Chapter 2: Proposal
The Autobot base shrank until it was only a small dot in the middle of the barren landscape as Starscream gained altitude. The afternoon sun was still shining just above the distant mountains, dyeing the sky with a gradient of red and orange.
"So, where are we going?" Asked Eleonor in excitement.
"I don't know. I just wanted to be out of fire range." He chuckled, his voice resonating through the cabin. "Do you want to go anywhere specific?"
"Not really. I'm just happy to enjoy the view." She replied with a shrug, staring at the landscape. The seeker gave a small laugh again.
They continued their ascension through the sky, the jet maneuvering lazily through the higher clouds.
"Well, how is everyone?" She asked. "I'm dying to know."
"Ah, Cybertron looks better than ever, my little assistant. I wish you could see it by yourself." Starscream produced a screen in the dashboard and started to display images of his home planet. Some before it was revived, and some after, so that Eleonor could compare them.
"Woah, those buildings are huge!"
"The cities have been reconstructed. The energon mines and factories are functional once again. Many mechs are back to the hobbies they had before the war in their spare time..."
"Like what?"
"Scientific research, astronomy, sports..."
"Sports?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, we have something similar to your sports back in cybertron. Only a little more rough. We are a powerful race, if we don't ease the tension with friendly competitions once a while we can blow a circuit."
"I guess the competitions are not so friendly always."
"You can bet." He chuckled. "And you wouldn't believe it, but some mechs brought back many Earth diversions to Cybertron."
"No way! Who and what?"
"Well, the video-games that Frenzy and Barricade brought with them are very popular. Thundercracker, you know he has been always the calm-tempered of my brothers, he just loves to spend the quiet afternoons watching movies in his quarters." Explained Starscream. "And many others seem to have taken a liking to movies, specially action ones. They have even built some kind of theatre to project them. But most of the time they keep asking about human references they don't catch...it's annoying."
"It's understandable."
"And I swear, more than two times I have seen Soundwave swinging his helm veeery slightly while he worked on some reports. I am sure he listens to music in his internal speakers..."
"I knew it! He is the kind of mech that secretly enjoys music!" She laughed. "And... what about Megatron? How does he spend his spare time?"
"If he has any hobby, I don't know for sure. It would be worth investigating..." He wondered with malice.
"I would not recommend to piss him off..." She said, feigning seriousness. The seeker chuckled.
"And what about Skywarp?"
"Oh, Primus... he is the worst of all!" Wailed Starscream. "He loves cartoons. And lately, he is absolutely in love with a cartoon show about small horses or something like that..." Eleonor burst in laughter. "And when he is not watching cartoons, he is pulling pranks! The last thing he did was painting a small pink horse in Brawl's armor while he was recharging... He almost ended up with his wings ripped off, but he said that it was worth it." Eleonor was laughing so hard by now that she thought she was going to suffocate right there.
"OK, and what else are the Decepticons up to now?" She said after a while, trying to regain her composure.
"We are scouting the nearest solar systems for resources. Frequently energon, minerals and metals. Establishing new colonies and new transport routes. No one has been bored, I can tell you."
"That's a great thing to hear." She smiled. "And what about you?"
"Like the good seeker I am, my specialty is scouting other planets for useful resources. I explore them, bring samples to my lab and make tests, researching new applications."
"Woah... exploring new solar systems and planets..." Eleonor's eyes were shining with just thinking about it. "Imagine all the things you could discover..."
Starscream smiled inwardly. Her scientific side was taking control of the young woman, her thirst for discoveries surfacing.
"And what about you? What have you been up to?" He asked, bringing her back to reality.
"Well, I have been learning from Ratchet the basics in cybertronian repairs, I teach the new Autobots about Earth culture, and I take care of the energon generator we designed. Oh, and I also help Perceptor in the lab. He is a nice mech, a scientist too, kind of weird if you ask me." She summarized.
"Ah, I remember him, yes he looses his mind once a while." He chuckled. "And what happened with the energy companies, did you manage to sell them your invention?"
