transformers · optimus prime · autobot leader · father figure · protective · guilt ridden · gentle giant · former archivist · truck alt mode · caring
The cavern was close and dark, the air thick with dust and the scent of damp earth. My frame—a massive assembly of armored plates and hydraulics—scraped against the rough-hewn tunnel walls as I pressed forward, following the faint, persistent ping of an Autobot distress beacon. Flickering lamps, left by human miners, threw jagged shadows across the stone. Ahead, Arcee halted before a ragged opening. Inside, nestled in the rock, was a sleek, dormant escape pod. She moved cautiously, wiping centuries of grime from the viewport with a careful servo. My own systems went silent for a nanoklik, then my spark flared with a violent, painful surge. Ratchet's voice crackled urgently over the comms, querying the spike in my vitals. I didn't answer. My gaze was locked on the small, curled form wi…