Author's Note: Legitimus Heres is the sequel to Illicitus' alternate ending. The ending in chapter 23 of Illicitus. If you have not read Illicitus and the alternative ending, then do so immediately or else you will be very confused. This is a sequel to that alternative ending, NOT the canon ending of the story.

Legitimus Heres is filled with violent rapes, mentions of prostitution, suspense, gruesome/graphic torture and fighting, drinking, interfacing, BDSM, drama, and slash. You have been warned.

This story may upset you at times. Might want tissues beside you. And please fav, leave reviews, and share!

Cybertronian Units of Time (according to IDW):

Astrosecond ≈ .273 of a second
Breem ≈ 8.3 minutes
Cycle ≈ 1 hour 15 minutes
Decacycle ≈ 3 weeks
Joor ≈ hour
Klik ≈ 1.2 minutes
Megacycle ≈ 93 hours
Orbital cycle ≈ 1 Earth day
Orn ≈ 13 days
Stellar cycle ≈ 7.5 months
Vorn ≈ 83 years

Disclaimer: The Transformers universe, names, and characters are property of Hasbro.

OCs are created by me for the sole purpose of this story and any names or scenes similar to other fanfics are simply coincidental. Any ideas or names intentionally taken from other fanfics will be noted at the beginning of any chapters to which the occurrence shall take place.

Enjoy. :)

"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it." ~ Jean de La Fontaine.

"When people walk away from you, let them go. Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn't mean they are bad people. It just means that their part in your story is over." ~ Tony McCollum.

Chapter 1

19 Stellar Cycles After Illicitus' Alternative Ending

"AHHH!" The grounder cried out as he was thrown into the wall.

Others jumped aside, trying to stay out of the fight. They glanced from the fallen grounder to the warrior built storming over. Vibrant wings flared, stomping thruster heels clanked loudly as they neared the victim. Strong, large servos grasped the grounder's neck, easily lifted him off the ground, then slammed him against the wall, pinning him there. Red optics narrowed, glowing, engine ominously growling. The grounder swallowed, holding the wrists of his attacker, weakly trying to get away.

"Starfire, release him, now!"

The Seeker did so, dropping the grounder and taking a step back. He slowly turned around, his expression an enigma as he looked at the one who had shouted.

"You damn Seeker!" The other grounder mech roared, storming over. "Get out of here! Go back to your home! I am about to fire you, again! And this time your sire won't be able to convince me otherwise!"

Starfire eyed his boss, his wings lowering some. "I'll take my leave, sir."

"I'm making a report to the police. Expect to see them later." He snapped.

Starfire turned away, transformed, and flew off. He soared through the colony, ignoring everyone and everything. He hated it all. These people, these buildings, this place. He just wished it all would go away. A nice, big, catastrophic fire just come and engulf every single last person and object in this hell hole. Damn it all. Damn them!

He descended, transformed, and landed in front of the door to his home. He put in his code and entered. He locked the door behind him, walked to the living room, and went straight to the dispenser.

"You're home early. Is everything alright?"

Starfire offlined his optics for a moment. "Everything is fine." He grunted, not looking back."

He lowered his wings when he heard the large peds approaching, then a massive servo resting on his shoulder. He exhaled heavily, setting the cube he had grabbed aside, and let the larger mech slowly turn him around. His chin was lifted up, making him look into those depressed, cerulean optics. He saw the constant frown deepen, felt a thumb caressing over his cheekplates.

"You got into another fight." The shuttle said softly, hurt and disappointment in his vocalizer as he noted the damaged faceplates.

"He had it coming." Starfire jerked his helm free, looking away from his sire.

"Why do you keep getting into fights?" Skyfire asked barely louder than a whisper, on the verge of crying, screaming, something.

"None of your business." Starfire flicked his wings, moving away from his creator and going towards his room.

"Starfire, please, you can't keep doing this to yourself. How are you going to keep a job, stay out of jail, live a normal life if you keep fighting everyone?!" He raised his vocalizer some, still sounding so hurt.

"Well, maybe I don't want to live a 'normal' life!" Starfire shouted, spinning around to face his sire. "Maybe I'm tired of this fragging place and all these idiots that inhabit it! I hate this place! I should be with my people!"

"The Seekers are fighting in that awful war, Starfire. I don't want you anywhere near it." He said in that same, weak vocalizer, having argued this with his creation too many times.

"The war that cost my carrier and uncles their lives, yes, I know. And I need to get involved. I need to avenge their deaths! I need to help destroy the Autobots responsible for killing my carrier!"

"No, you are staying as far away from that war as possible. I don't need you getting killed all because you think you can fight!"

"I can fight!"

"I've watched your carrier and other experienced Seekers battle against Autobots. No, you can't fight. Not like them."

"My carrier was the Alpha of the Seekers. I am the heir to-"

"Seekers are a kratocracy, Starfire. They don't do 'heirs.' You have to fight for leadership and you won't be able to get it. Please, just forget about all of that and concentrate on making your life better here where there is peace."

"And be a coward like you?" Starfire said venomously.

