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Serendipity	By : AkashaEmily Category: S through Z > Transformers (Movie Only) > Transformers (Movie Only) Views: 5248 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters of the Transformers franchise as well as the franchise itself are licensed and owned by Hasbro. I do this for entertainment purposes only and do not profit AT ALL- monetarily or otherwise- from the writting of these stories.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters of
the Transformers franchise as well as the franchise itself are licensed and
owned by Hasbro. I own nothing and make absolutely no profit- monetarily or
otherwise- from the posting of this story in any way, shape, or form.

A/N: You know, due to the fanfiction equivalent of
�The Bystander Effect� I got so ridiculously happy when I saw I had a new
review notification for this story on this site earlier today�. Turns out it
was just the AFF.net site moderators telling me (though admittedly politely)
that I needed to rewrite my disclaimer. Awesome start to the day. Enjoy the
chapter.�

Serendipity
Chapter Three

If a stunt was deemed reckless and/or
stupid, it was a safe bet that not only had Skywarp been there, done that, but
that he�d also metaphorically bought the T-shirt, the collectable keychain, and
held a lifelong membership card as well.
Reprogrammed the maintenance
drones to repaint the Nemesis (though that hadn�t been its name at the time) an
optic gouging acid green just before its public reveal and christening by the
High Council? Announced increased rations for everyone over the internal
communications network after mining the floor of the single hallway leading to
the base�s public energon dispensers then setting up the security feed to tape
the results? Reconfigure the timing mechanisms on Thundercracker�s explosives
so that they blew up in his face rather than the Autobot the Seeker was aiming
at? Using industrial epoxy to glue the doors to Megatron�s personal quarters
and office shut then spreading the rumor that the High Lord Protector was going
senile because he couldn�t remember the requisite door codes? All just a small
sampling of Skywarp�s work.��
In much the same way that everyone
kept a record of their personal accomplishments, Skywarp kept a data log of all
the pranks he�d pulled and, occasionally, when he was bored or in need of
cheering up, he would recall some of his favorites. This usually did the trick
but not even going through the whole log- literally terabytes of information!-
could improve Skywarp�s current state of mind.
His entire frame throbbed with
the sensation of being too full, as if his internals had swollen obscenely in
response to the pod�s presence, and it was affecting both his mobility and his
balance as he sought out his assigned quarters. Moving slowly, with one hand on
the external armor protecting his spark chamber and the other braced against
the corridor wall for support, the Seeker struggled to ignore his protesting
systems and pretend that the pod was not playing havoc with his normally sleek
and aerodynamic body. Even though he understood the reason behind the side
effects, he really didn�t like the new development and, belatedly, Skywarp wondered
if his ability to fly would be affected.�
�You better appreciate this,
squishy.� The jet muttered darkly, stroking the heavy armor of his chest in an
effort to relieve the aching weight that seemed to have settled there.
Surprisingly, installing the pod
physically hadn�t been terribly complicated. Skywarp had managed to attach the
intake and outtake tubing without too much trouble, easily integrating them into
his systems since, as a flight capable frame, he had redundant cooling,
heating, and waste disposal systems that could easily handle the minimal
addition strain internalizing the pod would cause. No, it was the issue of
power that really became a problem because, though the pod was easily equipped
to deliver energon to a hatchling, it wasn�t built to actually run off of it.
There was no fuel converter, no internal refining process, in the pod�s design
and thus it could only use electrical energy to function. Skywarp had run a
quick diagnostic, hunting for any system within his design specs that would be
capable of supplying the needed energy without causing either him or the pod
permanent damage. He�d only managed to find one system he could tap into
without worrying about injury and he had quickly capitalized on it before he
could think twice.
Trine-mate or not, Starscream
would kill him if he ever found out.
An alert on his HUD popped up to
inform him that the rudimentary coding for the pod�s software had been successfully
installed and that the rest of the parameters were being incorporated into
Skywarp�s background functions. Great; once everything was downloaded, he
wouldn�t have to consciously manage the needs of the pod beyond making sure he
had enough supplies sub-spaced to keep everything up and running. The Seeker
groaned, pausing in his trek again briefly to rub his chest plating, proximity
sensors at maximum to warn him of anyone approaching because he was a complete
sitting duck. The reminder of his vulnerability grated against his armor,
prodding Skywarp into movement once more down another empty hallway.
Though he thanked Primus the
corridor remained empty, the lack of any kind of evidence that other personnel were
around began to bother Skywarp but his curiosity and anxiety were quickly pushed
aside in favor of concern for himself as he concentrated on blocking his
trine-mate from feeling any of his problems through the shared bond between
them. Skywarp knew that the other Seeker needed him but, even as the guilt ate
at him, the teleporter also knew that he just didn�t have the requisite energy
or processor capability to spare. He�d only be doing more harm than good if he
answered �Screamer�s calls and so, unable to do anything else, Skywarp ignored
them as he forced his heavy limbs forward to cover the distance between himself
and his berth.
