"Skyfire, Silverbolt, Fireflight." Optimus Prime sat down behind his desk as the three flyers walked into his office. "Prowl is on his way as well. Please, sit down."

The three fliers found places to sit, Skyfire somewhat awkwardly as the largest chair in the room was already taken by Prime. Silverbolt looked at his brother and sighed.

"Skyfire tells me that he and Fireflight ran across Starscream while they were out on Fireflight's air-time. I'd better let Skyfire tell you, as I wasn't there." He reached for Fireflight's hand, offering comfort through the touch as well as through their gestal bond.

Skyfire began to make his report. "We flew toward the ocean, as Fireflight expressed a desire to observe the ocean life, a request I saw no issue with. Shortly after we arrived, about a breem, Starscream's signal pinged my proximity sensors, and I directed Fireflight to follow me out of the area. As you are aware, Starscream's air speed is considerably higher than my own, so he managed to catch up to us fairly quickly."

Fireflight interrupted, still a bit confused about the entire encounter. "But Skyfire, he wasn't...hostile at all. He just wanted to /know/."

Silverbolt frowned. Fireflight was almost defending the seeker. His confusion must have spilled through the gestalt bond, because Fireflight squeezed his hand before continuing.

"I didn't want to talk to him, but he didn't attack us, and he could have, that's all." Fireflight said.

Optimus Prime frowned behind his mask and then sighed. "Prowl will be here momentarily. I don't believe you need to tell this twice."

It was rather less than a moment, as the door pinged and then opened almost before Optimus finished speaking. Prowl stepped in, followed by Ratchet carrying a cube of the supplement-laden energon he had been forcing on Fireflight at every turn which he plunked down on Optimus's desk in front of where Fireflight sat.

"/More/?!" Fireflight said miserably, the thought of drinking that stuff making his tank roil.

"More. Or would you prefer it if I shoved a tube in your intake and did it that way?" Ratchet's tone wasn't cruel; it was just matter-of-fact.

"Least then I wouldn't have to taste it." Fireflight retorted, looking at the cube as if it were deadly poison-tainted slag laced with cosmic rust.

"/Enough/." Silverbolt said, honestly just tired of the arguing.

Prowl raised an optic ridge and sat in a chair near Prime, his doorwings twitching slightly. He held the datapad that contained Ratchet's oral report, combined with his own written notes. "I have what you requested, Prime." he said. He handed the pad over and sat very still, watching the mechs in front of him.

Fireflight sipped at his energon and yes, it tasted just as bad as it had last time, and likely would taste again.

Skyfire waited until everyone re-settled before addressing the room. "May I continue?"

Optimus nodded. "Please, Skyfire. What did Starscream do after intercepting you?"

"He asked if Fireflight's sparklets were alright. After learning that they were, he left." Skyfire said.

"That's extraordinarily unusual behavior for Starscream," Prowl said. "As his former partner, do you have any especial insights into what might be affecting his behavior?"

Skyfire shook his head slightly. "Not specifically- although seeker protocols regarding carriers are exceptionally strong, and Starscream is no exception to that."

Prowl made a staticky noise of disbelief. "Starscream and his trine were directly responsible for the massacre of the last sparkling center on Cybertron shortly before the war forced us to abandon Cybertron."

Skyfire stopped. "That's a lie. There is no way he'd-" Skyfire shut his mouth with an audible click, realizing that calling your superior officer a liar is probably not the best idea in the universe.

Silverbolt sat quietly, listening to all this. This was well above his paygrade, and the atrocities that had happened early in the war were not something that anyone ever willingly discussed in earshot of the Aerialbots or Protectobots. Fireflight's optics widened. "He did /what/ now?"

Ratchet made a rude noise. "Prowl, that report is unsubstantiated. There were almost no survivors, and none who could identify the perpetrators."

"Regardless." Optimus's deep voice broke into the impending argument. "I believe we can all agree that Starscream's /current/ behavior is out of character for him."

