A/N: So finally, after rewriting this chapter at least three times, I going to post it. It took forever to decide how I wanted it to go, but, well here it is. Its more light hearted than the upcoming ones will be so enjoy it for what its worth.

Warning: Skywarp's pranks

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

"Hey TC?" Skywarp asked as he sat up on the berth. He glanced over to his recharging partner. Lying on his back, Thundercracker grunted and turned his head to the wall, trying to illustrate to Skywarp that was ignoring him. Skywarp was not exactly the brightest fluorescent light bulb on Nemesis; he did not immediately pick up on the implicit meaning conveyed by his partner. He persisted in getting Thundercracker's attention. He asked,"TC, you awake?"

"No." Thundercracker grumbled. Not taking no for an answer Skywarp exclaimed,"TC, I gotta tell ya something important!"

"No."

"Oh come on please!"

"I said No! Now leave me alone!"

"But its important! Pleeeeeease! Come on 'Cracker, I gotta tell ya something! You need to really know!" Skywarp prodded.

"Don't call me that! What is it, Skywarp?" Thundercracker hissed and faced his roommate. A scowl graced his faceplates. If looks could kill, Skywarp would have been dead. Thundercracker's crimson optics glared murderously at his fellow trinemate, he imagined killing his inept wingmate in the most gruesome ways possible. Skywarp smirked at his partner, egging him on to try do something about it with his own defiant optics. He taunted, "You know you love me TC, just admit it!"

"You're an idiot."

"Hah! But I'm your idiot! Remember trinemates for life brother!"

"Don't remind me." grumbled Thundercracker, he shared his irritation over the trinebond.

"Now that I got your full attention-"Skywarp was interrupted by Thundercracker. He folded his arms over his chest armor and snorted, "I wish it was!"

"As I was saying, TC, do you feel it?"

"Feel what? A processorache? I have one of those right now from being around stupid for too long."

"No, I mean over the trinebond! Do you feel that! It's like a fluttering sensation in my spark, its coming from the trinebond."

"I'm surprised you even know what to call our trinebond in the first place."

"Hey!" Skywarp called out; he scrunched his faceplates up in an exaggerated pout. Thundercracker sniggered and scoffed, "What's your point?"

"The point is that I'm getting strange emotions that aren't coming from you. Don't you feel them?"

"Maybe I feel it too, maybe not. It's probably coming from Screamer. I really don't care about it. Now let me get some recharge time before my next shift starts!"

"Come on TC...work with me here."

"No."

"Well no means yes. Do you remember how she cut us out when she started upwards in the ranks? Do you remember that day when she said she only wanted to be a trine in public?"

"You're not as stupid as you look, 'Warp. I'm surprised you can remember that far back. What about it?"

"Do you think she might be trying to open it again? I don't know why she would but do you think so?"

"I really could care less as to what she does. If she's in trouble, she can look out for herself. She's a Decepticon like us, I'm not risking my aft for her or you. Now leave me alone 'Warp, I want to recharge peacefully." Thundercracker growled while flipping himself over onto his back. His wings twitched in apparent irritation. Skywarp observed his fellow wingmate, he couldn't fight off the nagging feeling that something really awful was happening to their Air Commander.

He laid back down on his own. He felt small waves of pain pass through their bond and it wasn't coming from Thundercracker.

Thundercracker came out of recharge. He still felt slightly vexed that he didn't get the amount of time that he really needed. He questioned himself. When did he ever get good recharge time when his wingmate and he had to share the same room? The answere: Almost never.

Both Skywarp and he shared quarters just slightly bigger than a janitorial closet. At one time they would have had a third person to split the space with; that particular over-inflated, egotistical somebody had decided to turn her back on them. And to add to injury, she was their trineleader. In the ancient Vosnian culture it had been unheard of for the leader of a trine to do something like that. In the Golden Ages, Vos had had strict social rules when it came to trine conduct. Back then, it was almost sacrilegious for a trineleader to abandon his or her wingmates. The trine represented what the seeker culture stood for; as a trio of mechs or femmes bonded from birth, their fates where intertwined. From the time as younglings into adulthood, their creators and instructors drilled into them the art of aerial warfare, weaponry, and military tactics. As a trine in the heat of battle, they were told they had to coordinate skillfully between themselves, in order for them to survive as a whole. They had to know each other inside and out. Each trinemate had a special task within the trine, the leader being the most important one in keeping the trine together through all odds. Yet, that was all in the past.

Now, it didn't matter. Although, unlike his sister; Thundercracker remained loyal to their trine and to the Decepticon cause. That loyalty only went so far. He would protect his siblings to extent that they remained online; otherwise if for example they were incapacitated because of injuries, he would stand by their side but he wouldn't bother helping them in any way. That was one reason why Megatron hadn't heard from either of them about his sister's hidden gender touchups to her frame. It kept her online and part of a functioning trine. He was well aware of what Lord Megatron did to femmes within the ranks if they stepped out of their station. What he did to most of the femmes during the start of the Great War spoke volumes of his outlook on the gender in general. Some femmes had been allowed into their ranks because of their skills or their usefulness to their cause. However, if Megatron even knew of Starscream's greatest deceit, he would not keep her around as SIC and Air Commander for very much longer. She had already proven various times that she could not be trusted to do even the simplest tasks without open treachery involved. She was out to claim the title of Supreme Leader and nothing would stop her, as long as Megatron remained unaware of her gender. Thundercracker had to admit that he found it slightly amusing that she had managed to persuade the TIC not to tell the Slag Maker.