With nothing to dampen it, the
angry buzz of his intake fans working hard to cool his internals down was unbelievably
loud in the restricted space of the hallway. As if the heat weren�t bad enough,
his spark felt as if it were hurling itself against its containment field in
agitation, and Skywarp had never in his existence wanted anything so badly than
to just reach his room for a long, long recharge. For a moment he debated
simply teleporting the distance but ultimately decided that walking would be
the safer, if more tedious, option. On the heels of that decision, he made
another one to later track down the slagger who designed this Pit-spawned base
and terminate them for putting the living apartments so fragging far away-
Skywarp�s progress came to an
abrupt unsteady stop as he turned a gentle corner and literally ran into the
last mech in the universe he wanted to see outside of his irate trine-mate.
�M-my Lord!� The Seeker
immediately took a step back and dropped to the floor on one knee, spreading
his arms in a bow, his intake fans redlining from the strain of the movement. The
sudden shift in position made him disoriented and, for the first time, Skywarp experienced
what it was like to have no idea where he was in relation to space, a sensation
completely foreign for a Seeker. It made his tanks pitch and roil threateningly
but the teleporter knew that however bad he felt now would be nothing compared
to how Megatron would make him feel if Skywarp purged on the Decepticon Leader.
�I�m sorry! I didn�t mean to interrupt you�your, uh��
Though his optics remained on the
floor, his sensor arrays informed him of the violent scene that lay not too far
from his position and Skywarp inwardly balked, deciding that he should say no
more in the interest of self-preservation.
Something had set off Megatron�s
infamous temper and the mech had gone on a veritable rampage in the corridor.
The bulk heads were shredded, strips of metal curling down the walls as
installation sealant puddled below to reflect the sparking light fixtures that dangled
like bizarre ornaments after having been pulled from their placements. Dents
marred the few intact places on the walls as well as the floor, helping Skywarp
map out the path Megatron had followed as he vented his rage and, considering
the damage, it was rather interesting to note that the other had managed to
confine his anger to only that one segment of the corridor. Since he had not
heard the destruction taking place, the Decepticon leader should have burned
off his bloodlust but that didn�t mean that Skywarp�s sudden untimely arrival
couldn�t stir it back up again.
�The Seeker remained as still and unthreatening
as possible, bowing slightly lower in deference to his lord, content to let the
kliks crawl by until the other either gave him an order, beat the slag out of
him, or simply left. Skywarp had thought that no one could be as moody as
Starscream but Megatron could go from zero to homicidal faster than anyone
Skywarp had ever met and it was best to wait for some indication of what whim
to cater to. Of course, staying quiet didn�t always help either. Silence was a
trap the High Lord Protector seldom used but, when he did, it usually meant
that the mech being ignored was facing permanent deactivation in the near
future. Worse yet, there wasn�t a definite way to fox the trap: talk too much,
or too little, and either could mean death by torture or continued existence
depending solely on Megatron�s mood. Starscream, being the one with the most
experience when it came to their leader�s wrath, had tried to explain the
intricacies of how to handle such a situation to him but Skywarp had tuned out
shortly after the conversation began because it was boring. After Starscream
gave up, Skywarp had simplified it all under a generic edict: A silent Megatron
was a deadly Megatron. In retrospect, he really should have listened to
Starscream�s advice even if it was boring...
Skywarp�s processor ached...
�Megatron had not moved, simply stood there
blocking the Seeker�s way and, as a precaution, Skywarp temporarily cut power
to his vocalizer as he waited to be acknowledged, tightening his armor plates
closing to his frame to absorb impact from any surprise blows.
A hand descended onto the back of
Skywarp�s helm, the wide palm covering most of the surface easily, and Skywarp
fought not to flinch away as his processor absently calculated how crippling it
would be if Megatron sank his claws into the teleporter�s head and pulled. �
�Skywarp,� Megatron�s voice
was�strangely empty considering how normally volatile he could be. His fingers
began stroking over Skywarp�s head, tracing the contours of the armor,
following the dips and curves, mapping it all in a manner that was almost -but
not quite- absent. It was too intent to be dismissive and the Seeker felt his
spark stutter in fear because, outside of trines, gestalts, bondmates, or
berth-mates, uninitiated intimate touching in the Decepticon Army never ended
well for the one being touched. The prospect of forcibly interfacing with
Megatron made Skywarp�s armor crawl and his spark freeze in its casing.
