Temerity
Part 22-Intersect
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers. They belong to Hasbro and Takara. I am merely taking them for a short spin.
"Sometimes solutions aren't so simple,
Sometimes good bye's the only way."
--Shadow of the Day, Linkin Park
Temerity-Unreasonable contempt of danger; extreme venturesomeness; rashness.
Springer was sitting up on his berth, annoyed. He wanted out of the med bay, but nothing but a clean bill of health would get him out. He hadn't seen Hot Rod since the night before, but it was barely mid-morning and his friend was probably out on patrol or doing some other duty around base, he hoped.
He perked up when he heard footsteps coming down the corridor, became annoyed when he saw who it was entering the med bay. Luckily, for his own sake and this particular mech, Ratchet was in ops.
Sideswipe flashed Springer a wicked grin before parking his aft on the side of his berth.
"Get up. You're crowding me," Springer said.
"Uh huh," Sideswipe said. "If you want me to go, I will. But you won't find out what's been going around the base all day."
"What?"
"The Vector," Sideswipe said.
"Does everyone know but me?"
"Probably," Sideswipe said, grinning, but became serious. "But I can tell you the news is not good. Prime set Thundercracker straight about it earlier, and I just happened to get caught in the crossfire. The ship is gone."
"And her crew?"
"Uknown," Sideswipe said. "Guess Hot Rod can't remember? I'm sorry, Springer--I know you guys were close to Blurr. . ."
"You said it yourself, 'Sides--we don't know what happened to them, and I'm banking on alive, with the exception of one mech," Springer said. "Magnus can roast in the Pit for all eternity for all I care."
"That's harsh," Sideswipe said. "But I can understand why you feel that way."
"You have no idea," Springer said.
"Hey--when are you getting out of here? You need to so you can find a suitable flying mode so me and Sunny can practice our sport on a chopper. We need to learn how to evade the blades, just in case a Decepticon shows up. . .And did you hear?" Sideswipe said.
"Hear what?" Springer asked.
"Rumor has it you might be getting a promotion," Sideswipe said. "And if you do, that means celebration. With high grade."
"You don't need an excuse, do you?"
"Not at all," Sideswipe said. "Look, gotta go. Me and Sunny are due out on patrol. See you later."
Sideswipe jumped up, nearly plowed over Hot Rod, who was partially blocking the med bay entrance because he was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, an amused look on his face.
"Sideswipe. Flirting with you?" Hot Rod said. "Interesting."
Springer glared. "Go to hell," he said.
"Been there, done that," Hot Rod said.
"Sure," Springer said.
"You really like the Earth profanities, don't you?"
"They work better," Springer said. "Besides, we're supposed to be using the native language, so why not? They have much better words than Cybertronian."
"I didn't come for a lesson in linguistics," Hot Rod said. "How are you today?"
"Trying to cooperate so I can get out of here sooner," Springer said. "And what about you?"
"On my way to have a little talk with Kup, but that's just between us," Hot Rod said.
"Why?"
"He's butting into my personal life," Hot Rod said.
"Hah. That's funny. Since when do you have a personal life?" Springer said, grinning.
"Since when are you interested in the twins?" Hot Rod said, trying to turn the tables.
"I'm not. 'Sides' just been coming by, that's all," Springer said.
"Sure," Hot Rod said. "See you later."
-----
Ironhide sat at the lookout. He'd been there since early morning, after spending the night parked at the Lennox's house. Surprisingly, Sarah proved an attentive listener, but then again, he'd learned Earth females were known for their adeptness at such a task, more so than the males of the species. She understood what he was going through, didn't but in while he talked. He'd needed to unburden himself and for some reason, found himself at the home of his human friends. He'd wanted to talk to Will, but when Sarah came outside instead, he settled for her. And it was a wise choice.
He still missed Magnus, even though they didn't part on good terms. They were a part of each other for so long, even though they weren't bonded. He remembered the first time they met, which hadn't been under the best of circumstances. Megatron ended up wounded after badly misjudging one of the uprisings in Kaon, and naturally, Optimus wanted to be at his twin's side. And as Ironhide's place was to guard the future Prime, he went with Optimus as he always had, only to be faced with his counterpart, a stoic, quiet white and red mech who had recently been promoted as one of Megatron's generals.
It had been long before the war, even before Megatron was Lord High Protector and Optimus was just Optimus, a brilliant scientist and engineer. But that meeting cemented his fate with Magnus, and there had been no turning back.
Where he was outspoken and temperamental, Ultra Magnus was quiet and reserved. They complemented each other, balanced each other out, made each other whole.
And even after everything that happened between them, Ironhide still wished they had been bonded, but Magnus had refused, saying it was too dangerous, as they were both soldiers, and had their duties. To Magnus, duty always came first. Coming from an elite family, he'd been taught that, and come to think of it, it was the clan motto.
It was also the reason for their rift. Ironhide would not betray Prime, not for Magnus, the Council of Ancients or Cybertron. Prime was his friend, his brother.
