two or three sometimes, while losing the rest. But if you die here, if you give up here, then maybe none of them will make it out. None of them will be saved. Do not die to atone for those that you failed to save. Live for those who will need you in the coming battles, those who will need you unparalleled skill to survive against all odds. There are many more Autobots who will need to be helped, just as I helped you.”

“Do not focus on what you could have done, but focus on what you can do. No matter how unimportant it might seem to you, it could make all the difference to someone else’. And then he charged back into battle, leaving me there to think about what he had told me. He was right, as he almost always is. I had begun to focus too much on what I could have done instead of what I can do.”

“And that is the same lesson I pass on to you,” Ratchet told Fluttershy, who had been listening intently in silence. “Yes, maybe things with Stickshift could have gone differently had you not been there. But if we waste our efforts worrying about what we could have done, we may forget about what we can do. We lost an ally today. As sad as it is to say, he will most likely not be the last ally we lose. But his sacrifice meant that the Cons did not succeeded today. And that in itself is a small victory…is anything I’m saying to you making sense?”

“Actually…yes Ratchet, yes, it is,” Fluttershy muttered, but she was talking more to herself than to Ratchet. Ratchet smiled at her response before he transformed back into an ambulance.

“Glad to hear it. Now come on, let’s get you home so you can change out of those clothes and shower. I don’t think you want to be covered in energon any longer than you have to,” Ratchet said. Fluttershy nodded and got into the ambulance, which buckled her in and closed the door behind her. “If you want, you can run the siren and I can go really fast.”

“…thanks Ratchet, but that won’t be necessary. I have plenty I need to think about until I get home.”
> Terrible With Secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Terrible with Secrets

The librarian at Canterlot High rarely let students in over the summer that weren’t taking classes. After the Crusader fiasco the year before, where dozens of pigeons and one rabbit trapped in a hat got loose, they began to be selective about who could come in and who could take books out. Twilight and Sunset were always allowed in. Rainbow Dash was permanently banned. But when Fluttershy walked up to the librarian and gave her a meek smile, she raised an eyebrow at Fluttershy and thought for a minute.

“Bag,” the librarian asked and Fluttershy obliged. As Fluttershy was known for bringing animals with her wherever she went, she wasn’t surprised in the slightest that the librarian had wanted to see inside of her bag to make sure she wasn’t bringing in any more of the fuzzy little troublemakers. Fortunately, Fluttershy had the good sense to leave her little pet at home. Mostly because she was smart enough to not bring them to the library, but also because she was scared of bringing them into another Deceptacon attack.

“Go on in,” the librarian said at last after having checked every last inch of Fluttershy’s bag. Fluttershy thanked the librarian before she entered into the silent chamber, which was stacked to the ceiling with rows and rows of books. A few other students were in the library as well, but Fluttershy didn’t recognize any of them. Actually, she was glad that none of her friends were there. Today was a day about learning and she didn’t need any distractions.

Her destination was the section on human biology, where hundreds of books could be found about the human body, how to break it and how to put it back together. She took plenty of these, to the point where her arms screamed out in agony under all of the weight that Fluttershy was forcing them to carry.

Once she had gathered her collection of knowledge, she sought out a hidden table in the very back of the library, one few students knew about. That was because there was a rumor at the school that an ancient and evil magic lay dormant back there and if you weren’t careful the magic would swallow you whole. Naturally Fluttershy and her friends had already dealt with that magic, but why give up a quiet place where no one would bother you?

She sat down and dumped the books onto the table, kicking herself for not bringing a cart to place the books upon instead. But her moment of self-critique lasted only a moment, for in the next moment she had flipped open one of her many books and began to learn.

For hours she sat by herself, learning and studying the human body and how it worked. Sometimes the thought would cross her mind why she wasn’t studying the medical books on animals like she normally did, but then her brain reminded her she had read most of those books. Not to mention the fact that she could still vividly recall Ratchet’s story, a story that had set a spark alight in her chest. A spark that made her feel the desire to do…something.

“Fluttershy? That you?”

Fluttershy glanced up to see Twilight Sparkle walking towards her, a few books tucked under her arms as well. This Twilight wasn’t the one from Equestria, but instead was a normal human girl who had gotten mixed up with Fluttershy and her friends the previous summer. That had been fun.

“I’m kinda surprised to see you in the library,” Twilight continued on as she placed her books down on the table and sat next to Fluttershy. “Your friends told me that you normally spend your summers out in the field, getting a first-hand look at all of the animals you’ve studied.”

“I figured that a day of learning and studying wouldn’t be all that bad for my mental health,” Fluttershy replied. Twilight nodded in agreement before she reached over and picked up one of the books that Fluttershy was reading.

“And I know for a fact that you never read about the human body. I’ve seen the books you read and, unless they’re for a class, you always read about animals or something related to animals,” Twilight pointed out. 

“Perhaps I’m just broadening my horizons,” Fluttershy replied with an innocent smile as she took the book back, placing it on the table closer to her. Twilight raised an eyebrow at Fluttershy’s response, but then her eyes behind her glasses took on a more concerned look and she crossed her fingers.

“Actually, I’m glad to find you here,” Twilight said in a tone that instantly put Fluttershy into worry mode. “With how off the grid you’ve been lately and the fact that we’ve had trouble getting in contact with you through your phone, I had actually begun to think…that you’ve gone missing like the others.”

“You mean like Sunset?”

“I mean like the others,” Twilight replied in a very stern, but also very panicked, voice. “Sunset hasn’t contacted any of us in about three weeks and now Rainbow Dash isn’t answering her phone. Then there’s Applejack calling me and telling me that she thinks there’s something stalking her in the woods, something massive and made of metal. Did she tell you about it?”

“She did. Actually, can you repeat what you said about Rainbow Dash, I don’t think I heard you right,” Fluttershy asked while reaching up and touching the communication device in her ear, calling Ratchet and putting her device into speaker mode.

“Yeah. We tried calling her this morning and she didn’t answer. We didn’t think much about this at first, but then we called her family and they said she hadn’t come back yet from her morning run. And she had taken her phone with her,” Twilight added on, the concern in her voice rising with each word. “They said that she does this from time to time and probably just found someplace cool to hang out, but with the disappearance of Sunset and Applejack’s fears…I can’t help but think there’s something going on.”

“You think that it has something to do with Equestria?” Fluttershy asked, trying to divert the conversation away from the giant robot and more towards a magical problem. “I mean, over the last year and a half we’ve dealt with plenty of problems from that world.”

“I thought that too, but my Equestrian magic tracker hasn’t picked up any traces of Equestrian magic aside from what we already have in this world,” Twilight muttered as her brows furrowed, not happy that she couldn’t figure out a solution to this problem. She then cast a glance at Fluttershy’s ear and in one, swift motion snatched the communication device from Fluttershy.

“Hey!”

“This device you have is incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Twilight muttered, ignoring Fluttershy’s protests and moving her hands to keep the device out of Fluttershy’s reach. “It seems to work like a regular phone, but the material used to make it is of an origin that I have never seen before! What is this and where did you get it?”

“A giant robot gave it to me after it saved me from being blown up. What do you think?” Fluttershy asked, hoping her voice sounded as sarcastic as she had intended it to be. Twilight narrowed her eyes for a moment, trying to discern where the mocking ended and the truth began. She lowered her guard for a second and in that second Fluttershy snatched the device back from Twilight, this time placing it in her other ear so that Twilight couldn’t grab at it. 

“Fluttershy…you know about what’s going on, don’t you?” Twilight asked, having decided that Fluttershy’s words weren’t just mockery. “You know something about the disappearances and who is behind them. So what aren’t you telling us?”

For a long time Fluttershy stared at Twilight, trying to think of some lie or fib that could get her out of this mess. But she knew that she was going up against Twilight, one of her smartest friends and who was very skilled at sniffing out when something strange was going on. So with no other options left, Fluttershy sighed and lowered her head.

“I’m sorry Twilight, but I can’t tell you. I made a promise to someone that I would keep things a secret,” Fluttershy replied.

“What? You can’t tell me?! Even after both Sunset and Rainbow Dash have gone missing?! What kind of promise would keep you from telling your friends?” Twilight exclaimed in such a high pitch that a moment later the librarian let out a shushing sound. “Come on Fluttershy, you’ve got to tell me! Our friends could be in danger!”

“There’s nothing we can do at the moment. Trust me when I say that,” Fluttershy replied calmly.

“Trust you? How can I trust you when you’re keeping something from me?” Twilight whispered angrily.

‘Fluttershy, you cannot tell her about us. It would cause too many complications and put her at risk,’ Ratchet’s voice whispered in her ear. ‘Right now the Cons don’t care about her, but if she learns about them they will try to eliminate her. Think of a way to get rid of her. We need to talk.’

“Why are you keeping this a secret from me?” Twilight asked once more and Fluttershy braced herself for what she was about to do.

‘I’m so sorry for this, Twilight,’ Fluttershy thought. “Maybe it’s because I still remember how you stole my magic from me without asking…and I wonder if I tell you this secret will you try something like that again?”

Fluttershy knew it was coming and yet it still felt like a knife was being driven into her heart when she saw Twilight’s eyes widen in pain and shock.

“Oh…that…yeah, I didn’t…sorry Fluttershy, I need to go. I’ve…I’m sorry.”

Twilight gathered up her books and walked toward the exit to the library, while Fluttershy closed her eyes and cursed herself for having to do that to her friend. She then placed a finger to her communicator and resumed her call with Ratchet.

“I hope whatever it is you have to tell me is worth it Ratchet, because I may have just broken my friend’s heart,” Fluttershy said angrily to the Transformer.

“Unfortunately, it’s not good news, Fluttershy,” Ratchet replied with his voice cold and emotionless. “I looked into Rainbow Dash after hearing what Twilight said and it’s not good. The bot watching her has sent out an S.O.S. The Cons are after Rainbow Dash.”
> Rescue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rescue

“Ratchet to base, this is an Omega level emergency,” Ratchet said over the communication channels while he tore across the highway towards the Autobot base, sirens blaring loudly so that people would get out of his way. “Holy Diver is under Con assault right now and one of the girls that we are here to protect is in danger. I want all teams to mobilize as quickly as they can. Ground bridge permission granted!”

“Copy Ratchet, strike team one is about to leave for Holy Diver’s last known location!” one of the Autobot’s said over the channel. “What’s your ETA?”

“I’m still a good hour out, but don’t worry about me. Use the ground bridge to send as many reinforcements to Holy Diver as we can spare,” Ratchet ordered before taking a sharp swerve to avoid someone that hadn’t been paying attention. “Open your optics, buddy! Fliers, go next and get a full aerial scan of where Holy Diver was last located. If we get there and the Cons have already terminated her, then they will be trying to escape with Rainbow Dash. Livewire, do you have the jammer ready?”

“Affirmative Ratchet, ground bridge jammer is fully functional and in affect,” Livewire replied. “If the Cons want to get out of there, they’re going to have to do it the old-fashioned way, with wheels and wings.”

“Good work. Keep me informed of what’s going on at all times and make sure to constantly be checking in with the teams that are watching over the other girls. The last thing I want is to lose any more of the girls or Autobots to the Cons,” Ratchet instructed. He switched off his comms and floored it, driving even faster towards the Autobot base. As all he could do at the moment was drive towards the base while waiting for an update from his teammates, Ratchet turned his full attention to the girl that was sitting in the driver’s seat with both sad and angry eyes.

“We’re going to save Rainbow Dash. I want you to know that.”

“That’s great. Save her so I can ruin my friendship with her too when she asks me what’s going on,” Fluttershy whispered with venom in every word.

“Fluttershy, I am sorry that damaging your friendship with Twilight is what it took to get her off of our trail, but believe me when I say she is safer for it. Out of all of your friends she is the only one without the magic that Ultracon seeks, meaning that she is the only one that the Cons have no interest in. But if she starts snooping around and accidentally runs into a Con, then they won’t capture her. They will kill her. What you did probably saved her life.”

“Tell me that doesn’t make me feel any better about what I did,” Fluttershy muttered sadly.

“No, it doesn’t. I’ve been told plenty of times that what I did was the right thing or that my actions saved so many at the cost of a few, but it doesn’t make the pain any softer. Sometimes doing the right thing Fluttershy can hurt worse than doing the wrong thing ever could. But if we don’t do what’s right, then others will suffer.”

Fluttershy wanted to argue his point, but the fact that Rainbow Dash, one of her oldest and closest friends, was under attack was starting to sink in and Fluttershy felt her stomach tying itself into knots. She found herself constantly glancing at Ratchet’s radio, that where the other Autobot’s voices came from, while constantly waiting from an update from them. Eventually something came over the radio, but it wasn’t what she expected to hear.

“All drivers, we have a five-car pileup on the highway at Robinson and Ark. Be advised that there are numerous reported injuries. All drivers in the area please head there now.”

“What was that?” Fluttershy asked Ratchet.

“Since I am an ambulance, I have access to the emergency centers communications,” Ratchet explained, but made no motion to change his course. “Occasionally it provides useful information, such as when the Cons attack a place where we couldn’t sense them on our scanners. One time the emergency system alerted us to an attack in the middle of the night in a part of the world well outside of our scanners.”

“So then, why aren’t we going to help?” Fluttershy asked Ratchet.

“Fluttershy, use your head. The Cons are attacking Holy Diver and Rainbow Dash as we speak. I am needed in the command center to order instructions to the Autobots as they engage the Deceptacons,” Ratchet replied with a chuckle. “We don’t have time to go out there and get back to the base. That is what the human ambulances are for, situations like this.”

“Yes, but I’m looking at your map and can’t help but notice that we are the closest to the crash by far,” Fluttershy pointed out as she looked at the map Ratchet had on display inside the vehicle. He quickly shut the map off but already the damage was done. “If we turn up ahead we can make it there in a matter of minutes.”

“Fluttershy, what good would our being there even do? You are not a trained EMT and I am not a real ambulance. If there are injured people there we would be driving them to the nearest hospital, which happens to be far away from where the base is. And then there is the fact that once we get there, there will be questions asked about the sixteen-year-old girl without a medical license picking up wound patients and bringing them to a hospital in an ambulance.”

“I thought you got me this I.D. specifically to make sure no one asked questions?”

“The I.D. is to make sure no on asks questions when they see you driving me, not for actually picking up patients and dropping them off at a hospital!” Ratchet snarled in reply. “Besides, this could be a trap by the Cons, one to lure us out while the rest of the Autobots are busy dealing with Holy Diver and Rainbow Dash. The risks are too high!”

The turn was coming up and Fluttershy knew that she would need to say something to get Ratchet to turn. So for the second time in that day, she said something that she knew might hurt the other person.

“The risks were high when Optimus dragged you off the battlefield. But he did it anyway.”

“…to the scrapyard with you girl, you’re going to be the death of me,” Ratchet snarled before he yanked the steering wheel hard to the right and turned in the direction of the pileup. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. But before we get there I’m dropping you off so that if it is a trap the Cons won’t get you as well as me.”

“Wouldn’t it be safer if I stayed with you instead of being off on my own by myself?”

“You get one out of me, Fluttershy. Push too hard for two and I will turn right back towards the Autobot base.”

“Fine. Don’t need to be a grump about it.”

“You teenagers make me grumpy. I’m starting to think I’m allergic to you.”

Within minutes the pair were upon the area of the crash, using Ratchet’s scanning system to home in on where it took place. Before they got too close, Ratchet came to a stop near a large pile of bushes and opened the door for Fluttershy to get out. She did so hesitantly, not sure she wanted to leave Ratchet by himself to deal with the pile-up.

“I hope you realize that if this pile-up is real, you will need an actual person with you to load the people into the back,” Fluttershy told him.

“Then keep your communicator on so that if I need you, I can call you over. And not a moment before,” Ratchet warned her before he turned on his siren and drove up onto the highway. His optics narrowed when he saw five cars all smashed into one another, confirming that part of the story. But what sent thoughts of confusion racing through his circuits was the way the cars were smashed together. They looked like they had been thrown into one another, not like they had crashed into each other.

“Hello? Can anyone hear me? My name is Ratchet and I’m here to help you,” Ratchet said to the piled-up cars, hoping to see a person walk out from somewhere at any moment. “We received your call about the crash and how there were injured involved. If you are there, we need to get them to a medical facility quickly.”

Then Ratchet’s headlights shone across a human, a human that was face down in the ground with arms extended. Ratchet slowly drove over to the human’s body and began to scan it, finding out a moment later that the human was dead. A sigh of regret escaped his lips as he moved on and started to scan around, only to find more humans, eight of them, who were also dead.

“This isn’t right,” he muttered to himself.

“What’s going on, Ratchet?” Fluttershy asked over the comms.

“I’ve found the scene of the crash. I’ve also found the people who called in the crash. None of them made it,” Ratchet said to Fluttershy, who gasped in horror on the other end of the line. “But something isn’t adding up here. The call said that people were injured, but there were no reports of fatalities. Also, the way the cars have been smashed together. It’s almost like…by the All Spark I knew it!”

The moment those words left his mouth a horde of Deceptacons appeared out of the shadows. Some of the Cons were small and nimble while most of them were large and armored heavily. They had barely begun to approach Ratchet before the both transformed into his robot mode, his left wrist extending a scalpel while his right arms transformed into a rifle.

“Ratchet, what’s going on?” Fluttershy asked over the comms as Ratchet began to back away from the Deceptacon attackers, realizing how heavily outnumbered he was.

“It was a trap Fluttershy, a Deceptacon trap,” Ratchet informed her as the Cons closed in around him. “The Cons crashed these cars, killed the humans and sent in the fake call to lure us out here. If I get out of this still functioning, Fluttershy, I hope you’re ready to hear I told you so for the rest of your life. Ratchet to base…I need help.”
> Rescue (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rescue (2)

Ratchet knew that he was only delaying the inevitable.

The ambush had been perfect. Despite his numerous calls for backup or support, no one came to his aid. And he knew why. He had sent all of them to deal with the Cons attacking Rainbow Dash and Holy Diver, which was an equally scary threat.

‘Lure me and Fluttershy out of the base to attack us while also attacking another of the girls and their guardian, forcing us to either split our forces and risk failure or focus on a single foe and lose one of the girls. I’d be impressed if I wasn’t about to be terminated,’ Ratchet thought as an energon blast caught him in the chest. 

Ratchet was more heavily armored than most bots, what Fluttershy’s teacher had said about him being armored so that he could drive into dangerous situations was completely accurate, but with all of the laser fire raining down upon him even his armor wouldn’t hold up forever. Yet he also knew that there were too many Cons. He might be able to take six, maybe seven at his best, but there were over twenty, all sent to kill him and kidnap Fluttershy.

“Ratchet, what do you want me to do?” Fluttershy asked in a panicked voice over the comm channel, desperate to do anything to help her friend out.

“Stay low and out of sight. Once the Cons finish with me they will come looking for you!” Ratchet ordered as he drove his blade through the head of one of the Cons who had the bad sense to get too close. He grabbed the body and held it before him like a shield, using it to absorb the fire of the Deceptacons former teammates. “But if they don’t know where you are, the fools will most likely start to sweep the area and not right under their noses. Stay put and wait for backup.”

“I can’t just sit by and do nothing!”

“That is exactly what you will be doing!” Ratchet ordered once more before a volley of energon blasts tore apart the body he had been using as a shield. Ratchet scowled as he raised his rifle and shredded the Con closest to him, before rolling to make himself a smaller target. “They are after you. Killing me will make them feel better about their sad lives, but it won’t get them any closer to their goal. Getting ahold of you would turn the tides in their favor! For just this once listen to me!”

Whether or not Fluttershy responded Ratchet had no idea, for at that moment one of the Cons charged into Ratchet from the side and tackled him to the ground. The Con’s right arm transformed into a mace and shattered the concrete right next to Ratchet’s head, barely missing the Autobot. Ratchet had far better aim and drove his scalpel clean through the spark of the Con. Energon splashed across the chest of Ratchet before he could kick the Con off of him, but in doing so he left himself open.

One of the Deceptacons who didn’t entirely suck at shooting took careful aim and pulled the trigger, firing his shot right into the elbow joint of Ratchet’s gun arm. Ratchet roared with pain as metal and energon exploded out from the wound. Ratchet clutched at his arm as he fell to one knee, his medical expertise telling him that his arm was done.

‘Down an arm, my shooting arm, and I’m still surrounded by Cons,’ Ratchet thought to himself as he looked up to see the barrel of a gun pointed right at his face. “Aw scrap.”

The Con smirked at Ratchet, but before he had the sense to pull the trigger a blinding light shone into his face. He had just begun to lift his arm to stop the light when a vehicle slammed into him, a racing car that slammed right into the chest of the Con and sent him sprawling. The vehicle transformed into his robot mode before his wheels had even touched the ground and the next moment the dual shotguns of Curbcheck were ripping apart both the air and the Cons around them.

“Geez, I know that you’re an old timer, but do you really have to sleep on the job like this?” Curbcheck asked with a laugh at Ratchet, who smirked instead of scolding the rookie, figuring that he owed him at least that much for saving his bumper. “How’s the damage, pops?”

“Right arm is totally useless and I’m losing energon. Other than that, I can still fight, but only up close,” Ratchet informed Curbcheck as he rose back up to his feet.

Curbcheck nodded to show that he understood before unloading a full burst into the chest of a Con that had the bright idea to charge the shotgun wielding Autobot. The other Cons weren’t as dumb and had begun to encircle the two, making it harder for a shotgun blast to hit multiple Cons.

“So why are you the only Autobot to come to my aid when I specifically sent a request asking for as many as we had?” Ratchet asked before using his thicker armor to take a shot for Curbcheck.

“Because I wasn’t in the base when I got your call. Thanks to the little fleshy over there the communication machine is completely scrapped up. Most of the time the messages get through, but if too many bots call in at once the machine stops working.”

“And why am I only being made aware of this now?!”

“It’s all good, pops,” Curbcheck said in a comforting and cocky tone as he ducked underneath of a shot. He fired back with far better accuracy and took the head right off of the Con. “You’ve got all of the backup you need right here. Besides, after what these Cons did to my brother the less friendly targets to get in my way the better. Careful not to step into my line of sight.”

“Noted.”

“Good. I was taking a drive to clear my head when I heard your distress call. Since I was nearby, I decided to stop in and lend a-down!” Curbcheck instructed as he pulled Ratchet to the ground with him. A split second after he did so an energon grenade soared past where they had been standing and struck one of the highways signs, blasting it apart into scrap.

“Great, they got a heavy,” Ratchet snarled before he flumped his useless arm onto the back of Curbcheck and used his other arm to aim the gun. While he may not have been able to move his arm, he could still fire his weapon and that was exactly what he planned to do. Using his working arm to stabilize his shots, Ratchet unloaded every round in his gun into the chest and face of the Con with the grenade launcher.

The Con bellowed in pain before he fell backwards onto the ground, his grenade launcher going off one last time and turning him into a ball of metal and fire. Curbcheck helped Ratchet up to his feet and the two turned towards the remaining Cons, of which there were only six.

“Six on two, huh? I’d say they need a bigger handicap, but I’m already stuck with you,” Curbcheck said with a smirk at Ratchet.

“Your humor is just as impressive as your ability to follow orders. Nonexistent,” Ratchet retorted as he raised his arm with the scalpel. “But I do agree with you about the Con’s. They’re going to need all the help that they can-“

Then, almost as if his centuries of being a target on the battlefield had given him the ability to sense danger, Ratchet felt a chill run through his spark. The chill of death. But not his death. No, as a medic he knew when a bot was going to die. And his senses told him that the bot standing next to him was about to meet his end.

Faster than Ratchet thought possible he grabbed hold of Curbcheck and yanked him to the side, just as a sniper round tore through the air and through the chest of Curbcheck. While Ratchet may have been too slow to avoid getting Curbcheck shot, his actions had caused the round to miss Curbcheck’s spark and instead tear open a hole in the left side of his chest.

Ratchet slowly began to turn around as Curbcheck collapsed to the highway, unconscious and losing energon. Standing behind Ratchet, almost like a nightmare that would never go away, was Soundwave, with a sniper rifle as one arm and a machine gun as the other. And standing behind him were ten more Deceptacons.

Ratchet knew that he was dead. Even on his best day, he stood little chance against Soundwave. But being alone, while being down an arm, would turn any chance he had of winning to a certain loss. Yet he knew who Soundwave was there for and he could not allow him to get to her. So, in a desperate attempt to do anything, Ratchet took a step forward to charge at Soundwave with his blade.

He never got to take a second step. Soundwave’s rifle cracked and Ratchet’s right knee exploded, causing Ratchet to cry out in pain as he fell to the ground. He clenched his jaw shut as he seethed with both pain and rage, knowing that he had failed. While the other Cons may miss Fluttershy due to their own stupidity, Soundwave was thorough. He would find her.

‘Fluttershy. I’m so sorry,’ Ratchet thought to himself as he watched Soundwave begin to approach him.

“Fluttershy,” Soundwave said to Ratchet in a recording of Ratchet’s own voice. “Where?

“Get scrapped,” was all Ratchet said in reply. Soundwave lifted his rifle and fired it into Ratchet’s other arm, decimating the limb and getting another scream of agony out of the Autobot. 

“Where?” Soundwave demanded again.”

“Wait…wait…I’ll tell you,” Ratchet said in a pained voice. “She’s…on the planet Earth. That help?”

Soundwave’s face plate was as blank and emotionless as ever, not giving away anything to Ratchet. All Soundwave did was raise his rifle and fire another round into Ratchet’s other leg, his last working limb. Once more Ratchet screamed into the sky in agony, yet he refused to say where Fluttershy was. And as all this went on, the girl in question watched, horrified and distraught by what she saw. By how Ratchet refused to give up on her. Then she watched Soundwave point the rifle at Ratchet’s head.

“Stop!” Fluttershy screamed as she ran out from her hiding place. The Cons turned to look at her as she raced underfoot, practically leaping onto Ratchet and climbing onto his chest. Once there, she extended her arms and stood between the Cons and him. “Stop. I’m right here. This is where I was hiding. I give up, okay? Just stop hurting him.”

“Fluttershy…no…you can’t do this,” Ratchet growled as he tried to stand up, but couldn’t.

“I give up, okay. I’ll come peacefully. Just leave him alone,” Fluttershy demanded to Soundwave, who stared silently down at her.

“…no…” Soundwave replied in Ratchet’s voice, getting Fluttershy’s eyes to widen in horror. Soundwave then shifted his machine gun arm into an actual arm and reached down to grab Fluttershy. That’s when Fluttershy’s communicator began to go off.

‘Call from Pinkie,’ the communicator said to her. Since she had forgotten to set the speakers on the communicator off, both Autobot and Deceptacon heard this and it gave Soundwave pause. ‘Answering.’

“Hi Fluttershy!” Pinkie exclaimed joyously on the other end.

“Pinkie, now is not a good time,” Fluttershy whispered.

“I know. You’re in danger. My pinkie sense told me, so I’m coming to help you fight the bunch of bad guys that got you surrounded!”

“What?! No! Pinkie, do not come here! Stay away and...wait, how did you know that I was surrounded?”

“Because I can see you! Hi Fluttershy!”

“See me? Pinkie, what do you-?

HONK! HONK!

All eyes, be them human, Autobot or Deceptacon, turned at the sound of the honking. There, barreling down the highway, was a massive semi-truck that was red in color. The truck blazed towards the ground at an incredible speed, with its horn blaring all the while. But it wasn’t the truck charging towards them that drew Fluttershy’s awe. It was the effect that the truck had on the Cons. Because the moment they laid their eyes upon the truck, all of them, even Soundwave, began to back away in fear.

And then Ratchet began to laugh. He threw back his head and let his laugh echo into the sky. But it wasn’t a joyous laugh. It was one of someone who was about to watch those he hated die.

“Ratchet, what is-“

Fluttershy never got to answer, for at that moment the truck leapt into the air and began to transform. The bed of the truck shot down and separated into legs. The cab shifted into a chest and arms unfolded from behind it. The wheels moved up behind the shoulder blades and spun fast enough to create fire. And then the head emerged, a blue head with Batman like ears and a face mask that hid all features except for the eyes. Eyes that burned with justice and power. The bot slammed down onto his feet before glaring down the Cons, who he made look like children with his size. And in the center of his chest was a symbol. The symbol of the Autobots.

“Who is that?” Ratchet asked with a laugh, laughing at the fear on the Cons faces. “Fluttershy, that…”

“Is Optimus Prime.”
> Rescue (3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rescue (3)

And Fluttershy had thought that Ratchet was big.

Yet as Optimus Prime walked towards them, with each step shaking the ground, she realized that she never really knew what big was until she laid eyes on him. At best, Ratchet would come up to maybe the center of Optimus chest, probably a bit below it. He was also wide, practically as wide as a barn. And Fluttershy had been to plenty of barns.

The situation had completely changed with the arrival of Optimus. A moment ago, Fluttershy and Ratchet had been at the mercy of the Cons, with no way out. Now the Cons were doing everything in their power to keep from scattering and running at the mere sight of Optimus Prime, who came to a stop next to Ratchet. And all that did was allow Fluttershy to compare Optimus to the Cons, none of who came up to his chest except for Soundwave.

Optimus glared at the Cons to the point where they began to cower, before glancing down at the motionless body of Curbcheck laying on the ground. Anger flashed across his optics and Fluttershy suddenly felt the urge to run for her life. Then Optimus moved his optics to Ratchet, who was smirking up at him.

“Hello Optimus. Not used to seeing you be late to a party,” Ratchet choked out with a laugh.

“Forgive me old friend, for I had very pressing matters to attend to. I am sorry for being late,” Optimus replied in a voice so stoic and in control that just by hearing it Fluttershy was willing to follow this bot to the depths of hell if he so asked.

“Well I’m sorry that you had to waste your time coming out here. I…clearly had them…on the ropes,” Ratchet said with a cough, getting Optimus to smirk beneath the face plate.

Optimus then glanced at Fluttershy, who froze like a deer in the headlights under his gaze, but after a moment he nodded to her kindly and she felt herself relax a bit. Then his optics snapped towards the Cons and all of them, except for Soundwave, jumped as if shot.

“Hear my words Deceptacons and hear them well. While we may be eternal enemies, at the moment I have two bots whose lives are in grave risk, so I do not have time for a long battle. Therefore, I give you a choice. Leave and I promise that no harm shall come to you today. Or stay to fight,” Optimus began before he summoned a giant, double headed orange battle axe in one hand and the Cannon of the Primes in the other. “…and take your fate into your own hands. The choice is yours.”

Optimus and the Cons locked optics, with neither daring to take their optics off the other for even a moment. Fluttershy looked between the two sides, having no idea what was coming next. Then the Cons began to look to Soundwave, the most experienced Con then. Optimus saw where their optics were looking and he focused his glare on Soundwave, who stared back up at him with emotionless eyes.

“You were always a tactician, Soundwave. You know how this battle will end,” Optimus warned Soundwave. Soundwave seemed to ponder over Optimus’ words for a moment before he pressed a button on the side of his wrist. A ground bridge portal opened up behind him and the Cons and Soundwave gave a hand gesture telling them to get in.

The Cons did so all to readily, none of them wanting to stand against the last Prime. All sixteen of the Cons raced through the portal except for Soundwave, who stopped at the entrance to look back at Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy, hear my words,” Soundwave said to her in a mix of Ratchet and Optimus’ voices. “We shall meet again soon.” He then turned and walked into the portal, which closed behind him. With the Cons finally gone, Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to her knees. She took a moment to take a few breaths before she spun around to face Ratchet.

“Ratchet, are you okay?!” she asked with worry in her voice as she looked over his injuries.

“Do I look okay to you?” he asked with a sigh before rolling his head to look up at Optimus. “Optimus, we need to get Curbcheck back to base. I can last a while like this, but at the rate he’s losing energon he won’t have more than an hour at most. We need to get him back.”

“Agreed, Ratchet. Fluttershy, would you mind standing on my shoulder for the time being?” Optimus asked Fluttershy, who could give a squeak of agreement. Optimus held out a hand for her and gingerly moved her up to where his shoulder met his body once she had stepped on. She hopped off his hand and held onto a part of the trucks exhaust pipe for support, while Optimus scooped up both bots under a different arm. “Optimus Prime to base. Send a ground bridge to my location and prepare the medical bay. I have two patients who will be needing it.”

[=O=]

The moment the Autobot were back inside the base Optimus got to work. He placed Ratchet down on the operating table first and activated the repair machines they had stationed around it, getting them to start on repairing Ratchet’s limbs. Once that was done he prepared another table for Curbcheck, where he instructed one of the younger medics to keep him alive until Ratchet was functional enough to repair Curbcheck himself. Only once all that was done did Optimus walk over to a large table that had nothing on it and help Fluttershy down from his shoulder.

“Are you alright?” he asked her once he had set her down on the table.

“Aside from now being terrified of heights I’m good,” Fluttershy replied meekly. Optimus nodded before his chest opened up slightly and he held his hand next to the hole. A moment later an explosion of confetti went off and a girl with bouncy pink hair leapt onto his hand. She wore a white shirt with a blue jacket overtop and had on white pants with numerous candy images on them. 

“Hi Fluttershy!” she waved to Fluttershy.

“How are you doing, Pinkie?” Optimus asked in a much more concerned voice. “I feared for your safety while I was transforming. Nothing on you was crushed or damaged, was it?”

“Don’t worry you bid worry wart, I’m totally okay!” Pinkie exclaimed as she spun around to show that she was. “Things got a bit tight in there, but I had front row seats to watch you make those mean Deceptacons rust themselves. Bet they’re going to have nightmares of you for weeks.”

“I am glad you are safe,” Optimus said before he turned and walked over to where Ratchet was being repaired, beginning a very serious conversation with him.

“So…you know about the Transformers too?” Fluttershy asked Pinkie after a moment had passed.

“Uh-huh! At first I thought that Optimus was just a really friendly truck, but then we got attacked by this helicopter Deceptacon when we were at a hotel!” Pinkie exclaimed with excitement. “I was out taking a stroll, because I can’t sit still for long periods of time, and so I was the only one of my family the Deceptacon went after. Then Optimus showed up and kicked his bumper back to wherever he came from. He then explained what was going on and about both sides and all that. He then told me he needed to head back here to help his fellow Autobots, but he didn’t want to leave me alone. So I decided to tag along with him! We’ve become great friends since, haven’t we Optimus?!”

“The bestest,” Optimus said over his shoulder to Pinkie before returning to his conversation with Ratchet. A moment later Ratchet rose from the table and limped over to the table where Curbcheck was laying. He grabbed a bag of tools and began to operate on the bot, occasionally barking out orders to the other medic.

“And your family is perfectly fine with you being with him?” Fluttershy asked once she had torn her eyes away from the scene.

