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Heatwave lightly scratched at the window before plopping back down on his haunches. He stared intently at the dark window, urging the occupant inside to wake up. After a moment, he heard a small platter of footsteps, and the window was shoved open. Kade Burns blinked the sleep from his eyes as he mentally registered who was standing outside. "Heatwave?" Kade asked, his voice was still heavily drowsy. He rubbed a hand through his ginger hair and yawned. Heatwave could make out the gray streaks in his partner’s ruffled hair. "What gives? It’s—" The firefighter glanced over his shoulder at the digital clock on the nightstand. "—three in the fucking morning. This better be important."
Kade sounded irritable, but Heatwave was grateful to see him again. "I know, sorry," he quickly replied. "Look, uh…" Primus, he couldn’t believe he was asking Kade of this. "…Can we talk?"
Kade sighed, rubbing his hand across his face. He looked like he was going to protest, but something in Heatwave’s face must’ve changed his mind. He dropped his hand to his side defeatedly. "Sure, bro," Kade relented. "Give me hand? You’re gonna wake the kids up."
Relief surged in Heatwave’s spark. He stretched out just below the window, giving Kade plenty of room to hop down on top of his head down to his broad shoulders. Gently, Heatwave carried his partner to the backyard of the firehouse beyond the basketball court.
"You know," Kade laughed. "I can’t remember the last time I snuck out of the firehouse. Maybe it was to see Hayley…"
Heatwave abruptly stopped, causing Kade to lightly stumble. "Oh, by Primus, I will drop you!" he growled.
Kade already had his hands up in a mock surrender. "I’m kidding! I’m kidding!" he laughed before he sobered. "But seriously though, we better be quiet or else Hayley will kill me if the kids wake up."
Withholding a snort, Heatwave carried Kade to the grassy lawn by the forest. "Would serve you right," he shot back, leaning down for Kade to hop off.
"Not when Hayley learns it’s your fault," Kade immediately retorted as he landed on the ground with a point at his partner. He arrogantly smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, and the gesture reminded Heatwave of when he first met his partner decades ago. "I’m sure Hayley will find a way to tell Quickshadow, and then bam—you’re in trouble, partner."
It felt good to banter with Kade again, and a part of Heatwave cherished how easily it came despite the time apart. He fell easily into their snarky rapport without even trying. "How would she even contact Quickshadow?" Heatwave scoffed.
"Dude, she still teaches kindergarten," Kade insisted with a frown. "She’s got magic powers, I swear."
"She must have to tolerate you for all these years." Heatwave sat down next to Kade. He buckled his paws underneath his chest and laid out his tail for Kade to rest comfortably.
Kade sats on the ground and leaned against Heatwave’s tail. He arched his back and stretched his arms behind his head. "So…" he opened, prompting Heatwave to begin. "What couldn’t wait until morning?"
Heatwave sighed. Primus, he didn’t even know where to begin! Should he just say it outright? "I…I said…I admitted something, and I don’t think I can take it back," he explained lamely.
When he didn’t elaborate further, Kade raised an eyebrow. "O-Okay…" he trailed off. "Did you get into a fight with Quickshadow?"
"No," Heatwave replied with a shake of his head. "No, she’s fine, we’re fine, well maybe." He was rambling now like a bumbling fool while Kade looked at him with concern. "That’s not what this is about," Heatwave insisted firmly. "I…" Primus, if this was who he was supposed to be, why couldn’t he even say it! He clenched his eyes shut, digging his claws into the soft ground. The gesture surprisingly grounded him, reminding him of his family on Earth. The soft soil was so unlike Cybertron.
His thundering spark suddenly calmed, and Heatwave found a serene clarity in his soul. "I’m the new Prime." The words easily tumbled out from him, and Heatwave immediately felt a relief lift of his shoulders as if he revealed massive secret.
It took Kade a few moments to process that. The firefighter now looked properly awake, his face aghast. After a long moment, Kade finally replied timidly. "What happened? I thought you didn’t want it?"
"I don’t—I mean, I didn’t want this," Heatwave insisted. "I never did, but…" He broke off, trying to find the words to elaborate on the previous day. "Someone kidnapped Kindle and a few other sparklings. They’re fine, I promise, they’re back home on Cybertron." Heatwave quickly added when he noticed Kade’s immediate protest. The firefighter visibly relaxed; Heatwave knew Kade cared for his younglings as if they were his own, and vice versa. Despite being different species, Heatwave and Quickshadow decreed that if something were to happen to them, then Kade and Hayley would be granted guardianship of Kindle and Wildfire. The same was written in Kade’s and Hayley’s will for their own children. It was something both parties adamantly agreed on.
