Forever A Team: Transformers Animated

Chapter XXI

"Great, now what am I gonna tell the kid?" Ratchet cried as he looked at where his servo was now missing.

"I am here to help you Ratchet. They had to take the key, in order for Julie's plan to work." The cloned Julie told him as she looked at Ratchet.

"What are you talking about Julie? You are here in front of me, are you not?" Ratchet cried as he turned and looked at her.

"I am she, but I at the same time am only a fraction of the original Julie. That is not important right now, for now we need to get to the ship and protect the Allspark.

"I need to let Prime know the key has been taken." Ratchet told her, but she merely nodded. "I understand, but do not let him know I am with you if this plan is going to work. I need my figure there to do her job without my interference."

"Your figure?" Ratchet asked, only to be disappointed when she didn't explain. "Very well." He commented before turning on his comlink. "Prime, the key has been stolen." Ratchet cried into the com.

"What? How?" Optimus replied.

"Couple of Decepticon scum ambushed me on the way to the ship. I tried to fight em off, but..."

"It's not important. Just get to the ship and protect the Allspark." Optimus ordered. Basically repeating what Julie had just told him. "We'll meet you there."

"Very well, I guess we will go to the ship as you suggested." Ratchet said as he turned to her.

"We need to fix the ship and get it flying." Julie told him. "Come on, I can give you a boost as far as getting there quickly." Transforming into her warrior mode, she grabbed hold of Ratchet's servo and took off flying for the lake, while carrying him with her.

"I don't know what this plan of yours is, nor do I understand everything that is going on, but Julie, so help me if you injure yourself or get yourself killed..." Ratchet started to cry out as they flew quickly through the city and across the land as they followed the water to the lake. "I cannot promise you I will not sustain injuries, you know that, but I do know that because of all the powers I am using there is a chance I may tire myself out before the day is even over." She told him as she focused on the task at hand. The lake came into view, before she made the ice of the lake thaw enough for her to enter and have it close up behind her. Diving through the water, she followed the direction in her mind to where she knew the ship would be. Letting go of Ratchet, she waited for him as he got a hatch on the side of the ship to open up and let the both of them in, before the door closed behind them.

"We need to get this ship running." Ratchet spoke as soon as the second door opened after draining away the water. She followed him down the hallway, as he entered the main station in the ship, the lights coming on as soon as she had entered.

"I don't have the key, and I hate to ask this of you, but I need your help." Ratchet spoke as he turned to her. "You've healed Cybertronians, yes?"

"Direct me where I am needed. I have someone giving me energy for now, so lead me where I am needed." She followed his orders as he told her where she was needed, some areas boosting a little bit of energy into the ship with her powers, other times using her energon to run through the ship and fix areas where the maintenance was needed. An alarm went off nearby as they sat there and she quickly turned to Ratchet to see him messing with some monitors, showing something was up at the surface. "What's going on?" Julie asked as she looked at him.

"Teletraan one, it's picking up Sari and a Decepticon walking around in circles on top of the lake." Ratchet said as he turned to her. "There is no threat right now, but there very well may be one if we don't get in there and rescue her."

"This isn't according to the plan, but yes, we need to grab her and hope that the plan will not change because of this one downfall. Launch the ship, we better hope these upgrades are enough to fight off the cons."

"Agreed. Get seated over there, I am not launching us without you sitting down and strapped in. I am not letting you get injured on my watch." Ratchet told her.

"You cannot prevent me from getting injured when I am only a fraction of myself. The rest of me is still out there helping the others as we speak." She explained as she went and got seated, before strapping herself down.

"When this is all over, you are explaining everything, you hear me? I don't care how mad you are at Prime, but you are coming back to the plant and staying with us where we can make sure you're stable." He told her as he started to power up the ship, hearing the surge of the energy around them in the process.

"Why do you care so much about me? Normally in my view you are very stern and self reserved to an extent. Why do you wish to help me and make sure that I am well?" She asked as she looked at him, confused at the fact that he didn't want her to get injured, to the fact that he was determined to protect her even though she was the one that helped defend him during the ambush.

"I will tell you when this is all over, for now we need to get Sari and make sure the others are okay." Ratchet told her, as the ship started launching upwards, hitting the ice above them in the process. She could feel the ship shake as the ice broke and allowed them to come up from right under Sari and the con that looked like a spider.

"Wait here, I am gonna grab Sari. You've done your job here, let me do mine." Ratchet told her before walking out of the room. It was silent for several quick minutes, before she heard the door open and saw Ratchet coming in with Sari in his servo. "Julie?" Sari asked as the girl saw her.

"Hello Sari, I am glad you are safe and sound."

"As for you, why are you sitting there above Lake Erie and not with Bumblebee?" Ratchet cried as she walked over to the ship controls and set the girl down on the monitor next to him.

"I was kidnapped by Black Arachnia and she wanted the key. So I distracted her as I led her here, waiting for you to come to my rescue. You believe me, right?" Sari told her.

"Right now I am more concerned with the others." Ratchet told her.

"No problem, we'll just fix them up. It's not like you lost my key or anything." Sari replied, making Julie hold her breath as she watched the two. When Ratchet turned and looked away from the girl, she suddenly got mad, looking at the both of them. "You lost my key?" She cried, as she looked at Ratchet.

"Technically I lost my hand, it just happened to have your key attached to it." Ratchet told her as he raised his busted arm in the process.

"I don't believe this. After all that crap about how I couldn't be trusted with it."

"If it is any consolation, I wasn't looking forward to telling you this, given the choice, I'd rather face down Megatron himself."

"Um, Ratchet, I think you may get that chance sooner than later." Sari replied as Julie saw the monitor showing a cybertronian ship flying towards them along with the same two Decepticons who took the key. "Brace yourself and whatever you do stay on the ship. I'm going to face them, me and my sisters." Julie cried as she got up and headed for the door.

"Give me a second to let the others know first." Ratchet told her. "Prime, Ratchet. 3 Decepticons on our tail."

"Do not engage, repeat, do not engage. We need to lead the cons off-planet first, and keep Earth out of the crossfire." Optimus cried on the monitors.

"Copy that Prime, over and out." Ratchet replied. "Julie..."

"I am gonna do my job Ratchet. There is a reason I am here, you need to trust me and believe that I can do this."