“Yep! I just told them that a friend of mine was giving me a lift back home so that I can help another friend!” Pinkie said with a smile, before a more serious look crossed his face. “Optimus also told me about Sunset and the situation with Rainbow Dash…do you think?”

“I don’t know at the moment,” Fluttershy said with a shudder, trying not to think about how she had almost been captured like her two friends. Another Autobot walked by and Pinkie flagged them down by blasting confetti onto their face.

“Excuse me, Mr. Autobot, but we were wondering if you could tell us what happened to Rainbow Dash?” Pinkie asked.

“Sadly, the Cons managed to get away with Rainbow Dash. We managed to save Holy Diver, but we lost Dash in the process,” the Autobot replied with a sigh. “Fowler and his men have taken Rainbow’s family in and are briefing them on the situation, but they’re not handling it well. Can’t say I blame them.”

Pinkie and Fluttershy both gave each other the same look of concern and fear before a shaky smile broke out across the face of Pinkie. “Well, no need to worry. Optimus told me that the Cons needed us alive and unharmed to do whatever it is they’re doing, so I guess she’ll be safe for the time being. Right?”

Fluttershy thought back to Soundwave and how merciless he could be and began to very much doubt the safety of her friends. But then she glanced back to Pinkie, who looked to be on the edge of a breakdown. Fluttershy knew that she had to be the strong one.

“Yes Pinkie, I believe that they will be safe for now,” Fluttershy reassured her and Pinkie seemed to calm down a bit. That was until Ratchet let out a yell of frustration and hurled his toolkit across the base. “Ratchet, what’s the matter?!”

“It’s Curbcheck. I’ve done everything in my power to save him, but due to the extensive damage on my arms and the placement of the shrapnel I’m not doing enough!” Ratchet roared in reply, slamming his fists down onto the table.

“Ratchet, what do you mean?”

“What I mean, Fluttershy, is that Curbcheck is going to die. And there’s nothing I can do.”
> Savior
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Savior

“W-what do you mean there’s nothing you can do?” Fluttershy asked as she looked up at Ratchet. Optimus had been kind enough to bring her and Pinkie next to the operating table so that they could see what was going on. But what was going on wasn’t good.

“I’ve stemmed the loss of energon and patched up most of his chest, but thanks to the fact that Soundwave uses explosive rounds some shrapnel was lodges into Curbcheck’s spark,” Ratchet informed Fluttershy as he stared down at the floor. “And extracting shrapnel so close to the spark is an incredible delicate operation. But thanks to the damage done to my hands, it will be weeks before I can perform such an operation. And Curbcheck has maybe half an hour at best.”

“T-then why don’t you have the other medic, Redheart, do it?” Pinkie asked, but Redheart shook her head and backed away.

“I’ve only been a medic for a year and a half. I do not have the experience nor the skill to pull an operation like this off,” she said somberly while hanging her head. “If only I could do more…”

“You are doing all that you can. That is all we can ask of you,” Optimus stepped in and said kindly to the medic, before turning back to the girls. “An operation by a Transformers spark is the most delicate of all operations. One wrong move, one bad cut and it can end a Transformers life in an instant.”

“And even if you know how to perform one the chances of survival are slim,” Ratchet bitterly seethed. “I’ve performed ten in my life and only one patient made it out alive. So even if I could do it, I-“

“Do not leave out important details, old friend. The one you saved was in an operating room. The others you tried to save on the battlefield while under fire. No one could have done any better given that kind of environment,” Optimus reminded Ratchet, but Ratchet didn’t raise his head.

“So the problem is that the shrapnel is too close to the spark?” Fluttershy asked, trying to get a full understanding of the situation.

“Correct. It takes a steady hand to perform such an operation and after the damage done to me by Soundwave I can’t even hold a rifle straight, let alone a scalpel,” Ratchet cursed, hating himself for his weakness. “To complicate matters further, there is shrapnel actually in his spark and that’s an even more delicate operation. To remove that would take the skill and precision of Bloodstream, the only bot known to extract material from a spark. And he was a Con.”

“So there’s no chance of saving Curbcheck?” Pinkie asked, covering her mouth with her hands when Ratchet shook his head. “No…there has to be something, anything we can do.”

“I’m sorry, Pinkie. But I can’t save him,” Ratchet said with a shake of his head. Fluttershy had been lost in thought as Ratchet had spoken, going over the details in her mind and listening closely to how everything needed to be done. It required precision and the most minute details to perform this operation successfully. But that would only be incredible hard for a massive robot. What about someone of her size?

“I can do it.” All optics and eyes turned to Fluttershy, certain that they had heard her wrong. “I can get close to Curbchecks spark and extract the shrapnel myself. With my size it will be easy for me to make those delicate movements.”

“Fluttershy, think about what you are saying,” Ratchet said to her with a shake of his head. “You’ve never operated on another bot before. You’ve never even seen the inside of a Transformers spark before! You’d have no idea what you’d be doing.”

“Maybe I haven’t, but you have. Meaning you can relay instructions to me and I can carry out what needs to be done,” Fluttershy replied in a voice so strong that Ratchet almost didn’t recognize it as Fluttershy’s. “I can tell you what I see through the communicator and you can tell me what to do. I also have the only training in medical work, so I know a bit of what I’m doing. But we can do this as a team.”

“Fluttershy, take a moment and think-“

“I have thought about this,” Fluttershy said as she closed her eyes, instantly seeing the cold, dead eyes of Stickshift and how she could do nothing to help. “It’s not about what we could do, it’s what we can do. We could have this argument until Curbcheck’s spark gives out. Or I can get in there and do what I can to save him. Isn’t that right, Ratchet?”

“Ratchet, Fluttershy is right in saying that we do not have time to argue this. Every moment we waste is another moment Curbcheck gets closer to joining the all-spark,” Prime advised Ratchet. 

“Using my own words against me…very well, seeing as I have no better…or any other alternatives at the moment,” Ratchet finally caved. He stood up and began to use some tools on Curbchecks chest, eventually opening it up to reveal his glowing spark within. Around the spark was a ton of metal and machinery, most of which was covered in shrapnel.

Ratchet extended his hand for Fluttershy and, after taking a deep breath, she stepped onto it. Ratchet then slowly lowered her onto the top of Curbcheck’s spark, where she felt a strange energy wash over her. She only noticed it for a second, for she then spied the first piece of shrapnel sticking out of the metal.

“Alright Fluttershy, you’re going to need to pull that piece out at exactly a thirty-degree angle,” Ratchet instructed. Fluttershy nodded and placed her hands upon the shard, moving them until Ratchet told her to stop. She then took in another deep breath before she swiftly pulled the piece out. The piece was about the length of her forearm and she quickly understood why a giant robot like Ratchet would have so much trouble getting it out.

“Well done, that was perfect,” Ratchet complimented her. Ratchet placed his hand next to her and she placed the piece of shrapnel onto his hand. He then placed the piece in a dish on the table while Fluttershy moved onto the next piece.

The procedure was just like before, with Ratchet telling Fluttershy the angle at which the extract the shrapnel and Fluttershy executing his orders perfectly. She had to be careful not to cut her hands, but after the fifth piece she had started to figure out how to work the shrapnel so not to cut herself. But like she had predicted, her smaller size and ability to get right next to the shrapnel allowed her to perfectly pull the pieces out with no shaking or twitching that Ratchet may have had. Finally, after ten minutes of slow and delicate work, Fluttershy pulled the last piece out of the exterior of the spark.

“Excellent job, Fluttershy. Very well done,” Ratchet praised Shy as he placed the last piece in the tray. “But now comes the true most of truth. The last piece is imbedded deep underneath of the metal you’re standing on, right next to Curbcheck’s spark. You will have to be extremely cautious in removing this piece. There’s a place you can squeeze down into on your right. Be careful.”

Fluttershy nodded before she found the spot Ratchet had told her about. She could just barely squeeze inside, but once she had done so she found she had a bit more room to move around. “The metal layer that you just squeezed through is normally supposed to protect a Transformers spark, similar to your human ribcages. So there are small gaps that allow beings of your size to move around.”

Fluttershy did say anything in reply, for at that moment she was standing next to Curbcheck’s spark. It glowed blue with the light of the energon that coursed through it, but it seemed dim to Fluttershy. The sphere was slightly taller than her, but not by much, giving her a bit of room to move around in the spark’s chamber. She quickly glanced around before laying eyes on the final piece.

It was slightly larger than the others and was impaling itself both through the metal casing and through the metal behind the spark. Fluttershy also noticed that it had punctured a small, metal tube and that energon was leaking into the spark chamber.

“That is not good, not good at all,” Ratchet muttered when Fluttershy had relayed this to him. “Fluttershy, you need to remove that shrapnel and then, if you can, find a way to seal back up that tube. If it keeps leaking then Curbcheck’s spark may drown in energon.”

“I had no idea your bodies are so complex,” Fluttershy muttered to herself as she grabbed hold of the piece of shrapnel. It was larger than the others, meaning she had an easier time finding somewhere to grip. Unfortunately, since it was impaled at both ends, she found that even after exerting all of her strength she could barely budge the piece. “It’s in too tight. I can’t even budge it.”

“We could try cutting it in half and then pulling the pieces out separately…argh, but you have nothing to cut with and even the smallest transformer scalpel would be like a broadsword to you! Curses! I refuse to have you come so far only to fail here! Think Ratchet, think!”

While Ratchet yelled at himself, Fluttershy focused all of her efforts on the problem at hand. She wasn’t strong enough to move the piece, she couldn’t use one of Ratchet’s tools and she was fairly certain a blast from her magic would cause more harm than good. But then she thought about that magic for a second and an idea came to her. She reached up and tied her hair back into a ponytail so that it wouldn’t get in her way, before she began to focus.

She took in a breath and summoned her harmonic power, covering her body in magic and causing her wings to appear. The light of her magic seemed to cause Curbcheck’s spark to glow brighter, but she couldn’t focus on that at the moment. What she was focusing on was her hand and the mental image she had in her mind.

‘It’s just like Ratchet said,’ she thought to herself. ‘Steady and precise.’

The magic around her arm began to shift and change according to her will, transforming from an aura of magic that covered her to more solid and precise. Slowly, a blade of magic formed around her hand, a very thin but strong blade. Fluttershy then tightened her concentration to keep that blade there, before she placed a hand on the piece once more.

She pressed the magical blade upon the metal and the blade sliced into it like it was air. Fluttershy then slowly pressed the blade clean through the metal until she had completely sliced the shrapnel in half. She sighed in relief before gingerly pulling the two pieces out of where they were imbedded, sighing once more when they slid out without any difficulty.

She then turned her attention to the cut that was still leaking energon, now losing more at a faster pace due to the removal of the shrapnel. Fluttershy reached up with her magic covered hand and placed the dull part, which was her palm, onto the laceration. Slowly, like she was cauterizing the wound, Fluttershy slowly burned the metal pipe shut, until the point where it was no longer bleeding energon. Then to her amazement, the burn slowly faded away until all that was left was a fully repaired tube.

“Ratchet, this is Fluttershy. I removed the shrapnel and sealed the leak. We’re good,” she said with a sigh of relief.

“Affirmative, Fluttershy. Come on out. I need you to see something.”

Fluttershy left the way she came, squeezing between a gap in the metal covering to get out of the main chamber. Once she was standing on the outer layer once more, she looked up to see the Autobot’s all smiling down at her.

“Is he going lives?” Fluttershy asked in a worried tone.

“He’s going to do more than that. Look behind you.” Fluttershy did as she was asked and let out a gasp when she turned to see Curbcheck looking down at her with a smile on his face.

“So you’re the one rattling around in my spark and saving my life?” he asked her with a smirk, before it turned into a genuine smile. “Thanks…Fluttershy.”

“Whatever you did in there did more than save his life. He’s going to make a full recovery,” Ratchet told Fluttershy with a proud smile. “You did good today, Fluttershy. You did good.”

Fluttershy smiled softly and tried to hide behind her hair, realizing a moment later that she couldn’t because she tied it up. Deciding that if she couldn’t hide from the praise, she would face it. So she looked up at each and every bot that was congratulating her, allowing herself to beam with pride.

Then, the full weight of what she just did and how it could have all gone horribly wrong caught up with her, and she passed out on the spot.
> A New Direction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A New Direction

Fluttershy mostly had pleasant dreams. That was mostly because she was a naturally pleasant person. Her dreams weren’t grandiose or filled with what she wanted to be like. Most of the time she simply dreamed about with her friends or taking care of some animals. But sometimes, when she was under a lot of stress, she had terrible nightmares. And if being blasted at by giant alien robots and having to perform a surgery she knew little about to save a life didn’t cause her to freak out, then she wasn’t human.

Inside her dream world, Fluttershy instantly knew that something was wrong. For one thing, she was aware that she was dreaming. That never meant good things. The second was that her entire dream was one dark room, with neither friend nor cute little bunny to make this a happy dream. All Fluttershy could do was look around with nervous eyes, waiting for the nightmare to finally reveal itself.

“Target acquired.”

Fluttershy whipped her head around to see a shape moving towards her in the darkness, a shape of a Con she had become all too familiar with. Soundwave emerged from the darkness and stared past Fluttershy, almost as if he didn’t recognize she was there. Fluttershy was debating if she should bother running, since she knew it was a nightmare and logic didn’t always work in those, when heavy footsteps shook the ground behind Soundwave, who turned as another, far larger shadow, stood in the darkness behind him.

“How goes the procedure?” the shadow asked Soundwave. Despite it being a nightmare, despite knowing full well that she was asleep, Fluttershy felt her soul chill at the sound of the shadows voice. It was similar to Optimus in a way. It was full of leadership, power and an unquestioning obedience. But there was no warmth in this being’s voice like there was Optimus. When Optimus spoke, his voice sounded like a being that would lead you into battle then take a bullet for you. The shadow sounded like he would pull you into the bullet’s path.

“Procedure difficult. Magic and science integration illogical,” Soundwave replied in numerous different voices. Fluttershy looked a little closer and saw that he seemed to be hunched over something and typing away, getting her to assume he was on some kind of computer.

“There is no need to worry Soundwave, I know that you will find a way to make it happen,” the voice spoke once more and Fluttershy felt her skin crawl. “What about our operations to secure the other sources of power? I heard that you nearly had a third in your grip, but were foiled by Optimus Prime.”

Fluttershy took a bit of enjoyment in how silent Soundwave stayed after that was said. 

“Well no matter. All six of them will belong to us soon enough. The Autobot’s still do not know how we are tracking their movements, even if they have hidden their ground bridge signal for now. Nor do they have any idea what we plan to use these bags of flesh for…Megatron would be proud of you, Soundwave. You were always the most loyal Con. I am sad he will not be here to see you destroy the Autobots.”

Once again Soundwave chose to let silence answer for him, continuing to type away. The there was a flash of light from somewhere in the darkness, followed by a scream of pain that caused Soundwave to glance up. But the moment after she heard the cry of pain Fluttershy knew what was going on. All Soundwave lifting his allowed was for Fluttershy to confirm her fears.

There, reflected in his face plate, was Sunset Shimmer. And they were draining the life out of her.

[=O=]

Fluttershy awoke with a yelp, scaring the hell out of Pinkie who had been sitting next to her as she had slept. Fluttershy glanced around with panic in her eyes while Pinkie held a hand to her heart, who was realizing that all her heart couldn’t take both the sugar she enjoyed and scares like that.

“What’s going on? What happened?” Fluttershy asked as she swiftly rose to her feet. A glance downward showed that she had been laying on one of the tables that the Autobots had, one that was off to the side and out of the way.

“What happened? What happened Fluttershy is that you nearly performed a miracle in saving Curbcheck’s life,” Pinkie exclaimed with amazement as Fluttershy shook the cobwebs loose. “First you removed all the shrapnel, then you went into essentially his heart to remove the rest. Then somehow you managed to get his spark to start working again, and even Ratchet doesn’t know how-“

“I need to speak with Ratchet. Or Optimus. Both would be best,” Fluttershy cut off before she turned to where the bots were standing. She called over to them a few times but they were too lost in their conversations. It was only when Fluttershy whistled into her communicator, getting Ratchet to give her a nasty look, did the Autobots walk over to the pair.

“Well now one of my audio receptors has gone deaf. Thank you for that, Fluttershy,” Ratchet dryly said as he poked at the side of his head with his finger.

“Optimus, you will want to listen to this,” Fluttershy said before she began to recall the events of her nightmares. Ratchet and the other bots weren’t impressed at first, though Optimus listened intently, until she got to the part where Soundwave began to torture Sunset. Then they all paid much closer attention.

“It is as I feared,” Optimus muttered ominously when Fluttershy was finished. “Ultracon is trying to use the magic within you and your friends for something. But as to what that something is, I cannot begin to guess.”

“Oh I think we can assume perhaps a weapon or a doomsday device. Those seem to be popular among evil villains,” Ratchet snarked. “It is a nightmare, nothing more. And while I do have some concerns about the amount of stress Fluttershy is under, I think we should not pay…we should not take this dream as fact until we have further evidence to validate her words.”

“You don’t believe me? You, of all the bots here, don’t trust me?” Fluttershy asked, not bothering to hide her hurt tone.

“I believe that you believe what you saw as real. But I am a bot of science and facts. And while…dream visions are not an impossibility, almost a hundred percent of the time they are only done by those with an incredibly close bond, such as twins. And while I don’t doubt you and Sunset are close, what I do doubt is that you are close enough to see in your dreams what she is seeing right now.”

“That was a lot of words simply to say that you don’t believe me,” Fluttershy bitterly said. “You rarely listen to me, always thinking you know best. With Twilight, with the people that called for help and now. You’re supposed to be my friend.”

Fluttershy regretted her words the moment she said them, for she saw Ratchet’s face fall in response. But then he returned to his normal annoyed glare and shook his head with a sigh.

“Regardless of dream or connection, the fact still remains that the Deceptacons have both Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer and are trying to use their magic to achieve something,” Optimus cut in, deciding that it was time for him to speak. “So we must now, more than ever, protect the remaining four girls with everything that we have. Fluttershy and Pinkie are safe for now, but I worry for Applejack and Rarity. I want two more Aubobots added to their protection, so that situations like this-“

“I’m sorry, but, that’s not going to work,” Fluttershy cut in. Optimus turned and looked down at the girl, with no rage in his eyes for being interrupted, but was instead curious to hear what she had to say. “Because it hasn’t worked so far. The Cons know what we’re up to and so far, they’ve always managed to find us and outnumber us. Adding a few bots to protect us isn’t going to help.”

“Perhaps, but right now it is our best course of action until we can discover where the Deceptacon base is,” Optimus replied.

“And how long will that take? And how many more Autobots have to give their lives until we’re finally safe?” Fluttershy asked Optimus, who once again allowed her to continue on to hear her out. “We’ve already lost Taillight, RV and…Stickshift and the Cons have still taken two of my friends. The Autobots plan so far isn’t working, so we need to change it.”

“An interesting idea. And what would you recommend?” Optimus curiously asked, holding up a hand to silence the other Autobots that tried to speak.

“That we don’t search for the base. We capture a Con and ask him, politely, to show us where it is,” Fluttershy replied. Optimus raised an eyebrow at her words before he crossed his arms and shook his head.

“I have had the same idea, Fluttershy, but sadly the Cons are too smart for that. The only time they are sent out to leave their base is when they know where one of you are and have every intent to take you. And the Cons never travel alone. Even if we could lay a trap for them, it would be too hard to get them to come out in a group of five, let alone one.”

“Well, the first part is the easiest. We’ll use me for bait,” Fluttershy said with conviction. Ratchet let out a curse and began to walk towards Fluttershy with a list of a hundred reasons that was a bad idea, but once more Optimus held up a hand to silence him.

“I will not endanger your life to take another step closer to defeating these Deceptacons,” Optimus told Fluttershy in a tone that informed her that he would not be swayed on this matter. “If the plan was to go wrong, you-“

“We can spend this time worrying about what could or might go wrong. Or instead we can do something to help my friends,” Fluttershy cut off. While to the bots it looked like Fluttershy was standing her ground against Optimus, internally she was freaking out. But she knew that her friends were in danger and that all Optimus’ plan would do was get more bots killed. And she couldn’t, wouldn’t, allow that to happen. Not for her.

“Optimus, please. I know that there is a huge risk with this plan. But if we don’t do something, maybe Sunset and Rainbow won’t make it much longer,” Fluttershy pleaded, her voice soft but her eyes determined. “You once told a friend that it’s not about what we could have done, it’s what we can do. And this, being bait, is what I can do. You’ve all risked your lives for me. It’s only right I do the same.”

Optimus lowered his head for a moment and lost himself in though, clearly not keen on the idea of Fluttershy being used as bait in a war she shouldn’t have any part of. Then Ratchet stepped forward and stood next to Fluttershy.

“I agree with her, sir. I believe that her plan is the best course of action in quickly learning the location of the Deceptacon base,” Ratchet said to Optimus, who gave his medic a look. 

“You believe that using her as bait for a foe as vile as the Deceptacons is a good idea?”

“Oh no, I think it’s a terrible idea. But it would be the fastest way to find their base,” Ratchet replied, before a smirk crossed his face. “I don’t believe in the plan, Optimus. I believe in the person who came up with the plan. She saved Curbcheck against all odds. Perhaps…she can make this work. And besides, I’ll be part of the bait with her. The Cons will get suspicious if she’s off by herself without me.”

“…very well Ratchet, we shall give her plan a try,” Optimus replied, though his tone told them that he wasn’t happy about it. “However, we shall leave as little chance of risk as possible. I along with our best snipers will go along with you to make sure that the Cons cannot lay so much as a finger on the both of you. And if things do go wrong, then you are to both immediately ground bridge to safety. Am I clear?”

“Yes sir,” both Ratchet and Fluttershy said at the same time.

“Autobots, we have had a change in plans,” Optimus said as he turned to address every bot in the room. “For the past month we have silently watched the girls and protected them. But the time for stealth has passed. Now…we go on the attack. Ratchet, snipers…with me. We must construct a flawless trap that no Con can escape. Girls, wait here.”

Ratchet and the other bots followed Optimus to a different part of the base, leaving Fluttershy alone with Pinkie. Fluttershy sighed as she thought about what she had just said, hoping that her plan would work. She had just wanted to be bait by herself, so Ratchet’s inclusion bothered her. But she also assumed that Ratchet had added himself in there because Optimus wouldn’t have gone with the pan otherwise.

“So what happens if things go wrong?” Pinkie asked her friend, finally speaking at last.

“Then the Cons capture me and I find out where my friends are. Either way, I kinda get what the Autobots need,” Fluttershy replied as she reached up to wipe hair from her eyes, only to remember that she had tied it back into a ponytail.

“Huh…y’know, I really like that look for you.”

“You mean the ponytail?”

“I mean your attitude. Because ever since you tried it out you’ve been driven and determined. Honestly…it’s kinda cool.”
> Two of a Kind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two of a Kind

An hour passed before Optimus finally finished wringing out a plan with the other Autobots that he was finally satisfied with. Pinkie and Fluttershy had passed the time talking about Pinkie’s vacation, which included a lot of car counting, as well as Fluttershy’s time with the Autobots. She had just gotten to where she had first met Soundwave when Ratchet came over, a look on his face telling Fluttershy they were going to talk.

“Optimus still isn’t too happy about this,” Ratchet told Fluttershy once Pinkie had left to go bug Prime. “He asked me if I could create a hologram of you that we could use as bait in your place, but at this point it’s safe to assume that the Cons are tracking you and your friends through your magic, so a hologram wouldn’t cut it.”

“If they’re tracking us through our magic does that mean they can find us down here?” Fluttershy asked, suddenly very concerned with all the time she was spending in the Autobot base.

“Doubtful. The walls are too think and we are too deep underground. Not to mention there is a scrambling device that will scramble any transformer radar without the base code for twenty miles. You’re perfectly safe down here with us.”

“Unless I get stepped on.”

“True.”

“…hey Ratchet, thanks for sticking up for me back there,” Fluttershy said after a moment of silence, glancing over at the bot with regret in her eyes. “I know that what I said sounds crazy, especially since it was in a dream, but-“

“You are concerned about your friends and want to save them as quickly as possible. I understand,” Ratchet said before he sighed. “But I will ask that you do not be so hard on Optimus or think that he does not know what he is doing. He has led he Autobot far longer than you have been alive. He takes every risk and factor into consideration before he makes a decision if he is able to. And he has seen so many innocent lost to the Deceptacons evil that he hates to put them in harm’s way.”

“I see. I hope I didn’t make things harder for him.”

“You did, but honestly your idea is probably the best chance we have of finding the Cons base before they manage to capture another of your friends,” Ratchet replied as his face darkened. “And I agree with you that it is only a matter of time before they capture another of your friends. The Cons have been far too accurate with their attacks, and if your dream is true, then they somehow know our movements.”

“Yeah…and about…what I said…about never listening to me…”

“You were correct,” Ratchet finished before Fluttershy could continue. “I do believe that I know what is best and I do have a hard time listening to others. Transformers can change their shape as easily as a cloud but you’d have a better chance of changing titanium with your hands then changing a transformers way of thinking. I am, to steal one of your Earthling terms, a stubborn old goat.”

“…yeah, you kinda are,” Fluttershy agreed with a small laugh, which quickly vanished when Ratchet’s face fell.

“You were also right about my not listening to you when we received that dispatch about the humans that needed help. I keep thinking back to the situation and wondering what I could have done if I had just listened to you. Had I gone as fast as I could, we would have gotten there a full two minutes earlier. Maybe early enough to save the humans before the Cons killed them.”

“Ratchet…maybe we would have been able to save them. Or maybe they would still have all been killed and Soundwave would have killed you as well before Optimus could arrive. We’ll never know,” Fluttershy replied before flashing a gentle smile at Ratchet. “All we know is that if it happens again, we’ll get there faster without delay. That’s what we can do.”

“Hmm, would you look at that. That might be one of the rarest things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Ratchet smirked at Fluttershy, who gazed back up at him with confusion. “A teenager that actually listens and learns from her elders. Perhaps if Miko was capable of listening like you do she wouldn’t have gotten in trouble as often as she did.”

“Miko?”

“A story for another time. Right now I need to go check up on Curbcheck and make sure there weren’t unforeseen side effects of whatever you did to fix him,” Ratchet said as he stood up and started to walk away, before glancing over at Optimus. “And Fluttershy, you should probably talk to Optimus as well. Despite whether or not you agree with how he does things, he truly does have you and your friends best interest at heart.”

Ratchet headed off after saying this, leaving Fluttershy to glance over at Optimus Prime, who was standing next to a holomap planning out the bots next move. Fluttershy took Ratchet’s words to heart and decided to talk to Prime. She activated her harmonic form, and accidentally fried a power saw with her magic, so that she could fly over to the table where Optimus was working. She landed to his side and glanced to see that he was bobbing his head side to side.

”I am more than meets the eye, I am a fire in disguise. I am better than the reeeeeessssttttt…I am the countess,” Optimus muttered to himself as he worked on the map, not noticing Fluttershy until she walked into his field of vision. “Hello there, Fluttershy. What can I help you with?”

“Were you…just singing a pop song?” Fluttershy asked, trying not to crack up at Optimus singing.

“Yes, I am singing an Earth song from an artist called Rara, I believe,” Optimus said with a chuckle. “On our drive over here, Pinkie adjusted my radio so that it would play all of her favorite stations, most of which were pop songs, which she played at full volume on the way here. And while I have successfully managed to change the stations back to your planet’s classical pieces, which are my favorite, I have yet to manage to rid my cortex of these infectious melodies. That one has been stuck there for five days now.”

“That’s downright hilarious.”

“Pinkie would agree with you. Speaking of,” Optimus muttered as he glanced around for the party girl, but couldn’t find her anywhere. “Does she normally disappear into thin air when with you and your friends as well?”

“I wouldn’t call it normal, but yes. She does that,” Fluttershy informed Prime before she turned to look at the map, watching as all the different scenarios on it unfolded. “Ratchet told me to come over here to speak with you. I think he wanted me to apologize for the way I acted.”

“There is no need to. I understand why you said the things you did. I also understand why you wish to so rapidly save your friends. But the sooner one puts a plan into motion, the higher the chance of something going wrong,” Optimus said. Fluttershy realized that he wasn’t just saying that because it sounded true. He was saying it because he had plans that had failed due to lack of time spent on them.

“Does that mean you’re not going to go with my idea?”

“I am making some changes to your idea,” Optimus said, with none of the previous levity in his voice. “I have tried to find numerous ways around it, but unfortunately the Cons will only come if they sense the magic of you and your friends. So it is with a heavy spark I must agree that in order to draw them out, you must be used as bait. I am not happy with this.”

“I am sorry that I’ve caused you to be unhappy. But I have to save my friends, no matter the personal risk to me. They would do the same,” Fluttershy replied with strength in her voice, noticing how much stronger her tone sounded compared to how she used to talk.

“I am certain they would. Most of them would probably not even ask to do so. They would just do it,” Optimus replied with another chuckle. “When we learned that you were in danger, Pinkie threatened to run here on foot if I didn’t drive her. Of course, I would have never let her come alone. And after seeing you be willing to risk your own life to save the others, I am certain that all of your friends would be willing to do the same.”

“Speaking of my friends, there’s actually something else the Autobots have asked of me that I don’t agree with,” Fluttershy added on, getting Optimus to glance down at her. “Keeping you secret from my friends. I mean, I can understand not telling the whole public about the giant aliens, but why not my friends? I can trust them and so can you.”

“Most of your friends already know about us. Applejack caught our scout mid transformation and was brought into the circle. You and Pinkie are already aware. And sadly, so too are Rainbow and Sunset. Rarity…does not seem to care about the car parked outside her house all day,” Optimus replied before giving Fluttershy a look. “Or are you speaking about Twilight Sparkle, the seventh member of your group?”

“I just don’t like having to hurt her feelings to keep this truth from her. Ever since we first met her she’s tried so hard to earn our trust. So when I said I didn’t trust her it was like I had stabbed her in the heart,” Fluttershy admitted somberly. “I feel like she deserves to know the truth.”

“…I will tell you this, Fluttershy. For now, our secret must be kept. The less that know of us the easier it is to move around unopposed. But after all of this is over, I will personally introduce myself to Twilight and explain to her I am the one who asked you to stay silent. How is that?”

“Actually, I think I’d rather have Ratchet do it. He could always use a little more social interaction,” Fluttershy said with a smirk and even Optimus allowed himself a laugh. “But thank you for offering to do that, Optimus. I am glad that the Autobots have such a kind leader like yourself.”

“And I am glad that you are here with us, Fluttershy. You have saved one of our own and I will eternally be indebted to you for that,” Optimus said with a bow of his head.

“Please, the Autobot’s have saved my life so many times. Saving one of you doesn’t make up for it.”

“Maybe not to you, but to us it means a great deal,” Optimus said before he glanced over at the approaching Ratchet. “However, it is already very late and I am sure after your last disappearance that your family may have some concern if you do not show up at home once more. Ratchet will take you home. I will take Pinkie later.”

“Alright. Goodnight, Optimus,” Fluttershy said to Prime, who had gone back to work. She then walked over to Ratchet, who lowered her to the floor before transforming into an ambulance. “Hey Ratchet, can you put on some rock on the way home?”

“Rock? Why rock? That doesn’t sound like it’s something you’d listen to?” Ratchet asked as Fluttershy strapped in.

“Normally, I wouldn’t. But Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, got a song stuck in my head that I want out. And believe me, if he’s singing it, then it’s a catchy one.”
> Down Time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Down Time

One of the changes to Fluttershy’s plan that Optimus had made was that they wouldn’t start it right away, but would wait for a little bit just to make sure the Cons guard was lowered. Of course, that’s what Optimus told Fluttershy, but she was fairly certain he had made that plan so that he could buy himself more time in looking for a better solution to locating her missing friends.

Fluttershy tried to pretend that her life was normal. She went to the medical classes she had been signed up for, and had to come up with a quick explanation as to why she was driving around in one of their ambulances, hung out with her family and went about her everyday life like nothing was wrong and she was a normal teenager. Except her talking ambulance kinda shattered that illusion.

“Optimus has given the order to wait three days until we go with your plan. And he’s still not happy about it, but with the life of your captured friends on the line he’s realized that speed is essential,” Ratchet told Fluttershy one afternoon as they sat in a parking lot. Fluttershy was reading a holodocument on transformer biology and how their bodies worked while waiting for Pinkie to show up.

“I agree with that. From what I saw of Sunset, she was not doing well. We need to find her and quickly if we hope to save her and Rainbow before the Cons figure out what to do with them,” Fluttershy said while she continued to read. Ratchet noticed where her interests were and a chuckle escaped from him.

“With how interested you’ve been in our science and biology, I might have a new trainee to take under my wing,” Ratchet said as a joke, but then for a moment Fluttershy seemed to be considering his offer. “That was a joke, Fluttershy. We have those where I come from. Honestly though you’ve been spending an awful lot of your free time studying, whether it be about human biology, animal medicine or even the way we transformers work. Something bothering you?”

“Nothing that I would wish to discuss,” Fluttershy replied. Her tone told him that was all he was going to get out of her, so Ratchet figured that he might as well change the subject.

“So how are your little animal friends doing? I see that you’ve stopped bringing them with you to annoy me with.”

“I leave the with my parents now. After the one’s I had with me were caught in that battle between you and the Cons, I figured that they would be safer if I left them at home. We never know when we’re going to be attacked,” Fluttershy said and Ratchet agreed. “Was the war with Megatron like this? Constantly waiting to be attacked and try so desperately to fight back?”

“Yes and no, Fluttershy. Megatron was a vicious and merciless transformer, but the fights with him were never…like this. Once in a while he would learn about our location or manage to mount a surprise attack against us, but, aside from the numbers disadvantage, the war was more or less fought on equal terms. What Ultracon is doing…is new and I don’t like it.”

“Why do the Deceptacons have such a massive army? I would think if you had a jerk like Megatron in command that others would be less inclined to join up,” Fluttershy muttered.

“You would think so, but you didn’t know how bad things were for the less than fortunate on old Cybertron. There is an Earth expression that says the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. That was Cybertron in a nutshell for a while. Those in power, like myself, lived the perfect life, while those beneath us were treated like your doormats. Ignored, stepped on and constantly casted down in the mud. So while Megatron might have been evil to the spark, for many he was their only hope at no longer being stepped on.”

“Is that how the new Cybertron is as well?”

“I wish I could tell you no, but the old ways are persistent. The new high council of Cybteron has tried to deem us Autobots that helped end the war on Earth criminals and arrest us. That is one of the reason we have more bots here than before. Because they don’t want to deal with the BS that is Cybertron politics. Can’t say I blame them.”

