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Autobase - Main Entrance

"Finally, I arrived." The Aerialbot was angry, he had to retreat from a fight, but he knew he was not match for Razorclaw. "I have to become better, I have to train to become the best." The white and red mech entered the base and began walking towards the Command Center, ignoring everything around him.

Autobase - Command Center

When Air Raid entered the base, it was more empty than before, 'Streak had left, and apparently Howlstrike too. He walked towards Kup, shame in his eyes for his actions. "Sir, you probably are wondering what I'm doing here right so soon, but I have a reason." The Aerialbot couldn't see his commander to the eyes, he was ashamed for running.

"As you remember, I send you a message telling you that I was in front of what appeared to be an Autocannon and Swindle, but before I could shoot Swindle I heard something behind me." The Aerialbot paused for a moment, remembering that wasn't something he liked. "When I turned, Razorclaw leaped at me. I was able to hold it for a moment, for some reason he wasn't using his whole strength." After saying that, his eyes showed an extreme anger, even thought he had survived because Razorclaw didn't saw him as a thread, Air Raid would he preferred to be destroyed piece by piece than surviving because his enemy saw him as a pathetic worthless enemy. "I managed to grab my rifle and hit him with the butt of the rifle in the left side of his head. After that I managed to free myself and escaped. That's all." Air Raid waited for a response from his commander.

Command Center

Kup wasn’t fast enough to say anything to Air Raid before he dashed out of the room. He hoped he wasn’t going to regret sending that young pup off on a mission by himself. It would be a good test for him at least. Once he saw how he did on this mission he would know how to handle him in the future. If he was going to lead this little mission then he wanted to know who he could count on and how they would act on missions.

The old warhorse nodded as Bluestreak went off to meet up with Springer. He was a good bot, just had his vocal actuators a little overpowered. He wasn’t happy about his attitude towards Howlstrike, but he hoped that was taken care of now. He wasn’t the first Autobot to have a problem with the former Predacon and he probably wouldn’t be the last, but Kup was doing all he could to change what Autobots thought about him.

He glanced over at Howlstrike as he left the room. “If the Cons haven’t taken me out yet lad, I’m not afraid of a little cy-gar doing it.” He chuckled to himself.

Kup busied himself with the command center controls. It had been a good while since he had been in one of these older style command centers. He’d never really gotten used to the newer ones, but he had learned enough about them to forget some of what he knew of the original ones. Turbo-revving young bots, always wanting to change things around for the sake of changing things, like the original designers hadn’t thought of how to best place the controls in the first place.

He was still working with the controls when the signal from Air Raid came in. Kup let out an audible sigh. He had sent the Aerialbot on a reconnaissance mission and the first thing he did was find some Decepticon and ask permission to engage. This one was going to take a lot of breaking in. Before he could reply Air Raid sent another signal indicating he was returning. Kup frowned but didn’t bother sending a reply. He went back to work studying and working the controls.

He had finally mastered all of the controls by the time the Aerialbot returned. He stared at him, quietly chewing on the cy-gar while Air Raid gave his report. He stood silently for a moment after he was done just to make the younger Autobot squirm a bit. Finally he spoke up. “I sent you over there to scout out what the Decepticons are doing, get a bit of reconnaissance. The first thing you did was land and ask to shoot up the first Con you saw, who happened to be fixing a defense the he could have activated to shoot you up. Then, since you were screwing around and disobeying orders you had to retreat with no information after getting jumped by another Con.”

Kup chewed on his cy-gar for a moment. “You failed the mission because of your need for grandstanding and action. We got practically zero intel from your jaunt out there. All you got was that Swindle was there fixing a gun and Razorclaw is present too. Probably could have gotten that info from the Dinobots. I wanted to find out a bit more then that” He moved the cy-gar to the other corner of his mouth. “Until you can learn to follow orders consider yourself grounded for the time being. No more flying around on solo missions. Next time you go out you are gonna be practically attached to my hip to make sure you don’t go off and do something stupid again. Now go get yourself fixed up in the medbay. Grimlock and his boys are liable to be down there too. You antagonize them, their liable to knock your head off, so don’t do it.”

*

Defensive Perimeter – Some Distance from Autobase

Springer was running a self diagnosis on the autocannon when Bluestreak arrived. He looked up and smiled at the newly arrived Autobot. “Hey Blue, just running a diagnostic on this cannon to see what’s wrong with it. Glad to see another friendly face on Cybertron.”

The triplechanger looked back at his screen while Bluestreak began chattering away. After serving with Blurr for so long he was probably one of the few Bots who could handle the talkative Bluestreak without much trouble. “Yeah, it brings back memories. Hopefully these repairs here are just the first step to rebuilding the whole planet.”

He looked up as the other Autobot mentioned Hot Rod, the smile gone from his face.. “I’m not sure what happened with Roddy. He definitely wasn’t himself though. Maybe something in the atmosphere gave him a short in his cerebral circuits or something. We’ll get it figured out.” His voice was filled with confidence, but in reality he was concerned about his friend. Something must be really wrong for him to act like that..

The diagnostic beeped and Springer looked it over. “Looks like the bearings on this one have been damaged. We are going to need to replace them to get this thing rotating again.” He grabbed a power wrench from the tools he had brought with him and began loosening the bolts on the base of the weapon. “See if you can dig some new ones up in the supplies I brought out here Blue.” He gestured towards the assorted crates and boxes of tools and supplies he had dragged out of storage to help him on his repairs.

*

Autobase – Main Entrance

Grimlock snickered as Slag sent some flames chasing Air Raid away. The Aerialbot was confident, but stupid. Someone would probably end up scrapping bits of him off of the ground if he went charging after the Predacons. Some bots just had to learn things the hard way.

The Dinobot leader began lugging Snarl to the entrance when Howlstrike came out of the base. Grimlock almost grabbed his gun, the former Predacon bearing some resemblance to their recent opponents. He relaxed though when he recognized him. Unlike other Autobots he was a bit familiar about being on the other side of the battle lines in this war, and he did trust Kup’s judgement.

“Predacons refuse to fight fair. Maybe you give some insight on them. Maybe we cheat to and scrap them for good next fight.” He took up Howlstrike’s offer and handed Snarl over to him. “Be careful, he not light. He been grumpy lately too.” He hoped that after a bit of battle and him personally dragging his chassis out of the fight that Snarl might ease up a bit, but he wasn’t counting on it.

Grimlock looked at Howlstrike again. “You know where repair bay is?”

