One stormy night as the thunder clouds roared and the lightning began to flare and show it was there the autobots received a signal that none thought they'd ever see again with their own optics.
"Optimus look," gasped Ratchet as he showed Optimus the signal he was tracking on his monitor.
When Optimus came to look he read the signal and indeed he knew what, or who, it was. His optics widened as he saw the signal for the first time in thousands of years. It couldn't be that signal could it?
"It can't be," lightly gasped Optimus not believeing the signal he was seeing.
Sam and Makeala were with the autobots during this time and so were wondering what was going on. They were going to return back home till that signal came that got everyone rattled up. Same looked and saw the expression on Optimus' face. It was that of shock and surprise and disbelief . . . and . . . sorrow?
"What's going on?" asked Sam looking at the autobots.
"Where is the signal coming from?" asked Optimus slightly bending down to Ratchet.
"He's entering the earth's atmosphere as we speak. He'll land a couple of yards away," said Ratchet pointing to the west.
"Then let's go!" said Optimus as they all transformed and drove to the landing spot.
"Sam what's going on?" asked Makeala as she and Sam got in Bumblebee.
"I don't know, but let's find out," said Sam as Bumblebee drove off after the others.
Alex Moore stood outside in the baseball field just practicing to be the best. He'd show the others. He was not a runt. He was not a . . . loser.
FLASHBACK
"Hey Moore you dope, why are you even here at try-outs huh?" laughed Chase one of the school jocks/bullys.
"Because I like baseball," said Alex. "I have a right just as you and twidledee and twidledum do."
All let out laughs as Chase and his two closest friends were called idiots. Chase didn't like this too much and so he came up to Alex and poked his chin outward and said-
"You care to take a go at it . . . Moore?"
Alex said nothing. He was not moved or frightened by this jerk. He never had been, but Chase can pack a mean punch. He then looked at the field and said-
"As long as it's on the field, so to make it fair for you."
Chase just gave out a small chuckle at hearing Moore trying to be tough. He then turned to his boys and then to the loser who had the courage to stand up to him and said-
"You don't stand a chance Moore. You never have and never will. Even if you do make the team you will always be the bench-sitter you are."
END FLASHBACK
"I'll show them a bench-sitter!" mumbled Alex as he readied to swing at another ball.
As the balls shot out at him he hit them and they went flying left and right and straight and up. The sound from his metal bat came out with loud 'clinks'. He kept hitting and hitting just wanting to get better and better. He'd show those losers who were the true losers. He'd have the last laugh if he could do anything about it.
There was some nasty storm clouds rolling in and the thunder and lightning was heard, and seen loud and clear. Alex didn't care though. He was going to practice till time itself ended if he had to. He hit another ball and another and another till the thunder clouds were just above him, but he paid little attention to them.
Alex raised his bat up high to hit the next ball but something happened he had not expected. In the storm traveled a transformer pod that flew to earth to land, but the storm overwhelmed him and lightning had struck him sending his sensors going crazy and caused him to fly too close to earth. The lightning strike surged through his body and traveled beneath him into the next metal object . . . Alex's bat. It struck Alex's bat and so surged through his body electrocuting him all over making his nerves go crazy and his heart pound like a mad war drum.
He couldn't drop the bat for he had lost all control over his nerves as the lightning strike hit him and the object that past just above him which he missed fly by. He couldn't even scream for the shock that was sent through his body was unbareable. The lightning surge then ceased and caused Alex to fall down unconscious as the object in the sky flew to the place it was meant to land.
As the autobots made their way to the landing site they transformed and there they saw the being trying to land. Something was wrong though. It was swaying back and forth and looked like it was losing control of all its sensors. Optimus was worried and so turned to Ratchet who was trying to get a power reading from the pod and asked him-
"Ratchet what's wrong?!"
"He was hit by some electrical surge . . . a lightning strike perhaps and it caused a great flaw to errupt in his sensors," said Ratchet seeng the high readings of electricity in the body.
