you know you are as small as the things you let annoy you {backdated before robot prom}

[asafepairofhands]

It's a little while after Sixshot has dug all of the medics up from whatever underground art bunker they had been briefly trapped in, miraculously without anyone killing each other, and Ratchet is back in the medibay at work. He is still half-legless and especially foul-tempered, especially considering the upcoming festivities, which he plans to avoid as completely as possible.

COME BOTHER HIM



[CLOSED TO RODIMUS]
It's not long after the medics are back that Ratchet sends a message to Rodimus privately, apropos of what seems like nothing.

Come to the medibay. I need to check something.

Comments

[asafepairofhands]

Ratchet manages to not jump himself out of his crutches, looking up from the tools he's cleaning and cycling his vents in a sigh before he slowly limps out from behind the desk he was standing at, trying not to look sheepish.

"Magnus," he says, tipping his head. "Good to see you."

shepard. wrex. shepard. wrex. shepard. wrex. shepard. wr

[smallandincharge]

"Ratchet," Magnus replies. "It's good to see you too. Sorry for startling you, I just, uh..." She trails off, awkwardly.

[asafepairofhands]

"Don't worry about it," Ratchet says. "Sorry, I, uh. Was indisposed for a while." That's a polite way to say 'I fell down a hole with the rest of the medics.' "When did you get here?"

[smallandincharge]

"Oh! Uh, not long. At least, I don't think it's been very long. I'm not entirely sure how long I spent walking the outskirts before Rodimus found me. My memory is... rather hazy... on the specifics..." That's a disquieting thought. What if there was some critical piece of information about how she'd got here, now lost in the haze of her wanderings?
In an attempt to derail this new train of thought, Magnus abruptly changes the subject to the first thing she can think of. "So what happened to your leg?"

[asafepairofhands]

"Tarn," Ratchet says, flat and uninviting. "I got off light, he nearly beat Drift to death with his fists and left him to bleed to death in the middle of the desert before he was set straight. He's been playing nice, for now, and I'm fine." His optics dim in worry.

"But what's this about your memory? ...what's the last thing you remember before you got here?"

[smallandincharge]

That was stupid. Why did she say that? She shouldn't have said that. She gratefully takes Ratchet's offer to change the subject.
"The universe ended. Or, at least, was beginning to end." She reconsiders for a moment. "Again."

[asafepairofhands]

"Oh," Ratchet says, sounding startled. "Was it Shockwave? Have you, um--talked to anyone farther along than you yet? Because it doesn't. End, that is--Optimus manages to stop him." His face twists, sudden and painful.

"With some losses."

[smallandincharge]

"Oh! No, yes, I remember Shockwave's defeat. That was what the, uh, 'again' was referring to. This was a... different Decepticon tampering with the fundamental nature of the time-space continuum. Uh -" She pauses, to replay her last sentence back in her head. Then - "Brainstorm. It was Brainstorm."

[asafepairofhands]

Ratchet chokes a little, then nods understanding.

"Right. Well, that gets taken care of too, for the record. Everything back to normal. His mouth twists, lips thinning. "Brainstorm doesn't even spend an overabundance of time in the brig. Everyone comes out of it all right, even Megatron."

[smallandincharge]

"Really," Magnus says, raising an eyebrow. "I must admit that I find that rather hard to believe."

[asafepairofhands]

"What, that everybody got out safely, or that you didn't shove Brainstorm in the brig until he rusted?" Ratchet snorts softly. "It was--he had... reasons for doing what he did. Selfless ones, actually. There was a hearing, and he got a slap on the wrist, after it all came out. If you want me to go into excruciating detail I can, I was there, but--" He shakes his head, trying not to look angry.

"Locking him up would have been pointless. And he's cut ties to his Decepticon handler, so that's sorted out too. All wrapped up nice and neat."

[smallandincharge]

"Well... both, really," Ultra Magnus admits. "Did he renounce Decepticonism, then? I suppose there is... some precedent for that sort of thing." Her face darkens.

[asafepairofhands]

"He was a garbage Decepticon in the first place, apparently." Ratchet shrugs. "He only joined up to be able to acquire materials to build the time machine. Once it was done, he was fine with breaking it off. Though, if you don't remember the hearing, I suppose you don't--hmmm."

Ratchet watches Magnus' face for a long, considering moment before his optics almost soften slightly.

"How do you feel?" His optics light. "And it's not supposed to be a trick question, for the record."

[smallandincharge]

Magnus probably wouldn't have thought it was a trick question if Ratchet hadn't brought it up. As is, she gives him a sidelong glance through slightly narrowed eyes, and replies, a little curtly, "Fine. Perfectly adequate. Fully functional. Why do you ask?"