Autobase - Command Center

Air Raid listened carefully as Kup talked, he was already angry and everything the old warhorse was saying made him even angrier. "Grounded?." The white and red mech couldn't take it anymore, he had to say something, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came from it. When Kup finished talking he took his advice and headed to the medbay. He was really close to the door when he turned around, no longer being able to control himself.

"GROUNDED?!?!?."

Air Raid lowered his tone, after all he was talking with a superior and a mech he respected. "I failed the mission because of you! If maybe you would have responded me quickly I would have taken the shoot and Swindle wouldn't have being able to call Razorclaw. Maybe the next time I should shoot first and then ask permission, that way we could save ourselves a lot of trouble, besides, sooner or later those autocannons would have shot at me. Also if I killed Swindle, that would have save us a lot of trouble when you decide to send us there. One clean shoot to the head and it would be all over, I could have taken any info he had on himself and we could have learned a lot."

Before Kup could response, Air Raid exited the command center and headed towards the medbay.

Autobase – Main Entrance

Howlstrike noticed that Grimlock had almost drawn his gun on him, but then relaxed when he realized it was only Howl. The green and black hunter had expected this possible reaction, which was why he had approached the Dinobots with caution. He didn’t want to end up getting scrapped by those he was attempting to help.

“So, it was the Predacons you fought?” Howlstrike replied at Grimlock’s comment. “Yes, they don’t play fair. Razorclaw and his cohorts have not a shred of honor among them, which was the main reason why I left them.” Howl took the stasis-locked Snarl from the Dinobot leader and slung him over his shoulder. The desert warrior was a bit larger then Howl, but the Autobot tracker was no weakling and was more than strong enough to carry Snarl down to a CR chamber. “I got him, and yes I know the way to the repair bay. Follow me."

Howlstrike then turned and led the Dinobots into the Autobase. As he made his way through a series of corridors down to the repair facility, Howl looked over at Grimlock. “You could cheat in your next battle with the Predacons and that could possibly work in your favor, but it would be stooping down to their level. There is no honor in cheating.” Howl chuckled a bit and smiled. “Now, if you really want to get at the Predacons then take me with you the next time you fight them. Just seeing me again would tick them off big time and be enough of a distraction that you guys would have no problem sending them to the slag heap for good.”

As Howlstrike approached the door to the med bay, he remembered that one of the Dinobots was actually named Slag, which was something that had always amused the hunter. He turned and looked over at the flamethrower. “Sorry, Slag. I meant no offense.”

Repair Bay

The doors slid open and Howlstrike entered the repair facility. The lights overhead flickered on as he located a CR chamber along the far wall and walked over to it. Howl placed Snarl into the chamber and shut the door. He then wiped the dust off the controls and activated the repair cycle. “There we go. Snarl should be good as new in a few cycles.” The Autobot tracker then opened a comm line to the Command Center:

>>”Kup, this is Howlstrike. I’ve brought the Dinobots down to the med bay for repairs. Snarl was in stasis lock so I placed him in a CR chamber. The rest are a bit banged up but they are all operational. They apparently encountered the Predacons while they were out. Should I remain down here with them or return to the command center?”<<

Defensive Perimeter – Some Distance from Autobase

Bluestreak nodded when Springer asked him to find some replacement parts for the broken autocannon. “No problem, Springer. I’ll get right on it.” Blue moved towards the crates the triplechanger had brought with him and opened one. He peered inside and began rummaging through it, attempting to locate the appropriate bearings they would need to get the rotating weapon working again.

“You know, I’m sure you're right about Hot Rod. It was probably something in the atmosphere that affected him. Either that or he just went a little stir crazy. Being cooped up for too long can drive any mech a little nuts after a while. He’s been through far worse, though,” Bluestreak commented as he found several shiny new bearings near the bottom of the crate. The Autobot gunner grabbed three of the bearings and brought them over to where Springer was working on unscrewing the bolts on the base of the cannon. “Heck, I even heard a rumor a while ago that he actually went toe to toe with Megatron while he was stationed on Earth, and that Roddy ended up with a big hole blown straight through his chest. Do you know if that's true, Springer? If it is, Hot Rod's lucky to still be functioning. Not to mention his ball bearings must be a lot bigger than the autocannon’s.”

Repair Bay

Grimlock grunted in reply to Howlstrike’s comments. “Most honor comes from winning. Winning only thing that matters, everything else just something for losers. Next time we win no matter what.” The Dinobot leader wasn’t particularly interested in bringing along the former Predacon to fight his teammates, but he wouldn’t hesitate to call in something more if the Predacons continued to rig the fights with help from other Decepticons. Of course, it would be even better to beat the Predacons even with them calling on extra help. Still, he would just settle for defeating them at this point, help or no help.

The massive Autobot walked over to one of the automated repair stations. His injuries weren’t really severe enough to call for a CR chamber, but he did need some repairs. He briefly tinkered with the device before it sprang to life and began bringing him back up to top condition. Once that was done he would just have to refuel and he would be ready to head back out. For now he would have to remain content standing around, but it was time he wasn’t going to waste. The Predacons had been more prepared in the last two battles. This time he intended to be the one prepared and fighting on his terms.

*

Autobase - Command Center

Kup stood by impassively as Air Raid threw a tantrum. The old timer had been in the Autobot ranks for a long time and had helped train more then his fair share of soldiers. This wasn’t the first little fit he’d seen some young hot head throw. It was always the same thing too. ‘I am some new hot shot, the best Autobot around and I know better then you/high command/the rules of the war.’

What most of those young hotheads didn’t know was that was often the last he had heard from them. They went off on some wild mission or ignored orders on their next assignment. They felt like they had to prove themselves, and most of the time it just got them slagged. When the war was over they would have to build a huge monument to all of those young punks who ran off and got themselves killed since there would be a lot of names stamped on it.

For now Kup was content to let Air Raid cool off for now. Maybe later he would be more willing to listen to common sense, like the fact that Swindle was as likely to have documentation on Decepticon plans as one of the vermin they had killed in the base. Following orders would be another useful trait he could pick up.

The old Autobot had just sat back in the command chair when the call came in from Howlstrike. The information was about what he figured it would be. If Grimlock had won the battle he would have heard about it by now. Of course this meant he would be itching to get back out there again. He was going to have to find something for the Dinobots to do before the just went off on their own again.

>>”As long as the Dinobots are behaving alright you can go ahead and come back to the command center Howlstrike.”<<

*

Defensive Perimeter – Some Distance from Autobase

Springer continued tinkering with the autocannon as Bluestreak looked for the parts he had asked for. As far as he could tell it was in pretty decent shape aside from the bearings. It wouldn’t exactly look good, but it would be up to the task of defending the base well enough.

