Happy new year and merry Christmas! I hope everyone had a good holiday.
Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Twelve - Findings
Lightwave lifted a hand to the door and knocked.
"Just a klik," called a voice from inside.
Momentarily, the door opened, revealing a young mechling.
One that Lightwave immediately recognized as the older son of his friend.
The racer grinned down at the confused mechling.
"Mech, you look like a spitting image of your sire."
The fourteen-vorn-old blinked several times, staring up at the taller mech. "Uh, back up. Who are you again?"
Collecting himself, Lightwave snickered. "I'm Lightwave, mechling. Remember me?"
Blurr continued to stare, furrowing his optic ridges. "No. Wait, maybe?
"You look familiar."
"Ouch," Lightwave said with a wince. He sighed, tilting his helm. "I'm your Sire's friend."
The mechling's optics widened in realization. "Oh, yes. You.
"What do want?"
It was Lightwave's turn to stare and blink.
"Uh, I just came to check on you, Blurr," the racer said quietly. "Your creators were my friends. And I was worried about you and your brother."
Blurr leaned against the doorpost of his room. He crossed his servos.
"Yeah, I remember you now. But I'm fine."
Tilting his helm, Lightwave continued. "If you ever need anything, at all, please let me know. I-"
Holding up a hand, Blurr shook his helm. "Look, I appreciate it, but I don't need anything. I'm fine."
Pushing off of the doorframe, the youngling turned to go back inside.
"Blurr, wait." Lightwave moved forward a step and placed a hand on Blurr's shoulder, stopping him.
Blurr turned his helm, narrowing his optics. "Look here- "
"I want to help you and your brother," Lightwave said earnestly. "Please let me."
Frowning deeply, Blurr turned around, shaking the mech's hand from his shoulder. "That investigator sent you, didn't he?"
"What?" Lightwave drew back. "No. What are you talking about?"
"The Polyhexian investigator who keeps bothering me."
Lightwave glanced around, hands on his hips, wondering how to handle the situation.
"Look, Blurr. I don't know this investigator mech, but I do know this.
"Your sire was my friend and if you'll let me, I'd like to be yours."
Blurr shook his helm, raising a hand to point at the mech. "Listen. I don't need my brother, I don't need that nosy investigator, and I certainly don't need you."
He turned away, crossing his servos. "Now if you don't mind, I have homework."
Shoulders sagging, Lightwave nodded. "Sure, I'm sorry I bothered you Blurr.
"But could you tell me one thing?"
"What's that?" Blurr snapped.
"Where can I find your brother?"
Blurr sighed, still not looking at the mech. "Ask my aunt. She lives in Polyhex. Last I heard, Steeldust was being adopted. She should know where he is."
"And you don't know?" Lightwave inquired, a concerned frown appearing on his faceplate.
"Blurr, what happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it," the mechling said quietly. His helm hung low. "Please just go."
With another nod, Lightwave replied, "Okay. I will."
Placing his hand on the fourteen-vorn-old's shoulder again, he continued.
"For what it's worth, Blurr. I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sure you miss them terribly.
"I know I do."
Blurr didn't make any move or sound.
"Goodbye, Blurr."
Lightwave walked away, looking once over his shoulder at the youngling.
"Take care of yourself. I'll be back to see you sometime."
Wordlessly, the youngling disappeared into his room, sliding the door closed behind him.
Faceplate solemn, Lightwave turned away, walking down the hall. Once exiting the school, he drove to the Archives.
There, he talked to a young data clerk, who helped him find the address of Harmony's sister.
"Thanks, Orion. I really appreciate you're help," Lightwave said as he was leaving.
"It was pleasure," the clerk said with a smile. "I hope you can find your friend."
Lightwave gave him a sad smile. "Thanks."
Soon enough, the racer was on his way south to Polyhex.
It shouldn't take him very long. Only a couple orns.
He could still get back in time for his next race.
If not, oh well. He could miss one.
This took first priority.
"I hope Lyric knows where Steeldust is," the racer thought as he crossed the border of Iacon into the state of Crystal City.
He'd hop the border into Polyhex further south, closer to the sector that Lyric and her family lived in.
After all, he enjoyed the drive through Crystal City more than Polyhex.
Steeldust looked around at his surroundings from his perch.
Which the height of, considering whose shoulders he was riding on, wasn't technically that high.
But when you were a youngling who only came up to the said mecha's knee joints, it didn't take much to give a different perspective on the world.
Jazz strode through the park, weaving between the other mecha in the steadily growing crowd. His optics darted back and forth behind his visor, searching for someone in particular.
Spying the mech he was looking for, the investigator grinned.
"Hey, Steel. I see him. Think we should try and surprise him?"
Steeldust glanced around, moving the rest of him as he did. "Yeah! Where is he?"