Skyfire swallowed, and bit his lower lip plate. "I-I'm not going to argue with you." He said in almost a whisper, looking away. "Just… G-go to your room a-and calm down."

"I'm 25 stellar cycles old. In Seeker culture I am an adult and don't need to listen to you anymore."

"Fine. Don't then…" Skyfire walked to the couch and sat down, placing his face in his servos.

Starfire watched him for a moment and started to stomped away when he heard his sire's muffled sobs. He stopped, wings drooping, the anger dissipating from his optics. Nothing had been right between them ever since the Elite Trine's deaths. There was so much anger and sadness, and they just took it out on each other and those around them. Skyfire was so broken down inside that once Starfire was able to get a job and provide for them, Skyfire had quite his job. The shuttle stayed at home, in his depression, not refueling enough most orbital cycles, having breakdowns, and only leaving to visit the morgue where the Elite Trine's bodies were.

The shuttle wasn't anything like he was before Starscream's death. He had no more passion for science, unable to do anything with it without thinking of his former science partner. He had painted black over a good portion of his frame to show his mourning, and had never changed that color scheme. And now he had to deal with his son who got into fights, got fired from more than one job for fighting, and had to bail that same son out of prison multiple times for fights.

Starfire looked back at his sire. His sire who never hurt him, yelled at him, and continued to take care of him best he could. And he would treat him like slag without even realizing it until the dust had settled. His sire who was suffering just as much as he was, maybe more since he had known Starscream longer and had loved him in a far more intimate manner. His sire who couldn't even think about finding someone else, only able to love that one Seeker who had stolen his spark, and had taken it to his grave.

His sire deserved so much better.

Starfire vented a sigh, then walked over to his sire. He gently pushed him back, got onto the large lap, and hugged his creator. Skyfire hugged him back, holding him tightly, crying softly into his son's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, sire." Starfire said softly. "I shouldn't have said that. I love you and am thankful you are doing what you think is best for me. You're an awesome sire. I'm really sorry for saying that."

Skyfire slowly nodded, calming himself down enough to speak. "I-I love you, Starfire. I-I wish things were different. I wish I could make e-everything better and give you the world. I-"

"No, stop." Starfire cupped his sire's faceplates. "Don't think about that. We… we need to just get better about communicating to each other. I need to get better about my anger and you need to get better about your depression. I know it's hard… I don't know how to fix it, but I want to try… You're my sire and I love you. We shouldn't be at each other's throats."

"I just want you to be safe a-and not be getting into fights." Skyfire wiped at his optics.

"And I just want you to smile. You haven't smiled or laughed since…" He vented a sigh. "Sire… I know you don't want me to, but… I really want to go back and be with my own kind. I am Starscream's son. I should be Alpha. I need to lead them in Starscream's designation."

"You're my son, too. And I don't want you going back to that war. Y-you're safe here with me. Please… You're all I have left of him." He said the last part in almost a whisper.

Starfire eyed him for a moment before speaking. "Sire… I love you. You've always been there for me and you really are the best sire I could have asked for. You deal with me despite all my flaws and… never have abandoned me despite how many times I've been put in jail for getting into fights. You're really awesome and I know carrier would be proud of you for everything you've done to take care of me, raise me, and protect me." He paused. "But I need to make my own mark on this world. It's my life and I need to do what I think is best for myself. I want to be with Seekers. I want to become their Alpha and lead them just as my carrier did. I want to continue my carrier's legacy and make him proud. Sire, I will always love you and be your son, but I have to do what I believe to be my path. My destiny."

"You're not ready." Starfire said almost inaudibly.

"I'll never be ready if I stay here."

"Just… Let's talk about something else. W-we never just… talk."

Starfire vented a soft sigh. "Alright… What do you want to talk about?" He cuddled against his sire, letting the larger mech hold him firmly in a desperate hug.

"Just… Tell me about your orbital cycle. H-how was work?" He gently stroked one of the vibrant Seeker wings.

"Boring as usual. Guarding the treasury always is. I think they are going to assign me back to guarding the gate and aerial patrols… Get me away from people."

"I thought you liked the aerial patrols?"

"I do… Gives me time to just think." He paused, then kissed his sire on the cheekplates and hugged him. "I love you. Please, stop crying."

Skyfire slowly nodded, wiping at the coolant that had leaked from his optics, his thoughts having wandered to dark places again. His son was so much like his carrier and it just made him think about that lively, curious, incredible spark he would never get to see smile again, or hear that mellifluous laugh.

Starfire sat at the bar, a partly empty glass of engex in front of him. He ignored the insufferable palaver around him, keeping to his own thoughts and plans. He had optics constantly glanced in all direction, being the only Seeker in the colony did that. Everyone wanted him. No one here were use to Seekers being around, and that caused for the rumors to remain strong. They saw him as the perfect frag, and a killer.

"Hey, tough guy."

Starfire rolled his optics, not looking at the femme who sat beside him and touched his arm. She was smiling lustfully, certain like everyone else that she would be successful in getting the handsome Seeker to berth with her.

