✔️ Rewritten & Edited
Optimus and Elita decided to stop at one end of the hallway, away from the elevator. As everyone either spoke to each other inside the room or waited by the elevator, the two sat on the ground and decided to relax. Optimus had one knee up, an arm resting comfortably on top of it while the other laid on the ground, his helm tilting back and touching the wall. Elita sat with her legs crossed and servos in her lap, bouncing a leg subconsciously. After a few moments of silence from the two, the larger spoke.
"So," he looked over at the smaller, who looked up at him, "what do you think of the plan?"
Her expression immediately turned sour at the question, and Optimus thought that he did something wrong. His faceplates heating up in shame, and he looked away.
"S-sorry." He stammered, "I just wanted to—"
"Oh, no, I'm not mad at you!" The commander said quickly, "It's just, uhm..."
They became silent again for a moment as Elita thought about her response. She calmed and sighed, hanging her helm.
"It's... absurd." She said, looking up at Optimus again, "Sending young 'Bots into a dangerous mission. Being captured on purpose by Decepticons is usually for more experienced warriors. Not... younglings."
Optimus blinked, then shuddering his optics and sighing, bumping his helm against the wall again. He onlined his optics again, looking at the ceiling.
"Zeta is doing what has to be done." He said, "This mission will be successful, and no one will be harmed."
"He thinks he's doing right, but what makes it worse is that he always seems to just... not care about who he hurts, both physically and mentally. Not intentionally, but as in he doesn't realize he's hurting so many 'Bots just by risking their lives." The other countered, "The chance that Sunstreaker and Blaze will be back unscathed is so low, it sounds impossible!"
Optimus onlined his optics, lifting his helm from the wall and turning it towards Elita. He soon found the courage to move his whole body, facing the smaller. She looked into his optics, confused.
"Stop thinking about the future now. It'll drive you insane. Just focus on preparing for it, so that you can rest easy after it occurs." He said confidently, smiling afterward, "That's what Alpha Trion always told me."
When he finished quoting his mentor, Elita smiled, nodding.
"Thanks, Optimus." She said softly.
"To be honest, I didn't think that'd work." He said, chuckling.
The other giggled, smiling brightly. They fell silent again, still sitting on the ground and relaxing. After a while, the noise of the Autobots subsided. The last group of Autobots entered the elevator, talking about a bar in the neutral city Polyhex, the doors closing behind them and taking them elsewhere. That just left Optimus and Elita to revel in the silence.
"I'm bored." Elita said casually after a few minutes, stretching her arms above her head and arching her back, "Maybe we could take a walk around Iacon?"
Optimus felt uneasy at the idea. He didn't want to leave the safety of the HQ, even if they were only going to be within the city's borders.
"I, uh, think we should stay around HQ. You never know when we'd be needed." He said nervously, messing with his digits.
The smaller looked at him, about to ask why, but saw his uneasiness and frowned. She didn't ask about it, merely nodding.
"Yea, that's fine." She said, standing up, "Zeta might want me later, anyways."
Optimus looked up at her, also standing.
"Why?" He asked, curious.
"He always seems to need us commanders for guidance." Elita explained, "He's not the most experienced."
"I thought the Primes trained him." Optimus said, confused.
"Solus Prime did. I guess she didn't have much time to train him since she..." The smaller stopped short, lowering her helm and shuddering her optics.
The red and blue Autobot knew what she was talking about -- Solus Prime's death at the servos of the Cosmic Rust plague. He shuddered his optics, shaking his helm to rid his processor of the thought. Now wasn't the time. He onlined his optics, looking at Elita. He lifted a servo to touch her upper arm, who onlined her optics and looked up at him.
"Shall we walk around HQ?" He asked.
The smaller gave a grateful smile, nodding. Optimus let go of her arm, and they walked to the elevator. After descending a few floors, they walked out the elevator and towards the exit of the HQ. Once they were outside, they simply walked around the perimeter and talked about whatever came to mind. It was soothing to Optimus, to finally have a moment that wasn't talking about war or having to hear the legacy he has to live up to. It was also because of Elita herself. She was familiar — she gave him a sense of contentment, and made everything better with a simple smile towards him.
"Optimus," he blinked, turning to find that Elita had stopped, "I have to get back to the HQ. Ultra Magnus needs me."
Optimus took a moment to comprehend what she said, then nodding. They turned back and walked inside the outpost, bade their goodbyes, and finally went their separate ways. As he walked back to his cabin, his processor was overtaken by the thought of the big mission. He took a deep breath to calm himself, and kept going.
I hope it goes well. Optimus thought, the door to his cabin opening, If it doesn't, I'd be a lair...
He walked inside, the door shutting behind him, and he went to his berth. He lied down, thinking as he stared at the berth above him and he retracted his battlemask.
If I lied...
He tried to complete the thought, but he didn't know how. All he had to finish it, without words, was the bad feeling deep within his spark.
YOU ARE READING
Transformers: New Generation -- Pt 1
General Fiction{Book 1: The Age of War} [COMPLETED] Optimus felt like a nobody -- he was just an Autobot, serving the cause like any other good soldier. However, one secret, held by his mentor, would make him so much more than a nobody. He will learn that soon eno...