Jazz tightened his hold on the youngling's dangling pedes to prevent him from falling off of his shoulders.
"See that red and yellow mech over there?"
"That one?" Steeldust asked, pointing towards the mech.
"Yep."
Stealthily moving forward, Jazz snuck up beside the mech, who appeared to be looking for them.
Glancing upwards at the youngling, the investigator gave a quick nod.
Keeping one hand on one of Jazz's audio horns, Steeldust reached over with his free hand and tapped the mech on the shoulder.
Startled, the mech looked to see who was there.
Looking down a bit, he spied a youngling, who instantly grinned and waved at him.
A confused look spread over the mech's faceplate.
"Yo, Blaster. No need to rub it in that yer that much taller than me. Down here."
Blaster glanced at the mech who'd spoken and grinned widely.
"Jazz! What took ya, mech?"
"We've been here awhile. Ah had ta find ya."
"Who's this?" Blaster asked, reached over to high five the youngling on his friend's shoulders. "Hey, is this the youngster you told me about?"
"Yeah, mech. This is Steeldust," Jazz replied with a grin. "Steel, this is my friend, Blaster."
"Nice to meet you, Steel," Blaster said. "Ya like music?"
Steeldust nodded eagerly. "Yeah I do."
Blaster chuckled. "That's good. Cause let me tell you, both you and Jazz are going to love this festival."
He then leaned down a bit, raising an optic ridge and grinning. "I guess that this means no after partying for you then, eh, Jazz?"
"Nope," Jazz said, walking towards the nearest stage. "Ya comin'? It's gonna start soon."
With a laugh, Blaster followed.
It would be interesting hanging out now that Jazz had a youngling.
They'd make it work though.
Later during the first show, Blaster glanced over at his friend.
Jazz of course, was enjoying himself, but that wasn't what made the announcer grin.
Steeldust looked absolutely enraptured.
"Here, Steel," Blaster said, reaching over and plucking the youngling from his friend's shoulders. "You'll be able to see better like this."
Getting what he meant, Steeldust nodded and climbed up onto Blaster's shoulders. "Okay."
Jazz stretched, then smirked. "Thanks, mech."
"No problem, Jazz."
Once it was getting fairly late for a seven-vorn-old, Jazz decided it was time they headed home.
"Yo Blaster," he said, yelling over the music. "Ah think we better get Steel home."
"Yeah, I can feel him almost falling into recharge," Blaster replied loudly, pointing upwards towards the youngling. "Glad you two could come. We'll have to do this again."
Taking Steeldust from his friend, Jazz had him ride on his back between his doorwings. Blaster followed him to the park's entrance.
Steeldust was out by the time they got there.
Pausing for a klik, Jazz glanced up at the announcer. "It's been a while since Ah've been ta Iacon fo' somethin' besides work. Thanks again for the invite."
"No problem, Jazz. It was fun."
Blaster paused, glancing at the recharging youngling before turning his attention back to the investigator.
"You know, you're really good with him. He's a lucky one. See ya around, Jazz."
"Thanks, Blaster. That means a lot. See ya around."
Blaster waved then turned to leave.
Jazz did the same, but called over his shoulder, "Tell Steeljaw Ah said hey."
"Will do!"
Lightwave never claimed to be a very big mecha. Sure, he was sort of tall, but with a racer's frame, he knew he was not very large.
But standing on the doorstep of Lyric's home, he felt very short and very small.
The mech that had answered the door was not.
"Sheesh, I thought when Wingracer told me his brother-in-law was a big, beefy firefighter that he was joking," the racer thought, optics wide as he stared.
The blue firefighter looked down at the green and yellow mech on his doorstep with a confused expression on his faceplate.
"Hello. Can I help you?" he rumbled.
"Uhh," was all that came out of Lightwave's mouth at first.
Then, realizing he must look pretty dumb, standing there with his mouth open, he shook himself.
"Sorry, I just didn't think you'd actually be as big as my friend said you were."
The fire truck's optic ridges rose even higher than they were before and Lightwave mentally and literally slapped himself.
"Sorry. Again," the racer muttered from behind his hand. Removing it, he looked back up at the other mech.
"I am, I mean, was a friend of Wingracer. You must be Hotspot."
"Oh, yes," nodded the tall mech. "And you are?"
"I'm Lightwave."
The mech stared down at him, waiting for him to continue.
Lightwave warily thrust his hand forward, hoping that it wouldn't be crushed in the other mech's much larger one as he shook it.
Of course, it wasn't and Lightwave took that as a sign to ramble on.
"I really don't want to bother you, but like I said, I was friends with Wingracer, and Harmony too and as I'm sure you've heard, sadly they're gone but have two younglings and I was wondering if you or your sparkmate knew where the little one was?"