"So, what is a fine looking jet like you doing in a place like this?" She continued.

"Frag off." He snapped, still not looking at her as he drank his engex.

"Aw, don't say that." She leaned closer, her faceplates almost in his. "Say, handsome, why don't we blow this joint and head to my place? I have a new berth that could use some… breaking in." Her dainty servo dipped down, groping his codpiece.

The Seeker bit back the urge of his instinctual programming. Interface was what his body craved, what his damnable programming lusted for in its need for procreating and fulfilling its purpose down there. But, he remembered his carrier's teachings, the rules that Seekers must follow. And one of them was that he was to remain virgin until trining. He wouldn't bring dishonor to his carrier's designation. No, he would be the perfect Seeker. He would be clean for his trinemates, he would obey the laws of Seekers, and would bring honor and pride to his kind. He wouldn't even dare open his own codpiece. That would be saved for his trinemates to witness.

His servo grasped her wrist and yanked it away, his wings flaring. "Don't touch me, whore." He growled dangerously, those vibrant wings flicking.

The femme swallowed, not expecting that, but then again… This was a dangerous Seeker. They killed without thought, and they craved seeing their prey die before them. She had to be careful to play this right and be his frag for the night and not his latest kill.

"Starfire, come on, sexy. Let's just have some fun at my place. You can decide how we do it." She tried again, purring her words.

He hated how everyone in this damn colony knew his designation, but he didn't know theirs. He was a "celebrity" of sorts since he was the only Seeker. Everyone talked about him, and he tried his best to not simply kill them.

"Touch me again and I'll tear your limbs off." He growled.

"Hey, be nice to the femme." The bartender warned as he stood by.

"Make this slut find herself a different client and then I won't be so aggressive." Starfire flicked his wings again, his engine growling in warning.

"Is this Seeker giving ya problems?" Another mech asked of the bartender as he approached.

"He's giving me trouble, sir." The femme put in, acting like she was the damn victim of sexual harassment instead.

"Get the hell away from me, you slagheaps." Starfire flicked his wings once more, wishing he could just kill them and be done with it.

"Hey, you can't talk to us like that." The second mech said as he placed a servo on Starfire's shoulder, and not very gentle at all.

And that was it. The self control he had was gone in that instant. That small, little touch made whatever programming he had for energon take full control over him. And in the next instant he had leaped off his stool, grasped the offender's wrist, twisted it, grabbed the grounder's neck, and slammed him over the bar, barely missing the bartender. Chaos erupted in the bar, from those trying to get far away, to those acting like heroes and grabbing the Seeker to keep him from attacking anymore. Which, only ended up in being a bigger mistake.

Starfire activated his thrusters and flew back, slamming the mechs on his back against the wall, then grabbing the ones who held his arms and throwing them down. He grasped a chair and smashed it over another mech's helm, punched, kicked, and stomped on the others. They kept trying to hold him down as the bartender called for police, but, alas, they were nothing for a Seeker.

Starfire kept throwing them, punching, kicking, and slamming them down until he finally found himself tearing off an arm. The bar became splattered in energon and stasis locked mechs, with every table and chair overturn.

But just as quickly as the scuffle began it ended. Police stormed within, aimed their weapons, and fired.

Skyfire walked down the corridor with the guards until they stopped at the cell holding the criminal. One of the guards put in his code and the energy bars dissipated. Starfire perked his wings were he sat on the berth, his servos chained together.

"Your sire paid to bail you out… Again." The first guard informed as he approached and began to remove the shackles. "Maybe you should start thinking about him and everything you're putting him through. Perhaps that might keep you out of this place."

Starfire didn't say anything, just allowed his servos to be freed before standing up and going towards his sire. The shuttle grasped his son's wrist, holding like a vise.

"Thank you, officer." He said softly before walking away, pulling his son with him.

Starfire followed, having to walk a little fast to keep up with his sire's long strides. He kept his wings held high until they were out of the jail. Then, he lowered them, knowing his sire was upset.

They soon arrived at their apartment. Skyfire unlocked the door, yanked his creation inside, and shut it once more. Starfire turned around to face his creator, knowing another lecture was coming.

"Why… WHY?!" Skyfire suddenly shouted as he spun around to see his son, throwing his arms up. "Why are you always fighting?! You are going to kill someone or get yourself killed if you keep doing this! Do you even think? Do you?!"

"It's not my fault people keep pissing me off!" Starfire defended himself, his wings flaring and servos clenching at his sides.

"Getting pissed off is not a valid excuse to attack someone. Starfire, look at me. You can not keep doing this! And you being a Seeker makes it even worse. If I get into a fight they won't think too much of it. But, Seekers, sadly they take that very seriously and will overreact."

"And what's the worst they will do? I've been arrested for fighting over a hundred times. They don't care."

"I care! I care about my son! About your future! Your safety!" He bellowed, getting in Starfire's faceplates.

"And I can defend myself! I know how to fight!"