"Can we do anything?" asked Ironhide as he came up beside Optimus Prime.
"No," said Ratchet as he straightened. "He'll have to take care of himself Optimus."
Optimus and the other autobots watched with wide optics as they gazed at the pod try and land. Sam and Makeala watched as the new arrival attempted to land.
"I don't think he's gonna make it," gasped Sam as the object fell from the stormy sky.
It then hit the ground hard with a couple of roll, skids, and slides as the dry ground flew up everywhere. Optimus was about to run to it, But Ironhide halted him saying-
"Wait Prime."
The pod then stopped with smoke and some sparks flying from it. All halted and wondered if it was okay.
Please be alright, prayed Optimus seeing he was the only transformer to answer his call.
A couple of minutes passed before it started moving. It bagan to switch and shift and soon it stood up just like the other autobots had when they first arrived to earth. It then began to scan its surroundings and when its optics rested on the four autobots starring at him. He recongnized them all, but never thought he'd see them in his life again.
Optimus then couldn't hold himself back and so he ran out to him. As soon as the other transformer recongized who was coming towards him he soon ran out to him doing the same. When they came to each other they met each other with a nice firm hug. Optimus still couldn't believe this all was happening and neither did the other transformer it appeared to all.
Sam and Makeala found this very odd, seeing two transformers hug . . . was that natural? Sam then decided to ask.
"Um, not to be rude or ruin the moment or nothing, but who is that?" asked Sam turning to Ratchet.
"That is Optimus' cybertronian replica," said Ratchet.
"What?" asked Sam and Makeala confused by what Ratchet had just said.
And so Ratchet decided to tell them in human terms since they weren't too smart as he could remember-
"His offspring . . . his child . . . his son."
"But I thought only the allspark can reproduce transformers," asked Sam.
"Well that power was passed down to a certain race of the transformers called femmes . . . they were our females and could reproduce a sparkling on their own, but not as much as the allspark could," said Ratchet.
"Well then that's it!" smiled Sam. "To reproduce your planet all you have to do is get the femmes!"
"Alas . . . we have none," sighed Ratchet with sad optics stoppinh Sam's vibrant thought. "They were all slaughtered in the great femme massacre."
"Yes," sighed Ironhide. "The decepticons gathered them all in one place on cybertron planing to take them all and use them to reproduce the decepticons since they couldn't have the allspark, but we found out too soon and so they had no choice but to kill them all."
"Many wives, daughters, and sisters were lost on that evil mad day," said Ratchet.
"The last femme that was left was Arcee, but she was lost to battle and none has seen her since," sighed Ironhide. "I lost my wife there."
"And Optimus lost his as well," said Ratchet. "His son is all he has left now."
Optimus and the new transformer then came to the rest and there Optimus introduced his son to the others.
"Sam . . . Makeala, I'd like you to meet my son," smiled Optimus.
"Nice to meet you," smiled Makeala.
Optimus' son just smiled at them not saying a word. Optimus then said-
"We have picked out a suitable earth name for him just as we had when we came to earth. His name is Hot Shot."
"W-why's that?" asked Sam wondering if he should sk.
"You should know soon enough," sighed Ironhide. "I thought you were dead."
Hot Shot didn't speak in human language yet, but he did in cybertronian to the others.
"I thought I was too," he smiled. "I mean after 'uncle' Megatron tossed me out into space I thought I'd never see you guys again."
"I thought the same thing son," smiled Optimus placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you are still alive."
"As am I," smiled Hot Shot. "Now . . . am I sapposed to find a suitable disguise or what?"
"The children will show you Hot Shot. Follow them," said Optimus.
Optimus then turned to the children and said-
"I want you two to find Hot Shot a suitable earth disquise."
"Sure thing Optimus," smiled Sam as she and Makeala sped off to the town.
It was dark so they kept to the shadows as they showed Hot Shot some cars they thought he'd like, but all they showed he hated. He didn't talk, but simply shook his head. They wanted him to talk so they would find out what he wanted, but so far he wanted nothing.
