Never Again

7

~ Enjoy ❤️
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Two weeks earlier

Back at the Autobot base in Jasper, Nevada, Ratchet glared at the screen in front of him, his digits moving quickly as he stared at the signal that had just revealed itself.

"Optimus, you had better come look at this."

The leader of the Autobots glanced at the medic from the corner of his optics, and noticed the worry expression on his face.

"What is it, old friend?" He questioned, taking large strides over to where Ratchet was standing. No one else but the two were inside of the base- Arcee and Bumblebee were out scouting for energon, while Bulkhead and Miko were enjoying a monster truck rally. Jack and Raph were assumed to be in their home, enjoying the rest of the night before school the next day.

Ratchef frowned, squinting at the Cybertronian words that raced across the screen. "It appears we have an SOS, and a message... from Starscream." A hint of disgust laced his voice upon uttering the very name. Any Decepticon, to him, was a lost cause and didn't deserve anything other than to be scraped.

Why were they receiving an SOS call from a Decepticon, who could very easily require backup from one of its own kind?

"I am badly injured- bring medical kit. Willing to trade Omega Key for treatment." Ratchet scoffed at the end. "There is no was a con is willingly going to hand over an Omega key, no matter how low Starscream can be, he would never betray the Decepticons in such a way."

"Unless it was for his personal benefit." Optimus murmured. Ratchet glanced at his leader and recognized that look he had witnessed all too many times before. Compassion. For a con?

"You aren't seriously considering letting us help him?" Ratchet growled. Optimus vented softly.

"It could very well be a trap, old friend, but are we willing to do such an action for the Omega key?"

Ratchet glared at the screen, noticing how weak the signal was becoming. He considered it. Starscream could have very well been harmed by Megatron...

"Proceed with caution, my friend." Optimus said softly. Ratchet vented, knowing he couldn't disobey Primes orders. Grabbing his medical kit, he opened a groundbridge and glanced back at Optimus, who stood ready with his blasters.

"I am here if you require any assistance."

Ratchet grumbled under his breath but nodded, finally stepping through the groundbridge. On the other side, the night sky gave little light, as the stars and moon were covered with rain clouds.

Ahead of him, underneath the trees, there was a faint glow of energon. Ratchet prepared himself for the battle ahead and gripped his medical kit tighter in his servos. Starscream was indeed injured, but no longer alive. His energon signal was gone.

"What the scrap..." Ratchet scanned the body, wondering what could have happened to the Decepticon that made him perish so quickly. He had only just sent the message- could it be possible Megatron let all of his wrath upon the seeker?

In the Decepticons hand was the third Omega key. Ratchets optics grew wide at the sight and he spoke to Optimus through the comm link- "Starscream is offline, and I have the Omega key with me."

But something felt off. Ratchet squinted into the darkness, tilting his healm to one side. Everything was silent, with the exception of a few earth insects making noise int he tall grass. After a few minutes, Ratchet shook the feeling off while turning his healm back towards the offlined Decepticon. They were about to receive the third Omega key.

Running throughout the Autobots base, Starscream, very much alive and well, snickering to himself as he felt the red energons power taking over his system. He was moving too fast for any other Cybertronian to see. Much to fast for his enemy to dodge the attack he so desperately wanted to take.

Optimus prime stood waiting, perfectly defenseless against the seeker and his speed. But due to the lack of red energon he had been able to collect in the cave, he was running out of time. Offlining Optimus Prime would have to wait for another day.

Starscream easily acquired the two Omega keys in the Autobots storage rooms- not much security there. In a flash, he was running back out of the groundbridge and approaching the Autobots medic.

He was slowly reaching out for the last Omega key. His servo was just clasping around it. With a dry chuckle, Starscream raced forward and pulled the key from the old medics digits.

Within a second, the seeker was gone, happy to know his plan so far was a success, while Ratchet stared dumbfounded at the dead Seeker, wondering where the Omega key had gone.

It was quickly ripped from his servos and he had no clue as to where it had gone, or what had happened to it. "Optimus-"

"Old friend, the Groundbridge seems to have glitched.. is everything okay on the other end?"

"The Omega key is gone. It disappeared, right out of my servo."

On the other end, there was silence, before Optimus spoke. "I will check on the remaining keys."

Ratchet grew nervous as he hurried back through the groundbridge, only to find his leader looking angry and clenching a servo tightly.

"The Omega keys are gone."