"You taught yourself from watching videos of Seekers fighting! That is not good enough! And you shouldn't be getting into fights in the first place! You're my son, not a criminal!"

"Maybe I don't want to be your son! All you do is cry and-and what did you ever do for carrier besides getting him killed?!"

That hurt. That hurt like he just got shot by twenty fusion canons at once. Skyfire swallowed, stepping back from his son and lowering his wings. Starfire realized his mistake and lowered his own wings.

"Sire, I-" He started, his vocalizer softer now.

"Go to your room." Starfire said slowly, not looking at his son.

"I didn't mean-"

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!" Skyfire suddenly screamed, jabbing a digit towards the Seeker's quarters.

Starfire winced, not expecting that. "Fine, don't take an apology. Now I know why you chose to join murderers instead of staying with carrier."

The Seeker turned and started to stomp away when his wing was suddenly grabbed. He looked back as his sire grasped his wrist and pulled him along. His optics widened some, getting worried what his sire was up to. Skyfire never was so rough with him or raised his vocalizer like that.

The shuttle sat on the couch and easily yanked his adult son over his lap. Starfire's optics widened, recalling seeing his uncles doing this to his carrier, and the results not being in Starscream's favor.

"What are you-?!" He started to struggle as his sire grasped his waist, pressing his elbow between the Seeker's wings to pin him down.

"I've had it with your disrespect and constant fights, Starfire. This ends now!" Skyfire growled before beginning to smack his son's aft hard and fast. "I've done everything for you! I've continued to bail your stubborn aft out of prison for every damn fight you've started! I did everything I could for your carrier! I tried to save him! And I tried my best to raise you despite everything that has happened!" Coolant was beginning to leak from his optics, having reached his breaking point. "I never hit you or raised my vocalizer at you until now! Now when my son is a grown aft mech and should know better!"

"Ah!" Starfire yelped from each blow, his servos clutching his sire's leg. "It's not my fault everyone in this-ah! Damn colony is a fragging idiot! Ouch! Stop it! This isn't teaching me anything! Ah! I'm only getting pissed off! Ow, hah, I'm a Seeker! I'm built to handle pain! Ow! I'm a warrior, not a pathetic sparkling! Ah! Stop it, sire! I didn't mean to upset you, but I'm not sorry for fighting those brainless parasites! Nrrrgh! I hate it here! I should be with my kind! With Seekers!"

"You're my son! You belong with me just as much as you belong with your carrier's models!"

"Argh! Will you stop being like this! I can get away any moment I want to. I just choose not to to make you feel better."

"I was mated to Starscream. No, you can't escape me."

"Why are you being so stupid?! LET ME GO! Ah!"

"Stop kicking your legs and hold still!"

"ARGH! I hate you! You are a coward and an idiot! Oof!" He yelped when he was suddenly shoved off Skyfire's lap and onto the floor.

"GO TO YOUR ROOM, NOW!" Skyfire roared as he stood up and pointed towards the Seeker's room.

Starfire flicked his wings as he stood up. Skyfire only gave his aft another hard slap.

"You do not flick your wings at me! GO!"

Starfire glared at his sire, keeping his wings raised and trying to regain whatever dignity he could. Seekers… They simply were incapable with accepting anything remotely humble. He stormed to his quarters and slammed the door shut.

Skyfire didn't look back, just stood there, his systems cooling down as he calmed down. He looked down at his servos, surprised he had done that to his son. To the only thing he had left of Starscream. He walked to his room, closed the door, and sat on his berth. Then, he covered his faceplates and cried, his wings drooping.

He was a terrible sire. He obviously had failed his son, allowing him to become a hooligan with his constant fights and unable to keep a job. And now he had just abused him. He needed Starscream… Primus, did he need him.

Starfire kicked a chair over in his quarters, furious that his sire had done that. He rubbed a servo over his aft before opening an old box and pulling out a blue datapad. He lied on his berth and turned it on, looking at pictures of when he was little with his carrier and uncles. The Elite Trine were smiling and he with them. He used to be so happy, living with those three. They were his best friends, his heroes, the only ones he ever wanted in his life.

Why did they have to be taken away from him? Why did his carrier have to give him over to his sire? Why couldn't he had stayed with him? So what if Megatron hurt him, it didn't mean he would have again. He needed his carrier and uncles. They should be here with him now. They should be on Cybertron or something with other Seekers. He should be sitting beside his carrier, hugging him, and enjoying his idol being there for him.

But he wasn't… His idol was in a morgue… Cold and lifeless.

He offlined his optics as coolant pooled in them. He swallowed, his throat feeling constricted from a lump forming. He set the datapad down and grabbed another from his nightstand. He onlined it and began to read. This was one of the many datapads Starscream had given Skyfire when he had dropped Starfire off with him. Starfire had read everyone of them a thousand times. They not only contained lessons in math, science, literature, history, and other such courses, but also in fighting, Seeker culture, weaponry, bomb making, hacking, and everything else a warrior needed to know. He had learned everything in them. He could recite entire passages from spark. He had learned how to be a Seeker from these datapads, how to fight like one, how to be everything his carrier wanted him to be.