Ratchet shook his head. "It would be, Optimus, if we were only talking about Starscream's own behavior patterns. But from what they're saying, it sounds like Fireflight's condition may have triggered Starscream's own coder protocols. That won't affect his behavior in general- only when it comes to direct interactions with the carrier of his newsparks. It's important information, but there's not much we can do about it other than tighten security."

Silverbolt's spark twists inside his chest. "Would he try to come after Fireflight? Take him away with him?" he asked Ratchet, almost desperately. The thought of Flight stuck in the Nemesis with that...that...with Starscream was more than he cared to contemplate.

Prowl tilted his head. "If what Ratchet says is true, then there is a 45.8% probability over the duration of Fireflight's carrying period that he may do just that. Since Fireflight's sparklings' protoforms are being built here, and they probably do not have sparkling protoforms on the Nemesis, this could be detrimental to both carrier and offspring."

"I won't go with him, Bolt, I promise. He /scares/ me!" Fireflight looked rather worried at this talk of taking and carriers and prognoses.

/Not enough that it kept you from fragging him,/ Silverbolt thought uncharitably. Fireflight must have caught an echo of it through the bond, because he gave Silverbolt a hurt look.

"Clearly, this is an additional matter that we'll need to explore and plan for in more detail." Optimus Prime's vorns of experience in conducting meetings containing Jazz, Prowl, and Ratchet served him well to keep this one on track. "For now, I believe we should continue on as we initially planned until more information is gathered. Prowl, do you have anything to add?"

Prowl nodded. "Indeed I have, Prime. I have finished conducting my investigation into the original incident that lead us to this.. imbroglio- and am ready to make my recommendation."

Fireflight huddled in on himself a bit more- he was gonna be in even more trouble. He looked at Silverbolt and found some comfort there, but it was distant for the moment- his brother was steeling himself to hear Fireflight's punishment, whatever it might be.

Prowl began his report. "The charge here is fraternization with the enemy. Fireflight attended a function in the rec room a decacycle ago, where he consumed illegally processed high grade in quantities large enough to overcharge him. An argument between Fireflight and Slingshot ensued, whereupon Fireflight left the Ark, eventually arriving at Hillsborough Airport outside of Portland. While at this airport, he met up with the Decepticon SIC Starscream, where they interfaced, including a spark merge or merges. The results of such are that Fireflight is carrying twin sparklings. The medical facts and personal reports indicate that Fireflight, while considerably overcharged, fully consented to interfacing with Starscream.

I will consider that to be a mitigating factor, but not exculpatory. My finding is that the charge of fraternization has been proven to my satisfaction, and I recommend confinement as a punishment, effective at the conclusion of this hearing."

"If you think that stressing a carrying mech- an unbonded carrying mech, and a flyer at that- with confinement is in /any/ way medically acceptable, I'm going to reformat you myself." Ratchet growled.

Prowl shook his head. "I see no reason why the sentence could not be delayed until after the sparklets are extracted. The facts of the matter speak for themselves; Fireflight knowingly and willfully fraternized with not just an enemy but with an enemy officer and merged, potentially revealing secrets which may have endangered all of the lives of every Autobot on the planet."

Fireflight made a soft noise of distress and looked down, hunching his wings slightly. Silverbolt released his hand, patting him comfortingly on the leg.

"What's...what's gonna happen to me then? Are you gonna take my eggs away from me, sir?" Fireflight's optics were wide and scared.

Silverbolt gripped Fireflight's hand, his other hand reaching to pet Flight's wings gently. "No, he's not." Crystal blue optics rested on Prowl's frame, Silverbolt ready to defend against that at almost any cost. "It wasn't all his fault, yes, he should have known better, but-"

"No one will take your sparklets away, Fireflight." Optimus Prime said. "But I am very disappointed in you, and I hope that you understand what a serious offense this is." He sighed heavily and looked at Ratchet. "I know that the stress associated with sky hunger is particularly acute with carrying flyers. Will confinement during his off-shifts adversely affect the development of his sparklets?"

Ratchet shook his head. "Not as long as he receives sufficient flying time as long as his systems are up to it. I'm concerned about the effects of our brig on his stress levels, though. It's not designed to be conducive to relaxation and past experience with Decepticon prisoners there - and Slingshot- have shown that it appears to feel particularly confining for flyers. That's the last thing he needs."

