Solitaire
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers. They belong to Hasbro and Takara. I am merely taking them for a short spin.
Hot Rod pulled to a stop, transformed, daring to go no further. He could feel the artifact's call, which was as familiar to him now as the pulsing of his spark within his chest. It was hidden as well as he could. Risky, he knew, considering how well the last time it was hidden went. But he would not carry it within him again, not if he could help it--it had very nearly killed him, but it had saved his life when he detonated the Vector.
He stared up at the night sky, staring at the stars, wondering if there were any other Autobots out there waiting in the vast expanse of space. He knew there were Decepticons, and it was only a matter of time before they came. The former Decepticons on base confirmed it months before, and waiting was all they could do now.
Barely a stellar cycle had passed since he came to Earth, and much had changed. For starters, he was still alive, something he hadn't expected to remain for long after waking up on this new planet. And he was bonded. That brought a small smile to his face. His bond with Optimus was still new, and more than he ever hoped for. But he had it, was grateful for it, the chance.
He'd left Optimus in recharge back in his berth, felt a little guilty for taking off on his own without letting anyone know. Again. His smile faded at that, but he wasn't going to go back on his word. He'd promised to keep the object hidden, protect it. So far, he'd managed, but at a cost.
He still didn't regret his choice all those years ago--he'd come through when no one else could, although Hot Rod still wondered why the artifact had to remain hidden from even Optimus. That was part of his promise to Alpha Trion, and even Ultra Magnus had warned him before Tyger Pax to tell no one. It was a heavy burden to bear alone, a burden he was just now beginning to truly understand.
He'd uplinked with the Ark, something Optimus warned him not to do. He hadn't made it an order, instead choosing to make it an issue of trust between them. Optimus knew the truth about his ability to uplink with a ship, as did Kup and Ratchet. Prowl and Springer knew about the modifications to his processor; the other Autobots on base had seen two of his abilities in action, had been told they were modifications done when he became a tactical unit commander. Except the uplink hadn't proven very fruitful. The files were encrypted, and anything he wanted on history or mythology wasn't very helpful.
Hot Rod knew the artifact could be used as weapon, having experienced it firsthand on more than one occasion. That alone made him afraid of it, but at the same time, it was now a part of him because he'd carried it so long. It was something else also--something ancient and sacred, yet still dangerous.
He knew the Decepticons were searching for it, and he'd die before he'd let them have it. And for not the first time since bonding with Optimus, he knew if it came down to his life or Prime's, there was no choice. He'd break their bond before he let anything happen to Optimus.
That also weighed heavily on his spark, but it made every moment on Earth that much more precious, when Hot Rod wasn't even supposed to be there, or anywhere for that matter. He should've remained hidden because of the artifact, but also because of the knowledge he carried, not just about Shockwave, but the culmination of his research.
The information needed to build a gestalt was buried deep in his processor, locked away. Luckily, the only way to unlock it was long gone, so he hoped. Ultra Magnus was needed to get to the information, although why and how Alpha Trion never revealed. Hot Rod suspected the ancient Autobot had pulled a fast one on Magnus. He had his suspicions it had something to do with the combiners that were on the Vector, but again, he hoped he would never have to find out. As it was, Hot Rod was walking the razor's edge, trying to find a balance between keeping his promise and building a future, although he knew fate always had other plans.
Like lately, Ironhide hadn't said anything about the Vector, but it was only a matter of time before it came up again. Hot Rod knew it was partly because Prime told his friend to drop it more than once and also out of respect because of Prime's bond.
The Vector. He still didn't remember everything, but one thing was still crystal clear--someone had leaked information to the Decepticons about the ship and what it carried. Who, however, was still unknown. Hot Rod was sure it wasn't Magnus--he'd betrayed the trust given him, burned bridges with those closest to him but to give information to the Decepticons? Everything Magnus had done was because he was sure it was the right thing to do. He'd even admitted as much to Hot Rod in the three short days before Tyger Pax so no, it wasn't him.
Hound and Mirage? Again, no. Not as sure, but they were bonded, and everyone chosen for the Vector's mission Magnus trusted implicitly.
Blurr? No way in the Pit, Hot Rod thought. Couldn't tell a lie to save his life. Cosmos? Likely no. Red Alert? His paranoia made Hot Rod consider it, but Red Alert was loyal.
And he knew he hadn't done it himself. That left external sources, but his instincts still screamed it was someone on the Vector. The incident from a few months before confirmed it, although it still had the others thinking Magnus was a traitor. Hot Rod signed, offlined his optics. That was another source of regret. Magnus had tried to set things right, but no one would listen, not even Optimus. Again, Hot Rod knew that in Magnus' own mind, nothing he could do could make up for what he'd done. Maybe that was true, but. . .even Ironhide still had his doubts, was still holding out hope Magnus was alive. Because if he was, he had a lot to answer for.
Hot Rod onlined his optics, saw the eastern horizon starting to get brighter as the sun was coming up. He quickly scanned the area, proving to himself the artifact was still where he left it, even though he could feel it. He transformed, headed back to base, hoping to get back before he was missed.