Hotspots had been amused by the mech, but at the mention of his sparkmate, his faceplate fell.
The racer noticed almost immediately and stopped.
"I'm sorry, I said something wrong, didn't I?"
"No, you haven't," Hotspot assured sadly. "It's just, my sparkmate offlined recently."
Lightwave's spark dropped.
"I'm-" He paused, hanging his helm. "I'm so sorry for your loss."
"It's alright, you didn't know."
The mechs stood there in silence for several kliks.
"I should go," Lightwave murmured quietly, turning to leave and feeling like he shouldn't have come.
"Wait," the fire truck called quickly, making the racer stop.
"I think I can help you find him."
Lightwave jerked his helm around, a hopeful expression on his faceplate. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to impose. I feel I've already done enough harm."
"No, no. Please, come in," Hotspot said, beckoning for the other mech to follow him into the house.
Tentatively, Lightwave did, closing the door behind him. Entering the living room, Hotspot gestured for the racer to take a seat.
"I'll be right back, I think Lyric had something that may help you," he said, walking off down a hallway.
Sitting down in an armchair, meant for someone smaller than the blue firefighter, Lightwave glanced around the room.
Pictures of Hotspot, a femme that looked a bit like Harmony, and a very small sparkling scattered the walls.
Lightwave bit his lip, shaking his helm.
Another family, torn by death.
He wondered what had happened to Lyric. He didn't dare ask, seeing that her sparkmate was very hurt.
Even though he was hiding it.
Shortly, Hotspot returned, a datapad and a sparkling in his servos.
"This is my son, First Aid," the mech said proudly, placing the sparkling gently on the floor beside a large chair.
"Hello, First Aid," the racer said, catching the little one's attention for a moment.
Seating himself, Hotspot handed the sparkling a toy from where it had been sitting on the end table.
Lightwave watched as the mech smiled down at the little sparkling, who babbled on happily.
It reminded him of when Blurr used to be that small and how Wingracer used to play with him.
Although, this was different because there was an expression of loss in the mech's optics and the sparkling looked like he'd had some trouble eating and sleeping lately.
And it broke Lightwave's spark.
"You said you were Wingracer and Harmony's friend," rumbled the firefighter, not looking away from his son.
"Yes," Lightwave said with a nod.
"I think I recognize you. You and Wingracer were almost always together when I watched the racing channel," Hotspot said quietly. He raised his helm to meet the other mech's gaze.
"You know what it's like to lose someone too, don't you?"
Lightwave swallowed, then replied. "Not someone as close as a sparkmate, but someone who might as well been my brother."
"That's what I thought," Hotspot nodded. He straightened in his chair. "I thought we might get a visit from you. You're trying to look after their younglings, aren't you?"
The racer shrugged. "Trying is the word. I checked in on Blurr, but he's gonna be a hard one to even talk to. He's as stubborn as his carrier when she wanted to be."
A small smirk flickered across the bigger mech's faceplate. "Sounds like his aunt too.
"And I'm guessing you couldn't find the younger one?"
"No, Blurr didn't know where he is, which seems really odd to me. I was hoping that you could tell me."
Hotspot smirked again, this time a bit wider. "I believe that investigator is trying to keep them off the radar as much as possible for now. Or at least that's how he said it."
"I'm guessing the investigator you're talking about is the same one that has apparently been bothering Blurr."
"Likely. I guess he was one of the first responders and found Steeldust. He's actually the one who adopted the youngling."
Lightwave blinked. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting that turn of events. Do you know where I could find them. I just want to check in and hopefully keep in touch with them at the very least."
Hotspot turned on the datapad in his hands and scrolled for a bit.
"I know Lyric had her copy of the adoption papers on here somewhere. They might be able to- Oh here we go."
Turning the datapad towards the other mech, he pointed at the screen.
"The investigator lives in Praxus. There's his address there."
Lightwave leaned forward, reading the information and committing it to memory. "Thanks, that is a big help, mech."
Hotspot smiled, withdrawing the datapad and placing it on the end table. "I'm glad I could help you, Lightwave.
"And I hope you can do something for those younglings. I don't know them very well, but I'm sure they need everyone's support they can get right now."
Wordlessly, Lightwave got to his pedes and put out a hand for Hotspot to shake again.
"Thank you for all your help, Hotspot. And please, you and First Aid take care of yourselves."
"We will. Thank you for coming."
Showing himself out, Lightwave was soon back on the road.
He would return to Iacon and then when he could make time, journey to Praxus.
Hopefully, Steeldust would be a little more open than his older brother.
"They have every right and reason if not," Lightwave told himself.
He was grateful that Hotspot had been willing to talk to him.
Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: I own nothing besides my oc's and the story.
No credit song this time, I couldn't think of a good one.