�My Lord.� Skywarp struggled to
respond in a neutral tone as he stared hard at the floor, wondering if Megatron
would allow him to pull away. He scrambled to think of something more to say as
the other�s hand began to trace Skywarp�s left shoulder assembly until an alert
popped up on his HUD informing him that finally all of the pod�s software had
been successfully installed though he would need to reboot in order to actively
use any of it. Not even a nanoklik later did another alert appear to warn him
that the pod was initiating a filtration cycle before the thicker fluid was
flooding his waste lines, making them swell painfully with pressure until they
emptied into his protesting tank.
With a muffled explosion and a
flare of pain, one of Skywarp�s intake fans blew, interrupting the tense
atmosphere as it startled both the Seeker and Megatron.
�What was that?� The Decepticon
leader�s tone was somewhere between curiosity and irritation as his hand paused
in its exploration of Skywarp�s shoulder and began edging down the Seeker�s back
to where his vents were located, the strained whine of the remaining fan shrill
in both their audios. �What have you done that is causing you to overheat?�
Skywarp sagged slightly, putting
himself in contact with as much of the cool flooring metal as possible as he
struggled to think, his HUD lighting up with alarms as his core temperature
skyrocketed beyond safe parameters. ��
�Earth fuel,� The Seeker said
thinly, grasping at an explanation that had gotten him into trouble in the past
as Megatron bent over him, fingers inspecting the blown vent. �Long flight, low
fuel, tried some when planet side. Doesn�t agree�� Skywarp�s tanks heaved with
purpose and he shoved Megatron away as hard as he could with barely enough time
to spare as his entire intake system reversed itself so violently it momentarily
blanked his audio/visual feeds. When they returned it was in a series of
disorienting static filled bursts and, if he�d been standing, the jet would
have fallen, so Skywarp counted it as a good thing that he was already on the
floor. Mindlessly he murmured apologies for the mess and wirelessly called for
maintenance drones to scrub the area clean as he tried to pick himself up to
face punishment.
Hands gripped his shoulders,
hauling him up, and Skywarp couldn�t help the whimper that escaped as he was
dragged to his feet and pressed roughly against the wrecked bulkhead, the
spindly streams of shredded metal seeming to grasp for him. He flinched back for
the Decepticon Leader but didn�t dare try to escape, waiting for the pain,
waiting for punishment because weakness of any kind was not tolerated among
Decepticons and certainly not by its leader! Skywarp sagged, Megatron�s grip
the only thing keeping him upright as his knee joints folded underneath him,
error reports and warning racing across his HUD. He was perilously close to
emergency shutdown but Skywarp remained silent, wondering if Megatron would
still hurt him if he wasn�t online to feel it�
And then he must have offlined
without realizing it. Megatron threw Skywarp�s arm over his own shoulder
assemblies, taking the smaller Seeker�s weight as the Decepticon leader headed
back down the destroyed section of hallway to an empty apartment and settled
him on a room�s large berth, spreading cleanser soaked cleaning cloths from the
maintenance unit over Skywarp�s armor. The former High Lord Protector unsubspaced
a pathetically small cube of energon and poured it directly into Skywarp�s
external intake valve before resetting the room�s temperature controls and
leaving without comment.
�But all of that had to have been imagined, a
delusion that Skywarp�s over heated processor cobbled together as his logic
circuits fried, because Megatron, leader of the glorious Decepticon Army, was
incapable of showing anything remotely like kindness or compassion even toward
his subordinates�
Wasn�t he?
___________________________

�I can�t believe you brought him
with you!� Leo groused, mouth twisting up into an expression of disdain though
his eyes remained firmly on the road as he followed the parade of cars driving
away from Philadelphia International Airport. �Was he your carry on?�
�Shut up, Chia pet!� Wheelie
hissed, sitting comfortably in Mikaela�s lap and looking around at the slow
moving traffic. �You�re just jealous you don�t have a girlfriend!�
�You don�t either, midget!� Leo
said, pointing a finger at the small Transformer, nearly loosing the digit when
Wheelie snapped at it. �And I thought you were an Autobot now. Shouldn�t you be
staying with them?�
Wheelie waved a hand
dismissively. �Autobot-Shmatobot. Warrior Goddess is my leader.�
Mikaela stroked a hand over
Wheelie�s head and back, smiling patiently as he wrapped his hands around her
upper arm possessively. �Wheelie lives with me and helps me in the shop. He�s
my head security officer and both Wheelie and Boss have already stopped three
attempted break-ins this month.�
�Did he hump them into
submission?� Leo sneered then yelped as her fist connected with his arm, making
the car swerve in the lane.
�You know that I still have video
of you snuggling with Simmons in Egypt, right?� Wheelie said in a disarmingly
conversational tone as he made faces out the window at a kid in the car next to
them. The kid stared for a minute then took up the challenge, making faces
right back.
