A World Beyond Our Own | TFP AU

34 || Newcomer

"Ratchet, wake up!" She whispered urgently, her gaze flicking between his head and the stranger.

After a few agonizingly long seconds, Ratchet's head finally moved to indicate he was waking up. His left eyelid twitched before fully opening and exposing his eye to the light. He flinched and closed it again, grumbling something inaudible under his breath.

Using her hands and feet, Taylor slowly shuffled closer to Ratchet's head. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, pumping more adrenaline through her veins.

"Ratchet, you need to get up. Now." She hissed through her teeth. She couldn't help that she was absolutely terrified in that moment.

Ratchet noted the seriousness in her tone almost instantly. He remained still, but opened his eye once more so that he could see her.

"What's wrong?" He murmured, unsure of what exactly was going on.

"There's another dragon. I don't know how long they've been watching us..." Taylor murmured, risking another peek at the dragon.

Ratchet's pupil immediately shrank down to a pinprick as her words sank in. "Climb over to my other side and stay down." He uttered, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how he was going to confront the stranger.

Taylor acted without protest, quickly crawling across his back and sliding down his flank until her feet hit solid ground. She crouched as Ratchet rose to his paws and turned his head in the direction of the stranger, fear for him piercing her heart. She didn't want to see him get hurt again, especially since he was already badly injured. He wouldn't stand a chance in a fight with a healthy outsider.

Meanwhile, Ratchet stared down the unwelcome newcomer, who appeared to have noticed he was awake. They rose to their paws as well and stepped out of the thicket.

"Keep your distance." Ratchet seethed, curling his lip to bare his teeth. He purposely stood a bit sideways so that his injured leg would be protected by his body in case he was attacked.

"You're injured and your friend isn't in much better condition. I suggest you back down." The newcomer answered, her otherwise feminine voice tainted by a certain roughness that only a battle-hardened warrior would have.

"Not until I know your intentions." Ratchet fired back. Being told to back down by a seemingly overconfident stranger only infuriated him, understandably so since he had two lives to protect as well as his own. "Who are you? And why were you watching us?"

She released an amused snort that came out as a visible white cloud above her snout. "Your human pet is more observant than I thought." She mused, looking Ratchet up and down. "My name isn't important right now. All I care about is the fact that you're trespassing on my territory."

Ratchet stifled a curse that wanted to escape. Of course it was their luck that they'd end up on someone's territory. He wasn't even aware that dragons lived this far out.

"I apologize for trespassing, but I assure you it was not intentional." He told her. "We escaped from a human facility and ran as far as we could."

"A human facility?" She inquired, looking like she didn't believe him at first. Her gaze momentarily softened before hardening once more. "You're Autobots, aren't you? I thought I recognized the stench. You're pretty far from home."

Ratchet narrowed his eyes and tried to push down the anger that rose in his heart. "For your information, we were taken against our will." He retorted sharply.

"I don't doubt it, old timer, but you think I care? I've lost friends to them too. They just disappear without a trace one day and I never see them again. How come you were lucky enough to escape while they weren't?" She hissed with a flash of her fangs.

"You can't blame us for something out of our control. While I extend my deepest condolences for the loss of your friends, we had no idea what those humans were capable of or how long they had been in operation." Ratchet shot back in a bitter tone.

"Is that why you've taken one of them hostage?"

"Hostage?" Ratchet sputtered in disbelief, appalled that she had even come to that conclusion. "She is not a hostage, nor is she part of that horrid organization. She was taken as well. We only managed to escape because of her."

"How convenient." She scoffed, now glaring at him with piercing amber eyes.

"It's true!" Taylor boldly declared as she emerged from under Ratchet's stomach. "I helped them escape, but we don't know where we are. We need food, shelter, and herbs. Can you help us?"

The female dragon lashed her tail with a hiss as her burning glare shifted to Taylor. "Like I'd ever help a human and a pair of would-be justice seekers. You're a disgrace to your kind."

"He will die if he does not get food and medical treatment! If you refuse to help, you are no better than those you call a disgrace." Ratchet seethed as he gestured to Cliffjumper, his stress levels reaching a boiling point. He was desperate and angry—a deadly combination.

She remained silent and stared him down, her posture growing stiff. For a moment, it seemed she would simply walk away without saying another word. But then, she released a soft sigh through her nostrils.

"There is another den that neighbors mine. Follow my scent and you will find it." She muttered, giving Ratchet one final look before she turned and headed off into the thicket.

Ratchet visibly relaxed once she had left. He glanced down at Taylor, who looked just as worried as he did.

"Are we going to follow her?" Taylor asked as she gazed up at him.

Ratchet sighed and returned his gaze to the forest. "We have to, or we will perish out here." He murmured. This wasn't the outcome he was expecting, and the future only seemed to become more uncertain. Would they be alright? Or would they be walking straight into a trap?

Only time would tell.

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Another update! Sorry for taking so long lol. I hope you guys enjoyed it!