A/N: Don't own em.
I just thought a series would be kinda cool, and since the time will somewhat fly between different stories, I hope you all can keep up. Love the reviews, it keeps me going! This is just a small short with Optimus and Hot Rod for the most part.
Edited: Thanks to SkyHighFan pointing my errors out to me. My memory is my worst enemy.
Hot Rod stood on the outside of the building where Ratchet had taken Sunstreaker. He knew the twin was in bad shape, he could feel it. Even though he did not have the Matrix anymore, this didn't stop him from having some of the side effects, which included a few feelings that the Matrix gave. He would glance at the building in worry, knowing Sideswipe would breakdown if something didn't occur. He hadn't know how a twin survives without it's counterpart, and in case Sunny didn't make it, he was totally unsure on how to handle it. Even though he was with the current Prime, he still felt like he was responsible for the twins. They were, after all, with him, and near his own age, so it was no wonder that they took a liking to the young bot. His optics scanned the area as he tried to remember timelines. He knew others were coming, but this would severely alter perhaps who and how. He know there was at least 4 ships, one being the famous Ark. As Optimus neared him, he called to him, gaining the leader's attention as he walked to the young bot, "Yes, Hot Rod?"
"Optimus, others are on their way, both Autobot and Decepticon. We may have an advantage since I remember who arrived when. But that doesn't mean things will go good. We have altered the future."
"I understand this, Hot Rod. Who is going to be the first ship?"
"It will be the Ark. It is a few hundred light-years away yet, so we still have time to prepare, until then, I would ask the government for some permanent place, because when the Ark arrives, 5 Autobots will be with it, as I remember. Maybe only 3, now that the twins are here." He looked o the ground, "I am not sure what coming here did to us in this current timeline."
"Let's hope it's not changed too much, Hot Rod."
"Wheeljack never explained the consequences of what would happen to us should someone get sent back here. You know how he builds things but doesn't exactly know all the consequences."
"So Wheeljack is coming, he built the machine, but why?"
"To try to save us from the hell that Megatron put us through. He turned the cities into Cybertronian and took over America, then started leaking into Canada and Mexico. It was Ratchet's idea to change our signatures and remove our insignias."
Prime noticed the different dialect, seeing Hot Rod using more human words and curses than Cybertronian, "Who is coming in the Ark?"
"It was supposed to be the twins, Prowl, Wheeljack and Tracks." Hot Rod paused, "But since the twins are here, I am not sure what to think or what to say."
"Take it one day at a time, soldier."
"Sunny isn't doing very well, by the way, sir."
"How can you tell?"
"Because being a bearer of the matrix, even for a short time left remnants of it within my systems. I may not be as big as I was before, but I still feel things, Prime."
Optimus looked out the horizon, "When will it arrive?" the leader tried to change the subject. Never being presented with futuristic possibilities, he was of course curious.
"If my memory doesn't fail me, within a few weeks. I wasn't here at the time, sir, so I am not sure, only what I was told and what Teletraan showed me." Hot Rod paused, "But it crashes."
"It what?"
"Well something in the trajectory went wrong, I guess and the ship lost control halfway into insertion, plus it hadn't helped that it was shot down by Decepticons. There was no way to help it except get out of it's way." That was certainly going to change.
"Where will it crash?"
"It was supposed to crash outside of Area 51, but when it was shot, it ended up somewhere outside a small town in southern Mexico. Luckily there was no humans, but the surrounding area will get an earthquake from it's hit, I imagine," The younger bot lowered his head, "but things are not safe anymore, I don't know how or what to make of it. This is not the way I remember things, and you know that we altered the timeline."
Optimus gave a 'hmm' and nodded, taking in all of the information. The sparkling was definitely wiser and more grown up than he remembered him from before, which gained him respect from the leader, "And now that the timeline is changed, you think things will go different?"
"They already have, sir. You and Sam destroyed the Allspark, using Megatron, so there is no way for him to rule over America, but that will not stop others from trying. He got a hell of an army from Cybertron."
"We will be prepared."
"When Grimlock and his team decide to arrive, we will be far better off, Optimus."
"Them? Where are they now?"
"Stationed on Pluto if my memory serves me,"
"Why won't the Ark grab them en route?"
"It may, since there is no threat now, they were there to try to catch any incoming Decepticon forces." Hot Rod shrugged.
"When will the others arrive after the Ark?"
"Not long, I think. I remember coming in the second ship, which wasn't too long after the Ark crash landed."
"We need to get a permanent base, Hot Rod."
"That's your job," Hot Rod pointed at his leader with a smug look and got a disgruntled look from the leader in return.
"The Ark should make contact within a few days, sir." Hot Rod glanced again towards the building that housed the medic and Sunstreaker and his red brother who sat in the corner of the room, waiting.
"I will talk to Secretary of Defense Keller," Optimus announced to the younger bot, nodding before turning.
"You know, Optimus, by the time all of the Autobots arrive, there will be at least 80 of us."
Optimus could have choked if it was possible, "Brought everyone from Cybertron?"
"The survivors,"
"Hey Optimus!" Sam called out as he neared the two talking mechs, and Optimus turned, looking down, recognizing the voice, "What is it Sam?"
"Oh nothing," Sam looked away a moment, "I just wanted to say hi, and hi to this guy here, I don't quite think I got your name," he pointed to the red mech that stood next to the leader.
"Hot Rod, Sam. I know you well. You and Mikaela and William were the top leaders for the humans in escaping Megatron's wrath and saved a lot of lives, including my own one time." Hot Rod smiled, talking to him as if he knew him forever.
"Well, as I hear, you and those other two are from the future, right?"
"Correct,"
"That is so totally awesome!"
Hot Rod gave Sam a look. If he only knew how un-awesome it was, he wouldn't be cheering on about good it was, "It was hell, Sam." He let air from his intakes and leaned down to Sam, "Where I come from, there is no such thing as freedom, and slaughter of millions of people and bunches of Autobots just isn't awesome in my book."
"Hey, sorry, I didn't know."
"I know you didn't, and you never will."
Little did they know Starscream was on his way to Cybertron to get new forces, and to Charr, where many Decepticons and Autobots alike sought refuse from the war. This would bring on a whole new fate, and the gestalt known as Devastator would arrive also. This was not good news, and Hot Rod knew he had to tell them, but wasn't sure how they would take it, "The Constructicons, what they called themselves here are also coming, Optimus."
Silence. The leader knew who they formed when combined. He looked around, to Sam, then back to the building that housed Ratchet and Sunstreaker and his brother, "We need a base now, then, we need to prepare for them."
"The war is far from over," Hot Rod sad sadly and looked down before transforming into his Jaguar mode and spun off, leaving a trail of dust behind him. He knew what was coming. He knew the timeline was altered, but he did not know if it was for the better or the worse.
Ok, we got 'the talk' done, now lets see how these three altered the future, and see where it got them THIS time. Yes, When I said 80, I meant 80. There will be a lot of different ones, including ones that are barely mentioned, but I won't give it away until Hot Rod admits to who is on what ship :P