�So,� Leo cleared his throat and
stared straight ahead at the road, speeding up a bit to get away from kid as
the woman in the front passenger seat turned around to see what was making her
son act up. �Three break-ins, huh? Good job. What do you tell your dad about
him?�
Mikaela didn�t bother to look up
from the list she was studying. Leo had been surprisingly thorough in while
she�d been in the air and the paper not only listed what items had been stolen
but also when and where. Distractedly, she said, �Sam came up with the excuse.
Princeton has the reputation of having excellent engineering and math
departments, right? I just told my dad that Wheelie�s a joint venture between
them as an experiment in A.I. development that needed to they wanted to test in
real world conditions.�
�Real world conditions my aft.�
Wheelie sneered. �He loses to me at poker and has me fetch him beer. When I was
with the Decepticons�Ooooh! Right there��
Mikaela derailed the tirade he
was segueing into by stroking a particularly sensitive spot, stroking cables
and teasing her finger under some of his armor plates until he was the
equivalent of robotic goo nuzzling between her breasts.
Leo glanced at them, one eyebrow
arched. �Uh huh. What do tell your dad when the little freak humps your leg-
OW! Can�t you see I�m driving woman?! You want to kill us all?�
�Chemistry was never my best
subject�� Ignoring him, Mikaela frowned at the paper, eyes aching as the stress
began to catch up with her. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she looked down at
the small mech, who roused as she spoke. �Can you make any sense out of this,
Wheelie?�
�I�m not much of a chem whiz
either, Warrior Goddess but I�ll give it a shot.� Taking the paper from her, he
tilted his head as he read, armor plates fluttering slightly. �The reception
out here sucks so looking them up on the �net is out but that one,� He tapped
one of the items with his index digit. �is an anti-inflammatory� and the one
below it�s a human hormone� and the one below that is a kind of experimental
liquid oxygen.�
�What, like, �LCL�?� Leo asked,
watching traffic as he merged into another lane.
�LCL?� Mikaela repeated blankly,
vaguely irritated by the interruption.
�Yeah, you know, LCL? Neon
Genesis Evangelion?� He risked a glance at her then rolled his eyes. �Look it�s
supposed to be, like, this breathable liquid stuff. In the anime, the kids who
pilot these giant mechs are submerged in it when they�re commanding the robot.
Funny thing is that they can talk normally when they�re in it,� He laughed, turning
his head to look at her. �But we all know that that�s impossible�� His smile disappeared as the other two stared
at him. �Uh, never mind.�
�Nerd.� Wheelie said into the
resulting silence.
�Over grown tin can.� Leo
growled, looking back at the road and glaring at it.
Mikaela pinched the bridge of her
nose. ��Okay. So, whatever it is, would a Cybertronian be able to use any of
it?�
�Not that I know of.� Wheelie
handed her back the list, shrugging. �Though I suppose that oxygen stuff could
be used for, I dunno, cushioning��
��Cushioning?� Mikaela asked, confusion
evident. �I thought you said it was a liquid.�
Wheelie made a waffling motion
with his hand. �It�s a gel to be exact, more like, like Jell-O than water��
�Jell-O?� She stared down at him
as if waiting for a punch line. �What would giant robots want with Jell-O?�
�Apparently there really is
always room for Jell-O.� Leo deadpanned, making Mikaela snort as Wheelie rolled
his optics and face-palmed.�
�You�re a real fragging comedian.
Look,� Wheelie said, raising his head and tapping the paper pointedly. �Forget
the items themselves for a moment and check out the times when the heists took
place.�
�They were all at the same time.�
Leo said, taking an exit ramp and speeding up.
�No,� Mikaela corrected as she
saw what Wheelie was getting at. �They all take place nearly at the same time with seconds between each theft, a minute
at most.�
�You got it, doll face.� Wheelie
said, looking up at her with a quick grin. �If it was a coordinated attack they�d
all happen at the same time. No time difference. Megatron was always kinda anal
about that...�
�Anal-retentive robot.� Leo
snorted then calmed. �Okay, so there�s a time difference. You�re going to tell
me that, what, one Decepticon popped
all around the world stealing crap that�s worthless to them?�
Mikaela shrugged. �Well, we won�t
know if it�s worthless or not until we get a hold of the others and find out
what all this stuff is.�
�But, yeah, that�s about the size
of it.� Wheelie said, answering Leo�s question. �Hey, how far away is your
school anyway? Are we there yet?�
Leo shot the small Cybertronian a
glare. �Don�t you dare!�
�Yeah, Leo,� Mikaela said
sweetly, ignoring his warning. �Are we there yet?�
Gritting his teeth, Leo turned up
the radio and hit the gas as the pair began a non-stop chorus of the question.