Prime nodded at that. "Is there an alternate location? Would confinement in say, the isolation ward of the medical bay be sufficient? Confinement to quarters is difficult due to the fact that it also unduly puts a burden on Fireflight's gestalt, who are blameless in this situation."

Ratchet stopped for a moment, then nodded his assent. "I could place him in one of the isolation rooms. It would be more comfortable than a cell in the brig, but would still be punishment." He glared daggers through Prowl, daring him to say a /word/.

Silverbolt spoke up. "He will...you can't separate us, sir, especially not now!" He'd felt the wave of fear at the idea of confinement /anywhere/ from Fireflight, and knew that he needed his brothers, especially now.

"I understand, sir. I won't do it again. I promise. I'm never touching high grade again!" Fireflight wailed.

"I should hope not. You shouldn't be drinking in the first place." Ratchet said acerbically.

"You will be able to visit with your gestalt with supervision, as Ratchet determines is appropriate. Optimus said. "I believe that two orns of confinment when not on his assigned shifts will be sufficient. In addition, Firflight, you are banned from the company of Sideswipe and Sunstreaker- or anyone else who has provided you with high grade in the past- until I judge that you can behave as the adult you and your brothers have always been treated as."

Prowl's expression was still quietly thunderous, but he nodded as well in agreement. "Very well, Prime."

Fireflight looked hard at his feet. One of them was smudged with something interestingly green. Now was not the time to be contemplating his plating, though- Prime was talking. He looked up and nodded, the energon he'd drank churning in his tank despite the anti-purge medicine Ratchet had put in it. "Wh-when do I report?" Fireflight asked, suddenly desperately aware of how far away his brothers other than Silverbolt were.

Silverbolt waited for the answer, too, because then he'd know if he should comm the others or not. Fireflight's worry stretched far across the bond, mixing with Silverbolt's own, turning their intertwined fields into a puddle of NeedGestaltHugs.

Ratchet exchanged a warning look with Prime over the seated Aerialbot's head, followed by a significant glance at Silverbolt.

"Two hours." Prime said. "Silverbolt, you and Fireflight are dismissed. Fireflight, you are to report to Ratchet at shift change, but your time until then is your own."

"Thank you, sir." Silverbolt said, nudging Fireflight with an elbow until he added a murmured thanks as well before making good his escape."

After two Aerialbots had left, Ratchet glared at Optimus Prime. "As glad as I am not to be treating stress-related complications in an underaged carrying airframe- yet, anyway- You are /entirely/ too soft on him."

Prowl nodded in heartfelt agreement.


Silverbolt led Fireflight down to their hangar, comming the others with an 'urgent' stamped onto the repeated message. Air Raid was already on his way, just ahead in the corridor. He saw his two brothers and waited for them, all walking in a tight bunch until they reached the hangar doors.

Silngshot was inside, his face twisted into an annoyed frown. "What is it, Silverbolt? I was in the middle of something important, and 'Dive's out on patrol, but he's coming straight back.

"Fireflight has to report to the medbay in two hours." Silverbolt says. "And he needs us with him in the meantime."

"Medbay? Why?" Air Raid said as the door to their quarters slid open.

"Ratchet wouldn't let them confine me to the brig." Fireflight said, sinking down on the sofa and wrapping his arms around himself. Silverbolt sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close.

Slingshot couldn't resist. "You're going to get locked up? Hah!" Two pairs of optics locked onto Slingshot and he actually shrank back a little, shaking his head. "Okay, okay. Sorry. Slag. Bolt, I didn't mean it, don't /look/ at me like that!" Air Raid reached over and whapped him in the back of the head for good measure.

Silverbolt clenched his denta and counted to one hundred.

He'd just finished the mental calming exercise when Skydive came whirling in, concern evident on his face and in his end of the gestalt link. He knew a bit more than the others did, because they'd told him some through the bond, and he moved up on Fireflight, wrapping his arms around his brother tightly.

"It won't be so bad in medbay, Flight."

