Chapter Text
Had anyone been nearby the latest explosion would’ve been deafening. Luckily, there wasn’t anyone around. Or was that unlucky? The city square, once full of bustling life and movement, was an empty wreckage of shattered buildings and the damaged remains of those who fought for it. The latest explosion was due to an old leakage which finally ignited, splintering an otherwise quiet night. No one was around to see it erupt, but the sound of the rupture echoed across the surface, vibrating of the remains of the planet.
Hot Rod groaned, listening to the once deafening sound lull into nothing. Leaned against what once was a shop wall, he didn’t need to be thinking about problems elsewhere. He was far more concerned with the soft sound of footsteps edging closer. His fingers wrapped tightly around his gun; he peered around the corner. Just over the ridge was the darkened frame of a Decepticon seeker. It was odd to see only one. They typically came in packs. Hot Rod leapt across the open space, rolling behind another piece of cover.
“Come on out, Autobot!” The con shouted, voice echoing over the silence.
“Where’s the fun in that!” replied Hot Rod, cheerfully, as he reloaded. Low ammo.
“You’re the last one, Autobot…” continued the con.
Hot Rod peeked around the corner again, spotting the con jump down from his perch, landing in a rather clear area just outside his hiding place. The high ground being lost, perhaps Hot Rod actually had a chance in this clearing. He tapped his comm. link again but just received static. He was too far from any Autobot bases he knew of and his teammates were long gone by now. In other words, no backup.
Hot Rod shut his optics briefly, collecting himself the best he could, before rounding the corner. The Autobot and Decepticon locked eyes, raising weapons and began firing. Both initially missed, reaching a point where they were two close to continue shooting. Hot Rod slammed the butt of his rifle into the face of the con. The latter quickly returned with a jab to the chest, forcing Hot Rod back.
The two snarled at each other, readying for another blow. As Hot Rod approached, he felt something off in the air. It was as if everything had frozen. There was no sound, movement, anything. Based on the look on his opponent’s face, he too felt the same strangeness in the atmosphere. The two felt slowed, attacks moving barely, as a flash of light appeared, blinding the area.
“What the…” cursed the con, shielding his optics.
“Sweet Solus Prime,” grumbled Hot Rod, finding time suddenly moving at the correct speed again as he stumbled forward.
The air moved swiftly away from the light source, which died to a shimmer and eventually shattered, revealing the frame of another bot. Dust lifted, covering the three in an eerie fog. The newer bot coughed on the shift of debris, waving it away from his faceplate. Hot Rod, recovering from his former stumble, raised his weapon, looking between the con and the mysterious addition. The con soon raised his weapon as well, poised at Hot Rod and occasionally gestured toward the other.
“Well, that was rather explosive,” the newer offered.
His optics glanced between the two. Upon noticing the guns, he quickly raised his hands in the air. Hot Rod groaned. It had been a long solar cycle as it was. He did not need this. The con gave an equally tired groan.
“State your affiliation!” ordered the con, directed toward the newer bot.
“Pardon?” he perked, leaning forward slightly.
“Are you an Autobot or Decepticon?” Hot Rod snapped.
The bot stood puzzled a moment, glancing between the two. He lowered his arms and shrugged. Hot Rod sighed. Nonaffiliated possibly. Then again…Hot Rod lowered his gun slightly, finally taking a good look at the bot. He appeared surprisingly young with white, gold, and salmon colored armor with hints of blue. Curiously, the center of his chest was concaved, with a red gem which seemed to be flickering, reflecting of the blue around it.
“Where’d you even come from…?” mumbled Hot Rod, looking around.
“And what was that light?” added the con.
“I meant no problem,” the bot replied with a grin. “Simple miscalculation on my part…again. I should be going now…”
He began shuffling backward, which simply drew both guns to him. He threw his arms into the air again. Hot Rod glanced at the con. Clearly the new comer was not going to be a problem and hardly seemed like a fighter, much less a Decepticon, but the actual con would be the problem in getting this idiot out without Energon being shed. Everything that just happened could be addressed later.
“I’m not much of a fighter,” the bot whimpered. “I’d really just like to be on my way…let you two get back to…fighting each other?”
“Not so fast,” the con ordered, turning to aim at Hot Rod. “This better not be some Autobot trick!”
“If this was anyone’s trick, I’d put on the guys with deception literally in the name,” hissed Hot Rod.
“See, I’m interrupting…I should just…”
Hot Rod lunged forward, grabbing onto the bot’s wrist. The con, upon seeing Hot Rod move forward, also lunged, grabbing onto the bot’s arm. The third stood, arms outstretched, ultimately dumbfounded by the predicament. He chuckled lightly, looking between the two.
“Clearly, I’m not walking away…” he sighed. “If I promise not to walk away anymore, could you perchance let me go?”
“Shut up! Let me think!” the con shouted.
“That’s a first for you, con,” grinned Hot Rod.
“The name’s Thundercracker, Autobot!”
“Hot Rod!”
“Vector…”
The two looked at the middle bot who offered a sheepish smile. He glanced between the two.
“I thought we were introducing ourselves? No?”
“Will you shut up, freak?” Thundercracker huffed. “I’m tryin’ to think.”
“Vector?” Hot Rod mumbled.
Something familiar about that name. Hot Rod groaned. As if a familiar name would make this whole mess any less insane. This whole situation was outrageous. Hot Rod glanced between Thundercracker and Vector. The former was mumbling to himself rather incoherently. The latter seemed to just be taking the events in strides with a deep sigh every now and then. Hot Rod glanced down. The gem was glowing again, this time changing to a green hue.
“Uh…Vector?” Hot Rod perked.
“Hmm?”
“Is it supposed to do that?”
As Hot Rod pointed at the gem and Vector looked down, a blinding light burst forth. The light consumed the three in a moment, and in the next they were gone from the clearing. Air blew up the dust once more, swirling the night and dancing with the stars.