Temerity

Part 29-Mortality

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers. They belong to Hasbro and Takara. I am merely taking them for a short spin.

"Sometimes solutions aren't so simple,

Sometimes good bye's the only way."

--Shadow of the Day, Linkin Park

Temerity-Unreasonable contempt of danger; extreme venturesomeness; rashness.

Sunstreaker walked down the corridor to the quarters he shared with his twin, although he wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to go back to their quarters just yet. He'd just come off patrol, wanted energon and recharge, except he was pretty sure if Sides hadn't already acted on his feelings for Springer, he would soon enough. And he'd get dragged right along. He didn't mind, except even though he and Sideswipe were twins, mutual attraction was rare. But in this case, Sideswipe was actually onto something and if his twin didn't do something about it besides the prank he'd pulled in ops, Sunstreaker was bound and determined to fix it himself.

He grinned as he thought about it. Sides would probably kill him, but what the hell. . .Sunstreaker pulled up short, seeing Optimus leaving Hot Rod's quarters. Middle of the night, not unusual, everyone knew about Hot Rod's nightmares but even from the distance between them Sunstreaker could feel Prime's energy field. It wasn't buzzing with concern, but steady, calm and his frame was more relaxed than he could ever remember seeing his leader. Prime stopped just outside the door, turned back and Sunstreaker pulled back around the corner, hoping Prime didn't see him. He heard the low murmur of Prime's bass voice, Hot Rod said something back, Prime laughing, walking away. His jaw dropped. Prime. And Hot Rod? This was a disturbing new development.

-----

Springer was annoyed. He was in the rec room alone. Hot Rod had already gone on duty and his own shift wasn't until later. Optics bore into the back of his helm. The usually affable green mech turned around, noticing Sunstreaker still hadn't stopped glaring. Springer stood, walked over to Sunny's table.

"Do you have a problem?" Springer asked.

"Depends," Sunny said.

"Meaning?" Springer asked.

"I think I've gone off the deep end," Sunstreaker said.

"Why?"

"Unless I was hallucinating, I saw Prime leaving Hot Rod's quarters last night," Sunny said.

The sudden intake of air on Springer's part didn't go unnoticed.

"So I wasn't seeing things then?"

"No," Springer said. "Although for now, we should keep this between us, respect their privacy. Is that OK with you?"

"Yes," Sunny said, noting the look in Springer's optics.

-----

Rumble and Frenzy's conjoined minds raced through the network, overjoyed with such a chance at freedom. They could feel the stern Autobot Prowl shadowing them, could feel his annoyance, both receiving an image of him standing at the main computer in ops, arms crossed, tapping one foot in annoyance as he followed them. They got the message, refocusing on the task at hand--uplinking with the ship, the Ark, to help try and crack encryption on files neither Prowl or Jazz had success with, but first, they had to get the information. Not so hard when the twins were together, as they were meant to be. Prowl allowed himself a slight smile at the rare burst of what felt like joy from the twins. Maybe the little slaggers weren't so bad after all. . .

-----

Hot Rod stood at the door to Prime's office, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, one optic ridge raised, watching his leader with interest, wondering how long it would take the big mech to notice him there. Prime's nose was buried in a data pad, one of several stacked on his desk. Hot Rod's own duty shift was over, and judging by the time, and the tension radiating off Optimus, it was well past time for his leader's to end. He finally decided to let him know he was there.

"Did you even take a break today?" Hot Rod asked.

Optimus looked up, but didn't set down the data pad. "7.2 hours ago," he said.

Hot Rod frowned. "Ratchet's going to kick your aft," he said. "You know this, yet you persist in disobeying his orders. Got a death wish?"

"You should be asking yourself that question," Optimus said. "I have work to do."

"Oh yeah?" Hot Rod said. "Like what? Sitting there until your joints freeze up from lack of activity and you rust?"

"Like trying to decide how best to allocate the funds Keller has diverted to us, how quickly we can get the supplies we need and why am I bothering to explain this to you?" Optimus said, sighing.