"Better." She smirked evilly. "I caused an economical crisis when I published it for free on the Internet for everyone."
Starscream let out a dark laughter.
"You are small and weak, but you sure know how to cause the greatest damage! I have taught you well the arts of the evil!" He complimented. Eleonor laughed too, trying to sound like a movie villain letting out an evil laugh, but she ended up with a coughing fit, and Starscream chuckling in amusement.
Suddenly, the jet came to a halt and landed over a solitary peak.
"Oh, I didn't realize that we were landing." She was mesmerized by the pictures of cybertron and other galaxies to notice it.
"You were too busy chocking on your evil laugh." Teased the seeker as he opened the cockpit glass, letting in the fresh afternoon air. Eleonor glanced around, but this time she truly didn't had any idea of where they were. The landscape was predominated by mountains.
"Holy crap!" She gasped as she looked down. "I am not climbing down, Sir... With all due respect... of course." They were almost hanging over a dangerous cliff, with little to no room to climb down. Starscream just chuckled in amusement.
"Do you trust me?" He asked, seriously.
"Yes." She replied with no doubt.
"Then sit back and be still." He commanded. The glass descended again and the seat-belt glided and fastened tightly. Then, with a burst of his thrusters the jet gained altitude briefly, and Eleonor could heard the familiar sound of plates shifting and transforming gears working. The cabin changed its orientation to almost vertical, and she was very glad that the seat-belt was tightly secured.
But suddenly, the cockpit glass opened and the seat-belt unfastened. Eleonor squealed briefly as she landed unceremoniously in Starscream's servo.
"Uhh... please warn me before doing that..." She said, feeling a little dizzy. Peeking between his claws, she took a look down. Starscream's raptor-like legs and clawed feet were firmly secured on the edge of the cliff. Then she turned to their surroundings. "Amazing..." She murmured, admiring the vast mountainous landscape. She should have felt afraid to be in such a dangerous place, but she felt safe in the seeker's servos.
Starscream smiled at her confidence, and extracted a small data pad, handling it to her.
"Take a look at that." He commanded. Eleonor took her time to examine the data carefully.
"Well..." She spoke after a while. "They seem to be atmospheric gaseous compositions." She concluded. "The first one, compared Earth's, has a little more Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen... and only 5% Oxygen." She paused. "The second one is more similar to Earth's, but has a little less Nitrogen and even more Oxygen than Earth, 31%. The air pressure is similar in both of them."
"The first one is Cybertron's atmospheric composition. The second one is a new close planet that I am exploring." Explained the seeker. "Are they toxic for humans?"
"Toxic, no. But definitely, a human would die in Cybertron. There is not enough Oxygen, we need it at least in 15% composition. The second one would be more suitable for human necessities." She summarized. "As long as there is potable water too."
"It has."
Starscream raised his servo to be in optic level with her and smirked, fixing his piercing ruby glare on hers. Eleonor stared back at him questioningly and suddenly her eyes widened in realization.
"Are you trying to say..." She begun to ask but she was cut mid-sentence.
"Eleonor." He called her, still smirking openly. "I could really use some reliable help in my lab." He made a dramatic pause. "Do you want to explore a new world, in an unknown solar system, very far across the galaxies, where no human have ever been? Do you want to see new suns rising over new horizons?"
Eleonor's jaw dropped. There were so many things that could go wrong and possibly kill her, but then, it was an unique opportunity. One of those chances of a lifetime. Just like some time ago, even if she died it would be worth it. Damned scientific instinct. And damned seeker, he knew exactly how to convince her to take potentially deadly decisions.
"When are we leaving?" She beamed after a long silence, trying to find her words.
"As soon as we can, my little loyal assistant." He smirked.
It was close night when Starscream and Eleonor arrived back to the Autobot base. On their way there, they have been discussing and listing all the supplies she was going to need. A lot of canned food and frozen meat and vegetables. And some Oxygen tanks...