“Yeah, I’m sure Roddy will be fine. I always figured he had a few circuits loose in his cranium; guess this just proves I was right.” He flashed the other Autobot a smile as he took the parts from him and began carefully placing them in the base of the weapon. “I think I heard a rumor about him taking old Megs head on. It definitely sounds like something he would do. Hot Rod doesn’t exactly do things part way, if he’s gonna go into battle he’s gonna try and take out the biggest and baddest Con he can find. I’m guessing he probably got to Megatron before Prime could yank him back.” He chuckled a bit, “But I’m sure Megatron taught him a lesson so Prime didn’t have to later.”

Autobase - Repair Bay

Air Raid entered Repair Bay, he was mad, he could still heard Kup words in his head "Grounded." When he entered he saw that Howlstrike and the Dinobots were already there. He walked towards one of the automated repair stations, not wanting to attract the attention of the Dinobots, especially Grimlock. When he walked nearby Howlstrike, he saluted the former predacon with a nod and kept walking. When he arrived to the station, he pressed some buttons, and the repairing began. He just sit there, thinking about everything that happened, waiting for his reparation to be ready.

Autobase - Repair Bay

Luckily for Howlstrike, Slag hadn't been paying too much attention when the former Predacon had punned his name. "No offense" and Slag were mutually exclusive terms.

Slag was probably the least battered of his "team," and didn't require CR time, but a recharge was just what the mechanic ordered. With a sigh of pleasure, somewhat diluted by the substandard crap they were forced to use in place of real energon, the Dinobot warrior leaned back on a recharge couch and tried to relax. He had just shut off his optics when he heard someone else enter the room. Slag reactivated one orb, glanced around, and spotted Air Raid crossing the bay.

"Just what me need," he growled, clearly loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room, "damned mouthy Aerialbot ruining my recharge cycle."

Repair Bay

Howlstrike showed no outward reaction in response to Grimlock’s comments that winning was the only thing that mattered regardless of how it was done. Howl knew that honor was not derived just from winning alone, especially when the win was the result of cheating. There was no honor without honesty and truth in one’s actions. Otherwise, the victory would be a hollow one at best.

Of course, the Autobot hunter also understood the frustration that Grimlock felt at losing to the Predacons. A defeat was never a good feeling, but it was something that happened to every mech at some point during a long war. Howlstrike approached the Dinobot Commander who was already resting at a repair station and sat down next to him.

“I understand your position, Grimlock. You and your team are superior to the Predacons in every way and yet they seemingly won the fight. But, consider this. Razorclaw and his brutes would not have won had they not received outside help, which gave them an unfair advantage. Therefore, the Predacons are not the true winners. In fact, you are, Grimlock! And thus the honor really belongs to you and your team. Not them.”

Howlstrike smiled as he received Kup’s response to his previous transmission. >>”Understood, Kup. I’ll be right up.”<< Howl then stood and looked back at Grimlock. “Think about my offer to come with you the next time you face the Predacons. I’m at your disposal.” The tracker gave a respectful bow to the Dinobot Commander before turning and exiting the room, passing by Air Raid as he went.

Command Center

Howlstrike entered the room and made his way up the stairs to the second tier where Kup was seated in the command chair. “I’ve returned, old friend. The Dinobots are doing well and getting the needed repairs. Snarl was the worst off, but he should be fine once the CR chamber’s repair cycle finishes. Needless-to-say, the battle did not go in their favor. I tried giving Grimlock a pep talk, but I doubt it did much to make him feel any less grumpy.”

Howl looked away from Kup for a moment as he considered what to say next. The nervous tracker then returned his gaze to his friend. “I know that you are very busy, Kup. But, whenever you have the chance, I need to speak with you privately about something that’s been bothering me. It’s something I should have been honest about a long time ago.” Howlstrike was referring to the real reason as to why he saved Kup’s life from the crashed shuttle many vorns ago. Howl knew that he had to come clean with the old timer if he was to be an honorable warrior in the truest sense of the word. The tracker only hoped that their friendship would not be hurt too badly as a result.

Defensive Perimeter – Some Distance from Autobase

Bluestreak continued rummaging through the crates, gathering up as many new bearings as he could find. Once he had an armful, the black and silver mech brought them over to where Springer was working on the autocannon and set the parts down on the ground next to the triplechanger. “Yeah, I’ll bet Megatron taught Roddy a lesson. But, that’s one lesson I sure wouldn’t want to learn, I can tell you that. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’d love to take a shot at ol’ Megs if I thought it would actually do some damage to him. Then again, I’m also not suicidal,” Streak chuckled as he handed one of the bearings to the other Autobot. “Megs is a bit out of my league. Of course, I’d be more than happy to just slag any regular ‘con on the battlefield. It doesn’t have to be the leader.”

Bluestreak knelt down next to Springer and picked up another bearing. “Let me ask you something. What do you think of that former Predacon, Howlstrike? I know Kup has a lot of faith in him and I do trust the old timer’s judgment. I just have a bad feeling deep down in my circuits. I hope I’m wrong. It’s just hard for me to trust a mech that used to fight for the other side, you know. The Predacons are capable of such atrocities, even worse than most ‘cons, and now we have one in our very midst. It makes me very nervous.”

Repair Bay

Grimlock simply grunted in reply to Howlstrike. He understood what the former Predacon was saying. He understood the idea of honor and winning a fair fight and everything. The problem was losing with honor was that it was still losing. He knew the Predacons weren’t concerned at all about the honor of their victory, they simply knew that they had won. That was what mattered most and while he wasn’t interesting in bring other Autobots into the battle he was going to beat them not matter what it took.

As the repair bay finished up his work on him the Dinobot leader glanced around at the rest of his team. “How everyone doing? No one like getting repairs but it necessary. Get them out of way, be ready to beat Decepticons down in next battle.”

*

Command Center

Kup nodded as Howlstrike gave his report. “Figured Grimlock would be talking about it if things had gone well. That’s alright though, it’ll just make them hungrier for the next fight. Just have to make sure we have a target to point them at so they don’t go off doing their own thing again.” He shuffled the cy-gar in his mouth as he punched some commands into the command chair. Maybe with their sensor net up and working a bit more they could find some juicy target to sic Grimlock and his team on.

The old Autobot plucked the cy-gar from his mouth as Howlstrike mentioned something he had to tell him. “Well we are alone in the command center now lad. I’ve got everyone else out there working on something. If you have something to say go ahead and say it now. Don’t be afraid to tell me anything, believe me I’ve heard it all before. You don’t get to be as old as I am without hearing a few things.” He did his best to reassure Howlstrike as he could tell he was struggling with something.

