He was laid before Unicron's spark and the organic wires took their toll on him. Other wires attached to him as well then just the organic ones. Some would pierce through his body and some would electorcute him. His cries of pain were heard to only Unicron and his horsemen.
Little torture devices hung all in that room. Hot Shot would soon know then all too well. They were all used on his body. He had no idea why he was being tortured. He thought it was because he was of Primus, but when he met Unicron's horsemen he knew they too were once of Primus.
The leader of the horsemen was a mean one named Rhinox. He was bid and tough and cared for no one. There was Cheetor who once served under Optimus Prime till he was taken and changed into a horseman by the chaos bringer . . . Unicron. There was Terrorsaur who reminded Hot Shot a little of Cyclonus for he could be a little crazy at times, especially when it comes to someone being torured. The last one was a femme named Airazor and she was sleezy and very annoying once you got to know her very well, she could also be a little ditsy at times which only added onto the annoyingness of her ways.
After a couple of weeks Hot Shot found out that there were more things to use on his body then just the objects that hung on the wall. Things would come down to him and open his chest and mess with his spark making it ever weaker. The pain was unbearable and his cries did not cease the pain any less. He could feel that he was far from his home cybertron. He could feel he was far from his friends.
Hot Shot soon came to learn that he was torured at a certain time every day and ever he hated Unicron's twisted ways. Ever he desired to go home. But he knew that unless he was rescued by his friends . . . that Unicron would never let him go free. Freedom was something Hot Shot slowly began to forget.
"What does it feel like to be free Hot Shot?" smiled Unicron as he asked Hot Shot this.
"It feels like you have no care in the world . . . it feels good," smiled Hot Shot trying to remember the small portion of it he had left in his mainframe.
"Are you sure?" smiled Unicron.
Hot Shot's optics began to tear up as he gazed into the cold and bitter darkness. He hated Unicron so much. He made him forget so many things and now he was trying to make him forget the beautiful feeling of freedom . . . did he even know what it felt like anymore? As Hot Shot laid on his bed he turned to his side with his tears falling down and said-
"I'm not sure . . . anymore."
Unicron just watched as Hot Shot moaped in his darkness and he saw that it was good. He smiled to himself and knew that it would take a lot more then just that to make him forget every good feeling he ever knew, but Unicron would do it . . . in time. He then left Hot Shot there to cry to himself because he had forgotten the feeling of freedom. Why has Unicron done this to him?
Hot Shot does not much sleep anymore. He feared he would soon forget the peace of a long slumber and there is what he could not get. He knew that he was being watched all the time bay Unicron and so he could never sleep. He always hated people watching him sleep.
The only time he could ever rest was when he was unconscious and even when he woke up it was never enough to get him fully rebooted. He was ever weary every day and feared he would soon go to sleep and not wake up, but as time progressed that he was still held by Unicron he wished he would just lay down and die and go to the allspark. He knew there is where he would find peace from this dark madness. He ever wanted rest.
When Hot Shot was not being tortured they forced him to be a slave to the horsemen and what ever they wanted he would have to do or give them. He would clean their weapons and give them energon and such things. Hot Shot would often watch them spar and battle against one another, but Rhinox would always win in the first place and he wanted a true challange.
"Is there no one worthy enough to fight me?" he smiled raising his weapon up high.
"Uh, yea right," snipped Airazor. "You always win . . . sometimes I think you cheat."
"Probably," mumbled Hot Shot to himself.
But Rhinox heard him and so looked at him and pointed his weapon at him and said-
"What did you say?!"
"What are you going to do?" smiled Hot Shot seeing there was nothing as worse as Unicron's torture. "Shoot me? . . . please . . . like it will hurt me."
"Care to take a go at that boy?" smiled Rhinox.
"Why?" smiled Hot Shot. "What do I have to prove?"
"Smart isn't he?" said Cheetor as he crossed his arms.
"All them cybertroians are," smiled Airazor. "But I heard they suck at fighting."
Terrorsaur then let out a laugh at that and hoped Hot Shot would get angry and fight. But Hot Shot was unmoved. He just turned his back to them and all considered this as an insult. This greatly angered Rhinox.
"How dare you turn your back on me!" he growled.
Hot Shot then got up and began to leave the room, but Rhinox would not let him so easily. Rhinox took a spear and threw it before Hot Shot halting him from exiting. Hot Shot's anger was rising and all could tell. Hot Shot then turned to Rhinox and said-
"Leave me alone Rhinox for I will defend myself!"
"Then do it!" taunted Rhinox.
Hot Shot then took the spear out of the ground and came before Rhinox. Rhinox just grinned as he got the young one to fight him.
Hmp, what a fool, smiled Rhinox as Hot Shot stood before.
"So," started Rhinox. "How well can you fight."