"It was a ‘bot from one of the old colonies," Heatwave went on. "One I never even heard of before. They wanted retribution for their people after Cybertron withdrew from their planet sometime during Nova Prime’s leadership. He was big into colonization, though unfortunately the existing residents weren’t always treated fairly."
"Yeah, sounds familiar," Kade scoffed.
Heatwave shrugged. "Maybe they wanted personal retribution or start an uprising with political terrorism, I don’t know, but they started to kidnap random younglings." Heatwave dug his claws into the ground again, his anger rising at the bitter memory. "Kindle was taken on their way to school." His eldest was in their final year of introductory school, the basic education all Cybertronians received before starting their specialized career academies. Kindle had excitedly rambled earlier that week about finally attending the Rescue Bot Academy, just like their creators. Heatwave detested the idea of Kindle’s juvenile innocence being tarnished by a cruel act of cowardice.
"Kindle’s a tough kid," Kade insisted at Heatwave’s scowl, though the firefighter was also frowning.
"That’s what Blades said," Heatwave replied with a dry smile.
"Kindle’s a tough kid, Heatwave," Blades insisted, attempting to ease his leader’s worry, though his efforts were fruitless. Heatwave was pacing in the Rescue Bot Academy on Cybertron as they waited for the news from Mortar. The Rescue Bot leader was currently consulting with the High Council on their rescue operations.
Heatwave didn’t reply to Blades. His claws clicked on the tarasteel floor as he briskly paced. The other senior Rescue Bots in the room gave sympathetic glances to Heatwave as he walked. Out of everyone in the room, only Heatwave’s youngling was taken, though there were several other younglings reported missing throughout Iacon. Heatwave had been in the Academy on Earth when Chase had urgently informed him of Kindle’s disappearance. His spark had sunk into the ground upon hearing the news. Kindle, his gentle, curious, and wonderful neutreling—vanished. Heatwave blamed himself; Kindle was nearly of age to choose their career path and additional education, so both Quickshadow and Heatwave believed that their eldest was responsible enough to escort themselves and Wildfire to and from school on their own. Sometimes Heatwave accompanied his younglings regardless, though he had a meeting on Earth earlier that morning.
Primus, and I’d give anything to miss that meeting if it meant I could’ve been there! At least Wildfire was safe. His daughter had gone ahead with classmates earlier that morning, leaving Kindle all alone. The youngling was currently safeguarded by Boulder and Blurr back in the Academy on Earth, and Heatwave trusted both mechs with his life to protect his daughter.
At last, the door to Mortar’s office opened, and the older mech stepped out. Heatwave’s head immediately shot up. "Any news?" he pressed before Mortar could even get a word out.
The commander-in-chief looked exhausted. "The Elite Guard is assembling the old Deltra squadron as we speak," the yellow-and-copper mech began. "Though, it will take some time. However, their counterintelligence teams should be arriving imminently."
He wondered if Quickshadow would be on her way. His sparkmate was currently away on a mission. As always, Heatwave was unsure where she went, though he sent her three unanswered calls to her comm unit—their secret message that something was urgently wrong.
Still, Heatwave was irked by the lack of immediate action. "What about Fastlane?" he argued, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. Fastlane was the leader of the Police Force division of the Rescue Bots, and she collaborated with the various police departments throughout Cybertron outside of the rescue force.
"Fastlane is already in Iacon," he gently explained. Mortar gave him a sympathetic look. "Perhaps you should go be with Wildfire, Heatwave, and—"
"No," Heatwave immediately argued before Mortar could finish that thought. He felt a tiny bit of remorse for snapping at his superior, but Heatwave couldn’t help it. "I can’t sit idle on my paws, Mortar. I…I just can’t." His voice trailed off into a pathetic whimper.
Heatwave felt Blades brushing against his flank. He felt relieved that Boulder was with Wildfire and Chase was already on-scene in Iacon with Fastlane. Despite being separated across the galaxy, Heatwave knew his former teammates would always have his back.
Mortar seemed to understand. "Go to Iacon, Heatwave," the old mech instructed kindly. "I’ll inform Fastlane to expect your arrival."
He felt a tiny amount of relief in his chest. "Thank you, Mortar."