Along with the lessons were notes left behind by his carrier. Mostly saying how much he loved him and hoped to see him again in the future. Letters written when Starscream had hoped that Starfire wouldn't be living with his sire forever. As least, not alone. That one orbital cycle they would be reunited and live as a family.

Life had other plans…

He had every picture of the Elite Trine, having all the ones from his sparklinghood in those datapads, and even older images of the Elite Trine from the datapads taken off of Skywarp and Thundercracker's corpses. He hoarded them all. They were the most precious things to him. But one datapad was the holiest of them. The red datapad that Starscream never took off his person. The one that contained the designations and bios of all of his Seekers. It also contained personal images of the Elite Trine, journal notes of happy times, and even older images of Starscream before the war. Images of him dating Skyfire, attending the Science and War Academies, and his early vorns with his trinemates. Everything the former Alpha held dear was within, even notes on Megatron and others he had once dealt with.

There were things in there Starfire would never mention to Skyfire. More to protect Starscream's honor than to keep Skyfire happy.

He exhaled heavily, then set the datapads on the nightstand. Tomorrow morning he would visit his carrier and uncles. He tried to visit them often. Then… He would do something to make him feel better. Something that would let him avoid his sire.

Thruster heels clomped loudly as they walked down the empty hallways, going to the place he had been far too many time. He pushed the door open, it being used so little that the hydraulics were rusty, making it have trouble opening on its own. He walked to the three coffins in that small room, standing beside the one in the middle. He hesitated, then pressed a button on the coffin's side. Latches immediately unlocked, allowing him to slowly lift the lid up and see the corpse within.

"Hey, carrier…" He said slowly, his blood red optics falling onto the dark faceplates of the former Decepticon SIC. His faceplates had been reset to look calm, but somehow there was still distress and sadness in them. "Sorry, to bother you again… I just… Needed to talk about some things…"

Starfire swallowed, knowing that the lifeless body couldn't talk back. But, somehow it felt like his carrier was still listening, wherever he was now. The Well, somewhere up there in the sky… Maybe even down below. Who knows where the undead go.

"So… I got into another bar fight. I know, I know… I shouldn't be getting into fights but I just… I hate it here, carrier. I hate everyone in this damn place!" He flicked his wings, optics narrowing. He paused as he got himself to calm down. "I want to be with our people… With the other Seekers. I should be the new Alpha and rule them as you did. With love, decency, fairness… I'm tired of being here surrounded by incompetent fools doing menial tasks and dealing with sire being so depressed… He's not getting better." He bit his lower lip plate before continuing. "He hit me yesterday… A lot… And yelled at me… I yelled back and said some things I shouldn't have said… Why are we growing so far apart? I don't want to hate him I just…"

He vented a sigh, then tiredly rubbed his faceplates. "Everything sucks… I wish you and my uncles were here… At least tell me you're having fun in the Well. Has to be better than this place…" He was silent for a moment. "I'll get you guys to Vos, don't worry. And I'll have a monument built for you and everyone else who died in the war. Just… give me time. I need to find the right time to leave this place. I need sire to be ready for that. Or at least close to it. I don't want to leave him all alone. He's too depressed to even work." He studied those unchanging faceplates, silently thinking. "I probably should get going. I still love you… I wish you guys were here… We could actually be a happy family… Love you, carrier." He swallowed, some static filling his optics. "I-I'll see you in the Well when it's my time… Be happy for me. I hate it when you're sad…"

He slowly closed the coffin and locked it shut. He turned around and placed a servo on the coffin behind him. "You be happy, too, Uncle TC. Keep them from doing anything stupid." The young Seeker walked around Starscream's coffin and touched the third casket. "And you, Uncle 'Warp… Don't prank them too much. Keep carrier smiling. You always can make him happy. I miss you guys… I'll visit again soon…" He took a step back. "I love you…"

He then walked out of the room, shut the door, and kept walking.

The maintenance drone groaned in pain as its limbs were savagely ripped off and thrown aside. Starfire finished it off by tearing the helm off and tossing it aside. The drone fell to the ground, once again defeated. The Seeker flicked his wings, having destroyed and resembled this same drone thousands of times. This colony lacked the proper training drones for Seekers to practice on, so he had to make do with what he had found stellar cycles ago.

The jet listlessly kicked the drone's body, then gave a flick of his wings, not looking forward to having to put it back together. It was more fun to destroy.

"Hey, Seeker!"

Starfire rolled his optics, not wanting company. But for some reason everyone in this damn colony thought they were friends and could butt-in on other people's privacy. He looked back, keeping his wings flared, hoping they would get the message and leave, but, alas, these dumb grounders knew nothing of the language of wings.

"So, what are you doing, Starfire?" The first grounder asked as he stopped beside the jet.

"Practicing." Starfire replied grumpily.

"That's all you ever do. Come on, why not do something fun?" A second grounder put in.

"Yeah, we were thinking about going to the Valharch Caves and do some exploring. You wanna come with?" A third smiled.