"Well enough to live," said Hot Shot.
"Really," smiled Rhinox. "Then let's see if you can!"
He then jabbed at Hot Shot with a sword, but Hot Shot dodged and smacked him with the spear. Rhinox looked at Hot Shot with flaring optics as eveyone said-
"Oh, looks like he landed the first hit. What's the matter Rhinox . . . getting slow."
"No!" growled Rhinox as he turned quickly and elbowed Hot Shot in the gut making him drop the spear.
Rhinox then caught Hot Shot in a head lock and began beating on his chest with his weapon. He did not stab him, but hit him with his sword ever denting Hot Shot's chest. Hot Shot's spark then began to flare like it had done when Nemesis Prime had attacked him. All saw this and knew it wasn't too good.
"Uh, Rhinox . . . maybe you should . . . stop," said Airazor as all began to see this.
"What the-" started Cheetor as he sat up at seeing this.
"I don't like this guys," said Terrorsuar. "Rhinox you should stop."
But Rhinox continued till Hot Shot cried out in pain, but Hot Shot would not give him the pleasure in hearing his cries of pain.
"Why don't you cry? then I shall stop," smiled Rhinox as he continued to hit into his spark.
"I only . . . cry to . . .Unicron!" grunted Hot Shot.
But as Rhinox continued Hot Shot was just about to let out a loud cry of pain when all heard the voice of Unicron saying-
"Enough!"
Rhinox moved as the wires came and took up Hot Shot and stopped his spark from flaring. Just as Hot Shot saw he was out of the grasp of Rhinox he knew he was free to let out his cries of pain. He did as the wires intertwined with his body and scanned his body. As Rhinox saw this he knew Hot Shot did that on purpose and so growled low in his throat.
"Hu, Unicron babys him," scoffed Rhinox.
"Rhinox!" said Cheetor as he came to him. "That is our master you are talking about!"
They then looked back at Hot Shot and saw that his spark had stopped flaring.
"What was that?" asked Airazor.
"Who knows," shrugged Terrorsaur.
"I think I know," whispered Cheetor to himself so no one would hear him.
Another wave of pain then shot through Hot Shot as Unicron brought him back to the torture room to look at his spark. He was somewhat glad that he was being taken away from the horsemen for they ever annoyed him so . . . he began to get too used to them. He ever wished to see his friends again.
"Jetifre you don't have to go if you don't want to," said Optimus. "They might need you here keeping the decepticons under control. They're still a bit rebelous still."
"I know that Optimus, but I want to find Hot Shot as much as you do . . . he's like family to me too Optimus."
"Very well Jetfire, but we might be gone for a long time if he is half way across the universe which . . . he might be," sighed Optimus.
"We're still with you Optimus . . . all the way," said Jetfire as the team stood up ready to leave cybertron in search for Hot Shot.
"Thank-you . . . all of you," said Optimus as he gazed at the team.
Optimus then turned to Scavenger who was going to stay and try and straighten things up with the autobots and decepticons and then said-
"Are you sure you can handle things Scavenger?"
Scavenger just shook his head and said-
"You just worry about your child Optimus. He needs it."
Optimus then turned to leave, but not before Scavenger said one last thing-
"Go find your son Optimus . . . I'd be worried if he was mine too."
Optimus just gave a sad smile and so entered the ship and took his position at the head of the ship and looked at his team and then at space and said-
"Let's go find Hot Shot men."
"Yes, sir!" they said as they lifted the ship and left.
As Hot Shot lay unconscious near Unicron's spark Cheetor came and just gazed at him for a moment wondering if what he thought about him was true. He looked him over and wondered how he could be. Cheeotr then bent down to his height and then whispered-
"You can't be can you? . . . You should know who you are."
Then Unicron's voice came to him and said-
"What is it Cheetor? Do you wish to speak to the prisoner? If so I shall wake him for you."
"No, no," said Cheetor getting up. "Let him rest. I was just leaving."
Cheetor looked on last time at Hot Shot and then left. Unicron looked at Hot Shot and then wondered why his spark had acted that way and so he decided find out why. Unicron then came into Hot Shot's mind and jabbed at his mainframe making him feel like something began to eat away at his motherboard. This mad sure that Hot Shot would stay unconscious while he went through his precious memories.
He saw his friends, his loved ones, all his life. He saw his first battle, his first sparkache, his first friend. He looked through everything even things Hot Shot himself didn't remember . . . like his real parents for instance.
"Oh my," smiled Unicron as he saw their faces. "I have a Prime."
Unicron looked at the memories of when he was 2,000 and when Optimus Prime was know as his father. Unicron then remembered that he tried to kill that line off when the first ones were on cybertron.
"So they survived," he smiled. "Oh I'm sure your father misses you dearly Hot Shot. After all you are his only child."