A World Beyond Our Own | TFP AU

07 || Trap

Ratchet was finally satisfied with the amount of herbs he had found after ten minutes of searching. He carefully scooped the delicate plants into his jaws, being gentle with them so he wouldn't accidentally crush them. Now, he just had to find Taylor.

She couldn't have gone far.

His eyes scanned the area around him as he padded along. After a few minutes of looking around, he grew worried for her safety. What if she had gotten lost or fallen in a hole? Or worse, what if she was hurt somewhere and couldn't call for help?

Abandoning the herbs so that his nostrils were free from their overwhelming scent, Ratchet began sniffing around for Taylor's scent.

It didn't take him long to find her scent and he was relieved when the scent of blood didn't accompany it. But, that still didn't explain what happened to her. The medic followed the trail deeper into the forest, his concern for the silver-haired girl growing by the second.

Finally, Ratchet reached a small clearing where Taylor's scent had pooled. He lifted his head to look around, his narrowed gaze scanning the entire area for any sign of her.

"Taylor?" He called, but received no answer. Cursing to himself, he lowered his head. That's when he saw the herbs scattered across the forest floor.

Oh no...

He rushed over to them, sniffing all around that area for something that could give him a clue about what had happened to her.

Suddenly, a terrified shriek echoed through the forest.

Ratchet's head immediately snapped up, his blue eyes widening. "Taylor!" He shouted, already running towards the area that the shriek had come from.

His claws dug into the damp earth beneath his paws, helping propel him forwards through the undergrowth. His eyes frantically searched the forest in front of him until he managed to catch a glimpse of Taylor's silver hair.

"Taylor!" He shouted again, pushing his way towards her.

His great form erupted through the bushes into a small clearing with a few boulders sticking out of the ground. Taylor was sitting on the ground at the base of the largest one. She looked frightened, but otherwise unharmed.

"By Primus, Taylor, what happened? Are you alright?" His tone was stern, but there was a soft edge to it as he padded towards her.

"Ratchet, don't! It's a—" Taylor tried to warn him, but it was too late.

She cried out when the medic was jumped from behind by Starscream and a few Vehicons and roughly pinned to the ground. Though, her blood ran cold when she felt a hot breath blow down on her from above.

No matter how much Ratchet struggled, he couldn't escape. Not without having six pairs of claws digging into his flesh. He growled loudly, though it died in his throat when he saw the enormous form of Megatron slinking over the boulder that Taylor was sitting in front of. His eyes widened in horror.

"No!" He cried, but was silenced by a paw slamming down on his head to keep his jaw shut.

"Well then... you played the part of worried rescuer perfectly, Ratchet." Megatron sneered, baring his fangs as he slid down from the boulder and stood beside Taylor. He towered over her, her head barely even reaching the middle of his foreleg. One paw alone could crush her skull. The warlord sat down and pulled Taylor close with his tail. "So, the rumors are true. You have formed a bond with this pathetic insect."

Taylor tried her best to keep herself from crying, but she couldn't help it. Tears spilled down her cheeks in rivers as she stared hopelessly at Ratchet.

I can't help him.

She flinched when she felt Megatron's tail press against her, making her feel trapped. He could kill her right now if he wanted to.

The pressure on Ratchet's head was released, as if Megatron's glare had commanded it to be. He looked at Taylor for a moment before shifting his gaze to the warlord himself.

"Let her go, Megatron. She's done nothing wrong." He tried to reason.

Megatron simply laughed mockingly at him. "The same can't be said for her kind. You and I both know what they are capable of. You are a fool for trusting one." He spat bitterly, baring his ivory fangs aggressively.

"That was in the past. You can't make judgements based on past mistakes!"

"Silence!" The silver dragon released a thunderous roar that shook the ground. His scarlet red eyes blazed with fury as he stared down the medic like a predator stared down it's prey. Once his anger had subsided, Megatron chuckled and grinned darkly. "You've gotten bolder since we last met, Ratchet, but that won't save you. You're in my domain now."

It only took one sniff for Ratchet to realize he had made a grave mistake. Because he was so intent on following Taylor's scent trail, he had ignored the scent markers that lined the edge of the Decepticons' territory. Now both himself and Taylor were trapped.

He really was a fool.