"You’re not going alone either," Blades insisted firmly. Heatwave was still not used to the determination in his friend’s mew. "Your my brother, Heatwave, and Kindle is my family too."
The red mech gently leaned against his friend. "Thank you," he whispered.
Fastlane quickly debriefed Heatwave and Blades by the time they arrived in Iacon. The division chief already had the block sequestered from the public with enforcers staged at every entry point. It was a simple road, as typical as your average road in Iacon, yet it was the focal point of the abductions.
"We’ve been scouring the nearby blocks and intersections for evidence," Fastlane reported. She was a tall black-and-silver femme with a blue Rescue Bot collar around her neck. The two golden stars etched onto her collar indicated her rank as the division chief of the Police Force for the rescue organization. "So far, twelve younglings have been taken, ranging from ages eight to twelve. It appears they were all on-route to the Iacon Introductary Education Academy."
Heatwave nodded as he looked around, trying to imagine Kindle walking the nearby sidewalks on their was to school. He grimaced; what must be going on through their mind? Were they terrified? Who could do such a thing?
Fastlane must have noticed his unease. She gently rested her tail-tip on his shoulder. "We are doing everything we can, Commander Heatwave," she insisted.
"I don’t doubt your capabilities, Division Chief," Heatwave reassured. Like all Police-Bots, Fastlane was a stickler for protocol and proper titles. It felt odd to be genuinely reassured by the higher-ranked femme. "But I cannot help but worry for my neutreling."
"Your concern is natural," Fastlane replied sympathetically. She dipped her head to one side. "All of the other guardians are waiting at our headquarters. Would you like to wait with them?"
He couldn’t bear the idea of waiting in a grief-stricken room with other creators fretting over the safety of their missing younglings. Heatwave shook his head, but he knew what Fastlane was subtly proposing. "No, I rather stay here," he insisted politely. He knew Fastlane was merely worried about his mental well-being.
He felt a sudden tug in his spark. Heatwave sharply looked up and was delighted to see Quickshadow trotting towards him. Her work partner Gray Dawn was at her side, and both ‘bots were carrying younglings in their jaws by the scruff. Heatwave’s spark surged momentarily with relief until he realized that neither of them was Kindle.
Both intelligence agents gently dropped their charges. "I got your message," Quickshadow said in greeting to Heatwave, Fastlane, and Blades. To Fastlane, she added separately, "Division Chief, we were rendezvousing to your coordinates when we found these two younglings, and they match the descriptions of the others who were taken."
Already Blades was sniffing each youngling for injuries. Both youngsters looked petrified, but they appeared unscathed. "It’s alright, little ones," Blades was soothing as he examined them quickly. "They appear alright, Division Chief, but further examination couldn’t hurt," he explained to Fastlane.
The division chief nodded, addressing her comm unit to order reinforcements. As much as Heatwave desperately wanted answers from the missing younglings, he could tell that it was not the time. Both younglings looked younger than Wildfire, and Blades kept them close to his flank as he whispered soothing remarks to them. They appeared petrified. Primus, what happened to them?
"Heatwave." Quickshadow finally addressed him.
He felt like breaking down upon seeing his sparkmate’s distraught expression. "I’m so sorry," he rambled without prelude. "I should’ve been there—"
The silver and black femme abruptly embraced him, cutting off Heatwave’s anxiety-driven excuse. He felt her tremble, and Heatwave realized how close she was to falling apart. His sparkmate was one of the strongest ‘bots he knew. Her work always came first, though Heatwave could tell how close that mask was to shattering.
He wrapped a forepaw around her shoulders and buried his muzzle into her neck fur. Right now, his sparkmate needed him more than he needed her. "It’ll be alright, Quickshadow," the red mech quietly soothed. "We’ll find them, I promise. Everything will be alright."
He held her in a silent embrace while she continued to tremble. Fastlane’s reinforcements arrived, and Blades went with them to care for the younglings until they could be reunited with their creators.
Only Gray Dawn lingered, observing nearby with concern in his eyes for his partner. He took a nervous pawstep forward. "Commander, we found the younglings not far from here," the white-and-gray mech explained to Heatwave. "Perhaps the others are nearby?"
"There are no others," Fastlane spoke up as she padded back towards them. Three Police-Bots escorted behind her, including Chase, who urgently walked to his leader’s side. The blue-and-white enforcer gave him a remorseful, sympathetic look and a gentle caress with his tail-tip on Heatwave’s flank. In typical Chase fashion, he offered no verbal words of comfort, but his presence was all Heatwave needed to know that his friend was also hurting.
