Finally! After two, long, excruciating weeks of doing nothing! Fixit announced it was time for the brace to come off! Her leg was healed!
Right when Fixit unlatched the brace and it fell to the ground, she took off. Full speed ahead. She leaped to the top of the shelves that were taller than Optimus.
She ran along them for a moment. And when she reached the end, she hopped down and continued to run around the scrapyard.
She had run around every inch of the scrapyard, and began to feel cooped up and caged in.
She leaped on top of a shelf again, and hopped from one to another. When she reached the last one closest to the wall of the scrapyard, she jumped onto the wall, gripping it with her front claws and pushed off with her back legs, landing in the woods.
She heard everyone call out for her but she ignored them.
This was what she was born to do. When she ran, her problems didn't exist.
"I'm gonna live my life like I'm gonna die young
Like it's never enough
Like I'm born to run!"
She gripped the ground with her claws, watching the ground slip beneath her feet.
With each stride, she could feel her Spark beating faster and faster.
She looked up to see the sun peeking in and out from behind the leaves of the trees.
She came to a wide river. But she jumped in the middle of it and leaped to the other side.
She came to a large open field with lots of deer grazing. When they saw her running toward them, they bolted. She enjoyed chasing them.
When they all dispersed into the woods, she continued.
For the first time in centuries, she felt like she was home. She was at peace. When she was, she felt like she was part of the sky.
Highshot had been running for three hours now.
The scenery had changed. There were mountains in the distance.
There was a large lake in front of her. She skidded to a stop.
She stared out at the water. The glare from the sun reflecting off the water was blinding. She liked it.
She stood there for a long moment, swishing her tail. She transformed.
Her mind was clear. She wanted to cherish this moment as long as she could.
Shouting from her comm link broke her from her peace.
"Where in the Allspark are you?!" Bumblebee shouted.
She decided to ignore it, so she turned it off.
She didn't want this moment to end.
The sun reflecting off the water reminded her of Wildfire.
She thought back to when her friend tried to convince her to be a Decepticon.
They were at Maccadam's. With Autobots and Decepticons shouting at each other.
"Please come with me", Wildfire said, "We'll be together."
"Wildfire, I can't!", said Highshot, "I'm not going to support either side. And I don't want to watch you get killed."
"I won't get killed", said Wildfire, "I promise."
"Look around you!", said Highshot raising her voice, "Thousands have already died! This war is going to consume everything!"
"Not if we stop it", said Wildfire.
"What happens then?", Highshot said, "It doesn't matter which side will win, we will see spilled Energon staining Cybertron for centuries! And others will try to start the war again!"
"So you're not going to do anything?", Wildfire scoffed, "You're just gonna sit here and wait it out? Is that what you were planning to do? Or are you going to run, because that's what you always do!"
They were shouting at each other now. And Wildfire was starting to burn the table.
"I'm not going into this mess, Wildfire!"
"You were always a coward! You always ran from your problems because you're weak!"
"I never had problems until you joined the Decepticons!"
"We all have to choose a side, Highshot! You can't run from this!"
"Fighting will only get you killed!"
"And running makes you weak!"
At this, Wildfire slammed her fist on the table and it burst into flames.
Wildfire looked at Highshot with an angry expression and stormed out, leaving burn marks on the floor.
"Wildfire wait!" Highshot exclaimed.
That was the last time she saw her friend alive.
Highshot fell to her knees in a fit of sobs. The sun illuminated her face.
"I'm so sorry, Wildfire", she said softly through the sobbing.
She buried her face in her hands.
She heard someone approach her from behind. She tried to control her sobbing.
"Highshot?", said Bumblebee, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?", Highshot snapped, still trembling.
"Alright", said Bumblebee, "Come on. Let's head back."
Highshot followed without another word.
~~~~~~~~
I hope I didn't make you cry while reading this! Chapter 5 coming soon!