Transformers Prime: Through Bad and Through Worse

Chapter Two

The alarm on the table beside Ratchet's berth began to beep loudly and obnoxiously, drawing a groan and a lazy snooze button hitting wave of the arm from the tired medic. After a few seconds of just laying there, he sat up slowly, trying to blink the sleepiness from his optics, with no avail. Veeeery slowly, he rose from the berth and stumbled down the hall and into the main room of the housing unit, optics lidded heavily as he came into the kitchen, fumbled through a shelf until his servos met an energon cube. It wasn't until he ran into a wall while trying to leave the kitchen that he finally gained full consciousness, which woke him up quite effectively.

::Hey Ratch?:: A feminine voice said over his com link quite suddenly. Ratchet reconized her voice; the receptionist at the medical office.

Ratchet raised a digit to his audio receptor to reply. "Yes Nightdaze?"

::We have a lot of extra docs around right now, but we won't later. Take a few hours off, come around mid day. You've been working hard, you deserve it. See ya later.::

Primus, thank you.

"A-Alright, thank you." He said to the receptionist, hiding the excitement that he was currently going through. It had been a while since he got time off, as one of the head medics. Praise the Allspark, this is just what he needed.

Nightdaze cut the line. Smiling, Ratchet grabbed the key to his housing unit and was out the door (after completely demolishing the energon cube) with one thought in his processor: Iacon. Well, two, actually: Iacon, and Orion. It's been a while since he's had a friend quite like that archivist... and it felt great to have one.

Ratchet was almost to Iacon when he heard a familiar voice call his name. He turned around only for his gaze to meet Orion's.

"Alpha Trion gave me the day off!" He said, beaming. "He said we did such a good job cleaning up the mess, that I deserved it."

"I have about until mid day." Ratchet smiled. "Then I have to go to the medical office."

Orion nodded. "Great! We can hang out!" The archivist beamed even bigger, his optics shining with a playful glint.

"Alright, we can hang out. Just no calling me 'Princess', alright?" Ratchet crossed his arms, wearing a teasing smile.

The archivist waved a servo dismissively. "You've got it." He looked around, before changing the subject. "So...... what do you want to do?"

"I was hoping you'd have something in mind." Ratchet raised an optic ridge.

Orion thought for a second, before lighting up and grabbing Ratchet's arm. "Oh! I have a friend that I want you to meet!"

"Is he some crazy energon-thirsty power addicted battle hungry killer?" The medic asked jokingly.

"Nope!"

"Alright then, I'm in."

Orion practically dragged him down the road, towards the train station. Ratchet had no say in it, apparently, and just went with it and allowed his friend to do so. The excited archivist led Ratchet to the train station and onto the train to Kaon, which they had to pay to board, much to their dismay.

"His name is Megatronus," Orion said excitedly as they took seats on the train, "and he's a gladiator in the Pits of Kaon. He's a great mech, and a great leader. You'll love him."

"Whatever you say." Ratchet just smiled at him, unsure of what to think.

"He's been planning on making a trip to the council, and he's going to convince them to change some things. Everybot will be equal, and there won't be any more corruption!" The archivist babbled on. "Megatronus is such an inspiration. He'll be a great leader one day, you know."