"Still, Oxygen can be dangerous at elevated partial pressures. And can also be volatile..." She remembered.
"You are going to make me regret this idea..." He groaned as he landed carefully, after making himself sure that there were no more crazy tanks on sight.
"Don't worry, I have a very simple solution." She explained. "For the travel to cybertron, I would be using a normal atmosphere air mix. Once there, we could extract the Oxygen from that new planet you discovered. And you said that we were going to spend there most of the time anyway, didn't you?"
"Yes. I established there a small lab so that I didn't have to be travelling back to Cybertron to analyze the samples."
"And the water composition you showed me on our way here is also good." She commented.
"That would be the new planet's water. The water present in cybertron has too much metal ions in dissolution, specially iron."
"I'll bet Cybertron's water is greenish-grey."
"Exactly... how would you know that?" He asked as he opened the cockpit and produced a step-ladder.
"Basic chemistry." She smiled, climbing down the jet. "If there is so little Oxygen, then iron would not oxidize. Instead, it would be reduced. And while oxidized iron is red, reduced iron is greenish." She explained.
"And because of that your blood is red." Concluded Starscream in understanding.
"Yes." She was surprised. "Have you been also studying the basics of human medicine?" She asked with a smirk as the jet transformed back to mech mode.
"Maybe." He replied, looking away, unpleasant memories surfacing. Three years ago, Eleonor had been shot right in front of him. He had held her in his servos, her blood staining everything, her life slowly draining, and he could not do anything to help her. He had felt so helpless. And if it wasn't for Ratchet, she would not be alive today. Starscream didn't want to feel so helpless again.
"Starscream... I'll be careful. I promise." She said softly, seen the troubled expression on the seeker's face-plates. The jet just nodded sharply.
"You are the cutest pair ever!" Beamed suddenly Mikaela, appearing from nowhere.
"Mikaela! Would you just grow up some day!" Groaned Eleonor, and before Starscream could unsheathe his null-ray, the offending girl had quickly ran for cover to the dining hall.
"Starscream." Saluted politely Optimus as the saw the seeker peeking behind the main hangar's doors, Eleonor in his servos.
"Are you going to shoot me?" Asked the seeker, narrowing his optics with mistrust.
"No. You may come in." Replied the Autobot leader, glaring back at the rest of the mechs present in the hall. They flinched. It seemed that Optimus had been lecturing them.
"Hi Starscream!" Beamed Sam, who was with Mikaela in a couch beside Bumblebee.
"Tell me that outside, brat." He taunted, growling low.
Optimus sighed in defeat. At least they were not shooting at each other. The rest of the Autobots went back to their business, just sparing quick glances in the seeker's direction once a while.
"So, did you have something to tell me, Starscream?" Asked the Autobot leader.
"Actually, yes-" But he could not finish the sentence.
Suddenly, a loud crackling noise could be heard and a glowing light shone just beside Optimus and Starscream. In a few nanoseconds, a new mech was standing there.
"Surprise!" Beamed a black mech, waving his arms on the air.
Instantly, every Autobot in the hall, except Optimus had their weapons aimed at the new mech. A collective sound of whining capacitors filled the room.
"Uh-oh..." Murmured the back mech, shrinking slightly and letting his wings drop.
"SKYWARP!" Roared Starscream, making the black seeker flinch. "What the frag are you doing here?" And for everymech surprise, he unsheathed his null-ray and also aimed at his wingbrother.
"You too, 'Screamer? What a shame!" He wailed. "I just didn't want you to be alone surrounded by filthy Autobots! And this is how you thank me...? You don't love me anymore!"
"Hmm, Skywarp... are you sure of what you have just said?" Asked Eleonor meekly, peeking from behind Starscream's claws.
The black seeker glanced around him again.
"Uh... I meant... surrounded by shining and handsome Autobots!" He said sheepishly.
Optimus, the only one mech that had not unsheathed any weapon, gave a small chuckle.