*

Defensive Perimeter – Some Distance from Autobase

Springer continued to carefully place the bearings in the autocannon as Blustreak dug them up and handed them over to him. Gradually the emplacement was becoming more and more moveable as the bearings let it spin around on its base.

He flashed the other Autobot a quick smile. “I don’t think anyone not named Prime would put up much of a fight head to head with old Megatron. Even then it doesn’t seem anyone before old Optimus was much of a challenge for him.” The triple changer still remembered the stories he had heard about the previous Primes going down in defeat to Megatron. Optimus had proven to be something special though and had always at least held his own against the Decepticon leader.

Springer went back to work as Bluestreak expressed his concerns about Howlstrike. “Well, I’ve served with Kup and Howlstrike longer then you. I would just say that Kup has been training Autobots, including myself, for a long time now. He definitely knows what he’s doing. I trust him implicitly. And honestly, you should be more afraid of the Dinobots then Howlstrike. They have certainly straddled the line in this war more than Howlstrike has with disobeying orders and their aggressive tactics.

Repair Bay

Awareness came back slowly. Hot Rod's optics flickered once, twice, and then steadied to their usual blue glow. The CR chamber had completed its cycle, so its' internal lights had gone off, and since the door, the locked door, hadn't opened, the inside of the chamber should have been dark. It should have been, but it wasn't. Hot Rod's body glowed with a soft white light, and tracers of sharp blue electricity arced around him.

The cavalier looked down at his hands, holding them in front of him palm down and inspecting the glowing, arcing nimbus that surrounded them. He turned them over slowly, staring for a long moment at his palms then closing them into tight fists. The energy flared to brighter life concentrating around his clenched fists and surrounding them with an aura of fiery brilliance.

He reached out and slammed one fist into the heavy steel door of the CR chamber. The foot-thick door held in place by security bars and pneumatic pressure seals buckled like aluminum foil and flew from its hinges as if shot from a cannon. It hurtled across the med-bay and slammed into the wall leaving a deep indention from the impact.

The sound was deafening, like a crack of thunder in the enclosed bay. Slag leapt from his recharge couch in time to see Hot Rod, his entire body glowing like a beacon and surrounded by arcs of electricity, step from the CR chamber. For once the Dinobot warrior was too stunned to attack, and simply stood, mouth agape, staring at the bizarre apparition that stood before him. Grimlock, Air Raid, Snarl, and the other Dinobots had surely been as surprised by the explosion as he was, but you could never tell how they would react.

Air Raid was sitting on his recharge couch, thinking about everything that happened recently. He didn't care what Slag thought about him, but still, in another moment, he would had yelled. He tried to understand everything that Kup said to him. "Maybe he's right. Maybe I should have waited, maybe I-."

Air Raid couldn't finish his thought, as heard a noise and saw the Steel Door of a nearbe CR chamber crash against the wall. He quickly stood up and grabbed his Null Rifle. But then he saw Hot Rod, surrounded by arcs of electricity, and shining. He lowered his rifle. "Are you crazy, Hot Rod? I almost shot at you!."

Repair Bay

Snarl stirred in the CR chamber as the repair cycle finally completed. The Dinobot’s optics glowed as he became conscious once more and the chamber door slid open with a hiss. Before he could get a sense of where he was, the Desert Warrior was jarred completely awake by the sound of an explosion and the sight of another CR door flying across his visual field and striking the other side of the room.

Reacting completely on instinct, Snarl leapt from his own chamber and pulled out his energo sword. He landed on the floor with a thud and looked around the repair bay, expecting to see Decepticon intruders or something worse. Instead, he only saw Grimlock, Slag and the rest of the Dinobots getting fixed and recharged nearby along with the Aerialbot, Air Raid. “What was that?!” Snarl growled at his comrades before turning around to see Hot Rod standing near a damaged CR chamber. A brilliant while glow emanated from the cavalier and electricity arced around his chassis as though Primus, himself, had possessed him. Snarl lowered his sword slightly at the sight of his fellow Autobot. “What the frag wrong with you, Hot Rod? Look like you took bath in pool of plasma!”

Command Center

Howlstrike nodded as Kup tried to reassure him that it was okay to tell the old timer anything. Howl had no doubt that his friend had heard it all before, but the former Predacon was still nervous about revealing the whole truth regarding their first meeting. It was probably the only thing that still made the Autobot hunter anxious since he was afraid of very little, especially when on the field of battle.

“Okay, Kup, I need to come clean about something,” Howlstrike began as he took a deep breath. “You remember how we first met, right? I rescued you from that shuttle crash. You always assumed that I saved you because I was really a good mech deep down and knew that I really belonged with the Autobots. Of course, I didn’t argue and simply went along with your assumption. Well, my reasons for saving your life weren’t quite as noble as that.” Howl looked away from his friend before continuing.

“You see, Kup, I lied when I told you and the Autobots that I didn’t know who shot down your shuttle. The truth is that it was the Predacons. I saw it happen. Their target was actually you, Kup. They wanted you dead or alive to take back to Megatron. I got you out of the crashed shuttle and hid you from them to deprive Razorclaw of his prize. I ‘saved’ you only to get back at my former commander, not because I actually cared at the time.“

Howlstrike returned his gaze back to Kup. “I considered myself to have a sense of honor back then, but it wasn’t until you started visiting me while I was still in the brig that I came to understand where I really belonged. Once I had joined the Autobots, I decided not to tell you the truth, because I didn’t want you to change your mind about befriending me. You were the only mech that actually saw the potential in me. You trusted me when no one else would, and I really hope I haven’t lost that trust now that you know what my real motivations were in saving you.”

Howlstrike stood silently next to the command chair awaiting Kup’s response to his difficult revelation.

Defensive Perimeter – Some Distance from Autobase

Bluestreak nodded as Springer spoke. “You make a good point. The Dinobots have straddled the line more and consistently disobeyed orders. I gotta tell you that when I heard Grimlock and his wayward team had finally been found after all these vorns, I thought for sure Prime would send them all to Garrus-9 for spark extraction. But, I guess he saw more value in the Dinobots remaining on active duty. They just need to be kept on a short leash. Grimlock may be stubborn and insubordinate, but at least he’s a great warrior and a benefit on the battlefield.”

He also never sided with the Decepticons, Bluestreak thought, not wanting to speak it aloud. He had no desire to get into an argument with Springer regarding who was worse, Howlstrike or the Dinobots. Honestly, if given the choice, ‘Streak would rather risk fighting alongside Grimlock than with a former Predacon. At least he knew the Dinobot Commander would not betray him to the enemy.