“Isn’t Optimus a Prime, one of the most influential and power transformers in the world? Can’t he do something about this?”

“You are correct in saying Prime has both power and sway over the council, but even that is not enough. Not to mention that he has been so busy with this new uprising of Deceptacons that he hasn’t had the time to devote himself to uncovering the truth behind the council. It’s a bad situation and I fear each cycle that something isn’t done about it the situation grows worse.”

“Oh…I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Forget about it for now. Our biggest concern is finding your friends and making sure that nothing bad happens to you when we put this crazy plan of yours into motion,” Ratchet smirked in reply before Fluttershy’s door opened. “And speaking of friends, I see that Pinkie has just arrived with Prime. Remember, you are to stay in our line of sight. Do not wander off on your own or you will be joining Rainbow and Sunset quicker than you would have imagined.”

“I got it. Thanks, Ratchet,” Fluttershy said as she hopped out of the ambulance. Fluttershy spied Pinkie walking towards her and noticed that Optimus was starting to leave as well, leaving Fluttershy to wonder why he wasn’t sticking around. Then she glanced around and realized that not only was Optimus way too large for the small park where the girls were meeting up, but that he was also drawing a lot of attention to himself.

“Robots in disguise,” Fluttershy muttered to herself, but even though she knew that the Autobots were right in wanting to stay hidden, she still felt bad for not being able to tell Twilight the truth.

“Hiya Fluttershy. What’s up?” Pinkie said cheerfully as she and Fluttershy met up near some benches.

“Not much, just trying not to freak out over what’s been going on,” Fluttershy said truthfully, but she left out the part at how impatient she actually was at wanting to put her plan into motion. “It’s been quite a journey this past week and I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around some of the things that have happened,” Fluttershy admitted. “How are you? Did your family get back safely?”

“Yup, although they are just the teensiest bit confused about where Optimus came from, but I told them that I entered a giant robot sweepstakes and won the grand prize! They rolled their eyes at me and left it at that. It’s funny what you can get away with when no one takes you seriously,” Pinkie explained with a devious smile. “How about you? Did sweet Fluttershy bend the truth to tell her family what she’s doing?”

“Not exactly. They asked why I was staying out so late, what was I doing and had I gotten mixed up with “the wrong people”. I told them I was out with friends, which is true, I was studying about medical procedures, which is also true, and that the bad people had messed with me, but good people helped me out. Which, as the Cons are bad and the bots good, is true as well. So I haven’t lied at all.”

“Oooo, look at you, being all sneaky. Meeting the Autobots has really changed you, hasn’t it?” Pinkie asked. Fluttershy responded with a stare of confusion getting Pinkie to roll her eyes. “You’ll figure it out soon enough. In the meantime, why did you want us to meet up out here of all places?”

“Because the squirrels will be really busy today and I wanted to watch them work!” Fluttershy said excitedly as she pulled a small pair of binoculars out of her pocket. “We can each pick a squirrel to watch and see which of them gathers the most food. It will be fun!”

The look on Pinkie’s face showed that to Pinkie it would be anything but fun, but, having nothing better to do, she shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the bench next to Fluttershy, who immediately began to scan the trees with her binoculars in hopes of spying their inhabitants. 

While the girls sat and enjoyed their day away from the battle between the Cons and Bots, Ratchet had no such luxury. As he kept an eye on the girls, he set his radio to Optimus’ frequency, preparing to discuss more of the battle strategy with him.

“I am glad to see that the girls have not been affected too badly by this whole ordeal,” Optimus told Ratchet with a sigh of relief. “With all they have been through it is amazing that they still hold onto their joy and kind personalities. They are stronger than most.”

“Well from what Fluttershy has told me, thanks to their magic they’ve had to deal with some dangerous foes in the past. Perhaps that is why the whole giant robot’s idea doesn’t bother them too badly,” Ratchet told Prime, before his tone darkened. “But Fluttershy has been affected by our war. Ever since the death of Stickshift she has been…driven. She is determined to learn about transformer medicine and surgery, as well as human surgery as well. And I fear the reason she volunteered to be bait is because she fears risking our lives for her sake. She hates it when others get harmed, so I can only imagine what having another being die for you must have done to her.”

“I remember the first time I lost a soldier in battle. The shock and pain of it all is beyond words,” Optimus agreed with a sigh. “But to have something like that happen at such a young age…I blame myself for this, Ratchet. Had I taken a more serious approach to dealing with the remaining Deceptacons, perhaps our battle would have never returned to Earth. Then none of these girls would have to suffer through what they had suffered.”

“Perhaps, Optimus. But what’s done is done and all we can do now is focus on what we shall do next. Tomorrow I vote we put our plan into motion. Each day we wait is a day closer to the Cons unlocking the secret of the girl’s magic…and ending their lives.”

“I agree old friend, I…did you feel that?”

“Feel what?”

“For a brief moment, I thought…someone was listening in on us.”

“A con?”

“No…a human.”

“Please Optimus, we are aliens from another world. What kind of human would be smart enough to build a device to listen in on us? You are just letting the stress get to you.”
> Answers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answers

Ratchet had never been one for taking in the scenery, but he supposed that the grassy landscape that he was currently parked on was not that offensive to his optics. There were no trees obstructing his vision, no little animals trying to climb into his engine to make a nest and, most importantly, it was quiet. That was what he liked the most. In fact, the scenery would almost had been peaceful, were it not for the reason that Ratchet and Fluttershy were there.

Fluttershy sat on Ratchet’s hood, looking over a holo-report of one of the surgery’s Ratchet had performed back in the day. She was wearing clothing far different from her regular apparel and her outfit consisted of sweatpants, a t-shirt and running shoes. Most people would think that she was simply ready to go for a jog, but Ratchet knew the truth. She wore those clothes so that she was ready run for her life if she needed to.

He could tell by monitoring her vitals that she was nervous, but she kept her calm incredibly well. In fact, ever since she had tied her hair back, Ratchet had noticed some subtle changes in Fluttershy. She was no longer as cowardly or reserved as she once had been. She seemed more driven and determined, like she didn’t have time for uncertainty or the meekness that had once made up her character. But she never spoke about it and Ratchet never asked. It was interesting, though.

So too was the way she consumed everything Cybertronian that Ratchet gave to her. Whether it was history, biology, or even modern news, Fluttershy would tear through it rapidly so long as Ratchet remembered to translate it to English. Something had changed in Fluttershy. She had seen the cost of war.

“Anything?” Fluttershy asked in the quietest whisper.

“No. Scanners show no signs of Cybertronian life. Aside from me.”

“Hmm…So who were the other members of your team?” Fluttershy asked in her normal voice.

“What team?”

“Your team. When you were on Earth for the first time, back when you still fought against Megatron,” Fluttershy asked and Ratchet wondered where this sudden curiosity had come from. “I know you and Optimus were a part of it, but aside from that none of the other bots talk about it.”

“You haven’t asked Optimus?”

“Optimus…can kinda be hard to talk to at times,” Fluttershy admitted. “When nothing is going on he’s nice, but when things get serious I have trouble looking him in the eyes.”

“Yes, Optimus can be quite a lot to take in, especially for those that have never met him before. He’s a legend back on Cybertron, as well as the last Prime,” Ratchet said with a chuckle. “And I know what you’re going to ask. The Primes were leaders chosen by the council whenever they found a bot who best exemplified the traits of leadership. Optimus was the last Prime chosen by the council of old. And he’s, to the best of my knowledge, the only Prime still functional.”

“Wow. That does sound impressive. So why is he on Earth instead of leading Cybertron?”

“The same reason working with your government is such a hassle. Politics,” Ratchet spat out. “The new council isn’t too happy with what Optimus and the rest of us did on Earth, as I previously told you. And now we’re seen as somewhat criminals and yada yada yada. But enough about politics, you asked about my old team, correct? Let me think…”

“The first member I should probably tell you about was our scout Bumblebee. He had lost his ability to speak thanks to Megatron, so for a long time he could only communicate through beeps and the radio. During our final fight with Megatron, his voice was fixed thanks to a powerful pool of energon. He was loyal and a great fighter, but had a habit of rushing in first and not thinking of the consequences. I actually believe he’s on Earth right now, but dealing with another problem.”

“Arcee is next. She was a flanking bot with a motorcycle design. She…carried a lot of baggage, mostly because she lost two of her partners in the war with the Cons. She’s lightning quick and can tear your head off if you’re not careful, but she’s as loyal as she is fierce. She and I had our issues, but there were many times I was grateful that she had my back.”

“Bulkhead…oh how many stories I could tell you about this bot. He was loud, large, a bumbling moron and broke so many of my medical tools that I actually had Optimus ban him from my medical station. But he never gives up and was always, always, the last bot to retreat. Ugh, were him and Miko a pair. Both of them were loud and enjoyed bugging me to no end. Especially when they played those guitars. Ugh.”

“There’s that name again. Miko,” Fluttershy noticed. “That sounds like a human name. Have you actually interacted with other humans besides me and the rest of my friends before?”

“…I’m not supposed to talk about them, but after all you’ve been through I suppose you have a right to know. Yes, we have made contact with other humans before. Some of them I can’t tell you anything about, but there are three I can speak of. Jack, Miko and Raphael. Raf for short. They were the first three humans to accidentally stumble onto us during our war with Megatron. Again, robots in disguise. How am I the only member of the team who only willingly gave away his secret?”

“You were talking about the humans.”

“Right, right. At first I thought of the humans as annoying, but over time that changed.”

“You came to see them as friends and they no longer annoyed you?”

“Nope. They still annoyed me, even after we became friends. Jack was…sensible, but headstrong. He often thought about what was going on before acting. Him and Arcee were a pair and they balanced each other out, with Jack helping Arcee through some of her tougher times. But the both of them had a knack for getting into trouble, on numerous occasions. Jack and I never talked much, but for a teenager, he wasn’t that bad.”

“Was he better than me?”

“I know better than to fall into that trap. A human who I cannot say I got along with was Miko. That girl was arrogant, didn’t listen to anything anyone said, aside from Prime but of course she listened to him, and had a terrible habit of rushing onto the field of battle where we were already fighting for our lives. Last thing we needed to worry about was stepping on her. She was Bulkhead’s partner. Remember how I said Arcee and Jack balanced each other out? Bulkhead and Miko did not do that. That brought out each-others most annoying traits, much to my disdain. She may have been my friend, but she got on my nerves nearly every day.”

“Last is Raphael. He was younger than Jack and Miko, but far more intelligent. I got along with him the best, as we were both scientific minds, but his partner was Bumblebee. Not only could he understand Bee with his damage voice, but also acted as the reason to Bumblebee’s impulsiveness. The got along well and I was honestly sad when I had to say goodbye to him. There were a few others, but I am not authorized to speak about them.”

“Wow, sounds like you guys had quite the crazy adventure,” Fluttershy noticed as she mentally recorded this information, before looking back at Ratchet. “Hey, so Bumblebee, Arcee and Bulkhead all had human partners, right? Did you have one as well?”

“Ha. Please, none of those humans wanted to be partners with me, even the others I can’t speak of. To be fair to them, I wasn’t exactly kind and welcoming when we first brought them to the base. I wanted them out and made that opinion know every time they were around for a long time. Eventually we became friends, but no Fluttershy, I never had a human partner the last time I was on Earth.”

“Oh…well you do now,” Fluttershy said with a warm smile as she patted the top of Ratchet’s hood. “And honestly I can’t see why any of the others didn’t want to be your partner. Yeah, you can be rude and a know it all, but I’ve seen how far you’ve gone for me, my friends and even the other bots. Out of all the bots I’ve met, I trust you.”

Fluttershy then went back to reading Ratchet’s past reports, never noticing how Ratchet remained silent after Fluttershy had spoken for a long time. That was until his scanners picked up on an energy wave that washed over them, instantly putting him on high alert.

“They’re coming,” was all Ratchet needed to say and instantly Fluttershy was alert. She made no physical movements, but from how she tensed up and how her eyes started glancing around, Ratchet knew she was ready. “They just deployed a jammer that was jam all human communications and camera. They don’t want to be seen doing this by anyone. Unfortunately for them, that gave them away.”

“How many?” Fluttershy muttered quietly.

“Five, from what one of our scouts is telling me. But they’re all heavily armed and are designed with shoot to kill in mind. They have no intention of taking me alive.”

“But they won’t shoot at you if I’m in the way. They need me alive,” Fluttershy muttered. And with that thought she firmly planted herself onto Ratchet’s hood, preparing to hold her ground no matter what the Cons tried. She then took in a deep breath and waited for the Cons to arrive.

The Cons didn’t keep the lad waiting. With a minute of Ratchet alerting her to their presences, the Cons descended onto the pair. The five of them crashed down from the sky, each of them helicopter types, and surrounded the pair. Fluttershy fought back the fear that was bubbling up inside of her as the Cons encircled her, weapons pointed at Ratchet.

“Well well, what do we have here? A human and a bot that have lost their way,” one of the Cons snickered as he drew closer.

“Deceptacons,” Ratchet snarled, playing it like he had been caught off guard. “I should have known that you were coming from your stench. What do you want?”

“What do you think? The same thing we’ve been after since we first arrived here. The girl.” Fluttershy took care to whimper at this line and back up, getting the Con to laugh as he stopped his advancement. Fluttershy quickly glanced around to see that the other Cons were all smiling at the pair, but they weren’t keeping their weapons trained on them. They thought they had ambushed Ratchet and Fluttershy. Exactly as she had planned.

“We won’t let you take her,” Ratchet promised the Con, who laughed aloud in reply.

“It doesn’t matter what you say, it’s five to one. And we will be…wait a moment. We? What do you mean we?” the Con asked Ratchet with narrow eyes.

“Exactly what he said.”

And the energon fire rained down on the Deceptacons.
> Answers (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answers (2)

The Cons didn’t stand much of a chance.

They had been so preoccupied with patting themselves on the back for ambushing Ratchet that they had completely forgotten to check their surroundings. Even if they had, Optimus had been smart enough to have his snipers be cloaked and he himself had hung way back, so there was no risk of any of the Cons recognizing him. Pinkie had been left at the base, so the only magical source they would have been able to track was Fluttershy. And they followed the trail right to their own doom.

Four sniper rounds tore through the air, though only three of them found their mark. Three Deceptacons went down with their heads missing. The fourth had caught on to Ratchet’s words a moment before the others and had rolled out of the way, just narrowly avoiding being hit. The fifth Con looked around with shock and fear, meaning he took his eyes off of Ratchet.

Fluttershy had just enough time to leap off of Ratchet’s hood before he transformed into his robot form. The Con whirled around to face Ratchet in time to take a fist to the face, one that knocked him straight to the ground. The Con lifted his blaster, but Ratchet swatted the gun away and continued to slam his fists into the face of the Con.

The other Con was firing blindly around him, trying to hit one of the cloaked bots that had surrounded him. His unpredictability made it so the Autobots couldn’t stop moving to return fire, or else they would risk being shot. That was until one of snipers fired and missed on purpose, getting the Con to spin around to face where the shot had come from. And in doing so, he left his back completely exposed to the sniper that was right behind him.

Fluttershy had run to the edge of the field to avoid being squished in the giant robot brawl, so she had a perfect view of the last Con standing taking a sniper shot that tore through the center of his chest. The Con screamed out in pain as the sniper shot spun his body to the side and he crashed down onto a row of flowers. Fluttershy spent a split second deciding between staying put and running to the Con, but it was only a second. She then raced towards the fallen Con as fast as her legs could carry her. 

With one last blow to the Cons face, Ratchet succeeded in knocking the Con he had been fighting out cold. A smirk escaped Ratchet’s lips as he rose back up, looking down at the Autobot prisoner. With all of the Cons taken care of, the Autobot snipers uncloaked and walked over to where Ratchet was standing.

“Put this Con in energon restraints and take him to Optimus. Make sure that he does not regain consciousness on the way back to base. Cover his optics to be safe,” Ratchet instructed two of them and they took off with the Con in tow. He then turned to face the other two. “Dispose of these bodies and be quick about it. We don’t want any human accidentally coming across these and revealing our secret. And where in the name of the Primes is Fluttershy?”

Ratchet found the girl next to the fallen Deceptacon. She was kneeling on his chest and was using her magic to try to stem the flow of energon that was leaking from his bullet wound. She glanced over her shoulder as Ratchet approached, a look of contempt on his face as he glared down at the fallen Con.

“Ratchet, we need to hurry. I’m doing the best I can to keep him from losing any more energon, but if anything about what I’ve read is correct, this bot is going to need an energon infusion and quick if he’s to survive,” Fluttershy rapidly.

“That is correct, Fluttershy. He would need an energon infusion to survive. I’m impressed how far you’ve come,” Ratchet said with praise for Fluttershy, but he didn’t move in the slightest.

“Ratchet, come on! We need to get him back to base!” Fluttershy pleaded with Ratchet, but all Ratchet did was cross his arms. “He’s going to die if we don’t do something.”

“Probably,” Ratchet said as he continued to do nothing. Fluttershy shook her head slightly in confusion, before realization dawned in her eyes.

“You’re going to let him die?” she asked Ratchet in a whisper. “You’re going to let another living being die while you stand there and do nothing?”

“He’s a Con, Fluttershy. He’s probably killed dozens of my allies and he would kill both me and you without a moments delay. He made his choice,” Ratchet coldly replied before he turned to leave. “Come on, we need to get our prisoner back to base before he wakes up.”

“No.” Ratchet turned around to look back at Fluttershy, who was glaring up at him with a look in her eyes she’d never shown before. “I’m not leaving.”

“We don’t have time for this-“

“We have plenty of time. This Transformer doesn’t! Yet instead of helping him, you’re letting him die right in front of you while doing nothing to help!” Fluttershy all but roared at Ratchet, who narrowed his eyes in response. “I thought that you were supposed to be a doctor! I thought you were supposed to save lives!”

“Do not speak to me like you have an inkling of an idea what I’ve been through. I gave you a softer, toned down version of my life. I left out all of the agony and suffering caused by the Deceptacons,” Ratchet replied in a whisper. “Like I said, this bot made his choice when he joined the Cons. He’s unconscious. He won’t feel a thing when he dies. It’s more than he deserves.”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, before she closed it again with a looking of loathing at Ratchet. She then turned around and knelt down once more, placing her hands over a part of the wound and began to let her magic flow into the injury.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“What you should be doing. I’m trying to save his life,” Fluttershy spat back. Her magic was wielding the wound together, but it was too little at too slow a pace. Ratchet knew that and he wagered that Fluttershy knew it as well. Yet she still continued onward, desperate the save the Con.

“The Cons have attacked you, tried to kidnap you and have kidnapped your friends. You owe them nothing, yet here you are, trying to save this Cons life. One of the Cons sent here to capture you. Why?” Ratchet asked Fluttershy. She didn’t reply and continued to apply more of her magic, but it wasn’t enough. “You won’t be able to save him with your magic alone. You know this.”

“Then what am I supposed to do, just stand back and let him die?!” Fluttershy yelled at Ratchet before she forced more of her magic into the wound. Wings sprouted from her back and pony ears formed on her head, while a magical aura surrounded her. For a moment the additional power seemed to be helping, but to Ratchet’s trained optic he could see that she was delaying the problem, not fixing it. 

“He’s a Con, Fluttershy. Why help him?”

“I stood by and watched as Stickshift died in front of me. I would have stood by and watched as Soundwave killed you. And now you’re asking me to stand by and watch as this Deceptacon dies. The reason I’m trying to help him is the same reason you became a doctor, Ratchet,” Fluttershy spat back while trying to keep her magic flowing. “I’m sick of watching those around me die.”

Ratchet frowned as he heard Fluttershy’s reasoning. He understood where she was coming from, but he also knew that she didn’t have the same experience with the Deceptacons as he did. Her cause was noble, but he knew that the Con didn’t deserve to be saved. And at how badly he was damaged, Fluttershy wouldn’t be able to save him.

But then he turned his optics from the Con and rested them on Fluttershy. Fluttershy, a girl who had only recently learned about the Transformers and the war between them, was now doing everything in her power to save a wounded one, one that would die without aid. She was fighting a losing battle. The Con would die. Yet as Ratchet watched her fight even though it was futile, he remembered the first time he had been in her position. When he had tried to save his team from the Deceptacon toxin. How it had broken him when he had failed. And he knew if Fluttershy failed, it would devastate her far more than it had him. She didn’t deserve to suffer for being so kind.

Ratchet walked over to the Con and held out a hand beside him, before using his other hand to tilt the Con’s body so that Fluttershy rolled off of the Cons chest and right onto Ratchet’s hand. She barely had time to register what was going on before Ratchet flipped the Con over his shoulder and started to walk towards the rendezvous point, where the ground bridge would take them back to base.

“Ratchet…you’re going to help?” Fluttershy asked with disbelief in her voice.

“Yeah yeah, call me a regular bleeding spark, but I’m going to help save this miserable Cons life,” Ratchet growled, not happy with his decision. Fluttershy, however, beamed up at Ratchet with gratitude and pride in her eyes.

“Thank you…for doing this.”

“I want to make one thing perfectly clear, Fluttershy. I’m not doing this for the Con,” Ratchet told Fluttershy with a snarl. “I’m doing it for you.”
> Answers (3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answers (3)

“I will only ask you this once. Where is the Deceptacon base?” Optimus Prime asked in a cold tone to the captured Deceptacon.

“Choke on pavement, Prime. You don’t have the bolts to torture the information out of me!” the Con yelled back from the inside of his cell. Having successfully captured a still functioning Deceptacon, Prime and the other Autobot’s had placed him in a energon cell for interrogation. But despite all Cons fear of Optimus on the battleground, with prisoners every Con knew Optimus was far more restrained.

“I believe that you do not understand your position,” Optimus continued on, ignoring the Cons words. “You are in our base with no way to communicate with your brethren. They will not know where to look for you and I highly doubt Soundwave will care enough to send a rescue party. The only chance you have of getting out of here is to tell me where the Deceptacon base is, before I have to use...drastic measures.”

“Get bent, Prime! I won’t tell you anything!”

Fluttershy stood far away from the “interrogation”, choosing instead to stand on the operating table where Ratchet had laid the Con that Fluttershy had demanded he saved. She stood next to the Con in case Ratchet needed her help in repairing him, but for the time being he performed the surgery himself, hardly ever glancing at the human.

“How is it going?” she asked the doctor for the fifth time in ten minutes. Ratchet’s response was to grunt, just like all the other times, before he continued on with his work. Fluttershy sighed at his ignoring her, but made sure to keep a close eye on how he operated. She watched how he moved is hands, how he extracted and shifted metal fragments that had the potential to cause even more damage to the Con, and how he managed to do all of that without causing any energon to leak out.

“Thank you for doing this,” Fluttershy said at last to Ratchet, who once again gave her no answer. “I know you don’t like the Cons, and after what you told me I can’t say I blame you, but this shows the kind of bot you are, saving the life of your enemy.”

“There are two things wrong with what you said that I must correct,” Ratchet snarled, his mood having not improved in the slightest. “First is that you said I don’t like them. That is the understatement of the century. The second is that you said I am kind to save the life of my enemy. I was and still am perfectly fine with letting him die. I am saving him not out of the goodness in my spark, but because you begged me to. If this Con pulls through, he will have you and you alone to thank for saving his worthless chassis.”

“Is he going to pull through?” Fluttershy asked with some concern.

“I may have gotten older and more cynical, but I’m still one of the best doctors on or off of Cybertron. Yes, he looks like he’s going to pull through,” Ratchet muttered as he did a sweep of the Cons internal structures, before he slammed the chest plate shut. Fluttershy noticed that there was still a giant hole on the front and back of the Cons armor.

“Aren’t you going to fix that up as well?”

“Sure Fluttershy, let me fix up his armor, oil his joints and send him back onto the battlefield feeling like he’s brand spanking new so that he has an easier time killing us,” Ratchet sassed back, getting Fluttershy to cross her arms and frown at him. “You asked me to save his life. I did. I did not agree to repairing his armor or fix whatever side effects the sniper round might have on his movement or power output. Neither of those endanger his life in any way.”

“Won’t or can’t fix them?” Fluttershy baited.

“That won’t work on me, Fluttershy. The Con will live. That’s as far as my mercy for him goes,” Ratchet snarled before he lifted the Con onto his shoulders and walked him over to the holding cells where Optimus and the others were. He entered in the code to open the cell, dumped the Con inside, on his head, before closing it up once more and walking in the direction opposite of Fluttershy.

She stuck out her tongue at him before she activated her harmonic powers, summoning her wings so that she could fly over to where the other Autobots are. She landed on the shoulder of Optimus, who nodded to acknowledge her presence, as he continued on with his interrogation.

“This is your last chance, Deceptacon. Tell us where the base is or I will be forced to use drastic measures,” Optimus warned in a dangerous voice. Fluttershy would have told Optimus all of her secrets on the spot if he had talked to her like that, but either the Con wasn’t afraid of what Optimus might do or didn’t care, cause all he did was snicker.

“You don’t scare me Prime. Yeah if I was in a fight against you I might soil my bumper, but not here. Not while I’m at your mercy. Because I know that whatever terrible thing you think you can do to make me talk is nothing compared to what Soundwave would do to me if I actually did talk. So do your worst Prime, I’m not afraid.”

“Very well, but remember that you brought this upon yourself,” Prime said as he reached behind him. Fluttershy watched the Con clench his fists in preparation for what Prime was about to do. Optimus brought his hand back out and opened it to reveal…Pinkie standing in the center of his palm.

The Con stared down at the girl for a moment before he threw his head back and laughed harder than any Transformer had laughed in a long time. “T-that’s what you’re going to do to me?! Have this pink flesh bag try to torture the information out of me?! Oh that’s good, that’s too good! And they say you don’t have a sense of humor Prime. Ugh, the laughs alone are almost enough to make me want to tell you, just for how much joy you’ve brought me.”

“I warn you Deceptacon, Pinkie is far more clever than she lets on. Underestimate her at your own peril,” Optimus warned.

“Yeah, sure I will Prime.”

“Howdy friend! How are you doing today?” Pinkie asked the Con as Optimus moved her to the edge of the energon cell.

“Just dandy. I get to be the esteemed guest at the Autobot hotel. Love the service so far, all this attention, but the rooms need some work,” the Con replied with a smirk.

“You’re funny! That’s great! I love funny people and jokes! Speaking of, have you heard the one about the dog and the horse?” Pinkie asked.

“No and I don’t really care. Is this your idea of torture Prime? Having this little bag of flesh talk me to death? Because it ain’t working!” the Con yelled at Optimus.

“Aw why are you being mean? Everything would just be so much easier if you just talked to us,” Pinkie begged as she gave the Con puppy dog eyes. “All we want to know is where your friends are. We promise that we won’t hurt them unless they try to hurt us. And we’ll even let you go. Some come on, open up. Let’s have a heart to heart.”

“I’d rather have my spark ripped out, through my face, then say anything to you,” the Con snarled at Pinkie, whose eyes welled up with tears.

“So you’re not going to help us? But I was planning on throwing you this huge party to thank you for being so cooperative,” Pinkie told him.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve heard human parties are pretty garbage. And I bet ones thrown by you are even worse,” the Con said with a smirk. Pinkie’s mane deflated and Optimus pulled her back away from the Con.

“You did your best, Pinkie,” Optimus comforted.

“I know, but all I learned from talking to him is that the Deceptacon’s base is hidden under the Horseshoe lake to the north of town,” Pinkie said with a dejected sigh.

“How do you know that?!” the Con roared from the cell as he slammed his fists into the energon walls. “How did you figure out where our base was from our talk?! I didn’t say anything about it!” As soon as those words left his mouth, Pinkie’s mane inflated once more and she gave the Con a peppy and cheerful grin.

“I didn’t know silly billy. You just told me!” Pinkie explained to the Con, who looked at her with utter confusion on his face. “Optimus told me where the Autobot’s believed the base might be at, so I pretended that I learned that location from talking with you. Your outburst at my guess confirmed that our suspicions were correct and the base is indeed there. See Optimus, I told you he would cooperate!”

“Indeed you did, Pinkie,” Optimus said with a smile to Pinkie, before he turned to look back at the Con, who was now staring at the dancing Pinkie Pie with disbelief and confusion running rampant in his eyes. “As I said, Con. Underestimate her at your own peril.”

And with that Optimus walked away from the prisoner with one human in his hand and the other upon his shoulder. He marched over to the command table, where he pressed a few buttons and brought up a holo-map of the area that the Con had accidentally revealed. He lowered his hand to the table to allow Pinkie to hop off, but when he offered to do the same for Fluttershy she shook her head.

“I need to talk to you. About Ratchet,” she whispered to Optimus and he nodded his head to show he understood.

“Autobots,” Optimus began, his voice gathering all of the bots around the table to listen to what he had to say. “For a long time we have been searching for the Con’s base of operations. And while we have searched, they have taken the lives of numerous members of our team, as well as taken two innocent girls that should not have been involved in this war in the first place. As we did not know the location of the Con’s base, they have held the advantage over us. But now that changes.”

“Now…we go on the attack.”
> Answers (4)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answers (4)

Optimus spent the next hour talking to the Autobot’s about how they were going to approach the Deceptacon base. The scouts would monitor it first, making sure to mark areas where they might be able to sneak in and where the guards and security features would be located. He informed the Autobot’s that rushing in without knowing what they were up against would most likely get most of them killed. Caution came first.

Once he was done with that he began to order Autobot’s to different tasks, whether it be learning more about the base, keeping an eye out for any more Con activity or making sure that the other girls that hadn’t been captured were still alright. Once he was done with all of that, he finally turned and walked to where Fluttershy was standing on a table off to the side. But as he approached, he found that Fluttershy was in a call with someone else.

“…look, I’m sure that whatever you discovered is important, but I can’t go with you. My friends need me here at the moment and I can’t let them down,” Fluttershy said sternly into her communicator, a tired look on her face. “I’m sorry, but the answer is no, I won’t go with you. And it’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just…hello? Ugh.”

Fluttershy shook her head and looked up to see Optimus standing over her, a look of interest on his face. “Sorry, that was Twilight. She was calling to ask if I could come over and hang out. Apparently she has something really cool she wanted to do with me, but I figured that you don’t want me out of the base until my friends have been rescued.”

“That is a very wise observation. I am sorry that you had to say no to your friend, but we cannot risk letting you fall into Deceptacon hands right before we launch a rescue mission. It would only complicate things further,” Optimus said in a wise tone, telling Fluttershy he was probably right. “You will not need to worry about being alone down here while we go through with this rescue operation. Pinkie and Ratchet will both be staying behind as well.”

“Pinkie I understand, but why Ratchet? Don’t you want your best medic up there with you guys in case one of you gets injured?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes, that concern did cross my mind. However, at this point the Deceptacons are aware that you are Ratchet’s partner and I fear they would try to capture or kill him to lure you out,” Optimus said gravely. “Having him out there with us would only paint a bigger target on him, a target that may cost us both you and a close friend of mine. He will stay at the base and if something were to go wrong, he can always ground bridge to us or ground bridge us back to the base for safety.”

“That makes sense. But why are you going then? If the Cons know of my connection to Ratchet, won’t they know of your connection to Pinkie as well?”

“Fluttershy, I am the last Prime. I am their number one target whether or not I am partners with Pinkie,” Optimus said with a smile. “Being her partner hasn’t put me in any more danger than I was already in. Thou I will admit, the fact that she is my partner while Ratchet is your…is amusing.”

“Speaking of Ratchet, I wanted to tell you about the whole…injured Deceptacon thing,” Fluttershy began while she rubbed her left arm nervously. “I don’t know how you feel about me wanting to bring an injured Deceptacon back to base to save him, but I know I angered Ratchet by doing it. If I did something that goes against Autobot code, then I’m sorry.”

“Fluttershy, you wished to save a life and did everything you could to ensure that life was saved. Nothing about any of that was wrong in the slightest. Yes, the Cons are our enemies, but that does not mean their lives mean any less than ours. It is a testament to who you are that you would wish to save your enemy despite all the pain they have caused you,” Optimus said with approval to Fluttershy. “Perhaps if we had more bots like you, we would never have had the war in the first place.”

“As for Ratchet…he has suffered greatly at the hands of the Deceptacons. Not only have they taken those he has cared about from him, but they have also been the source of so many failures on his part. And if you know him, as I’m sure you do, you know that he takes failures harder than anyone else. That is one of the many things you and him have in common. It seems to be a trend.”

“Trend? What do you mean?”

“I mean I find it interest which humans pair up with which bots. Jack was like a younger version of Arcee. Headstrong, full of ideals and never letting anything get in the way of justice. She was that way too, until the war took her optimism from her. Miko loves to be loud and destructive, just like Bulkhead when he was younger. But the war showed him the consequences of blind devastation and that sometimes you have to be silent to survive. Raphael was almost an exact copy of a younger Bumblebee. Odd, intelligent and never really knew how to speak with others. But the war taught Bumblebee what it meant to be part of a family. You and Ratchet follow the same pattern.”

“He was a lot like you when he was younger. Kind, caring and wanting to save as many lives as possible. Yes, he also sought fame along with his desire to help others, but perhaps he sought that fame to make himself feel better about his shortcomings. I take it you too search for a way to forget about how you can mess up or fail badly?”

“It’s like you know me,” Fluttershy said with a smile.

“But just like all of the others, the war changed him. It took his kindness and shredded it apart. One of the Cons that he saved on the battlefield returned during another fight and killed Ratchet’s best friend. Ratchet then beheaded the Con that he had once saved,” Optimus revealed, making Fluttershy’s eyes widen. “After that he never saved any wounded Con, unless he had a good reason to. Such when Starscream offered intel for medical treatment. But he was never kind to Cons again after that day. Kindness is often the first emotion to be decimated in a war, even though that is where it can be needed most.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“There is nothing to apologize for, Fluttershy. You saved a life today. Your kindness is a strength, not a weakness,” Optimus told her before he glanced towards where Ratchet was working on something. “But for many Autobot’s the scars run deep, deeper than we would like to believe. Ratchet will most likely never trust or aid another Con on his own again. But for you to convince him to do so shows how much he cares for you. He would not save one even if I ordered it of him. And yet he did it for you.”

“Any idea why?”

“Maybe he sees what I see. That you are a like a younger version of himself and he is trying to ensure what happened to him does not happen to you. Maybe you have sway on his thoughts and while he is stubborn, you can get him to see past his hatred. Or maybe he’s scared of the stern look you give someone whenever they are doing something that you do not agree with. It is quite intimidating.”

“Me? Have an intimidating look? Optimus, have you met me? I’m the meekest girl around. I get scared by my own shadow. How can I be intimidating?”