"And just think of all the new words you'll learn!" Slingshot added.

Fireflight shivered. "I don't wanna be all by myself! Ratchet said they were going to put me in one of the isolation rooms!"

Air Raid came over and sat down on the floor so he could put his arms over Fireflight's lap, leaning up against Silverbolt's legs. "It'll be okay, Flighty. How long is it for?"

Flight's lower lip quivered just a little bit as he leaned back on the battered but comfortable scaled-up sofa in the hangar, looking at Raid. "Two orn. But I get my duty shifts out, and to fly when Ratchet says I can." He offered up a tremulous smile.

Skydive grinned at that, settling next to Fireflight to pet at his wings. "That's good. What are you going to name them?"

"Ratchet says that they know their names when they online for the first time, after their eggs go into the protoforms and they start to color up." Fireflight said promptly, quite serious about his eggs.

"I don't know why everyone's making such a big deal about stupid Decepticon sparklings." Slingshot crossed his arms and scowled. "And I can't believe you called me down here for this."

"Slingshot," Silverbolt said warningly.

"Fireflight /always/ gets away with breaking the rules because he's STUPID, and SPECIAL, and you like him best. Well, I'm sory, but I'm /glad/ he's getting in trouble for the stupid slag he's done for once!" Slingshot shouted.

"SLINGSHOT. That is /enough/!" Sometimes Silverbolt was convinced he was a sparklingsitter, and not the leader of a fully adult gestalt in a civil war that had lasted for millions of years.

Air Raid just hit Slingshot again, harder this time.

"He broke the rules, this is true." Skydive said. "But he's still our brother, /YOUR/ brother, and YOU need to quit being such an aft, Slings!"

"They are NOT Decepticon sparkles! They're mine, and I'm an Autobot, so that means they are too!" Fireflight looked as if he were two inches from losing it, his hands clenched into fists and trembling.

Silverbolt finally rolled his optics and shouted. "/Knock it off/, you guys! Slingshot, you /will/ apologize to Fireflight or I swear, by Primus, that you'll be scrubbing washracks instead of overflying the 'Con spacebridge for the next decaorn! Raid, /stop hitting him/. Fireflight, calm /down/. We know they're your sparklings-"

"I'm callin' 'em sparkles." Flight interrupted defiantly.

"Your sparkles, whatever...and not Decepticons regardless of who their coder is. Now we are going to have some quality, /relaxing/ time, if I have to knock you all into recharge to do it!" Silverbolt felt better, after all that...

Fireflight nodded and cuddled closer to Silverbolt. Skydive sat down on Fireflight's other side, rubbing his wings comfortingly and Air Raid crawled up to lay across all of their laps. After a few minutes- and an enormous put-upon sigh- Slingshot joined them. Fireflight's nervous, unhappy EM field skirled and twisted over all of them, slowing and stabilizing as it brushed over and pressed up against his brothers'.

Ratchet waved Fireflight on into one of the small private rooms at the back of the medbay, most of his attention focused on the section of a replacement arm that was lying on the table in front of him. "Go on in there and get settled, and I'll be in to check on you when I'm done here.

Flight looked into the room as if were the worst possible place ever, the Pit and the humans' hell and all of that rolled into one. The room was /small/, for one.

"Um, Ratchet? It's awfully little in there." he said softly, not wanting to anger the medic. The effects of the hugs and togetherness were still with him, but he was still awfully afraid. He'd never been locked up before! Slings had, but he was different...

Ratchet groaned. "Don't tell me you're claustrophobic." Fireflight shrugged. "Look, just go in and sit on the berth. I'll come check on you in five breems, and if it's too bad, we'll move you to isolation one. I wanted to keep that open in case I needed it, it's the only treatment room big enough for both twins if I end up with both of them in here more than just the night after a battle."

Fireflight's wings drooped, but he nodded and marched himself into the room, climbing onto the berth- the only other peice of furniture in the room was an uncomfortable looking stool in one corner- and flopped over on his stomach, offlining his optics.

