Transformers Prime: Through Bad and Through Worse

Chapter Twenty One

Pedsteps from down the hall, which were getting louder and louder, interrupted Sir's work, and gained Ratchet's attention. Both of them looked expectantly at the entrance of the cave in silence, until the frame of the Prime they were waiting for stepped in.

"Optimus," Ratchet said softly, rising to his peds. The Prime went straight to his mate, who was holding a sleeping Lightswipe.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, pulling Ratchet close, and examining the sparkling.

"No." Ratchet replied, lifting Lightswipe up and setting her in the Prime's arms, who lowered to one knee so he was more at level with Ratchet, and gazed down at her.

A smile came to his lips. "Ratchet, you've done well," he whispered, watching as Lightswipe woke, and started to make cooeing noises, as her gaze met Optimus's.

Ratchet opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when Optimus draped an arm around his waist (careful not to drop Lightswipe) and brought their lips to meet passionately, and rather fiercely. Affection sent from both ways across the bond, as Ratchet wrapped his arms around Optimus's neck and melted into it.

After a good ten seconds, they both pulled away, just as Sir spoke up.

"How touching... well, we must be getting to work now, mustn't we?" A smirk on his lips, he snickered. "I do believe you surrendered to me, Prime."

Optimus narrowed his optics, before carefully setting Lightswipe in Ratchet's arms. "And you swore Ratchet and the sparkling would be safe from harm."

The silver mech chuckled, as he strode over, his cruel smirk ever present. "Of course... Now Prime, I'd appreciate if this part went without struggle." Sir slipped behind Optimus and applied cuffs to his wrists, keeping his servos behind his back, cranking the cuffs tighter than necessary for an obedient prisoner.

Optimus winced in pain as the rough edges cut into his wrists.

"Look how well you behave.... at least when your mate is threatened." Sir growled into the Prime's audio receptor, before leading him over to the wall and attaching a chain to the cuffs. "Now you need to stay right here while I set your mate free."

The Prime gave a muffled growl of protest as Sir forced a rag into his mouth, using it as a gag.

"Y-You won't harm him... will you?" Ratchet asked quietly, staring at his mate with worried optics.

Sir laughed. "Oh, believe me," he lifted Optimus's chin and stroked his cheek with his thumb. "I am going to make him suffer."

The Prime bit his bottom lip nervously, Sir's cold touch sending shivers through him.

"Please, let him go," Ratchet pleaded,

"Oh, but I must punish him for bringing Cybertronians to my planet," Sir growled. He gazed at his prisoner. "All of your kind are gone?"

Optimus nodded.

"Good." Sir left the Prime and stood in the entrance of the cave. "You coming, Medic?"

Ratchet sent a pained look at Optimus, sending a hurt feeling across the bond. The Prime gestured to Sir with a jerk of his helm, silently asking his mate to follow orders.

"I-I..." Ratchet sputtered. "I..." After a couple seconds, he finally forced out the words he wanted: "I-I love you, Optimus..." He turned and followed Sir out of the cave.

Sir led him through many twists and turns through the caves, for about fifteen minutes until they made it outside. The light hurt Ratchet's optics a bit, given he'd been in a cave for who knows how long. It looked to be around mid-day; the sun was high in the sky with the occasional cloud.

"Alright, get out of here." Sir gave him a small shove, not hard, but enough to make him stumble forward. "I have business to attend to..." A dark smile came to his lips.

Ratchet gazed at him, a pleading look in his optics. "Please... we can't go on without Optimus..." He shifted Lightswipe in his arms as she squirmed a bit.

"Well your going to have to." The silver mech hissed, turning his back to Ratchet, his dark smile remaining in it's place.

"Wh-What... do you have planned for him?" Ratchet asked quietly and nervously, hit from Optimus's end of the bond.

Sir laughed. "Oh, he's going to receive a thorough punishment for bringing his Autobots to my planet, he must pay." He started walking back into the caves. "Get outta here now, pest. If I ever see you again, I'll rip your spark out."

Spark aching, and his steps a little shaky, Ratchet turned and started walking, biting his bottom lip nervously. He didn't stop for a good ten minutes, hoping to find a spot where Sir wouldn't find him, but he'd be near the caves... near Optimus. Leaving his mate entirely wasn't something he planned on doing, the ideas of what Sir would most likely do to him were not very settling; the medic had to get Optimus out somehow.

"Hey!" A voice caught his attention. Cliffjumper? "Ratch, over here!"

The red mech was standing behind a large rock, poking his helm out and watching Ratchet.

"Cliffjumper?" Ratchet stared at him with wide optics. "Y-Your... still on Earth?"

"All of us are. Prime told us everything, he has a plan." Cliffjumper approached the medic, as Arcee and Bumblebee appeared from behind the rock, Bullhead following slowly.

"So we can get him out?" Ratchet asked hopefully.

"N... Well..." The red mech trailed off, glancing at the others for help.

"The plan was to wait to leave until you were out, so you'd come with us." Arcee explained. "He... He doesn't plan on escaping, because there wasn't a way to get out without that mech terminating you."

Ratchet stood still as her words sunk in, a sad look in his optics. Lightswipe squirmed a bit in his arms, and started to mewl.

"We need to go." Bulkhead growled, looking over his shoulder in the direction of the cave. "That brat could be watching us."

"Go where?" Ratchet asked.

Cliff sent him a weak smile. "Off the planet, as the mech ordered."

"We're just going to leave Optimus here?" The medic sent him a glare. "I'm not leaving him here. There has to be another way."

"Well," Arcee crossed her arms and sent Ratchet an expectant look. "What's the plan, chief?"