“When we first learned of you your words were true. You used to be meek, scared and hide behind your hair whenever someone gave you an angry look,” Optimus agreed before he held his reflective finger in front of Fluttershy so she could see her reflection. “But just like Arcee, just like Ratchet…and just like me, the war against the Cons has changed you. You are more driven now.”

“How so?”

“When we first brought you here, we could barely hear what you were saying and you constantly hid behind your hair. Now whenever lives are in danger or at risk, you will give a look similar to the one I give to disobedient Autobot’s. A look of authority that ends arguments before the can begin. And now you speak your mind, tells us of what you think is the right thing to do and challenge us if we don’t work with you, like when you challenged my idea on waiting out the Cons.”

“I…guess I did do that.”

“And I believe I know why. Before you were afraid of voicing your opinion and were afraid of what others might think of it and you. But now you know life and death hangs in the balance and you can’t afford to waste time on what others might think. You have to be strong and stand up to others. Because if you don’t, someone, like that Con or Curbcheck, might not make it. Being dragged into our war gave you confidence and drive. I am sorry that this is what it took to do so.”

“I think you’re right. Ever since the death of Stickshift…I want to make sure nobody dies for me or around. Not while I can do something about it,” Fluttershy said with drive.

“Death changes all of us. This is how it changed you. It made you driven to save lives. That is another feature you have in common with Ratchet. You make a good team,” Optimus said with a nod. Fluttershy nodded as well, before an idea so outlandish came to her that she had to ask.

“Hey Optimus, you said that all of the humans that partnered up with an Autobot were like a younger version of the bot, right?” Fluttershy asked and Optimus nodded. “So, and I know this sounds crazy, but back when you were younger were you a party loving bot who loved to crack jokes and make people laugh?”

“Before the war I was a librarian, Fluttershy. I spent most days in solitude and learning,” Optimus said to Fluttershy, who nodded her head and wondered why she had bothered to ask such a silly question in the first place. But then Optimus leaned in closer with a devious smile on his face. “But whenever it came time to throw a party for friends and collogues, I was the greatest party planner on Cyberton.”
> Partners
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Partners

Every Autobot that was available at the moment was lined up in the center of the base, awaiting Optimus’ orders to move out. On a raise platform with a holoscreen behind it, Optimus was giving a detailed speech about the plan of attack on the Deceptacon base and what each bot would need to do once inside. Ratchet and the human girls stood off to the side, along with Redheart and another bot that Fluttershy hadn’t met before. But from the red cross on his side plates, she assumed he was also a medic.

“And remember my Autobot brethren, our goal is to safely retrieve the two human girls that have been kidnapped by the Deceptacons. Failure is not acceptable this time,” Optimus finished up his speech to the Autobots, looking over each and every one of them so that they would understand the importance of this point. “Are there any questions?”

When none of the Autobot’s said a word, Optimus nodded over at Ratchet. Ratchet returned the nod before he pressed a few buttons on a control panel next to him. With a finishing pull of a lever, the ground bridged opened inside of the base, its destination being where the Deceptacons were holding Fluttershy’s friends.

“Good luck, Optimus,” Ratchet said to Optimus.

“And to you as well, my friend,” Optimus replied before turning back to the Autobot’s. “Autobot’s, Roll out!”

Optimus transformed into his vehicle mode as he said this and raced into the ground bridge vortex. The other Autobot’s roared along with him as they too transformed, following him into the green vortex a moment later as well. Once the last Autobot had gone through, Ratchet switched off the bridge and flicked another button on the control panel. A screen popped up in front of the girls and bot’s, giving them a detailed view of what was going on in the mission.

“Optimus, the Cons are already aware that you’re on the way,” Ratchet informed Optimus as the dozens of red dots that represented the Autobot’s were approaching numerous purple triangles that Fluttershy could only assume were the Deceptacons. “They’ve sent out their fliers to intercept you before you get too close.”

“Countermeasures are already in place. Air Raid, take those fliers down!” the team heard Optimus say on the other end before the sounds of explosions and laser fire filled the channel. Fluttershy had to turn her coms volume down so she didn’t go deaf from the roar of the explosions, but Ratchet didn’t seem bothered by the noise in the slightest. He was too focused on keeping the other bots alive.

“Bombshell. Megaton. The two of you are going to need to hit the front of the base with everything you’ve got. They have an energon shield covering all entrances that only allows bot to come out, not go in. If you don’t bring that down and soon, the rest of your team will be sitting ducks!”

“You heard the bot, open fire!” the voice of Bombshell replied, before the sound of a tank firing could be heard.

Fluttershy watched the screen with careful eyes, aware that each Autobot had a small image next to their dot along with an energon bar. She figured that the lower the bar went, the closer that bot was to shutting down for good. A few of them had dropped below fifty percent, which were the ones that she was keeping a close eye on.

“You will not be going out there,” Ratchet said to her, almost as if he was reading her mind. Fluttershy gave him an innocent look in reply, but when he cast his optics her way she could tell he knew. “It’s one thing having you operate on an injured bot here in the safety of our base. It’s another to bring a teenager into a war zone under heavy fire and a very high chance of death. Get comfortable Fluttershy, because you are not leaving this place.”

“But that’s not fair! What if there’s an Autobot out there that will need a similar treatment like the one Curbcheck needed?” Fluttershy asked Ratchet, but a glare from him silenced any argument.

“If such a situation arises, then we will send one of the professionally trained medical bots out to retrieve them and bring them back here for us to work on them. But I repeat, I am not bringing you into a warzone where you could either be captured or killed.”

“The cons don’t want me dead. They just want to capture me. That’s their plan, remember?”

“And a battlefield is the first place that a plan goes to die. Just because they have orders to not kill you doesn’t mean that you won’t get hit by a stray round or artillery strike. You’re. Staying. Here.” Ratchet then shook his head and went back to monitoring the battle taking place, before a shrieking sound came over both his and Fluttershy’s communications channel. The sudden wave of noise caused the both of them to clutch at their ears, but as soon as the noise had started it stopped.

“Are you okay?” Pinkie asked Fluttersh, while Redheart checked up on Ratchet.

“Greetings, Fluttershy and Ratchet,” a very familiar, and mixed, voice said over the coms. “Before either of you says or acts in a way that would alert your comrades to the fact that something is wrong, you will wish to hear me out first.”

“Soundwave,” Fluttershy mouthed to Ratchet, who nodded to show that he had deduced that as well.

“Recently, the Deceptacons have come across a human that was searching for a us, a human that was using a tracking device to lock onto our energon signatures to try to discern our location. That human was then captured by us and is now being held prisoner. Say hello to your friends, Twilight.”

A scream came through on the other end of the communications, one that made Fluttershy heart sink into her stomach. The screaming ceased a moment later, but both Fluttershy and Ratchet seethed with rage. He waved Redheart away and she left his side with a quick glance at her superior.

“Listen and listen well. That girl has done nothing to you. She doesn’t even have magic. She is of no use to you,” Ratchet whispered under his breath.

“Correct. She has no magic and therefor is no use to us. So we shall be terminating her,” Soundwave continued, as the sound of a laser powering up could be heard in the background.

“No!” both Ratchet and Fluttershy yelled at the same time.

“Interesting. It seems that you both care for this human despite them having no magical properties. Very well then, we shall spare her if you are willing to make a trade,” Soundwave replied in a symphony of numerous voices, but the moment a trade was mentioned Ratchet scowled.

“I already know what you want and the answer is go to the scrapyards,” Ratchet snarled at Soundwave.

“Pity. Then the girl shall die,” Soundwave said and Twilight began to scream once more in the background.

“What do you want to trade?!” Fluttershy yelled into her coms, getting the screaming to stop.

“You for her,” Soundwave responded, directly talking to Fluttershy this time. 

“Deal,” Fluttershy responded without a moment’s hesitation.

“What? No!” Ratchet yelled.

“An excellent decision. I will be sending you coordinates over your coms so that you know where to meet us. Come alone and do not tell another bot or human what you are doing. If you do so, and we will know, then we will kill this girl along with everyone else you bring with you. You have ten minutes.”

“What were you thinking?!” Ratchet snarled at Fluttershy once the communications with the Con had ceased. “We cannot go through with this! This is the most obvious trap I have ever seen and I have seen quite a number of traps in my life!”

“So what would you have me do, leave her at the mercy of the Cons?!” Fluttershy roared back at Ratchet. Ratchet prepared a response, but then he glanced over to see that the others were trying to listen in on their conversation.

“Red Alert, take over the controls until I get this whole issue with Fluttershy sorted out,” Ratchet ordered before he placed an open hand in front of Shy. She got on it, but continued to give Ratchet the look of determination and defiance that he had grown accustom to seeing with her. It was quite a change from the timid and shy girl that she used to be.

He walked the pair of them to a secluded corner of the room, before he glared down at her while she stared back up at him. “Allow me to make this perfectly clear for you. We are not going. Not only is this a trap, but, even if it wasn’t, I am not trading you to the enemy when you are exactly who they want.”

“We’re going. The have one of my closest friends and they will kill her if we do not trade me over,” Fluttershy replied in an equally stern voice. “And need I remind you that the whole reason she was caught is because she went out looking to find the Transformers. If we had just told her in the first place, she would have never sought out the Cons and gotten captured. You owe this to me!”

Ratchet narrowed his optics and began to think of a dozen different ways to counter her statement, but then Fluttershy’s eyes soften and she looked up at Ratchet with a look of pleading, not anger. “Please Ratchet, Twilight’s my friend. A friend who I’ve been distant and mean to recently. I owe this to her. And wouldn’t you risk everything if it was one of your friends in danger?”

Ratchet thought about her words as well as all of the different times that an Autobot had been captured, leaving it up to Ratchet and the other Autobot’s to rescue them. Ratchet’s snarl turned into a growl as he placed Fluttershy on the ground next to him.

“Give me a moment to grab a few things,” Ratchet told her. “And then we can head out.”
> Partners (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Partners (2)

The ground bridge deposited the two very close to where Soundwave had told them to meet the Con. The area was a small quarry far from the base, with nothing around besides gravel and rocks. The moment that the bridge closed behind them, Ratchet noticed that his long-range communications went dead, telling him that he and Fluttershy were on their own.

Fluttershy and Ratchet had both made a quick, and very poor, excuse for why they needed to leave the base during the middle of a battle and not tell the others where they were going. Fluttershy was certain that neither the bots nor Pinkie had believed their lie and would very soon be teleporting to their location as well.

“They won’t be able to,” Ratchet informed Fluttershy once she had voiced her concerns to the bot. “I set the computer to wipe our destination from its memory banks as soon as the ground bridge closed behind us. If they had a genius and a few days they might be able to recover the location, but they have neither at the moment. We are on our own.”

Fluttershy swallowed down the fear that had risen up at Ratchet’s words as the ambulance began to drive towards the meeting point. The sun was just starting to set on the horizon, casting a brilliant amber glow over the land. But along with that glow came plenty of shadows, shadows that Fluttershy would look at in fear of a Con being hidden inside of one.

“Why capture Twilight, though? They haven’t gone after any of our family or other friends to get to us. So why go after Twilight? And why now? Why isn’t Soundwave at the Con base defending it?” Fluttershy asked Ratchet.

“Who knows how that twisted Cons mind works. Maybe he only recently caught her and wants to trade right away. Maybe him and Ultracon know that Prime will free the others and they don’t want to lose all of their magical girls. Whatever the reason, he has her and we have to free her. That’s all we can worry about.”

Eventually the pair reached the meeting place without incident, their nerves starting to get the better of the both of them. The meeting place was near the top of the quarry, which looked pretty deep, at a location where Ratchet noticed lacked anything that could be used as cover. And at the other end of the quarry, waiting for them, was Soundwave and over ten Deceptacons, all of who had their weapons out.

“Stay close to me,” Ratchet whispered to Fluttershy before he transformed into his robot form, placing Fluttershy on his shoulder before he approached the Cons. As Ratchet approached the Cons they pointed their weapons towards him, but Soundwave held up a hand and they lowered them. “Well here we are, Soundwave. First and foremost, show us that Twilight is still alive and maybe I’ll consider letting this deal continue.”

Soundwave lifted a small cage with energon bars before the Autobot, revealing a girl with purple hair crouched into a ball inside. She had bruises and burn marks on her body and from the way she was shaking Fluttershy was certain that she was sobbing. Upon being lifted up the girl lifted her head, only for her eyes to widen when she spotted Fluttershy sitting on a Transformers shoulder. She shot to her feet and tried to yell something to Fluttershy, but the cage blocked out her voice.

“Satisfied?” Soundwave asked in a robotic and hollow voice.

“A Con actually keeping a prisoner alive. What is this world coming to?” Ratchet dryly retorted before he held out a hand to Soundwave. “Alright, hand her over and they I will hand over Fluttershy to you.”

“Why should I trust that you would uphold your end of the bargain? Give me the girl first and then I shall deliver Twilight to you.”

“Do I look like I was created yesterday? I know better than to trust the word of a bot that is on a team called Deceptacons,” Ratchet spat out, before glancing at the other Cons. “As for if you can trust me I am outnumbered, outgunned and it seems that you have cut off my ability to access the ground bridge. So right now, I am at your mercy.”

“Correct. You are,” Soundwave reminded Ratchet as the Con walked forward, extending the cage to Ratchet. Ratchet noticed as the Con did this that all of the other Cons weapons were pointed right at Ratchet, who slowly reached out towards the cage. To his surprise, Soundwave allowed him to grab the cage and take it from him, which Ratchet did so and lowered Twilight to his side. “Now, give us Fluttershy.”

“After you answer one quick question. Were you planning on killing me when I gave Fluttershy to you or were you planning on doing it after I had Twilight so that you kill the both of us at the same time?” Ratchet asked Soundwave, who have no answer. “Alright, second question. Why would you believe that an Autobot would ever give up his ally?”

The moment those words left his mouth a blinding flash of magical light erupted from Fluttershy, with enough brightness to blind the nearby Deceptacons. As Soundwave staggered back Ratchet transformed his left hand into a pistol and fired a blast of energon right into the chest of Soundwave. Soundwave went spiraling backwards from the shot, but as he went down the other Cons started to recover their sight.

“Hang on tight!” Ratchet roared at Fluttershy as he turned and prepared to transform into vehicle mode, but as he spun around he found five more Cons waiting for him. Ratchet snarled as he realized he was completely surrounded. With nowhere to run to, he dashed towards a human building that converted the material in the quarry into items, diving behind it for cover as the Cons began to unload with their weaponry upon him.

Ratchet gently picked Fluttershy off of his shoulder and placed her and Twilight’s cage on the ground behind the building, before he leaned out from behind the cover to fire a few shots in retaliation. When he was forced to take cover again he smashed his fist into the side of the energon cage, freeing Twilight from her prison.

“Twilight!” Fluttershy exclaimed with relief as she rushed over to her friend and pulled her into a hug. Twilight let out a small cry of pain as Fluttershy’s hug grabbed some of her burn marks and Fluttershy quickly released her. “Are you okay? I mean, I know that you don’t look okay and that you’re probably freaking out, but…”

“I’m sorry,” was all that Twilight managed to get out before she started sobbing to herself. “After you told me that you didn’t trust me, I went after the strange energy readings that I had begun to pick up. I followed you around in hopes of finding out what was going on, but I ended up captured by those purple robots. If I had just listened to you and stayed away, we wouldn’t be trapped right now.”

“It’s okay. We’re going to get out of here. Right Ratchet?” Fluttershy asked her partner. But the grim look on Ratchet’s face told Fluttershy that things were more complicated than she had wished to believe.

“They’ve got us boxed in and boxed in good,” Ratchet replied before he pressed a finger to his audio receptor, only to snarl when nothing happened. “And somehow the Cons have managed to jam both my communications and my connection to the ground bridge. At this moment we don’t have a guaranteed way out.”

“Then what are we going to do?” Twilight asked in a whisper.

Ratchet looked from the bruised and beaten girl to the girl with the pink hair, who was looking up at him with belief and determination in her eyes. And as Ratchet gazed down at his partner, he remembered all the good she had done and how much she mattered to others, including him. That was what cemented his decision.

“I will draw their fire,” Ratchet said with a note of finality in his voice. “And while I’m doing that Fluttershy, I want you to transform into your magical mode and fly Twilight out of here. Fly until you are out of range of the Deceptacon jammers and then call the base for a pickup. They should be able to ground bridge you out of here before the Cons catch up to you.”

“What…NO! I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself to save me!” Fluttershy screamed at Ratchet as more laser fire rained down from overhead. “I told you, I’m not going to let anyone else give their lives to save mine again! Especially not you! I won’t lose anyone else…I can’t…”

Fluttershy fell to her knees sobbing as she said this, gaining Ratchet’s full attention. He knelt down and gently placed a finger to the side of her head, getting her to look up at him.

“Fluttershy…while I have only known you for a short time, I consider myself lucky to have known you. You are kind, you are strong and you try to help everyone, even those that I believe do not deserve it. Your kindness and love is what this world needs in its healers…not the old fashioned and bitter one like myself. It needs someone like you, who can bring out the best in anyone…even a jaded old bot like myself. You need to survive. I don’t.”

“But…you’ll die,” she whispered with a sob.

“Hopefully through my death you will be able to live. And if I can give my life to save yours…then it has been a life worth living,” Ratchet said in a final tone as he rose to his full height, smiling down at Fluttershy. “Goodbye…partner.”

Ratchet then turned and burst out from behind cover, both of his arms now as machine guns. He fired wildly and roaring all the while, taking just enough care to aim in a Cons general direction so to terrify them with his volley of bullets. As he did this every Con focused on him, unleashing all of their energon weaponry onto him. His armored form allowed him to soak up some of the bullets, but eventually the fire penetrated his armor.

As Ratchet drew the Cons attention, Fluttershy transformed into her harmonic state. Tears of rainbows streaked down her face as she grabbed hold of Twilight’s arms, preparing to fly here away from the battlefield and from her friend. She was just about to take off when the sound of a sniper round going off tore through the sky…and tore through the gut of Ratchet. With eyes filled with horror Fluttershy watched as Ratchet slowly fell to his knees, then collapsed onto his back.

The cons began to circle around Ratchet, snarling down at him as he weakly tried to lift his arms to defend himself. Then Soundwave approached Ratchet, an energon burn on his chest, and he glared down at the bot. Then he lifted his rifle and aimed it between Ratchet’s eyes. Time slowed to a crawl as Fluttershy looked back to Twilight, who shook her head, knowing full well what Fluttershy was about to do.

“Run,” Fluttershy said. In the next moment, she was rocketing through the air towards Ratchet, who had closed his optics and was awaiting his demise. Faster than any Element had flown before Fluttershy soared towards Ratchet, landing on his chest and placing herself between Soundwave and him. Soundwave paused for just a moment, but that moment was enough for Fluttershy to send out another burst of blinding light, one that stunned the Cons once more.

“What…are you…doing?” Ratchet weakly stammered out to Fluttershy, who had gotten on her knees and was beginning to use her magic to heal Ratchet’s wound. “I…told you…to run!”

“I’m doing what I always do. I’m sticking by your side,” Fluttershy grimly responded as her magical powers began to repair the damage done to Ratchet. But her magic was working too slowly and a few moments later the Cons had recovered from the blinding attack. Fluttershy was aware that they were now all standing over her and that Soundwave was deciding how best to deal with her.

“Fluttershy…please…run…” Ratchet whispered weakly as Soundwave began to reach down for her.

“I won’t leave your side. I’m your partner, right?” Fluttershy asked Ratchet with a smile. For a moment Ratchet stared at her, then a small smile crossed his face.

“Yes…you are you stubborn girl.”

‘Unity link confirmed. Initiating combination.’

Before Fluttershy could wonder where that voice had come from Ratchet’s chest plate open up and sucked Fluttershy inside. She had just a moment to comprehend what had happened before the inside of Ratchet’s spark began to shift around her. Metal moved, tubs wound up and even Ratchet’s spark moved to a place out of her way. She then realized that a spot had been opened to her, a spot that would perfectly fit her body. Without waiting another moment, she laid down on the spot, inserting her arms and legs into small chambers that were perfectly her size.

The moment she was in position the machinery tightened around her, with the metal and tubes forming a suit of armor around her. And lastly Ratchet’s spark came to a rest upon her chest, energized by Fluttershy’s very magic. Her magic fused with the energon in Ratchet’s system and began to flood through his body, filling him with her harmonic magic

But while this was going on inside of Ratchet’s chest, there were also changes taking place on the outside as well. His four car doors had shifted to his back and formed wings similar to that of a butterfly. His weapons and armor all began to glow with a golden light. His rifle was now a triple barrel minigun and his scalpel was now a sword of blazing magical energy.

And when his face plate slammed shut over his face and his optics were filled with the power of Fluttershy’s magic, which was now pumping through his energon, he realized he was seeing the word at a slowed down rate, as all of the Cons were lifting their weapons towards him at a snail’s pace. And as he gazed down at himself in awe, both he and Fluttershy heard the voice once more.

‘Combination complete. Autobot Ratchet Harmonic Mode…online.’
> Partners (3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Partners (3)

Ratchet had to take a moment to make sure that he wasn’t having a near death hallucination. His body was now golden with pink highlights, his car doors had formed wings similar to that of a butterfly on his back, his weapons were not only recharged, but far stronger than before and his Autobot symbol had been replaced by a pink butterfly. If it wasn’t for the fact that he could feel the raw magic flowing through his energon, he would be certain he was dead.

“Fluttershy, are you alright?” he asked down at his chest, which had sucked the girl in.

“I think so. Right now I seem to be fused to your spark and my magic is flowing into you. Do you feel any different?” Fluttershy called back.

“Fluttershy, you have no idea.”

Ratchet then slow turned to face the dozen Cons, all of who had been stunned by the fusion and transformation of Ratchet and Fluttershy. But the moment Ratchet turned to face them, they broke free of their trance and leveled their weapons at the Autobot. Yet even with all of the blasters and weaponry pointed his way, Ratchet found himself smirking.

“From the way I’m feeling I could tear through all of you without breaking a sweat. But since mercy is a trait that is prized among the Autobot’s, I feel like giving you a chance,” Ratchet said sinisterly to the Cons, as a smile spread beneath his face plate. “Leave and you will all walk out of here alive. Stay and fight…and we find out just how powerful Fluttershy’s magic has made me.”

“So, the magical infusion that Ultracon spoke of was not just a fool’s errand,” Soundwave muttered to himself, unaware that with his new magical powers Ratchet could hear the Con just fine. “Actually Ratchet, I am just as curious to see this power as much as you. That is why I order…to attack!”

The Cons all let out bellows of fear and rage as they began to fire their weapons at Ratchet. Ratchet lifted an arm and braced himself for the impact, but to his amazement the magical energy that surrounded absorbed the energon bullets. What’s more, as he glanced at the ammo counter on his raised arm, he saw that Fluttershy’s magic was consuming the ammunition fired at him and adding it to Ratchet’s arsenal. That got a laugh out of the Autobot.

The Cons all ceased firing when they realized that their attacks weren’t doing anything and began to gape in awe at the completely uninjured Autobot. Ratchet slowly lowered his arm and stared down the Cons, shifting his neck slightly to stretch it before mutter, “My turn.”

In a blinding flash of golden magic Ratchet was on the first Con, who barely had enough time to register what had happened before Ratchet’s energy sword slashed across him three times. The Con howled in pain as both of his arms and one of his legs fell from his body, before he collapsed to his back in a writhing mass of metal and pain.

Ratchet spun towards the next Con and plunged the sword straight through his spark, lifting him off of the ground before Ratchet ripped the blade back and cleaved the Con in two. Before either of the halves hit the ground Ratchet was on the third Con, kicking him in the head with such force that his skull was torn from his body and sent flying like a soccer ball.

“HAHAHA! I haven’t felt this good since I discovered that energon booster!” Ratchet laughed with mirth before the barrels of his minigun began to spin. The Cons realized what was about to happen a second too late and in the next second energon bullets erupted from the end of Ratchet’s barrels, ripping apart the Cons until they were nothing more than a pile of scrap metal and energon.

“Soundwave, what do we do?! He’s killing us!” one of the Cons called back to Soundwave, who had been smart enough to keep his distance, before the Con was completely ripped apart by Ratchet’s minigun.

“Yes, it seems he is,” Soundwave noted as the last of the Deceptacons fell to Ratchet’s minigun fire. Ratchet’s now crimson orange barrels rotated to a halt, ending the rain of bullets that had ripped apart a dozen Deceptacons. Ratchet then slowly turned his head to face Soundwave, whose face was unreadable beneath the plate on his face.

“That a good enough demonstration for you?” Ratchet asked Soundwave as he slowly walked towards the Con, who lifted his arm and began to enter coordinates for his own ground bridge. “What’s that? You going to run back to base with your tail between your legs? Well here’s an update for you, you don’t have a base anymore. By now Optimus will have turned the whole place inside out and taken down your leader while freeing the girls. You have nowhere else to run, Con.”

“So you say,” Soundwave replied as he opened a ground bridge behind him. Before he could take a step towards it Ratchet’s gun was pointed right at Soundwave’s chest, halting the Cons escape.

“Where do you think you’re going? Even if you have somewhere else to run to, you’re not getting away from me,” Ratchet informed Soundwave in a near whisper. “You’re coming back with me to the Autobot base, where we can finally be rid of you once and for all. Now all that remains is the question of will you come quietly or will I have to-“

A metallic shriek tore apart Ratchet’s sentence and a moment later a metal bird slammed into the side of Ratchet’s gun, knocking it to the side and away from Soundwave. The second the gun was no longer pointed towards him Soundwave let his metal tendrils fly towards Ratchet. Yet even though his gun had been knocked away Ratchet still had his blade, which he used to cleave through tendrils before they could reach him.

Soundwave turned and ran to the ground bridge, with Ratchet chasing after him. Thanks to Fluttershy’s magic he was far faster than Soundwave and was upon him in second. Ratchet raised his blade and prepared to drive it through the back of Soundwave, but once more Laserbeak intercepted Ratchet, firing a laser into the side of his arm and knocking his weapon to the side.

“Laserbeak, return,” Soundwave instructed, before he looked to see that Ratchet had already grabbed his sword and was lunging right towards Soundwave. For a brief moment Soundwave realized what was about to happen, before the blade came slicing down towards him...only for it to be intercepted a moment later by a metal bird. “Laserbeak, NO!”

“So I see there is some loyalty among the Decepticons. He died for you,” Ratchet said to Soundwave as the ground bridge closed around the Con, before he glanced down at the sliced in half metal bird that was barely twitching. “But know that the next time we meet, I’ll do the same to you.”

Soundwave let out one last wail before the ground bridge swallowed him, leaving Ratchet alone next to a dozen Deceptacon corpses. With the battle finally over he let out a sigh, before opening his chest compartment to allow Fluttershy to get out. His spark chamber shifted around to free the girl, who stumbled forward and would have fallen straight to the ground had Ratchet not extended a hand to catch her.

“You alright?” he asked her as she panted heavily.

“Feel like I just ran ten marathons with no breaks,” Fluttershy wheezed out, sweat pouring down her body which shook with fatigue. “I’ve never held my magical form for so long or used it to power someone as large as yourself. I think I’m going to sleep for the next twelve days.”

“After what we just went through I would say that you earned it,” Ratchet said with a smile before he glanced over at himself. His body was back to its regular forms, his Autobot symbol was back on his chest and his weapons had gone back to their regular, and far less powerful, forms.

“Hey Ratchet?”

“Yes Fluttershy?”

“Did you know we could do that? Combine? Is that why you’ve been keeping me around?” Fluttershy wheezed out.

“I had no idea that I could combine with a human. It is rare enough for Transformers to be able to fuse with one another, but I have no recollection of any time in the endless history of Cybertron of a Transformer fusing with a living organism,” Ratchet explained to Shy, who let a smile cross her face at that information.

“So then, I guess that makes the two of us pretty special, huh?”

“I suppose that yes, this would make us special.”

“So why do you think we combined? Is it simply because your spark reacted to my magic? Or maybe,” Fluttershy began before giving Ratchet a tired smile. “It’s because it sensed how much we cared about one another? After all, it only happened after you finally said I was your partner and showed just how much you care.”

“Are you suggesting that we achieved a new form of power that has never been seen in history of Cybertron simply because I admitted that you annoy me less than the other humans that I’ve met?” Ratchet asked with a raised eyebrow to Fluttershy.

“That is exactly what I’m saying.”

“Well, there may be some truth to your words. When we get back to base perhaps we can study this new form more,” Ratchet said as he pressed a hand to his audio receptors. “Ratchet to Autobot base, does anyone read me?”

“There you are Ratchet. We’ve been worried sick about you,” the voice of Red Alert said over the communications. “You ran off on your own, then your coms went down and we couldn’t even open a ground bridge to retrieve you. What have you been up to?”

“It’s a long story and one that I will have to tell in person or else you will not believe me,” Ratchet replied. “How goes Prime’s assault against the Deceptacon base?”

“It seems to be wrapping up. The Cons fought hard at first, but once Prime and his team got close to where the girls were being held, they just seemed to…give up and leave. Actually, it wasn’t that long before you called me.”

“I don’t like that,” Fluttershy said to Ratchet as she sat up in his hand. Ratchet had to agree with her.

“It won’t be long until Optimus and the others return. They have Sunset and Rainbow Dash and are fighting their way through the remainder of the Cons,” Red Alert continued. “Do you need a ground bridge back to base or are you driving?”

“We will be needing that bridge,” Ratchet agreed.

“Alright. Give me just a moment and I’ll have it for you.”

“So the Cons abandon their base a few moments after Soundwave retreats. I don’t like that,” Fluttershy muttered.

“And you heard him mention how Ultricon’s idea wasn’t a fool’s errand after he saw us combine? Maybe that is what he and the Cons were trying to do with your friend’s magic. Use them to create the form that we achieved,” Ratchet added on. Then the ground bridge opened up, telling them that it was time to return to base. “Come on, let’s grab Twilight and return to base. I have a feeling Optimus is going to want to hear all about this.”
> Reunited
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reunited

The ground bridge closed behind Ratchet as he walked into the Autobot base with Fluttershy still sitting on his hand while Twilight rested on his shoulder. Autobots were everywhere, with most of them celebrating their victory against the Deceptacons while a few were tending to the wounds that they had suffered during the battle. Ratchet spotted Optimus standing over a table off to the side, a table with three human girls on it instead of the one that they had left in the base.

One of the girls had crimson hair with yellow streaks in it while the other girl’s hair was every color of the rainbow. Both of them were sitting down with blankets over them, while Pinkie sat between them and seemed to be comforting them to the best of her ability. Optimus spied Ratchet and Fluttershy and walked over to them, a stern look on his face that told the pair that he wanted answers.

“Ratchet, Red Alert has informed me that you went off with Fluttershy during our attack of the Deceptacon base,” Optimus told Ratchet, who nodded to show that this was true. “What was so important that you not only left during a battle where I needed you at you post, but also took Fluttershy with you into, judging by the damage to your armor, a battle with the Cons.”

“She would be the reason, Optimus,” Ratchet said before he indicated to the sleeping Twilight on his shoulder, getting Optimus’s eyes to narrow.

“Explain.”

“After I told Fluttershy to get Twilight off of our trail, Twilight seemed to take it as a challenge. She invented a device to track us,” Ratchet explained and Optimus sighed. “Her device worked and lead her straight to a Transformer. Unfortunately, it led her to a Con instead of an Autobot. They captured her and then Soundwave contacted us to offer a trade.”

“Twilight for Fluttershy. And you went along with this trade?” Optimus asked.

“Fluttershy would have gone regardless of what I said or did. So I decided to go with her so that she didn’t have to face Soundwave and his Cons alone,” Ratchet said with a shrug of his shoulders, waking up Twilight as he did so. Optimus shook his head at Ratchet’s explanation before he glanced down at Fluttershy.

“I thought you were supposed to be the least problematic of your friends,” he told her.

“No, I’m the most reserved and quiet of my friends. I can be very problematic if I set my mind to it,” Fluttershy corrected for him with an innocent smile.

“I shall remember that,” Optimus noted before he turned his gaze to Twilight, who was staring back at him with amazement written all over her face. He then glanced at the bruises and burns along her body and he felt anger surge through his spark. “Hello Twilight Sparkle. I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobot’s. I will talk to you more about us later, but for right now would you mind waiting with your friends while I speak with Ratchet?”

“Um…sure,” she squeaked.

Ratchet caught the hint and walked Fluttershy and Twilight over to the table where the other girls were, gently reaching up so that Twilight could walk onto his free hand. He lowered that hand to the table and she stepped off, but when he tried to do the same for Fluttershy the girl refused to move.

“Whatever he has to say to you he can say to me. We’re partners now,” she said in a defiant, but still exhausted, tone. Ratchet smirked and knew he wouldn’t be able to change her mind, so with another shrug of his shoulders he walked back over to Prime.

“Fluttershy, I wish to speak to Ratchet alone,” Optimus repeated.

“Trust me Prime, I know her better than any bot and I know that once she sets her mind to something, she isn’t budging,” Ratchet explained and Fluttershy nodded to show he was right. “Besides, you’ll want her view on what happened as well.”

“Very well, Ratchet. How did you and Fluttershy not only manage to fend off, but destroy, over twelve Deceptacons and send Soundwave running?” Optimus asked.

“At first it went as badly as you would think. I had deposited Fluttershy and Twilight behind a building for cover and told Fluttershy to fly her friend out of there,” Ratchet recounted. “Then I went to engage the Cons, hoping to buy time for the girls to escape. I didn’t last long. Soundwave sent a bullet right bellow my spark.”

“And yet aside from some damage to your outer armor I do not see a scratch on you,” Optimus muttered.

“Getting to that. So I took a sniper round and went down hard. I figured that was it for me. They had jammed comms, jammed our ground bridge and I was severely outnumbered. I honestly thought I was going to die.”

“That’s when I showed up. I watched Ratchet go down and couldn’t just sit by and watch as he died. So I activated my magic and flew over to him, stopping Soundwave from shooting him,” Fluttershy picked up for Ratchet. “He didn’t dare shoot because he might hit me and I took that moment to try to heal Ratchet’s wound. Unfortunately, my magic wasn’t strong enough. I told him how sorry I was and that I was glad to be his partner. And he said that he was happy to be mine as well, right as Soundwave reached for me.”

“And then?”

“Then…we combined,” Ratchet told Prime, whose face didn’t change at the reveal. “Fluttershy was assimilated into my spark and her magical power became a part of me. My wounds were healed, my weapons became stronger and I felt like a brand-new bot. And with our powers combined, we made short work of the Deceptacons and sent Soundwave into a retreat. I even destroyed Laserbeak, much to Soundwave’s agony.”