"What do you mean?" Quickshadow asked, finally breaking away from her sparkmate’s chest.
Fastlane flicked her tail. "We have confirmation that the rest of the missing younglings have been reunited with their families at our HQ," the femme leader explained. "Except for Kindle." She dipped her head to Gray Dawn. "Like you suggested, Agent, the others were found nearby, as if they had been unceremoniously dumped by our perpetrator."
"But why Kindle?" Heatwave demanded furiously. He was glad the other younglings were safe, but that didn’t completely ease his own concerns. "Kindle is just a youngling. They’ve done nothing wrong!" Heatwave paused as he came to a sudden realization, his mouth still ajar. But Kindle isn’t just a regular youngling.
Quickshadow must’ve reached the same conclusion as well. Her shoulder fur began to bristle. "Unless they were the intended target," she growled.
"Kindle’s heritage is noteworthy," Chase posited, unintentionally drawing glares from both creators. The blue-and-white mech was merely voicing their inner apprehensions. "You two are held in high prestige in your own merit, not to mention the late Optimus Prime’s own kin. Perhaps that is the perpetrator’s motive." As Heatwave’s fur began to bristle, Chase went on to Fastlane. "The Division Chief said the younglings were found nearby, and Kindle was taken not far from here. Perhaps their hideout is in close proximity."
"Agreed," Fastlane replied before addressing the two other enforcers. "Expand the perimeter of our search by triangulating the position of Kindle’s last known location and the site of the found younglings." As the two enforcers set off, Fastlane turned to Heatwave and Quickshadow. "If Lieutenant Chase’s hypothesis is true, you two should remain here in case you are also targets."
"I am not sitting aside while my youngling is in danger," Quickshadow refuted, her voice taut. Her gaze burned into Fastlane’s, as if beckoning the larger femme to challenge her stance.
Fastlane bent her ears at her tone. He felt Fastlane’s eyes on him; despite her separate division, Quickshadow was still one of Heatwave’s bots and thus was waiting for his verdict. As much as he wanted Quickshadow to be safe, Heatwave knew he couldn’t stop her, even if he tried. After a moment, he nodded. "We’ll be alright, Fastlane," he insisted to the division chief.
Fastlane seemed to accept his answer. "Good luck," she remarked with a nod before leaving.
"And we’ll do our own search," Heatwave added to Chase, Quickshadow, and Gray Dawn, who all firmly nodded at his orders.
"Ah, now I have the matching set!" the silver-and-gray femme shrilled with glee as Heatwave was roughly shoved to the ground. The two guards immediately pounced on the Rescue Bot leader before he could find his footing; one stood on his back with claws extending into the back of his skull and another on his forepaw, while the other had his hind legs restrained underneath a firm grasp.
Heatwave let out a growl as he attempted to free himself from his captors, but the guards held firm. He’d been scouting nearby structures with Chase, Gray Dawn, and Quickshadow when he was suddenly jumped by several unknown ‘bots. They caught him off-guard and dragged him into this separate building. The building was one of the few remaining abandoned structures from the Great War that hadn’t been refurbished yet. The interior walls were crumbled, and air smelled dank, and the only light came from exposed exterior walls, though they were deep within the building for the sunlight to barely penetrate the room. Perfect place for a secret hideout.
The silver femme leered down at Heatwave’s muzzle. "And you’re sure you got the right one this time, hmm?" she mewed. Like the other ‘bots, the silver-and-gray splotched femme had jagged and spiked fur. They looked Cybertronian, but their frames were slightly different.
"Of course, Paradox," said a guard. They dug their claws further into Heatwave’s head. "This is Heatwave, son of the Prime."
"Excellent!" Paradox stood up with a joyful wave of her tail. "Two should certainly get our point across," she mused fondly.
Heatwave’s comm unit buzzed with an incoming message. The others must have noticed his absence. Quick as a bullet, Paradox snapped it from his ear and smashed it to the ground. She gave him a wry smile. "Can’t forget about this," she jeered. She left his collar intact, perhaps unaware it contained his tracker signal embedded in its tag. Heatwave only hoped that the others would find him quickly.
Heatwave finally noticed Kindle behind Paradox. His youngling was also imprisoned with three guards surrounding them, though the neutreling appeared unharmed. The golden-reddish youngling was trembling with fear. "Dad!" Kindle called out desperately.