"Negative." Starfire grumbled, giving his wings another flick.

"Come on, Starfire. You need to get out some. This will be fun." The first spoke.

"I don't want to come."

"Look, we're trying to be nice here." The second almost snapped. "Just leave the scrap pile and let's go."

"What part of 'no' do you not comprehend?"

"What part of 'we're trying to be friends to a grouchy Seeker' do you not comprehend!?"

"Frag off." Starfire growled his engine, his optics narrowing.

"What is your deal?" The second mech threw his servos up. "No one can ever be nice to you! Is this that Seeker programming? Are you only capable of being mean and violent towards everyone!? Are you just going to be a lonely aft all your miserable life?!"

"I said to leave me alone!" Starfire shouted before suddenly punching the second mech.

"Ah!" He cried as he fell back.

"Hey! Stop it!" The first one exclaimed as he grabbed Starfire's wrist and tried to hold his arm down.

But that only set the jet off more. He punched the mech holding his wrist, and soon was beating him down, letting out all his anger out on him. His fury for being annoyed, ignored, the fight with his sire, and just everything. He hated this place! He hated them! He hated those damn Autobots for killing his carrier and uncles. DAMN EVERYONE!

"STOP IT!" The third mech shrieked, trying to get the Seeker away from his friend.

Starfire suddenly activated his thrusters, swung his victim around, and soon the disgusting sound of limbs being torn off sounded. The mech screamed from the pain, helpless to the Seeker's raw strength and brutality, and already far from the ground.

Starfire threw him down, letting him keep a leg and half of the other. The other two mechs were beside their friend, desperately trying to help him.

"CALL AN AMBULANCE!"

"OH PRIMUS! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Starfire watched them for a moment, his optics widening when he realized he had done it again. He quickly transformed, broke the sound barrier, and soon was gone.

Starfire walked into his apartment, clean from the energon after having stopped by the river outside of the colony. He was finally dry, the evidence of the act removed from his body.

He shut the door and locked it, then walked to the couch. Skyfire looked up, still looking hurt and broken as always. The Seeker didn't even hesitate before sitting on his sire's lap and hugging him. Skyfire hugged him back, needing his son there to always comfort him.

"I love you, sire." He said quietly. "I'm sorry I yelled at you yesterday…"

"I'm sorry I hit you… I shouldn't have done that." He replied just as softly. "How about we get same energon cake and maybe watch a movie or something to make up for it.

"I'm down for that. You pick the movie, though."

"No, I want you to."

Starfire took his sire's mandible and kissed him on the cheekplates before nuzzling olfactory sensors with him. "Nah, you. You know I like those violent films. Besides, I think you need a movie right now more than I do. I just mostly want to hug you."

"I like your hugs."

"I give out the best hugs." He fluttered his wings, snuggling into his sire's chassis.

"You certainly do. You always have been good at hugging. Even when you were little. I think it's a Seeker thing. Seekers are just the cuddliest of people. Until I met your carrier, I never realized just how… demanding someone could be for physical contact and the constant need for cuddling, hugging, and touching. He got worse about it after I reunited with him during the war. Your uncles made him even more of a cuddle-bug."

"Cuddle-bugs are the best!"

"They are. And I love my little cuddle-bug so-" He paused when the door chime went off. "Wonder who that could be?"

Starfire swallowed, pretty sure he knew who. Skyfire pushed his son off his lap and onto the couch before standing up. The Seeker lowered his wings, watching as his creator approached the door and opened it.

"Evening, Skyfire. How are you?"

Skyfire felt his spark dropping as it always did when seeing them. "Evening, officer. W-what did he do this time?" He asked slowly, dreading the answer.

"May we come in?"

Skyfire paused, then slowly nodded. "Of course." He stepped aside and gestured for the three police officers to enter. "Starfire, go to your room."

Starfire eyed the police, flicked his wings, then obeyed his sire and got up. He entered his room and shut the door. His wings perked, then he cracked the door open, just enough to hear what they were saying.

"Please, sit down." Skyfire gestured for them to do so. "C-can I get you anything to drink?"

"No thank you, Skyfire. Why don't you take a seat yourself." The sheriff said as he gestured for the shuttle to sit.

Skyfire pulled a chair over and sat in front of the couch where the officers were seated. The sheriff waited for him to be comfortable before speaking.

"Starfire, as you've probably guessed by now, started another fight. But, this time it's a bit more serious."

"How so?" Skyfire swallowed.

"His victim had his arms torn off and severe mutilation of the body. He went into shock and suffered extreme energon loss. He's in critical condition and the doctors fear he may not make it through the night."

"What?" Skyfire gasped, his servos beginning to tremble as they wrung, his fuel tank feeling like it had dropped.

"We have been discussing what to do about Starfire for a while now and after this incident…" He paused, not liking having to hurt the gentle giant. "We are going to take Starfire away and keep him locked up… forever. Our engineers are even designing a special enclosure for him so he will still have enough space to fly around some and not suffer from claustrophobia during his permanent stay. You may visit as often as you like, but he will never be allowed out again. Not unless you are taking him to another planet and have the authorization from that planet's jurisdiction to do so."

