Transformers: A Matter of Fate

MEMORIES

A/N: Good news for those who wanted to see Ironhide in the fic. You'll get a little cameo from him here. :3

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CHAPTER 28

Memories

It was only a little after Coldsteel had been created that the first incident that Hound told Mark about had happened. He and Aquastrius had just moved into the new Autobot base in which they would be living, due to Hound's newfound involvement in the war. Of course, raising a sparkling while being in the middle of war had never been what Hound had wanted. In fact, he had wanted a simpler life in a small home in Iacon. He'd gotten the Iacon part, but the rest of it hadn't exactly come to fruition. But he knew he was doing the right thing in deciding to join the army and fight for the freedom of Cybertron from the Decepticons.

If only he were as good a sire as he was a warrior sometimes.

His mate had left him alone with their sparkling for three hours so far. And even though he thought the mechling had sat still in his crib while he was filling out reports, he had soon turned around to find that Coldsteel had disappeared. His first, and strongest reaction was of panic. Had someone snuck in and stolen his sparkling when he was distracted? But who in the Autobot base would do that? Who would want to? His processor worked on an absolute overload, he'd already torn apart his quarters, and now, as he rushed out into the hallway and began his frantic search there.

Of course, of all times to run into his older brother, Ironhide, this would be it. Hound had barely registered that he had run into the mech's rough plating, though he nearly barked at him, stopping himself only as he realized it was Ironhide. "Oh 'Hide thank goodnesss!" Hound shouted, his voice in panic mode even moreso than before "Have you seen Coldsteel? I turned my back on him to work! I thought he was taking a nap!"

"Hound, slow down." Ironhide waved him off slightly "He's only crawling at the moment. The little guy couldn't have gotten far." Hound put his hands on his hips, with narrowed optics "Oh right, I'd almost forgotten. This was your offspring." He snorted "Welp, I would be preparing for a proper tearing out from Aquastrius if I were you. When she finds out you lost her sparkling, she'll tear your spark out, at best." He added.

For a moment, Hound looked ready to scream, but it quickly faded as he noticed the look in Ironhide's optics. At this point, Hound flared with annoyance. "You know where he is, don't you?" The smug grin on Ironhide's faceplate was all the mech needed as an answer "Ironhide, what on Cybertron have you done? If I find my creation firing off cannons, I swear to Primus..."

"Hush." Ironhide snorted "I'm the cool uncle, but even I wouldn't think to let a sparkling anywhere near my cannons." Hound sighed in relief, though it only lasted a minute "He managed to do a good job of crawling his way to him himself!" Hound's optics widened, his processor nearly on the fritz by this point "He's in the weapons vault right now, safe and-."

"Ironhide, I'm going to offline you!"

Hound couldn't have run for that weapons vault of Ironhide's if he even tried. And with good reasons, once he had arrived, he found his sparkling alright. The sight he beheld was a small sparkling about the size of an adult human, with green plating and blue accents, as well as wide ocean blue optics, with little hands all over an army grade blaster. "COLDSTEEL!" The sparkling jumped, the weapon firing on a discharge just as Hound had rushed over and scooped him up, lucky for them, the blast only hit the wall "PRIMUS! Coldsteel, what in Primus's good name were you thinking? How did you even crawl out of your crib!?" He asked.

The sparkling barely replied with a quiet whir, reaching up to touch his sire's faceplate. The giggle he emitted reminded Hound that his son literally could not even understand a word of his scolding. Sighing a little, he shifted Coldsteel slightly, keeping as wide a smile as he could on his face. "You can't do that you little troublemaker." Hound told him gently "But I suppose on the bright side, with your ability to sneak out so easily, you might have a future ahead of you in special ops." Hound laughed quietly.