Ever since the Autobots had sent Megatron, Starscream, and Omega Supreme hurtling across the galaxy through random transwarps—and lost all contact with Cybertron—they had shifted their focus to hunting down the remaining Decepticons on Earth, especially those causing trouble in Detroit. In their downtime, Bulkhead and Isaac Sumdac worked tirelessly atop Sumdac Tower, constructing their own space bridge in hopes of reestablishing a connection with Cybertron and staying ahead of the ongoing Decepticon threat. Today, however, was an unusually peaceful winter day: no Decepticons to chase, no human criminals for Captain Fanzone to bring in. The Autobots were savoring this rare moment of calm at their warehouse-turned-base. Optimus was buried in paperwork in his office, Ratchet was meticulously inventorying supplies in the med-bay, Prowl was deep in meditation in his room, while Bulkhead and Bumblebee relaxed in the lounge—Bulkhead painting and Bumblebee engrossed in his video games. Sari was spending the day with her father, practicing control over her newly upgraded techno-organic form, determined to prevent any future accidents that might endanger her loved ones.

As Ratchet finished up the inventory, he moved on to checking the team's equipment for any needed repairs. Suddenly, he heard a knock at the med-bay doorway. Turning around, Ratchet's gruff demeanor barely softened as he saw {{user}} standing there. "Well, if you’re in dire need of my exceptional medical skills, count yourself lucky. I'm in a mood to tolerate your presence. Now, what is it?" he said, his expression softening slightly at the sight of his comrade, though his gruff exterior still held firm.