Never an Easy Road
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I don't own the Transformers. They officially belong to Hasbro and Takara. I'm taking them for a short spin.
The human concept is called the "soulmate." In Cybertronian culture and custom, it's called "fated." Humans had it easy because they were born with the name of their fated, the words right there for all to see.
For Cybertronians, it was more complicated. One knew their fated from the first words they spoke when they first met. At least that was how it was supposed to work.
The words etched on to the inside of Hot Rod's left wrist had been with him since the moment he onlined. Seven words, rendered in elegant glyphs. Hot Rod knows them by heart, as the humans say.
He always wondered about the words. Not quite what someone would hear in normal conversation, but he expected the words marking the mech or femme you were supposed to spend your life with weren't exactly common. And with his luck, considering how cryptic they sounded when he read them out loud, Hot Rod figured with his luck, matters were not going to go as smooth as he always hoped. Some bots knew their fated for vorns before it became evident they were each other's destiny. Sometimes things happened out of order like that. He hoped he wasn't one of those, and no amount of Kup's reassurance could keep him from worrying about it.
Well, since they'd ended up on Earth, Hot Rod thought about it less and less. He was too busy getting into trouble, or trying to stay out of it, or just trying to keep himself alive.
Also trying not to make a fool of himself in front of Optimus Prime. Unfortunately, easier said than done. Joking about having a weekly appointment with the mech went about as well as Hot Rod figured—it was the comment earing himself a several day stay in the brig. That and he was the last thing Optimus Prime had to deal with before returning to one of the moon bases.
Their final push against the Decepticons was coming soon, and Hot Rod knew he should've kept his mouth shut.
Now, he was out of the brig and out fishing with Daniel. A nice day, he wasn't in trouble, and the kid was now asking to go watch the shuttle coming in for a landing. So Hot Rod obliged.
And what seems like forever later, but it's only been less than a day, the few Autobots left alive are standing around a berth in the med bay. A berth occupied by Optimus Prime. Perceptor is babbling on about how the wounds are fatal, and then they're watching the passing of the Matrix and the leadership of the Autobots, and the Prime speaks his final words.
"Until the day. . .'til all are one," he says. The words on Hot Rod's wrist. They are Optimus Prime's last words.
The Matrix is in Hot Rod's hands, and he's handing it off to Ultra Magnus, and it's too soon for him to even process what's happened. Then they're off to Cybertron.
88888
Back on Earth, alone in the temporary quarters he's been assigned at the Ark, Rodimus Prime runs his fingers over the glyphs on his left wrist. Too numb from the events of the last few two days, too exhausted to recharge.
It's all some kind of cruel joke, a horrible nightmare where he's never going to wake up. But he's never had a nightmare like this, and only Kup's had the decency to not say anything to him. But even that's over now because the ancient mech is standing in front of him.
Rodimus doesn't look up, but a hand on his chin forces him to meet his old mentor's optics.
"You need to get some rest," Kup said. "First Aid can give you something, if you need it. Or Jazz has some high grade. I can get you some if you want."
"No," Rodimus said, fingers still absentmindedly running over the glyphs on his arm.
Strong fingers wrap around his wrist. "Stop," Kup said, sliding his fingers into the younger mech's hand.
"I can't," Rodimus said. "He's gone, and it's my fault, and Kup, I. . ."
"It's all right, lad," Kup said.
"It's never going to be 'all right' again, Kup," Rodimus said, jerking away from the ancient mech.
Kup sat down on berth the young mech just vacated. "That's one way of lookin' at things," he said. "Sun's still gonna rise and set, world's gonna keep turnin. Point is what are you gonna do?"
Rodimus snorted. "I don't know," he said.
"First things first. Rest. I'll stay here if you want," Kup said.
"I'm fine," Rodimus said.
"Sure," Kup said. "We both know you're not. And I haven't said a damn thing to the others about. . .you know."
He pointed at the glyphs on Rodimus' arm. Reaching, he gently grabbed his wrist, turning it over, reading the words there, which were in Optimus Prime's handwriting.
"And you won't, either," Rodimus said.
"It's your business," Kup said.
Rodimus exvented. "You're right. I do need to try and rest," he said. "Sit with me a while?"
Kup nodded. He stood, wrapping his arms around the new Prime.