___________________________

The only illumination in the
room, the pale phosphorescence of the pods cast small scattered pools of light
in the hatchery and, though he would never admit it, Starscream liked to lay
under the pods and be bathed in that light. It was innocent and pure and, just
for a little while, he could pretend that the war didn�t exist, that the whole
universe had stopped and only he and these sparklings existed, and that it
would all be okay. It was a pathetic wish, one of a weak processor, one that
would get him slagged in a spark pulse by Megatron, but it was one Starscream
clung to, especially when he was emotionally overloaded like now.

Sitting on the hatchery floor,
the Air Commander hunched over the latest victim of his failure, hugging it
carefully as its little spark began to gutter. As he had for the past six
hundred and fourteen, Starscream stroked the soft fragile form carefully,
committing its design specifications to memory while murmuring stories of the
Well of All Sparks in the sparkling�s small audio. The Seeker spoke of a loving
god he no longer believed in on a home world he�d nearly forgotten and tried to
describe the sensation of flying because it was the most wonderful feeling
Starscream knew of, and because it was a joy this sparkling would never know. And
he apologized, over and over, even after the sparkling�s spark chamber was
empty.
Number six hundred and fifteen
would have been a Seeker.
Aching with every movement,
Starscream eventually stood and placed the body/shell/non-sparkling-thing
gently back inside its ruptured pod and activated the sequence that would slowly
harden the flexible membrane into plasglass. With precision and care, the Air
Commander used the time to expertly place the ripped material in its proper
placement so that there would be no leaks of the protective argon gas
preserving the fragile form inside the small space. Once the coffin was sealed,
he placed it in a room adjacent to the hatchery, off-lining his optics and
letting his proximity sensors alone guide him because Starscream, coward that
he was, didn�t want to see the contents of the room anymore than he absolutely
had to. He already knew every detail, knew every empty little face, knew what
each of those sparklings would never be.
He already knew because it
haunted him whether online or in recharge and for this Starscream cursed Sam
Witwicky and the Autobots to the very bottom of his spark. These sparklings might
have died under the Seeker�s care but it was because there was no fuel for them
that they kept dying! For the sake of a race of useless organic insects, Optimus
and his human-loving imbeciles had condemned the Cybertronian race to
extinction.
One tiny sparkling at a time.
Starscream wondered if it was too
late to ask Skywarp to simply kidnap, not kill, the Witwicky creature and if
Megatron would allow the Air Commander to exact revenge one fleshy little limb
at a time.
He had to force his hands to let
go of Six-hundred-and-fifteen�s coffin, had to reissue the command several
times before the gears in his arms would turn, the pistons work, because his
emotional attachment circuitry was wailing, screaming, not to leave the
sparkling in this cold, dark place, to break the plasglass and rescue the
little body from the container, as if that would somehow reignite its spark�! It
ordered him not to let go but Starscream did, as he had six hundred and
fourteen times before, setting the coffin in line with the nearest row with a
final caress of the frosted glass and shutting the door behind him as he left.
Steadfastly facing away from the
coffin room�s door and all the lost little lives behind it, Starscream sat on
the floor in the glow of the pods and tried to pretend that it would all be
okay, that they would find enough energon so that no more sparklings had to
die, that there was hope beyond the war, that there was a future and surviving
sparklings would be proud to claim.
But he couldn�t and his thoughts
kept returning to the room behind him and the soulless little shells entombed
within it. At some point, he knew, he would get used to it, that each death
would get a little bit easier to handle, that his spark wouldn�t scream with
pain at the loss of another sparkling.
Starscream didn�t know if he
would greet that day with joy or simply keen brokenly in despair.
___________________________

Mikaela didn�t bother to watch
Leo drive away. Once the baggage had been unloaded from the car, she hefted the
bags and trudged up the grass toward the top of the shallow hill as Wheelie
transformed and drove ahead of her feet, automatically checking to make sure
the path was clear of danger. Both of them steadfastly ignored the grave
markers dotting the landscape around them as they approached the familiar red
and blue form awaiting them.
�Hello Mikaela,� Optimus greeted,
bending down to rest on one knee so that she didn�t have to strain. �It is a
pleasure to see you again, though I wish the circumstances were not as grave.�
��Hey Optimus.� She smiled in spite of herself,
temporarily forgetting the reason for her hurried visit and losing herself in
the moment. Dropping her suitcase, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms
around his exposed shin in a quick hug, gaining a deep sense of comfort from
touching him. Optimus was like the ultimate security blanket or comfort toy-
reassuring, empowering, and not only able stop a bullet but ready to return
fire in a fight. �Good to see you, too. Any news about Sam?�
�Understanding the human�s need for touch, the
Autobot leader didn�t move, instead waiting patiently until she stepped back on
her own to continue the conversation. �None as of yet, unfortunately. We are
already using N.E.S.T.�s resources to investigate his disappearance but more
time is needed for any definitive answers.�
�As long as you�re trying.� She
smiled but her confidence seemed to markedly deflate as fear tried to worm down
her spine. Hunching slightly, she looked at the grass under her feet, wrapping
her arms around herself before glancing up at the Autobot leader again.
