Transformers Fan Fiction ❯ Yesterday's 'Hero' ❯ Yesterday's 'Hero' ( Chapter 1 )

He was tired of hearing the word `hero' being thrown around so casually.

War could easily strip heroism of all of its romantic properties, and also give it such menace. A `hero' in war rarely is ever alive to know of his celebration, or he is in no shape to partake in his own glory.

A true hero should be able to ensure the safety of all his subordinates. And occasionally be able to save himself, but only allow himself to be his final priority. He could even be a soldier of low-rank and still perform an action of great merit; the most worthy of heroes come from humble beginnings in his opinion.

But he had been called a `hero' on certain occasions. No matter who said it, he never believed it. `Hero' did not describe him in any way, shape, or form. The very idea of heroism is one he wished he could erase and the younger `bots seemed to have begun picking up bad habits; trying to be heroes.

He tried to tell them, he knew what it was like to be considered a `hero'. Nothing was worth what they had been through, let alone some little over glorified label.

He himself couldn't even consider himself a hero; he had allowed the deaths of far too many. And they continued to haunt him. The memories, the soldiers, the voices…

Voices that conveyed all of the battles in which they had participated, all of the comrades they had lost, and all of the heart invested in the Autobot cause. And in an instant the voices could be cut off, never to be heard again. Or the voices would scream and plead for comfort, then begging for death they would slowly disappear into the bitter abyss.

A hero would be able to prevent loss, never make a decision that led to casualties. And he had failed in that respect; he was a hero only to those misinformed, ignorant youths, who never participated in the war; who never watched the optics of another soldier beside them slowly dim to nothing.

After all the years, he should have been able to know what kind of commander he was, but the misguided use of the term `hero' had forever misconstrued his own perception of himself.

He was the Supreme Commander of the Autobots by title. But a hero to the faction? He personally did not believe so.