Love in the Stars

Chapter 16

The Decepticons' ship was quiet, save for the occasional snicker from Cyclonus. He, unlike the others, found humor in the demise of Optimus Prime, laughing uncontrollably as if this was the best day of his life. But the rest of the Decepticons weren't so jubilant. Megatron stood quietly at the helm, his optics flickering with a mixture of regret and satisfaction. Starscream, usually full of pride, seemed distant, lost in thought. Both knew that while they had claimed victory, it didn't feel like the triumph they had anticipated.

Feigning satisfaction, Megatron gave the order to his crew. "We return to Cybertron. Our task here is done."

Cyclonus cheered, but neither Megatron nor Starscream shared his enthusiasm. Each for their own reasons, they regretted the price of their victory.

Back at the Autobot base, the mood was somber. A week had passed since Optimus Prime's sacrifice, but the wound was still fresh. Fred openly wept, unable to contain his sadness, while the others stood in silent mourning.

Rad looked out at the horizon, trying to hold back tears. "Optimus knew he was going to die," he muttered. "He sacrificed himself for us... for all of humanity. But no one on Earth will ever know. No one will ever know what he did for them."

The weight of Rad's words settled over the room. Cassie was standing nearby, her wings tucked tightly behind her as she absorbed the sadness around her. She was quiet, as she had been for much of the past week. Sitting with the kids, she couldn't help but feel the same sense of loss they did, though her bond with Jetfire gave her some comfort.

But the Autobots, while sharing in the grief, had work to do. Despite their sorrow, they continued with their duties, each of them pushing down their emotions to get through the day. The tension between them was palpable, and no one felt it more than Hot Shot.

Hot Shot, who had always been impulsive, was now a volcano of anger, ready to erupt. He had been blaming himself for Optimus's death, even if he hadn't admitted it aloud. To make matters worse, he felt that the Autobots weren't doing enough to avenge their leader.

As he stormed through the base, his optics blazing with frustration, he made his way to the launching dock. There, he found Jetfire returning from a mission to the now-abandoned Decepticon moonbase.

Without even letting Jetfire properly land, Hot Shot marched up to him, his voice sharp with anger. "We need to go after them, Jetfire! We need to hunt down the Decepticons and make them pay!"

Jetfire raised a brow, his optics narrowing. "Hot Shot, I just got back. The Decepticons are gone. Besides, running in blindly isn't going to bring Optimus back."

Hot Shot clenched his fists. "I don't care about bringing him back! I care about making them suffer for what they've done!"

Jetfire sighed, knowing that Hot Shot's anger was more about grief than anything else. "You're not thinking straight, Hot Shot. We need a plan. We need to finish what we started here. That's what Optimus would've wanted."

Before Hot Shot could argue further, the other Autobots arrived. Scavenger, Blurr, and Red Alert all joined the discussion, trying to reason with the younger Autobot.

"Hot Shot, we need to focus on finishing the spaceship," Blurr said, his voice calm but firm. "That's our priority right now."

But Hot Shot wasn't having it. "Shut up!" he yelled, his frustration boiling over. "You're all just sitting around, acting like we didn't lose our leader! We need to fight back!"

The insult hung in the air for a moment, and Scavenger's optics darkened. Without warning, the larger Autobot grabbed Hot Shot by the arm and threw him to the ground.

"Enough!" Scavenger's voice boomed as he stood over Hot Shot. "You will be silent!"

The others watched in shock as Scavenger dragged Hot Shot away, warping out of the base with Jolt following close behind. No one said a word as the tension in the room thickened. Alexis, concerned, quickly tracked their location and found them on an abandoned highway.

On the highway, Scavenger wasted no time. He tossed Hot Shot around like a rag doll, his powerful blows meant to force the younger Autobot to fight back. But Hot Shot refused to retaliate, avoiding most of the punches but never striking back.

"Fight me!" Scavenger growled, slamming Hot Shot into the ground again. "You think you can lead the Autobots with that attitude? You think Optimus would've wanted you to be reckless like this?"

Hot Shot gritted his teeth but still refused to fight back. He was angry, but he couldn't bring himself to strike at one of his own.

Scavenger continued his assault, his voice cutting through the sound of metal against metal. "Optimus had integrity, Hot Shot. That's why he let Starscream join us. He saw something in him that you refuse to see. And now, you're going to throw all of that away?"

As the Autobots and kids watched from a distance, Alexis realized something important. "Hot Shot blames himself," she whispered. "That's why he's like this. He thinks it's his fault Optimus is gone."

The realization hit hard, and even Red Alert, who had been a staunch supporter of "aggressive therapy," began to see that maybe there was more to Hot Shot's anger than just vengeance.

Hot Shot finally fought back when Scavenger mentioned Optimus. The two Autobots pressed their weight against each other, their fists slamming into the ground as they battled.

"You made me switch sides," Scavenger said between punches. "You and Optimus. You both made me see what was right."

Hot Shot panted, his anger finally starting to subside as the weight of Scavenger's words sank in. He wasn't just fighting for vengeance. He was fighting because he felt lost without Optimus. He blamed himself, but deep down, he knew that wasn't what Optimus would have wanted.

As Hot Shot stumbled away from Scavenger, still determined to avenge Optimus, he ran into Blurr on the freeway. But before Blurr could stop him, Hot Shot escaped again, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts.

Back at the base, the kids tried to reason with the Autobots. "This isn't going to help him," Alexis said, her voice full of concern. "Abusing Hot Shot isn't the answer."

But Red Alert shook his head. "He needs to face his demons, Alexis. If we coddle him, he'll never overcome this."

The tension was thick, but the Autobots knew that Hot Shot needed to work through his emotions on his own terms.

On the highway, Side Swipe blocked Hot Shot's path, ready to fire if necessary. The Mini-Cons joined in, forming a barricade and bringing Hot Shot to an abrupt stop. Even Jolt, Hot Shot's loyal Mini-Con, joined the others, leaving his partner to face the consequences of his actions.

As Hot Shot stood there, surrounded by the Mini-Cons, he remembered Optimus's words about trusting them. In that moment, Hot Shot had a moment of clarity. He realized what this war was really about, what Optimus had fought for.

He closed his optics and let out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry," he said softly, his voice full of regret. "I'm sorry, everyone. I've been wrong."

The Mini-Cons, sensing his sincerity, parted, allowing Hot Shot to rejoin the Autobots. When he returned, his heart was lighter, and his mind was clear. He was ready to fight, not out of anger, but as part of the team again.

Jetfire, standing tall, placed a hand on Hot Shot's shoulder. "I'm making you the new Autobot commander, Hot Shot."

The room fell silent as everyone processed Jetfire's words. Hot Shot, now calmer, accepted the responsibility with a nod.

Later that evening, as the Autobots began working together again, Jetfire approached Hot Shot with the Matrix of Leadership. "It's yours now," Jetfire said softly, holding out the Matrix.

But Hot Shot shook his head. "No. Not yet. I'll lead until we return to Cybertron. After that... we'll see."

Together, the Autobots got back to work, their morale revitalized. They knew that the fight wasn't over, but with Hot Shot leading the charge, they were ready to stop the Decepticons and finish what Optimus had started.