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Ironhide: Lost Chances

They are watching a movie, one of those pre-holographic primitive files that are not only used for teaching but also as a way to pass the time, to get pleasure of entertainment. Personally, he does not care much for the things. Too much pathos, too much done only for the reaction it creates in the audience. The way humans have bastardized the fine art of theatre into these abominations is abhorrent to him. But the child likes these films, and so he does the honourable thing and suffers in silence.

A melody plays at the beginning of what is called a sci-fi classic. It touches something within him that he hoped was long lost, a memory he should have gotten deleted a long time ago. To avoid the torture of Hollywood, he allows it to guide his mind back into a much happier time. Before the war began...

.

"Where is he?" he demands to know. The whimpering guard before him takes one good look at the wide opening of his plasma cannon and promptly falls into involuntary stasis. Definitely not impressed by the amateurish behaviour he steps over the collapsed figure to look around.

Slag! This was the last place on his list of possible hiding places for the young heir. So, where is the little glitch?

On a viewing screen plays a news report; one of the ever repeating sob stories about a charity case winning the contest for Thanatos. As if anyone would be interested in this useless stuff? He has always held the opinion that their people's education should not depend on whether or not one managed to trick the system. And Thanatos, as honourable a ship it once was, is now nothing but a melting pot for intrigue and backstabbing.

"Rumour has it that Protector's Heir also won..." The reporter's voice is artfully bored, like any good public investigator should be. Could it be, he thinks. Did the brat really do something so outrageous? Before the report has found its end, he is already on way to the docks.

There he finds him, peacefully standing in line for the orbital shuttles. The tiny form of a youth barely through his first transformation is easy to spot in the masses of passengers.

With an air of desperation hidden under violent anger, he grabs the young one. The following struggle between adult and child does not even register on the minds of anxious travellers and overworked attendants.

"What in Unicron's name did you do that for?" he asks when he finally manages to lift the kid over his shoulder and carry him home. Stubborn silence is the only answer he receives.

"You know, Lord Protector was very frightened." If that is the truth, he does not want to contemplate it. The only thing he really knows is that Megatron does not like to be reminded of the fact that he even produced an heir. "To run away like that..."

"I didn't run away." The words are whispered against his neck, but still easy to understand.

"Really? Because from my standpoint it definitely looks like you did."

"He knew I wanted to go. I even took the test and he still didn't allow it." Stubborn pride colours the young one's reply. To be this sad so young...

"You're too young, my heir. You don't even have your armour yet, so it's obvious you weren't allowed to go."

"But..."

"No buts. You can go when you're through your next transformation." I'll make sure of that, he promises without speaking. The Lord will change his mind once he sees how much the young heir is yearning for a chance to go off-planet.

.

He is ripped out of the recollection when the movie is stopped abruptly. Weapons Master Ironhide cannot help but wonder if he made a noise, that somehow he disturbed the well meant but just not to his tastes picture show.

"You're thinking about Jazz." The words are neutral, spoken with the kind of soft voice that is able to convey so many meaning without changing its tone. The Prime is worried.

"He never got his chance," he sighs. "I promised him and he never got the chance."

"It wasn't your fault that Thanatos was destroyed." Here he can only glare at the gentle child with a poet's cruel streak. "It was an accident."

"They never found the wreck." He has wondered about this fact for a long time. Why did the old Prime not allow Lord Protector to send out a search armada?

Just why...