Paradox whirled to snarl at Kindle. "I said be quiet!" the femme hissed with her claws unsheathed. Heatwave saw their jagged edges glint in the faint light. "Unfortunately, you are useful to me, and I’d hate to let anything bad happen to you." She took a pawstep forward to prove her point.
"Let them go!" Heatwave snarled and tried to wriggle free again. This time, the guard shoved his muzzle into the ground to prevent him from speaking clearly. He had to buy his teammates some time to arrive, but Heatwave couldn’t risk jeopardizing Kindle’s safety. "Take me instead but let Kindle go!"
Paradox tutted at his fruitless pleas as she twisted back to face him. "Not until your fellow Cybertronians grants us an audience with your previous kin," she mocked. The silver-gray femme studied his face again, albeit smushed into the ground by the guard. "Hmm…" she pondered. "You don’t really resemble him."
"Them," Heatwave scornfully rumbled.
"Not the youngling!" Paradox snapped loudly before her face morphed into a cynical grin. "Your honorable ancestor, Nova Prime himself!" She began to pace eagerly in front of Heatwave. Her tail was brandishing with anticipation. "I’ve waited so long for this moment," she began. "Your Prime will pay for what he did to my people. Desolation has flourished despite your precious Prime’s attempts to disintegrate us to oblivion, but we will always prevail." Her claws clicked the ground as she briskly walked. "We will have our retribution, and your Prime will pay for what he’s done."
Nova Prime? She thinks we’re his descendants, Heatwave realized. But Nova Prime had died stellar cycles ago, long before the Great War, and so had his son, Sentinel Prime. Heatwave squirmed again as a plan began to form in his mind. Nova Prime was known for his unruly reign over Cybertronian’s colonies, and Heatwave surmised that Desolation was one of them. Paradox seemed unaware of the recent events on Cybertron, so perhaps…
"Cybertron doesn’t have a Prime anymore," Heatwave shot out.
Paradox froze. Her entire body was still like stone. When she finally spoke several seconds later, her voice was dangerously low. "What did you say?" she scathed, her voice barely a whisper.
Heatwave squirmed underneath the guards’ firm grip, but they still held firm despite the sudden revelation. "Optimus Prime died stellar cycles ago," he explained, though his face was still being pressed into the floor, so his words were garbled. His plan seemed to be working. Paradox’s leverage would be gone once she realized that Heatwave and Kindle were not related to Nova Prime. He just needed to stall until Quickshadow arrived… "He was my sire. After he died, Cybertron created the High Council to lead us."
Paradox’s eyes widened and her jaws parted in utter shock. Hoping that his plan was working, Heatwave pressed on fervently. "Nova Prime’s kin are all gone, anyway," he added ardently. "After Sentinel died, Optimus was chosen to succeed him. He was just a regular Cybertronian without a drop of royalty in his energon." Your plan for revenge has failed, Heatwave bitterly thought.
Paradox leaned down to look him in the eye. Up close, Heatwave could see her frame shaking…with disappointment? Anger? "So you’re saying that you’re unrelated to Nova Prime’s energon? And there isn’t even a Prime here to begin with?!" Her claws were unsheathed and bits of spit splattered from her mouth as she yelled at Heatwave.
Heatwave attempted to move his head so he could look at her in the optic. However, the guard’s claws dug further into his skull with every word he said. "Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying," he insisted. His eyes darted to Kindle’s in the background. The youngling was still watching with an anguished look on their face. Please, let my youngling go.
Paradox seemed to muse over his words for several seconds. At last, she stood up and gave Heatwave a cold expression. "Well, then," she deliberated, her voice taut. "I guess I have no use for you." Her jagged claws raked across his neck before he could even blink.
Energon pooled in the back of his mouth, causing him to immediately cough and choke. He tasted the metallic tang, and only then did the pain register a sparkbeat later. Instinctively, Heatwave tried to defend himself, using all his strength to try and overpower his guards, but they still pinned his body firmly to the ground. Already he felt his power ebbing as he sensed energon—his energon—soaking his throat and chin.
His claws vainly scraped against the ground in his futile effort to escape. Heatwave’s eyes caught Kindle’s, who was watching in horror with a silent shriek. Primus, am I dying? Heatwave thought. He could feel his energon pulsing out with every beat of his spark. Paradox must’ve inflicted a pin-point accurate slice to his throat. Already Paradox had turned around and padded towards Kindle, who was still watching their sire with glimmering optics. A trail of energon pawprints stained the floor as she approached his neutreling. No, no, no, Heatwave rambled futilely. Leave them alone!
