The Champion's Return

Sneaking Out

It took several hours but Hope finally gave up sulking and decided a midnight flight was appealing.  Sneaking up to the door, she listened for a few moments before quietly sliding it open. She poked her helm out to see a charging Sunstreaker and Sideswipe...dancing? He had what looked like a portable headset with the music cranked up.

The instant he had his back to her, she swiftly darted out and swooped to the ceiling and hid among the braces. Stepping lightly, she traversed the beams until she came to a large window.  Gently flipping the locks, she opened it and squeezed out and onto the roof. For a moment she just sat there admiring the stars.

"Will I always have to sneak out?" she wondered out loud.

No answer came from the darkness, yet she felt better having asked. Pulling herself up, she took to the air.

Hope flew until she saw the sun peeking over the horizon. Landing on a stone cliff a few miles from base, she watched with interest as a line of Autobots drove towards a immense cloud of dust. Leaping off into the sky again, she followed silently from above.

Down below her on the road both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe jockeyed for position in the line-up. There had been no answer to their knock this morning on Hope's door and no response to the bond.

Concerned,  they had opened the door and found an empty berth. Before they could send out a search party, they had been called to be part of the welcome crew.

Ratchet had ended up pushing them out of base with his wrenches of doom. Pink paint still clung to Sideswipe's fender.  Grumbling back and forth, they wanted to get this mission done and over with so they could get back to base and find their sister.

Overhead, Hope could feel their tempers through the bond and had to giggle. Her mirth seeped into the bond and the twins slowed down from confusion in response.  Tucking her wings close to her body, she plummeted to Earth. The wind swept her hair and tears stung her optics.

On and on she plunged towards Earth and just as she was only a few yards above them, she snapped her wings open and zoomed along the line until she reached Optimus's side. Flashing a grin at him, she raced ahead of the pack to see a gigantic space ship awaiting them.

Pulling up and settling on the ground, she was soon surrounded by the rest of the group. Optimus gave her a rare smile as he transformed and walked past her.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe slowly walked up to stand on either side of her. Hope sighed a little but looked up at them. To her surprise, she could only detect concern and contrition in their expressions.

Her questioning expression made them duck their helms to avoid her optics. Finally she turned and wrapped an arm around each of them and nuzzled her face into their chest plates. The answering emotion of relief melted her spark as they finally returned the embrace.

"We were worried when we couldn't find you this morning.  Ratchet had to chase us out of base."

"I'm sorry but I felt smothered and had to escape. "

"Maybe we've been a bit overprotective lately."

Hope had to bite her glossa but a you think almost slipped out anyways. Finally she nodded and smiled up at them before taking their servos and wrapping her wings around them.

"Well knock it off,  I'm the protector now remember?"

The duo just shook their helms and looked over to the ship where the bay doors were opening. Subconsciously,  they moved in front of Hope to semi hide her from view. Rather then complain, she simply watched from between them.

Down the ramp walked a tall mech with fins on the sides of his helm. His paint job was white with red and green stripes. Following behind him was another set of twins who tripped over each other and rolled down the rest of the way.

In a heap at the base of the ramp, they continued yelling curses at each other until the first mech picked them up and slammed their helms together before tossing them to the side in a pile.

"Primus, those two fraggers have been driving me insane since I saved their afts. Good to see you again Prime. How's the peaceful life treating you?"

"Welcome back Wheeljack.  It's never peaceful here for long but it keeps us on our peds."

"Trouble with the Decepticons?"

"A little closer to home then that" he said while nodding his helm in the lambo twins direction. "We have our own twin issues."

Wheeljack chuckled as he followed Optimus's gaze. The twins met his optics and purposely covered Hope from view causing her to stomp her ped before transforming into her alt mode and heading to the back of the line to talk to Arcee and Jack.

Optimus shook his helm. Some things never change, he thought and gestured for Wheeljack and the new set of twins to follow them back to base.