The Neo Spark [Transformer's Prime X Neo (OC)]

7 | ᴄᴀᴠᴇᴅ ɪɴ, ᴘᴀʀᴛ 2

Optimus, on the outside, was as calm and serious as he'd always been. On the outside, his expressions shifted little to none as he waited for Arcee and Bulkhead to return with their human charges and the youngling they'd discovered.

The youngling that had been watching them.

The youngling he'd been unconsciously bonding with and becoming closer to.

The youngling he could feel the distress of.

On the outside, Optimus was calm and serious.

On the inside, however, he was an absolutely worried mess he didn't know how to deal with.

It had been hours and there were no updates. Raf was able to tell him about the signal problem over his comm with Ratchet. Their vital signals hadn't shifted in any way, so by all appearances, they were okay.

But they had not moved, and Optimus could feel the youngling's distress until it blanked into nothing. That was not a good sign at all, which is why, hours after it happened, he was still a complete internal mess.

He took down more Decepticon drones in an attempt to sate his growing unease, especially when the connection came back and he could feel that it read "injured and scared".

If he could bridge to that mine right that second he would, without question. But this recon had turned into a mini-battle that, while completely doable, would take up time. He could not leave Bumblebee, his charge, to deal with such a thing alone.

So, seriously and calmly, he took care of every problem that came their way. Slowly, steadily completing the mission and ridding the planet of their most dangerous enemies.

It did not stop him from wanting to drop everything and drag himself and Bee back home, so he could answer that wailing cry for help that was continuously sounding off in his spark.

He sent whatever comfort he could through their strange bond. How he was able to, he wasn't sure. But he knew that it was received and that to some degree, it worked.

Ratchet had told him that there were more types of "bonds" than that of a sparkmate, the equivalent of a spouse in human terms. Sparkbonds varied between relationships, but each needed a significant connection for a link to be made.

Having siblings is one example, siring a child is another. Biological or not didn't matter much to cybertronians. Family was family regardless. Usually, young sparklings made such a connection with their parental units and siblings.

It would be the only connection made, as they were too young to discern any other.

The fact that Neo had made such a connection with him meant that his spark reminded them of his family. It was instinctive to link. But Optimus had told the old medic that it wasn't him that had linked with the young one first, but the matrix in his chest. The thing that made him a Prime all those years ago, from the spark of Primus himself.

So what did that mean if that is what the youngling connected to before bonding with him afterward?

Such theories had to wait, as he had no time to think of it more. He needed to focus on the task, get it done, and leave.

I'm coming, just wait for me. He thought. The moment he got the chance, he was going to the youngling. When he felt that the young child wasn't as scared anymore, he was thankful and hopeful.

He hoped that his team had found him and were bringing him home to base.

But something in him told him that wasn't the case, and he felt another sense of urgency spur within him. The moment he could... the very second he could...