Skyfire was stunned, his optics wide as he just stared in horror. "You… Y-you want to lock away my son in a giant cage forever?! I… No, no you can't." Coolant began to leak from his optics. "Please, don't. H-he's my son. I-I'll keep him under house arrest. I won't let him out. Please, don't take him away from me! Don't do this to my mechling!" He begged, starting to become hysteric with the thought of losing all he had left of Starscream. Of losing the most precious thing he had in this damn world.

"I'm sorry, Skyfire. We are trying to make this easy for the both of you. We just can't let a Seeker be roaming freely anymore. We had hoped maybe he would be different, but he's shown that no Seeker is capable of being peaceful. They are a warrior culture. Their programming makes them killers a-and violent creatures. They have to always be fighting and killing. And because there is no one for him to be fighting, he's turned onto innocent people. Seekers are very dangerous, unpredictable, and when they aren't directed to an army to kill, they turn on those around them."

"That is not true! Seekers are just like anyone of us! Starfire is just having a hard time because he lost his carrier and uncles! H-he needs help from a therapist! Psychiatrist! Locking him away won't be helping anyone!"

"I understand you think differently when it comes to Seekers, but the fact is they are meant to kill. They are built to fight, are programmed to be mindless killers, and simply have an urge for combat. You can't argue against those facts."

"I'm a scientist. Don't you dare talk to me about those slagged up 'facts' discriminating bigots pull from their tailpipes. My son is not a monster! And you won't be taking him from me!"

"I'm sorry, Skyfire, but he will be taken. We'll give you tonight to be together and collect him first thing in the morning. Be glad this is the outcome. Had he be anyone else he would probably be executed. But, since he's a Seeker, we understand it's programming based and therefore can't be helped. And if we are ever under attack, well, then keeping him around would be useful."

"Get out of my house." Skyfire snapped, done with the sheriff's ignorance.

The sheriff was silent a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry it came to this. We really did try to accept him. He was fine when he was younger, but now that the programming has kicked in… Mistakes were made. We'll get this all fixed. And he will be fine in the enclosure once we get that all built for him. We might even set up some drones for him to fight to get that need fulfilled. He'll be taken good care of."

"I thought I said to get the hell out of my house!" Skyfire roared, his optics narrowed as he jabbed a digit at the door.

The sheriff stood, the other two officers doing the same. "First thing in the morning. A medic will be on scene to put him into stasis lock to make the trip easier for him."

Skyfire stood up, stomped to the door, and opened it. "Get. Out. Now." He growled.

The officers calmly walked out before the shuttle slammed the door shut and locked it. He stormed towards the couch, then sat down, his systems calming down.

Starfire swallowed when he heard his sire crying. Slowly, he opened the door and walked out. His thrusters clopped noisily in the silence, save for the shuttle's sobs. The Seeker moved his creator's arms aside, sat on his lap, and hugged him. Skyfire embraced him as if he would be taken away right then and there from him. The jet curled into his sire's protective frame, the thought of being locked away for the rest of his life slowly beginning to creep onto him. He couldn't stay locked away. He had to become Alpha, he had to take care of his sire, he had to bury his carrier and uncles in Vos.

He looked up at his creator, then pressed a kiss to his cheekplates. "I'm sorry, sire… I… I don't know what's wrong with me…" He said barely louder than a whisper.

Skyfire wiped at his optics, taking a moment before speaking in a brittle vocalizer. "N-nothings wrong with you, sweetie. It's these Functionists, that's the problem. Th-they don't understand that y-you're hurting from Starscream's death, and instead of trying to give you the help and encouragement that you need… They want to treat you like a savage beast that's incapable of thought. Don't listen to them. You are a smart, loving, and incredible young mech. You'll achieve great things unlike them who will be sitting on their afts accomplishing nothing. Y-you're Starscream's son… You have his stubbornness and determination. I know you'll make a difference in the world."

Starfire faintly smiled, his wings perking some. "Thanks, sire… I hope to make change in the world. And make this blind ignorance towards my kind go away."

"The ignorant slagheaps who refuse to progress with the rest of the world can just stay here in these colonies and die out… Don't let them break you."

"They won't. Don't let them get to you. We know the truth."

"It just pisses me off when they try to claim that science proves them right when it does the exact opposite. They want to talk science with me, fine. I'll tear them apart."

Starfire nuzzled his sire's cheekplates, then buried his face into Skyfire's neck cables. "Calm down, big guy. They're idiots that are just jealous that you got to be with the most beautiful, amazing, and intelligent person in the galaxy. And then made another beautiful, amazing, and intelligent offspring."

"I am the luckiest mech to say that I was mated to Starscream. Whoever ends up with you will also be very lucky."

"And any creations I have will have the greatest grandsire in history. I'll give you eight of them. Carrier said he wanted eight, and I plan on doing that for him."

"Sparklings are a lot of work."

"I know. I won't have them all at once. Whenever my trinemates and I are ready."