But Heatwave couldn’t move. Kindle must’ve been yowling something because their mouth was moving, but Heatwave couldn’t hear anything but static. Primus, please, he begged as he watched Paradox’s withdrawing frame obscuring his fading vision of Kindle. Don’t let Kindle watch me die.
He thought he’d be more afraid of death, but Heatwave’s mind went to his family as the darkness closed in. Chase, Boulder, Blades, Cody, Kade, Dani, Graham, Wildfire, Kindle…Primus, he was going to leave Quickshadow all alone to raise their sparklings. I’m sorry. He reached out in his spark instinctively to her, hoping to funnel his adoration and gratitude towards her in their bond. She was nearby, that much he knew in his spark. I love you.
Kindle’s yowl broke through the darkness at the last moment before it all went dark. "Dad!"
"Dad!"
Heatwave shot up at the scream, his paws scrambling beneath him as he stood up. "Kindle!" he yowled, but he realized he wasn’t in the building anymore. In fact, he was all alone in a dark plane. Stars stretched out infinitely in all directions. The horizon was unlimited in all directions. Heatwave looked down at his paws, noticing that his throat was completely healed. Odd. With that revelation out of the way, he twirled around frantically. "Kindle?" Heatwave called out, hoping that Kindle was also nearby. "Kindle!"
"Kindle is safe, Heatwave."
Heatwave spun back around to see his guardian—his sire—standing in front of him. Optimus Prime stood with the regality of a divinely appointed Prime. There was fondness in his gaze as he looked at Heatwave.
"Optimus!" Heatwave gasped. He was surprised to see his leader, though the scenario felt slightly familiar. Had he been here before? Heatwave began to genuflect, but Optimus stopped him with a raised paw.
"There is no need for that anymore, my son," Optimus Prime insisted.
"Where’s Kindle?" Heatwave insisted rapidly. "Where am I?"
The Rescue Bot leader could tell that something else was on the Prime’s mind. The massive mech beckoned Heatwave with his tail. "Come, walk with me."
Biting back a snarl of frustration, Heatwave grimaced yet obediently followed his leader. Optimus Prime was half-a-pace ahead of Heatwave as he led them towards an unknown destination onward. The reddish mech couldn’t make out any sense of direction of where they were, and he was unsure how Optimus Prime knew where he was going. They walked for several long moments.
The silence was finally getting to him after several quiet moments of walking. "Is this the AllSpark?" Heatwave asked, his tone a bit forceful. Optimus Prime did not reply and kept his gaze forward. Heatwave bit back another snarl. "Take me back!" he huffed, attempting to intercept his sire, but the Prime’s pace seemed to always outpace his own. "Let me go back!" Again, silence. His guardian acted like Heatwave wasn’t even there.
What’s with this silent treatment? This time, Heatwave didn’t bother to hide his growl. "Optimus!" he barked, forcefully slamming a forepaw down as he halted. He hoped his leader would stop too, but the red, blue, and gray mech kept striding ahead as if nothing had happened. "Optimus!" Nothing. Could he even hear him? "I don’t have time for this," Heatwave snapped and turned on his paws. He wasn’t sure where he could go, but he had to at least try and find a way back. "I don’t care if this is a dream or if you’re here to give me some cryptic message, but I need to go back."
To his disbelief, Heatwave realized he couldn’t. Despite the black horizon extending indefinitely ahead of him, Heatwave couldn’t take a step forward. It was as if there was an invisible wall blocking his way, preventing him from retracing his own pawsteps from a few moments prior.
"You cannot." Optimus Prime finally spoke ahead. The large mech had finally stopped. He was watching over his shoulder from a few paces ahead. There was a glimmer of finality in his golden gaze that reminded Heatwave of his youth when he argued with his guardians over a trivial manner.
Part of him wanted to ask why, but he abruptly felt a chill rush on his spine. He already knew the answer. Pushing that thought to the side, Heatwave returned his attention to the invisible wall. He arched onto his hind legs and used his forepaws to feel for any entry point or weakness. "Never stopped me before," he insisted with a scoff. Despite his bravado, his spark began to thumb wildly in his chest with each passing second. He couldn’t find any way around the blockade.
"Heatwave." Optimus Prime was much closer now, and Heatwave spared a scowl at his guardian over his shoulder. The Prime was observing him still, though instead of resolution, there was pity in his eyes. "There is but one path now," he explained softly.
