A Chance to Think/The Lake

[Spiritimus Prime]

Normally Hotshot was one disobey orders and leave the base for a short while, but there comes a time when some of the wisest bots would do well to take some down time. Now that Spiritimus and Optimus were back, things may return to normal when they were completely recovered from their injuries.
But since Rodimus Prime was in charge of the Autobots, it seemed like things were about to run downhill. The cloaked mech looked so unsure about his leading abilities and about making mistakes in his important decision making. Didn't he once lead a team of his own that once included himself, Hotshot, Red Alert, Brawn, and Ironhide a long time ago before Spiritimus left to go and search for Optimus? Why was he doubting himself? He never did that!
Leading a team was easy stuff, but leading a whole faction of Autobots was not. Hotshot had learnt that the moment after Optimus had died when he blocked the Hydra Cannon that threatened the Earth long ago. Optimus always made it seem like it was an easy job, but he did once start off shaky. Wasn't that what Scavenger said when he first trained Optimus before he became Prime?
It would seem so apparently.
Hotshor found himself at the entrance to the base, and the exit to the human world that he had sworn to protect. It had been quite a long time since he had set foot outside, and now seemed like a good time to wander around and think at the same time. But maybe going off to the lake would seem like a good idea as well. It had been a while as well since he had been there. The last time he had seen the lake was like... 20 years ago when Sideswipe had become his apprentice.
Smiling, Hotshot shifted to his vehicle form and sped off down the invisible track that only his human companions would know about. The trek down to the lake was bumpy, but it was worth it. He made it to the lake in no time at all. He transformed back into his robot mode and sat down at the edge of the lake, his baby blue optics watching its surface glitter and sparkle in the sunlight. He had really missed the place and it seemed like a perfect spot to think about what had happened so far.
"I just hope that Rodimus will do well. He did, after all lead me and the others before Spiritimus disappeared. I just wonder how he's going to take the job as a true Prime."
He sighed and shook his head before he leaned back and lay down on the soft grass. His gaze had once again shifted to the sky, watching the clouds roll by lazily.
"You'll do fine, Roddy. I know you better than I know Sideswipe."

[Starscream]

It was only late that day that Sideswipe decided to hang amongst his brother once more, having his mind cleared and prepared for the next day that was soon to come.
Walking past the bushes that were merely huddles of grass to him, the young mech walked down the small hill side and toward the lake he and Hotshot use to gaze at after the Wheeljack incident.
Not saying a word, the mech properly took his seat beside the pale blue ally.
"..... Is this how you know you're becoming stronger, or weaker?" he questioned lightly, his head down. "When everything changes in an instant...what happened to the one-surprise-once-a-week?"

[Spiritimus Prime]

(Shotty's blue, remember? He's Cybertron Shotty! XD)

Hotshot was surprised that Sideswipe would come down here and see him. After what had happened back in the base, he had felt that it was best to let Sideswipe have his time to himself and get a chance to cool off. He had hoped to give him his space until he felt he was ready to come back, but he was very surprised to find him back so soon. It didn't matter, they had other things to worry about now, like for instance Rodimus leading and the other Primes resting in the Medbay, along with their other comrades.
He sat up a little and continued to focus most of his gaze on the shimmering watery surface. But he was shocked by the question that his brother threw at him. He hadn't expected that one coming from his little brother.
How could he answer the question when he didn't know how?
"To be perfectly honest, Sideswipe, I don't know. I don't understand what's going on, especially with what Leohawk told us. I'm worried that Nephthys may do much more damage than what he previously did to Spirit."
He sat up fully and pulled his knees and legs close to his chest, burying his head into his thighs. For the first time in his life since his arrival on Earth, he felt completely powerless to help his friend and those he cared about. Just what could he do to help? Leohawk said that only Optimus could help her overcome her misery and her shattered Spark. He felt so useless right now.

[Starscream]

Sideswipe grimaced at his brothers reply. He had always looked up to Hotshot for answers when it came to personal questioning, and now he was left with nothing. Something was definitely wrong.
Taking his gaze back to the water, he let his thoughts slide for a bare moment, and drifted into the question of what did such water do for humans? Apparently they couldn't live without it. To mechs, it only a rust-prop. A slight vibe centered his 'spine' at the thought of when his pipes rusted at the beach once thanks to Shadowflux and Ryan's vacation with Rad and Kicker so long ago.
But at the same time, a light smile reached his lips.
"We'll be okay...right? Optimus is back... he can fix everything, right Hotshot?" Sideswipe asked, a slight bit of helpless doubt like a child asking a dead dog, 'He'll be alright, right mommy? Hes' just sleeping...'

