The Champion's Return

Fire Power

Following suit, they soon caught up and were shortly back in the slowly waking base. As they roared into the hanger, they passed a very startled Optimus and Ratchet conversing with Ironhide. The twins stopped short and Hope was forced to transform in mid flight to avoid. running into them.

She sent a curse through the bond but flew down to join them. Optimus watched her gently land and the touch of her kiss ran through his processor.  Hope noticed the slight blue tint to his face plates and wondered what had caused it but her thoughts were interrupted by Rachet.

"Good morning Hope. I see you picked out your alt mode. I'll need to run a scan to make sure your systems are running normally. "

"I'm interested in seeing what weapons your new form is equipped with."

Hope turned a puzzled gaze on Ironhide.  "I don't believe that I have any weapons. I'm a healer, not a fighter."

"Every bot has weapons from creation but they usually aren't activated until what humans call the teen years."

She laughed at the air quotes Ratchet made as he explained. "So puberty..."

Her remark seemed to go over the other bots helms but she felt a snicker from Sideswipe through the bond.

"Looks like the training room is our next step eh Sunny?"

Linking their arms once again, Sideswipe pulled Hope towards the training area with Sunstreaker following behind. Ratchet looked at Optimus.

"Were you able to find out anything regarding her symbol?"

Optimus had spent half the night poring over the archive data base but the information was far from complete.

The champion was rumored to possess a weapon of mass destruction.  There was also mention of portals but he thought that may be what they call Space Bridges now. Perhaps a portable one?

"Answers were inconclusive.  I suggest we wait and observe. Perhaps it will be explained in time."

Ratchet look pensive but finally agreed. Ironhide was not so easily convinced.

"I think it would be best if I go and observe the training room. If she does have weapons then I'd rather the twins not be the ones training her. "

Turning on his peds, he walked in the direction the twins and Hope had gone muttering under his breath something about monkeys and dynamite.

Optimus and Ratchet watched him storm away before heading off to separate duties. Optimus was going to search the archives again. Perhaps this time he would be able to decipher the historic riddle.

***********************

Hope looked up at Sideswipe.  "How do I know if I have weapons?"

Sides helped Hope stretch out her arm in front of her.

"Concentrate on changing your servo into a gun" he suggested.

Hope tried doing as he said but all she got was a empty clicking sound.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not equipped with weapons. "

"Keep trying, you'll get it."

Trying her best to follow both their instructions, she was starting to get frustrated at her lack of success.  Not realizing what she was doing, her wings flared out in aggravation and her eyes lit with a silent fury.

Sunstreaker pulled his twin back as they watched Hope, now aglow with a furious light, pull a long staff out of nothingness and slowly raise up in the air. Her optics were fixed on the targets at the end of the field. The staff glowed with the same bright light before striking out in a fireball the size of a bot and streaking towards the targets.

They watched in horror as Bumblebee walked onto the field to check a target, not seeing the certain death hurtling towards him. Unable to reach him in time, they saw a silver blur fly past them and surround Bumblebee before the fireball could hit him.

Dead silence filled the field as everyone feared the worst. As the smoke cleared, and a glowing barrier could be seen. Ironhide was the first on the scene with the twins close behind. As they got closer, the barrier flickered out and they could see Hope, her wings enveloping both her and Bumblebee in a protective stance.

Her eyes still flickering with inner power, she slowly got to her peds and stepped forward to pick up the staff crackling with energy. She held it in her servos, then slid it into a natural scabbard between her wings. Turning back to them, she took note of the destroyed wall behind them and their dumbstruck expressions.

"Um, I found my weapon." she remarked sheepishly.

The clunk of Bumblebee fainting was her only response.