Transformers The Hatchling

Low energon

Optimus POV

A week had passed, and the hatchling, now aptly named Storm Chaser, had grown at an alarming rate. She had quadrupled in size since her hatching, stretching nearly four times her original length. As much as the team had embraced her, her rapid growth was starting to pose a serious challenge. It wasn't just her size; it was her appetite. She was consuming more resources than we could spare, and the team's reserves were dwindling fast.

It was becoming a serious concern. Bulkhead and Bumblebee had been scouring the area for new energon sources, but so far, they'd come up empty. Meanwhile, Storm continued to snap her jaws together a new, more effective method of asking for food. It was an improvement from the high-pitched squawks she used to make, but the problem was we didn't have any energon crystals left to give her.

"There's nothing left, Storm," I said, my voice filled with a soft frustration that I couldn't hide. "You'll have to be patient."

She whined loudly, a sad chirp escaping her as her head hung low in disappointment. Her optics dimmed slightly, and she let out another short chirp, as if trying to communicate that she understood, but couldn't help feeling hungry.

I'd been recording the sounds she made for a while now, trying to decipher what she was trying to say. She was developing her own language, a complex one with varying pitches, tones, and growls, each with its own meaning. It was more intricate than Cybertronian, something we hadn't anticipated when we first discovered her. It would take time to fully understand her, but we were making progress.

Bulkhead's voice broke through my thoughts. "We found nothing. Request a ground bridge."

I nodded, already opening the ground bridge. I sent the coordinates through to Bulkhead and Bumblebee, and they ran through without hesitation. As the bridge closed behind them, the hatchling sniffed the air curiously before darting toward the ground bridge.

"Storm!" I shouted, trying to catch her attention, but she was already charging toward it, too quick to be stopped. She jumped right through the moment the portal opened, vanishing on the other side before it snapped shut behind her.

I let out a curse under my breath, not sure if I was more worried about her or the potential dangers she could be running into. With a reluctant sigh, I followed Bulkhead through the bridge, determined to keep her safe.

**Optimus POV - On the ground**

We arrived with a heavy thud, landing in a dense forest, the air thick with the smell of earth and vegetation. I scanned the surroundings quickly. Storm was nowhere to be seen.

"Where to look first?" Bulkhead asked, his voice full of concern.

I crouched down and studied the ground, noticing a trail of tracks heading southward, deeper into the woods. "Let's roll," I replied, transforming into vehicle mode and speeding off. Bulkhead followed suit, his massive form rumbling behind me.

Storm had covered a significant distance, and the tracks led us further and further away from our position. We eventually reached the edge of a steep cliff. The trail came to an abrupt stop at the precipice, the ground beneath us marked with deep claw marks.

"Do you think she flew?" Bulkhead asked, eyeing the sheer drop.

I scanned the area, noting the marks etched into the stone. "Highly unlikely. Her wings aren't nearly large enough for flight," I responded, my optics narrowing. "But she did leave something behind."

I transformed back into robot mode, inspecting the cliff's face. "These here," I said, pointing to a set of distinct scratch marks, "look like claw marks. Storm must have climbed."