The Autobot gunner then watched as the autocannon began spinning around on its base easily without grinding anymore. “Looks like the new bearings are working pretty well, Springer,” Bluestreak said with a smile. “Should I go ahead and power up the autocannon now? I should be able to bring it online and program it without a problem. Then we can move on to the next one and get this defensive perimeter ready for anything. Sound good?”

Repair Bay

Grimlock’s head snapped around to the CR Chamber Hot Rod had apparently just smashed his way out of. He didn’t particularly know much about this particular Autobot, aside from a reputation for a reckless bravado, which wasn’t necessarily a negative in his optics like it would be with many other Autobots. What he hadn’t heard about him was any sort of level of strength to punch the door off of a CR Chamber. It was something Grimlock was sure he could do himself but it wasn’t something many others could do. The fact that he was seemingly glowing with energy only added to his suspicions.

The Dinobot leader stepped away from the repair station, brandishing his sword. He had always been a shoot first and ask later type of bot, but he was holding back since this was an Autobot and one of Kup’s protégé’s. Still, if he made any false or threatening moves he was going to be more then ready to take him down.

The bulky Autobot pointed his sword at Hot Rod. “What your problem? Not have many repair facilities here, can’t waste on like that. Maybe you need more repairs since you glowing like that.” He was trying to be calming, but this wasn’t exactly his specialty. It would probably be better to call in someone who was.

>>”Kup, Hot Rod just bust out of CR Chamber all glowy. Maybe you should get down here before something too bad happen.”<<

*

Command Center

Kup listened silently as Howlstrike confessed to him. He stuck the cy-gar back in his mouth for a moment, chewing on it as he listened to the last bits of the other Autobot’s story. He considered it all for a second, thinking back on his long experience. Everyone always thought they were the first at something, that no one could possibly understand what they were going through. Kup had heard more then a few of those over the years. While Howlstrike’s story might be a bit unique, and he was a little bothered by him covering it up for so long, it wasn’t anything he was going to be upset about.

Finally he took the cy-gar from his mouth and spoke. “Lad, you aren’t the first mech around to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. What matters is that you did do the right thing, and that opened up a whole new set of doors for you. Since then you’ve followed the right path and haven’t looked back.” He clapped the younger Autobot on the shoulder. “If there is one thing I’ve been trying to teach you and every other Bot its that it doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past, what matters is what you do now and in the future.”

Before he could say anything more he received the signal from Grimlock. A frown quickly formed over his face. “Slag, we might have a situation on our hands here. We need to get down to the repair bay now.” The old timer jumped out of his seat and jogged for the door. At the same time he sent a signal out to Springer and Bluestreak.

>>”Hot Rod has broken out. I’m not sure whats going on but I don’t want him and a bunch of angry Dinobots getting into a fight. Get your afts to the repair bay ASAP.”<<

*

Defensive Perimeter – Some Distance from Autobase

“Well we could certainly use their strength and firepower in this war. Who knows, maybe it could really change things.” He placed the last of the bearings in the gun and spun it around a bit manually. The action was pretty smooth, with no grinding or bumps that he could detect. It looked like they were pretty much done with this one.

“Yeah, go ahead and power it up Bluestreak and lets see how it works.” The triplechanger began picking up the various tools and parts scattered about. He stopped when he got the message from Kup however. A concerned frowned formed on his face. “Looks like that will have to wait for now Blue, we are needed inside.” He scooped up what he could and made a dash for the base entrance.

Med-bay

Hot Rod could feel everyone's eyes on him as he walked slowly to the center of the room leaving deep smoking foot-prints in his wake. Everyone was speaking, or had spoken, but Hot Rod didn't react at all. It was almost as if he was listening to another voice, one inaudible to the others in the room. He dropped to one knee bowed his head, and the energy field around him pulsed outwards, growing more and more intense.

As Kup and Springer dashed into the room, the energy field grew to a blinding crescendo, and completely obscured Hot Rod's form. The brilliant light remained for a few long moments, and a seemingly sourceless voice echoed throughout the room "ARISE RODIMUS PRIME!"

The light flashed out, and where Hot Rod had knelt now stood another. He resembled Hot Rod, but he was at least 7 feet taller, and considerably bulkier. His face looked more mature. Gone was Hot Rod's always slightly mischievous expression replaced instead with one of confident wisdom. His azure optics glowed brilliantly as he gazed out at the assembled Autobots and announced in a voice heavy with authority, "I.. am Rodimus Prime. I have been chosen by the Matrix to lead us to victory over the Decepticons."

Command Center

Howlstrike felt a sense of relief as Kup patted him on the shoulder, reassuring the hunter that he had done the right thing by telling him. The old timer didn't seem to be angry, either. In fact, he didn't seem all that surprised and was very understanding. Perhaps, Ultra Magnus had been correct and Kup did know all along, even if he didn't necessarily know all of the details. "Thanks, Kup. I promise I won't keep anything from you again. I'm just glad I got this off my chest plate..."

Howlstrike was then interrupted by a transmission from Grimlock down in the med bay. Hot Rod had broken out of his CR chamber and had apparently agitated the Dinobots in the process. "I'm right behind you, Kup," Howl said as he followed his old friend out of the room.

Defensive Perimeter – Some Distance from Autobase

Bluestreak watched as the last of the bearings was put into place. The autocannon then spun smoothly as it should. It wasn't perfect, but it would do it's job if any Decepticons tried to infiltrate the area. Springer then gave 'Streak the okay to power up the weapon. "You got it, Springer," the Autobot gunner replied as he moved to work the controls. Just then he received Kup's communique over his comm line and knew immediately that they would be needed inside.

"Oh, this is not good. Not good at all," Bluestreak remarked as he and Springer headed towards the base entrance. "You know, Springer, once Hot Rod sees you he'll probably attack you again as he did before. You know how he is. He just doesn't know how to let things go."

Medical Bay

Howlstrike and Bluestreak had managed to arrive at the med bay doors at approximately the same time. They regarded each other briefly, a deep frown on Blue's faceplate while Howl's was expressionless. Neither mech wanted to cause a scene here, especially not with Kup and Springer right there with them. The tracker and the gunner were bound to have words eventually, but now was not the right time for an altercation.

They entered the med bay and were greeted by an intense bright light that seemed to completely envelope a figure in the center of the room. Then a strange, booming voice surrounded them as if it had no real source, "ARISE RODIMUS PRIME!" Once the light had dissipated, a large mech that strongly resembled Hot Rod stood before all of them. He looked much bigger than before and more mature then the young cavalier that they were all used to. Finally, Hot Rod spoke and announced that he was now Rodimus Prime and that he had been chosen by the Matrix to lead them to victory over the Decepticons.