Starscream kicked the squeaky seeker that he'd thrown at Skywarp across the room, where it hit the wall with a dull, sick-sounding 'squiih' noise. He stared at it, digusted with himself and with the entire situation. Why had he gotten close to the fragging shuttle and to /Fireflight/ again? He knew he'd felt...better...while he was close, but Starscream figured that he should be above such base actions related to archaic programming.

Thundercracker came into their quarters, giving the obviously angry Starscream a wide berth. He flopped down onto his on berth, glancing at his trineleader.

"What got into /you/?"

Starscream snapped, "That is /none/ of your concern." He looked onto his own berth, but it was covered in sparkling gifts...Maybe he ought to give those to-

Starscream knocked himself in the helm with one fist, /hard/, to get that thought right out of his processor. He would give nothing. Even if they were his. And doing okay. That thought alone soothed him slightly, and he cursed his programming for the fortieth time this breem.

"STARSCREAM!" Megatron's harsh voice ordered over the comm. "Report to the bridge at once!"

Starscream hissed angrily and stomped out of his wuqarters to report. It didn't due to annoy Megatron in /that/ mood.

Megatron stood in the center of the bridge, staring at holographic display on a console in front of him. Soundwave hovered silently off his left shoulder.

"Starscream. About time! I order you to take your wing, the Coneheads, and the Combaticons, and attack this power plant! Bring me back the energy produced there!"

Starscream snorted. "Yes, oh /glorious/ leader. Is there anything else?" More sarcastic words threatened to fall from his lips, but he banished them. He fgured that he needed to be in mostly one piece for the raid, especially if his command consisted of Combaticons and the fragging Coneheads.

"Watch your tone, glitch. Just take them and /do not fail me again/. I expect you to return, with the energon, within the cycle." Megatron said, glaring at his second.

"And how, exactly, are we to carry this back? In our own hands? Might Megatron, surely you can spare a transport for this purpose, or else we may be /unable/ to bring back what you require." Starscream knew damned well that they could manage it, provided that they utilized their altmodes. He was just feeling contrary.

Megatron sighed and then glared. "I suppose you've forgotten that Blast Off is capable of doing as you need? For someone who continually asserts that they are a more capable leader than I, you have a failing memory." Megatron sneered at Starscream's suddenly embarrassed expression.

Starscream left the bridge without a word, comming the others in a nasty tone to meet him at the tower's exit immediately.


"Onslaught, you and your team will be in charge of loading the energon. The rest of us will keep the Autobots away from the air." Starscream ordered. Onslaught glared, but nodded. As the tower opened its doors at the top, Blast Off transformed to allow his teammates to board, and the two seeker trines headed east towards the power plant.

The alarm going off outside in medbay woke Fireflight from an uneasy recharge. Ratchet had left his comm enabled after exacting a promise that he wasn't to use it to 'chat', and his brothers' voices raced across the link as they scrambled to get out of the Ark and respond to the alarm.

Fireflight felt the urge to ask what was going on, even though he knew. That was the battle alarm, only sounded when the 'Cons were doing something they shouldn't. He looked longingly at the door, and his wings twitched of their own accord.

Ratchet came in, handing Fireflight his first ration of the day. He could tell that Flight was agitated by the set of his wings and the look in his optics. "They will be fine, Fireflight. But you must remain here." His tone was sympathetic but firm.


Starscream was already annoyed with the Coneheads. This was not unusual. "Secure the perimiter, Dirge, Ramjet! Thrust, overfly your trinemates to ensure nothing gets through. Onslaught, your team needs to /get in there/ and for Primus' sake, Vortex, don't waste time on the squishies! We don't have TIME for that slag! Skywarp, you're lookout. I need your visual of these coordinates, relayed to me. Thundercracker, you are with me. We're following the fragging Combaticons. Starscream out." He expected them to follow his directives. They had damned well better.

"Going!" Skywarp shouted into the comm, disappearing with a VOIP! sound, and Thundercracker fell into position off his starboard wing without bothering to send more than a ping of acknowlegement.