"I know what you have to deal with," Hot Rod said. "C'mon. A few minutes away from your office--that's all I'm asking. You can come back when you've had some energon and actually looked at something besides these four walls and a stack of reports."

Optimus finally set down the data pad, sat back in his chair, folding his arms.

"I don't have time," he said.

"Whatever," Hot Rod said, glaring back, hands on hips this time. "You have time to argue. By the Allspark, you're stubborn, you know that?"

He decided to take a different approach, one that would hopefully get Optimus off his aft. I'm not being selfish, Hot Rod thought to himself. And if Prime thinks so, he's got another thing coming. He enjoyed the time he spent with Optimus, but sometimes, like now, the Autobot leader didn't know when to step back and consider his own well-being, which was what Hot Rod was trying to make him see.

"You don't even have to come with me, besides, I have monitor duty in a half-hour. I swapped part of a shift with Sunny because. . .well, he didn't give me a reason and I don't think I want to know, anyway. Just go to the rec room for a bit, have some energon. Because if you don't, I will go straight to Ratchet. And we both know that will not end well. Never does. Besides, when you're tense, it makes everyone else jumpy, too. Like Prowl. Jumpy Prowl. Now that's scary. Think about that while you sit there and make yourself more exhausted and everyone else tense," Hot Rod said.

Optimus didn't budge.

"OK then," Hot Rod said. "Guess I'll go have that talk with Ratchet."

Optimus watched Hot Rod turn and walk out of his office. He stood so fast he knocked over his chair in his haste to catch Hot Rod.

Hearing the footsteps hot on his heels, Hot Rod stopped, biting back a grin.

"You win," Optimus said.

-----

Kup stretched, decided enough was enough for one day. He stood, walked out of his office, straight into Springer, who was standing in the middle of the corridor, arms crossed, clearly unhappy about something. The green mech grabbed Kup by the arm, dragged him back into his office, shoved him into a chair.

"We need to talk," Springer said.

"About?" Kup said, raising an optic ridge in interest.

"You should know," Springer said. "Because I wouldn't be surprised if you had something to do with it."

"Please tell me what I've done," Kup said, getting comfortable.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," Springer said. "Hot Rod. And Optimus."

Kup didn't flinch, didn't give much of a reaction at all, a clear sign he knew something, Springer thought.

"You're not alarmed by this new development?" Springer said. "By how fast this happened?"

"Should I be?" Kup said. "You know how long Hot Rod waited. . ."

"Yeah. A long, long time," Springer said. "Then he's here a few months and suddenly, everything changes. Wonder if a certain antique had anything to do with it?"

"I might have said something, but that's about it," Kup said.

"You old meddler," Springer said. "Was it such a good idea? Look, Hot Rod's still got. . .stuff. . .to work out and now he's involved with Prime? Did you even think that through?"

"Their relationship is no one's business but their own," Kup said. "Hot Rod's better than he's been, and lad, I don't have to explain myself to anyone, least of all you. They. . .fit. And that's all I'm going to say about that."

"That's it then? They 'fit?' Oh wise and ancient one, have you been drinking on duty again?" Springer said.

Kup stood, cuffed Springer in the head. "No."

He shoved Springer, then booted him out of his office. "Don't worry about Hot Rod," Kup said. "He can take care of himself, and no matter what happens between those two, it'll work itself out."

-----

The lookout. Springer hadn't given it much thought before now, but it was a peaceful place. Good for thinking, as Jazz pointed out. Kup. . .crazy old slagger had no business meddling in other's business. Hot Rod. And Prime. Springer shook his head in frustration. Hot Rod had always been hot-headed, except in respect to this one aspect. . .well, who his affections had centered on, but he'd been anything but impetuous when it came to doing anything about it. And now, Hot Rod was involved with Prime.

