(Please see all previous disclaimers)
Due to the blaring alarms, all the bots soon gathered in the main meeting room. All were curious as to see if this was a good alarm or a bad alarm. Was this about a relic or about the Cons? All had questions as they gathered. "Ratchet, please tell us what is going on" Optimus commanded.
"Thanks to the data that Lamcex swiped from the cons, we now have the location of two separate relics. The only we have a chance of beating the cons to them is if we send out two teams, one team to each site" Ratchet replied, showing the others the information on the screen.
"But who is going? Who is going to be on which team?" Bulkhead asked, curious and hopeful that the Autobots would arrive at the sites first and secure the precious relics.
All the bots looked to Optimus, who had to quickly but thoroughly consider exactly what he wanted to do and who would go where. And, after a slight pause, Optimus spoke, "Lancex, you and Wheeljack should go to site number one. Bulkhead and Predaking, I want you to go to site two."
"Are you sure we can trust him, Optimus?" Arcee asked.
"We have to give him a chance to prove himself trustworthy" Optimus replied to Arcee. And at that, Ratchet sent Predaking and Bulkhead towards the second site where a relic had been located after Ratchet sent Lancex and Wheeljack to the first site. Arcee and Bumblebee walked off, taking the kids with them, hoping that they could find more clues to another site. That left Ratceht and Optimus in the meeting room.
"Your ruminating, Prime" Ratchet piped up, trying to get Optimus to fess up.
"I was just thinking, as this could be dangerous for all involved" Optimus replied, hiding his feelings or hoping he had.
"You are right that this is dangerous, however, I sense you feel more worried, especially sending both Lancex and Predaking out to retrieve the relics" Ratchet answered, hoping to get Optimus to fess up his feelings, but Optimus was too wise for that play.
"Ratchet, we must give each bot a chance to prove themselves. We are only as good as the trust between us" Optimus replied. Ratchet just nodded and let Optimus go. Ratchet knew Optimus was deflecting but it was wise, for now, to allow Optimus his space.
Meanwhile, stuck out on assignment, Predaking was disappointed that he hadn't been sent with Lancex, but Predaking also saw this as an opportunity. If he could prove his trustworthiness, he had a better chance of claiming Lancex. Predaking renewed his focus – as he figured it was the only way to be able to get closer to the bot he wanted.