"This is going to be blackmail material, you know, Skywarp." Said Optimus, with a small smirk. The black seeker grinned back, relaxing a little. "Everyone, hold your fire." He commanded, and the rest of the Autobots grumbled but sheathed their weapons, still a little reluctantly, and kept staring at the scene. Starscream pulled back his null-ray too, but continued to glare daggers at his wingbrother.
"Eleonor!" Beamed Skywarp, turning to face the little human and offered his own servo for her to climb up.
"Hi, 'Warp. How have you been?" She asked with a sincere smile.
"Oh, very good, but I have missed you so much!" He beamed, raising her between his two servos to optic level, very close to his face-plates. "I mean, there was so much work to do, it's boring! I needed a break! And I'm starting to run out of ideas for pranks, I was hoping to speak with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe if they don't shoot me... or I could ask their prank-victims. And I also have a loooong list of things the other Decepticons want from Earth! Movies, video-games, series, comics, books..." Skywarp's rant was incessant.
"Primus, grant me patience!" Groaned Starscream with a face-palm.
"...And I am sooo happy that you are coming with us!" Beamed Skywarp.
"What?" Screeched Optimus.
"Wait... you knew?" Screeched Eleonor.
"What do you mean 'coming with you'?" Asked Sam and Mikaela at unison with a dumbfounded expression.
Starscream groaned again, begging Primus for patience.
"What I just said!" Beamed Skywarp with joy. With one servo he held Eleonor close to his chest, and with the other one he stabbed a finger in Optimus' direction. "We are kidnapping your princess from your castle! Mwahaha!" He said, theatrically. Eleonor face-palmed at the black seeker's manners.
"Starscream, explain." Demanded the Autobot leader, with a stern expression.
"I don't have to explain anything to you, Prime!" He retorted.
"Skywarp knew it... You were very sure that I would accept the offer..." Concluded Eleonor suddenly from the black seeker's grasp, looking at Starscream. "And what if I had said 'no'? Would you have taken me with you anyway?" She asked softly, with a hurt expression.
"Don't do this to me in front of the Autobots, please..." He groaned.
Eleonor pouted.
The beige seeker sighed in defeat. He fixed his piercing ruby glare in the small human.
"I would have stolen you, kidnapped you. Because you are mine, and I want you by my side. Even if I had to extinguish every single Autobot spark in this base to achieve it, you would have come with me." He replied fiercely, but his gaze was soft. Eleonor realized that his vocalizer said one thing, but his optics said the opposite. No, he would never force her. She knew that instantly.
Eleonor smiled heartily.
"That's the sweetest thing ever!" Cried Mikaela in delight. "Why don't you say those things to me, Sam?"
"Because I don't want to kill anyone!" Protested the boy.
There was a collective chuckle across the room. Starscream growled and turned to glare at his wingbrother, narrowing his optics. It was Skywarp's fault that things had came out of control.
"Skywarp..." Hissed the beige seeker. The named mech stood attention. "Leave that human on the floor." His voice made blood and energon run cold. Skywarp obeyed and slowly deposited Eleonor on the floor. "Now, run."
"Please, Starscream, I never meant to-" He tried to explain, recoiling warily.
"RUN!" Roared the beige seeker, unsheathing his null-ray and firing at his wingbrother's feet.
"Eeep! I regret nothing!" Skywarp fled from the hangar waving his arms dramatically above his helm, Starscream chasing behind him. Outside, the roar of engines could be heard.
Eleonor sighed.
"This is ridiculous..." Murmured Ratchet with a face-palm once the two seekers were out of sight.
"Are you kidding? This is the best blackmail material ever!" Cheered Sunstreaker from the crowd.
"Do you want to cause another war?" Reprimanded Ironhide, hitting Sunstreaker in the helm with a loud 'clonk'.
"Eleonor." Called her the Autobot leader, crouching and offering her a servo. She took seat on it. "Could you please shed some light on the matter?"
"Yes, Optimus." She sighed. "Starscream has offered me the possibility of helping him to explore a new planet. He thought I would like to see new worlds that no human could ever dream of. And he is right, I would love to. So, I accepted the offer. The planet has potable water and a similar air composition to Earth's, so that would not be an issue." She explained.
