fusion 'verse. Autobot base, the Prime's quarters. The journy within.
"It's not like the kid to be late for anything." Kup frowned and looked around the officer's mess.
"This wasn't an official meeting," noted Ultra Magnus, glancing up from his conversation with Marrissa.
"Still. He's on time for the unofficial ones too," insisted the older mech. "He's a nerd that way."
"There's Scourge." Marrissa brightened from where she was sitting with her legs folded beneath her on the table.
"...That doesn't look good." Kup took in the young femme's expression and pushed his chair back, knocking back the last of his energon as he stood. "What's wrong, kid?"
"I... don't know," said the Sweep leader fearfully. "But... Galvatron... he won't wake up!"
"What??" Kup turned and headed for the door, his vigorous strides belying his age.
"Where is he?" asked Magnus as he absently picked Marrissa up and stood himself, his optics focused on Scourge's face. "What happened?"
"I don't know," she repeated. "Cyclonus went to see why he wasn't waiting for us at the door, like he usually does, and found him laying on his berth with Deathscream beside him. His optics are dark, and none of us could get him to respond."
"Oh. That doesn't sound good," said Marrissa worriedly.
//Magnus, shuffle your aft,// came a terse transmission from Kup.
The tri-coloured mech blinked, then turned and hurried toward the quarters that the Prime shared with his team. In the crook of his arm, Marrissa crouched down slightly and frowned with concern.
Kup was standing back when they reached the room, watching as Ratchet ran a scanner over Galvatron's prone form. Deathscream sat near her mate with her back to the wall and her knees drawn up, silent and watchful.
"Well?" demanded Kup.
"No sign of spark energy. But the Matrix hasn't come out...." The medic frowned with concern and opened Galvatron's chest, then blinked at the light that hit him in the face.
Kup folded his arms and scowled, though Magnus could see the stark concern in his optics. "So what the slag's that mean?"
"I don't know! I'm a medic, not an expert on the Matrix of leadership!" Ratchet moved his hand toward one of the artifact's handles, meaning to have a closer look at Galvatron's spark compartment, then gasped as the purple and grey mech's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. "Wha! Galvatron? Can you hear me?"
Crimson optics flickered uncertainly as the young Prime turned his head. "I... know."
"Take it easy." Ratchet used his free hand to scan again, his faceplates lighting as the machine beeped positively at the presence of a spark. "Can you tell me what happened? How do you feel?"
Galvatron switched his optics off and worked his mouth as he turned his face back toward the ceiling. "...Inside the Matrix."
"You can do that?" Ultra Magnus blinked and looked at Kup.
"How the slag should I know? Nobody ever told me anything about that."
"Mighty Galvatron?" murmured Cyclonus from where he leaned against the other wall with his arms around Scourge and the female Sweep.
"I... know." Galvatron let go of Ratchet so that he could rub his face. "So much data. My processor...." He grimaced with pain.
"Partying with Rodimus and the old farts." Kup shook his head, disapproving in his relief.
"Shh, just take it easy." Ratchet applied a pain override.
"Was there anything we need to know right now?" asked Ultra Magnus, modulating his tone in deference for his superior's discomfort.
"I need to sort it out." Galvatron frowned, his other hand seeking out Deathscream's and then holding it tightly. "...A lot."
"Rest, Mighty Galvatron," she said softly, moving to be closer to him and watching him anxiously.
"She's right," said Magnus, looking at Ratchet, who nodded as he scanned again. "You'd better get some rest. I'll take care of anything that comes up."
"Alright." Galvatron pulled his mate close to his side and faded offline.
"Is he gonna be alright, Doc?" demanded Kup softly.
"His readings show a little stress from the strain on his processor, but other than that his vital signs are normal," said Ratchet. "I still think it's best if he take it easy until he's got that new data processed. Cyclonus, will you make sure he rests?"
Galvatron's third in command frowned at being thus addressed, but then he looked down at his leaders and nodded. "As you command."
"...I don't command." The medic muttered, but then closed Galvatron's chest plate and straightened to look at Kup and the others.
"What did we have for today?" asked the Chief of Security, frowning.
"The Droon trade delegation." Ultra Magnus sighed.
"...Those stuck up squishies with the bad hair?"
"Yes, those are the Droon." Marrissa looked like she'd just eaten a lemon.
"Heh. Sucks to be them. Looks like it's their turn to wait on somebody." The old timer chuckled as he turned and headed out of the room.
Ultra Magnus blinked. "...Make the Droon wait?"
"Why not? They're always going on about how socially acceptable it is for their culture." Marrissa looked up at him. "And it's been a long time since you've had a break."
"Break? There are other things I can do."
"Yes, break," said the little human firmly. "You need it, and you're going to have one."
"Do you mind taking your domestic discussions where they won't disturb my patient?" requested Ratchet mildly.
