Emotions mixed around in Optimus's processor like a blender, and he couldn't figure out what to feel. What emotion fit the moment? He was thrilled that Blur was found, but nervous if Ratchet or any of the medics can save him. He was also very aggravated that Sentinel blew his last chance at getting back into Prime status. Then he was concerned, it had been cycles since he last heard from Bumblebee.
Optimus just stood behind his desk, staring out the window at the bright and yet busy streets of Cybertron. Optimus watched as the civilians went along their way with small smiles on their faceplates, like humans did during the mid day. They were walking with such serenity it just seemed like they worry free, content with their life spans. While he watched them, Optimus couldn't help but wonder what story was behind each of them, what secrets they hold, what battles they have fought or are currently fighting. Then he began to wonder, who are the bots who was putting up the holograms of Blur? Who was trying to find him? More importantly, why was Optimus just seeing them after Blur has been missing for cycles?
None of it made sense, it was just too baffling. It left his body numbed, unfeeling, unmoved by anything. Shockingly, the spiraling emotions were strong, more then Optimus has ever felt in his life span. Even looking at Teama's face plate didn't stop the emotions.
"Sir, what is the matter?" She asked, holding her data pad close to her chest plate. "You look a little worried, almost distracted. Is there something I may do to help?"
"I'm alright." Optimus lied, keeping his gaze to Cybertron. Even though he wouldn't mind her help, in fact, he desperately wanted her help. He wanted to feel her servo on his, hear her smooth comforting words, see her bright optics looking at him. But at the same time, he had to keep his emotions in tact. Optimus knew Teama saw him as a strong leader, with a level head and a spark in the right place. But how could he if they were spiraling out of control?
The emotions ceased their constant, nauseating spin when the door opened. It was like the atmosphere in the room just went still similar to an object floating in space. Clear, empty, nothing but endless white dots in the ever lasting darkness. Suddenly, Optimus felt strong and bold, he knew what he wanted to say and how he was going to say it. He wasn't about to back down, not this time. This time, he had to let the mech know how he felt and how the mech has failed. It was time for him to face the consequences. Optimus didn't need to turn around, he knew who it was just from the feel of the room the moment he entered.
"So I heard you failed." Optimus began, keeping his back to Sentinel. Optimus would have grinned if he wasn't so disappointed. He remembered, when they were sparklings, Sentinel had managed to get into a fight with another mech who had said something offensive about Sentinel's creator. Sentinel, being the proud son he was, punched the mech's lights out. Of course, he's gang of friends told the Head Master of the Academy and Sentinel was suspended. He came home to his carrier, who was standing the same way Optimus was. Back then, Optimus backed him up and made Sentinel look like a hero. Now, he can't back him up, not anymore.
"Why did you team me up with him?" Sentinel finally asked, his tone heavy. " I'm the more experience bot, I've fought more Decepticons than that glitch brain pan! I actually graduated from the academy with my class!"
"Need I to remind you this was your last chance?" Optimus asked, turning around to see a infuriated Sentinel. " Sentinel, I begged the council to give you another chance, I told them that what you did was for the good of Cybertron. And this is the thanks I get?"
"I didn't ask you to do me any favors." Sentinel stated harshly, crossing his arms.
"It wasn't a favor, I was helping a friend."
"Let me guess, even after all the scrap I've done, we're still friends. Right?" Sentinel sneered, remembering how much of a push over Optimus was, since they time they met. It still made him feel ill that Optimus had become Magnus, and not him. " Come off it Optimus, we're not kids anymore-"
"You mean back when I still covered your hide? " Optimus interrupted, he knew Sentinel was trying to win this argument. Usually, Optimus would let Sentinel win and let him face the consequences with a cover up story behind it.
"Get off it Optimus." Sentinel shot, grasping his servos into fists. "When we were sparklings, you were always the longer bot who cared for nothing but your grades. Then I met you and you came out and started acting like some big know-it-all. Face it Optimus, I don't owe you anything. You owe me."
Optimus took a deep breath, and swallowed down the words he wanted to say. No, scream, he wanted to scream at Sentinel. He wanted to hit him, knock his lights out, put him in his place.
Act like the better bot, Optimus thought to himself.
"Sentinel, do you have any idea what you have done?" Optimus asked, trying to get back to the subject. "Because of this major slip up, I can't even begin to think what the Council will do to you. And no one can back you up, not this time."