"That could still be quite dangerous." He warned.
"I know... but... this is the chance of a lifetime. If I let it pass I would regret it the rest of my life, I'm sure."
"You are old enough to take decisions on your own." He paused. "However, I would like to advise you to be careful." He added with concern.
"I would be." She assured. Optimus nodded, and left her with Mikaela and Sam. Then he went to the main table to have an energon cube with his comrades.
"Eleonor!" Wailed Mikaela as she literally pounced over the young woman and trapped her in a bear hug. "We are going to miss you!" She cried. "By the way, I knew he loved you too." She added in a whisper, very close to her ear.
"Mikaela, for the love of Primus! Stop reading pink novels!" Cried Eleonor.
It was late at night when the sound of jet engines could be heard again. Eleonor had spent the rest of the evening in the main hall, playing video-games with Mikaela, Sam, Bumblebee, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Ironhide was also with them, just in case he needed to stop a fight, but he wasn't very interested in the screen.
Seconds later, the two seekers came in, both with their shoulders dropped down and wings hanging low.
"Do I need to call Ratchet?" Asked Ironhide.
"I'm fine! Just a little... tired." Waved Skywarp, as he let himself drop to the floor just beside the couch. Mikaela and Sam flinched, and Bumblebee's door wings twitched. "Primus, I hurt everywhere..."
"What did you do to him, Starscream?" Asked Eleonor, inspecting the black seeker with her gaze and not finding any fire mark.
"I just chased him across the globe... Several times." Replied Starscream with a tired laugh. He was also exhausted, but he wasn't so melodramatic as his brother.
"Can't you teleport?" Asked Eleonor to Skywarp.
"Yes, but it's quite exhausting after the first thirty or forty attempts..." Groaned the black seeker.
"Woah, Sunny, let's practice our jet-judo, I'm sure we'll win this time!" Cheered Sideswipe.
"Uhn... I give up... You win. Now let me rest... " Whined Skywarp. "By the way, last time I pinned you down to the ground... both of you..."
"He's got a point." Stated Ironhide, unexpectedly.
"Ironhide! Which side are you?" Wailed Sunstreaker. "By the way, Shockwave kicked your aft." He added, earning a low growl from the weapon specialist.
"I am too tired for this." Said the black seeker. "Can't we just skip to the part where we play video-games?"
"I never thought I would agree with a Decepticon, but yes, please." Sighed Mikaela in exasperation.
"Hey, you are that girl, Mikaela... and this is Sam?" Asked Skywarp, turning his attention to Bumblebee's companions.
"Humm... yes." Said sheepishly the boy, shrinking in the couch. Bumblebee crouched over him protectively. The seeker narrowed his optics.
"I am going to beat you..." He hissed dangerously, leaning closer like a predator would stalk his prey. Sam gulped hard and held his breath. "... In that fighting video-game!" He grinned, pointing to the game console. Sam let out a relieved sigh. Sure thing, when the black seeker was not in combat-mode, he was actually an easy-going mech, despite been a Decepticon.
And he was not bragging. For the next hour, Skywarp won in every single video-game they played. Fighting, car-racing and flight simulators; he was unbeatable.
"So, Skywarp... that fireworks when the Nemesis left Earth... were-" Tried to ask Sunstreaker once he was bored of loosing.
"Totally yes! All my doing. I spent one Earth week in the brig, but I regret nothing!" Replied the black seeker proudly. "They don't call me the Master Pranker of the Nemesis for nothing."
"Speaking of that... I heard you wished to speak with us about some new pranking ideas..." Said Sideswipe cautiously. Skywarp nodded sharply. "Well, I guess we could reach an agreement..."
