Archive of Our Own ^beta

Prowl sighed as he walked alone in the dark room that had been his dojo, once. Once huge and beautiful, now left in ruins. The Cyberninja had not put a pede in the place, following the desires of those who had been his fellow students, his friends, until a bombing had come and destroyed everything in its wake, leaving only a shell of a building where once it had been bursting with younglings eager to learn. 

The white and black Second in Command stopped in front of a much younger statue of himself as one of the elite students, half wrecked by the fall of parts of the building. Luckily the statues had not been under the part of the roof that did collapse completely. Though his depiction did miss a conspicuous part anyway. 

“Weird that the doorwings were the only part completely destroyed of your statue. " Jazz noted, speaking for the first time since they entered. The spy walked respectfully behind Prowl, and the mech accepted him as bodyguard for this visit just because the Polyhexian had studied Circuit Su as well, though in a different dojo. 

Prowl took a deep vent, as he knew exactly what happened there, and it hurt to a level he had never thought to experience. 

"That's because they weren't. They were removed as soon as I left Praxus to join the Autobots." he said quietly, and let himself lean in Jazz's comforting touch that came at those words. He had known it'd happen, but seeing it was another thing altogether, especially as his mutilated statue still stood beside his master. The one he chose his path for. 

—

Five decavorns earlier

"I am leaving."

As they just finished erecting Yoketron's majestic statue, that still seemed to miss the spark of the way smaller mech, Prowl uttered those quiet words. It was like a switch was thrown, and the somber silence that hung over the, sadly way too small, group turned to ice as six helms whipped to glare at him. Prowl has not moved, keeping his expression carefully neutral, as he was not going to change his mind whatever his friends decided to say. He hoped their knowledge of his character would avoid too much drama to try and keep him there, but strongly doubted it. 

The first bot to react with words was, unsurprisingly, Dai Atlas. The way larger mech was frowning at him sternly, having learned way too well to do it from their master. A frown that mirrored Prowl’s usual one and wouldn’t move him. His voice was still carefully restrained as he spoke up softly, his voice still booming because of his big frame:”To go where, Prowl? You know our city is neutral and what our master thought about getting involved in this war.”

“Of course I know. That we were not to get involved because both sides were dishonorable and unworthy of being entrusted with the help of certain techniques. So we were to protect Praxus, staying here until the hostilities were over.” Prowl basically recited that by spark, because Master Yoketron said it very often. “But circumstances changed. Yoketron was assassinated by Lockdown on Megatron’s command, you know it. The Decepticons’ influence has long entered Praxus, its neutral days are coming to an end one way or the other, and I am not going to wait here for it to happen. I am joining the Autobots,”

Dai Atlas’ expression soured, surely going to reply in a less civil way now that Prowl had fully expressed his plan. But before he could, one of the youngest of them, Drift, stepped forward. He seemed the only one not angry, just anxious as he looked up at the black and white Praxian.

“Prowl, but Yoketron wouldn’t want you to risk your life to avenge him.” he tried basically begging. “Don’t do this. Praxus isn’t done yet. We came from every side of Cybertron to train here and protect it, why would you leave just for revenge?”

Prowl sighed and reached out, rubbing the youngling’s helm as he pitied him more than anything because of his innocence. He wished he didn’t have his battle computer, with a countdown constantly ticking in his processor to the day Praxus would inevitably fall one way or the other. And no option he thought about would change its destiny. 

"I am sorry youngling." He said quietly. "But you're wrong. I am not choosing this path for revenge, but because our only hope to survive and make our planet survive is to join a side. And I will never side with the ones that murdered our master. I won't begrudge you all for your choice, but I strongly advise you to change your mind. You'll all be next. "

Drift jerked out of his touch and the soon to be tactician sighed heavily. The gazes of hostility never softening, maybe even hardening as they probably took those words as threats. 

" And our techniques? " Dai Atlas asked again, frowning deeply. "You're joining active fighting, you know you can't share them with non-students. Are you betraying us even in that?" 

Prowl shook his helm as he turned away. He would never teach those techniques to anyone else, especially because he knew they'd be used without the proper training and mindset, risking to hurt even the user. 

" I took a role as senior tactician, with my past accomplishments in the police tactical teams it was not hard. ' He said quietly." I won't fight and won't share our master's teachings. That, you will not have to worry about. "

He started leaving, knowing there were no more reassurances he could give them, none would be sufficient short of a reassurance he wouldn't leave and remain as the last Praxian student of the school. That was probably one of the reasons why they felt so betrayed. But Prowl couldn't be as blind as them, his processor wouldn't let him even if he wanted to. 

"Prowl! You know you won't be able to ever come back if you step out of there, right?" Drift called out again, a last plea as he could hear the others already leaving. "Please… you'll be permanently exiled from the whole city!" 

Prowl didn't turn back at those words, knowing that from the moment he confirmed his agreement with the Autobot leader. He just raised a servo slowly as he walked off, in a last goodbye. 

And as he walked through the fields, going toward the train station, he focused on the last songs of crystals he'd ever listen to. Wanting to keep them in his processor. 

—

Present day

Prowl walked in the makeshift med bay, his optics dimming at the handful of survivors laying covered in bandages. Other than the sparkling he had personally dug out of the rubble and now was snuggled against his chassis, his fellow praxians still alive were just a few. Less than five. But he frowned as he recognized three frames clearly different, and that were intensely familiar to him, even in that state. Seeing one of them awake, he started slowly approaching. 

"Dai Atlas." He said quietly as he surveyed his, Star Saber's and Wing's injured frames. "Only you three survived?" 

His spark ached as he hoped the other three sparks had fled somewhere before the disaster. Maybe they did heed his warning, though they did not join the Autobots. Off world as neutrals was definitely a better option than dead. 

" Quickshadow and Blurr are gone." Dai Atlas said quietly, though he never looked at Prowl. Though the commander was glad, as tears threatened to come up at those words. "the ceiling fell on them as we were running out. It was burning, there's no way." 

"And Drift?" Prowl mech questioned softly as Dai Atlas paused, not mentioning the youngest of them all. 

"I don't know." the bigger mech murmured, and Prowl could only feel guilt in the usually neutral voice. "He left before the bombs could fall on the dojo, he wanted to help evacuate the city. I never saw him again." 

Prowl hung his helm and doorwings at those words. In that carnage, there was no way the youngling survived. He wished he had looked back at him, that last time. He really didn't know what to say. 

" I am sorry, Dai Atlas. " He said quietly, and at those words the mech finally turned to look at him. Prowl could still see the faint accusation among all that pain. 

"I expected an " I told you so". " The mech hissed softly. " Didn't it go all accord to your own calculations? '

"It did, but I am not here to gloat.' Prowl said quietly, hurt by that accusation. He was used to harsh judgements by his subordinates, but by an old friend it was extremely painful." I just wish I could prevent it. "

The bigger mech just frowned at him, and Prowl knew already he didn't believe him. The Cyberninja just shook his helm slowly. 

'Once we're healed enough, we're leaving. " He said quietly." Off world. We have nothing keeping us back here, and we'll honor Praxus in the way those who died would have wanted. Know, if your comrades are to discuss with us about anything, they aren't to send you. "

That was the last stab the rumored emotionless tactician could bear. He lowered his doorwings as much as possible and shushed the mechling who was starting to fuss waking up, probably because of his troubled field. 

" I understand. ' He murmured softly, turning away. " Take good care, and heal soon. I wish you all the best old friends. "

The Second in Command left, knowing that chapter of his life was definitely over, leaving behind just death and hatred. His arms tightening around the now calmer Bluestreak as he couldn't let himself cry.