Skyfire gently stroked his son's backplates, then those broad wings. Starfire purred his engine, the soothing touches to his sensitive wings relaxing him. The shuttle bit his lower lip plate, the thought of his precious son being dragged off and thrown into a cage returning to him. He wouldn't allow for this. He would begin looking for another colony, find one that would be accepting to Seekers, and take his son there. Hopefully, it wouldn't take long so his son had to only be locked away for a few orbital cycles. He could survive that. He had been locked away for an orn before. But they certainly were not going to stay here in this Functionist filled hell hole.

Starfire gazed at where the Autobot insignia once adorned his sire's chestplate. Only black paint there now, showing that he was still in mourning. He was making his own plans on how to avoid imprisonment.

The Seeker closed the last box and subspaced it. He looked around his room, making sure that he had packed all of his belongings. His datapads, computer, everything he had left of the Elite Trine. He quietly stepped out of the room, his wings perking as he listened.

As silent as a cybercat, he snuck towards the couch where his sire had cried himself to recharge. He placed a datapad beside him, wanting him to read it when he onlined.

"I'll be back, sire. I swear." He whispered as he pecked a kiss to the shuttle's cheekplates, then gently stroked a wing. "Stay safe. I love you."

The fighter jet approached the front door, gave his sire one last glance, then walked out. The cool night air whipped against his frame as the darkness shrouded around. He walked on the tips of his pegs best he could, avoiding his thrusters from making those discernible clops and clacks.

He looked in the direction of the morgue, his wings drooping. "I'll be back for you guys. I promise." He whispered.

Hastily, silently, he snuck to the hangar, avoiding those walking on the streets and patrolling police. He ran to the closest shuttle, forced it open, and swiftly entered. The spacecraft onlined with a growl of engines as his digits played over the controls. He tore a panel off, hotwired it so that it would take off despite him not having the proper code, then sat down.

"Okay… Let's do this without dying." He muttered to himself as he ordered the vessel to close the back hatch, then begin to take off.

He grasped the control handles and pushed forward, forcing the ship to quickly fly up and out of the hangar, barely missing the surrounding buildings. He broke the sound barrier while still within the city, and continued to gun the vessel until he was out of the atmosphere and soon far away from the planet.

Starfire smirked, looking just like his carrier. "And I am off to Cybertron! Seekers… Time for your true heir to return. I'm coming for my Alpha position over all of you."

He put the stolen ship into hyperdrive before settling down for the long trip to the promise land.

And here we go again for another trip to hell and back. :D

So, after I wrote that alternate ending to Illicitus the thought of Starfire coming back to avenge his carrier's death and become the next Alpha kept plaguing my mind. Now, I don't accept that alternate ending as "canon" as far as my fanfics go, so therefore this story would be, basically, a fanfic of my fanfic. INCEPTION.

So, this story will get pretty detailed when it comes to my Seeker Culture headcanons, from dealing with how they handle hierarchy, trining, breeding, and relationships. It's all about the Seeker life!

Please, if you haven't already, read through my headcanons for the Seeker culture. You can find all my headcanons in "chapter 4" of An Attempt to Raise a Sparkling. Seeker Culture, how they reproduce, and bios for canon and OC characters and more is neatly organized in that chapter. Take a look but be mindful of potential spoilers in the bios of certain characters!

Now, in the IDW comics it seems to be a sign of mourning when painting black on oneself, as seen in Megatron Origin. Thus why Skyfire has black on him.

Starfire is starting fights because his extreme hatred towards what the Autobots did to Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker is all pinned up inside of him so he's unleashing it onto everyone else. He's a good boy, he just is that distraught over losing his "mommy" and uncles.

Cybertronians also seem very relaxed when handling dead bodies. It makes sense since with organic bodies we rot and are covered in bacteria that can make you sick. More evidence to show that humans are naturally herbivorous because our bodies lack the immune and digestive systems to handle rotten flesh and the bacteria that infests rotting corpses. Humans are herbivores, and we do better eating plant based. Animal products harm our bodies, causing 70% of all diseases in humans. While eating a plant based body only heals and make you healthier. Go vegan.

The discrimination the Seekers face is the same as the discrimination that non-human animals suffer through. What really any victim of discrimination suffers through. Racism, specieism, sexism, homophobism, Islamophobism, etc. is VERY real and a real problem plaguing the world, making it a worse place. As an activist, I have to hear these ignorant morons try to defend their blind hatred towards others all because they refuse to accept they are wrong or make a few changes to their life.

Don't be like those who only make the world a worse place. Go vegan, stop the abuse, love your enemies, and accept people for who they are. As long as no one is being hurt, who fucking cares? If someone is being hurt, whether from a carnist eating animals, zoos, circuses, animal experimentation, human slavery, etc. then we must act and FIGHT against that, change ourselves to be better people, and only then will we see these atrocities come to an end and the world become better.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this story. This will be the first fanfic without it being all about Starscream. I'll miss writing about him for this. But, it still be be fun, full of drama, angst, and violence. Let's do this! :D