Learning to Lead [TFP AU]

Chapter 2

"Well, guess you got your wish for greatness after all, kid," Bulkhead laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, his positive attitude a small comfort to the rookie.

"Thanks, Bulk," He smiled, then looked at Agent Fowler. "But we'd better get out of here before the Cons decide to come back."

~~~

Later that night, Smokescreen watched quietly as a large, heavy duty vehicle pulled into the base. Agent Fowler climbed down after parking, and smiled up at the rookie Prime.

"This is a new, experimental, all-terrain, expeditionary fighting vehicle," he explained as the Bot took it all in.

"Um, I guess it'll work," Smokescreen mumbled as he scanned it, a little disappointed that he'd have to give up his sports car mode. Once finished, he transformed and drove out to do some reconnaissance, as well as get used to his new alt mode.

The rookie now Prime was silent as he drove; there was so much to take in. So much responsibility suddenly on his shoulder plates. He slowed down as he got lost in his thoughts. He was being forced to 'grow up'. And that scared him. He almost wanted to go back and find a different way. What would have happened if he said 'no'? He closed his optics as he stopped altogether. He couldn't do this. There was no way someone like him could do this alone. He slowly looked around as he thought about his task. He didn't even know where to start.

"I will help you, Smokescreen..." a familiar voice spoke in his head.

"What the?!" The rookie gasped and quickly transformed and looked around. "Who's there? Who said that?!"

"Smokescreen, calm yourself," the voice said gently. Smokescreen frowned slightly as he realized he could feel the Matrix pulsing slightly when the voice spoke, and it suddenly dawned on him what was happening.

"Optimus?" He whispered shakily in disbelief and lingering confusion

~~~

Smokescreen sighed. "Optimus, I can't do this. I told you that I wasn't ready for this responsibility. Not everyone trusts me." He looked down at his servos, frowning.

Optimus's voice sounded again. "Smokescreen, you are fit to lead. The matrix has chosen a worthy leader for Team Prime."

"But I'm barely even a warrior...how can I lead the others when I can't even follow your orders..." the young bot whispered shakily, thinking back to when he went back through the ground bridge to try and help Optimus.

"And yet I was simply a clerk in Iacon. You're ahead of where I started when I became a Prime. Don't give up on yourself so quickly." he said as Smokescreen stood there, surrounded by desert and rock. Feeling lost.

"But I can't do this..." the rookie whispered, his voice shaking. "Not without you..."

"The Matrix of Leadership contains the collective wisdom of the Primes, Smokescreen," Optimus reminded him gently. "You are not alone, we are all with you. Now head back to base, the others will worry."

Smokescreen was silent for a moment, then nodded firmly. This was his responsibility now. He had to rise up and take it. He transformed, heading back, with his heavy spark pulsing in his chassis. Optimus was right. He had all the Primes with him. If anything, he can look to them for guidance.

The other bots looked up as he pulled into the base and transformed.

"Where have you been?" Ultra Magnus asked sternly as he stood and faced the young Prime, his arms crossed as though he were reprimanding an out of line rookie. Which was exactly how it felt to Smokescreen, but it hurt more than he'd expected.

"Hey, I-I'm a Prime now not a youngling," Smokescreen stammered, not quite ready to believe that but feeling like he had to stand up for himself. Though he couldn't help but shrink back a little as Ultra Magnus stepped forward to reprimand him again

Ratchet stared blankly at the screen for a few minutes. He heard the rookie coming in and glanced towards them. He glared darkly and clenched his servos. He was angry that the rookie was a Prime but he was mostly angry that Optimus was gone. He hadn't really said anything to anyone since they got back.

Smokescreen felt his spark beat quicken as he glanced around at everyone. They all seemed so upset with him. Ultra Magnus started berating him for leaving base without permission, Ratchet demanded to know where Optimus was, and before he knew it the whole team was yelling at him.

"Enough!" The young bot shouted as he gripped his helm and squeezed his optics shut

Everyone looked at the young rookie, surprised. Smokescreen sighed. "Look, I'm no happier about this than you all are, but it's time we faced the facts - Optimus is gone. Our leader is gone. All we know is that somehow, I was picked instead of Bumblebee or Ultra Magnus. So stop yelling at me like I'm at fault!"

The other bots were silent and looked down a little as they felt bad. Smokescreen thought for a minute then smiled a little, "Come on, there's something I think you all should see," he said quietly as he typed the coordinates into the ground bridge and activated it. They looked at him and stared before looking at each other. Ratchet furrowed his optic ridges as he listened. He wasn't sure if he was to go, but went with them.

The medic wasn't sure what he expected to see as he walked through the ground bridge, but it certainly wasn't what he saw. His spark ached as he stared at the horribly damaged body of his friend and leader, lying lifeless against the wall of the small cave.

Smokescreen frowned quietly as he looked at his lifeless leader sadly. "I tried to save him. I really did. I even grabbed the forge for him. But he wanted me to use it to fix the Omega Lock. He wanted us to fix it."

There was silence for a long time as Ratchet went towards his leader and stared blankly. "You..." he said shakily as he clenched his servos. Raging slowly replacing his grief. "You left him here?!" He boomed as he turned around to face him.

"What was I supposed to do?!" Smokescreen cried in exasperation. "He wouldn't let me save him, and sent me to save you guys! I had to respect his wishes. Plus, I can't exactly carry him. He's way bigger than me." Smokescreen added.

"He's got a point, Ratch..." Bumblebee beeped, gesturing to Smokey.

"You could have told us after the battle with the cons! This is disrespectful for our leader and you all know it!" He shouted angrily and turned to the frame. Silently praying for any hope of life. Smokescreen sighed shakily as he tried to think of what to do. After a minute, he felt the Matrix pulse much stronger than before.

"Ratchet," he said, sounding almost just like Optimus. "The Matrix has chosen him to be the new leader. I, like all the Primes before, am with him in the Matrix of Leadership. And with you, old friend."

The rookie Prime groaned quietly and held his head as he leaned against the wall for a second, "That was so weird..." he mumbled

The team looked at him in surprise. "He... did he just-" Bumblebee beeped uncertainly.

"I...think he did..." Bulkhead said quietly.

"Ugh, I didn't know he could do that," Smokescreen muttered as he stood up straight again, shaking his head a little.

Ratchet paused and looked at him, then looked at the floor as he clenched his servos tightly. He looked as if he was going to explode before he relaxed and looked at them. "We need to give him a proper burial." He said gently.

The others nodded quietly in solemn agreement. Bulkhead and Ultra Magnus worked together to pick up their deceased leader and carried him through the ground bridge.

Back at the base, Ratchet pulled up a map of the area to find a good location for the Prime's grave. The other bots were silent as they grieved their leader, and their human friends paused their video game out of respect. They soon settled on a cave just outside of Jasper, Nevada, and each silently walked through the ground bridge to pay their respects.