The AllSpark. Primus, he really was dying, and Optimus Prime was here to guide him to their eternal resting grounds.
"No," Heatwave snapped heatedly, resuming his attention to the wall. His paws were scrabbling indiscriminately along the transparent border to no avail. Primus, surely there had to be a way back!
"Heatwave—"
"No!" Heatwave skreiched, falling back down to his paws and facing his leader. "I need to make sure Kindle is safe. I promised Quickshadow that we’d find them! You can take my spark after, I promise, but please—let me rescue my youngling."
He stared defiantly and desperately at his sire for him to understand. However, Optimus shook his head slightly. "I am sorry, Heatwave," he insisted gravely. "But there is only one path now."
Only one path now. His guardian had already said that. Heatwave inwardly scoffed at the phrase. Only one path? Since when does Optimus Prime ever preach that? Wasn’t the war to ensure that everyone had a choice for their own future? The Rescue Bot paused. His guardian has always preached the opposite his entire life. The power to choose, Optimus Prime always said, was every Cybertronian’s inherent right. The former Prime had lived his entire life by that decree: choosing to fight an unjust war against his former brother for the protection of all Cybertronians, choosing to become a sparkmate despite the High Council’s oppositions, choosing to start a family despite the hardships of the war, choosing to…
"No…no, that’s not right," Heatwave began quietly. "There’s always a choice, that’s what you’ve constantly told me. The choice to do the right thing, to decide your own destiny…there’s always more than one path…"
Memories from throughout his life rippled in his mind, each one sending a cascade of voices into another.
"Like it or not, you are the son of the Prime, and you know that comes with certain expectations."
"You’ve always been so independent, Heatwave."
"I urge you to reflect on what Cybertron needs, but the choice must be your own."
"Sometimes we are called for greater things, Heatwave."
"No son of mine shall bow to another Cybertronian ever again."
"I cannot discuss the future. No one should know their own destiny…no matter how important it is."
"Listen to your spark, little flame."
"…You just have to find the courage to take it," Heatwave ended faintly. Primus, he knew all along who he was meant to be. He just never felt ready. He constantly denied it despite the recommendations of his family and peers. But who could ever live up to the tremendous legacy of Optimus Prime?
Me, he thought. It’s always been me. At his realization, he felt a serene peace in his spark. Heatwave instinctively took a pace back, and his back paw met the ground without any resistance.
Optimus Prime met his gaze with faint approval. "The choice will always remain your own."
Heatwave took another pace backwards, and his paws moved freely. He felt the presence of several other Cybertronians approaching from behind. Dimly, he felt their pelts brush against his own. Heatwave knew they were providing him with silent encouragement. They amassed to stand next to Optimus Prime, bots of all sizes and ages. Even though Heatwave was unfamiliar with each of them, he knew all their names instinctively in his spark.
The lineage of the Primes. All of them, from Prima to Nova to Sentinel. They were watching him. Waiting all this time.
"We’ve been watching you for a long time," whispered one spirit.
"Only Primus himself can appoint his next successor." Was that Alpha Trion’s voice?
"The Matrix is long gone," said a feminine spirit. Solus, Heatwave’s spark told him. "But know we will always be with you."
"Learn from our mistakes," Nova Prime added gently. Heatwave thought he detected remorse in the spirit’s mew.
"You are a sparkling of Earth and Cybertron," decreed another. Micronus. "You will be the bridge to unite our worlds."
A tall mech approached. Prima, the first Prime. "Cybertron has been waiting for its new Prime," he decreed, his bright eyes boring into Heatwave’s spark. "But will you accept?"
Heatwave took a deep breath. "I’m ready now," he announced to the gathered spirits. "I’m sorry it took so long for me to accept it. I…I’ve never felt worthy enough."
His sire gave a tiny smile. "You were always worthy, my son." Optimus Prime got to his paws and raised his tail, and the others followed in suit.
Heatwave met his sire’s gaze. "For the good of Cybertron."
At once, Heatwave felt a bright, blinding light scorching his back. The dark, starry plane illuminated into bright white. He expected painful heat, but Heatwave only felt soothing warmth seep through his entire frame.
A single, deep voice broke through the luster at the last moment before the light overtook him. "Arise."
"Wow." That’s all Kade had to say after Heatwave finished.
"…Yeah," Heatwave added lamely.
They were both quiet for several moments.
Kade was the first to break the silence. "So…did you only accept to save Kindle?" he asked nervously.