“A fusion between human and Transformer. It does not seem possible,” Optimus muttered as he placed a hand to his chin.

“I wouldn’t believe it either had I not been there. But it happened, Optimus. That is how we not only managed to escape, but turn the tables on Soundwave,” Ratchet explained. Optimus then glanced down at Fluttershy and she nodded her head to confirm his story, causing Optimus to narrow his optics.

“I still find it hard to believe, but if your story is true then it might explain what the Deceptacons wanted with the girls. To use their magic to achieve a form similar to the one that you and Fluttershy achieved,” Optimus pieced together.

“That’s exactly what we thought, especially after Soundwave said that Ultricon had a similar idea to what we did,” Fluttershy added.

“I see. But if the girls are capable of granting bots such power, then why did the Cons not fight harder to protect Rainbow and Sunset? And why was Ultricon not there at all?” Optimus pondered aloud.

“Ultricon wasn’t there?”

“No, only large number of Deceptacon and even they fled for their lives after a while. After everything the Cons did to trap the girls, it does not sit well with me that they would give them up with so little a fight,” Optimus muttered to himself as glanced over at where Rainbow and Sunset were. “Fluttershy, you should probably check up on your friends. They have been through a terrible ordeal and could use your support. Ratchet, we have numerous injured bots that need your care. Please help them.”

“Of course, Optimus.”

“I need to think about what happened today and see if I can discern the Cons next move. I feel like they are up to something and I must know what,” Optimus said as he turned to leave, before glancing over his shoulder at Ratchet and Fluttershy. “But at least now I understand why the Cons couldn’t get the magic from your friends. Because the combination is dependent on trust. That is why you managed to achieve it first.”

Optimus walked off to think by himself after saying his peace, leaving Ratchet and Fluttershy alone. With the wounded Autobot’s needing his help, Ratchet dropped Fluttershy off at the table where her friends were before he headed over to the operating station. Fluttershy walked over to where her friends were gathered, only to stop in horror when she saw the state Rainbow and Sunset were in.

Both girls were bruised and burned similar to the way that Twilight had been, but their injuries seemed far worse than hers. Pinkie was trying to cheer the both of them up with jokes and smiles, but their eyes were cold and filled with pain. Fluttershy tried to think of something to say to comfort her friends, but she found herself unable to think of anything and was saved from having to speak when Twilight walked over to her.

“So…this was the secret that you were keeping from me, huh?” Twilight asked as she looked around the room at all of the giant robots doing their own thing. “Okay, I can see why you would want to keep this from me. Even if you did tell me I’m not sure that I would have believed you.”

“If I didn’t drive around in one of them every day I probably wouldn’t believe me either,” Fluttershy agreed before awkwardly lowering her head. “I’m sorry about the mean things I said to get you to stop following me. I know it won’t make you feel better, but I was trying to keep you safe. But maybe it would have been a better idea to tell you the truth to begin with.”

“And I’m sorry that you and…Ratchet nearly got killed trying to save me,” Twilight bitterly admitted, before she pulled out a small device that was blinking like crazy. “This is what I used to hunt down the Transformers. I got my first reading from your ambulance, but since you had told me to stay away I didn’t approach. The second came from Pinkie’s semi, but that one intimidated me way too much to approach.”

“Even as a vehicle Optimus can be pretty intimidating.”

“Finally I found a third one, a purple car that was following around Applejack. I chased after it hoping to learn who was driving it, only for it to transform and capture me. He brought me to Soundwave, who conducted a few…experiments on me,” Twilight whispered with a shiver. “Once he found out I wasn’t magic though, he decided to use me as bait. For you and Ratchet. You know what happened next.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through all of that,” Fluttershy apologized.

“I’m sorry for what I put you and Ratchet through. I should have listened to you and just left it well alone,” Twilight apologized as well, before giving Fluttershy a meek smile. “Still friends?”

“Of course.” The two hugged for a moment, before Twilight noticed Fluttershy’s hair. “Huh, when’d you start wearing your hair like that?”

“When I decided to stop sitting on the sidelines.”

The sound of the ground bridge opening ended their conversation and the two turned their heads to see two more Autobot’s drive into the base. One looked like a Volkswagen Beetle, except painted in the Autobot colors. The other was a jeep that was the color of sand. The two came a halt and opened their doors, allowing Rarity and Applejack to step into the Autobot base.

“Whooee, you weren’t kidding when ya said there were a lot of ya,” Applejack muttered as she looked around at all of the Autobot’s. The two vehicles transformed into their robot modes and extended hands to the two girls, who stepped onto them and were quickly brought to the table where the rest of their friends were.

“Would someone mind telling me what’s going on?” Rarity asked as she looked around in confusion. “I only recently learned about the giant robot stalking me yesterday and now I’m in an underground base filled with them. This is not normal, even by our standards.”

“All shall be explained soon, Rarity,” Optimus said as he walked over to the table, getting AJ and Rarity to gawk as they stared up at the last Prime. “For too long now most of you have been kept unaware to what has been going on and why it is happening. But that can no longer be the case. The floor is open to you girls. I shall answer any questions that you have.”
> Reunited (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reunited (2)

Applejack and Twilight were the most curious out of the girls, so they were the ones that asked most of the questions. The questions started off similar to the ones that Fluttershy had asked when she first learned of the Transformers, such as where did they come from, who were they and how could they transformer from giant robots into vehicles. Fluttershy paid some attention at first, but as the questions got repetitive she turned her attention to her friends.

Sunset and Rainbow were barely listening to what was going on and mostly just sat in place while staring off into the distance. Fluttershy couldn’t begin to imagine what they had gone through and knew that the emotional scars would be far worse than the physical ones.

‘But the physical scars will still be bad as well,’ Shy thought to herself as she looked at the marks on the girl’s bodies, shuddering at the thought of what Soundwave must have put them through. Then she glanced down at her hands, hands which then began to flow with the power of her magic. ‘But if I can heal giant, alien robots with my magic, then who’s to say that I can’t do the same for my friends?’

Fluttershy then knelt down next to Rainbow Dash and placed her hands upon her friends back, channeling the power of her magic into her friend. Rainbow began to glow with a yellow light and, almost immediately, her wounds began to fade away under the power of Fluttershy’s magic.

“What are you doing?” Rainbow asked Fluttershy in a voice devoid of emotion.

“Healing you with my magic,” Fluttershy muttered in reply, not wishing to interrupt Optimus.

“Since when can you do that?”

“Since the Autobot’s needed me to. Though once I found out I could heal with my magic, I’ve been practicing it in secret at home,” Fluttershy added. Within a few minutes all of the burn marks and scars that had covered Rainbow Dash were nothing more than memories. Fluttershy did a quick glance over to make sure that she hadn’t missed any before she turned her attention to Sunset.

Sunset said nothing as Fluttershy healed her injuries, allowing Fluttershy to listen in once more to Optimus’s conversation with the girls.

“Indeed Twilight, we are a fusion of machinery and living material.”

“But you don’t have organs or anything like that? The metal isn’t just your outer shell that protects your organic parts?” Twilight questioned back.

“We do have…parts of us that are less machine than our bodies, but aside from our spark, which is similar to your human heart, we do not have organ like a human does,” Optimus clarified for her.

“Then what about your ability to transform? Because from what I’ve gathered you can change into any vehicle, but right now your body looks like that of a semi-truck,” Twilight asked. “Does that mean that you can only shape shift into other large earth vehicles or could you be a helicopter if you wished?”

“Certain Transformers have the ability to switch back and forth between air and ground vehicles, but most of the time we find a vehicle we like a stick with it. I could become a helicopter, but I would be a very clumsy and heavy one. I prefer to stay on the ground,” Optimus said.

Fluttershy pulled herself out of the conversation to glance down at Sunset, whose wounds had all healed up. Sunset flashed Fluttershy a grateful smile over her shoulder, but a moment later her emotionless face took hold once more. Figuring that there was nothing more Shy could do for her friend at the moment, she took on her harmonic form and, after waving to Optimus, flew over to where Ratchet was hard at work repairing the Autobot’s damaged in the fight.

“How’s it going over there?” Ratchet asked Fluttershy without looking up from the bot whose arm he was setting back in place.

“Optimus is giving an explanation of your home world to my friends. Twilight and Applejack seem to be really interested in it. Rarity just looks confused. The others…aren’t listening,” Fluttershy sighed as she landed on his shoulder.

“How are Rainbow Dash and Sunset? They’ve been through a lot for two girls of their age,” Ratchet asked. 

“Not well. I healed their physical injuries, but there’s a whole other layer of trauma that even my magic can’t fix,” Fluttershy said bitterly as her fists clenched. “I wish I could do more to help them.”

“Don’t we all? By the way, Optimus will most likely want to see our combined form later today,” Ratchet warned Fluttershy in advance.

“I’m not surprised. But can we even do it again or was it a one-time thing?”

“I guess we’ll find out when we try it again,” Ratchet chuckled, before his face took on a serious look. “But what Optimus says about the battle still concerns me.”

“About Ultricon not being there.”

“Kind of. Maybe he’s a coward and doesn’t like to fight in battle, I wouldn’t know. No, what bothers me is what he said about how easily the Cons let us get our hands on your friends. Optimus is right in saying that the Cons should have fought us to the bitter end to protect them, but instead they retreated not long after Optimus and the others broke into their base.”

“Maybe they got smart and realized that fighting Optimus was a poor life choice.”

“Cons and smart rarely go in the same sentence, unless we’re talking about Soundwave or Ultricon,” Ratchet said with a smirk. “No, regular Cons are the type that follow orders and throw their bodies at us until we break. They wouldn’t abandon the base or the girls unless they were ordered to do so.”

“So Ultricon ordered his Deceptacons, who were guarding my friends, to retreat and allowed us to recover them? Why?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well if I knew the answer to that I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you, would I? I’d be with Optimus and wed be discussing how to counter whatever it is that the Cons have planned,” Ratchet replied sarcastically and Fluttershy rolled her eyes at him with a smile. “But since you’re here, why don’t you check up on Curbcheck. He could use the company. Mostly because when he gets bored he annoys me.”

As he said this a wrench sailed by Ratchet’s head, getting the doctor to let out a string of curses at his bed ridden patient. Fluttershy giggle to herself before she spread her wings once more and flew over to the table where Curbcheck was resting. A quick glance over him showed that his outer body had been completely repaired, but the light in his eyes was weak and he seemed to struggle to move. She floated down onto his chest and he smiled down at her.

“Well look who it is, the guardian angel of the Autobots,” Curbcheck said mockingly, but the smile on his face was genuine and Fluttershy could tell that he was happy to see her.

“Is that what they’re calling me when I’m not around?” Fluttershy asked as she sat down and crossed her legs.

“Only those of us that have had the privilege of being saved by you. Not to mention when you summon those wings of your along with that bright light, you pretty much look the part,” Curbcheck said with a laugh before he began to cough. “Sorry, still recovering from what Soundwave did to me. I’ll pay him back for this one day.”

“You’re still not healed?” Fluttershy asked in concern. “But I thought that Ratchet said my magic had healed you?”

“Hey, I would be in the scrapheap right now if you hadn’t done what you did. You saved my life and healed my up to the point that I can actually move around and talk. According to Ratchet, that’s a miracle considering the damage done to me,” Curbcheck laughed. “So what if I might never get the chance to fight again or have trouble walking. You saved my life. That’s all I need to know. Though if you are able to fix me completely, I wouldn’t be against it.”

Fluttershy smiled as Curbcheck let out another laugh, but inside she was wondering herself if she might be able to heal him further. Her skills with her magic had only grown with each passing day and now she could not only form her magical blades, but extend or shorten them at will. Not to mention that her healing magic was far stronger than it had been when he had first tried it, so perhaps it wasn’t beyond her to completely heal Curbcheck.

“I’ll check in with Ratchet and see what he wants me to do,” Fluttershy said after a moment of thinking it over. “At the moment I don’t know if my magic will be able to heal you any further than it has, but with some more practice I’m certain that I have you back in fighting shape in no time.”

“Your concern is appreciated. But take as long as you like. I kinda like the doc having to listen to every one of my little demands, since I’m his patient and all,” Curbcheck said before glancing over at Ratchet. “Hey doc, how about an armor polishing? Since I’m wounded and everything?”

“Get scrapped.”

“See? Looks how he cares for his patients?”

Both Fluttershy and Curbcheck laughed at the joke before Curbcheck closed his optics and began to rest once more. Not wishing to disturb him Fluttershy rose to her feet and spread her wings, planning on flying back over to her friends. But then she remembered another patient, one that she hadn’t had the chance to speak to yet. So she adjusted her course and flew over to the holding cells, where the two Deceptacon prisoners were being held.

She landed in front of the cell of the Con who had been shot through the chest by an Autobot sniper, finding him sitting up in his cell with his arms on his knees. The hole where the round had torn through his armor was still visible, but aside from that he didn’t seem damaged that badly. As Fluttershy approached the energy shielding he slightly lifted his head and she knew he was looking at her.

“Hi. How are you feeling?” she asked the Con, who gave no reply. “Well, considering that you’re moving around and haven’t died on us, I guess Ratchet fixed you up?”

Once more the Con gave no reply. Fluttershy had no idea what the Con was thinking, since his eyes were covered by a red visor and he had a metallic face plate covering his mouth, but for a moment she thought that his gaze seemed…questioning.

“Well I’m glad to see that you’re feeling alright. Just wanted to check up on you.” Fluttershy spread her wings and took off towards her friends once more, leaving the Con to watch her go.

‘Freaking bleeding spark. She’ll regret being so kind when we break out of here,” the Con that Pinkie had “interrogated” muttered to the other prisoner. But, just as he had done for Shy, the Con said nothing in reply.
> Fowler
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fowler

Optimus gathered up the seven girls once more, after having sent away the Autobot’s who had been speaking with the girls, so that he could talk to them in private. As the six stood around and waited for Optimus to speak to them, Fluttershy chanced a glance at her friends, a small smile crossing her face when she saw that they were all still in awe of Prime, aside from Pinkie, who was busy trying to cut out an Optimus shaped party hat.

“Alright girls, I have told you of our past and I have spoken about the present. Now it is time that we discuss the future,” Optimus told the seven, who all turned their eyes up to look at Optimus. “As of right now, the Deceptacons seem to have been scattered and pushed back. However, it would foolish to assume that we have defeated them. They would not have come all the way back to Earth only to give up so easily. They will return, the only question is when.”

“What do you have in mind, Optimus?” Pinkie asked Optimus, who was too busy taking in the Optimus party hat that she was wearing to answer.

“Until the Deceptacon threat has been dealt with, for the time being it would be safer if the seven of you stayed with us here in the base,” Optimus told the seven, waiting for the objection that never came. “The Cons have made it clear that they will attack you wherever you are and even if you have an Autobot escorting you. We cannot leave you out in the open. Here is the only place that you will be safe.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with you,” Applejack said. “The Cons came after me near mah home. While I don’t like being away from mah family, I like the idea of them being caught by a Deceptacon even less, especially if they get hurt because of me.”

“I second that. I don’t want to put my family at risk,” Fluttershy agreed, before another thought came to her. “But Optimus, what’s to stop the Cons from kidnapping members of our family and using them to draw us out, similar to what they did with Twilight? Shouldn’t we warn our families before the Cons go after them?”

“An excellent idea Fluttershy and one that I have already taken the liberty of executing,” Optimus told her. “When it became clear how the Cons were perfectly willing to target others to get to you, I called in an old human ally of mine who has connections in the government. As we speak, he is moving all of your families to someplace where the Cons will not get them for the time being. He has also informed your families that you have been recovered, Sunset and Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash and Sunset nodded to show that they had heard Prime, but that was all they did. “So is this ally of yours in the government one of the humans that Ratchet couldn’t tell me about?” Fluttershy asked Prime.

“Yes, but in light of recent events the time for secrecy has passed. The human that is our ally is named-“

“PRIME!”

The shout caught the seven girls off guard and they leapt as if a gunshot had gone off. Their heads then all snapped towards where the yell had come from, bringing to their attention a single man who stood on a balcony overlooking the base. He was too far away to make out any details, but Fluttershy could see that he wore a suit, had dark skin and had white hair.

“Oh here we go,” Fluttershy heard Ratchet mutter from over at the operating tables.

“Hello Agent Fowler. We were just speaking about you,” Optimus greeted the human, while extending his hand towards the agent. “I am surprised to see you here, though, with everything that has been going on.”

“Didn’t you know, Prime? Speak my name and I shall appear,” Fowler snapped back at Prime and instantly Fluttershy felt like she wasn’t going to get along with this guy. Optimus brought the man over to where the girls were and set him down on the table next to them. Upon closer inspection, Fluttershy saw that her initial thoughts about the man had been correct, but that she had missed out on the fact that he had a bit of a gut on him as well. But his eyes were fierce and determined, similar to hers but without the kindness that she held as well.

“So these are the seven girls that have brought the Cons back to Earth?” Fowler asked Optimus as he looked the girls over. Each of them looked away from the agent as his eyes scanned over them, except for Fluttershy, who returned his glare with a patient look. “They hardly seem worth all the trouble the Cons have gone through.”

“Believe me Fowler, much like us there is more to these girls than meets the eye,” Optimus warned Fowler, who had known Prime long enough to take his warning to heart. Fowler scanned over the seven once more before his eyes came to a stop on Fluttershy.

“So you’re the girl that I heard about in all of Prime’s reports. The human medic that has not only fought alongside the Transformers, but has also saved their lives on numerous occasions?” Fowler asked Fluttershy.

“Fight is a strong word. I have aided them when they’ve gone into battle and patched them up, but I’m not a fighter,” Fluttershy said humbly with a shake of her head.

“Could have fooled me. I read everything about what you’ve gone through. Only someone with a fighter’s heart could have not only survived what you went through, but come out stronger,” Fowler told Fluttershy, who raised an eyebrow in response to his words. “Yeah, you’ve built quite a name for yourself among the Autobot’s. Guess that’s why the Cons are trying so hard to get their claws on you.”

“Agent Fowler, we have more important matters to discuss than Fluttershy’s warrior spirit. Have you ensured the safety of the families of the seven girls?” Optimus asked Agent Fowler.

“Done and done, Prime. We moved our men to their homes about an hour ago. There, we explained to them what was going on without exposing your identities,” Fowler explained. “As far as they know, there’s something dangerous going down and we’re there for their safety. I also told them that we were holding the seven of you somewhere else safe. Most of them seemed to buy it, but Twilight’s family still seemed skeptical. Of course, I was lying through my teeth about all of you being safe until I got the call from Prime saying he had retrieved Sunset and Rainbow Dash.”

“Thank you for doing that. As you can see, our operation against the Deceptacons was successful and we managed to retrieve the two missing girls,” Optimus said with a nod to Rainbow and Sunset, both of who barely moved at the mention of their names. Fowler noticed the way the pair were behaving and let out a small sigh before flashing them a sympathetic look.

“Being held by the Cons is hell, isn’t it?” Fowler asked the girls before he walked over to the pair of them, placing his hands on their shoulders and looking the pair in the eyes. “When the Autobots were first on Earth I got captured by a Con named Starscream. He had me tortured for information about the Autobot base. I barely made it through that. So if either of you needs anyone to talk to who gets what you’re going through, free feel to contact me.”

The girls flashed Fowler a quick and grateful smile for his words, but a moment later their pained faces returned. Fowler shook his head sadly at their reaction before he turned back to Prime with a fury in his eyes. “We’re going to make the Cons pay for this, Prime. I promise you that.”

“In time, Agent Fowler, in time. But there has been one more update that has occurred since I last spoke with you,” Optimus informed Fowler, who raised an eyebrow in interest. “Soundwave lured out Fluttershy and Ratchet in an effort to capture her. Yet during Ratchet’s battle with Soundwave, Fluttershy and him did something I did not believe possible. They combined.”

“I’m sorry Prime, I must still have some bullshit stuck in my ears from dealing with politicians all day. Did you just say that a sixteen-year-old girl and an alien robot combined?”

“Seventeen, actually.”

“My reaction was similar to yours, but I assure you the both of them are telling the truth. But perhaps we should have them demonstrate,” Optimus said before he motioned for Ratchet to join them. Ratchet handed off what he was doing to Redheart and Red Alert before he walked over to Prime, smirking down at Fowler when he saw him.

“Well look who it is. Still being a pain in the backside of everyone you’re working with?” Ratchet asked Fowler.

“Of course I am. You still being a crusty old bot that nobody wants to hang around with?” Fowler smirked in reply.

“Actually, I’ve found a human that can actually tolerate my presence. You’ve already met Fluttershy,” Ratchet said with a nod to Shy. “So Optimus, what did you need me for?”

“Would you and Fluttershy please combine once more so that Fowler and I may observe the process. We are both curious to see this fusion you have told us about.”

“Very well, but if we can’t do it this time that will mean it only works when we’re in danger,” Ratchet told Prime, who nodded to show he understood. “Ready, Fluttershy?”

“I guess,” Fluttershy muttered before she activated her harmonic form, growing wings and ears while a magical aura surrounded her.

“An actual real life magical girl. And I thought giant robots was the craziest thing I had ever seen,” Fowler muttered with interest as he gazed over Fluttershy’s magical form. “And this is what you used to take on the Cons. You sure you’re not a fighter?”

“I prefer to be the team medic,” Fluttershy replied before she flew up to Ratchet, coming to a halt right in front of his chest. “Ready partner?”

“Let’s do this, partner.”

Ratchet then opened his chest and a beam of light connected from his spark to Fluttershy, who was then drawn into the Autobot’s chest. Before his chest plate closed around her both Optimus and the humans could see the spark chamber shifting so that it could fit the human girl. Then Ratchet’s chest plate slammed shut and his body began to transform. His paint went from white and red to yellow and pink, his car doors formed wings on the back of his body, which were then made to look like butterfly wings thanks to the magical aura and when he summoned his weapons Optimus saw they were far superior to anything Ratchet had carried.

“So this is the power of your combination,” Optimus muttered to himself as he gazed upon Ratchet and Fluttershy’s fusion.

“Yeah, I can feel the difference in power all the way down here,” Fowler admitted with a whistle. “This is good news for us, though. Can you imagine if the Cons had found a way to access this kind of form with Sunset and Rainbow Dash? We might have been in trouble.”

“I know the Deceptacons Fowler and I know they will not give up on this goal so easily. I just wish I could determine what their next move would be,” Optimus muttered. Ratchet’s form then ceased and a moment later his chest plate opened, allowing Fluttershy to walk out with sweat dripping down her face.

“The only problem with the combination is that it quickly drains Fluttershy of her power,” Ratchet told Optimus while holding out a hand for Shy, who stumbled onto it. “So we can’t access this form all the time. Only as a last resort.”

“I see. Fluttershy, how did you first feel after fusing with Ratchet. Were you exhausted? On the brink of collapse.”

“Optimus, we had driven Soundwave off, saved a friend of mine and tapped into a power that came from me and Ratchet being on the same page. To be perfectly honest…I was feeling great.”
> Fowler (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fowler (2)

“It is no use. We cannot seem to match the way Fluttershy and Ratchet achieved their combination,” Prime finally admitted after spending thirty minutes trying to combine with Pinkie. Of course, Pinkie had only been trying for about fifteen minutes before she had gotten bored and just lay on Optimus’s shoulder, drawing images onto his armor.

“That is odd, Optimus. You have done everything exactly the way Fluttershy and I achieved our combined form,” Ratchet added from the side, as he had been making slight adjustments to Optimus’s stance or form when it was off. “And I am certain that you and Pinkie are just as close as Fluttershy and I.”

“There I feel I must disagree with you, old friend,” Optimus said with a shake of his head. “While Pinkie and I may be bestest friends forever, we have not gone through and overcome all of the trials together that you and Fluttershy have. From fighting with each other to fighting together with each other, the two of you have done much to strengthen your bond. Perhaps that is what my combination with Pinkie is lacking.”

“So what I’m hearing is that Optimus and I need to go take on the entire Deceptacon army by ourselves!” Pinkie exclaimed with excitement as she hoped to her feet and started air boxing. “Put me in Prime, I can take them. Those Cons will have no idea what to think when they’re up against me.”

“Well, she’s right about that,” Ratchet replied with a smirk.

“No Pinkie, I will not be bringing you to the front lines,” Optimus said in a serious tone, which actually managed to get Pinkie to stop being silly. “I do not want to put the lives of you or your friends in harm’s way because of our war. I am already against Ratchet and Fluttershy fusing together to fight unless it is a last resort.”

“Aw come on, Optimus, we never get to do anything fun anymore,” Pinkie huffed as she crossed her arms and sat down. “On our way here we had all sorts of fun, but now it’s all work work work with you and I’m just thrown off onto the sidelines to be forgotten.”

“Pinkie, you know that is not true,” Optimus replied to Pinkie, who avoided looking him in the eyes. “I am doing everything in my power to ensure the safety of you and your friends so that you will have many more party nights for the years to come.”

“She may have a point, Optimus,” Ratchet added on, getting both the human and the Autobot to look over at him. “You ask why your combination may be working and this might be it. Yes, Fluttershy and I may have overcome many trials together, but we also spent plenty of time hanging out and getting on each-other’s nerves. You’ve never been mad at Fluttershy until you’ve had to scrape baby bird poop off of your stuff.”

“Can confirm. Hate it when her animals mess up my room,” Pinkie agreed.

“What are you suggesting, Ratchet?” Optimus asked Ratchet.

“I’m saying that you and Pinkie should go hang out. Have some fun and learn some more about each other,” Ratchet said plain as day. “After all, Fluttershy and I had to learn to put up with the other for us to combine. Give that a try and see if anything changes. You won’t know until you try it.”

“I shall…take your advice under consideration.”

“That’s his way of saying no.”

“That is not true, Pinkie. There are just far more pressing concerns at the moment,” Optimus corrected, only for his words to get Pinkie to stick her tongue out at him. “I am concerned about the Deceptacons and what their next move may be. We did not encounter Ultracon at the Deceptacon base and Soundwave was with you. Neither of the most dangerous Deceptacons were protecting the girls that they had fought so hard to captured. That doesn’t sit well with me.”

“And Soundwave seemed more interested than afraid when Fluttershy and I managed to pull off our combined form,” Ratchet added on, getting Optimus to place a hand under his chin as he began to think. “Perhaps that is where Ultracon was, Prime. He was trying to figure out a way to combine the girls magic with his own spark to make himself that much stronger. And he realized that since he couldn’t do it by force, there was no point holding onto them for the time being.”

“An interesting theory, but sadly one we can neither confirm nor deny until Ultracon makes his next move,” Optimus said with a shake of his head. He then glanced over to where Rainbow and Sunset were talking to Fowler, while Fluttershy sat close by and seemed to be waiting. “Very well Ratchet, I shall listen to your advice. Pinkie and I will go into town and bond with one another.”

“Really?! You really mean that Optimus?!” Pinkie exclaimed happily, setting off her party cannon when Optimus nodded. “YAHOO! I hope you’re ready for the most fun filled, exciting day of your life because we are going to go NUTS!”

“I think you’re already there,” Ratchet added with a smirk.

“Contact me at the first sign of trouble or Con activity,” Optimus instructed Ratchet before he lowered Pinkie to the floor and transformed into a semi-truck. Pinkie hopped into the driver’s seat and pressed down on the horn, causing a loud honk to echo throughout the base. Optimus and Pinkie took off through the exit, leaving Ratchet in command for the time being.

“Air Raid, follow Optimus from your cloaked form. Tell him that your doing so on my orders,” Ratchet said to Air Raid after a moment of thought. The flier nodded before he transformed and took off after Prime. “Better safe than sorry,” Ratchet muttered as he headed for the command station.

While Ratchet took command of the base, Fluttershy was sitting off to the side where Fowler was talking to Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer about what they had gone through while in Deceptacon captivity. She had positioned herself far enough away so that she couldn’t hear the conversation, but she could still feel the pain and sorrow radiating off of her friends.

She spent her time waiting practicing with her magic. She focused on making the magic within her into numerous shapes and tools. She created a drill of magical energy with one hand while lifting some stones with the magic in her other. Even though she had gotten better at controlling her magic, it still took a considerable strain on her body and mind to maintain her magical tools for longer than a few minutes. Fluttershy wondered what her limit was.

“I feel for you guys.” Fluttershy looked up over her shoulder to see Fowler standing beside her, his head hung low and his eyes burning with hatred. “May I sit?”

“Go right ahead,” Fluttershy replied.

“You’re all too young to have to go through all of this,” Fowler continued on as he sat down, pulling out a thermos of water and downing half of it in a single gulp. “Bad enough that the Cons are back on Earth, but the fact that they’re dragging in innocent civilians that have done nothing to anyone makes my blood boil.”

“Sometimes you don’t get to decide whether or not you fight in a war. Sometimes the war gives you no choice,” Fluttershy said sternly as she continued shifting the magic in her hands. Fowler watched her do this for a moment before he said,

“That magic of yours comes from a place called Equestria, right?” Fluttershy’s wide eyed response answered for her. “Oh don’t look so surprise, you really think after all the weird, magical stuff that’s gone down at your school that the government wouldn’t be looking into it? You had a vortex to another world open up in the front yard.”

“Yeah…guess that wouldn’t stay secret for long,” Fluttershy admitted with a bitter smile after a moment of thought. “So are you the government agent that they sent to keep an eye on us? Because if so, it’s an amazing coincidence that your formers enemies came after your newest mission.”

“I found over the years that I believe less and less in coincidence,” Fowler said with a smirk and a shake of his head. “I volunteered to keep an eye on you girls and your friend from another world. After all of my good work done with the Transformers, I’m kinda the specialist in dealing with beings from another world. The second Twilight, the one without glasses, is from that other world, right?”

“Yeah, she is,” Fluttershy admitted, figuring if the Autobot’s trusted Fowler she could too.

“And so is Sunset?”

“Yep.”

“Heh, aliens living under our noses all this time and it took giant robots before we wised up to their presence,” Fowler said with a chuckle before giving another look at Fluttershy, almost as if he was trying to place her. “You know, Optimus told me all about you and everything that you’ve gone through. Including…Stickshift. I can offer you the same chance to talk I did for Sunset, Rainbow and Twilight. If you need to talk to someone who knows what it’s like to watch somebody die while they couldn’t do anything…”

“Thank you for your offer, but I’m…I’ll be fine when all of this is over,” Fluttershy admitted truthfully and Fowler nodded respectfully at her words. He then stifled a small chuckle, but Fluttershy gave him a look asking what it was about. “I don’t know what it is about you teenagers, but you seem to get stronger and stronger every generation. I thought Jack, Miko and Rap were the strongest kids I met until I met you, Ms. Medic.”

“So you knew them as well? Ratchet only gave me a bit of information about them, but not much,” Fluttershy said.

“That’s for security reasons. The less people know about them the less of a chance they can traces them back to the Autobots,” Fowler revealed. Fluttershy nodded to show that she understood.

“Do you still keep in contact with them?”

“Once in a blue moon I see what they’re up to, but other than that we haven’t spoken in a long time. I know they used to keep in contact with one another often, but I think they’ve drifted apart as time moved on,” Fowler said.

“That’s sad. Friend’s shouldn’t stay out of contact with one another.”

“That’s the way of the world, Fluttershy. Relationships change and people move on,” Fowler admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. The two sat in silence for a little bit after that, watching the Autobot’s move around the base, before Fluttershy asked the question she had wanted to know the answer to for a while.

“Rainbow and Sunset. Are they going to be alright?” she asked in a whisper.

“Hard to tell. Everyone reacts to these kinds of situations differently. You watched an Autobot die before your very eyes and you reacted to it by driving yourself to be better, so that it would never happen again. I know a soldier who watched an ally lose his head and it broke him for life. People react differently. I’ve done the best I can, but the rest is up to them.”
“I see. Thank you for trying to help them.”

“Not a problem. Here,” Fowler said as he pulled out a card and handed it to Fluttershy. “You ever need any help, or a friend with some connections to get you out of a bad situation, free feel to give me a call.”

“Thanks Agent Fowler, I will,” Fluttershy said with a smile. Fowler rose to his feet and, after whistling for an Autobot to give him a ride, waved to Fluttershy as he was escorted to the exit. Fluttershy waved back before she stared down at the card he had given her, thinking about what he had said.
> Cabin Fever
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cabin Fever

Fowler hadn’t stayed long at the base. After making sure that the girls were more or less alright, checking in with Prime for anything he might have missed, and taking some time to mock the Deceptacon prisoners, he headed back to his HQ to continue on with his work.

Yet despite Fowler being gone and no appearance of the Cons in nearly a week, the girls were still confined to the walls of the Autobot base. They each understood why they had to be there, that it was the safest place on Earth for them and that at least they were all together, but after a few days it started to get old. After a week, tensions were high.

Fluttershy spent most of her time working with Ratchet, learning more about surgery and how the transformers worked. When he was awake Curbcheck would allow Fluttershy to poke around inside of him, with Ratchet supervising the whole thing naturally. She learned how the wiring in them worked, how tiny enegon tubes carried their life blood through their bodies and, most importantly, how the data center in the central cortex was laid out. That she had to learn off of a dead Con, however.

The other girls weren’t doing as well. While Pinkie did her best to keep everyone smiling and in better spirits, even she began to feel the effects of being cooped up inside of a base for too long. What wasn’t helping the situation was that Rainbow and Sunset were either silent or bitter whenever someone tried to talk to time, making being around them equivalent to standing on thin ice. Rainbow Dash had already blown up once at Applejack that week. None of them wanted to go through that again.

“That was very good. A perfect incision if I am being honest,” Ratchet said with a nod of approval, watching as Fluttershy perfectly created a small slice in the chassis of Curbcheck’s armor, making so she could just barely reach a hidden layer of energon tubing beneath his armor. “Those tubes can be incredibly hard for a regular transformer to get to, with our size and all, but with your petite frame you would be able to fix any damage done in there with no trouble at all.”

“I guess the reason that it is so easy is because I have a wonderful teacher,” Fluttershy said with a small shrug as she transformed the magic around her hand from a blade to a beam of energy. She pressed the beam against Curbcheck’s armor and sealed it back up.

“While I am not doubting that the incredible wisdom of your teacher had much to do with your success, I would be foolish not to point out what a good student you are,” Ratchet replied, praising the both of them. “You learn quickly, follow directions and have good instinct for this. Maybe I should make you my prized student, instead of the other bots who have trouble following the simplest of instructions!”

As he said this Ratchet cast a glance over at Redheart and Red Alert, both of who made faces at the veteran bot. Ratchet smirked in reply before he lowered his hand and held it out for Fluttershy, who stepped onto it with a smile. “That is, sadly, all the time I can spare for today. We are still searching for signs of where the Cons have gotten to.”

