A/N: Silverbolt is not an OC. He's made appearances in the G1 show, the Marvel and Dreamwave comics, Beast Wars/Machines , he's an unlockable in The War for Cybertron game, and he's rumored to appear in Transformers 3. And yes. Triple-changers (robot/ ground/ flying) have existed in canon before.
Fire in the Sky
Star-gazing
Silverbolt, along with Miko, and Raf, ws sitting on the very top of the Autobot bunker watching the sun set after (what seemed like) a very long day.
Silverbolt had gone up there to think, and hopefully relax. After all, attack the Nemesis, flying with Prime on his back, out-flying vehicons, and rescuing Arcee, had taken a lot out of him. So yeah, he wanted some alone time. His human friends, however, had other plans.
Raf, who was sitting to Silverbolt's right, just wanted to give his (one time) human friend some quiet company.
Miko, just to Silverbolt's left, on the other hand, wanted to keep them company too. Just not the quiet kind.
"I gotta hand it to you, Jack," The young Japanese girl said with a grin, staring at the setting sun. "When it comes to daring rescues, I think you would give Optimus a run for his money."
Silverbolt shook his head. "I already told you, Miko. It wasn't a rescue. Arcee had already freed herself, somehow. Me and Optimus just... backed her up."
"Yeah, yeah." Miko dismissed with a wave of her hand. "But how were you to know that she was free? Huh?" She giggled, "And it wasn't Arcee who blew away half of the Nemesis."
"Miko..." Raf sighed heavily. "Jack didn't blow up half the ship. Just the guns. How many times do we have to tell you?"
"Oh, I know it wasn't half the ship." she admitted. "It just sounds way cooler that way."
"You know, Miko. I did come up to relax." Silverbolt said, looking down at his annoying friend.
Miko looked up at him, and fixed him a quirked brow. "Then relax. Nobody's stopping you, ya known."
"Ho boy..." Silverbolt and Raf sighed at the same time, as the slumped their shoulders.
"So, I gotta ask, what did it feel like to fly?" Miko asked excitedly, "I bet it was awesome." she put her arms out and made airplane noises. "Whoosh, vroom, zoom! Die decepticons! Ha, ha! Pew, pew, pew! She threw her hands up wide to imitate an explosion. "Boom!"
Silverbolt rested his hands on his knees. "I don't how I would describe flying. I mean, I could feel the wind on my hull, and I guess my 'adrenaline' was pumping high... It was exciting, awesome, terrifying, and breath-taking all at once. I guess."
"Oh man, that sounds sweet!" Miko exclaimed. "I wish I could do that."
Silverbolt frowned at her.
"Well... okay, not really." She admitted, sounding defeated. She lumped her shoulders crossed her arms. "but it still sounds awesome."
"Hey, um, Jack?" Raf asked, sounding nervous.
"Yeah, Raf?" Silverbolt asked kindly. He noticed the younger wasn't making eye contact. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing... I just thought of a way for you to describe how it feels like to fly." Raf answered, still not making eye contact.
"How?" the silver bot asked.
"Yeah, how?" Miko asked as well, sounding curious.
"Well..." Raf said, "I guess you could describe the feeling of flying, like how it felt when you used to ride Arcee." he paused and made eye contact with Silverbolt. "Right?"
"Yeah..." Silverbolt chuckled. "I guess you're right, Raf. Heh. I never told you guys this, but sometimes I would let go of the handle bars and close my eyes, just to get a rush. It would drive Arcee crazy when I did that."
"Ha, ha!" Miko laughed. "Oh, man... I don't even have to try and imagine what she said to you."
Silverbolt laughed. Adopting a falsetto voice, he imitated Arcee, "Jack Darby! If you ever do that again, I swear, by the All-Spark, I will pull over and make you walk to HQ! For a week!"
The three shared a laugh. That is, until someone cleared their throat from behind them. A very irritated, female, sounding someone.
Silverbolt, Raf, and Miko turned thier heads and looked over their shoulders. Arcee was standing ten feet behind them. She was holding a large (by human standards) telescope in both her hands. And she didn't look happy. At all.
"I thought you guys would want to use this telescope that Ratchet built." Arcee greeted the silent trio with a straight face. "Apparently there's supposed to be a meteor-shower tonight." She set the device down on it's tripod.
Raf was first to break the uncomfortable silence. "Uh, thanks, Arcee. But, how can Miko and I use it?" he stood up and walked over to the tall machine. "It's kinda big."
"Easy." Arcee smirked. "I can hold you up to the lens, and when you want in moved, I shift it for you."
"Oh, uh, right..." Raf chuckled nervously. "Of course."
