I have updated. Are all you Slaggin people happy now! Leave me alone! Let me do… whatever it is that I do in peace! Review if you like it, if you don't, slag you!

Shadows of Them

Wait and See

Lori sat in the passenger seat of her dad's car; she had told him where the Autobot headquarters were, so he knew where to go. When she had told him where the base was, he laughed and said it was good that someone was getting use out of that land. She was truly amazed with how well he was taking it, and couldn't wait for him to meet the team.

They had to park the car and walk quarter mile to the base entrance. When they got there, Bud and Kobe were just about to open the entrance. "Guys! You remember my Dad; an-"

Lori never got to finish. Bud and Kobe turned around and looked at her rather rudely, "Why'd you bring him here? Why are you here? You left and called them all liars! What makes you think they'll let you back in their base?"

Fred squeezed Lori shoulder, "…Because Optimus is kind; and he understands that when people are angry or feel betrayed they say and do things they don't mean. Optimus isn't like that. It's alright, he'll understand."

"Are you sure about this Dad?"

"I can't wait to see them again; it's been a long time." Fred said slowly, glancing at the phone-transformed Zipline, "Don't worry, if Optimus tells me to stay out of this; I will."

"… Fred… I'm afraid that I don't know what to say…" Optimus was dumbfounded, he hadn't seen Fred in twenty years; and he had aged so much since he was that boy he knew.

Fred couldn't help but smile, "Well what do ya know… Optimus Prime? Speechless? This is a rarity. I can't remember more than once before when you were speechless." Optimus couldn't help but smile; leave it to Fred to lighten a shocked mood. Prime couldn't understand why he would be so calm after all this time. "You guys have all had a few upgrades since I last saw you. But I can tell mostly whose who. Though some of your vocal circuits sound a little different…"

Red Alert shook his head; it was a happy moment, but he couldn't help but feel terrible. He wished he could've been with his family at that moment. Sure; he hadn't been bonded that long; but he still missed her with his entire spark. He had actually met her while on a mission to earth; her injured in med bay. It wasn't love at first sight or anything like that; but she grew on him. He couldn't stand to be near this happy family setting any longer. He started to leave.

"Hey Red Alert; where ya going?" Hotshot asked as the medic started to walk away.

"I-I need to think for a while. I should be back by sunset."

"Here? Or wherever it is your going." Hotshot joked.

Red Alert couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had somehow convinced himself to go back to the old base; and now he no longer knew why. The base had become run down and barely recognizable. But he still saw some old things that stung him deep down. He couldn't help but smile as all the fun times, and sad times. He walked into his old med bay, seeing the part where he had met his bondmate, and where so many of his fellows had spent their last moments.

Red Alert was suddenly overcome by a wave of depression. So much life has been lost in this war… and for what? For a feud started by our long-dead ancestors. What is the point? Why can't anyone just get along. For Primus' sake! Red Alert's optics started to leak, he didn't know how much more loss he could take before he lost it entirely. In the last twenty years he had only lost his cool like this five times, none of them when anyone was around, thank Primus for that, but this felt different, like a more complete depression. One that forced him to admit what he truly felt, "I can't be involved in this war anymore. My spark is no longer in it. I don't know if it ever was… But how do I leave my friends without a medic?"

He suddenly noticed a shadow move out of the corner of his optics; even with liquid obstructing his vision. He spun around, hand on his weapon, coming face to face with a pair of blue-green optics, and a white helmet. It didn't take more than a few moments for him to recognize the femme before him. He dropped his gun and jaw, optics again welling. "How… but you… But I saw…"

She put a finger over his mouth, touching her helmet's "crest" to his at the same time. "I know Reddy. I know. But I want you to meet someone before I tell you what happened. Actually… two someone's…"

"… So… I guess not everyone will be getting back into contact with us… Thank you for telling us Fred." Optimus couldn't believe that Kicker would have done something like that… mass homicide as Fred had put it… it was one thing when an Autobot went berserker; they almost always were controllable, or at least restrain-able. But when a human did it… with no one around to stop him… he couldn't believe what he had been told.