“They haven’t shown up in a week, right? Think they might have left Earth for good?” Fluttershy hopefully asked, but Ratchet shook his head grimly.

“If they left by space bridge, the scanners would have told us. If they left by flying off world, the government would have been able to verify their departure. No Fluttershy, the Cons are still very much with us. The question is where?”

“And what are they waiting for?” Fluttershy added on. “Just waiting around isn’t going to help them get us out of your base. Either they’re as dumb as you said they are…or they’re waiting for something. The question is, what?”

“Exactly my thoughts, but until we learn more about what that what is there is nothing more we can do for the time being,” Ratchet said as he lowered Fluttershy onto the table where her friends had gathered. “Now if you will excuse me, I have work to get done. Try not to get into trouble.”

“Trouble tends to find us, don’t you think?”

“With pin point precision,” Ratchet agreed with a shake of his head before he turned and walked away. Fluttershy walked over to where her friends were gathered, taking a moment to appreciate the kindness of Fowler. He had men bring in some couches, a table, and a large screen TV with both video games and a movie player. Ratchet had mentioned that one-time Fowler had to stay inside the base for his own good and he nearly went insane with boredom. This was his way of making sure the girls didn’t suffer the same fate.

Unfortunately, as soon as Fluttershy approached her friends she could tell that she wouldn’t be relaxing. Rainbow, Sunset and Twilight sat on one couch, while Rarity, AJ and Pinkie sat on the other. Both sides were giving each other nasty stares, except Pinkie who looked concerned, which drew a sigh out of Shy as she joined up with them.

“Alright, what’s going on?” she asked with slightly more annoyance in her tone than she would have liked. He words snapped both sides out of their stare down and they all glanced up at her. ‘Clearly something has all of you upset, for the tenth time, so let’s just get it out so we can move on with this.”

“Because it’s just that easy,” Rainbow snapped at Fluttershy. Fluttershy looked over at her friend and raised an eyebrow just as Rainbow Dash rose out of her seat. “Because it’s just that easy to move on. With a little will and teamwork we can just move past all of our problems.”

“That is generally how it goes,” Fluttershy agreed, which only angered Rainbow Dash further.

“Well let me tell you something, it isn’t that easy. Not when you’ve gone through what we went through!” Dash snarled back at Fluttershy, pain and anger burning in the rainbow haired girl’s eyes. Fluttershy’s expression didn’t change. “For days, I was subjected to whatever form of torture Soundwave felt like inflicting upon me that day! Sunset was there even longer! And yet everyone wants us to just move on, like nothing ever happened. Well guess what, things did happen!”

“No one is saying that you shouldn’t feel what you’re feeling or just forget all about it. What we’re trying to tell you is that you can’t dwell on it. If you do, it may consume you entirely,” Fluttershy replied in an understanding tone, but at this point anything she said only made Rainbow angrier. 

“That’s just it! You think you understand but you don’t!” Rainbow roared again at Fluttershy. “You don’t know what it’s like to be broken, to feel so much rage and helplessness and not be able to do anything about it! To watch your friends suffer! How can you stand there and tell us to move past it when you have no idea what it’s like?!”

For a moment to two girls stared each other down. One was a wildfire of pain and misery, who might just lash out at the first person to look at them wrong. The other was a blank slate devoid of emotion, who gazed into the fire with eyes so icy the reflected the flames within them.

“That’s the pain talking Rainbow, that’s not you,” Fluttershy calmly said, yet once more her words infuriated Dash. But this time Fluttershy didn’t give Dash the chance to get started once more. “And yes, I know what it’s like to watch your friends suffer. To feel helpless. I may not have been physically tormented the way you and Sunset were, but you better believe I have suffered all the same.”

“How-?”

“When Stickshift was murdered right in front of me,” Fluttershy replied, her voice icy enough to freeze Rainbow’s rage. For a long moment Rainbow, and the others, stared at Fluttershy, who gazed cooly back at her friend. “I couldn’t help him. He was dead before he hit the ground. But for days after that I felt the sense of helplessness and anger that you feel now. But thanks to Ratchet, I decided to take that anger and use it as fuel to ensure that no one would ever have to die for me again. Or if they did try, I could save them.”

“So I want to make it perfectly clear that I understand exactly what you are going through. And yes, the Cons have beaten me up too. I understand your anger. And if you truly need to get it out, to break something or lay into someone, then do it to me,” Fluttershy said as she stepped up to Rainbow Dash, who backed away slightly from Shy. “I can take it. I’ll heal.”

For a long moment the two simply stared at each other, with one gazing at the other with uncertainty while the other patiently awaited her friends decision. Then, after a long, tense moment of waiting, Fluttershy reached out and pulled Rainbow Dash into a hug. Rainbow’s eyes went wide and she looked at Shy in confusion.

“It’s alright. You’re safe here. I’m sorry you had to go through all that,” Fluttershy whispered to her friend.

That was what broke Rainbow. Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged Fluttershy back, sobbing bitterly into the shoulder of her friend. Fluttershy then flashed Sunset a look and motioned for her to join in the hug as well. She did so, joining Rainbow Dash in the crying, before all of Fluttershy’s friends joined into one giant hug. And as they hug Fluttershy let her magic spread over them, softening the pain that all of them felt. 

After a few moments of hugging the girls all let each other go, before they started to apologize to one another with tears still in their eyes. Fluttershy watched all of this with a soft smile on her face, before Sunset tapped Fluttershy on her shoulder and turned Shy’s attention to her.

“Thanks, Fluttershy, we needed that,” Sunset admitted before she gave Fluttershy a curious glance. “But I’m surprised. I don’t remember you…being this strong.”

Fluttershy simply smiled in reply.
> Ultracon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ultracon

“Two weeks. It has been two weeks now and no sign of any Con activity,” Optimus muttered to Ratchet.

“And it’s not like we’ve just been partying in here while ignoring the Cons. We’ve been actively searching for the and still nothing,” Ratchet agreed with Prime, before a smile crossed his face. “Though that party thrown by Pinkie was quite a fun time. I don’t know how she managed to make the cake transform into a pie, though.”

“I have learned with her sometimes it is better to enjoy the confusion instead of questioning it,” Optimus wisely advised Ratchet with a smirk, before his normal, serious look crossed his face. “But this silence concerns me far more than any Con sighting or attack that they have done. They are not gone, yet we cannot find them. Are they bidding their time or is this something far more sinister?”

“At this point I have no idea, Optimus. I have fought the Cons just as long as you have and I’ve never seen them be this quiet for so long,” Ratchet muttered in a worried tone. “But they’re up to something. My gears and spark say that the storm is on the horizon.”

“And my spark would agree with you, old friend. The worst is yet to come,” Optimus agreed before he reached up and turned off the map of the planet they had been looking over. “But until that storm comes, there is nothing we can do for the time being. How are Fluttershy and her friends? I believe a few days ago there was a confrontation between them that I was not here for?”

“You are correct, Optimus, but the girls came out of that stronger than before. Fluttershy managed to not only stop the group from fighting, but also helped Rainbow and Sunset heal a bit,” Ratchet said with nothing but pride in his voice. “Hard to imagine that she’s the very same girl that was scared of her own shadow when we first picked her up. Has Pinkie changed in any way since you first met her?”

“Aside from her watching more anime with giant robots in them, I do not believe she has changed all that much. Though I cannot say the same for myself. I seem to be…drawn to pop music now,” Optimus admitted with a smile. “But then again, she and I have not been through anything remotely like what you and Fluttershy have been through. It does not surprise me that I haven’t had that much of an influence on her like you have with Shy.”

“What influence? All being around me has done is make her as stubborn as me!” Ratchet lamented. “When I first met her, she would listen to my orders and not follow me into dangerous situations! Now it seems that all she does is risk her own life especially against my wishes.”

“She cares for you, old friend. And she is determined to save as many as she can. She reminds me of a younger you,” Optimus said and Ratchet scoffed.

“Please, if she was a younger me she would be letting all of my praise go right to her head. No, she’s a better version of a younger me. Though sadly, not as good looking or intelligent.”

“I am glad to see that you are as humble as ever,” Optimus chuckled.

“Optimus!” Both Ratchet and Optimus turned to see Redheart racing towards them, panic on her face and fear in her eyes. “Optimus, the scanners have just revealed a massive army of Deceptacons heading our way! It-it must be there entire force! There’s no way it could be anything else!”

“Sound the alarm!” Optimus roared before he raced to the control panel. Ratchet was right behind him when he activated the bases outer cameras, revealing that what Redheart had said to be true. Over a hundred Deceptacons were all heading for the base in one, giant swarm, clearly with the knowledge of where the Autobot’s were located.

A siren started to wail inside the base, but all of the Autobots had already gathered around Optimus open hearing his words. “Autobot’s, the Deceptacon threat is now at our front doors. You have each been trained and preparing for this moment. We will not let them get into this chamber. They are here for the girls and if they get their hands on them, it could shift the war in the Deceptacons favor.”

“Ratchet, you, Red Alert and Redheart will stay behind and be ready to provide medical support! If they manage to get past us, use your combination with Fluttershy if you must. The rest of you are with me! We shall either drive them back or finish this war here and now! Autobots, roll out!”

Optimus and all of the other Autobots transformed into their vehicle forms and raced to the three exits, filling the chamber with the sound of the roar of engines. Ratchet raced to the control panel to monitor the fight while Redheart stayed at his side, awaiting his instructions. Red Alert ran around the base and gathered up medical supplies and tools, which they would be needing very soon.

“Ratchet, what do you want me to do?” Fluttershy said into her comms. She and her friends had been on the couches when they heard the news of the attack by the Cons.

“Stay there and don’t do anything. Right now, we need to have faith that Prime and the others will be able to drive the Cons off,” Ratchet replied, but knew that wouldn’t be enough to keep Fluttershy in her seat. “Fluttershy, I need you to store your strength. If the Cons do get in here, you and I will combine to fight them. And I’m going to need you at one hundred percent if we wish to have any chance of driving them off. Am I clear?”

“Yes sir,” Fluttershy muttered, clearly unhappy that she was being benched but knew that Ratchet was right about the combination. Then she glanced over at Curbcheck, who was starting to wake up thanks to all the noise, and placed her hand back on her communicator once more. “Ratchet, if they do get in here, what’s the plan to evacuate the wounded?”

“If they manage to break through Optimus and the others, we have ground bridge coordinates set up that will transport them and your friends to a safe location, one the Cons won’t be able to track,” Ratchet stated before he yelled a warning at one of the Autobots on the battlefield. “But for now sit tight and trust Optimus. He’s gotten us out of worse situations than this.”

Begrudgingly Fluttershy sat back down, wanting to do more but knowing that she had to stay rested in case she was called upon. While she was simply annoyed, a glance at her friends showed that they were resting more in the afraid category, especially Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer.

“Don’t worry, Optimus will keep us safe,” Pinkie said with certainty to her friends, but they didn’t look convinced. Fluttershy on the other hand, was staring at the floor with a look of concern on her face. Something, deep within her very being, was screaming at her, telling her that something was horribly wrong.

“Something doesn’t add up,” Fluttershy muttered to herself, getting her friends to glance at her. “There’s something else going on, something else that we’ve missed. But what?”

Fluttershy then rose to her feet and glanced around the room, trying to figure out what it was. She glanced over at Ratchet, but nothing seemed to be wrong there. A glance at Red Alert showed that he was doing fine. And then when she glanced at Curbcheck she saw that he was awake and had his arm as a shotgun, but he was ready for battle. So what was…

And then she saw it. As she gazes at Curbcheck, out of the corner of her eye she could see the holding cells. The Con that they had captured was standing at the front of the cells with a look of mad glee on his face. And in the other cell the Con stood at the door waiting. That Con never stood up.

Then she moved her head back to Ratchet and she unintentionally locked eyes with Redheart. And then Fluttershy’s heart plummeted into her stomach.

“Ratchet, move!”

Ratchet might have understood what Fluttershy was talking about, but he knew better than to doubt her words. The moment Ratchet rolled out of the way a blast of energon struck the panel, frying it to bits. Fluttershy took a few steps towards Ratchet, just before a barrier of energon shot up behind her. She whipped her head around to see that four walls and a ceiling of energon had formed around her friends, trapping them in an energon cage. 

With the destruction of the panel the Cons within their cells burst out to freedom, quickly flanking either side of Redheart. Red Alert transformed his left hand into a red cannon, but Redheart quickly shot him in the chest and sent him sprawling.

Then “Redheart” began to transform. Her white paint with red crosses on it transformed into a murky black with green highlights. She grew in size until she was a full head and shoulders taller than Ratchet. Her wheels that formed on her back blazed with green fire and spikes formed along her shoulders and frame. Finally, her face twisted into a look of evil with a malicious grin, one that stared down at the last Autobot standing, who glared up at her with loathing.

“Very good, Fluttershy. How did you know what I was about to do?” the transformed Con asked Fluttershy.

“I had a feeling something was wrong. Also your Con in the cell gave it away,” Fluttershy spat back, but before she could do anything else Ratchet took control of the conversation.

“So this is where you’ve been. Right alongside us this entire time,” Ratchet snarled as he summoned hi machine gun and scalpel, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough. “That’s why we could never find you, because you’ve been here the whole time.”

“Isn’t that right, Ultracon?”
> Ultracon (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ultracon (2)

Ultracon may have not been the biggest Con in the world, but he was still a full head and shoulders above Ratchet. Ratchet didn’t let the size difference intimidate him and held his ground as he glared up at the Con that he had been fighting to bring down. Unfortunately, Ratchet knew that he was in a bad situation. Ultracon was flanked by the two Cons that the Autobots had been keeping prisoner, including the one that Fluttershy had begged Ratchet to save. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

“Where is Redheart?” Ratchet asked right away.

“Gone, Ratchet. She never made it off Cybertron,” Ultracon informed Ratchet in a smooth voice, but one that held danger in every syllable. Ratchet’s fury shot through his body, but his logical mind restrained him from lashing out. “Poor thing, she was so excited to be working with you. But I knew that if I could take her place, then I would have an easy time getting into your base and learning all of your little secrets.”

“So that’s how you always knew where we were and what our plans were,” Ratchet snarled, only a few pieces of the puzzle missing. Ultracon smiled to show Ratchet that he had guessed correctly. “But if you were here the entire time, then why not kill me or Optimus when you had the chance? We would have never seen it coming?”

“Simple. For as good as I am, I knew that if I killed one of you in here I would have never made it out alive. And I couldn’t go on missions with you, for I chose to replace a bot that was non-combative. Didn’t realize that until after I was already in,” Ultracon said with a shrug of his shoulders. “And besides, I don’t believe Optimus ever fully trusted me. He never gave me any important tasks or let me in on any Autobot secrets. He certainly lives to his legendary status, doesn’t he?”

‘Just got to keep him talking a little longer,’ Ratchet thought to himself as one of his optics was keeping a close eye on Red Alert, who was slowly coming back to his senses. ‘The Autobot’s will be calling in soon and if we don’t answer they will know something is wrong.’

“Then what about the girls? Why go through all this trouble, reignite a war that had finally be extinguished, to get your hands on them?” Ratchet asked.

“You know the answer to that. The Neo Cybertronian Council,” Ultracon snarled, showing his first real signs of emotion since his reveal. Ratchet didn’t need any further information; he knew exactly what Ultracon was talking about. “As for the girls, I stumbled across their magic by accident when I freed Soundwave from his prison. Seems that he had been tracking them and their magical powers ever since his imprisonment on Earth. He was going to give them to Megatron to use in the war against the Autobots, but I brought him up to speed.”

“So we were right. You did free Soundwave. But he would never follow you. He is loyal only to Megatron,” Ratchet pointed out.

“Correction, he is loyal to the leader of the Deceptacons. Which, as I tragically showed him, is no longer Megatron,” Ultracon corrected once more. “He knows that Megatron gave up on his ambitions to free the oppressed of Cybertron and that Megatron is no longer with us. So now he works for me. And I must say, it’s nice to have an actual competent Con working with me.”

“But you gave up the girls,” Ratchet continued on, hoping that Optimus would be able to repel the Con attack soon. “You had Sunset and Rainbow Dash and yet let them fall into our hands. What could possibly convince you to let us have them?”

“Because at that point it was clear that I was never going to get all of them for myself. At most I could have caught four of them, but Fluttershy and Pinkie were safe in your care. And I know Prime would never trade the two of them away, not for anything. So I thought it best to let the Autobot’s have the complete set and then take them when I felt like it, much like I have now,” Ultracon said as he looked over at the girls, only to raise an eyebrow when he saw Fluttershy standing on the outside of the cage.

“Fluttershy. Out of all of you and your friends to be the most problematic I never anticipated it to be you,” Ultracon said with a sly smile, only to be met by Fluttershy’s could stare. “When Soundwave first told me about the six of you, he said that Sunset was the most powerful and heroic. Hence why I went after her first. Had I known you’d be the biggest thorn in my side, perhaps you would have been my first target.”

“Glad to see that I’ve caused you so much discomfort,” Fluttershy replied in a cold tone, one that made Ultracon chuckle.

“That is not a look I expected to see out of you. I thought you were supposed to be shy, reserved and a coward.”

“Shy, yes. Reserved, definitely. A coward? Seems Soundwave made a terrible assumption,” Fluttershy whispered before she activated her harmonic form, summoning forth her wings and magical aura. Ultracon seemed amused by her power.

“But by being the biggest thorn in my side, you actually helped me to confirm what I’ve been trying to do since I first showed up on this rock,” Ultracon continued, this time talking directly to Fluttershy. “See, Soundwave theorized that we could take your magic and combine it with our Deceptacons to create unstoppable warriors. But we could never figure out how to get it to work. We couldn’t force them to combine, we couldn’t extract the magic from the girls. For a while we were at a dead end. And then you combined with Ratchet. You proved that our hypothesis was correct.”

“Sounds like you really want to see Ratchet and I combine. Don’t worry, we’ll give you a full demonstration of our power,” Fluttershy promised. Ultracon smiled before his left arm became a double barrel shotgun and he fired a twin burst of energy right into the chest of Ratchet. Fluttershy let out a scream as Ratchet staggered backwards before collapsing to the ground, motionless.

“Sadly, I don’t think you will. However, you can still show that demonstration to me, back at our base,” Ultracon said with a cruel smile to Fluttershy, who glared back up at him. Ultracon then made a move towards Shy, but in an instant Ratchet was back on his feet and he slammed himself into the side of Ultracon. “What in the name of the All Spark?!”

“Overshields, Con! You really think that I wouldn’t have preparations made for the next time I ran into one of you fools?!” Ratchet asked before driving a fist into the face of Ultracon. Ultracon staggered back and the two Cons flanking him began to move towards Ratchet, but energon fire caught one of them in the back and the other spun around to see that Red Alert was back up to a knee, his left arm an energon pistol.

“Fluttershy, let’s put an end to this!” Ratchet called over to Shy. She nodded her head, spread her wings and kicked off of the table, hurling herself towards Ratchet with all of her speed. She reached out to Ratchet as he reached out to her…only to gasp in terror when a metal had clamped down on the girl. Fluttershy let out a cry of pain and shock as the air was crushed for her lungs, before looking at her captor to find it was the Deceptacon with the hole still in his chest plate. The very one she had saved.

“Alright, this fight is over. Unless you want to see any harm come to your precious little human?” Ultracon asked Ratchet, who stared at the captured Fluttershy with fear and fury. He turned his gaze towards the ground and sheathed the scalpel he had drawn, surrendering the Con. Red Alert lifted his pistol, but Ratchet held up a hand and Red Alert lowered his weapon.

“Ah, glad to see that we’re all on the same page. Riptire, go grab the other girls, would you,” Ultracon instructed the other Con, who walked over to the cage with the girls within and lifted it. The girls screamed and used their own magic on the energon walls, but the walls blocked both their magic and their voices. “As I said Ratchet, it was so much easier to let you gather them all and then I take them from you. See what happens when we work together?”

“You haven’t won yet, Con. I swear that I will tear you apart if you lay a finger on them,” Ratchet seethed.

“Well then, I’d fear for my safety, but fortunately for me Soundwave will be the one performing the experiments, not me. So he will be the one you will be tearing apart, if you can,” Ultracon smirked back at Ratchet. “Come along Riptire and Drift. We have much work to do. And careful not to squeeze too hard, Drift. We don’t want to injure our esteemed guest.”

Ultracon and the other Cons walked over to the ground bridge and punched in the coordination, activating the giant spiral of energon. Ultracon took Fluttershy and tossed her into the cell with her friends, before he and the cage walked through the vortex. Riptire followed suit, but before Drift left the base he planted an explosive on the ground bridge panel. Then he threw a dozen more around the room before turning to leave.

“She saved your miserable excuse of a life, Con!” Ratchet roared at Drift, who glanced over his shoulder at Ratchet, who was consumed with his fury. “She did! The Cons would have left you to die, I certainly would have left you to die, but she believed that your worthless life was worth saving! And this is how you repay her?!”

Drift stared at Ratchet for a long moment before he turned and walked into the vortex. And right before he vanished, he pressed a button on his wrist and the entire Autobot base exploded into flames.
> Prisoners
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prisoners

The Cons had been driven into a retreat. The Autobots had also driven them back without a single casualty. That put the army of the Autobot’s into a good mood. So as they watched the tail pipes of their enemies vanish into the distance, they cheered and mocked the retreating Cons. That was until their base exploded and their cheers were turned into cries of confusion and worry.

Optimus, who had been through more than his fair share of bases blowing up, was the only bot fast enough to both see what was going on and react to it. He was in his vehicle form and driving towards the base before the explosions had come to an end. The last explosion had just finished when he reached the colossal pit of rubble that had previously been the center of Autobot operations on Earth. His optics scanned the rubble for any sign of human or Autobot life. Then his optics told him there was a source of energon deep beneath the rubble, far from sight.

It took even a bot as strong as Optimus and the rest of the Autobots a few hours to unearth the source of the energon and to his relief he found that the energon was caused by a dome shield that was surrounding both Ratchet and Red Alert, who were both injured but alive within the dome. His optics then glanced over at where the medical bay was and he spied the Curbcheck and been protected by a dome of energon as well. Optimus tapped on the dome and Ratchet lowered it, but when Prime helped pull the two Autobot’s out of the wreckage he saw panic in the eyes of Ratchet.

“Ratchet, what happened to the Autobot base? And what has become of the girls? My optics cannot sense them anywhere,” Optimus asked Ratchet, before motioning for other Autobots to go get Curbcheck.

“They’re gone, Optimus. Ultracon…Ultracon was Redheart this entire time,” Ratchet revealed to Optimus, getting him and the Autobot’s that had caught up with them to gasp in disbelief. “He transformed into Redheart before we had ever left Cybertron as has been spying on us ever since, waiting for us to gather the girls for him so that he could take them all in one, felled swoop. And that is exactly what he did.”

“Ratchet, I need you to calm down and tell me exactly what happened in there,” Optimus instructed in a comforting tone, but Ratchet gazed down at his clenched fists with anger burning a hole in him.

“He took Fluttershy. He took her and there was nothing I could do,” Ratchet seethed helplessly as he clenched his fists tighter and tighter. “Nothing at-“

“Ratchet.” Ratchet turned to look at Optimus, as if registering he was there for the first time. “Ratchet, what did Ultracon say and what happened in there?”

“He…he said that he freed Soundwave and Soundwave was the one that told him about the girl’s magic. They both got the idea that they could use the girls magic to fuel the Deceptacon armies, but didn’t know it was possible until Fluttershy and I achieved our combination,” Ratchet stammered out, trying to not let his emotions override him. 

“He freed to other Cons as well, the ones that we had as prisoners. The one that I had saved…Fluttershy had saved, was the one that captured her. And with her captured I didn’t dare try to do anything…Ultracon is going to continue his experiments on them. He’s going to give them over to Soundwave and he’s going to…I don’t know what, but we saw what he did to Sunset and Rainbow Dash! We can’t let that happen to Fluttershy!”

“Calm yourself, Ratchet. We will not let them hurt the girls. Not while I still draw power,” Optimus promised Ratchet before he turned back to the rest of the Autobot army. “You all have five minutes to reload, gear up with whatever you can find and then prepare to roll out. We are going to the true Deceptacon base, the place where Ultracon and Soundwave have been keeping secret from us. And then we are going to bring an end to this war…once and for all.”

“But Optimus, how are we going to find the base?” Red Alert asked weakly, enegon leaking from his chest. “The Cons destroyed the ground bridge and the terminal where their location would be located. We have no idea where they are.”

“Perhaps we do not have their exact location, but I know where Pinkie is,” Optimus informed the Autobots, who looked at him like he was insane. “While she and I may not have been able to achieve the same level of closeness that Ratchet and Fluttershy share, on our days together I took a precaution, just in case the two of us were ever separated. There is a tiny audio tracker on her, one that only she and I know about, one that the Cons cannot track. I am currently monitoring it as we speak.”

“Then where are we going?” Ratchet asked Optimus, standing beside him with a look of rage and murder on his face. “And how soon till we get there?”

“From what I can tell, the Cons true base is to the far north of the girl’s town. And it will take us the better part of a day to get there,” Optimus informed the Autobots.”

“But Optimus, to get there on time we’d need to drive straight through the town. And chances are that at least one person would become suspicious of us before we’ve gone through,” one of the Autobots pointed out.

“We do not have time to play it carefully any longer. Those girls are our top priority and they must be rescued, even at the risk of exposing ourselves. If you are recorded, ignore it. If you are held up, find a way past. And if others block your way…then remove them from your path. Autobots…”

“ROLL OUT!”

[=O=]

With a pounding in her head Fluttershy felt her consciousness return to her. She remembered being grabbed by a Con, thrown into a cage and the destruction of the Autobot base. Then she remembered blacking out. But when she opened her eyes to see what had happened since then, she wished that she had stayed blacked out. 

She found herself in a purple and silver room, one that had a single table in it with dozens of sharp and painful looking tools upon it. She herself was hanging in nothingness, with her arms and legs secured with energon binds. Above her were numerous shelves, with all sorts of trinkets and devices on them. On one the of the shelves she believed she saw what remained of Laserbeak, Soundwave’s bird that Ratchet had cut in half. And then, at the very end of the room, was a massive, lifeless body that made her skin crawl.

The body was silver in color, with bits of purple highlights. It was sharp in most areas and was about the size of Optimus in height. On one arm was a pitch-black cannon and the other arm held a sword that glowed with a sickly purple coloring. But even though she recognized the body, a glance at the face told her this wasn’t who she was thinking of. For the face was blank and lifeless, similar to the face plate of Soundwave.

‘Ratchet said that Megatron is still alive. This isn’t him, this is a replica,’ Fluttershy told herself in an effort to stay calm. It didn’t work all that well. But then a closer look at the empty suit revealed an empty compartment in its chest. A compartment that looked like it would fit her body shape exceptionally well.

“I see that you’ve spotted our final weapon against the Autobot’s. Beautiful, isn’t it?” Fluttershy turned her head towards the source of the voice to see Ultracon and Soundwave entering the room. “While Megatron himself cannot be here to see the end of the Autobot tyranny, we have built a perfect replica completely in his likeness, while also recovering the dark star saber for a little extra flair. Of course, the power of that sword is nothing compared to the energy source that will be powering him.”

“Me and my friends,” Fluttershy whispered with a snarl, but her ferocity only got a laugh out of Ultracon.

“Correct, Fluttershy. You and your five other friends will be the power source for the destruction of the Autobot’s,” Ultracon agreed before he turned to Soundwave. “The Autobots will be here before the day is done. You have until their arrival to find a way to get her to power that machine. Get it done.”

“Of course,” Soundwave replied. Ultracon nodded before turning to leave, yet before he could exit the room Fluttershy spoke.

“We won’t give in,” she promised Ultracon, who turned to look back at her. “My friends and I will never willing power your machine. And that’s what the key to the combination is. A willingness to work together. And that is something we will never do with the likes of you.”

“I am fully aware of that. Just as I am also aware that your friends are already willing to power that suit of armor,” Ultracon revealed to Fluttershy, whose eyes widened in shock. “Fluttershy, you’ve been out for about two hours, so you missed what happened. Thanks to you and Ratchet, we learned that indeed the only way we can access the magic that your friends have is if they willingly give it to us. And they have.”

“No, they would never…”

“Of course not. They’d never give it to us. But you see, they don’t know it’s us,” Ultracon said with a wicked smile. “See, when they all woke up they found themselves in a hologram simulation, where they were back at the Autobot base being told by Optimus how they managed to save them from the Deceptacons and that he needs their help to put an end to the war. He gave them a truly beautiful speech if I do say so myself and motivated them to use their magic to power the Defender, a suit of armor designed for a Prime to pilot but needed them to be the energy source.”
“It worked to perfection. Your five other magical friends agreed to it, believing that they are finally going to be able to help the Autobots who have helped them so much. Only Pinkie thought to ask where you were, but Optimus told her you were with Ratchet, helping to wounded. And they all believed it, right before they were placed in the suit to power it. See for yourself.”

Ultracon then pressed a button and the suits chest opened up completely, getting Fluttershy to gasp in horror when she saw all six of her friends plugged into the suits, with their magic flowing into the spark in the center of its chest. She also saw that all of them were wearing some metallic device on their heads and that their eyes were glassy. 

“We even found a spot for Twilight, even though she has no magic,” Ultracon said when Fluttershy spotted Twilight in there as well. “Interestingly enough, it is not a perfect combination like yours and Ratchet’s was. Our combination is missing something, but we have no idea what. But it fits our purpose and it’s all but ready. It’s, just missing its last member. You.”

“I don’t care how powerful a suit you make, it will never defeat the Autobot’s,” Fluttershy told Ultracon, but to her surprise he nodded in agreement.

“I completely agree. If Megatron himself couldn’t destroy the Autobots, then this suit certainly wouldn’t be able to either. It might kill their entire army, but Prime has an annoying habit of coming out on top. But here’s the kicker. He won’t be able to destroy the suit. He can’t. Because if he does destroy it…”

“Then he destroys my friends as well,” Fluttershy finished with fear.

“You catch on quick. Optimus wouldn’t dare raise his weapons against one of you, let alone all seven. And once you’re inside, the suit will be too powerful for any Autobot besides Prime to even stand a chance. And he won’t even fight it.”

“Why are you bothering to tell me all of this?” Fluttershy asked at last. “Why not just trap me in the illusion and have me in there with my friends? Why bother keeping me awake if you plan to do the same thing?”

“You truly are far cleverer than you let on. Two reasons. The first is that Soundwave wants some payback for what you and Ratchet did to him when you first combined,” Ultracon said, getting Soundwave to activate a device that caused electricity to crackle along it. “The second is that we tried…and the hologram didn’t work on you.”

“What?”

“See, the hologram technology that we used on your friend’s messes with the electricity and blood flow in their brains, getting them to see and hear things that aren’t there. But that didn’t work on you and we don’t know why. Why can you merge with a Transformer when none of your friends can? Why can you resist our devices when none of your friends could? What makes you so special? That is what Soundwave wants to find out.”

Ultracon then turned and left the room, leaving Fluttershy alone with Soundwave. The Con looked over his tools that he was prepared to use on the girl, before he positioned himself so that he was eye to eye with her.

“Anything to say before we begin?” he asked her coldly.

“Yeah. How’ve you been doing since Laserbeak split?”

Soundwave had not expected the procedure to being with Fluttershy drawing first blood. But as his eyes glowed with rage and she smirked back at him, he made a promise that he would wound her back just as painfully, if not more.
> Prisoners (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prisoners (2)

The Autobot’s had almost made it out of town without any incidents. Then they heard over the radio about how there seemed to be an army of cars and vehicles heading through town and the police had decided to investigate the parade of vehicles, especially with the news about people spotting strange vehicles and girls going missing. They had set up a barricade to halt Optimus and the others travels, right at the exit to the town. On most days, Optimus would have stopped and resolved the situation peacefully. Today was not like most days.

Instead, he sent Concrete, one of his wreckers, in first. With scanners showing that none of the officers were actually in their cars, Concrete slammed into the barricade and hauled tailpipe to a different part of the town, getting all of the officers to chase after him in the process. With the law out of their way, Optimus and the others continued on their drive towards where Pinkie’s location was last recorded.

“Your tracking device has gone dark?” Ratchet asked Optimus when the Prime had told Ratchet of the news, once they were far outside of the town. “But I thought that you said the Deceptacons would be unable to find it.”

“I did and they haven’t. The device has not been destroyed. It is more likely that the signal is being blocked by something. But what could be blocking it I have no idea,” Optimus replied grimly, before his optics narrowed at the sight of something that didn’t belong. Having spent so many years battling against the Cons, Optimus had become quite adapt at seeing through cloaks and camouflage technology. So when just the faintest of shimmers appeared in the distance, he knew what he was looking at.

“Autobots, prepare yourselves! We are almost at the true base of the Deceptacons,” Optimus roared to the Autobots over the radio, before the base of the Cons opened up and dozens of Cons in their vehicle forms began pouring out of the hidden base. The sides of Optimus opened up and twin cannons emerged from within, which unleashed upon the advancing Deceptacon horde. The two armies collided and the area was filled with energon fire, screeching tires and explosions rocking the very earth beneath their feet.

“Optimus, we do not have time for this! Every second that we spend out here fighting these fodder is another second that Soundwave can use to torture Fluttershy!” Ratchet roared over to Prime before using his scalpels to tear through a Cons tires and send him into a death spin. “We need to get inside the base now!”

“Agreed. Jetfire, give Ratchet and I covering fire. We’re going in,” Optimus said over the comms before he and Ratchet floored it to the entrance of the base. Optimus used his bulkier frame to bully any and all Cons out of the way, while his armored front took the brunt of the Deceptacon fire so that Ratchet wouldn’t be hit. Jetfire swooped in overhead and blasted as many of the Cons out of the way as he could, before all three of them prepared to open fire on the front of the Deceptacon base. Yet the moment before they could, the doors themselves opened up and allowed Ratchet and Prime to enter inside.

“The doors just opened up on their own, Optimus. Smells like a trap if you ask me,” Jetfire warned Prime right before Prime and Ratchet drove into the base.

“It most certainly is a trap, Jetfire. However, due to the danger presented to Fluttershy and her friends we have no choice but to walk right into it,” Optimus replied, noticing how the doors slammed shut behind them. Optimus and Ratchet both transformed into their robot modes when they reached a large, central chamber of the base, where a fork in the road awaited their next move.

“What now, Prime?” Ratchet asked Optimus, who looked from one path to the other.

“Ratchet, you have a closer connection with Fluttershy than any other Autobot. Do you think that you can connect with her to feel where she is?”