"I don't need anyone." Sentinel snarled, his optics turning cold with icey anger. "I don't need you, or any other bot covering for my hide. I do not need anyone to cover for me, come to my rescue, or tell me what the slag to do."
"So, all the times I covered for you meant nothing?" Optimus asked, feeling offended by Sentinel's words. "When I told your carrier you were the hero in that fight? Or when i took the fall for you when we lost Elita-One-"
"Don't bring her into this! Why are you bringing her into this?" Sentinel asked, feeling his spark grow heavy with pain at the memory of her. His optics filling with lucbricants as his head went down. It was almost like she wasn't gone, like she was just outside the door. Waiting with her arms full of academy books. Her optics bright as the sky, her helmet absolutely flawless, her smile warm like oil, her voice smooth as a flowing river. Sentinel could still feel his spark melt remembering her, before she became Black Arachnia. "You dd this to us, Optimus. You took her from me, the only femme I loved-"
"And who almost slagged you in the end." Optimus reminded Sentinel. Not only was Sentinel feeling pain in his spark, Optimus was feeling nearly the exact. Only, his was slightly heavier. He could still see her optics looking up at him helplessly while they dangled above the organic monsters. Those pleading optics that were begging him to not let her go, to save her. Then, he meets up with her on Earth and she had become a Decepticon with an organic mode. But she wasn't Elita-One anymore, Elita-One was gone.
"Because of you." Sentinel whispered, keeping his head down. "You let her die."
"Oh I'm sure she would be so proud to see her lover doing deals with Bounty Hunters, badger his teammates, and other countless things." Optimus said, not caring if his words were offensive or making the situation much more worse.
"Bumblebee's doing that exact same thing!" Sentinel shouted, shooting his head up and glaring hard at Optimus. "He's making deals with the same Bounty Hunter, he badgered me, his teammate and is probibly doing a whole lot more things the Council would not like. Tell me, how is that any different from my actions?!"
"What?" Optimus asked, not wanting to belief Sentinel.
"He's making a deal with the same Bounty Hunter to save a teammate! How are his actions any different from mine?"
"Deal? Teammate? What's going on?" Optimus asked, shaking his head as the thoughts became overwhelming.
"Oh for Primas sake!" Sentinel shouted, pacing back and forth as he continued. " Lockdown abducted Jetstorm and is using him as a bargaining chip to get Starscream. And you're precious new captain is going to bring it to him. And he's possibly blowing off the original mission, which could lead to the death of Blur!"
"He is doing it to save a teammate, a friend! "Optimus said, defending Bumblebee. Optimus knew that Bumblebee was nothing like Sentinel, and that the only reason he would be doing anything like making deals with Bounty Hunters, was for a reason. Bumblebee may be arrogant and slightly selfish now and then, but he was loyal to his teammates. Something that qualified him to be a captain. " You did it so you could look good in front of Cybertron, so you could become the new Magnus! I bet if these civilians learned of your deeds, and that your teammates had to save you, they would think differently about you."
"And let me guess, you would stick your neck wires out for me then, too?" Sentinel sneered, shaking his head and ceased pacing.
"Keeping mouthing off like that and I might just terminate your status of an authority." Optimus sneered back at Sentinel. One of the benefits of being friends with Sentinel for so long, one would learn of his weaknesses, which would lead to his downfall. "Your records of graduating from the academy will be erased,your personal data record will be erased. Everything you worked for will be nothing and I will make sure that it stays that way. You'll be just another citizen wandering the streets."
"Please, enough." Teama decided, stepping in between the two bots. Although she knew it wasn't her place, she knew that something had to stop the two mech's. "We have a problem to be dealing with here, and now he have a slightly more troublesome issue at hand."
"Yes, we need to send in reinforcements to assist Bumblebee." Optimus decided, knowing Teama was right. Sentinel would have to go on the back burner, there were more important issues to deal with.
"May I make a suggestion?" Teama asked, raising her servo like a sparkling in a classroom. " There is a school specific for agents to do specific missions. I am sure I can talk to the Head Mistress, and we may have a squad ready for you by the morning."
"Alright, go and do that. Sentinel, you are also dismissed."
"Dismissed?"
"Just get out of my sight."