"Want to take a look?" the fem-bot asked the small boy kindly.
"Me first!" Miko demanded. She jumped up and ran over to the telescope. "Please, Arcee?"
Arcee and Raf shared a look, and shrugged. Arcee then knelt down on one knee. She picked up Miko and placed the small girl on her giant thigh.
"Oh, sweet!" Miko exclaimed as she peered through the giant lens. "The moon looks so cool close up." She looked down at Raf. "Come up here, Scrub. You gotta see this."
Before Arcee could pick the small boy up, Silverbolt lifted him up and placed him on Arcee's leg.
"There you go, Raf." the silver bot said, then fell silent.
"Thanks, Jack." Raf smiled at his friend. He and Miko looked thru the lens together.
Arcee noticed Silverbolt was avoiding eye contact with her. She knew that meant that he was feeling guilty about making fun of her behind her back.
"Here guys," She said, placing the two humans on the ground, "I can lower this further. That way, you don't have to use me a ladder." She adjusted the tripod's height.
"Thanks Arcee." Miko and Raf said, as they went back to star-gazing.
Arcee stood up and walked over to Silverbolt. Without a word, she grabbed his hand and guided him to the edge of the mountain, and away from any curious ears. She then let go of his hand, crossed her arms and locked optics with him.
Feeling like he should say something first, Silverbolt scratched the back of his neck nervously and then launched into an apology. "Look, Arcee... I'm sorry for making fun of you. I just... well I didn't mean to. It's just, Miko was asking me about flying, and then one thing lead to another... And, well, I'm sorry."
"Silverbolt, Jack, why are you apologizing?" Arcee asked with a smirk.
"Because I made fun of you." Silverbolt explained with a frown. "And I know you hate it when I do that. I just assumed you where mad."
"I was at first." Arcee admitted. "Well, not exactly mad. I would say more upset, then anything. But then I saw how guilty you looked, and, well, I couldn't stay like that."
"Huh?" Silverbolt asked as he crossed his arms. "You're not mad at me? Okay... who are you, and what have you done with Arcee?"
Arcee placed her hands on her hips, and quirked an eyebrow. "Look, Jack. I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to feel bad about what you said, okay?" she brought her right hand up and tapped her chin with her index finger. "It was pretty accurate. And funny. I had forgotten that I actuallt threatened you with that."
Silverbolt smiled mischievously. "So, are you saying that I can make fun of you more often? And not get in trouble?"
"Watch it, Hot shot."
"Yes, Ma'am."
With a sigh, Arcee sat down, dangled her legs over the ledge, and folded her hands in her lap "Do you... ever miss it?" she asked suddenly, looking up at Silverbolt.
Confused, He sat down next to her, and rested his hands on his knees. "Miss what?" he asked.
"Do you miss, you know..." she quickly gestured between them, with her right index finger, "us? Being able to drive together?"
Jack's visor flickered as he "blinked" at her. "We still drive together, Arcee. How can I miss it?"
Arcee huffed in frustration, as she set her gaze on the horizon. "No. Not that." She sighed, then asked, "Do you miss driving me? You know, our rides together?"
"Oh..." Silverbolt said, understanding what she was getting at. "Well, yeah. Of course I do. It was fun. I especially liked the looks of shock I got from the other kids. Heh. They were so jealous when the saw me driving a sweet looking machine, like you." He noticed a look of disappointment on her face. "What's wrong?"
"Huh?" Arcee asked absentmindedly, still watching the sun, as it slowly disappeared behind a hill. "Oh... nothing."
Silverbolt nudged her shoulder gently with his. "C'mon, Arcee. What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"
She looked a Silverbolt with a slightly sad expression, and asked "Is that why you miss it? Because it made the other kids jealous?"
"What? Of course not." Silverbolt answered. "That was a perk. But what I really miss, is well, the time... we spent together. Just you and me. Hanging out, and talking. Kinda like what we're doing now."
Arcee smiled at him. "Yeah. I miss that too." She placed her left hand on top his right hand. "And I know this might seem selfish... but I kind of wish, sometimes, that this whole thing never happened."
"Uh... what whole thing?" Silverbolt asked. Arcee averted her gaze in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, Jack." she mumbled. "I shouldn't have brought this up. Just forget it."
Silverbolt used his left hand to tilt her face back towards him. "What's going on, Arcee?" He asked kindly, dropping his hand. "What do you wish never happened?"
Arcee sighed heavily. "Not never. Just sometimes." She clarified. "I know this is stupid, but... I miss you Jack."
"But..." Silverbolt began to explain, but Arcee placed a finger on his mouth to quiet him.