Heatwave thought for a moment. It was a question that’s been plaguing him all day. "I think part of me did originally," he explained quietly, choosing his words carefully. "But…a larger part of me always knew that it was meant to be. I was just…too afraid to acknowledge it. It feels right, in here." He brought a forepaw to his chest over his spark. His spark still felt the same despite his new status as Prime, and Heatwave wondered if that was on purpose.
"Makes sense," Kade added, wrapping his burly arms around his legs. "I always felt unprepared leading the team after Dad retired." He gave a harsh laugh. "Thank God Cody is far better at it than I am."
Heatwave detected bitter scorn in his partner’s remark. Kade had stepped down a year or two ago, though he was still an active member of the department. "You’re still a valued member of the rescue team, Kade," he softly insisted, flicking his tail-tip in the man’s face to make sure his point got across.
Kade waved a hand dismissively. "Geez, you sound like Hayley when she’s trying to convince me to retire," he scoffed good-naturedly.
The red mech gave a wry smile. "Well, there’s more gray than ginger in your hair now," he slyly remarked.
His human partner playfully pushed his muzzle away. "That’s not true!" Kade argued defiantly. He stroked his hair with a hand. "I checked this morning. There’s still plenty of ginger."
"Huh uh," Heatwave teased warmly.
Kade huffed defensively and continued to rake his hand through his hair. "So what happened to Paradox?" he prodded. "Did she get arrested?"
Heatwave nodded. "After I woke up, Quickshadow’s team had arrived and apprehended Paradox and her crew," the mech explained. Of course, that was an oversimplification of the details. Heatwave had woken with a start. His wound had disappeared, as well as the guards who pinned him down earlier. Quickshadow had Paradox pinned down with claws digging int other throat and a dangerous look in her eyes. Heatwave would never forget the pain-filled expression on his sparkmate’s face when she realized that he was alive—Quickshadow was prepared to kill Paradox until Heatwave intervened.
Kade spoke again. "Do they…all know by now?" he asked tepidly.
His partner grimaced, though there was a faint smile on his muzzle. "Yeah…I think all of Cybertron knows by now," he relented. "It took me a while to find a chance to slip away from all the…" Heatwave gestured with a forepaw. "…excitement, for lack of a better word." Hours had passed before Heatwave finally found a moment to listen to himself think. Even then, he had to pry himself from Quickshadow’s firm embrace in their new nest and reassure her that he’d come back. "I wanted to tell you first," Heatwave finished.
The red-head smiled. "I appreciate it," he replied sincerely. "And you deserve it, tough guy. I don’t know much about alien politics or what the heck goes on over on Cybertron, but I know you were a great leader of your team and a fantastic leader of the Rescue Bots here. Cybertron is lucky to have you."
The Prime felt touched by Kade’s earnest words. "Things may change, but somethings will always remain the same. Earth is my home just as much as Cybertron."
"Maybe this will be a good opportunity to unite both worlds, just as OP envisioned."
A comfortable silence settled over both. Part of Heatwave didn’t want to leave the comfortable companionship. Fireflies were still flickering in the field, and crickets chirped their ballads in the distance.
"Wanna go on patrol?" Kade suddenly asked, catching Heatwave’s attention. "Still got a few more hours until dawn."
"Flashpoint won’t mind?" Heatwave asked, referring to Kade’s current Fire-Bot partner. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to stay a bit longer.
"’Course not," Kade insisted as he stood up. He stretched his shoulders. "You know this town, there’s always something going wrong."
"You’re still in your pajamas, hot shot."
Kade again waved his hand dismissively as Heatwave gestured to the human’s purple rabbit sweatpants and loose gray shirt. "That’s why you’re gonna help me sneak into the garage and grab my spare uniform from the locker," he asserted with a grin.
Heatwave rolled his eyes. "Oh, that should go well," he scathed humorously, rising to his paws to follow Kade across basketball court towards the firehouse. "When your clumsiness accidentally alerts the rest of the team, I’m leaving that all for you to explain."
Kade turned and began walking backwards so he could look at Heatwave. "Well, they should be honored with the divine presence of their newly appointed leader," he elaborated mischievously with a wide gesture of his arms.
"At nearly 4 am," Heatwave deadpanned.
"At nearly 4 am."
Heatwave chuckled as he followed his human partner. Kade knew what Heatwave needed more than anything right now—one final chance to not be important, one final moment just to be himself, before the dawn arrived.