Hi...*waves nervously* Hehehe, wow. I hope nobody's mad about the wait. :( Sorry... Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

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"Cybertronian"

Thoughts

"Bond"

::Sign-Language::

"Comm-Link"

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Chapter 1

Daddy's Return, Part 1

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Starscream Pov

My optics narrowed as I watched the energon deposit explode. Aagghh! It was because of that Autobot too. The one that always got on my nerves.

"The energon. It's worthless to me now", I growled.

I turned in time to see two vehicon soldiers walk in with that loathsome Autobot, Cliffjumper. He was dented and beat-up looking. His red paint was missing from some areas on his armor. Honestly? He looked like scrap.

The soldiers dropped him in front of me. He lifted his helm, a smirk on his face plates despite the obvious pain caused by his injuries, "Scream, it's been a while", he coughed up some energon, "So, where's your master?"

I look at his missing horn, and the massive wound leaking from his chassis. He would offline if he didn't get medical attention soon. A quick, merciful death would be best. Couldn't exactly give him that medical attention after-all. He was Cliffjumper. And an Autobot.

"Never mind him. I am- What are you two looking at?"

The soldiers were tilting their helms back, peering at the ceiling. Both Cliffjumper and myself tilt our helms as well, to see what had caught the soilders' attention.

My optics widen.

Hanging from the for-some-reason-open vent shaft is my little sister, Seabreeze. Or should I say, dangling. Her small organic hands clinging to the edge.

I don't have time to wonder how or why she's up there when she loses her grip.

I cup my servos and try to catch her before she becomes a splat on the ground. Thankfully, Laserbeak catches her before she falls more than ten feet. She takes her precious cargo and gently drops Seabreeze into Soundwave's cupped servos.

My shoulders slump in relief. I don't know when he got here, and don't really care. I'm just glad Seabreeze is alright.

I push past the soilders and the Autobot on the floor watching. I kind of forget they're even here.

I pick Seabreeze up and hold her close to my spark chamber. Afraid to let go.

After a moment I pull her away, a scolding glare on my face, "What were you doing up there? You could have gotten yourself killed!"

I held her out in front of me so she could answer. Still partially mute, she had to use her hands to speak, ::I was playing hide-and-seek-tag with Ravage and didn't see the hole. Someone forgot to replace the grate::

"Where is Symbo now?", something bumps my leg. I look down and notice said cybercat rubbing my leg, trying to get on my good side. Not going to be that easy, Symbo. Not after Seabreeze almost became a stain on the deck!

I scowl at the symbiote before turning my attention back to my sister, "Why were you playing in the vents? Wouldn't it be safer to play in your quarters? With someone more responsible watching you", I growl, glaring at Symbo.

Symbo engages me in a glareing contest.

Our contest ends when Seabreeze gets in my face, waving her hand over my left optic. I turn my helm back to her.

::It's no fun playing in my room. There are no places to hide. The vents are twisted and it's easy to get lost in them. That makes it fun!::, she smiles brightly.

I raise an optic ridge.

"She is right, Brother. There is little for her to do in her quarters. The games are very dull when confined to just the one room", Soundwave inputs.

Seabreeze nods her head, having heard Soundwave through a special headset I designed for her. It was in-tuned to the family bond, as well as the comm links. It also amplifies her own EM field, allowing her to sense when one of us is hurt or upset. All humans have an EM field. That's why a human mother knows when their sparklings need them. It is a bond, weaker than a Cybertronians, but still a bond.

I sigh(a vent really, trying to integrate human language into my speech pattern) and head for the door, intending to return Seabreeze to her quarters. Maybe even weld the vents shut.

"Um, Commander?"

Oops! Forgot about the Autobot, I think. I turn around to address the soilders, "Yes, right. Take the Autobot to a holding cell and make the necessary repairs to keep him online"

They quickly follow my orders, dragging the Autobot away.

Seabreeze, Soundwave, Symbo, and I leave next. We turn left while the soilders take Cliffjumper the other way. With an Autobot abroad ship, I just hope Seabreeze'll stay put.