They followed Blast Off into a shallow dive as he banked sharply to land with a concrete-shattering crunch in the parking area in front of the power plant. Swindle and Brawl dashed out of his alt mode, crashing through the glass entry-way into the building itself and disappearing from Starscream's view, Vortex sauntering after them. Onslaught remained outside, on guard for the inevitable response from
the Autobots.


The Autobots scrambled to action, having already been told that the ones raiding were both trines and the Combaticons. Silverbolt gathered his brothers, munis Fireflight, and explained, "We may have to combine here. Yes, without Flight. So we'll be short an arm as Superion. We have practiced this, and hopefully we won't have to. When you get a visual on the Combaticons, take out Swindle if you can, because I seriously doubt that they have much experience combining without all memebers available. Swindle is the weak point. Exploit it."

The Twins were readying themselves, Sideswipe making sure his jetpack was secure and Sunstreaker basically glaring at anything that moved. They, next to the Aerials, were the best defense the 'Bots had against the Seekers. They were joined by Jazz and Bumblebee. Eight mechs. That should be enough. Skyfire was on standby for emergency transport. Hoist and Perceptor were riding along with Skyfire as ground support, and Jazz's Ops team was on stand by in case there were more Cons attacking than the initial alarm reported.

"We'll be back soon." Silverbolt commed to Fireflight as they took off in a roar of jet engines from the flat road in front of the Ark, the ground-bound force (and Slingshot) having already departed.

Fireflight didn't comm back, his promise to leave it alone except in emergencies ringing in his audios.

This sucked. This sucked more than just about anything else, including the time that he'd gotten feathers stuck in his turbines.


Starscream sighed. Everything was going according to plan, so far. No sign of Autobrat scouts, no interruptions. The few humans at this place had stood aside without an fight, though most times, they did- no one really wanted to tangle with something four times their size and twice as mean. They were locked in a conference room while the Combaticons gathered the energy.

/Starscream, we have company!/ Skywarp commed.

/Fraggit/. He should have known.

/Gather the Coneheads and intercept. Don't allow them to get close! I'm sending Thundercracker to your coordinates as additional backup. Don't screw this up!/

/Chill out, Screamer!/ Warp replied. /Or are you afraid your babymama's gonna get his aft handed to him by Ramjet again?/ Skywarp's snicker was cut off as he closed the comm connection.

"Can't you load that any faster?" Starscream screeched at Onslaught. Onslaught revved his engines at Starscream.

"My team is working as fast as they can. Keep the slagging Autobots off us and we'll do our part."

/Frag yourself, Skywarp. Frag yourself HARD./ Starscream advised, cutting the comm. He glared at the working Combaticons with a sneer on his face, but Skywarp's comment had struck something inside him.

What if Fireflight /was/ out there, and got shot out of the sky? What would happen?


Silverbolt led four-fifths of his team near the plant, and caught sight of the Seekers in the sky. His spark briefly flared in anger, and he noted that none of them was Starscream. Too bad. He had a blast with that fragger's name on it, and he intended to deliver.

/All right, Aerialbots. Take 'em out! Skyfire, do you have the ground support?/

/Ah'm on the way, don't /worry/ so much, Silverbolt. We're goin' in./ Jazz advised them.

Vortex exited the plant and rose into the sky in his altform, preparing to help the Seekers drive off the Autobots as best he could. He figured that it'd be more fun than standing there, watching Onslaught and Swindle load up Blast Off.

/Vortex, get back to your post!/ Onslaught ordered as the first volley of laserfire from the Autobots' weapons splashed over Blast Off's plating.

/You guys have it down there, I belong in the air./ Voretx resolved to ignore any further comms from his commander unless strictly necessary, rising into the sky to fire upon Air Raid, who dipped low along with Skydive to catch Blast Off in a crossfire tactic designed to disable his propulsion systems. Vortex would have frowned, but he simply locked on and fired, scoring Air Raid's left wing with a dark line of laser fire.

Ramjet and Thrust had began a tandem flight, circling around Silverbolt himself in an attempt to get him lower to the ground. They were lining themselves up for Ramjet's signature move, but Silverbolt would have none of it, keeping his form as straight as possible, with Slingshot firing off his port side along with spounting the most creative curses he'd heard in a very long time.

