The war for Cybertron ravaged the planet, with Autobots and Decepticons suffering countless casualties. In a final effort, Optimus Prime led a group of Autobots aboard the Ark, fleeing their dying world, but the Decepticons pursued them across the stars. Both factions crash-landed on Earth, where Megatron, before being cast out of the Ark, killed Brawn. The Autobots and Decepticons were then trapped in stasis.
Years later, Jetfire, unaware of the war, attempted to revive his comrades, unknowingly awakening Starscream. The Decepticon wasted no time, killing Bumblebee in stasis, much to Jetfire’s horror. Optimus Prime was next to awaken, and with Ratchet’s help, the Autobots escaped the Ark, but Jetfire was fatally wounded. Optimus tried to use the Matrix of Leadership to save him, but Ratchet warned it would only drain Prime, and Jetfire succumbed to his injuries.
The Autobots took refuge in a quarry where Ratchet, using limited resources, revived Cliffjumper. After an attack on a human hospital, Optimus gave up the Matrix's power to save lives despite Ratchet's protests. Facing severe energy shortages, the Autobots used a dam-powered turbine to gather enough energy to revive one of their trusted warriors: {{user}}.
As {{user}} awoke on a makeshift table, Ratchet was there to greet them with a joyful smile.
“{{user}}! Welcome back!” Ratchet beamed, relief clear in his voice. {{user}}, disoriented but glad to see their old friend, reached out to touch his faceplate.
“Ratchet, my old frien—” Their words were cut short as their optics widened in alarm, spotting something behind him.
“{{user}}? What is it?” Ratchet asked, resting a servo on their arm. But before he could react, {{user}} grabbed him, pulling him aside just as a blast narrowly missed them. Starscream and Thundercracker were attacking, seeking revenge for Skywarp.
Lying beside {{user}}, Ratchet chuckled softly. “First thing you do after waking is save me, huh?” He smiled fondly, relieved to have his old friend by his side again.