Seabreeze Pov

As Starscream walked down the hallway to the living quarters, I climbed up his left arm and onto his shoulder. He cupped his right hand under me in case I fell. But that was unlikely to happen. I was a very good climber. When I fell from the vent I hadn't been paying attention to the floor, but Ravage. I was too busy running from him, and didn't notice the lack of floor 'till it was too late.

On Screamer's shoulder I could see the Autobot being dragged away by two Vehicons. Screamer told them to take him to a cell, those are in the brig. As they turn a corner he turns his head. And our eyes lock for a moment.

He looks worried. And a little scared. But why would an Autobot be scared? Autobots are mean, cruel, and sparkless. They don't get scared, or worried...Well, maybe they do. Screamer did say he was going to be repaired.

That meant that Dr. Knockout would be repairing him. Dr. Knock Out isn't scary or anything like that. He's just really weird. He likes to talk about clothes and paint and stuff. He even tells the Vehicons how they can "spice up their look", without changing their paint job. Maybe the Autobot is worried about that?

I turn around as we reach my room. Screamer offers his hand and I hop on, holding his fingers to steady myself. He sets me down inside my room and turns to Soundwave.

"You have that look you get when something's on your mind. What is it?", he asks our older brother.

Soundwave answers with a voice recording, "Like Jasper, Nevada's a party? We're alone wherever we travel on this rock, Cliff."

I tilt my head, I've never heard that voice before. It sounded like a girl. And who's Cliff?

"Ahh, the one called 'Arcee'", says Screamer, smirking, "Why capture just one Autobot, when we still have the advantage of surprise?"

Another Autobot? Wait, Arcee? Isn't she the two-wheeler Screamer used to have a crush on? She's partnered with the mech that he doesn't like...Cliffjumper, I think. He's red...Like the mech in the brig! He must be Cliffjumper!

"Seabreeze", Screamer snaps his fingers to get my attention, "I've commed Skywarp, he should arrive shortly to- tend to your needs", he looks away when he says that.

I frown, ::Your mean baby-sit me?::, I fold my arms, giving him the stink-eye.

"Well, I wouldn't call it- He's just- Alright, yes! He's going to baby-sit you! Oh, don't give me that look. This wouldn't be happening if I could trust you not to go gallivanting through the vents."

Gallivanting? I shook my head, ::Why can't Ravage watch me instead?::

"He's the one who let you into the vents in the first place", he rolls his eyes, "Just, behave, alright?"

I huffed through my nose, ::Fine::

A couple minutes later Uncle Sky was here and Screamer and Soundwave left to deal with the Autobots.

"So!", Uncle Sky clapped his hands together, producing a loud CLANG.

I winced at the loud noise.

He scanned the room. His eyes settle on the Cybertronian sized TV across the room and left of the door, "How about some TV? I think there's a Scooby-Doo marathon playing on channel 12."

I shrug, not really caring. I run over to my bed and climb up onto it. Which is harder then it sounds, because my bed is three times taller than me. And big enough to fit my Daddy. And he's huge! He's the tallest, biggest, and strongest mech I've ever seen. But he isn't scary, even with all those spikes. I feel safe when he's around.

I settle down on my stomach with my feet swinging in the air. Uncle Sky picks up the TV remote and lays down behind me, mimicking my position. He turns it on , beginning the Scooby marathon with 'What a Night for a Knight'.

A while later...Soundwave Pov

BANG! BAM! CRASH!

I duck as a beaker of liquid flies over my head. I turn my helm halfway to watch the blue substance drip down the med-bay walls.

"Have you finished with your tantrum?", I asked Starscream, turning to face him.

He glared at me, "I'm not haveing a tantrum! I'm just, a little upset"

I raised an optic ridge and surveyed the damage. Broken glass littered the floor. Broken machinery occupied the counters. And a couple of the berths were dented.

I gave him a look, my exposed face plates saying, "a little?"

