Temerity
Part 23-Resolution
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.
Hot Rod walked down the corridor, Kup saw him coming, stopped seeing the look on the young mech's face.
"What happened to you?" Kup said. "You look like you've been hit by a truck."
"In a manner of speaking, I was," Hot Rod said.
"What?"
Kup suddenly found himself engulfed in a bear hug.
"Thank you," Hot Rod said.
And as quickly as it had happened, it was over, and Kup found himself watching Hot Rod's retreating form going the other way.
-----
The morning shift change in ops went relatively smooth. Assignments were handed off, reports made amidst the start of construction by Hoist and Grapple for the day. And surprisingly, no one noticed Sideswipe sneak up to the door to Prowl's office, holding a struggling bundle in his hands, which he tossed into the open door, then quickly punched in the access code to seal the entrance.
Instead of running, like he should have, Sideswipe decided to stick around. He walked over to Perceptor, who was pulling monitor duty, asked about how photosynthesis in Earth plants worked and promptly set about ignoring the lecture while watching for the results of the upcoming mayhem. It didn't take long. The faint sound of yelling was the first clue not all was right in Prowl's office, followed by the sound of shots being fired, then the explosion.
Seven pairs of Autobot optics turned, waiting for the smoke to clear. Once the dust settled, Prowl walked out of his office via the blown wall, holding a struggling Rumble in one hand and being followed by Frenzy.
"Who is responsible?" Prowl asked, optics sweeping over the Autobots in ops. Hot Rod was holding a data pad, standing by Kup, so it probably wasn't him. Smokescreen was at the main computer, Hoist and Grapple were holding a large electrical conduit between them and Perceptor was staring, one optic raised, interested. And beside him was Sideswipe, who didn't have the sense to keep his mouth shut.
"Looks like you blew up your own office," Sideswipe said.
Prowl set down Rumble very gently. He stared down at the Decepticon hackers, who were suddenly side by side. "I know now this was not your idea. Go. Before I change my mind," Prowl said.
The twins took off down the hall, chittering as they went.
Turning his attention to Sideswipe, the red twin suddenly remembered why Prowl was once one of the most feared Peacekeepers on Cybertron. The stance and the look in his optics were enough.
"Sideswipe, just why did you think locking them in my office would be a good idea?" Prowl asked. The Autobot second in command didn't move, didn't flinch, his voice didn't waiver. He remained calm. Very calm. Which meant Prowl was very, very, very pissed off.
"Uh. . .because it was funny?" Sideswipe said.
"Funny?" Prowl said.
Sideswipe backed up against the console by Perceptor. Prowl's comment came out almost as a sneer.
"Yeah, funny, you know like a joke, ha ha?" Sideswipe said.
"Sideswipe, I would not further provoke Prowl as this. . ."
"Percy, stow it," Prowl said. "Sideswipe, come here. Now."
Blinded by momentary panic, Sideswipe halted a second before transforming, speeding out of ops, down the corridor, nearly flattening Epps and Lennox as he went.
Then the laughter started. Prowl, snapped out of his hardass routine, put his hands on his hips, clearly annoyed, which sparked further laughter. Kup came over, placing a hand on Prowl's shoulder.
"You handled that well," Kup said, grinning. "Next time, just shoot him. It's how I've handled him all these years."
-----
The orders to bring in Sideswipe prompted more laughter and bets to see who could corner the red twin first, and it took up most of the afternoon, getting Hot Rod out of a routine patrol with Barricade. Kup asked him to help him, which Hot Rod happily volunteered for. And it was the two of them who managed to find Sideswipe, hiding at Bobby Bolivia's used car lot in town.
Bolivia was paid a monthly stipend to keep his mouth shut about Tranquility base and the threat of possible incarceration in a government prison made him more than agreeable to letting the occasional alien giant robot hide on his lot or use his cars to adapt an Earth mode. Hell, he even liked some of them, and the moment the red Lamborghini pulled onto the lot he whipped out his cell phone, called Capt. Lennox and a little later, two more of the aliens showed up, which caused the red car to take off.
And getting shot by Kup was exactly what allowed them to bring Sideswipe in, much to Ratchet's annoyance.
-----
"That damn idiot is the densest mech I've ever met," Kup said as he walked down the corridor to the rec room with Hot Rod. "I told him not to move. . ."
"Hey--locking Prowl in his office with Frenzy and Rumble was pretty funny," Hot Rod said. "I didn't say he was stupid. Just dense," Kup said. "Doesn't think. Never has. And everyone think's Sunny' s the crazy one. . ."
"'Sides is a little. . .creative," Hot Rod said.
"That's an understatement," Kup said, pulling up a chair.
Hot Rod joined him, handing him a container of energon.
"What brought on that display of affection last night?" Kup said.
"Nothing," Hot Rod said, suddenly interested in his energon.
"Nothing, my aft," Kup said. "I'll pry it out of you sooner or later."
"Good luck," Hot Rod said, grinning.
Kup frowned.
"So, when's Springer getting out of the med bay?" Kup asked.
Hot Rod shrugged.
"Whenever Ratchet says, but after he popped his welds the other day, it's going to be a while," he said.
"Figures," Kup said. "Soon as he's out of there, Prime's promoting him to Autobot air commander."
Hot Rod started to laugh, Kup grinned back.
"He'll love that," Hot Rod said. "But at least he'll have his own little air armada to command."
"Yeah--two former Decepticons," Kup said. "Those two are driving me nuts. Want to run some drills with them tomorrow?"
"What? Me?" Hot Rod said, spluttering on his energon.
"Just have to outrun them," Kup said. "What, don't want an opportunity to speed without getting in trouble?"
"As long as Ironhide isn't involved, I'm fine with it," Hot Rod said.
"Not a problem."
The two sat in silence awhile, enjoying the quiet of the rec room, before Hot Rod decided to ask about something he'd been wondering about for a while.
"What was Alpha Trion like?" Hot Rod asked.
"You want to know, look no further than Optimus. He's a lot like him--compassionate, curious," Kup said.
"Same bad sense of humor," Hot Rod said, smiling.
"That too," Kup said. "What brought this on?"
"I met him once," Hot Rod said.
"You did? You never told met that before," Kup said. "When?"
"Right after I earned my command," Hot Rod said.
"That was right before. . ." Kup said.
"Everything came down," Hot Rod said.
"That's one way of putting it," Kup said. "C'mon lad, enough about the past. Go find something to do with yourself the rest of the day."
-----
Hot Rod spent part of the afternoon in the med bay, with Springer, watching the spectacle of Ratchet repairing Sideswipe after Hoist had to tow him back to base. It was a learning experience because the medic and Sideswipe exchanged insults and combinations of profanities in two languages that impressed even Springer who happily filed them away for future reference. And once Ratchet was done with the repairs, Hot Rod didn't want to stick around to listen anymore, so he took off for the lookout.
--
Hot Rod sat, watching the stars come out. Once alien constellations were becoming more familiar all the time. The human propensity to see patterns where there were supposed to be none was something he momentarily contemplated until he heard the noise of a very familiar engine.
Optimus transformed, coming over to sit by Hot Rod.
"You, my friend," Optimus said, "Are becoming very predictable."
"What can I say? It's a nice spot," Hot Rod said.
"It is indeed," Optimus said. "I come here, some nights, hoping more Autobots will arrive."
"Maybe they will," Hot Rod said. "In time."
"Speaking of time, have you given any thought to what I asked last night?" Optimus said.
Actually, he hadn't had time, Hot Rod thought, but he wasn't going to tell Prime that. And given his impetuous nature, he plunged in.
"I finish what I start," Hot Rod said.