"I know you're always around. But that's not what I'm trying to say." She explained. She lowered her hand, once she knew he would remain quiet. "I miss you, Jack. The human you."
Silverbolt was speechless.
"Like I said. Stupid." Arcee continued. "I know you can't be changed back. And I don't want you to, either. But on the other hand... well, I don't know how else I can explain it." she finished lamely.
Silverbolt tilted his head at her. "That's... quite the confession." he admitted.
"I know, huh?" Arcee quipped with a light chuckle.
"There are days when I wish this didn't happen either." Silverbolt admitted. "I dunno, Arcee... I just feel bad for Mom, ya know?"
"Why?" Arcee asked. "Don't human kids usually outlive their parents, anyways?"
"It's not that." Silverbolt clarified. "It's, well, I know she was looking forward to me going to college, getting married, and having kids some day. And although being an Autobot is way better than going to college, I kinda wanted to do those other things."
"For your Mom?" Arcee asked softly. She placed a gentle hand on his leg.
He looked down at her hand, and then at her face. "Kinda. But more so for me. I guess I just wanted to experience the whole marriage and having kids thing."
"Oh." Arcee whispered.
"But that changed." Silverbolt smiled. "Why would I want to get married, and have kids, when I have you? You're ten times better than any human female I would've dated, that's for sure."
Arcee crossed her arms. "Only ten times?"
"Okay. Okay." Silverbolt laughed. "A hundred times?"
She raised both her eyebrows, but kept a straight face.
"A million times?" he asked next.
She remained silent.
"A billion times?"
Still no response.
"Okay, fine." He huffed. "You're infinitesimally times better than any female, ever, that I have ever known." he paused for a second. "Except for Mom. But it's a pretty close tie."
Arcee uncrossed her arms, and shrugged. "I can live with that..."
"I'm glad." Silverbolt said, pretending to wipe his brow.
"Watch it, Hot shot."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Guys, guys! Come here!" Raf yelled suddenly. Silverbolt and Arcee got up and walked over to their friends.
"What's the emergency?" Arcee asked jokingly.
"Yeah, Raf, where's the fire?" Silverbolt asked with a laugh.
"Look at that you guys," Miko said with a serious tone. She pointed towards the sky. "What does that look like to you?"
Silverbolt and Arcee turned around and looked towards Miko was pointing. All they saw was the meteor-shower.
"Okay... All I see are meteors." Silverbolt said. "Nothing too... wait a micro second..." He adjusted his optics so he could get a better look. There, in the sky, was something big.
"I can see it too." Arcee stated. "And it's getting bigger. What is that?"
"I don't know what it is..." Raf answered, still peering through the telescope. "But it's huge. It's on fire. And it's heading right for Earth."
"Is it, like, a meteorite?" Miko asked the young boy, as she squinted to see the falling object.
"No... I wouldn't say that it is." Raf said, going into nerd-mode. "The profile is all wrong."
"What do you mean, Raf?" Arcee asked, turning her attention back to him, "What does it look like?"
"If I had to guess..." He hummed, "I would say... oh wow! I think it's a ship of some kind!"
"A SHIP!" Arcee/Silverbolt/Miko all shouted at once.
Raf looked up at Arcee. "Here. Take a look yourself." He moved away from the telescope. Arcee quickly knelt down to peer through it.
Arcee was silent for a few seconds, as she studied, what appeared to, be a falling ship.
"Raf's right. It's a ship." She said after a bit. "But... it's not a human design..." she paused for a second. "By the All-Spark..." she breathed, the exclaimed "I recognize that ship! It's the Ark!"
"Uh, Arcee..." Silverbolt said nervously, trying to get her attention.
"I can't believe it!" She continued, ignoring him. "I thought it was lost for good!"
"Arcee... you might want to move..." Miko said, her eyes focused on the sky.
"Wait until the others see this..." Arcee kept murmuring, lost in her little world.
"ARCEE!" The others shouted at her.
"WHAT?" She asked, sounding angry. Silverbolt grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her up.
"That Ark thing is heading right for us!" He yelled, as he pointed at it. "We gotta move!"
He scooped up Miko and Raf in one hand, and pulled Arcee along with his other. He ran towards the edge of the mountain.
"What about the others?" Arcee asked in a panic.
"No time!" Silverbolt responded. He quickly transformed into his jet mode, and placed Raf and Miko inside. "Climb on!" He ordered her. She did. He revved his engines and took off.
As soon as he did, the Ark slammed into the base of the Autobot bunker. Causing half of the mountain to collapse...
END.
To be continued in "Forever is a Long Time Coming." Keep your visual sensors open for it. Soon.