Snarl stood across the room and lowered his sword, but he was still ready to defend himself just in case this was some sort of malfunction. "The matrix chose you? Me thinks you've had too much energon derivative, Roddy," The Desert Warrior chuckled. Although, considering the recent failure of his current commander, Grimlock, Snarl was open to following just about anyone at this point.

Over by the doorway, Bluestreak scratched his cranial unit. "Wow, I mean, seriously? The matrix spoke to you, Hot Rod...I mean, Rodimus? I....well, for once I'm actually speechless!" This was a first for the talkative mech. Blue had always been known for chatting the audio receptors off of anyone that would stick around long enough to listen to his never-ending babbling. However, what he had just witnessed left him at a rare loss for words.

"What about Optimus?" The question came out of nowhere, but it was an obvious one nevertheless. Bluestreak and Snarl turned to see that it was Howlstrike that was the source of the inquiry. The Autobot hunter cautiously stepped forward, his hand resting on the handle of his energo sword. Howl stopped a few feet in front of Rodimus in order to get a better look at this supposed new Prime. "I'm not an expert in all this, but isn't one Prime supposed to die before the Matrix picks another? Last time I checked, Optimus was still very much alive back on Earth. Or have things changed?" The former Predacon stood patiently, waiting for a response.

Medbay.

Air Raid grabbed his rifle as the light engulfed the room. He heard as a voice said ARISE RODIMUS PRIME!. This shocked him, he never expected something like this to happen.

When the light vanished, he saw a big mech standing where Hot Rod was before the light. He looked like Hot Rod, but his prescence was more imposing, he was builker, taller and his face showed the sign of a hardened war veteran. He was Rodimus Prime. "Interesting." Was all that Air Raid could think in that moment.

He heard Snarl speaking, but didn't wanted to speak, at least not right now. Then, Bluestreak spoke. The fact that the blue mech stopped talking surprised him more than Rodimus Prime.

But then, he heard the magic question. What about Optimus?. He turned and saw Howlstrike. The former predacon was right, there can't be two Primes. Then, finally Air Raid spoke.

"Howl is right, what about Optimus? Is he dead? I doubt it. You can't just come here and say, "I'm going to lead you all, follow my lead" without telling us what's happening. What gives you the right to follow us?"

Defensive Perimeter – Some Distance from Autobase

Springer grimaced at Bluestreak’s words as they made their way back towards the base. “If it comes to fighting again then I’ll just have to knock him out again. I must have roughed him up too much the first time, made him a bit crazier. Maybe if I knock him on the other side of the head it will make him less crazy this time.” He flashed Bluestreak a confident smile as they entered the base.

Despite appearances Springer was worried about his friend. He had hoped that maybe they could bring in some Autobot specialist to take a look at him and see what was wrong. Hopefully they could just get in there and talk him down instead of beating some sense into him again. That couldn’t be good for him.

*

Medical Bay

Kup and Springer arrived with the other Autobots just in time to witness Hot Rod’s transformation. It was enough for Kup to stow away his cy-gar for later. Things were getting too weird and serious to be messing around with it now. The old timer moved in to take control of the situation before it got too out of hand.

“Now everyone calm down for a slagging second. No one here is a Prime despite what they might say. Obviously something is going on here with Hot Rod, we just have to figure out what.”

Grimlock snickered. “Me know whats going on. Hot Rod on something, maybe crazy fuel. Give him delusions of grandeur. Think Matrix talking to him.” The Dinobot leader laughed. “Me wish I knew what fuel he taking. Must be powerful stuff.”

Springer shot the Dinobot an angry glare but said nothing. Kup merely rolled his optics. “For now lets all just relax. I’m still in charge here by orders of OPTIMUS Prime, and that isn’t gonna change no matter what you say Hot Rod.” He poked at the now taller Autobot with his index finger on his right hand. “Now how about we get you hooked up to some diagnostic equipment and figure out whats going on with you? Even I haven’t heard of bots spontaneously glowing and growing bigger like that. There has to be some reason for it.”

Springer stepped up next to Kup. “I think he was just jealous of my height and finally found a way to even things out.” A smile formed on the triplechanger’s face as he tried to help defuse the situation with some humor. “Come on Roddy, lets figure out what gave you the boost before you let it all get to your head, or more to your head at least.”

Grimlock shook his head as the others began to talk him down. Frankly he would rather simply knock the upstart down. He didn’t appreciate someone just declaring they were in command. At the very least you had to earn it. Bashing Hot Rod down a notch would take care of things real quick. They could do whatever tests they wanted on him while he was knocked out. He suspected it would come to that anyway, and it was the reason why he was hanging around. Like him or hate him, all too often the Autobots needed his more direct and brutal approach to things.

Medical Bay

Rodimus laughed. A deep, booming, from the core laugh. It lasted long enough that everyone, even those who didn’t already think he was crazy, would probably be wondering if he’d lost his mind before he mastered himself and was able to speak again.

“I’m sorry. It’s just half of you think I’m power mad, and the other half think I’m simply mad. That’s about the farthest thing from the truth there is.”

“You’ve all raised some interesting points,” he said, his optics sweeping the room, but seeming to make eye contact with each and every bot present. “Most of you have known me for hundreds of vorns, and you all know the last thing I’ve ever wanted is more responsibility. Heck, I fought against this as hard as I could.”

He focused in on Springer and gave him a wry grin. “I was trying to run from my responsibilities, and it made me a little crazy. I took it out on you Springer, and well I got my bell rung for my trouble. Of course, it made me realize that I couldn’t get away from,” Rodimus paused and gestured to his new form, “this.”

“As for Optimus… I love Optimus. I’d step in front of Megatron’s fusion canon for him, and I think everyone here knows that. I’ve never questioned his leadership before. He’s a great soldier, but the Matrix has called me to take up the mantle for a reason. After communing with the Matrix itself, and let me tell you that’s something I can’t even begin to explain if you haven’t experienced it, one thing has been made painfully clear to me. We’ve been in this war for a million vorns, and we’re no closer to winning it now than we were when it started. It’s gone on long enough now that the Matrix itself has acted. I’ve been sent with one message. It’s time we stopped playing by the rules and take the fight to the Decepticons. Wipe them out once and for all!”

Rodimus didn’t expect cheering. He knew that most of them would be skeptical. He just had one final thing to add before he gave up the floor once more. “I know this is a lot to take in. For me too. But, can you think of anything besides the Matrix that could change me like this? Could I have done that before?” He gestured to the shattered door of the CR chamber and the deep indention it had made in the wall. “For better or for worse, I’ve been summoned. I. AM. PRIME.”

