Healed [Sequel to Burned](Transformers Prime)

Chapter Five | Rise of Alpha

"Bow in the presence of greatness,
'Cause right now thou hast forsaken us,"

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"So Buckethead is rooming with us now, huh?" Miko Nakadai said as she leaned against the railing to get a good look at Megatron. The girl had only changed a little in the past six months, growing a little taller - but not by much - and changing her current punk outfit for a much more metal-like one, now wearing a band t-shirt and matching black leggings underneath her jean shorts.

"Against my better judgement, yes." Ratchet confirmed, still at his computers.

Megatron looked at the medic in amusement. "I gave you the option to refuse me," he stated, "but you decided to allow me into your base of operations."

"I think Ratchet could kick Megatron's tailpipe if he wanted," Miko continued talking, grinning as she threw a few fake punches. "I bet he's got some secret ninja moves or something!"

"I know of two 'bots that could qualify as 'ninjas'," Ratchet muttered, "but I am not one of them."

Rafael couldn't help but chuckle a little, typing away at his own computer while he sat on the couch. "I think it would be kind of funny to watch Ratchet fight."

Dana laughed, setting down the piece of paper she had in her hand and picking up another one, skimming over the contents. "He's actually pretty good," she noted, "we've been practicing with the Apex Armor, and I've yet to not let him slip under my guard."

Megatron raised an optic ridge. Ratchet, a field medic, teaching her how to fight? Of the rare times he had seen the doctor engage in combat, he wasn't very impressed.

"You and the doc-bot spar in your spare time?" Miko questioned.

"I've been doing my best," Ratchet added. "While Dana can wear the Apex Armor, that won't prevent her from being captured or potentially injured inside the suit; so it is important she learns self-defense."

"But I thought the Apex Armor could protect whoever was wearing it from anything," Miko frowned.

"It can protect you from cannons and swords, but not from being shaken into mush." Ratchet answered.

"Makes sense," Jack huffed softly as he set down another piece of paper. "Hey Raf, have you found anything?"

"Not yet," the young hacker looked away from his computer, the screen reflecting off of his glasses, "I'm guessing you're not having much luck with those either?"

"Agent Fowler provided as much intel as he could on the known MECH suspects and whereabouts, but I can't piece anything together." Jack huffed, rubbing the center of his forehead.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, even the best agents at D.C. can't figure it out," Dana reassured, "so why not let a few interns take a crack at it? And since we've had actual, direct contact before, we know first hand what MECH operations are like."

"But I thought they disbanded without their leader?" Miko questioned.

"An organization isn't much of a cause if they are broken apart by the loss of a single leader," Ratchet pointed out, "but the second in command is almost always more ruthless than their leader; they are second in command because they feel strongly about the cause. So we can expect Silas' predecessor to be even more psychopathic than he was."