Unsurprisingly, Optimus was watching her every move and, before she could say
anything, he scanned her.
�Hey, hey, hey!� Wheelie rolled
up from where he had been parked, content until now to give them the illusion
of privacy. He positioned himself in front of Mikaela before transforming and
standing at his full height. �I don�t care who you are- that�s a violation of
her privacy!�
�My apologies,� Optimus rumbled,
as Mikaela blinked in surprise, frowning at both Cybertronians. �It was not my
intention to offend.�
Wheelie put his hands on his hips,
frowning up at the bigger mech. �Her bondmate�s disappeared without a trace,
there�s some really screwy Decepticon activity going on, she�s been trapped in
a tin can with wings for the past six hours and hasn�t eaten all day. Is it any
wonder why she�s a little stressed out? Warrior Goddess needs a good meal and a
rest before she can go into battle again.�
�I�m not stressed out!� Mikaela
felt her cheeks warm as she glared at the small transformer, her heart rate
increasing despite her words. �And you saw me eat on the plane. Let�s find the
others and get Sam!�
��Whatever it was you ate, it wasn�t food.� Wheelie
muttered quietly as he turned around and made a placating gesture. �Easy, Warrior
Goddess, we will but Sam�ll drop kick me into next week if I let you charge out
right now. Besides, all we have to go on is the list Chia pet came up with. We
need more information to find Sam and figuring out what all that stuff is and
how the Decepticons are using it could lead us right to them. Research takes
energy and concentration so why not grab something to eat and a nap so you can
think clearly?�
�I am thinking clearly!� Mikaela
insisted, fists balling at her sides, her hostile glare making Wheelie back up
out of easy kick range. Her target gone, she glared up at Optimus instead.�Why
are we just standing here when Sam�s running out of time?!�
�Sam has already run out of
time.� A familiar voice said flatly. Heavy footsteps announced Bumblebee�s
arrival before he actually appeared from behind a large mausoleum, coming to
stand next to Optimus, door wings drooping. �Sam�s dead.�
Mikaela recoiled from the faux
camaro as if he�d slapped her, expression a mixture of horror and betrayal. At
her feet, Wheelie hissed something vile at the other mech in Cybertronian.
�Bumblebee!� Optimus� voice was
sharp, his tone saying plainly that he was appalled with the scout�s behavior
as he stood to his full height.
�He�s dead!� Bumblebee�s voice
was no longer flat. Instead it was harsh, full of hostility and pain and grief.
�The Decepticons killed him!�
�How can you say that?� Mikaela
asked, having to yell over the strange sound of gears grinding. �How can you just
give up on him? If you disappeared, you know damn well that Sam wouldn�t stop
trying to rescue you!�
�He�s dead!� Bumblebee hissed at
her, taking a step toward her in an obvious threat. �This is a recovery mission
now, not a rescue. Just accept it and move on! It hurts less.�
The last was said so quietly that
Mikaela nearly didn�t hear it but, when she processed the statement, everything
clicked into place. Optimus was glaring at the scout, no doubt reprimanding him
over the radio, and she used the distraction to her advantage, fishing a
miniature baseball bat from her suitcase that her dad had gotten for her as a
souvenir years ago. After fighting with the airline over Wheelie as her
carry-on, it had been relatively easy to bring the bat aboard, the only
stipulation being that she placed it in her checked luggage, and Mikaela had
readily agreed, knowing that if she were attacked in midair the presence of the
bat wouldn�t make much of a difference one way or the other.
�Hefting the solid weight of the bat, Mikaela
marched up to Bumblebee�s leg and swung it into the armor as hard as she could,
putting all her weight behind the blow. She kept hitting him, opting to let her
actions over her words tell him exactly what she thought of his stupidity, following
and attacking him even as he retreated.
�You fragger!� Mikaela screamed, ignoring Wheelie as he grabbed hold of
her leg and tried to use his minimal weight to pull her back. She ignored him,
instead punctuating each of her words with a hit as she continued to rage at
the scout. �If they had killed him, do you honestly think those morons wouldn�t
rub Sam�s death in our faces? Don�t you think that Megatron wouldn�t gloat
about finally getting revenge?! They�d put up a fucking billboard about it and
post the videotape of the Goddamn after-party on YouTube!�
Suddenly exhausted, throat raw
and eyes burning, Mikaela sank to the ground, hands falling like lead weights
at her sides, the splintered remains of her bat cutting into her palms roughly.