Medical Bay

Kup frowned as he looked over at Hot Rod. He wasn’t about to go around calling him ‘Rodimus Prime’ just because he declared it to be so. The lad had obviously had some cerebral damage done to him. Maybe something had happened in the CR chamber. They probably should have had those slagging things checked out thoroughly before they used them. It must have tried to repair whatever was making him attack Springer earlier only to screw something else up along the way. That might even explain why he was physically a bit different too. Maybe the CR chamber fixed him up to get bigger too.

Whatever it was he wasn’t going to anoint Hot Rod as their new leader. “I don’t know where the Matrix is, but I sure as slag know it isn’t around here, so I somehow doubt it magically spoke to you. More then likely there was just some short in the CR chamber there. I’m not about to call you Prime, especially when we’ve got a Prime that has done a pretty damn good job. I’m not going to toss away Optimus’s proven leadership and abilities. He’s come a long ways to become the leader he is today, and you’ve got a long ways to go too lad before you can start calling yourself ‘Prime.’”

*

Springer remained quiet as Kup tried to reassure everyone of what was going on. The triplechanger had some doubts about it all himself. It was obvious that something had happened to Hot Rod, something fairly major. Between this and him attacking him earlier he didn’t know what to believe about his old friend anymore. It was obvious that this wasn’t just some joke like he thought it might be. He could tell that Hot Rod absolutely believe the matrix had talked to him.

The Autobot warrior had never really given much thought to all of the more mystical aspects of existence. That stuff seemed to mostly be for those few religious nuts and cultists that had seemed to mostly disappear at the onset of the war. He did remember some protests and the like early on but they had quickly faded. He wasn’t sure if that was because they came to their senses and joined the Autobots or they had simply fled. Whatever the case was they certainly held their beliefs strongly, and the Matrix was a big part of those beliefs.

It seemed a bit silly really for some artifact to declare a leader for them all. Still, it seemed like stranger things had happened in this war. Certainly something he couldn’t explain what had happened to Hot Rod. He was willing to see how it would all work out.

*

Grimlock snickered at Hot Rod. “So little punk Autobot get big, call himself Prime and he think he leader now? Me think this all a bad joke.” His hand gripped the hilt of his sword as he walked over to stand in front of Hot Rod. “What make you such a great leader? Me never been impressed with you. You always been all talk, talk about how great you are, but when it comes down to it you not have it. Me remember you being dragged away from fight on Earth, big hole blown through your chest. Some leader you make, getting blown apart in a fight.”

He lifted his sword and pointed it at Hot Rod. “You want leadership you have to take it. Shout all you want about being Prime, hearing voices in head. It not matter.” The Dinobot leader paused for a moment before continuing. “Me not a big fan of Optimus, but me know he better leader then you. Autobots probably be scrap if him not leader. Maybe him not best leader around,” he couldn’t help but slip in that slight jab, “but he certainly better then leaders before him. Me think he better then you too.”

He brought his arm back down to his side. “Until you prove something you just crazy talk. Do something that shows you worth even listening too, then maybe me care. Until then we have war to fight.” The Dinobot turned around and began walked towards the door, waving for the other Dinobots to join him. He wasn’t going to get into some sort of debate about who should truly be leading the Autobots, especially when he wasn’t fond of either of the candidates.

Medical Bay

Howlstrike listened as Rodimus tried to reassure everyone that he was not crazy and had, in fact, been chosen by the matrix to lead them all to victory over the Decepticons. It all sounded great in theory and Rodimus seemed sincere in his assertions, but Howl still wasn't buying what the cavalier was selling. Kup had made an excellent point regarding a possible short in the CR chamber that could've caused the sudden transformation of Hot Rod into Rodimus. It certainly made more sense than the mystical explanation. All possibilities had to be considered before just declaring a new leader especially when Optimus Prime was apparently still alive and well.

"As far as I'm concerned, Kup is still in charge here," Howlstrike said, looking directly at Rodimus. The Autobot tracker moved next to the old timer as a show of support. "And Kup is right. You need to be examined so we all know for sure what has really happened to you. If the matrix really has spoken to you then you'll have no objections."

******

Bluestreak stood nearby listening to the exchanges between Rodimus and the others. It was all happening so quickly and was a lot to process at once. Was it possible that a CR chamber glitch could've caused such a metamorphosis? Maybe, however if that were the case, then perhaps all the Autobots should take advantage of said glitch and upgrade themselves, as well. Then they'd have a real edge over the Decepticons.

Although, the more he thought about it, Bluestreak had serious doubts about the glitch possibility. It just didn't seem to explain everything in his mind. "Um, can I point out something, guys?" The Autobot gunner began to speak, bringing his temporary loss for words to an end. "If I'm not mistaken, Hot Rod's body didn't actually turn into Rodimus until he was outside of the CR chamber. If there were a glitch, wouldn't his body have been upgraded while he was still within the chamber? Not to mention that booming voice we all heard that said 'ARISE RODIMUS PRIME!' Where'd that come from exactly? It didn't sound like Hot Rod's vocal processors. Seems to me that something other than a glitch had to have caused the transformation."

******

Snarl stood by and took in everything that was transpiring in front of him. The desert warrior wasn't sure what to think. He had no love for Optimus Prime and Grimlock's actions as of late had him seriously questioning his allegiance to him, as well. However, just because Hot Rod was now calling himself Rodimus Prime didn't mean he would just blindly follow him instead. The cavalier had hardly shown any real leadership qualities in the past. Just because a light had transformed him into a bigger mech didn't mean he had what it took to be a real Prime. His personality would had to have changed dramatically along with his body for that to even be considered.

When Grimlock approached Rodimus and bluntly reminded him and everyone else about how Megatron had blown a hole right through Hot Rod's chest back on Earth, Snarl couldn't help but agree with the Dinobot Commander. For once, Grimlock was making some sense, and he was right. Leadership had to be taken. You had to prove yourself worthy of such a title and show that you had the ability to lead. Talk was cheap. Actions spoke louder than mere words and a fancy light show.

As Grimlock made his way towards the door, he motioned for the other Dinobots to follow. Snarl didn't immediately move, however, as he was still unsure of Grimlock's own leadership skills. Ultimately, though, the desert warrior's loyalty was to his comrades if not so much to Grimlock, himself. Unlike the Dinobot Commander, Snarl was not willing to place his own personal feelings before that of his teammates. Besides, the only other option was a seemingly delusional cavalier, which really wasn't an option at all. "I'm with Grimlock. He not perfect leader, either, but at least he not glow," Snarl grunted at Rodimus.