That was something Sarah understood--family. Even though the Cybertronian definition of "family" differed slightly from Earth, the sentiment was the same. Most Cybertronians had at least one creator, some had two, and some were even lucky enough to have a sibling, or even most rare of all, a twin. Others were onlined for a specific purpose. He was one such. But what they all had in common was "family." Most Cybertronians considered their family to be the connections they forged--friends, a bondmate.. In his case, it was Prime, the rest of their unit, even Kup. And at one point, Magnus.
Just the idea that Magnus would sell out a friend, let alone Prime, was more than enough. And the fact he'd also pulled out of a mission, getting most of a unit killed and one badly maimed didn't help. Ironhide's conversation with Hot Rod the night before had him rethinking some of his thoughts on the matter. Hot Rod still knew more than he was telling, and he would get to the bottom of it, but not right now.
Not knowing still bothered him, but now he had some hope that maybe, just maybe, Magnus was alive.
-----
Hot Rod knocked hard on the door frame. He was rewarded with the sight of Kup grabbing his head.
"You didn't have to knock," Kup said. "The door is open."
"I know. But you deserve it," Hot Rod said.
"Why? What'd I do?"
"Besides drink yourself into a stupor last night? You honestly don't remember?" Hot Rod said.
"I talked to Prime, then managed to get myself to my quarters," Kup said.
"You know damn well what you did," Hot Rod said. "Why did you have to tell him?"
Kup leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Because you weren't going to do anything about it yourself," Kup said.
Hot Rod sat down, sighed. "I don't need that complication right now," he said. "You know that. And besides, we've been over this before. He is Prime. I am under his command."
"Complication? Since when do you even care what others might think?" Kup said.
"It's not that," Hot Rod said.
"Then what, lad?"
"I don't know."
"He has enough to worry about without adding that detail to the mix," Hot Rod said.
"Lad, has it ever occurred to you it might be the best thing for both of you?" Kup said.
Hot Rod cocked an optic ridge. "Are you serious?"
"Take it as you will, lad," Kup said. "Now get out. I have work to do."
-----
The sun was going down, shadows getting longer, the temperature dropping as the sky darkened. Hot Rod was coming to enjoy this season--fall, as the humans called it. A strange name, but it fit. Falling leaves, falling temperatures, the year falling into darkness. Another routine patrol, for which he was glad. He had a report to finish, but it could wait. He wasn't yet ready to go back to the base, or to deal with Optimus, which he'd have to do eventually, thanks to Kup.
Now that bit of information was out in the open. . .once, Hot Rod would've been ready and willing to act on those feelings, but so much had happened. He was no longer the same mech he'd once been. Being alone was better, safer. No one but himself to worry about, and sometimes, that was more than enough. Just accepting his friends back in his life was hard, and sometimes he felt those connections were all that were holding him in this life.
The sound of a familiar engine interrupted his thoughts. He didn't look back, hearing the transformation, footsteps. He did scoot away when the other mech sat down beside him.
"I'm surprised to find you here," Optimus said.
"It's a free planet," Hot Rod said.
"Don't you have a report due?"
"I plan on working on it later," Hot Rod said. "Did you come out here looking for me?"
"Call it a hunch," Optimus said. "I figured you might be out here."
"I know what you want to ask," Hot Rod said. "And I'm not talking about it right now."
"Then when do you plan to deal with it, Hot Rod?" Optimus asked. "Not that it's out in the open, and I know, do you just intend to not deal with it?"
"Works for me," Hot Rod said. "That was in the past. And besides, Kup overstepped his bounds."
"That may be," Optmius said. "But the Hot Rod I remember would never back down from any challenge, walk away from any fight."
Hot Rod hmphed, crossing his arms.
"Like I said, it's in the past," he said.
"Then why did Kup bring it up?" Optimus asked.
"I don't know," Hot Rod said, shrugging, trying to end the conversation.
"I know you still have much to deal with," Optimus said. "But remember, your friends are here, as am I, if you need me. Never forget that."
"I know," Hot Rod said. "But. . ."
"But what?" Optimus asked. "Hot Rod, no matter what happened in the past with Magnus, it does not matter, at least to me. That part of your life is over. We have a new world, a new home, a chance to build a future. I would think that challenge enough for you."
"It is, but. . ." Hot Rod said.
"You used to be very thorough when following things through, even if the method was unorthodox," Optimus said, slight mirth in his optics and tone. "You now have the chance to finish something you have barely even started. Hot Rod, you have to stop running sometime--away from yourself, your demons, the past, and make a stand. Why not make that stand right here, right now?"
Hot Rod said nothing.
"Hot Rod, I'm offering you the chance to see where things go," Optimus said. "I'm willing to try, if you are. I know these past months have not been easy for either of us, but maybe, together. . ."
"Can I think about it?" Hot Rod said, standing.
"If you need time. . ."
"Yeah. . .I think I'm gonna take a drive, then head back to base, if that's all right," Hot Rod said. Prime nodded, watching the young mech transform and drive away.