“I can try,” Ratchet replied before he closed his eyes and began to reach out for Fluttershy. Then a wave of pain washed over him and his eyes snapped open with a yelp of surprise. “Yes, I can sense her. She’s in pain and weak, but I can definitely sense her energy. She’s being held down the right-hand path, Optimus.”

“Good work, Ratchet. Go and free Fluttershy…while I deal with whatever is coming to us.”

Ratchet looked at Optimus with confusion before he heard the metal footsteps coming towards them. His optics widened with shock when the colossal, silver chassis bot appeared in the light. From his size to his body shape and even the weapons he carried, there was only one bot that came to Ratchet’s mind when he laid eyes upon him.

“Megatron,” Ratchet whispered in fear as the bot stepped into the room with them. Optimus narrowed his optics at the Con, before he shook his head and summoned his double sided, orange energy axe into his grasp.

“No Ratchet, while this bot may have the body and weapons of Megatron, this is not him. A replica, perhaps, designed to look and fight like him. But this not Megatron,” Optimus replied before glancing over at his friend once more. “Go. Retrieve Fluttershy and her friends. I will hold off this empty suit.”

Ratchet looked like he wanted to argue, but after a moment of waiting he turned and took off down the right-hand path, leaving Optimus alone to face the faceless suit of armor. He gripped his axe tightly in both hands before he and the armor began to circle one another, each waiting for the other to strike.

“Heed my words, replica. If you have any sentience in your body, stand down and surrender. For if you do not, I will have qualms about destroying an empty suit.”

The armors response was to raise the dark star saber and lunge at Prime, who lift his axe to intercept the blow.

“Very well. Have it your way.”

[=O=]

Everything hurt. The pain was so bad that Fluttershy struggled to remember what it felt like to not be in pain. For nearly five hours she had been the plaything of Soundwave, who had subjected her to all sorts of Cybertronian forms of torture. She had been electrocuted, burned, blasted with sound and then electrocuted some more. Then, after being subjected to the pain, Soundwave would try to trap her with a hologram, the same one he had used on her friends. And each time it failed.

“Your resistance does not make sense,” Soundwave muttered to Fluttershy as he ceased the electric current that had been flowing into her body, getting Fluttershy to weakly hang her head as her breathing came in with slow, ragged breaths. “Your resilience for pain and your ability to fight through the hologram reprogramming does not match your physique, mental strength or your character. Yet you continue to fight. How?”

Fluttershy couldn’t respond. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth she’d throw up, scream or say something to tick Soundwave off further. She didn’t know what was a dumber move at that point. So instead she took the moment of reprieve to use her magical power to slowly, and stealthily, heal some of the damage that Soundwave had done to her. Not enough to remove the bruises or burns, but enough so that she’s be ready for the next wave of agony.

Soundwave waited a few seconds to hear her answer, but when all he was met with was silence he turned and picked another device off of the table. This one had three long and sharp looking blades on the end of it and it was a sickeningly yellow color, making Fluttershy think that it might have been poisoned.

‘He won’t kill me,’ Fluttershy thought to herself as Soundwave approached her with the device. ‘Ultracon wants me alive. If Soundwave was allowed to kill me I have no doubt he would have. No, they still need me alive. This will hurt, but that’s all.’

With that thought giving her strength Fluttershy gritted her teeth and prepared herself for the next wave of pain. Soundwave reached up and moved the device closer to the hanging body of Shy, but before he could continue the torture an explosion rocked the base and caused the Con to stagger backwards. He raced to a nearby terminal and brought up an image of what was going on.

On the screen Fluttershy saw dozens of Autobot’s and Deceptacons duking it outside of the base. On another screen, she watched as Optimus collided with the Megatron style suit of armor, which was evenly matched with the Prime. And on the final screen her eyes filled with hope and joy as she saw Ratchet racing through the base, down the corridor that she hoped lead to where she was.

The door to the chamber opened a moment later and Ultracon walked into the room, the look on his face telling Fluttershy that he wasn’t worried in the slightest. “Ratchet is on his way here to free Fluttershy. We can’t allow that. Go. Take your revenge on him.”

Soundwave nodded before he left the room, leaving Ultracon all alone with Fluttershy. Ultracon watched the battle between the Autobots and the Deceptacons on the screen for a few moments before he turned to look back at Fluttershy.

“Five hours of being subjected to Soundwave’s torture and not so much as a crack. If you weren’t my enemy I’d want you on my side,” Ultracon said in an impressed tone to Fluttershy, who just glared back at him. “Once more, I didn’t expect this out of you. Sunset maybe. Rainbow Dash perhaps. But not you, not the weak little girl who speaks softly and prefers not to be noticed by anyone. I thought you would be the weakest link of your friends.”

“I don’t like conflict. I’d prefer it if everyone got alone. I also don’t like to raise my voice. People seem to get nervous when I get angry,” Fluttershy spat out in-between pained breaths. “But as for weak? That’s something everyone gets wrong about me. You have no idea how strong I really am. How strong I have to be.”

“Perhaps I am wrong. But we will have plenty of time to figure out just how strong you believe yourself to be. Seems Optimus is starting to get the upper hand on the armor. Can’t have that now, can we?” Ultracon asked before he pressed a button on the panel, opening the chest plate slightly so that Optimus could fully see the girls inside.

Optimus’ optics widened in shock, before he slowly lowered his axe to his side. The armor slammed a fist into his face and sent him crashing into the wall, where he struggled to remain standing as the armor pressed its advantage.

“Take a good look, Fluttershy,” Ultracon said to Fluttershy as he gazed upon the sight with glee. “For you are about to watch the death of the last Prime.”

As Ultracon said this, with his eyes completely glued to the screen, Fluttershy let out a small whistle, one so soft and meek that Ultracon never would have heard it. But there was something nearby that did hear it. For the moment after Fluttershy whistled…

A small squirrel poked its head out of her pocket.
> Prisoners (3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prisoner (3)

A colossal right hook slammed into Optimus’s face, nearly ripping the face-plate from his jaw as the force of the blow sent him crashing into the ground. The moment he hit the ground he pushed himself to the side, just in time to avoid being impaled on the end of the dark star saber. He pushed himself back up to a vertical stance and drew his energon axe once more, but as he stared at the armor he knew that he dared not to use it.

Because the chest piece had moved slightly so that Optimus could see what was within the suit, what was powering it. And the sources of power that gave the suit life were six of the seven girls that he had sworn to protect, including his best human friend Pinkie. Their eyes were glasses and they didn’t seem to be completely conscious, but he knew that they were still alive. Because as long as they were alive, he wouldn’t dare fight back.

‘Ultracon truly has me in a corner,’ Optimus thought to himself before he raised his axe to intercept a blow from the dark star saber. Normally the dark weapon should have been able to cleave clean through his axe, but whether the saber had weakened over time or that perhaps the armor couldn’t use it properly, Optimus’s ax remained intact. But he knew that if he didn’t do something and soon, he wouldn’t be intact for much longer.

‘I need to incapacitate it,’ he decided after ducking under another blow from the suit of armor, before it swung around and caught him in the chest with a kick. Optimus was a giant even among giant robots, but the force of the kick was still strong enough to rip him from his feet and send him crashing into the wall.

The armor followed up by plunging the star saber at Optimus’s spark, but Optimus had realized a while back that the suit fought exactly like Megatron and he had predicted that the suit would try to finish him then and there. So as the blade plunged down towards his chest Optimus was already moving out of the way, just in time to avoid being impaled. He grabbed the handle of the saber as it swished past him and used his strength to drive it into the wall until it was buried up to the hilt. The armor pulled a few times on the sword, but it remained root in the wall.

Knowing that this might be his only chance to strike back, Optimus went low and slammed his axe into the leg of the armor, driving the blade halfway through the leg. He ripped his axe out and prepared to strike again, before the faint sounds of a human screaming reached his audio receptors. He glanced once more at the humans and found, to his horror, Pinkie was crying out in pain and trying to clutch at her leg. He realized that the spot she was clutching at was the same as where he had just cut the armor, getting him to narrow his optics as the armor rose back to its feet.
‘And none of the other girls are harmed in anyway,’ Optimus realized as he dropped his axe to the ground, leaving himself defenseless as the armor approached him once more. ‘Ultracon wired the armor so that any and all damage would be felt by Pinkie and Pinkie alone. He truly has figured out how to best me.’

Then the armor raised its cannon and blasted Optimus in the chest.

|]=O=[|

‘Left. Right. Right. Left,’ Ratchet thought to himself as he raced through the Deceptacon base, homing in on the faint trace of Fluttershy’s magic. He could only just barely sense it and even then, it was more like he had a general idea of where she was, leaving a lot of his choices up to chance. Ratchet generally hated leaving things up to chance and normally would have liked to have planned out each move so that there was no chance of anything going wrong. But with Fluttershy in danger, he needed to act.

‘Optimus will be able to handle that suit of armor without me. He fought and defeated the original Megatron, so a cheap knock off will be nothing to him,’ Ratchet thought as he ran, trying to comfort himself as best he could . ‘And Fluttershy will be okay. She’s tougher than everyone thinks she is, including herself. She will last until I make it to her. She has to.’

Ratchet turned another corner and stopped dead in his tracks. There standing before the very door that he knew lead to where Fluttershy was being held, was Soundwave, blade in one hand, machine gun in the other. Ratchet, on instinct, felt his own blade and rifle appear from his arms, but he approached Soundwave slowly, giving himself time to think.

He knew that Soundwave was a terrifying fighter, one of the best that Cybertron had ever produced. He also knew that Soundwave could afford to take his time in fighting Ratchet. Ratchet didn’t have time to spare. And then there was the fact that Ratchet wasn’t a bot designed for combat. He had learned to fight and had gotten pretty good at it, but he was no warrior. Not like Soundwave. But Fluttershy was on the other side of that door. So he had to go through Soundwave, by any means necessary.

“You know, I always kinda figured that one day it might come down to you and me,” Ratchet said as he approached Soundwave, whose face was as impossible to read as always. “With me being Prime’s right-hand man and you being Megatron’s, I always felt like one day it would come down to us. And here we are. You and me. Fate of everything on the line.”

Soundwave nodded before he took up a fighting stance, preparing to tear Ratchet limb from limb. Ratchet stared across the hallway at his opponent for a moment before he retracted his weapons back into his body and held up his hands, getting Soundwave to tilt his head in confusion.

“But I don’t have time to fight you. Not only am I fairly certain that I couldn’t beat you, but I don’t have time to waste fighting you either. So instead I’m going to bargain with you,” Ratchet told Soundwave in a no-nonsense tone, one that got Soundwave to slowly stand back up. “So what is it going to take, Soundwave? What is it going to take to get you to stand aside and let me save Fluttershy. What do you want more than anything in the world?”

Soundwave looked at Ratchet for a long moment, long enough for Ratchet to believe that he would truly have to fight his way past Soundwave to save Fluttershy. Then, Soundwave’s chest opened up and he pulled out a creature that Ratchet knew all too well. Soundwave then extended Laserbeak to Ratchet, who didn’t have to see the look on Soundwave’s face to know what Soundwave wanted.

“Alright Soundwave, I will repair Laserbeak,” Ratchet promised as he walked over to Soundwave and gingerly took the bird from him. “I swear to you that I will repair him not on my pride as an Autobot, but on my pride as a doctor. When this is over, I will return him to you once more. But to be honest…I didn’t think you’d agree so easily. Is there something else that you’re not telling me?”

For a long moment Soundwave stared at Ratchet, trying to discern if there were any lies in his promise to repair Laserbeak. But when it truly seemed like Ratchet was willing and able to repair Soundwave’s ally did Soundwave finally speak.

“Ultracon is no Megatron.”

And then Soundwave stepped aside.

|]=O=[|

Fluttershy looked away as the armor lifted Optimus over its head and threw him through the nearest wall, yet she was unable to block her ears so not to hear the cry of pain that Optimus let out. Ultracon on the other hand watched every second of Prime’s agony and suffering with glee, and he kept his eyes completely glued on the screen, which is exactly what Fluttershy wanted.

She nodded to the squirrel in her pocket and the fuzzy creature dropped from her pocket down to the floor below where Fluttershy was hanging. The creature then scurried into the base of the machine that was keeping Fluttershy trapped and vanished from her sight. She closed her eyes more a moment to pray for her furry friend before she turned her attention back to Ultracon.

“This is all the Autobots fault, you know,” he said to her, as if he knew she was looking at him.

“How’s that?” Fluttershy managed to spit out.

“I’m not talking about Prime or the Autobot’s here. No, as much as I hate them at least I have some respect for them. It’s the Autobot’s back on Cybertron that are truly to blame for all of this,” Ultracon clarified and Fluttershy chose to remain silent. “We had hoped that after the events of the first Deceptacon and Autobot war that things would change. That the Autobot council would try to make the new Cybertron a fairer world, unlike the one of old.”

“But the council once again let us down. Not only did they continue on with the way things used to be, but they somehow managed to make it worse. Not only were all Deceptacons hunted as war criminals that were to be executed on sight, but those that had tried to stay neutral in the war were now criminals as well. And now new Cybertron is under their militaristic control that puts down any that dare to speak out against them.”

“But with you and your friends magic, we can tear down the Autobot council once and for all, so that we may rebuild Cybertron to be a fair and just world. One where no bot is considered less than any other. One that will not be ruled by tyranny and oppression, but with freedom and choice. With your power, I can finally destroy the Autobot’s once and for all!”

“…and how many have to die before you achieve this dream of yours?” Fluttershy asked Ultracon, who finally turned to look at her.

“I am trying to make Cybertron into a world of peace freed from oppression. If a few must be sacrificed for that goal, then they should feel honored having to have died for the greater good,” Ultracon clarified for Fluttershy, who stared at him like he was nuts. “And with me as the ruler of Cybertron, I will make sure no one will suffer like the Deceptacons suffered under the Autobot oppression. I will use the magic and people of this earth to free my world and ensure that no transformer ever has to suffer like we did again. That is my promise.”

“So you’re going to use your military to take power and use it to oppress the Autobot’s that once oppressed you, while oppressing and using humans that you kidnapped and forced into your war for your own selfish goals. Sounds like your inner Autobot Council is showing,” Fluttershy weakly snarked in reply, but her words were still sharp enough to get Ultracon to narrow his optics.

“I do not expect you to understand my ideals. I expect you to stay and watch as the last hope of the Autobot’s dies before you become the source of my power to take back Cybertron!” Ultracon snarled at Fluttershy.

“Don’t think I’ll be doing either of those,” Fluttershy told Ultracon with a smile. “I’ll be seeing you later.”

The moment she said this the squirrel finished chewing through the wires to Fluttershy containment field and the energon restraints vanished. The moment she was free she activated her harmonic form and took to the skies, barely missing Ultracon’s hand and flying over to the terminal. She knew she only had a few second to try to deactivate the armor before Ultracon was on her and she didn’t know if she was fast enough.

So it was a good thing for her at that moment Ratchet blasted off the doors to the room.
> Endgame
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Endgame

For a brief moment everything came to a halt. Ratchet glanced over at Fluttershy, Fluttershy glanced from him to Ultracon and Ultracon only had optics on Ratchet. Then, as if time was starting to move again, Ratchet leapt towards Fluttershy while firing at Ultracon, forcing the leader of the Deceptacons to dive behind cover to avoid being hit.

“What’s the game plan here?!” Ratchet asked Fluttershy as he kept up the suppressing fire on Ultracon, hoping to keep him pinned for as long as he could.

“Right now I need to either find out how to shut down the armor or make it release my friends that are powering it!” Fluttershy yelled over the cracks of energon fire. She jumped on a few keys and tried to access the terminal, but all her efforts did was manage to turn one of the cameras off. “Darn it all, how hard can I be to work advanced alien tech from another world?!”

“I could access it for you, but in order to do that I’d have to stop firing on Ultracon and give him a chance to kill the both of us,” Ratchet snarled, before Ultracon began to unleash blasts of energon towards the pair. Ratchet threw himself over Fluttershy to protect her from the assault, clenching his jaw as the blasts bombarded his back. “What do you think? What to switch places?”

“Sure. Give me your rifle and I’ll stop him myself,” Fluttershy said to Ratchet with a smirk. Ratchet smiled at her response before he quickly hit a few panels on the terminal, bringing up the information on the armor that was kicking the energon out of Prime.

“That’s all I can do for now! You have to figure out the rest!” Ratchet roared before he spun around and charged through the energon barrage. He slammed his shoulder into Ultracon with such force that he ripped the Con from his feet and carried him on his shoulder, slamming the Con into a wall back first. Ultracon drove a foot into the chest of Ratchet and sent him skidding backwards, where he dug his fingers into the ground to keep from going any further.

“Do you really think this is wise, Autobot?” Ultracon asked Ratchet as his right arm transformed and a sickly green whip saber emerged from within. Ultracon cracked the saber across the ground and it sliced an S into the floor like it was made of butter. “You’ve surely heard of what I am capable of and what I can do to an Autobot. Is it truly wise to fight me all on your own?”

“In terms of tactics and strategy, taking you on alone might be the dumbest thing I could do at this very moment,” Ratchet agreed before twin scalpels shot out above his wrists. “But ever since I met that problem child called Fluttershy I’ve been doing dumb thing after dumb thing and somehow we’re all still standing. Who knows, maybe sometimes you have to do something dumb.”

Ultracon narrowed his optics before he let his whip sword fly towards Ratchet. Ratchet watched as the sword crackled through the air on an arch straight for him, calculating the distance and angles at which it was moving. At the last second he stepped to the side just in time for the blade to whip past him.

“But don’t think for a moment just because I’m more open to dumb ideas that I’ve stopped using my processor,” Ratchet finished with a malevolent smile. With a burst of fire erupting from under his feet, Ratchet dashed up to Ultracon and jabbed at him with his blades. Ultracon weaved to the side to avoid being hit while also twirling his energon saber around himself, forcing Ratchet to back away to avoid being sliced up by the blade.

Ratchet calculated the position and timing of the blades before he struck out with one of his scalpels. His timing was slightly off and in the next instant his blade was cleaved from his wrist, leaving Ratchet with a sizzling green stump where his blade used to be. Ultracon took that moment to press his own attack, whipping the sword all around the area, forcing Ratchet to stay mobile to avoid being sliced to pieces.

“How’s it coming, Fluttershy?!” Ratchet yelled over at the human girl before he dove out of the way of the whip once more.

“I’m doing the best I can with this advanced, alien tech! I think I’ve learned how to move the mouse!” Fluttershy yelled back.

“By the Primes!” Ratchet cursed before transforming into vehicle mode and driving underneath of Ultracon. Ultracon only had a moment to process what was happening before Ratchet transformed back into robot mode right underneath of Ultracon, launching the Con into the ceiling. As the Con returned back down Ratchet slammed a shoulder into his falling body, launching him across the room and into the side of an energon tank.

“Enough of this,” Ultracon snarled before his whip sword retracted into his body, only to be replaced with a triple barrel cannon a moment later. Ratchet’s optics widened in horror before he dove out of the way of the incoming barrage.  Explosions rocked the terminal chamber with such intensity that Fluttershy nearly fell off of the terminal. Ratchet kicked over one of Soundwave’s operating tables and used it as cover, bringing out his rifle and returning fire on Ultracon.

“Ratchet, the stupid thing is password protected!” Fluttershy yelled over at Ratchet, who could barely hear her over the sounds of the battle. “What would the Deceptacons use as a password for their super-secret computer? I’ve already tried evil and mean!”

“How would I know what the Deceptacons would use?! I’m an Autobot!” Ratchet roared back before he kicked the table he was crouched behind towards Ultracon, who brought his blade once more to slice the piece of metal in half before continuing to fire.

“Come on Fluttershy, you can figure this out,” Fluttershy told herself, trying to ignore the cries and shouting going on behind her. She glanced up at the camera that was still on the “battle” between the armor and Prime, but it was hard for her to watch. The armor had driven Prime’s head through the floor and was dragging him face first through the metal and wiring. Prime was covered in his own energon, but seemed to still be functioning. For the time being.

‘Nothing works!’ she roared in her mind when she tried another password only for it to fail once more. ‘I’ve tried everything I could think of and none of my ideas worked. I can’t ask any of the Deceptacons and my only other option is to destroy this piece of machinery that’s over ten times larger than me! I don’t even think my magic could-‘

Then Fluttershy remembered the day that Stickshift had been killed. It was a day that she would never be able to forget and she remembered each detail perfectly. Usually she focused on the loss of one of the Autobot’s and the pain that it brought her, but in that moment she was remembering another detail. How she had felt so helpless and weak that she had let her magic consume her to the point that it lashed out at everything around her. Including the communications terminal. And that she had destroyed it.

Realizing what she had to do, Fluttershy cranked her magical power up to eleven and surged with magical energy, so much that she was at the point where her hair stood straight up and her eyes went white. She then slammed her hands onto the terminal and channeled all of that magic into the wires and metal. The terminal began to screech as the metal was warped by the magic, while energon and smoke poured out from within then center as the magic overrode the wiring. Lights exploded, holograms vanished, and when she looked up at the camera where Prime was, she saw her efforts being rewarded as the armor took a shuddering step forward before it collapsed to the ground.

Then the terminal exploded in her face.

Pain slashed through the girl as the explosion rocketed her across the room. Her aura of magic protected her from anything that would have been lethal, but plenty of metal and glass slashed through her body. She hit the ground hard and rolled to her side, gasping in silence as she tried to get the air back into her lunges. Smoke filled the room from the decimated terminal, cloaking the two fighters from her view.

‘It’s not over yet, Fluttershy. You have to get back up and help,’ she thought, forcing herself to ignore the agony in her limbs as she tried to push herself back to her knees. Then she spied a hand reaching down to her, a hand that belonged to a bot she knew all too well. Ratchet was offering her his hand.

“Come on Fluttershy, let’s put an end to this once and for all,” Ratchet told Fluttershy as she rolled onto his hand, weakly sitting it ad trying to ignore the fire lancing through her nerves. “Ultracon is too strong for me to defeat by myself. But if the two of us work together, we can bring him down for good.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Fluttershy asked, even though everything was hazy and she wasn’t thinking too clearly. “Let’s take this Con down. For Stickshift.”

“For Stickshift,” Ratchet agreed before he opened up his chest plate. Fluttershy activated her harmonic form once more and moved into position, inserting her arms and legs into their normal positions. Tendrils wrapped around her body to root her in place and the chest piece closed around her, while the spark within began to glow with light. 

But then everything around her started to change. The cavity she was in began to warp and shift, with more tendrils wrapping around her arms and legs as well as her body. Panic clutched at her throat as she tried to figure out what was going on, but it wasn’t until she saw shades of green begin to appear that the idea of what had happened entered her mind.

“No,” she whispered to herself as one last tendril wrapped around her face. In that moment she could see what her host was seeing and what she saw devastated her. For the bot she was in was looking across the room at Ratchet, who was struggling to get up to his feet as energon leaked down from his side.

The optics of her partner then looked down at his own body, which was now green and yellow with pink highlights on it. A whip sword formed out of one hand while a now massive cannon filled with magic appeared on the other. But it was the laugh that told Fluttershy what she had unintentionally done. A laugh that made her soul turn to ice.

“Ah Fluttershy, I knew you would see things my way eventually,” Ultracon laughed as his body began to syphon the magic out of Fluttershy, who screamed in pain as it happened.

“Welcome to the winning team.”
> Endgame (2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Endgame (2)

“This power. This absolute power! This is what it is like to have one of those little batteries powering you!” Ultracon laughed with delight as he glanced down at his new form, taking time to savor the new feeling of power the likes of which he had never felt before. “Hahaha, no wonder Soundwave was so keen on having these girls, this power is insane! I feel like I could crush anyone that stands in my way! I feel like I could crush a Prime. In fact, I’m going to go crush Prime!”

“Not as long as I still function!” Ratchet roared as he charged towards Ultracon, who had been too busy with his new power to notice the other Autobot. So when he turned to look at Ratchet he took a boot to the side of his head. And even with his new, magical form, Ratchet was still big and heavy enough to cause the Con to stumble. “Release Fluttershy this instant! At the rate you are draining power from her you’ll kill her!”

“And that is supposed to concern me? She has five other friends who can all power me in the same way. I will drain Fluttershy until she is nothing more than a husk, then I will do the same to her friends!” Ultracon promised Ratchet, who bellowed with fury as he summoned his scalpel and machine gun. He unloaded everything that his gun had as he charged towards Ultracon, but the Con’s magical barrier stopped the energon bullets before they could reach him.

He then lashed out with his hand and grabbed Ratchet by the face, halting the Autobot in his tracks. Ultracon then lifted Ratchet into the air with a single arm, while his right arm brought out the whip sword once more. 

“But you do bring up a good point. What is the point of killing this girl before I can properly use her? In fact, why should I use Fluttershy’s power alone when I have five other girls whose powers I can combine Fluttershy’s with?” Ultracon asked Ratchet, who kicked and clawed at the Con in an effort to kill him. “You are smarter than you let on, Ratchet. Thanks for helping me learn what to do with these powers. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Fluttershy. At least, for the short time she has left.”

Ultracon then hurled Ratchet across the room and through the nearest wall, which crumbled down on top of Ratchet and buried him beneath the rubble. Ultracon then let out a laugh of delight before he went charging down the corridors of his battle station, heading right for where Optimus Prime was. He turned a corner to find Prime standing over the armor that Ultracon had spent so many cycles working on, trying to pry open the front of it so he could free the other girls. Ultracon couldn’t let that stand.

Optimus didn’t hear Ultracon coming until the Con’s twin boots drove themselves into the side of Optimus’s head, sending him sprawling away from the suit of armor. Optimus groaned weakly as he slowly pushed himself back up to his feet, only to turn around to realize the horror of the situation he was in.

“Ultracon, what have you done?” Optimus asked in horror as he recognized the form that Ultracon had achieved.

“What have I done, Prime? I’ve done what only Ratchet was able to do! I have achieved unison with one of the human girls whose magic you have fought so hard to keep from me,” Ultracon informed Prime, before he lifted his cannon and fired it towards Optimus. Prime rolled out of the way of the attack and picked up his axe at the same time, so that when he sprung to his feet he was both in a better position and far better armed.

“Ultracon, release Fluttershy this instant and I promise you shall live to see tomorrow,” Optimus warned the Con as he swung the axe menacingly.

“Don’t act for a moment like you have any intention of fighting me, Prime,” Ultracon smirked at Optimus. “I still have one of you precious, little humans inside of me, one that might get hurt or killed if you try to fight me. Of course, you always could fight back, but today I feel like blocking all of your attacks with my chest. Is that a risk you’re willing to take, Optimus?”

“Is this how far into madness your goals have driven you? That you would use an innocent soul that has done nothing to you or anyone else to further your own twisted desires?” Optimus asked the Con, knowing that he couldn’t risk hurting Fluttershy. “I thought your goal was to create a world where none need fear being oppressed or kept down. Yet that is exactly what you’re doing to her.”

“I do dream of creating that world, Optimus. But that world doesn’t exist yet. So I will need to do everything in my power to make sure it does,” Ultracon said before he lifted his cannon and fired it at Prime. Optimus had been waiting for the attack and he rolled out of the way, before he shifted to his smaller vehicle mode to race around the rest of Ultracon’s shots.

Prime transformed back into a robot and slammed his fist into Ultracons face, staggering the Con. Ultracon might have been more powerful than Prime thanks to the effects of Fluttershy’s magic, but Prime was still a full head taller than him. And with that size came a lot of force.

Ultracon lashed out at Prime with his whip, but Prime held up an arm and allowed the whip to wrap itself around his limb. Once the blade was stuck Optimus then took his axe and drove it through the base of the whip sword, slicing it clean from Ultracon’s body. Ultracon roared with rage as Optimus tore the blade free from his body, before moving towards Ultracon once more.

“You may have Fluttershy’s magic, but I have centuries of experience and a knowledge of how you fight. I don’t have to hurt Fluttershy to beat you. I just have to tear off your arms and legs and leave you immobile so that I can remove her,” Optimus told Ultracon, who lifted his cannon towards Prime.

“No, this can’t be. I’m far more powerful than you!” Ultracon roared at Optimus.

“Your power isn’t enough,” Optimus snarled at Ultracon.

Those words seemed to hit Ultracon like a truck and for a moment he lowered his weapon. Then a laugh escaped his lips and he raised his weapon once more, but this time he aimed it above Prime. “You are right, Optimus! I can’t free Cybertron with the power of one girl alone! I will need all of them! And I have all of them!”

A blast of energon hit the ceiling over Optimus and forced him to leap out of the way off the falling rubble to avoid being crushed. With Optimus out of his way Ultracon raced over to where the suit lay fallen on the ground, glancing inside of it to see that the six girls that he had imprisoned inside were still there. A smile as wicked as his spark spread across his face before he pressed a button on the side of the armor. The head piece retracted and the chest plate opened, allowing just enough room for a certain Con to fit inside.

Optimus groaned and shook his head as he rose back up to his feet, still feeling the wear and tear of his fight with the cybertronian suit. He glanced down at his right arm to see energon leaking from the gashes caused by the energon whip saber. But he knew that Ultracon had to be stopped then and there, so he ignored the pain as he turned around to face Ultracon…only to see that Ultracon now stood a full head taller than him.

“Hello, Prime,” Armored Ultracon said before he slammed a fist into Prime’s chest, ripping the Autobot leader from the ground and hurling him down the hallway. Prime crashed onto the ground on his back, the momentum from the blow causing him to skid across the floor until he came to a halt in a central chamber.

Optimus groaned in pain as he slowly started to get back up, before his optics widened as Ultracon came barreling down the hallway towards him. Optimus transformed his left arm into the Cannon of the Primes and prepared to fire ancient energon that would have been strong enough to bring down a battleship. But then he remembered that not only was Fluttershy trapped inside of Ultracon, but Pinkie and the others were still in the armor. So with his arm shaking he lowered it to his side, right before Ultracon yanked him from the ground and drove him into the wall.

Prime cried out with pain as the metal folded against the impact, while Ultracon laughed at Optimus’s agony. Ultracon then grabbed Prime by the face and whipped Prime over his head, slamming the Autobot leader back first into the chamber floor. The floor buckled and bent under the impact of Prime, who groaned weakly as Ultracon walked over him.

“Am I strong enough now, Prime? Now that I have all of the precious, little humans that you fought so hard to keep safe?” Ultracon asked Prime, who cocked back a fist in response and slammed it into the side of Ultracon’s face. Yet the blow didn’t even budge the Con, who smirked at Optimus’s futile attempt to fight back. “Don’t you get it? I have all the six girls. I have access to all of their magic! And let me tell you Prime, this power is beyond anything I have felt before! Allow me to show you!”

With a kick of his legs Ultracon leapt into the air and came crashing down towards Prime, planning on crushing him on impact. Prime was still one of the best and had the sense to roll out of the way of the descending Con. Ultracon crashed into the ground where Prime had been a moment earlier and the force of his impact caved the floor in completely. Both Autobot and Deceptacon fell into the depths of the battle station, with Prime landing hard on his front while Ultracon landed on his feet.

Despite his cracked chassis, his sliced apart arm and the knowledge that he wouldn’t be truly able to fight back against Ultracon, Prime pushed himself back up to his feet, narrowing his optics as he found that Ultracon’s attack had put the two next to the central core of the base. Hundreds of energon tubes all fed into a central sphere filled with energon, one that Prime was certain fueled the base and its soldiers.

“This is where it ends, Optimus,” Ultracon said in a low voice, one that was devoid of his usual laughter or malice. “This is where the last Prime finally dies. And with him dies the ways of old, the Autobot Council and the oppression and injustice that has been forced down on Cybertron for so long. For when I slay the last Prime, none shall stand against me.”

“There will always be others that will rise up to fight against your evil,” Prime replied as he brought out his axe once more. “Even if you slay me, there will be others.”

“Perhaps, but they will not be you, Optimus…one shall stand,” Ultracon began as he created a magical sword.

“One shall fall,” Optimus finished.

And then the two charged.
> Endgame (3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Endgame (3)

As Ratchet’s processor came back online and his optics opened once more, the full realization of how bad things were at the moment hadn’t fully dawned on him yet. The multiple blows to his head might have been responsible for his failure to grasp the severity of the situation or it just might have been him not wanting to believe how wrong for the Autobot’s things had gotten. But as he pulled himself back up to his feet, he knew one thing to be true. Fluttershy was a part of Ultracon.

That thought woke Ratchet back up and he sprinted out of the room, following the faint traces of her magic as best he could. He didn’t know why or how Fluttershy and Ultracon had managed to combine, but what he did know was that she was going to be killed. Which gave him all the more incentive to run faster.

He slammed shoulder first into a wall when he tried to take a corner, revealing to him just how badly damaged he actually was. Doing a system check revealed that Ratchet’s right arm was barely functioning, most of his weapons were damaged beyond the point of being useable and that he was running low on energon reserves. He was in no shape to take on a rookie Con, let alone their leader.

Yet he remembered that Ultracon had bragged to Ratchet about how Ultracon was finally powerful enough to kill a Prime, telling Ratchet all he needed to know about where Ultracon had gotten to. But as Ratchet ran into the hallway where he had last seen Prime, he instantly realized how bad things had gotten while he had been out. 

A giant hole had been ripped open in the center of the floor, leading down into the depths of the true Deceptacon base. Down below Ratchet could see the power core that ran energon to the entire base, with its hundreds of tubes that was filled with the life-giving fuel. However, it wasn’t the core of the Cons base that drew Ratchet’s optics, it was the two bots battling it out nearby.

Ultracon had managed to combine with the very same armor that Ratchet had remembered walking towards him and Prime, bringing the Deceptacon leader onto Prime’s level. And to make matters worse, Ratchet’s sensors could detect all six of the girl’s magic coming from within the suit of armor, telling Ratchet where Fluttershy’s friends had gotten to. And with that much magic, Ratchet knew that there was no bot alive that could challenge him now.

Optimus looked like he had been through a blender. His armor was ripped and full of gashes and holes, most of which were leaking energon at an alarming rate to Ratchet’s medical optics. His double-sided axe was now a single sided one and the one side that was left was cracked on one side. His Cannon of the Prime, a weapon gifted to him by the spirits of the Primes themselves, was sliced clean in two at the barrel, leaving it a shell of its former glory.

Yet all of the damage done to Optimus’s weapons and chassis was nothing compared to the damage that Optimus had suffered to his confidence. All Ratchet had to do was look into Optimus’s eyes to see that the leader of the Autobot’s was at the end of his rope. Ratchet knew Optimus better than any bot and from the way that the armor that Ultracon wore seemed to barely have a scratch on it, he knew that Optimus wasn’t fighting back. He was trying to avoid hurting the girls. Even if it cost him his life.

