Ch. 161

"Smokescreen?" Optimus murmured tiredly.

The white mech stirred and blearily looked around the dark cavern they had been resting in, "Yeah, m'up, m... awake..."

Optimus stood carefully to help Smokescreen up, looking around, "We have been recharging for quite some time... We need to start moving again."

The smaller mech nodded and stretched his arms as high as he could reach, "Alright, back at it then... How many more miles?"

As soon as the question was uttered, Smokescreen wished he hadn't asked. The ache in his tires from the distance he had already traveled became more prominent. The Prime could sense the agony and smiled gently.

"Do not worry about the length of the journey, only of the outcome," he told him, "We are closer than we were even a few moments ago."

"Because we've rested, right?"

Optimus nodded, "Precisely. And now we are able to travel once more after having taken time to care for our own wellbeing."

Smokescreen tried to smile, but he couldn't hold the expression. His chassis didn't just ache with pain.

"You need to let go of the guilt," the Prime murmured, watching him carefully, "We both do."

The white mech looked up in surprise, "You? Optimus, you did everything you could!"

Optimus shook his helm, "I could have done more. I could have listened to Ratchet when he told me he did not have a good feeling about the geode operation. I could have ensured Starscream's safety by leaving him back at our base. But I did not."

Smokescreen held his glossa and looked to the ground. The deafening silence around them, the warmth of the dark, underground chamber, was suffocating.

After a moment, Smokescreen sighed, "Yeah. You could've left Starscream back at the base... and then Megatron would have killed us and found him anyway by cortical patching with Jackie. But that didn't happen. We're alive. And as far as we know, so is Scream. You're right, Optimus, we do both need to let go of the guilt. Because if we hadn't done what we did, maybe things could have been a lot worse."

Optimus smiled and nodded, "Agreed, Smokescreen. So, let us continue on so that we may change things for the better."

The white mech smiled back, the expression stronger and more genuine. He activated the Phase Shifter, taking the Prime by the arm, and the two phased through the rock wall they had come from.

The pair had been driving carefully through the steep mountain range for only a couple hours when the feeling of being lost finally began to sink in. Smokescreen was getting anxious of the looming rocks above them, of the sparse trees that were daring to fall off the cliffs they clung to and into the road before them. Or maybe on them.

"Optimus," the white mech COMMed, "are we going the right way?"

"Despite our situation, yes, we are," Optimus informed him, "There is only one other road through this pass and it would lead us south."

"Which is not the direction we need right now," Smokescreen grumbled, "but are you sure-"

The red semi suddenly hit his brakes, causing Smokescreen to come to a stop. There were no other vehicles in the area so Optimus quickly transformed and put up his battle mask, frowning at the sky as he decided against transforming out a weapon. The white mech behind him followed his cue and transformed beside him, his optics scanning the area around them cautiously.

"Trouble?" he asked quietly.

The Prime nodded and leaned carefully over the side of the canyon cliffs they had been driving beside. The drop to the bottom, where a great river was churning, was more than a few hundred feet below and the mountain across was too far to latch onto, even for Optimus and a running jump. Smokescreen's door wings twitched nervously. If the Decepticons were onto them, they had little in the ways of escape.

"There is something coming this way..." the Prime finally murmured, his optics glowing brighter as the sun became hidden behind the peak of the mountain, "and it is moving fast."

Smokescreen frowned, "We gotta go."

Both transformed and floored their engines, letting go of the need for safe driving as the hum of a larger engine reached their audials. Smokescreen sped ahead of Optimus but gunned his engine just enough to stay in front. Whatever was coming was moving faster than they would be able to drive. But it didn't matter. As long as they could get far enough ahead to find a drop off or perhaps a mountain tunnel to duck in-

Smokescreen had no warning as his front tires slammed into fallen boulders that had mangled the road ahead. The white mech's vehicular form tumbled and spun rapidly out of control, veering to the right and over the cliff.

"SMOKESCREEN!"

Optimus transformed and dove as the smaller mech switched to his bot mode. The two barely managed to clasp servos and the red mech crashed roughly onto the ledge of the cliff as Smokescreen coughed in pain at being slammed into the ridge side. More rocks from above tumbled down onto the pair and Optimus groaned as he quickly tried to lift his companion up onto the road. The hum of the large engine was nearly upon them.

"Optimus..." Smokescreen said quietly, looking tired and worn, "let me drop. I think I can hit the water from here, you just keep going-"

"Negative," the Prime almost growled; there was a small hint of anger and desperation in his voice as he continued to pull the smaller mech up, "If whomever is hunting us wishes to take us down, they will have to take us both on at the same time."

Smokescreen latched his digits into the dirt of the cliff the farther up he was pulled, relief in his optics, but a gasp escaped him when a bright, blinding light fell upon both of them. The loud, echoing hum of a large ship drew closer as it settled for hovering out over the canyon. Optimus watched carefully, unable to fully make out the ship. In any case, whether good or bad, they had been found.