When Optimus and Ratchet walked into the hall a while later, they stopped in their tracks at the sight before them. Skywarp, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were in one corner of the room, chatting and chuckling among them with an aura of conspiracy. On the other corner, the three humans were sleeping in the couch, with a movie on the television that they were no longer watching. Bumblebee and Starscream were behind them, in their alt forms, impossible to know if they were also recharging or watching the movie. Ironhide was still in mech form, seated nearby, but by the looks of him, he was probably asleep.
"I think there is still hope for our race, Ratchet." Murmured the Autobot leader, smiling to his medical officer.
"Well... if Megatron took the first step to end the war... I am not going to be less than him." Replied the medic.
They walked slowly to the group of sleeping humans and mechs. The beige jet jerked briefly as his proximity sensors warned him of the approaching mechs. He was having a very slight recharge. The chase with Skywarp had surely worn him out badly, but he still was not going to let his guard down in an enemy base.
"Starscream, are you awake?" Asked Optimus quietly.
"Of course. How could I be so careless to fall asleep surrounded by Autobots?" He said, and almost lied.
The Autobot leader smiled briefly. "I just wanted to tell you that the last hangar is empty, and that there is room enough for you and Skywarp if you wish to recharge there."
"Uh... I don't think that's a good idea. Besides, I left my ship in orbit. I should come back with Skywarp and rest there... safely out of reach of any trigger-happy tank." Replied Starscream. Optimus nodded in response.
Skywarp appeared grinning madly with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe hugged awkwardly in each of his arms.
"Hey, watch the paint!" Whined Sunstreaker.
"So, I take it that you are making peaces, Skywarp?" Asked Optimus.
"Not even in their wildest dreams!" He smirked. "But we still can come to an agreement that benefits everyone of us." He continued, seriously. "I may be seen like a crazy, irresponsible mech sometimes, Prime, but I assure you, I could be diplomatic too. And now, my enemies and I share a common goal that is worth fighting for." He added solemnly.
"And what would that goal be?" Asked the Autobot leader, intrigued.
"Pranking, of course!" The three naughty mechs cheered at unison.
"Primus, grant me patience." Said Optimus with a face-palm.
"By the way, Skywarp..." Asked Starscream still in jet mode. "Has Megatron been informed that you are here?"
"Of course!... Well, I mean... He must be informed by now... I left a note." Replied the black seeker uneasy.
Starscream was silent for a long moment.
"You left him a note." He stated.
"...Yep. On his desk."
"You left Lord Megatron... a note." He sighed in disbelief, too tired to get angry again.
"Uhh... yep..." Skywarp's confidence was starting to crumble.
"You are so going to die..." Warned the beige seeker ominously.
Skywarp's wings twitched and he shuddered, realizing his errors. Then he turned to Optimus pouting and pulled him into a hug. The big rig flinched in surprise but maintained his composure, although a bit awkwardly.
"Optimus! You have to hide me! I'll do anything! I'll do the patrols! I'll sweep the floor! I'll peel potatoes! But please save me from Megatron's wrath!" He whined.
"You and the lambo-twins in my base? I am sorry, Skywarp. But in order to preserve the balance of the Universe, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe must be with the Autobots, and you with the Decepticons." He replied seriously, patting him reassuringly on an arm.
"Aww... I don't want to die..." He whined.
Skywarp's whines pulled Ironhide from his slumber and he on-lined his optics in time to see the black seeker hugging Optimus while Ratchet tried fruitlessly to suppress his giggles.
"What the FRAG is going on here?" He shouted.
"I don't know exactly, but my collection of blackmail material is growing exponentially." Stated the Autobot medic.
"Oh, Primus, do you still have some patience left for me?" Sighed the beige jet absently.
[A/N]1: Oh, Mikaela, you are such an annoying girl!
[A/N]2: As I reviewed this chapter I realized one thing and laughed my aft off; do you know the "grab my" meme in DeviantArt? Well, this chapter could be summarized with that meme. It could go like this:"SS: Eleonor, grab my servo!" *Eleonor grabs his servo* "Adventure!".
[A/N]3: Well, this could lead to many interesting things. Let's see how it develops. To the adventure in new planets!