Echo (TFP Ratchet x Mech!Reader)

4: Conflict

I had been with the Autobots for a few weeks now, yet I still felt out of place. The other Autobots besides Optimus and Ratchet would treat me like I was weak and pitiful. It made me frustrated beyond belief, but I swallowed the emotions like hot venom. It got to the point where I was on the verge of snapping, especially when I was about to test a new weapon and Arcee stopped me.

"Where do you think you are going with that?" Arcee asked as if I were a damn sparkling.

"Arcee, I need to test this, and you are in my way." I said coldly.

"I don't want you doing something that will get you hurt." She said, and that put me over the edge.

"I do not need your pity, Arcee. I am perfectly fine." I growled, pushing past the two-wheeler and heading to the main room. I fired up the ground bridge to a random location and went on through.

I emerged on the other side near an old energon mine. I entered the mine and went to its center where I activated the weapon. Out erupted a long, barbed, glowing chain with a sharp tip of a blade at the end. I cracked it in the air, the sound echoing through the tunnels. I then swung it at one of the large boulders, the whip leaving a massive gash behind.

I took out my datapad and noted down the results, adding several equations to the ever growing list of adjustments that had to be made for this to work. I returned the datapad to my hip and performed several more tests, swinging left and right in a deadly sort of dance. I was about to leave when I heard the sound of heavy pedesteps. I quickly attached the chain whip to my other hip and stood defensively.

"I was wondering what had happened to you." I heard Megatron say, his hulking form stepping out of the shadows with Starscream and Soundwave. I looked at my sire, his body language giving away his hidden emotions. He was relieved, and I could tell he was happy to see me. I felt a pang in my spark as I lowered my guard.

"Coward, trying to take the easy way out." Starscream sneered. I said nothing, only looked away to the floor. Soundwave approached me and pulled me into a hug, something I was not expecting. I didn't know what to do, how to react.

"Soundwave, I am sure you are glad your son is still alive." Megatron said. "But Starscream and I have pressing matters to attend to. Take Y/D back to the Nemesis and have Knockout run a medical workup." Soundwave nodded and opened a ground bridge. I reluctantly followed, a familiar dark encompassing my spark as I stepped through.

I followed Soundwave through the halls to the medical bay where Knockout and Breakdown were idly chatting. Knockout then noticed me and had an expression on his face that one could only describe as 'seeing a ghost.'

"Y/D? But.... how?" Knockout said in disbelief.

"It's a long story." I said. Soundwave then dismissed himself, and Knockout had me lay on the medical berth.

"When we found your visor and note... Primus, I had never seen Soundwave so upset." Knockout said. "He wrecked my paint and offlined 5 vehicons before baracading himself in his berthroom." Guilt consumed my spark at his words, my ridges furrowed.

"I... I didn't know he would react that poorly." I said quietly. "I guess I just lost myself and felt there was no way out."

"Well, you are alive, and I know Soundwave is more than overjoyed that you are here." Breakdown said.

"How can you tell?" Knockout asked.

"Body language, and the fact that he didn't thrash anyone around is another good sign."

"Let's get your comlink back in doll, I also have a new visor for you." Knockout said. "Now just stay still, and I'll get these back on. However, I have to ask. Where did your insignias go?"

"I took them off. I like how I look without them." I lied. Knockout shrugged, and after a few moments, I had my comlink back in, and my new visor was installed. This one was similar to my sire's, acting as a display system and sound system. I stood from the medical berth.

"You should see your sire. I'm sure you and him have a lot to discuss." Knockout said, and I hesitantly nodded. As I made my way down the halls, I couldn't help but think back to the Autobot medic and the Prime. Optimus was kind to me, and Ratchet didn't see me as something to be pitied. In fact, Ratchet was the only mech who didn't treat me like I was glass.

Ratchet saw me for who I was, rather than for my scars. He sympathized, no, empathized with me. He understood what I was going through, like no one else. My mind then wandered to his beautiful aqua optics and his adorable grumpy huffs, the way he would turn a light shade of blue whenever I was near him, and how he would secretly smile at me when he thought I wasn't looking. That's when I came to the realization in my spark of something that I was afraid of.

'I'm in love with Ratchet! I can't be here! But... I can't leave my sire either. I already hurt him so much... maybe... maybe in secret.' I thought, clearing my mind as I entered the bridge where Soundwave was waiting.

"Hey sire..." I said meekly, Soundwave pulling me into a tight hug.

"Don't scare Soundwave like that again." He whispered. I returned the hug, silent sobs escaping me. Thankfully, no one was around, so I was allowed to show emotion.

"I'm sorry, sire." I said quietly. He broke the embrace, a 😊 on his display followed by a ♥️. I couldn't help but smile under my visor. Little did I realize that my sire had something planned for me, and it was not going to be a good thing.