Magnus and Marrissa both showed signs of blushing as they hastily excused themselves and left the room.
"This wasn't an official meeting," noted Ultra Magnus, glancing up from his conversation with Marrissa.
"Still. He's on time for the unofficial ones too," insisted the older mech. "He's a nerd that way."
"There's Scourge." Marrissa brightened from where she was sitting with her legs folded beneath her on the table.
"...That doesn't look good." Kup took in the young femme's expression and pushed his chair back, knocking back the last of his energon as he stood. "What's wrong, kid?"
"I... don't know," said the Sweep leader fearfully. "But... Galvatron... he won't wake up!"
"What??" Kup turned and headed for the door, his vigorous strides belying his age.
"Where is he?" asked Magnus as he absently picked Marrissa up and stood himself, his optics focused on Scourge's face. "What happened?"
"I don't know," she repeated. "Cyclonus went to see why he wasn't waiting for us at the door, like he usually does, and found him laying on his berth with Deathscream beside him. His optics are dark, and none of us could get him to respond."
"Oh. That doesn't sound good," said Marrissa worriedly.
//Magnus, shuffle your aft,// came a terse transmission from Kup.
The tri-coloured mech blinked, then turned and hurried toward the quarters that the Prime shared with his team. In the crook of his arm, Marrissa crouched down slightly and frowned with concern.
Kup was standing back when they reached the room, watching as Ratchet ran a scanner over Galvatron's prone form. Deathscream sat near her mate with her back to the wall and her knees drawn up, silent and watchful.
"Well?" demanded Kup.
"No sign of spark energy. But the Matrix hasn't come out...." The medic frowned with concern and opened Galvatron's chest, then blinked at the light that hit him in the face.
Kup folded his arms and scowled, though Magnus could see the stark concern in his optics. "So what the slag's that mean?"
"I don't know! I'm a medic, not an expert on the Matrix of leadership!" Ratchet moved his hand toward one of the artifact's handles, meaning to have a closer look at Galvatron's spark compartment, then gasped as the purple and grey mech's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. "Wha! Galvatron? Can you hear me?"
Crimson optics flickered uncertainly as the young Prime turned his head. "I... know."
"Take it easy." Ratchet used his free hand to scan again, his faceplates lighting as the machine beeped positively at the presence of a spark. "Can you tell me what happened? How do you feel?"
Galvatron switched his optics off and worked his mouth as he turned his face back toward the ceiling. "...Inside the Matrix."
"You can do that?" Ultra Magnus blinked and looked at Kup.
"How the slag should I know? Nobody ever told me anything about that."
"Mighty Galvatron?" murmured Cyclonus from where he leaned against the other wall with his arms around Scourge and the female Sweep.
"I... know." Galvatron let go of Ratchet so that he could rub his face. "So much data. My processor...." He grimaced with pain.
"Partying with Rodimus and the old farts." Kup shook his head, disapproving in his relief.
"Shh, just take it easy." Ratchet applied a pain override.
"Was there anything we need to know right now?" asked Ultra Magnus, modulating his tone in deference for his superior's discomfort.
"I need to sort it out." Galvatron frowned, his other hand seeking out Deathscream's and then holding it tightly. "...A lot."
"Rest, Mighty Galvatron," she said softly, moving to be closer to him and watching him anxiously.
"She's right," said Magnus, looking at Ratchet, who nodded as he scanned again. "You'd better get some rest. I'll take care of anything that comes up."
"Alright." Galvatron pulled his mate close to his side and faded offline.
"Is he gonna be alright, Doc?" demanded Kup softly.
"His readings show a little stress from the strain on his processor, but other than that his vital signs are normal," said Ratchet. "I still think it's best if he take it easy until he's got that new data processed. Cyclonus, will you make sure he rests?"
Galvatron's third in command frowned at being thus addressed, but then he looked down at his leaders and nodded. "As you command."
"...I don't command." The medic muttered, but then closed Galvatron's chest plate and straightened to look at Kup and the others.
"What did we have for today?" asked the Chief of Security, frowning.
"The Droon trade delegation." Ultra Magnus sighed.
"...Those stuck up squishies with the bad hair?"
"Yes, those are the Droon." Marrissa looked like she'd just eaten a lemon.
"Heh. Sucks to be them. Looks like it's their turn to wait on somebody." The old timer chuckled as he turned and headed out of the room.
Ultra Magnus blinked. "...Make the Droon wait?"
"Why not? They're always going on about how socially acceptable it is for their culture." Marrissa looked up at him. "And it's been a long time since you've had a break."
"Break? There are other things I can do."
"Yes, break," said the little human firmly. "You need it, and you're going to have one."
"Do you mind taking your domestic discussions where they won't disturb my patient?" requested Ratchet mildly.
Magnus and Marrissa both showed signs of blushing as they hastily excused themselves and left the room.