Springer wouldn't admit it, but it scared him more than a little. The Prime was the leader, their example, their protector. A side of him had always idealized the idea of Prime, but he knew the mech that carried the title was anything but perfect. Optimus' judgment in taking up with Hot Rod was proof of that. If Prime's intentions were honest, and he wanted to be with Hot Rod because he wanted to, and not out of pity or anything else, Springer could accept it. But if not, there would be hell to pay.

-----

Sunstreaker didn't have a chance to answer the message from NORAD, simply put out the call to others that something was coming in hot over the desert. Prowl nodded at the yellow twin as he passed by him, on his way out to meet Prime and Ratchet, the usual crew for such a mission.

They tracked the cometary form, waited.

:This one isn't coming in as fast as the others: Prowl said as they drove into the night.

:Reason?: Prime asked.

:Unknown, but it should be making an appearance soon:

The second in command was proven correct when minutes later what looked like a meteor streaked overhead, then disappeared as it made impact. The Autobots followed.

--

Prowl reached the protoform first, took one look, yelled for Ratchet, who quickly joined him. Prime followed, skidded to a halt when he hit the bottom of the crater. He knelt down by the protoform, which was smaller than most:Designation, rank, unit: Prime said.

One optic in the damaged face sparked and glowed faintly.

"Cosmos, intelligence officer, Vector."

"We need to get him back to base," Ratchet said. "Now."

"No. . ." came the faint response. ". . .come too far. . .need to know. . ."

"Know what, old friend?" Prime asked, placing a hand on the small Autobot's shoulder.

"Vector. . .destroyed. . .someone. . .traitor. . .gave away. . .our position. Magnus ordered us. . .ordered us off the ship. . .left her drifting. . ." Cosmos said.

"Cosmos, it's not important now," Prime said. "We need to get you back to base."

Cosmos didn't answer. They could only watch as the light faded from his good optic.

-----

Prowl's grim look said it all. Everyone on duty in ops promptly went about their duties, figuring they'd be informed when the time was right. The second in command made his way to Hot Rod's quarters, hit the chime. Seconds later, Hot Rod answered.

"Prime wants to speak with you. Now," Prowl said.

Hot Rod followed Prowl to Prime's office. Prowl watched him walk inside, stood guard once the door was closed.

Prime didn't immediately look up, just sat there with his head resting in his hands.

"What's wrong?" Hot Rod said. "I know a cometary form was being tracked. . ."

Optimus finally looked up. "Sit down," he said.

Hot Rod did as he was told.

"There is no easy way to approach this. . ." Optimus said. "The cometary form is. . .was. . .Cosmos. I'm sorry to tell you he did not survive. He was badly damaged, and there was nothing Ratchet could do."

Hot Rod said nothing, so Prime continued.

"He did live long enough to say that the Vector was destroyed, and that there was someone, a traitor that revealed the ships position. He also said Magnus ordered the others, I'm assuming by 'others' he meant himself, Blurr, Hound, Red Alert and Mirage, off the ship," Optimus said. "Why would Magnus do something like that?"

"I'm not talking about this right now," Hot Rod said. "And I've told you to not press the issue, because you will not like what you hear."

"Again, can't, or won't?"

"I can't tell what I don't remember, and what I do know, I won't tell you," Hot Rod said, rising. "But I can tell you I'm sorry, sorry any of this ever happened."

Prime also stood. "Why do I get the feeling you know more than you say? Do you know who betrayed your crew?"

Hot Rod snorted. "If I knew that, I'd tell you in an instant," Hot Rod said. "An Autobot is dead and you bring this up. . . "

"Because you're the only one who could shed some light on why," Optimus said. "If you so choose."

"After the first jump, Magnus ordered the others off, to give them a chance at survival," Hot Rod said. "I jumped the ship a second time, waited for Magnus to get clear, then detonated her. I shouldn't even be here now."

Partly the truth, Hot Rod thought to himself, but he couldn't tell the rest. Ever.

"Why?" Optimus asked again.

Hot Rod offlined his optics, bent his head down. He onlined his optics, gave Optimus a sad look and walked away.