[Spiritimus Prime]

Hotshot sighed, knowing that he had disappointed his little brother a little. He didn't mean to come up with such an answer, but it was the truth. He very rarely lied, but when he did lie, it was always a bad one. He was a pretty bad liar anyway. He didn't care about that, all that mattered was to be as honest as he possibly could answer whatever question to the best of his abilities. Sometimes even knowledge had its limits.
He smiled warmly at Sideswipe's next question and he stood, throwing a punch in the air just to psyche himself up. "Of course we're going to be ok, Sideswipe," he said encouragingly, "With Optimus, nothing can stop us from stopping those Decepticreeps! Knowing Optimus, I'm sure he'll be back on his feet in no time at all. We just have to give him a moment to recover from his trip in space and then he'll be back as our Prime."
There, he said what he had always believed of Optimus. Like Sideswipe, he too had a role model, and Optimus was that model. Since he had come on board his team, Hotshot had looked up to Optimus as a father-figure and he was sure that most of the other young Autobots did too, especially the really young ones who were determined to be just like him.
Slowly, he lowered his arms flat against his sides again and turned his blue optics to the sky above him. The clouds were lazily moving about, forming shapes depending on the change of wind. From out of nowhere, old memories began to appear in his head, including old voices from the past...
Hotshot understood that he had been a role model long before Sideswipe. Wheeljack... His old friend, whom he had thought he had lost in the flames and had returned as a Decepticon. But then... after the battle with Unicron, he disappeared and had never been seen again.
"Wheeljack..." he managed to breathe to the wind, hoping that sideswipe had not heard him. He felt silly for thinking about old memories and good old times, but he couldn't, and he was determined to try and forget that horrific day when he had thought he had lost him.

[Starscream]

A reassuring smile finally reached the youngs' lips.
"Yeah... You're right."
Looking too, up at the sky, he didn't bother to concentrate his receptors to anything else but the wind, and that included the avoidance of Hotshot's mumbles of the past. Thinking of his own history, it finally got to his thoughts of how his old friend Blurr was doing. He remembered his first mission on Cybertron when he got captured in one of the simplest Decepticon traps. Blurr was there to save him, and Blurr is the one who lead him here and to who he was today.
Though after Blurr had left on a mission of the unknown, the only one left was Hotshot, and then come Talon and Shadowflux.
He pondered about the future, if there will ever be a time that he wasn/t the youngest of the Autobots, despite Blazestorm and her furious temper to Spiritimus. Would there be a day that he, Sideswipe, would become someones mentor? To encourage them just like everyone had did to him? He hoped so.

[Spiritimus Prime]

Hotshot shook his head slowly, clearing the images from his mainframe and chasing the terrifying memories away to the point where they were nothing but mist at the back of his mind.
There really wasn't much to discuss now. The only thing that was one his mind was of Spiritimus's condition along with Optimus's recovery. Speaking of the Primes he wondered where Rodimus had gotten to. The last time he had seen him was when he disappeared from the Medbay with Moonshriek still attached to his shoulder. Was he in the base somewhere or was he outside just watching the view and the town with his cloak trailing behind him.
"It's strange," he said from out of the blue. "We've changed so much since our arrival on Earth. Ever since we first came here, we were different. You and me growing up, Blurr's a bit more social, Scavenger less lazier than he was before, Optimus spending more time with us whenever he gets the chance, Jetfire becoming more serious with himself and our new friends like Shadowflux, Ryan, Rodimus, Ultra Magnus, the United Heroes, and Talon..."
He couldn't believe he had spoken like that. But wasn't it true? Ever since they had first arrived on Earth, the planet's calm aura seemed to have affected them and made them nearly unaware of the battles that had raged across their old home planet. Earth had become a second home to the Autobots and they had devoted their lives to protect it. It was far too beautiful to be enslaved by the Decepticons, and Hotshot mentally made a vow to himself: protect this planet at all costs, even if he had to sacrifice his own life for it.
It might seem like a waste of effort, but at least the ones he cared about would be safe. That was all that mattered to him.
He glanced over at Sideswipe and smiled a little. "Earth has definitely got a tight grip on us, doesn't it?"

[Starscream]

Sideswipe let out a small chuckle at Hotshot's random outburst on how Earth life had a tight hand around their sparks.
"It does. So much of a grip that Optimus has risked his life multiple times for it... and so have we. Humans are just like us, so why should they be extinguished? Its' just not right... Ever since meeting Rad, Carlos, and Alexis...I've felt I've had atleast the small joy of pretending I wasn't a rookie to the bots, but in the majority of the case, all of us were rookies to this planet, and they helped us adapt..."
The mech laid on his back against the senseless grass prickling at his paint.
"Do you think someone of the unknown is protecting Cybertron like we are Earth? Or even the galaxy?"

[Spiritimus Prime]

Hotshot sat back down and stretched his arms a bit, a habit he had picked up from his human companions, and lay back on the grass, his optics offline for a moment. When he heard Sideswipe speak again, he chuckled and turned his optics back online.
"I think there is Sideswipe," he answered. "From what I've heard, there are rumours about a bunch of Autobots that are not part of our cause but still share our beliefs and common goals for the good of others. I hear they're not doing much, but are going about doing daily jobs. It may seem that is what they do, but I think they act as spies or something."
He shrugged his shoulders lightly. "I don't know really, it's just a rumour. There could still be some Autobots looking after Cybertron. As far as I can tell... I'm not really sure, but it is possible that someone is. Primus perhaps?"
He sighed and released another breath from his oxygen tanks. "But if there is someone out there watching Cybertron and the galaxy, I'll bet they'll be an equivilant to that of the human comic book stuff they call superheroes. Oh man, why did Carlos have go and introduce me to that stuff! It's sweet as, man!"
He burst out laughing for no particular reason. The need to laugh for him was needed and it felt good. "It really is amazing how far the imagination of a human mind can really go."