Dirge was already on the ground, his right wing wrenched out of position, a very triumphant looking Sunstreaker slamming his fist into Dirge's face more times than was strictly necessary. Sideswipe, for his part, was actually atop the plant, waiting for Skywarp to screw up and swoop low enough to be caught.

Jazz burst into the building, his blaster raised. Bumbleebee slid in behind him, off his flank, in a defensive posture. He spied Starscream and a wry smile touched his lips.

"Safer in here than out. Screamer. Silverbolt wants your aft on a silver platter. May as well surrender, or else I /might/ let 'im have ya." Jazz just smiled.

"Frag off, Autoscum." Starscream fired his null ray, which Jazz had anticipated- he dodged out of the way and the blast hit a wall, burning a hole into it.

"Thought that was more your thing, Scraemer," Jazz said. "And really, I know your right servo gets tired of you, but you hadda go messin' with /Fireflight/ o' all mechs?" He fired off a shot, which Starscream dodged by slinking around one of the support columns. "C'mon, surrender and I'll even make sure his brothers don't get hold of you."


"And STAY DOWN THERE!" Air Raid yelled as Ramjet arced downward, trailing smoke from his port engine and Sideswipe jumped free of the damaged decepticon jet.

Starcsream screeched, annoyed with the turn of conversation. "I won't be seeing them today, and if you don't get the slag out of here, you'll be waking up in our brig, at the tender mercies of Vortex. He'd /love/ you, I'm sure." Starscream fired again, picking up the corner of a table to throw it in the mech's path, blocking one route of escape.

He forgot that Bumblebee was nearby, though, and he felt the blast almost before it hit him. His systems shuddered and fell offline one by one, the laser disrupting his mental processes and knocking him completely unconscious.


Ramjet whimpered on the ground in response to Air Raid's sneering little cry, and Sideswipe scrambled back onto the building just as Vortex fired his glue gun, hitting Raid with in his air intakes. It began to clog things up quite nicely, and Air Raid cursed loudly, comming Silverbolt. /I'm out for now, Bolt, if I fly I'll overheat! damn Vortex nailed me with GLUE, of all things./

Silverbolt sighed- there would be no forming Superion now, not with Air Raid out as well. Onslaught was hurrying below him, closing off Blast Off's reception ports and his holds, preparing to leave. Swindle glared up at Silverbolt and pulled out a largeish weapon, firing and nearlly hitting the Concorde with a blast of violet light that hurt just to look at. Then the smaller mech and his gestaltmates hurried inside Blast Off, who was immediately surrounded by Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Thrust- the remaining fliers. Starscream was nowhere to be found, nor was Jazz or Bee.

The Seekers unleashed heavy covering fire, Skywarp strafing along the borders with a precision that Silverbolt had doubted the flighty jet even had. Blast Off managed to get itno the sky, and Skyfire had already landed...so...he was gone, gone with whatever they'd come from.

The Autobots had failed this one.

Jazz commed Silverbolt. /I got a present for you, Silverbolt. I'll bring it out./

What the frag could Jazz be giving him?


Fireflight was pacing, and had been since the alarm was turned off after the mission team rolled out. His head snapped around when the door slid open.

"Everyone's on their way back. Your brothers are fine," Ratchet said. "But I need the infirmary, so I'm releasing you, temporarily, to go straight to your quarters and wait there for your brothers. You can recharge there tonight and report here after your shift tomorrow."

Fireflight blinked in confusion.

"What are you waiting for?" Ratchet said crossly. "Go on, get out of here."

"I thought I had to stay here, Ratchet... Why do you want me to leave?" Blue eyes search Ratchet's face for any clue, any indication that something was wrong. "Did somebody...somebody die?" He looked vaguely ill at that thought.

"No, Flight, not that I know of. Now get out of here before I change my mind." Ratchet pointed at the door.

Fireflight opened and closed his mouth, and then nodded, heading for the doorway. The door to the medbay slid open with a soft hiss- bringing Fireflight face to face with Skyfire- who stood holding a unconscious seeker in his arms.