♝ Izzy ♡

Ratchet as a steller sea lion mer and Drift as a human poacher.

One time Ratchet gets hurt by other poachers so bad he loses his fins but Drift saves him and makes him new cheap and primitive fins out of all scrap he can find and throw together. Not exactly professional work but absolutely life saving for Ratchet because that ugly plastic tail is good just enough for him to swim back home.

Years later the big Tsunami hits. And this time Ratchet is the one who saves Drift and. Haha. Oops. Oh look. The sea creature you saved back then is not only still alive but also wearing actual cybernetic prosthetics??

You know that cartoon ass moment when someone finds a wounded bird and thinks “I can take it home and heal it and fix it’s broken bones and then I certainly will release it back to the wild because it has to live with other animals. But right now in the little comfy box you go”?

Yeah. Drift is that bird. Drift is that rescued bird haha

That's right. Ratchet is just so incredible and awesome as a doctor that being chief medical officer to the Primes isn't challenging enough. He needs a side hustle that's exciting because it's forbidden and maybe a little dangerous. It's actually Orion Pax who suggests starting the clinic.

I think a lot of people miscast Ratchet as a bit of a rebel because he famously almost flunks out of med school, and then he runs this clinic. He's also in Prowl's bad books as a loose cannon known for "breaking rank." But it's a mistake to think he does these things because he wants to piss off people in power or challenge an overly rigid system. He does them because he's arrogant. He is so confident in his skill and value that he believes he can do what he wants and the universe will give him a pass. (He's actually a lot like Prowl, in this respect. I wonder if the commonality ever occurs to them.)

MY KITTY STICKERS OF DRATCHET CAME INNN AAAAAA

Hot Rod tries to get up, but his wounded leg just malfunction and falls back, making a lot of noise. The Decepticon turns and look at him in shock.

Hot Rod knows he is finished. So he provokes him. But the mech doesn't do anything. And after awkwards kliks, the renforts come and are ready to shoot Roddy, but Soundwave stops them.

-"Hot Rod : to the base."

And the soldiers protest, but Soundwave looks at them and they obey. Hot Rod tries to defend himself, but his energon reserves are very low.

He is taken to the base were is locked in a cell without any of his stuff and just a cube of fuel. He doesn't drink it. A red medic comes in and without any warning, take a sample of his innermost energon. He can't fight it. Too weak to move.

He is there for hours, alone, before Soundwave comes in and stare at him.

-"What do you want, you creep...? Can't you finish a bot like a true mech?"

-"Hot Rod : not his place on a battlefield."

-"What did you just say, you fucke-"

His sentence dies in his intake the moment Megatron himself enters the cell room.

-"Well well well,... if it's not the little Autobot's favorite we have here..."

Hot Rod keeps silence.

-"How funny it is that no one came for you already, especially not even your own leader."

-"They will ... and they'll tear you appart! I'm sure Optimus is on his way!"

-" And yet it has been two cycles you are here. Are you sure?"

Two cycles. Already?

-"Are you sure you've not just been abandoned? Just like at your emergence day?"

-"what?"

-"Knock out. Present to our prisonner what you've discovered and Soundwave, show him your camera footages."

Knock out, the red medic, shows his energon sample and explain that his and Optimus' signatures are at a very high percentage concordance. They decided to run these test because it's obvious how Hot Rod acts just like Optimus Prime. His carrier.

-"And oh, i almost forgot... your enermost energon, being so similare to him and rich in rare minerals, only means that YOU are to become... the next Prime."

Hot Rod was in shock. Then Soundwave reveal footages of the meeting office where Optimus and Ratchet, on every single one, were arguing about Hot Rod.

1)

-"He is your creation, Optimus! Your own creation!! And you are a fragging coward. You already got rid of him the moment you deny him a proper family."

-"Ratchet, i will not discuss about that. It has been 2 million years he is under my command as a simple soldier and he will remain like this. He won't have the Matrix, he won't lead the Autobots."

-"How dare you. You've changed. You are not the old bot i knew before the war. You became sparkless. The kid needed you, and you just threw him in the pit. You could have left him with me and Drift. I'm sure it would have been a good reason for my Conjunx to stay by my side and to treat proprely the kid. You disgust me"

2)

-"Kup, could we speak? In private?"

-"Yes, Ratchet, always. What is wrong? Is Hot Rod okay? The kid didn't hurt himself?"

-"No no, he is fine. Don't worry, he is in recharge. I'm going straight to the point but before, i have a question."

-"You worry me Ratchet, tell me?"

-"Have you notice how Hot Rod behave?'

-"Like a fussy little kiddo? Yes, why?"

-"... don't bother with that... okay, promise me you won't tell any spark about our conversation."

-"I... promise? Spill the thruth, what is wrong with the kid?"

-"Nothing. ... the problem is with Optimus. Hot Rod is... he is Optimus' creation."

3)

-"He won't!"

-"Yes, he will! Don't escape this conversation Optimus! You know we have to-"

-"ENOUGH!"

Silence

-"Yes, i gave emergence to him, but there is nothing. No bound. And it happened when i was still an archivist. Now it is war, Kup. I can't let him reach me. And Decepticons may not discover he is the next Prime. Because the Matrix will remain with me. He is too young to lead. And reckless. We have to keep him because i don't want them to crack his coding and discover important Autobot information."

-"So you never really met him huh? You never met this sparkling that always had stars in his optics whenever is would look at you. Never met the sparkling that could bust into flames at only 6 years old. You never saw him growing up, become this handsome and respectfull mech. You never heard him laugh. He is the Autobot's light. Our hope. Continue to disrespect him, and you're gonna have to face both me and Ratchet and every Autobots. Don't mess with the kid. Don't you dare."

And it went on and on. Roddy was too baffled by what was said that he didn't register the moment Soundwave put a perfusion on his to give him energon. Not his thin digit brushing his tears away.

He was Optimus' denied creation. And futur Prime...

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I could make part 2 but it's gonna be way too long and my hands are tired to type 😭😭😭