“This is the great Optimus Prime?” Ultracon laughed from within the armor, smirking at the Autobot leader who was using most of his strength just to remain vertical. “The Autobot who lead his soldiers against the onslaught of Megatron? The Autobot who saved the entire Autobot army from being decimated in the final days of Cybertron? You are the great warrior who slayed Megatron? Pathetic.”

To cement his point Ultracon lunged towards Optimus and drove a fist into the side of his head, launching Optimus across the room and to the floor. A weak groan of pain escaped from Optimus as he slowly began to push himself up once more, leaving Ultracon plenty of time to stalk towards him.

“Everyone always says how Megatron was the greatest Deceptacon of all time. But if I slay you, it will prove to them all that he was nothing more than a brute. For once I slay you, I will be hailed as the greatest Con of them all!” Ultracon said with mirth as he reached Optimus, who had fought back up to one knee. “And I will have beaten you without taking a scratch.”

“Ultracon, you know full well that the only reason you still function is because I would not dare to risk the lives of the seven girls you have kidnapped,” Optimus said in a cold tone to Ultracon. “For if you did not have them shielding you and your cowardice, I would have ended this battle long ago. You have not beaten me. I have allowed myself to be beaten to protect them.”

“A noble reason, I’m sure, but the end result is still the same,” Ultracon replied as his arm transformed into an ion cannon, one which he pointed right between Prime’s eyes. “You will be dead and I will be hailed as the greatest Con of all. And if Megatron was as smart as others said he was, he would have used far more human hostages when he fought you all those cycles ago. Goodbye, Prime.”

“NO!”

A blast caught Ultracon in the arm and angled his shot away from Prime, causing the Con to blast a massive hole in the floor next to where Prime was kneeling. The moment the shot caught the armor, however, Pinkie cried out in pain and grabbed at her right arm. 

“Ratchet, hold your fire!” Optimus roared at the Autobot, who landed on Optimus’s level a moment later. “The armor is linked directly to Pinkie. If you hit the armor in any way that causes pain she will be the one to feel it.”

“I can’t just stand by and watch him kill you!” Ratchet snarled in reply, but weak as he was Prime was still able to give Ratchet a glare that silenced any further arguments.

“Until Pinkie and the others have been freed from that armor, standing by while doing nothing is exactly what we shall be doing,” Optimus ordered.

“Which makes it all the easier to do this.”

A blast of energon caught Ratchet in the leg and sent him sprawling before Ultracon turned on Prime and blasted him right in the center of his chest. Prime let out one last cry of pain before his eyes went dark and he slumped over without another sound. For a moment Ultracon waited to see if Prime would get back up, but when he didn’t the Con began to laugh.

“I’ve done it. I’ve actually done it! Optimus Prime, the bane of the Deceptacon army, is finally dead!” Ultracon laughed with victory. Ratchet, who turned his scanner onto Optimus, knew the truth that Optimus wasn’t dead, but was on the verge of death. If he didn’t get medical aid and quickly, the legendary Prime would be dead. But Ratchet also knew that there was no way to treat Prime with Ultracon still there. Yet every blow thrown against Ultracon would be felt by one of the girls, meaning Ratchet couldn’t try to kill him even if he was able to.

‘There has to be something I can do,’ Ratchet thought as he strained to get back to his feet, turning Ultracon’s attention towards him. ‘Even at one hundred percent I’m not sure I could beat him and I’m nowhere close to that. And that armor of his prevents anyone from getting to where they could hurt him, even if they had no qualms about hurting the girls. Is there really no way to get past this?’

And then it dawned on Ratchet. There was someone who could get past the armor, get past the fact that every blow that landed upon the armor would be felt by the girls. Because she was already past it. She was right next to Ultracon’s spark. And she knew exactly how to dismantle a Transformer from the inside.

“Fluttershy, can you hear me?” Ratchet said to both the approaching Deceptacon and the communicator that kept him connected to Fluttershy. “If you can hear me, it is up to you. Prime is down, I’m not looking much better and Ultracon is too strong. You’re the only one that can.”

“What’s this? You’re putting the fate of the Autobot’s, and yourself, in the hands of a human girl that can’t do anything but watch? That is rich,” Ultracon said to Ratchet before he grabbed the bot by the head and lifted him up, summoning his energon blade once more. “Go ahead, bot. Call out for your little friend. Call out and beg for her to save you. But she won’t. Because all of her power is now mine. She would kill herself trying to break free from me and we both know you won’t allow that. But go ahead, ask for little Fluttershy to save you.”

“Fluttershy, Ultracon is an infiltrator, class seven transformer. You know what that means,” Ratchet muttered weakly into the communicator, each of his words causing Ultracons smile to widen. “It has to be you. I wish I could take this burden upon myself, but anything I try will result in hurting your friends. You have to do this. I know you can.”

“Really? You truly believe that weak human has what it takes to beat me?” Ultracon asked.

“She is far stronger than you ever will be,” Ratchet spat back. Ultracon narrowed his eyes and brought back his blade, aiming right for where Ratchet’s spark would be.

“Well, it’s too bad that she couldn’t hear you,” Ultracon said with one last smile at Ratchet. “But as a consolation prize, I’ll let her watch as I strike you down before her very eyes!”

Ultracon then plunged the blade clean through Ratchet’s spark. Or at least, that’s what he wanted to do, but when it came time for his body to carry out his minds orders his arm remained locked in place. Ultracon snarled as he tried once more to drive his blade through Ratchet’s spark, but both his blade and his arm remained stubbornly rooted in place. 

“What…is happening?” Ultracon asked.

Unbeknownst to Ultracon, Fluttershy had heard every word that Ratchet had said to her. She heard how Optimus had fallen, how Ratchet was beaten and how her friends were in grave danger. How it all fell to her. So even with Ultracon syphoning all of her magical power to be used for his own goals, even with the waves of agonizing pain that washed over her, she began to fight. She forced herself to strain against the metallic bonds that held her. She also forced the magic that Ultracon had taken to work for her. It might not have been in her body anymore, but it was still her magic and it still obeyed her without question.

And with that magic flowing through every vein in Ultracon’s body, Flutershy quickly discovered that she could use her pull over Ultracon’s body to stop anything he tried. When he tried to impale Ratchet, she held his arm back. When he tried to clench his fingers and crush Ratchet’s head, she reversed the grip and freed Ratchet. But she knew that it wouldn’t be enough. She had to stop him. She had to save the Autobot’s and her friends. No matter the cost.

With a roar of will and fury one would expect only to hear from Megatron himself, Fluttershy channeled every last bit of her remaining magic into her veins, drawing forth on her internal power to fight. Despite the metal being from an advanced alien species and how drained she was, the metal began to groan as she tore herself free. After a moment she managed to rip free her right arm, slicing it apart on the shredded metal as she did so.

But the girl didn’t have time to focus on the pain. Instead she coated her free arm in magic and grabbed hold of the other restraint, ripping it open and allowing herself to free her left arm. She summoned her magical blades around her hands and sliced free her legs, leaving her free to do whatever she wanted within Ultracon’s chest.

“Ultracon, I know you can hear me!” Fluttershy roared before she sliced through one of the enegon tubes, cleaving it open and spilling energon all over herself. She heard Ultracon roar in pain and knew that she had his attention. “I’m free inside of you and I have full access to all of your vital areas. Listen and listen well, for if you don’t do exactly as I say, I’ll slice open each and every one of these tubes. Are we clear?!”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Ultracon defied in reply. Fluttershy sliced open another tube in response to his dare. “Fine! Fine! Just stop!”

“I want you to free my friends. Now,” Flutteshy demanded, before slicing a third tube open. “That was to show that I’m not going to wait long for you to do as I say. But if you listen to me without question, I promise that I’ll patch you up and let you walk out of this alive.”

She heard mechanical whirring, followed by what sounded like glass sliding. She waited a moment before pressing a hand to her communicator so that she could speak to Ratchet. “Ratchet, did Ultracon do as I said?”

“He did Fluttershy. I have your six friends right here. They’re safe.”

“Good. Ratchet, I want you to take them and Optimus and get them to safety. They’re going to need your medical expertise if they all hope to make it out of this alive.”

“What?! I’m not leaving you here alone!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got Ultracon’s body on lockdown. He can’t go anywhere, not with my magic running through his veins,” Fluttershy told Ratchet. “And even if he does manage to break free, I’m right next to his spark. His heart is literally in my hands,” she continued as she placed a hand on Ultracons green spark.

“Fluttershy-“

“They will die without you, Ratchet. And neither of us will allow that to happen,” Fluttershy told Ratchet, who stayed silent in reply. “Remember how you kidnapped me when we first met? This is how you can pay me back for that. By trusting me to keep Ultracon in check.”

“…I’ll get Optimus and your friends to the Autobot’s but them I’m coming right back for you,” Ratchet promised Fluttershy.

“Thank you.”

Ratchet transformed into his vehicle mode and placed the girls the front of himself, before he drove over to where Optimus was lying motionless on the floor. He attached a cable to Optimus and began to drag him towards the exit, while Fluttershy used her control over Ultracon to keep him from trying anything.

“No…no no no no!” Ultracon roared as Ratchet reached the door leading out of the room. “I will not be like all the others! I will not come so close to killing Prime only to fail in the end!”

With all of the control and force he could muster, Ultracon forced his gun arm to lift up and aim at where Ratchet was leaving with Optimus and the girls. Fluttershy had been waiting for him to try something, though, so she was ready and waiting. The moment he had his arm level she used her control over his body to whip his arm to the side so that he’d fire into the wall.

But to her surprise she found that when she moved Ultracon’s arm he moved along with her, spinning his arm and body further than Fluttershy had planned. Which ended up with Ultracon’s gun aimed right at the power core for the facility.

“No,” Fluttershy whispered right before Ultracon fired.

The blast hit the side of the core and instantly caused detonation along it, sending out explosions of energon that shook the building. Realizing what he had done, Fluttershy drove her blades through the front of Ultracon’s chest and carved a small escape hole for herself, which she quickly wriggled out of.

“Fluttershy!” Ratchet called out over the comm.

“I’m coming! Don’t wait up!” she instructed him as more explosions rocked the base. The ceiling, weakened from Ultracon driving Prime through it, began to come down around her and Ultracon. Fluttershy summoned forth her wings and launched herself away from Ultracon, who raced after her as quickly as he could.

Though she was severely weakened from having so much of her magic drained, a combination of adrenalin and fear was enough to push Fluttershy past her exhaustion. She flew across the room and reached the door where Ratchet was waiting for her, revving his engine in hopes that it would somehow make her go faster. She rocketed through the door, causing Ratchet to haul bumper after her. He activated his vehicles weapons mode and fired at the nearest wall, punching a hole in it that lead to the outside.

“We’re going to make it!” Ratchet told her and Fluttershy nodded to agree, before something in the back of her mind caused her to look over her shoulder. She looked just in time to see Ultracon stumble and fall, before clutching at where his spark was. A spark that was damaged and flooding thanks to what Fluttershy had done. Ultracon wasn’t going to make it away from the explosion in time.

For a brief moment she considered what she should do. But only for a moment.

In the next moment she spun around and rocketed herself back towards Ultracon, catching Ratchet completely off guard. With the added weight of Optimus Prime as well as the speeds he was going at, Ratchet couldn’t stop in time until he had skidded outside of the Deceptacon base. He spun around just in time to see Fluttershy reach Ultracon, her magic beginning to envelope the both of them, before a colossal explosion knocked the bot out.
> A Good Spark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Good Spark

The explosion had caused the base to collapse in upon itself, burying everything within it under thousands of tons of metal and debris. Most of the Autobot’s and Deceptacons had been fighting outside of the base. And thanks to Ratchet dragging Optimus outside just before the explosion went off, all of the Autobot’s had made it out before the base collapsed in on itself.

Ultracon and Fluttershy did not.

The two of them were buried at the center of the collapsed base, buried deep and under a nearly immoveable amount of metal and parts. It was a miracle, and the barrier of magic Fluttershy had managed to construct in time, that had saved their lives. Or at least, saved them for the time being.

Fluttershy’s barrier had been constructed rapidly enough to save her, but it had only partially covered Ultracon when the explosion had gone off. Now Ultracon lay tangled in wire and tubes, his right arm and leg missing, while energon seeped from all of the injuries he had sustained. His chest piece had also been ripped open, revealing his damaged spark and a pool off energon beneath it.

Fluttershy lay weakly on the Cons abdomen, everything feeling like it was on fire and each breath a struggle. She had completely exhausted her magic with her barrier and had nothing left, except a massive headache and a realization that it was getting harder and harder to breath. For a moment she laid there, the pain consuming her every thought, before she pressed up with her shaky arms and forced herself to stand so she could walk to Ultracon’s exposed spark.

Her muscles burned as she lowered herself inside of the sparks chamber, landing in a pool of energon that went up to her knees. One of the tubes that she had cut was still spewing out energon, so she staggered over to it and grabbed hold, using all of the might she had left in her to lift the tube and connect it with the part she had sliced it from, before using whatever scraps she could fine to seal it. The energon began moved back into the spark, even though some of it still leaked from the poorly made seal. Then she moved on to the next tube.

“What are you doing?” Ultracon asked her, his voice barely a whisper.

“What I promised to do. Trying to save you,” Fluttershy grunted as she grabbed the next tube, but it was slippery from being coated in energon and fell from her grasp.

“After everything I’ve done…kidnapping you and your friends, trying to kill the Autobot’s you care for…you’re still trying to save me?” Ultracon asked and for a moment he sounded like he was going to laugh. Then he coughed weakly and he went silent for a minute, a minute Fluttershy spent fixing another tube. “Why? I’m a Deceptacon.”

“Con. Bot. Makes no difference to me. I just don’t want to lose anyone else,” Fluttershy grunted as she reached the final slice tube, which was buried under metal scrap. She pressed her back up against the metal and tried to move it to the side, but it was too heavy and she was too weak.

“Sorry human, but you won’t be saving me,” Ultracon said with a sigh as he laid his head back and closed his optics. “Even if you somehow manage to fix the damage done around my spark, I’m losing energon too quickly from other wounds. And without your magic, you can’t repair them all.”

“How do you know I don’t have my magic?”

“If you had it, you’d be using it. Just let me go…it’s no less…than what I deserve…”

“Stop talking. Save your strength.”

“Say’s the girl that’s running out of oxygen. If you sat down and stopped exerting yourself, you might have an hour of oxygen left. At the rate you’re burning through it now?”

“I said to stop talking,” Fluttershy instructed before she realized that Ultracon’s spark was going dim. Horror filled Fluttershy’s eyes before she staggered to the spark, pulling herself on top of it and pressing her hands down on the center. As the spark went dark beneath her Fluttershy dug down, dug down deeper than she ever had before, a drew forth what crumbs of magic she had left in her body. What she drew forth could hardly be called a burst of magic, but it was enough to start Ultracon’s spark once more, though it was barely lit.

“You’re actually…trying to save me,” Ultracon whispered in disbelief. Fluttershy couldn’t answer. Sweat dripped from her face and each breath made her lungs burn, as less and less oxygen filled them each time. Her hands shook from exhaustion and she had spots dancing in her vision. Despite all that, she slowly crawled towards the edge of the spark and started to reach out for where the last tube was.

“Paintchange,” Ultracon said.

“Wha…?” Fluttershy weakly panted, certain she was hearing things.

“That’s my name. My real name. Ultracon…is the name I picked when I became a Con.”

“Knew Ultracon…was too stupid…” Fluttershy weakly mumbled in reply.

“I worked in a body paint shop on Cybertron. The new Cybertron. I helped bots that wanted to change their color and vehicle mode. After all on Cybertron we didn’t have vehicles to scan like we do here. I would change my body into what the customer was thinking about becoming so they could see if they liked it. It was a boring job, but I was happy.”

“The Autobot Council ruined it. They busted in one day and took all of us in, because there had been rumors that one of us was a Con. Turns out that the “Con” had just been me when I changed into a purple form for a bot to view. It didn’t matter to them. They took us all in. My best friend spoke up about the injustice, called them out on it…and the Autobot guarding us shot him dead. No one cared. That was when I realized how corrupt the Autobot council was…and how I wouldn’t rest until I had torn it down.”

“I escaped by changing into one of the guards. They thought I could only change my color, but they didn’t know I could change anything I wanted. So I slipped away, donned a new identity and found the remaining Deceptacons. I quickly rose to power for my skills at assassination and the war began once more. And then I found Soundwave, on accident, who told me to come to Earth to free him. If I did that, he would grant me the power needed to win the war. The rest you know.”

“Sorry…you had to…suffer. Doesn’t change…what you did…to others…” Fluttershy scolded as best she could.

“No…no it doesn’t,” Ultracon said before he closed his optics and his spark went dark once more. All Fluttershy could do this time was slam her fist into it and for a brief moment it came on once more. “Just wanted…to tell my story…to someone who might…understand. You don’t…see sides. You just see…those that need help. You’ve got…a good spark…maybe if we had…more bots like you…the war…between…would never…”

Ultracon’s head rolled back and his spark went completely dark. In vain Fluttershy reached for more magic to start it again, but she had none left. She left her arm to try and pound on the spark, but she found that her body wasn’t listening to her anymore. She took in one last breath, the last breath of air in the room, before she passed out on top of Ultracon’s spark, her mind going blank.

|]=O=[|

A groan escaped Ratchet’s lips as he came back online and the pain coursing through his head told him that he had yet to join the all spark. He slowly sat up as the world spun around him, vaguely aware that other Autobot’s were speaking to him. Then he remembered Fluttershy and everything came into a painful focus.

“Fluttershy!” Ratchet roared as he shot up, only for his leg to give out beneath him and he crashed back down. The two Autobot’s that had been beside him rushed to his aid, one of them being Red Alert, started tending to his injuries once more.

“Calm down old timer, you’re still kicking,” Air Raid said to Ratchet, placing a hand on his shoulder and helping him to lie back down on the ground. “The Cons base detonated and knocked you for a loop. You’ve been out for a while, but none of the damage to your head was severe. The rest of you took some work to patch up.”

“Speaking of bots that needed patching up, you’ll be happy to know that Optimus will live,” Red Alert told his teacher. “If it was any other bot that had suffered those kind of injuries they would be gone, but Optimus is as tough as they come. He’s offline right now, but he should recover. The girls are also safe. Out cold, but safe, even if Pinkie might need some minor medical treatment. You saved them all.”

“Fluttershy? What about Fluttershy?!” Ratchet practically yelled at the both of them and the two bots shared a look.

“She’s…still in there. If she’s still alive,” Air Raid said as he lowered his head. “We’ve been searching for hours now, but we can’t find her. We’re sorry, Ratchet.”

“No, we need to get her out of there!” Ratchet roared as he tried to get back up, but Air Raid placed both hands on Ratchet and pushed him back down.

“There is nothing you can do. There is tons and tons of metal covering that base and Fluttershy could be anywhere in it. At best, you’d just be getting in the way of the bots that are digging the place out,” Red Alert said. “I’m sorry Ratchet, but that’s all we can do for now. I promise you if we find her, we’ll-“

Then something in the rubble shifted, turning every Autobot’s optic towards the source of the movement. A panel fell to the side and a Deceptacon emerged, which caused the Autobot’s to point their weapons at him in unison. The Con slowly raised his hands over his head and began to walk forward slowly, making no threatening motion. He walked until he was somewhat close to Ratchet before he locked optics with the bot.

Ratchet narrowed his in reply before they widened in surprise. The Cons optics, the hole in his chest piece: it was the very same Con that Fluttershy had convinced Ratchet to save. The Con then slowly knelt down and lowered a hand to the ground, a hand that he opened to reveal Fluttershy, who he gently laid down on the ground.

Ratchet immediately pointed his scanner towards her and found that, despite all of the energon, wounds and dust covering her, she was still alive and breathing. Relief filled up his spark before he looked up at the Con, who turned to leave.

“Thank you for saving her,” Ratchet said to the Con, who gazed at Ratchet for a moment before answering.

“I didn’t do it for you.”

Then the Con transformed into a jet and took off into the sky.
> Future
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Future

“Hang on girls, I think she’s waking up!”

After hearing the voice say that, Fluttershy decided that it was indeed time to wake up. Her eyes cracked open, only for her to immediately regret it when she found a light was pointed right at her, and after a few moments of blinking she found herself looking up at the smiling faces of her friends.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, but before she could she was tackled by her friends and hugged by all of them at once. There was laughing and crying and talking all going on at once and Fluttershy had no idea what any of them were saying. Through her friends she spotted Ratchet trying to say something, but each time he spoke louder her friends got louder in reply. It was only when Optimus spoke that the celebrating and hugging finally came to an end.

“I am glad to see that you are alright, Fluttershy,” Optimus said in a relieved tone to the girl, though Fluttershy noticed that Optimus sound weary and weak. “When the Deceptacon base came crashing down on top of you, the Autobot’s nearby feared the worse when they discovered you were not with your friends.”

“Yeah, guess I got lucky, huh? Speaking of, which one of you guys found me just in time?” Fluttershy asked. “Last thing I remember was passing out from lack of oxygen, so it couldn’t have been more than maybe ten seconds after I passed out.”

For a moment Optimus looked back at Ratchet, who smiled before shrugging his shoulders. “Let’s just say you were saved because somebody owed you their life. And that you were saved because you were right and this stubborn old fool…has a habit of being wrong.”

Fluttershy thought about Ratchet’s words for a moment, before a knowing smile crossed her face and Ratchet nodded to show she was right. “However, there is more to tell you. After we recovered you and brought you back to our secondary base to check for injuries, I did a scan on your body. And I found…well…”

Ratchet pushed a button on his arm and brought up a holographic image of Fluttershy’s body, except that everything but her veins were blacked out. Fluttershy looked at the image for a moment before she looked at Ratchet with a confused look upon her face.

“I don’t get it. What am I looking at here?” Fluttershy asked him.

“That Fluttershy, is your veins. The currently have blood and magic running through them…as well as energon.” Fluttershy’s eyes widened with shock and she looked back at the image, realizing that there was a third something running through her. “I don’t know how it got there or why your body is perfectly fine with it being there, but something happened that caused your body to tolerate energon inside of you with no negative repercussions. At least, none that I’ve seen so far.”

Fluttershy looked down at her arms, staring at her veins that seemed perfectly normal. Then she thought back to how Paintchange had been unable to control her or how she had managed to combine with Transformers so easily…and she started to wonder how much of an effect energon had on those moments.

“At the moment you’re perfectly healthy. More than that, since your friends copied your trick of healing others with magic and used it on you,” Ratchet continued and the girls piled into one giant hug once more. Ratchet tried to regain control of the situation, but once again it took Optimus speaking to silence the girls.

“Fluttershy, seeing as you care so much for the Deceptacons, I figure it only right you hear what happened to them. The one that saved you is still at large, as is Soundwave, but the others have been captured. After the fall of their base and the death of their leader Ultracon-“

“Paintchange,” Fluttershy corrcted, getting Optimus to look at her. “His name was Paintchange.”

“Very well. After the death of Paintchange, they gave up. They have been subdued without further incident and Fowler’s men are covering up what happened at the scene. Everything seems to finally be going back to normal, except for you.”

“I see. What did you do with Paintchange’s body?”

“We have it in stasis right now, but I plan to dissect it later to see if I can learn how he flawlessly turned into other bots without detection,” Ratchet explained. “If one of them could do it, imagine if there are others. We will need to know what we’re up against if any other shape changers like him pop up.”

“Actually Optimus, dissecting Paintchange probably won’t help the Autobot cause any,” Fluttershy revealed as she looked up at Optimus, who noticed her eyes now had a glow similar to that of a Transformers optics. “Before he passed, Paintchange told me his story. I think you should hear it.”

|]=O=[|

“Autobots, hear my words,” Optimus addressed each and every bot that was at the secondary base. Ratchet told Fluttershy that Fowler had a second base on standby in case the first was blown up. He had also said given their history, Fowler had the right idea. “Thanks to some new information about Fluttershy regarding our foe, Ultracon…”

“Paintchange,” Fluttershy muttered.

“…I have come to a realization. Being out here, fighting the war against the Deceptacons, is something that I have done for a long time. And in doing so, I have saved many lives and stopped many threats. However, by being away from Cybertron for so long, I have allowed corruption and injustice to spread at the very place I fought so hard to free from those same vices.”

Fluttershy and her friends were standing in a human zone, a part of the missile silo that had been crafted for an area specifically for humans to move around without fear of being crushed. Optimus stood in the center of the base with all of the Autobot’s standing in front of him. The base was a little cramped, but all eyes were still on Optimus. Ratchet stood beside Fluttershy and her friends, lost deep in thought.

“Fluttershy’s words, along with other reports from numerous other sources, including some old friends, have revealed to me that the Autobot council is just as corrupt as it was before the fall of Cybertron. The rich still get richer and the poor get poorer.”

“However, the first time the council was corrupted I was nothing more than a librarian, a bot with no name and no history that they would bother to listen to. But now I am Optimus Prime, last of the Primes and seen by many as one of the greatest legends to ever live. If there is any bot alive that can challenge the corruption of the council, challenge the evil that threatens our home that we fought so hard to free it from, it will be me. For when I speak, others listen.”

There was some laughter at that from the more veteran of the bots.

“However, I cannot do this alone. For while my word may carry more weight than any other, it may not be enough to sink the council. That is why I ask all of you, whoever wishes to join me, to return to Cybertron and speak out against the council. Speak out against those who wish for the old ways to continue. The old ways that spawned both Megatron and Ultracon. For if the old ways continue, who knows what type of Con will be spawned next. Perhaps the one that finally defeats us.”

“Know this is not mandatory. If you wish to return home and to your regular lives, you may. If you wish to stay on Earth and learn about the people and culture it holds within, I would not blame you. And if you simply wish to take to the stars and never look back, I wish you luck on your journey. But for those who wish to come with me, we leave in three days at dawn.”

“I’m with ya Optimus!”

“Me as well!”

“I’ve got nowhere else to go, so why not?!”

As Optimus looked out over the crowd of Autobot’s, each of who raised a hand or nodded with a smile when his gaze passed over them. He felt pride brimming in his chest and he made a silent vow to himself to make sure that all of them were rewarded for being the heroes they were, after they had made sure to bring down the corruption on their home.

“Sorry Optimus, but you’ll have to do this without me.”

All of the cheering and volunteering died down at those words and Optimus looked over his shoulder at Ratchet, the bot that had spoken. He wore a bitter smile on his face, but from the way he looked at Optimus the leader of the Autobot’s knew that his friend’s mind was made up.

“I am sorry to hear that, Ratchet. But knowing you, I assume you have a good reason.”

“I do. The first is that I am of the mind that believes we should not leave the Earth undefended,” Ratchet began. “After all, the Cons have come to this planet twice before now, and if word about Fluttershy and her friends magic gets out again, who knows how many more troublemakers might come looking for it.”

“That is a valid point.”

“The second point…is more of a selfish one. I…do not wish to leave this place,” Ratchet said with a smile as he looked around. “The first time I was here I couldn’t wait to be rid of it, to finally be home on Cybertron once more. But now I look at Cybertron and I see…what I refused to see when I first lived there. But here I see so much potential, so many things to see or do. And…I do not wish to leave my friends. Or my partner.”

Ratchet glanced down at Fluttershy as he said this, who mouthed the words “you big softy” up to him. “There is also the curious case of Fluttershy and the energon within her. Perhaps right now it is not dangerous to her, but if it does become a problem in the future it would be best if we had a bot that understood energon and its effects close by. I am one of those bots. And also-“

“You have made a compelling case, Ratchet, one that I could not being to find any flaw with,” Optimus cut his friend off with a wave and a smile, before walking over to Ratchet and placing a hand on his shoulder. “I know that for the longest time you have sought where you belong. If this is where you can finally feel…happy again, then I will not say anything else. Except that I will miss you, old friend.”

“And I you, Optimus,” Ratchet said with a bitter nod and smile, but at that moment Pinkie began bawling loud enough to turn every head in the room towards her. She said something to Optimus that no one could translate through her tears before she threw herself around at him, forcing Optimus to reach out and catch her before she could fall. She clutched one of his fingers as she sobbed and Optimus comforted her the best he could.

“You know Optimus,” Fluttershy said with a devious smile, one that put the Autobot leader slightly on guard. “Since we’ve still got some time left, we should have a going away party for you guys. But since Pinkie can’t plan it, why don’t you?”

Every Autobot in the room looked at Optimus as she said this, but Optimus stared down at her while she smiled back up at him. Then the devious part of her smile vanished and she motioned her head to Pinkie. “Come on. For her.”

“Very well, Fluttershy. But do not complain to me when you are unable to enjoy another Earth party after being to one of mine.”

|]=O=[|

‘Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,’ Ratchet’s voice said over the communicator as Fluttershy held up a hand to knock on the door. She took a deep breath after hearing his words before knocking, which resulted in the door being opened a moment later and a very confused teacher looking down at Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy?” Carol asked with some confusion. “What are you doing here? Class got out twenty minutes ago.”

“I know, but I was hoping to talk to you,” Fluttershy said as she peeked inside. Carol moved to the side to let Fluttershy into the classroom, where she sat down in front of the teacher’s desk, which Carol occupied a moment later. “I’m here to talk to you about classes. More specifically, about the fall ones.”

“Okay, I think I know what this is about,” Carol said with a smile as she brought up Fluttershy’s file on her computer. “You want me to get you into one of the classes with animals that you’ve already taken. Well, I did promise you so-“

“Actually, I was wondering if you would give me another chance at your class this fall,” Fluttershy cut her off, getting Carol to look at her with surprise. “I didn’t really…try when I was in your class, so I want to take it again. And this time I want you to know that I will do my best.”

“I got to admit that I’m a little…surprised by this,” Carol said with wide eyes. “Does this mean that you don’t plan on working with animals anymore?”

“No, it means...all my life all I’ve wanted to do was be with animals, so much to the point that I never really cared about anything else. But recently I realized…I was being stubborn. Stubborn to the point where I tried nothing knew and thought my way was best. Now I know better. Now I know that I want to try more, want to do more, instead of just being a stubborn old goat. Perhaps I will still work with animals. But maybe, just maybe, I might want to work with humans as well. Only one way to find out.”

“…alright Fluttershy. I’ll get you signed up for my class,” Carol said with a smile. Fluttershy smiled in reply as she stood up to leave, but Carol held up her hand to stop her. “And Fluttershy…thanks for giving this an honest try.”

“Not a problem,” Fluttershy said before she left the room. She was out of the school a moment later, where her faithful and very old ambulance was waiting for her in the parking lot. She hopped into it and had her new phone out a moment later.

“So how did it go?” Ratchet asked.

“Went well. I think she thinks a little bit better of me now,” Fluttershy said with a smile as she sent a few quick texts. “Now come on, we’re going to have to use the ground bridge to make it to our next appointment. And this is one that we can’t afford to miss.”

|]=O=[|

A black car pulled into one of the spaces at a park, a park which was pretty empty at this time on a weekday. The front door opened and a young man stepped out of the car, looking around with some confusion at the park. He ran a hand through his black hair before sighing and closing the door, locking up his car before heading towards the tables and benches.

He wore jeans and a faded t-shirt, with a hoodie overtop to fight off the cold. He didn’t know why he had bothered to come out to the park when he was summoned by such a bizarre and random text, but anyone that knew about the Transformers had to be dealt with carefully. He had already called Fowler, but figured it wouldn’t hurt to look into it himself.

He stood by the benches and waited a few minutes, wondering if it had just been a prank text or if someone had really wanted to talk to him. He was just about to give up before he heard the sound of feet running behind him. He spun around just in time to receive a talk hug that wouldn’t have put a football player down.

“JACK!” cried out a voice he knew all too well in a happy tone. Jack caught himself before he could fall and looked down to see an Asian girl with all sorts of color in her hair smiling up at him.

“Hey Miko!” Jack replied while returning the hug. The two broke apart after a moment and they looked at each other, as it had been quite a while since they had last met. “You seem to be doing well. And I love all the color in the hair, really highlights how crazy you are.”

“You talk about me doing well Jackrabbit, but look at you. When you get all tall and handsome?” Miko asked with a laugh before she elbowed Jack in the ribs. “So tell me mister tall, dark and handsome, do you have a special someone in your life yet?”

“Um, no?”

“Excellent! Me either!” Miko laughed before she looked behind Jack and her mouth dropped. “Jack turn around, you are never going to believe it.”

Jack had a feeling he knew who the third person was, but when he turned around to look at them he never would have recognized him. The teenager was as tall as him, but more muscular and had an air of wealth about him. But there was no mistaking the nerdy grin on his face or the way his eyes lit up when he saw his old friends.

“Miko! Jack!” Raph exclaimed before he ran over and pulled the two into a hug, crushing the life out of them. “It has been forever guys! How are you doing?”

“Better if I could breath,” Miko gagged out before Raph released both her and Jack, who took a moment to regain their breath. “Wow, look at you. I feel like I’m the only one that hasn’t grown since we last met.”

“I’m just as surprised to see how much the both of you have changed. Can’t believe it’s been five years already,” Raph said and the other two nodded in agreement. “But why are the both of you here? Did you also get a text saying that someone wanted to meet you to talk about the Transformers?”

“Yep. Had to know who knew our secrets,” Miko exclaimed as she looked around with a smile. “Think it’s some evil government? An alien hunter? Or maybe the Cons are back?”

“I contacted Fowler, but he told me that I’d be fine if I went,” Jack revealed to the other two. “The only question I have now is who could have contacted us?”

“That would be me.”

All three of them spun around to see a girl with a pink ponytail sitting on a bench, a bench that all of them knew had been empty a moment before. “Hi, I’m Fluttershy. I’m the one that contacted you about the Transformers and wanting to talk about them.”

“Who are you and why do you want to know about them? Or are you after us? Do you want my blood?” Miko asked as she got ready for a fight, but Jack pulled her back before she could start anything.

“Same old Miko. Look, while I may not be as…battle crazy as Miko is, I would like some answers too. Why do you know about the Transformers and why did you contact us?”

“I contacted you for two reasons. First, I do want to talk with you about the Transformers. Seems like there’s a lot going on that neither side knows all the answers to,” Fluttershy said with narrowed eyes and a stare so intense the three felt like they were looking at Prime. “But the other reason is an old friend wanted to see you guys, so I called you all together so you could meet up with him again.”

“Who are you-?”

WOOP WOOP!

All three heads turned towards the sound of a siren and their eyes rested on a single ambulance that sat alone in the parking lot. It wasn’t the shape of the ambulance, the fact that it was covered in armor or the way that the siren sounded that helped the three to recognize it. It was the symbol on the side, a symbol they all knew well.

“Ratchet!”