Enter Dante, The Rev-9: Book 1: Rogue

Chapter 6: Masters and Students

3rd Person POV

At the Autobot Base

Optimus stood in the main room of the Autobot base, a contemplative look on his face as Ratchet went over to check on him. "Optimus, why so glum? This planet, all planets, are finally free from Megatron's tyranny."

"I do not disagree, Ratchet. It's just...." Optimus trailed off. "A small part of me hoped to change Megatron's mind, not extinguish his spark."

"Optimus, his vileness was not slain by your hand, but by his own twisted arrogance!" Ratchet exclaimed, only to apologize as soon as he saw that he wasn't helping. "I'm sorry. I know you two had quite a history."

Optimus sighed. "The Megatron I fought alongside perished eons ago. The day he chose to be a Decepticon." He turned to Ratchet. "The Decepticons may be in disarray, but they are not without leadership. While Starscream is no Megatron, he is far from predictable."

Suddenly, an explosion was heard throughout the base, and the ground shook slightly. "Decepticons! We're under attack!" Ratchet yelled.

Immediately, Ratchet and Optimus rushed to the source of the disturbance only to find smoke filling the air. When the smoke cleared, they realized that the explosion was caused by... a small volcano?

"It's no attack, Ratchet," Raf assured the two Autobots while waving his hand through the smoke. "It's my volcano." He gestured to a smoking replica of an erupting mountain that he and Bumblebee had been working on, just as it deflated. "Well. Was," he corrected.

Ratchet looked around the base. On a platform, Miko was having Bulkhead hold a mobile of hanging planet models while she painted it. "Hold still, Bulkhead. Jupiter needs its red spot." She moved to paint one of the models when a paint drop slid off the brush and splattered on the ground. "Whoops."

"Told you that you needed a tarp," Dante called.

Ratchet and Optimus looked over to see him casually tossing a pen into the air and catching it while leaning against Arcee, who was sitting against the wall and watching him with interest.

"What. In the Allspark. Is going on here?" Ratchet demanded.

"Our science projects are due tomorrow," Jack explained. Ratchet looked over at the teen to find him and Elita working on a model of a car.

Elita pointed at one of the parts. "Maybe it needs one of these doohickeys," she suggested.

"You're a car, Elita. Shouldn't you know how to build a car engine?" asked Jack with a hint of amusement.

"You're a human, Jack. Can you build me a small intestine?" Elita countered.

"She's got you there, Jack," Dante commented, still tossing his pen into the air and catching it. "You can't expect her to know how to build part of her own body. That's what Ratchet's for."

Arcee and Elita tried and failed to cover laughs while Bulkhead just chuckled. Even Optimus tried to conceal a smile at the semi-outraged look on the medic's face.

"Regardless, you can't work on these projects in here. You're...you're making a mess!" Ratchet exclaimed.

"But the science fair is a big part of our grade!" Raf complained.

"Yeah!" Miko agreed. "If Bulkhead doesn't help me finish this model of our solar system—"

"Oh!" Ratchet said, cutting her off. "What does Bulkhead know of your solar system? Or Bumblebee of your volcanos? Or—"