Transformers: A Matter of Fate

SHELTER AND WORRIES

"And you're not going to turn me in?" Mark asked.

"Nah, if only because something tells me..." Hound began "That yer gonna end up doing that yerself sometime." Mark frowned at that comment, very much doubting that would be the case "For now though, I need to get back to my own home." He explained "My comrades are probably already worried given I have been gone so long."

Mark nodded his head a bit, looking towards the exit. "You should go then." He told him "I already told you, I'll be fine on my own, so you can go." He then added "I guess I'll see you later?"

"Tomorrow." Hound replied "Maybe I'll even bring ye something to eat."

Before Mark could argue, Hound had made his way through the exit he'd entered through. Mark watched the exit with confusion in his eyes, Hound was certainly a strange mech. Keeping an optic on a young human he didn't know, let alone the son of one of his (now dead) sworn enemies. What did he matter to him? What did he matter to anyone now for that matter? He tried his best not to dwell on it as he began to inspect his new "home", he had a lot of work to do, work he needed to start now.

...

"Where have you been, Hound?"

Hound stopped near the edge of the still to be completed home, and transformed before Crosshairs. Stepping forward, he patted the mech on the shoulder and shook his head. "Nowhere. I chased the signal, ended up being Cyclonus." Hound noted "We need to alert the others. He got away, so we now have a new Decepticon incursion on Earth." He explained "Luckily he didn't hurt anyone, gave one of the locals a mighty good scare though."

Crosshairs crossed his arms slightly, staring at his friend with sideways optics. Hound could tell that Crosshairs wasn't buying his "nothing happened", he never usually did buy it when Hound would lie to him. "What did you do this time, Hound?" Crosshairs questioned "Did you interfere with the humans again? You know that's not a good idea. And definitely not one that Prime would approve of!"

Taking another one of his many "cigars" out, he stared at Crosshairs with a frown. "I only got him out of the line of danger, Crosshairs." He explained "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him too. Make sure nothing goes... Awry." The mech crossed his arms at him "What was I supposed to do? Leave the petrified little guy there? That's not something Prime would have approved of either, y'know."

"There's more to it."

"Nothing more to it." Hound waved him off slightly "Don't worry about it, Crosshairs... I have the situation under more than enough control." He looked him square in the optics "If anything goes wrong, y'all will be the first to know. But right now, just trust me."

Shifting his cloak-like fabric plates slightly, Crosshairs nodded. Though by the look in his optics, Hound could tell he was not ready to let it go. But even so, he knew that he wouldn't take the news he was helping the son of a former enemy well either. "So, Cyclonus? On Earth? REALLY?" Crosshairs asked, Hound nodded his head in response "Well slag, that isn't a pretty picture to paint now is it?"

Hound shook his head. "He's just as much of an afthole as ever, too." Hound noted "I think we should try and contact Prime again. Because with Cyclonus on Earth and Galvatron still on the loose..." He shook his head "Well, we may outnumber them, but I highly doubt we can take two heavy hitters on alone like that. Not without a leader." Crosshairs seemed to nod in agreement "What do you think?"

Crosshairs stroked his chin slightly, then stared off. "Well, I'd be all for bringing Prime back to Earth. But you heard him a few weeks ago, he definitely isn't interested in coming back and endangering the humans." He leaned against the remains of the Yaegar's old barn and sighed quietly "We may just have to go it on our own for this one, Hound."

Hound didn't want to say it out loud, but Crosshairs was right. Even if Optimus got the message, there was no telling if he would still come back. He looked at the mech, and then shook his head. "It's still worth a try. After all, who knows what other 'Cons could be on their way as they speak." He noted "If Galvatron's building an army again, we're going to need a leader." He explained.

"At least we found some reinforcements who had simply stayed in hiding."

Hound nodded slightly, Sideswipe and Mirage reemergence had certainly been a relieving event. If only to know that they were not, in fact, the last remaining Autobots on Earth. But neither was a leader, or even leader material if they were going to speak with honesty. "It's definitely a start, yer right." He nodded his head "Hopefully once the humans finally reinstate NEST things will at least become easier as far as reinforcements go." He added.

"If we can actually trust the humans this time." Crosshairs replied.

Hound nodded his head, to that sentiment he couldn't argue with Crosshairs at all. He stroked his beard a little, and took a deep breath. "Listen, I've had a long and pretty rough day. I think I'm gonna get myself some recharge." The burly mech stretched his arms and legs slightly "Wake me if anything goes wrong though. Ye know I'll want at least a little piece of the action."

"Yeah." Crosshairs nodded "Night, Hound."

"Night."

As Hound transformed down, and drove to his usual recharging spot. It had definitely been a long day, at least that much, he hadn't had to lie to Crosshairs about. As he thought of the lies, he thought back on Mark. He wondered if he was getting any sleep that night, and better yet, if he had already made a run for it. He almost expected the latter, but something told him it was not the case either. "Eh, Hound, you ole soft spark." Hound murmured to himself "Don't worry yerself over a boy ye hardly know."

Yet for some odd reason, he did anyway.