[Starscream]

The blue mech couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter himself. Carlos and his comics, a true trait from the crazed hispanic along with Rad and his dramatic descriptions. It had been Alexis during the time that actually gave them the reality check.
"Yeah, haha" Sideswipe managed to huff out, the laughter in his tanks aching. He thought back to the times with their human companions, and curiosity got the best of him as he tried to think of, as a human, what situations they got themselves into now and days.
"Think they still remember us?" Sideswipe asked, a smile on his face as the memories continued to flow his spark. Of course, the question was dumbfolded. Ryan would come ever so often only to speak of questions from Alexis on side of her news work. But Rad and Kicker were off elsewhere, and Carlos didn't keep in as much contact as he use to, constantly working on the energon mines on Mars.

[Spiritimus Prime]

Hotshot managed to regain control of himself with his laughter. It took a little while longer than he'd originally thought, but at least he managed to ease down the pain that was edging its way into his sides from the laugh.
He blinked in surprise and laughed again, slapping his face as he covered up his optics for a moment. "Of course they will, buddy!" he said enthusicastically. "They might recognise you, Sideswipe, but I don't think they will recognise me because of my new form." He pointed to his left silver and blue forearm and motioned to the small dragster wings that were hidden behind his back just to prove his point.
"I mean, I've been upgraded for over the past 31 years since I first got here. I'm wondering though, why haven't you? Surely there's gotta be an explanation for that."

[Starscream]

Sideswipe laughed and nodded, Of course they will.
Looking at the clouds, his attention was pulled yet again at Hotshots' curiosity.
"Well... I don't know. I guess the new looks just don't fit me. My personality stays within this ol' bulk" he tapped his fist against one of his arms, a big grin upon his face.
"Plus. just imagine the chaotic situations I'd be in if I could go any faster than 120mph haha" the blue mech laughed.
The conversation had done much for Sideswipe, all worries of Decepticons placed aside, and covered in the short human interaction with Hotshot. As well as the reassuring thoughts that once Optimus was back in action, he would settle all of their fears. He had never felt so at ease in a long time, other than the small seconds with Talon before Starscream led the first strike to the mess they were currently in.

[Spiritimus Prime]

Hotshot smiled and let out a chuckle. He stopped and sighed before his gaze glanced over to nothing. For once, he felt like things could go wrong while Rodimus led. It made him nervous, but he kept his thoughts to himself about his concern.
"I wonder," he said outloud, "how we're going to beat the slag out of Nephthys. Surely that guy's got some weak point. The only thing I know is that he's got the power of a Prime. He may not have the Matrix, but he's still a threat. Some way, somehow, we've got to get rid of him before he decides to strike. For all I know he could be on Earth already and is waiting for the perfect opportunity to make his move!"
He felt his hand curl up into a fist and it bled a bit. He blinked his optics and covered up the seeping Energon. He felt stupid for being so careless, but he didn't care. The anger inside his Spark was reaching boiling point and he slammed his fist into the dirt before sighing in frustration.

[Starscream]

Sideswipe was no fool, and almost knew Hotshot like his very own processor. Wincing at his brothers' fist, he knew exactly what had just happened. Frowning, he replied, "We can't be hasty... Thats' what happened to get Spiritimus and everyone else injured. It was so sudden... just like tossing bodies at one another. We need a plan to work with that can be stable at any moment..."
As logical as it sounded, even the blue mech himself was shocked at his own words. Since when did he start getting good ideas? Perhaps he truely was growing.

[Spiritimus Prime]

Hotshot nodded in agreement. He was far too tired to speak now. The whole day had dragged him down to the low lines of the calmness. He missed racing around on Speed Planet with Override to test his metal and speed. The very thought of racing made his Spark leap with excitement but then died down to just a minimum skip.
He then smiled at Sideswipe's words, glad that he was growing up. He felt a hint of pride swell within his chest cavity and he shook his head in amusement. Maybe he decided that he shouldn't call Sideswipe his little brother anymore. He then refocused his attention back onto Nephthys. He was still worried about what Leohawk had told him and the others, and he was afraid that the clone may do something a lot worse than what he had done during his creation.
"Still," he said to Sideswipe, "we gotta do something! He made her life miserable and I'm worried that he might do so again. I don't mean to sound so reckless, but the more we wait, the faster our guard gets lowered. The Decepticons appear to be biding their time, mocking us. As if they find it funny with us suffering while we wait anxiously for Optimus to get better!"

"All the more for us to me on the look out for anything suspicious," said a familiar voice that sounded calm, but having a hint of a doubt in its low tone.

Hotshot turned and he was surprised to see Rodimus standing there right behind him and his brother with Moonshriek sitting on his shoulder.
"Uh... hey, Rodimus, Moonshriek, I didn't hear you guys coming," he said nervously. "I and Sideswipe were busy talking about Nephthys and what we should do about him before he does anything to us."