"How is she?"

Jack and Rafael were staring at the screen, where their counterparts, along with Miko, were watching them on the other side. Ratchet/Soundwave were the only ones in the room.

"The doctors said she has a concussion and broken bones, and, uh...we basically were lucky to get her to the hospital when we did," Jack replied. "Did you ever hear anything from...Optimus?"

Ratchet paid attention when he heard Optimus' name mentioned.

"He...actually hasn't done much. How about Megatron?"

"Laying low," Jack mumbled. Miko frowned.

"What are they up to?" Raf wondered out loud.

"Trying to figure out a way to conquer both worlds together I bet," Jack muttered bitterly, but he couldn't blame the Autobots. They were placed in a bad situation where both consequences were less than ideal. Rafael hesitantly set a hand on his arm.

"What happens when they do end up doing something?" the young boy asked. It was a question nobody seemed to know the answer to. Except, of course, Megatron and Optimus Prime.

"Whatever happens...we'll all be there to help each other, right?"

Jack stared at his counterpart. He was too much like Raf for him to believe that was a different version of him.

"Yeah, the 'Bots can go through dimensions now, thanks to-" Raf choked for half a second "-Ratchet."

"You're welcome," the medic shouted, but it was more of a "I heard that," kind of tone. Raf waved nervously at the screen. If Miko were here she would have laughed.

Miko.

Jack frowned and looked toward the exit of the base. Arcee noticed and walked up next to him, and the other Miko tensed for half a second.

"You think you'd be able to see her?" she asked, and Jack turned over to look at her, nodding. "By now she'd be out of surgery. I just don't know what I'd tell her parents."

"Car crash?" Miko offered. Jack glanced over at her and nodded. Technically a transforming car did-

He mentally slapped himself. That wasn't something to make a joke of. No, definitely not.

Jack looked over at Raf, silently asking if he wanted to come. Raf nodded, and Arcee stopped Jack before they could walk off the catwalk and over to Bee.

"Keep me posted, alright?"

Jack nodded, and Bee agreed to take them after Raf asked, and the other dimension's trio watched as the Autobot they knew to be ruthless and violent to be caring and almost...adorable. He transformed with a happy sounding buzz and the two teens got inside the Urbana 500 before it drove off.

"Nothing's normal anymore," Miko muttered.

"That dimension is definitely weird," Raf added.

"Then what is this dimension to them?" Jackson asked, looking at the two. "Probably...insane."

"You've got that right," Ratchet muttered as he looked at them through the screen. Raf waved again, but this time the kids were surprised when Ratchet looked up and gave him a ghost of a smile.

***

"Soundwave, adjust the GroundBridge to these settings," Megatron called as soon as he stepped through the bridge. He had stayed to witness the Autobots make their exchange in case something had happened, but nothing did.

"Optimus Prime...waiting for...your...transmission," Soundwave replied as he accepted the flash drive Megatron held out to him. He only nodded and walked off to a console, and Soundwave to a one nearby.

The screen was static for a few seconds before the face of Optimus Prime showed through.

"I have the calibrations."

"You did well."

Megatron raised an optic ridge. "I did well? What kind of a reply is that?"

"Is that not satisfactory enough for you? I give you praise, and you reject it?"

"Reject it? You make me sound like a mere minion of yours, a common drone! And I will not-!"

"Be one again?"

Megatron froze at Optimus' words. Even Soundwave had stopped to listen as he looked at his master.

"D-16, was it not?"

"You have no idea what treachery that designation can bring," Megatron hissed. "If my second in command-"

"Starscream?" Optimus chuckled. "Why do you still keep him around, as your second in command, no less? He has done nothing but try to end your reign. If Arcee had ever tried anything of the sort her spark would be ripped out of her chassis immediately prior."

"How do you know about St-"

"Please, if your dimension is almost the opposite of what it truly is your Starscream is foolish. Does he still wear heels?" Optimus asked casually, almost too casually.

"You seem to have everything figured out, don't you, Orion Pax."

"My former designation hardly fazes me, Megatron. Besides, arguing will not continue progress. How is Soundwave coming along with those calibrations?"

By now Soundwave had returned to his task and had very nearly completed it. He opened a GroundBridge and Megatron waited in anticipation for Optimus to receive that Bridge.

But it never came.

"Soundwave-" Megatron started, before Optimus interrupted once again, something Megatron was becoming increasingly annoyed at.

"Perhaps Ratchet purposefully changed some things."

"Are you saying that because your Ratchet wouldn't be smart enough to?"

"No, believe me, he is, quite smart. There is a line where one can tell who is changed in different dimensions, to an extent, and who is not, to an extent, if one is observant enough."

Megatron glared. Working with this Optimus would be more annoying than he originally thought.

"Soundwave, do what you can to create the same gateway the Autobots have achieved."

Soundwave nodded once before he turned away to focus.

"I will contact you once I receive a bridge. There is something I must attend to."

And just like that, Optimus disappeared, leaving Megatron to find a feeling of resentment had grown toward him.

***

Arcee paced quietly down the halls of the Ark, mulling over thoughts in her head. There was no way Ratchet would ever leave his console unsupervised somehow. And there was no way he wouldn't not report anything she did to Optimus. She was that way at one point. But now things have changed, she couldn't believe how ignorant she'd been.

She'd have to plan something else.

She heard pedsteps approaching and she looked up to see that they belonged to no one but Optimus Prime himself.

"My liege." she nodded in respect, and he stopped in front of her.

"Arcee. As you know, we've made contact with another dimension. Megatron may soon be walking these halls with the rest of us, and I on the halls of the Nemesis."

"You two have gotten that far already?" she asked almost casually, raising an optic ridge.

"Indeed. In the event I should cross to the other dimension, you will remain in charge of military operations, and Ratchet, scientific. Of course, you will still answer to me."

"Nothing new about any of this," she replied, watching him quietly. "Forgive me for asking, my liege, but, why are you repeating this?"

Optimus walked past her and she thought he wouldn't respond until he was just behind her.

"So you will remember who's truly in charge."

He's onto me.

~~~

Hehe

Well here's chapter 12! Yes, things are a bit slow now but then again it just sets things up for the climax. :>

Hope you still enjoyed it, see you all next time! Thanks for reading. (I really don't have anything to say)

-BP