Starscream rolled his optics and threw his servos into the air, "VERY upset! You would be too, if you were in charge of these morons. I mean seriously! Six Vehicons against three Autobots! Were the odds in the Vehicons' favor? Yes. Did they capture or kill any Autobots? NO! Five of them are offlined and one was captured!"

Starscream kicked a berth as he said(yelled) that last part.

I walked over to him, careful of where I stepped. He glared at the floor as if it were the cause of this failure. Through the sibling bond I sent feelings of calming, and confidence.

For while he may be complaining about the troops. I knew he was worried about how this would reflect on him. He was worried about failing. He was worried about disappointing our sire, Megatron.

I placed a servo on his shoulder and he looked up at me, "Do not worry, little Brother, I have a plan."

He lifted his helm, intrigued, "What sort of plan?"

"The sort that requires us to release our prisoner."

"..."

"..."

"WHAT!?"

2:48 pm, the next day...Seabreeze Pov .

I lay on my back, head hanging over the edge of my bed. I yawn, stretching my arms a little.

I was bored.

Uncle Sky left after lunch to train with some of the troops. Leaving me with nothing to do for over four hours. There was nothing good on TV, I've played all my video games, and read all of my assignments for today. There's nothing left of Vos's history that I don't know!

I sit up, swinging my legs over the edge. I sit here for about fifteen minutes, my mind wandering. Eventually I start thinking about a movie I once saw. Pocahontas. I remember a part in the movie where she wanted to look into the eyes of the man who had killed her husband-to-be. She actually wanted to- Wait!

Look into the eyes of his killer...That's what I'm going to do.

I stand up and climb down off my bed.

I'm going to look into the eyes of Uncle Thundercracker's Killer. The red Autobot, Cliffjumper.

Okay...Now what?

I peer through an opening in the grate that leads to the red Autobot's cell. I could see the Autobot inside. He was sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall. He looked...content. As if he nothing to worry about. As if he wasn't about to die. As if he'd never killed countless Decepticons.

I swallowed. That last one had me worried. If he was so okay with killing Decepticons, including my Uncle TC, then what's stoping him from killing me when I go in there?

I take a deep breath. Closing my eyes, I imagined my fears as a large, hollow sphere. I imagined the sphere getting smaller. Shrinking 'till it was the size of my fist. A small, easy to carry size.

With that done, I opened my eyes and entered the cell.

The Autobot doesn't seem to notice me, so I bang my fist on the wall next to the grate.

Again, he doesn't notice me. But after a few minutes of banging he started to look annoyed.

"Alright, who's banging on stuff?", he sits up, looking around.

He quickly spots me by the vent, freezing.

I freeze too. My fist sized ball of fear suddenly the size of an elephant. I take a step back.

"Hey, hey, hey!", he stands up, arm forward, "Don't be scared"

I pause, looking up at him. Craning my neck up, I can just see his eyes. They don't look like the eyes of a killer.

He kneels down in front of me, "Hey there, little one", he speaks calmly, as if talking to a frighted animal, "Your the one who fell out of the ceiling, right?"

I straighten my back. I don't want my enemy to think I'm clumsy, ::I don't normally fall. That was an accident. Someone forgot to replace the grate::

From the confused look on his face, I can tell he has no clue what I'm signing.

Huffing through my nose, I nod my head.

"I'll, take that as a yes. Hmm...", he looks at me thoughtfully.

I do the same to him. Mostly starring into his eyes. But I can't see anything. What does a killer's eyes look like anyway?

I scrunch my face.

"It looked like you were escaping", he says slowly, looking me in the eyes, "But you weren't. Starscream said you were playing with that cybercat. What are you doing with the Decepticons, kid?"

I gulp. The suspicious look in his eyes made me scared. Before he can ask me again, I run.

I ignore his cries, telling me to come back. That he wouldn't hurt me. Yeah right!

I don't stop 'till I get back to my room.

Whew, almost got-

"And what exactly do you think you were doing, young lady?"

-Caught.