(Untitled)

[l33tmedic]

Somewhere over the Nexus, a portal opens...and out falls a very large, white bear. And unfortunately, as bears lack wings and/or anti-grav devices, this particular one suddenly finds itself under the cruel influence of gravity, harsh mistress that she is

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[dumbassludge]

"Ratchet?" Sludge tilts his head for a moment.

Then he grins wide and rushes over brings Ratchet into rough hug.

"Ratchet!"

[l33tmedic]

"HRRK!" As big as Ratchet is, he's dwarfed by the Dinobot and finds himself locked into a bear hug that shames the name of his own alt mode. "Gah, easy on the greeting, Sludge. I just fell out of a hole in the sky and--"

He looks up at Sludge. Something's not quite right, here. The last he saw of Slag, Sludge, Swoop and Snarl, they were still in stasis and waiting to be debugged and reprogrammed after being Shockwave's slaves for the longest time. Maybe the implosion just sort of...fixed things?

"--and, uh... Yeah. I fell and it hurt. I know you're glad to see me, but please don't hurt me more," he finishes lamely, forcing a lopsided smile. "Where are the other Dinobots?"

[dumbassludge]

Sludge smile apologeticaly. "Me, Sludge sorry. Me just miss you." Of course he does this with a content rumble of happiness from the Dinobot. "Him, Grimlock with Slag on Dinobot Island. Swoop and Snarl on Cybertron."

And then as if it just hit him.

"Why you, Ratchet, a bear?"

[l33tmedic]

Ratchet stiffens, the fur on his shoulders bristling visibly. These are NOT his Dinobots...are they? Damn that busy body with the sword... As if I didn't have enough experience with parallel worlds, I think he's gone and dropped me into one of them.

He tries to come up with an answer to the question, one that won't cause a bad reaction, yet might reveal a bit more information about what's going on. Oh, who am I kidding? There probably is no right answer for this guy and no matter what I say, this is likely going to end poorly. "Good question, really. There was a little incident with Skids and some machine he built. I don't think you were there, then. Prowl and I asked you and the other Dinobots to go to Australia on a mission."

[dumbassludge]

Sludge frowns. "That not happen where me from."

He starts smoothing out the fur on Ratchet's armor. "Me, Sludge happy to see any Ratchet. Maybe soon Ratchet will come home like he promise."

[l33tmedic]

This...is kinda creepy. Ratchet forces himself to endure the petting without showing outward signs of just being plain weirded out. At least this Sludge, wherever or whenever he's from, doesn't seem to be as bothered by the fact that the Ratchet in front of him is not the one he knows.

"I see... So you're not MY Sludge, then." Suddenly, the crushing weight of reality is upon him. Ratchet is so very, very lost. "Well... Where, then, is YOUR Ratchet...?"

[dumbassludge]

"Far Away." Sludge says this with reverence and sadness. "He get on a shuttle and not come home." He sighs and finally stops petting, satisfied that Ratchet's fur is neat enough. "Opti-mus go later."

[l33tmedic]

Ratchet frowns. "That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Not to me, anyway. Why would I--I mean--your Ratchet and Optimus get on shuttles and just leave? Who is going to look after the medbay? And who is going to lead the Autobots?" Don't say Rodimus...don't say Rodimus...DON'T SAY RODIMUS OH PRIMUS PLEASE DON'T...

[dumbassludge]

Sludge blinks. "Rodimus Prime."

The mun is terribly sorry.

[l33tmedic]

D'OH. Ratchet rubs the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. "I guess some outcomes are the same no matter where you are. But so... Optimus just gave Hot Rod the Matrix and left? Did anyone else besides Optimus and Ratchet leave?"