Unspoken

Bonds Broken and Forged

Flames roared around him, suffocating the night with heat and smoke. Hot Shot's optics scanned the burning wreckage, desperately searching for his friend. His heart raced as the fire consumed everything in its path. Then he saw him—Wheeljack—trapped beneath a massive piece of debris. Wheeljack's legs were pinned, his face twisted in pain, and his optics met Hot Shot's with a mixture of desperation and trust.

"Hot Shot!" Wheeljack shouted through the flames, his voice hoarse from the smoke. "I'm stuck!"

Without hesitation, Hot Shot rushed over, ignoring the searing heat, and gripped the debris with all his might. Sparks flew as he tried to lift it off Wheeljack's legs, his servos straining against the weight. But it was too heavy.

"I can't... I need more help!" Hot Shot gasped, looking back at Wheeljack with panic in his optics.

"No! Don't leave me!" Wheeljack yelled, but Hot Shot had already made his decision. He ran through the flames, desperate to find reinforcements.

Outside the inferno, Hot Shot's superior stopped him, grabbing his arm before he could dive back into the flames. "You can't go back in! It's too dangerous!" the superior barked.

"But Wheeljack—" Hot Shot protested, his optics wide with fear and guilt.

"There's nothing you can do!" the superior insisted, pulling him away from the flames as Hot Shot's heart twisted in anguish.

Inside the burning ruins, Wheeljack's cries for help faded as the flames engulfed him. The last thing Hot Shot saw before being dragged away was Wheeljack's terrified face disappearing into the fire.

It was a bright and sunny day on Earth, and the Autobot base buzzed with activity. The kids, Rad, Alexis, Carlos, Billy, and Fred, were in their usual hangout, watching the arrival of a new Autobot. Side Swipe stood proudly in front of them, his posture exaggeratedly stiff as he introduced himself with enthusiasm that bordered on awkward.

"I'm Side Swipe, newest recruit of the Autobots! Ready to serve and—"

Before he could finish, the kids burst into laughter. Alexis covered her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles. "He's... uh... really something," she said between laughs.

Side Swipe didn't seem to notice, or maybe he didn't care. His optics gleamed as he greeted Blurr, who had just walked into the room. "Blurr! It's me, Side Swipe! Remember? We met back on Cybertron!"

Blurr's optics narrowed as he turned his head, pretending not to recognize the over-eager Autobot. "Uh... no, I don't think we've met," Blurr muttered, embarrassed by Side Swipe's enthusiastic greeting.

"But Blurr, I—" Side Swipe tried to jog Blurr's memory by standing on his head, his legs flailing in the air as he called for help to remember their meeting.

Blurr groaned, his faceplate heating with embarrassment. "Get off your head, Side Swipe. You're making a scene."

Side Swipe stumbled back onto his feet, his enthusiasm undeterred by Blurr's cool demeanor. "I'm just happy to be here!" he beamed, not realizing the awkwardness of the situation.

After much debate, Optimus Prime, Skifira, Hot Shot, and Blurr gathered in the command center to discuss Side Swipe's integration into the team. Skifira sat by Optimus, her wings fully healed and ready for battle once more. She glanced at Optimus as he explained the situation, her optics reading concern on his face. They both knew that training Side Swipe wouldn't be easy.

"We need to assign him a mentor," Optimus began, looking at the group. "Hot Shot, I think you're best suited for the task."

Hot Shot's optics widened in disbelief. "Me? You want me to train him?"