Thundercracker's gaze went to his sleeping comrade, the violet and charcoal mech recharged soundlessly on his side of the room. Thundercracker lips quirked upwards while he watched Skywarp. He looked...peaceful for once. Peace was not something they as Decepticons could attain normally, what with everybody doublecrossing everybody almost on a daily basis. It was expected for every mech to stand on their own two pedes, only the strongest survived. The humans called it, "the survival of the fittest". Even though, sometimes Thundercracker had to question that logic behind the way they all lived their lives. Betrayal had left wounds that would never heal all the way. Perfidy struck home the most when it involved members of the gestalt teams or the seeker trines. Their own seeker trine had experienced it many times. And it hurt. Thundercracker would not admit it openly; the ache in his spark throbbed each and every time Skywarp and he were around Starscream.

Leaving his thoughts about his trinemates behind him, he checked his chronometer-he had less than a joor left before he started his next shift. He checked his energy reserves. They read at 23%. Just great! He exhaled as another object added itself to his list of things that ruined his day.

Thundercracker rose from his berth, looking over his shoulder to make sure Skywarp was still in recharge. It briefly crossed his mind that maybe he should get some energon for his mate, but he immediately shrugged it off. Skywarp could get his own energon if he really needed it.

When he strode to the door, he didn't see Skywarp slowly get up from his lying position and stare at Thundercracker's twitching wings. Skywarp put his servo to his face and sniggered quietly.

Painted on Thundercracker's backside, in hot pink paint, Skywarp had drawn the Cybertronian basic glyphs for the phrase, "Kick me!"TC had it coming. He always was too easy to prank; he was such a "heavy sleeper" as humans put it. He probably wouldn't get wind of the writing until much later on in the cycle. Most 'Cons weren't really adamant in helping a fellow friend out, unless it benefit them personally. Before then, mostly likely Soundwave's cassettes and maybe some of the Stunticons would take it upon themselves to actually kick TC in the cycle's progression.

Skywarp continued to imagine for another breem, what it would be like to see that happening until he had enough doing it. He couldn't take it anymore! He had to see it happen in reality.

A light bulb lit up right above his head as he had an idea. He grinned devilishly and brought his servos together, rubbing them against each other like a cartoon villain would. He hastily got off his berth and warped out of the room. With a flash of light he popped into the mess hall, landing on top of Thundercracker in the process.

No! Thundercracker thought as something heavy forced him to the ground. He heard the energon slosh around in the cube as it landed on the ground. Thundercracker slowly glanced over at the energon cube and the spilt contents around it. He watched as his one daily energon ration spread itself out over the floor, some of it seeped through the cracks. Primus must have really hated him, everything that could go wrong did.

Skywarp glanced down to see who was the unlucky mech he landed on. He noticed the prank paint and the wings underneath him. He cheerily called out, "Hey TC! How's it going down there?" Thundercracker growled up at him. Skywarp chuckled at Thundercracker's obvious vexation. He noticed the cube, reached for it, and downed the last of its contents.

Thundercracker offed his optics for a klik; he quickly composed himself. He did a large intake of air through his nasal plates and exhaled. He wouldn't let Skywarp's stupidity and antics get the best of him. He had to remain calm in order to survive the next ten joors with Soundwave (of all mechs, Primus!).

"Get off me Skywarp!"He growled in further frustration as he tried to lift himself off the floor, yet couldn't because of Skywarp's weight. He huffed and slumped back down, one servo on his cheek and the other tapping on the floor impatiently. Skywarp watched the whole debacle with his red optics glinting with amusement. Thundercracker peered over his wings and shoulder, scowling at his wingmate, "You need to get your large aft off me, now!"

"Lighten up TC! I swear, sometimes you can be as bad as 'Screamer."

"Don't compare me to her." He grumbled. Skywarp heaved in an exaggerated sigh before getting off Thundercracker. He surveyed the room, finding that only two or three other 'Con were in there with them. Not the ones he was looking for. They paid no attention to the commotion caused by both of the seekers from the elite trine, much to Skywarp's dismay. Skywarp glanced back at Thundercracker's paint one last time. He outright burst into a fit of laughter, unable to control himself any longer. To add to the insult, Thundercracker looked at him with a confused expression on his faceplates, causing Skywarp to laugh even harder. He stumbled over, landed on his aft, pointed up at Thundercracker, and roared, "HA HA! Y-Y-YOUR FA-ACE!"

"Huh?" Thundercracker blurted out.

"Y-y-y-you should see your face right now, TC!" Skywarp sputtered, wiping coolant from his eyes, "you look so fragging funny when you're confused!'

"Its official, both my trinemates have lost their minds." Thundercracker said. He got up from his position on the floor. Shaking his head, he walked off towards the energon dispenser, with his arms folded over his cockpit glass. Skywarp-who now had stopped laughing-watched Thundercracker leave him by himself.

Slag!, Skywarp mused, TC can be such a killjoy sometimes. He harrumphed; he brought his arms over his own cockpit glass in a pout. He just wanted to blow off a little steam, that's all. He definitely would get back at Thundercracker for this and he knew the perfect mechs who would be willing to help him with a little black mail.

Skywarp got up from his sitting postion. He hightailed out of the rec room, his schemes taking shape in his twisted processor. With a quick pace he set his course for the command center. He surely would find the Reflector gestalt trio there; at least he hoped he would. He added them to the equation and he figured in order to get the best black mail, he would need them in his latest plans for his prank against Thundercracker.

As he came closer to the elevator on that floor, he saw Megatron exit it. He stopped in salute. He exclaimed,"Lord Megatron!"

Megatron simply nodded to him in reply and continued on. While Megatron passed him, he noticed energon stains on the tips of his claws.

Skywarp shrugged it off and continued on towards the elevator. He knew better than to question his superiors.