Now that she was at his height, Wheelie hugged her hard, making small worried
noises as he turned his attention to her wounds and began pulling the wood free
of her flesh.
Wearily, she raised her head and
glared at Bumblebee. �Until he�s in front of me on a slab in the morgue, I
refuse to consider the idea that Sam�s dead and as his friends you should, too.
Anyone who tries to tell me different gets a bat in their transformation cog
and their limbs welded together.�
Ignoring the small Transformer�s
protests, she wiped at her eyes with the back of her bloodied hands and pulled
the list from her jacket pocket, unfolding and waving it as she glared up at
both Cybertronians mutinously. �Now get Ratchet on the phone- I want to know
exactly what all this stuff is and what a Decepticon could use it for.�
_______________________

::Skywarp,
I need you.::
Starscream sent via radio since the other Seeker was blocking their trine bond.
He sagged against the doorway of the hatchery, watching the pods with almost
desperate vigilance, part of his spark convinced that if he looked away for
even a nanoclick another sparkling would die. Two sets of eyes would be even
better- more vigilance, less death- and because of Megatron�s volatile temperament,
the only option left was Skywarp. Trying again to provoke an answer from his
trine-mate, the Air Commander steadfastly ignored the adamant warning flashing
across his HUD that told him in no uncertain terms that he needed to recharge. ::Skywarp respond!:: ��
Starscream knew that the other
was within the base and was frustrated by both the lack of response and the
fact that he couldn�t leave to go find the dark Seeker. Spark aching so badly
with the need for physical contact that Starscream nearly collapsed from it, the
Seeker hunched around himself, digits stroking over his armor panels, optics
never straying from the pods. He had to keep watch, had to protect them,
recharge be damned. No more dead sparklings, no more coffins added to the tomb!
Six hundred and fifteen�! ::Skywarp!::
The alert for recharge became a
countdown, one Starscream immediately overrode.
Part of his processor noted that
he was twitching- glitching- and that his visual feed was striated by static
but his emotional centers wouldn�t let him think properly beyond the welfare of
the sparklings. He had to stay, had to protect them�
The sound of a footstep behind
him made Starscream snarl, his chain gun already visible as he turned enough to
face the threat while still keeping an eye on the pods. The laser sight
painting Megatron brightly never wavered even after Starscream�s processor
finally recognized his commander and the pair stood that way until an alarm
sounded from the hatchery. With a warning snarl at Megatron, Starscream spun,
chain gun folding away as he hurried into the room to see to the sparkling in
distress.
�Shh,� Starscream soothed, trilling
reassuringly as he worked the pod�s controls, ordering the equipment to flush
the coolant line causing the problem. In the center of his HUD, the countdown
appeared again, this time starting at a considerably lower time frame, and with
considerable malice the Seeker banished it away, preoccupied with his duties. �It�s
alright, I�m here.� ��
Inside the pod, the sparkling
stopped squirming in the surrounding liquid and settled down on its side
against the pod�s back plating, testing the elasticity of its oversized
mandibles before curling its arms and legs to its chest, its barbed tail
arching up to warp over its head to trail down its spine.
�There you go,� Starscream cooed,
lowering the pod�s internal temperature slightly to compensate for the sparkling�s
heat generating position. Satisfied that the sparkling was fine, he stepped
back, intending to go make his rounds of the remaining pods, but Megatron
stepped in his way and grabbed Starscream�s shoulders, turning the protesting
Seeker around toward the entrance of the hatchery.
�Go recharge Starscream.� Megatron
gave him a shove toward the opening but the Seeker dug in his pedes, balking at
the dismissal. He snarled wordlessly, trying to twist out of the other�s grip
when the Decepticon leader began steering him by the grip he had on
Starscream�s shoulder mounts. �That�s an order, Air Commander.�
Despite the Seeker�s thrashing,
Megatron ignored the talons that clawed at his hands and pushed the other
easily over the threshold. The Decepticon leader remained there, filling the
doorway and barring reentry, not moving even when Starscream aimed his chain
gun at him.
�I will watch the sparklings
while you recharge,� Megatron said with uncharacteristic calm. �I just put
Skywarp in his quarters. His berth has room for you both.�
As if summoned by Megatron�s
words, on Starscream�s HUD, the countdown appeared again, much shorter than it
had previously, but this time- under an emergency directive- it locked into
place so he couldn�t dismiss it.