The desert warrior then trudged towards the door where the Dinobot Commander was heading. "Just so we clear, I not forget the past, Grimlock. But, me willing to put it behind us for good of team," Snarl reluctantly conceded before adding, "Just don't ever call yourself Grimlock Prime. Okay?"

Medbay.

As everybody spoke, Air Raid couldn't help but to agree with most of them. When Howlstrike spoke, and said that Kup was still in charge, he knew he was right.

"Come on Hot Rod, you can't seriously think that just because you say so, everybody will follow. Howlstrike is right, Kup is in charge here." He looked at Kup for a moment, and continued. "I think you should check yourself."

Then, Snarl spoke, and left with the rest of the Dinobots. He looked at Rodimus, waiting for an answer.

Med Bay

Yeah... this was going well. The only one who seemed willing to consider the possibility of his ascension was Bluestreak, the others were all showing varying signs of disbelief and belligerence. Grimlock, it seemed, was the key. If the Dinobot commander accepted him, then the others would likely follow. Grimlock, despite his gruff demeanor, had charisma and influence. Unfortunately, Big Grim had turned to leave, and was pulling the rest of the Dinobots with him. If they left, then this was over, and Rodimus wasn't quite ready to give up.

"Hold on a minute Grimlock," Rodimus demanded, reaching out and grabbing the massive Dinobot on the upper arm, seeking to turn him around.

Med Bay

Grimlock was fairly pleased out how recent events had gone. It was certainly odd that Hot Rod had grown bigger and gone crazy, but it had turned into a good bonding experience for him and his team. They didn’t all agree on everything, especially Snarl lately, but they seemed fairly confident in the fact that Hot Rod was crazy. They weren’t about to the young autobot’s warriors even if his cerebral circuits were in prime condition.

The Dinobot leader snickered at Snarl’s comment. If even the dourest of the Dinobot’s was joking around then things had definitely gotten better. “Me promise if me magically grow bigger and go crazy, me come up with better name the Grimlock Prime.

His good mood quickly evaporated when he heard Hot Rod speak and grab his arm, trying to turn him around. Almost by instinct his hands clenched into fists. He did spin around, but with his fist flying right towards the other Autobot’s face. It slammed into him with a crash, knocking Hot Rod away.

“Me told you me not taking any orders from you! Then you grab me, order me around like some little drone? You lucky all me do is punch you, you have lot more coming for that.” His hands were still clenched into fists and his optics blazed brightly as he looked at Hot Rod. He hadn’t planned on fighting the other Autobot, but he was pushing all of the wrong buttons.

Med Bay

Grimlock’s fist connected solidly with Rodimus’ face sending him spinning tail over teakettle across one of the diagnostic tables and into the wall. Rodimus stood, wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, removing the trace of lubricant from the corner, and said, “Big mistake Grimlock. Big mistake.”

Rodimus vaulted back across the diagnostic table, launching himself at Grimlock in a full body tackle. His aim was to bowl the Dinobot commander over, straddle him and deliver a few blows to his face before Grimlock could get free.

Med Bay

Grimlock hadn’t really wanted to deck Hot Rod like he had. His temper and reflexes had taken over. He hoped that the other Autobots would see that was all that it was. Trying to pull back someone like himself you should really expect something like a fist to the face. The Dinobot leader figured that at the very least his team would understand, even Snarl with his surly attitude could see what happened. Grimlock figured that he would have done the same thing in his place.

The Autobot still had his fists clenched when Hot Rod climbed back to his feet. He was a bit surprised to see him shake off the blow without too much difficulty. Grimlock was well aware of his own strength, and it was rivaled by very few Transformers on either side. The blow he had given him wasn’t his strongest, but it should have been enough to end this confrontation.

The Dinobot’s optics flashed as Hot Rod declared that he had made a mistake. Grimlock didn’t like being ordered around, and he only hated being told he had made a mistake just a little bit less then that. He braced himself for the other Autobot’s next move, but was still caught off guard when Hot Rod hurled himself bodily at him. Still, he expected to shrug off the blow from the other Autobot, but was startled when he hit him with enough force to knock him off of his feet and on to his back.

The bulky Autobot slammed on to the floor with a resounding crash. Grimlock was briefly disoriented, long enough for Hot Rod to get on top of him and begin throwing some punches at his head. He could feel some fluid dribbling from his mouthplate and a crack forming on his visor. Hot Rod was hitting him hard, harder then he should be able to. This wasn’t a battle he could simply shrug off, not anymore.

Grimlock clenched his fists again and swung his arms up, landing twin blows on the sides of Hot Rod’s head. It wasn’t enough to simply crush his head, but it would be enough to disorient him for a second, long enough for him to get out of his current situation. He grabbed the other Autobot beneath his arms and heaved him off, up and over his head. The Dinobot wasted no time in leaping back to his feet in a combat pose, ready for whatever the other Autobot’s next move would be.

*

Sludge stared at the battle in confusion. He wasn’t entirely sure why Grimlock was fighting Hot Rod, or Hot Rodimus or Hot Rod Prime. He couldn’t remember what name he had taken for himself. He looked over at Swoop. “Wouldn’t it be better if we were all fighting Decepticons instead of each other.”

Swoop shrugged his shoulders, “Probably, but I’m not sure it would be as entertaining.”

*

Kup was shocked into silence when Grimlock punched Hot Rod. Sure, the kid was acting a bit crazy with all of his Prime and Matrix talk, and it probably was a bad idea for him to try and boss the Dinobot leader around like that, but punching him seemed kind of extreme. Still, he figured that would be the end of it, aside from having to lecture Grimlock about it later.

The old Autobot was shocked again when Hot Rod got up and went right back after Grimlock. After the young Autobot had launched his attack it looked like he was winning. It didn’t last for long though as Grimlock flung him off and jumped back up to continue the fight. He had to stop this before it got out of hand.

“Alright, that’s enough you two. We didn’t come here to play games against each other, we came her to fight Decepticons. You’re just wasting energy now.”

*

Springer watched the fight erupting before him with some interest. Whatever had happened to Hot Rod had done more then give him some crazy ideas and make him bigger. He was a lot stronger to be able to tackle Grimlock like he did. It was a move that he could probably pull off himself, but there were only a handful of other Autobots around who could.

He wasn’t sure if that was enough to convince him that the Matrix had spoken to Hot Rod, but something was definitely up. This wasn’t just some chance event or fluke, but something had seriously changed his friend on a physical and mental level. Now they just needed to figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing and what to do about it. Having them stop fighting each other would probably be a good start though.