"Then what do you want?" asked Sam turning to the picky transformer. "Why don't you pick a semi like you father?!"
Hot Shot then gave a angry face and shook his head greatly signifying he wanted to look nothing like his father.
"Oh, I know!" smiled Makeala. "There's this car show downtown he might like."
"A car show?" asked Sam.
"Okay so it's illegal racing, but they have some sweet cares," she smiled. "That he might like."
"Well," sighed Sam. "What have we got to lose?"
And so they made their way to the 'car show' making sure no one could see them and Hot Shot.
"Okay pick your best!" said Sam really not wanting to be there.
Hot Shot looked at them all and he liked them. He then saw a nice shiny slick black car with sliver lining and a green under light. It was very nice as he placed a hand over it and just slide it over. His optics were pleased by the car and so he decided to scan it. When he was done Sam and Makeala looked at Hot Shot and liked what they saw.
He was as good-looking in robot form as in car form.
"I like," he smiled as he finaly spoke in human language.
"Good, now let's go," said Sam wanting to leave as quick as he could.
"What's your rush Sam?" asked Hot Shot not really wanting to show Optimus just yet.
Makeala could tell what Hot Shot was thinking and so said-
"Why don't you test the car mode out for a while. I'm sure Optimus won't mind you being gone so long."
"Okay," smiled Hot Shot as he transformed.
And so they drove around and found that Hot Shot seemed to have everything under control.
"Well, my sensors seem back to normal after that electical surge," said Hot Shot.
"That's good," smiled Makeala. "But now I think we should get back."
"Yea, I guess so," sighed Hot Shot as he turned to head back to the autobots.
As the other waited to see what Hot Shot scanned they all were not too surprised to see Hot Shot's car mode selection. Optimus sighed as he saw his son come up to him in a sports car typish mode.
"Hhh, why am I not surprised Hot Shot," sighed Optimus.
"Well I like it," said Hot Shot.
"I see nothing wrong with it," played Bumblebee.
"Let the boy alone," said Ironhide. "It suits him, just like his name."
"I sappose you're right," sighed Optimus as he looked at his son. "Just stay out of trouble and you'll be fine."
"I will father," smiled Hot Shot.
And so Sam and Makeala went home for the night and Hot Shot just got used to his new home just cruising around.
The alarm went off and Alex quickly shut it off. He woke up and found himself in his own room and house. How did that happen? he wondered. He then looked at himself and found he was fine. Nothing was wrong with him . . . was last night all but . . . a dream?
It was like he wasn't struck by lightning at all. He then paid little attention to it as he readied for school, but before he left his dad had something to say-
"Don't you be staying out late again Alex. If I find you in that baseball feild sleeping again I'll never let you watch another game of the dodgers for a month!"
Alex turned and looked at his dad with wondering eyes. He held it in for a moment then asked-
"What did you say dad?"
"You worked yourself so hard last night that you fell asleep. You should be lucky you weren't struck by lightning. There were some nasty thunder clouds last night."
"O-okay," he stuttered as he headed off to school. "I'll . . . I'll see ya when you get back."
"Will do son," smiled his dad as he watched him leave.
He then sighed and said-
"I swear, that boy of mine."
Alex made his way to school walking from one block to the other, but nothing caught his attention as a dark police car speaking to someone in another electonic language, but then it became as clear as english to Alex. It was saying the strangest things like-
"This is barracade Starscream. I have found the autobots. What are your orders?"
"What?" gasped Alex looking more closely at the police car seeing there was a stiff driver in the front, but his lips weren't moving, how was he talking?
"Wait . . . there is a human gazing at me," said Barracade turning to Alex.
Alex then turned the other way and headed off to school hoping he wasn't seen. How could he understand such a strange language . . . was that a normal earth alnguage at all? What was going on? Was it because of the lightning strike?
All Alex wanted to do at the time was just go to school like any other normal 11th grader, but ever since that night would Alex Moore ever be the same again?