�No! No! The sparklings need me!�
The Seeker tried to rake his talons over his optics in an attempt to make the
countdown go away. Recharge didn�t matter- nothing mattered- except no more
dead sparklings so he had to stay, had to turn the countdown off! However, Megatron
grabbed his hands before they could connect and pinned them against his own
chest plating with one massive hand, keeping them there as the Decepticon
leader used his free hand to pry open Starscream�s external intake valve cover.
�NO!� Starscream howled, placing a pede against Megatron�s armor,
trying to use the leverage to break free as the other forced energon into the
jet�s tank. �I don�t need it! Save it for them! NO!�
The Seeker hissed and snarled all
manner of vulgarities, threatening the other, promising painful retribution as
he tried to free himself even as his gears ground against one another and his
joints locked in place to prevent injury. Circuits powering down, Starscream
could only watch in horror as the countdown whittled down to zero and his
internal shut down sequence fully activated without his consent, making his HUD
run red, then white, then dark as he knew no more.

A/N: Welcome to my ramble.
Okay, so it looks like I, uh,
goofed a bit. In ROTF, the base that the Fallen and the hatchlings are holed up
in appears to be located on one of Saturn�s moons, not Mars as I had originally
thought. Furthermore, considering the size and features of the base in the
movie, I�m willing to bet money that the base is supposed to be what remains of
the Decepticon�s star ship the Nemesis. Now, according to the IDW universe (I
think), there is supposed to be what remains of a base on Mars where the whole
�Reign of Starscream� arc ends that is kinda the interlude between the two
Transformers movies. For the purposes of this fic, since I�ve already stuck the
damn thing on Mars, the base that Skywarp is at is, well, still on Mars but the
base will not be as big as the one featured in the movie. It will still be
associated with hatchling propagation and development but not on the same scale
as the Nemesis and, because of this, it suffers from a lot of problems
concerning resources, as we have seen. So, dear reader, if you have been
imagining the base as the one in ROTF with the pods hanging from the ceiling
beams like out of season Christmas decorations, then I�m going to have to burst
your bubble and say, no, sorry, but I will do my best to describe it as the
plot allows.
Oh, and um, also, when I began
writing this I hadn�t seen the second movie since it came out (even though I�ve
own the damn DVD since it came out. Way to do your research, moron.), I was
under the impression that certain aspects were in the movie when they were not.
Case in point, Megatron�s role previously on Cybertron, why he led an uprising,
and an interesting tidbit about the whole Prime thing that is revealed in the
last battle with the Fallen. As it turns out, the conversation (and other
aforementioned factoids) I thought had happened in the ROTF movie aren�t in the
movie- they�re in the IDW comic version of ROTF, which I also happen to own
because I was kinda unhappy with the movie version of events.
What does this mean for the
story?
In the IDW universe, (or at least
part of the IDW universe�) before the war Megaton filled a military position
called High Lord Protector, a position consequently opposite to Optimus, who
held a more passive lead researcher rank. (Consequently, though Megatron seizes
the artifact, its Optimus� archeological team that actually digs up the
sarcophagus holding the imprisoned Fallen. I know, seems kinda thin to me too
but, you know, sure. Whatever.) Though no one really goes into the specifics of
the position�s mandates and duties other than making sure Cybertron is safe
from invasion, the �High Lord Protector� job title is rather ambiguous but I
assume that it meant more than just winning battles. As far as I and this story
are concerned, this means that there�s more to the overall Megatron character
than just the one-dimensional killing machine he is often portrayed as so
please don�t hurt me if he seems other than homicidal. Remember, the whole
theme of the Transformer�s universe is that nothing
is as it seems so characters will have both positive and negative
personality qualities.
Speaking of character flaws� To
spare you a line by line account, I shall summarize the lines of text I�m
referring to for those of you who may not know what the hell I�m talking about.
In the IDW comic version of Transformers:
Revenge of the Fallen, during the last battle between newly revived
Optimus, Megatron, and the Fallen, it is revealed that one of the main reasons
why Megatron follows the Fallen is due to a promise of power, specifically the
power of a Prime. Optimus however reveals that Primes are born, not made, and
that Megatron has been betrayed all this time.
Now, for those of you who aren�t
gasping in understanding, I�ll lay it all out. This means that starting the war
on Cybertron and everything that came after has been for nothing. The
destruction of the All-spark. The lives lost on both sides. Megaton�s personal
sacrifices (and debatable loss of sanity because of following/ listening to the
Fallen). All of it has absolutely no meaning because he did it all for an empty
promise! He�s doomed the Cybertronian race to the galactic endangered species
list for entirely no benefit. Such a realization would leave a mark on anyone�s
psyche, human or mech, though whether it will be enough to cause a permanent
change, we�ll all just have to wait and see.
So, my bad, everyone, but I hoped
that you all enjoyed the chapter. I�ll try and keep the mix-ups to a minimum
from now on.
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