"Don't worry Optimus. Knowing Rad and Alexis they'll want to be around you a lot… and introduce you to Rusty."

"Rusty…?" Hotshot didn't quite understand.

Fred smiled, "Rad and Alexis have a son; Rusty White."

"Whoa…"

"Optimus! Jetfire!" the base com-link showed a picture of a panicked Scattershot calling for help from the commanders.

"What is it now Scattershot?" Jetfire growled, having only just joined the group talking to Fred.

"I can't contact Red Alert!"

"Calm down Mr. Neurotic." Hotshot chirped, "He probably just turned off his com. Why don't you try to find his signal?"

"But his signal dropped off the map! The last time I found his signal was a good two hours ago!"

"What?" a cold tone in Optimus' voice told everyone that this could be serious. 'Why didn't you report this sooner?"

"Sir… I think there was some foul play involved… For a long time I've been tracking what had almost his exact signal; but it isn't his! I-"

"Where were his last coordinates?"

"Uh… The first Autobot headquarters."

"Why would he go there?" Hotshot couldn't understand why Red Alert would go there.

"How am I suppose ta know?"

"Hotshot, Jetfire; lets go investigate what happened to our medic."

"Good by Optimus, and good luck. Lori and I should be heading home now... I'll give the boys a ride home too." Fred murmured; Optimus nodded as he and the others left for the launch bay.

"Man… it's been so long since we've been here…" Hotshot looked around through the entrance as if the base was delicate.

"Common; let's get this over with." Jetfire growled.

As soon as they entered they realized that there was light everywhere. All the lights were online, as were the computer screens, though they were all blank. All the automated doors were opening and closing continuously. Optimus looked around in confusion; what was going on?

"Guys! I found the thing that's giving off Red Alert's signal…! Wait… it's a… data pad?"

"Let me see that Hotshot…"

"It's written in ancient Cybertronian… Red Alert is the only 'bot in our ranks besides perhaps Vector Prime… I don't know… Let's bring it back to base… perhaps if we get this translated…"

"Well Vector? What does it say?" Optimus was curious beyond what he could show; and was afraid for his friend.

"… I've translated it Optimus… But you aren't going to like what it says…" He looked up from the data, shaking his head, "It's from Red Alert… It's an apology…"

"Apology? For what?"

"… For leaving. He says that he can't stand to lose another friend in this war. He says he's with a friend… and that if he hasn't returned in three days that he is never returning to the Autobot cause… that his "friend" knows something about the key to peace between Autobots and Decepticons… but… I just don't know. I'm sorry that I can't be of more assistance."

"I don't believe this… How could he abandon us?"

"Why would Red Alert do such a thing? Doesn't he realize that without him our entire team could literally fall apart?"

"He never exactly wanted to be involved in this war in the first place Hotshot. He joined the Autobots because he wanted to save lives, and figured that joining the team with the cause that best preserved life was a better cause. Red Alert hates war Hotshot. He hates how much life war costs… I'm amazed he waited until now to run off…"

"Sir… you make it sound like he's not coming back… ever…"

"Hotshot… I really don't think he's planning on returning."

"Bu-but why! The Red Alert I know wouldn't just run off for good without saying good-bye!"

"I agree with Hotshot Optimus. This just doesn't seem to add up right. What if this was staged so we wouldn't worry about him?" Scattershot piped up, a little afraid of what Optimus might say about it.

Optimus just shook his head, "Red Alert is probably attempting, in his own way to help… He would've only left like that with someone he trusted more than himself even… and there are only a few 'bots I can think of that fit that category… and the only ones that aren't in this base right now are either deactivated, or have been missing for a very long time.'

"So… what do we do?" Hotshot was worried about Red Alert, but didn't know what to do.

Optimus sighed, this was going to be chaotic, "Wait and see."

Okay; the friend I was slaggin counting on to give me my homework from being sick had to go to stupid tai-quan-do… Slag you David! Well; anyway, it gave me time to finish and post this, so… bye-bye. R&R please. Or not. Whatever. Bye.