Warning: violence, non-con (not detailed)

Matrix

Pool

Optimus struggled towards consciousness, but it was still slow work. He tried to remember what happened – not that it was hard to guess, but he'd prefer some real memories. Or maybe he wouldn't…? Slowly, it started to trickle back into his meta, making him groan… oh yes, just what he'd been afraid of for a while now. Washing and polishing Megatron has always been the most humiliating task that he had to do, but since he was in the Seeker's frame it was far more… dangerous and in a different way than before. He had to struggle with the arousal that his system generated, so he'd not show it to the tyrant, not encourage him to take advantage of it. Kinda hard when in the sensuous pool filled with warm solvent and them so close that the charge occasionally jumped across their plates. Kinda hard with the Seeker frame heating up so easily. Kinda hard when he had to touch him and… yeah, it always started that way.

Only, this time he probably didn't keep enough distance, didn't show himself to be uninterested enough, because the time came when he felt the big servos on his plating tighten as Megatron started to paw the wings and gradually drew him closer. Close enough for their plates to touch, to feel him running hotter, hear the vents working harder, see the wings shuddering and causing little waves run around in the pool and take it as encouragement. By this time he tried desperately to break the grip to escape from the unwanted closeness and no matter the consequences.

He just wasn't strong enough. Neither as Optimus and apparently nor as a Seeker. He shook the memories away that threatened to come out… of occasions like this. He didn't need them. He knew already how it would end, not that he gave up for the knowledge. He felt his back and wings pressed to the wall of the pool – not only painful as the edge bit into the sensitive metal but also bringing up a small panic of being trapped, unable to move his wings… While one of Megatron's servos kept his own restrained, the other fondling the captive wings, alternating with an occasional pinch and scratch, eliciting unwanted yelps and occasionally a moan that he failed to bite back.

Optimus tried not to groan and upped his efforts to get out of this situation, using the slippery solvent to his advantage. Finally, he managed to free his servos, push him away and with his foot trip Megatron into the shallow pool. The shocked surprise on his faceplates was almost worth it, he thought as he scrambled to get out of the pool. Almost, because he rose again with a roar, rage quickly consuming his face and he was fast enough to grab him just as he jumped out. The Seeker frame was far more agile than his old one, but it still couldn't beat Megatron's longer reach and lightning-fast reflexes. Caught in mid-jump with a painfully strong grip on the thrusters he crashed onto the floor, just beside the bathing pool.

Megatron was on him in no time at al, bellowing and snarling as he proceeded to beat the will out of him. Damn, but it hurt. Starscream may have been used to being beaten thus, but he certainly wasn't – it was so different from battle injuries. The Seeker frame seemed to have ten times the sensors than his old one and Megatron somehow managed to hurt all of them. Especially in the wings. Optimus had not had the slightest idea how could anything metal be that sensitive, but obviously, Megatron did and used to his advantage. He was soon reduced to a writhing, screaming mass on the floor, the slippery solvent that pooled around him soon mixed with sticky energon and coolant from his lines.

That was when he started to claw at his interface panel and Optimus, even amongst the pain all over knew that this was it, because he saw no way the tyrant would stop what he was doing, and he himself could not get away any more. His struggles were reduced to some impotent scratches on the silver armor and a few, weak kicks on his legs as Megatron continued to pin him down with his weight and beat the resistance out of him. The panel was torn off, its little sting lost among the sea of pain and Megatron wasn't interested in foreplay either. The vicious thrust into his valve was seared like a burning edge onto the canvas of pain that he was in and Optimus dazedly prayed to at least lose consciousness soon, as his screams cut out together with his vocalizer.

He did fell offline at some point, but not nearly soon enough, as the haphazard memory bits told him. He came online again – with a shock of plain flaming up suddenly - when his mangled frame was thrown carelessly onto the repair table and lost it again, when the cold of the sedative spread into him, blessedly numbing the myriad places that relentlessly sent their clamoring damage reports to his aching processors. He half woke again as he felt the acceleration, as his transport speeded out of the gravity well… wait what transport, where, who? But he fell back into uneasy recharge again, his healing nanites prioritizing his repair over information. When he came online again, it was a dozen Seeker faces looming over him from all around, staring at him like a ghost.

Shuttle

Skywarp and the other Seekers warped from medbay back to that building where they have rested before, leaving a slightly worse for wear and thoroughly offline Hook behind. The big house was in a good position, easily defendable, with good view all around in case any mech tried to approach them. Starscream was out cold and they wanted to wait him to awaken. But Thundercracker was worried about that too.

"The problem is, even after the sedative is out of his system, he won't be able to fly. He'll probably get into recharge to let the nanites finish integrating the repaired parts. Major repairs work that way."

"Ahh… too bad. How long will that take?" – Skywarp wanted to get away fastest now, that revenge was not a priority any more. It was fine to want to kill Megatron in the white-hot heat of anger, but an entirely different matter facing him when prepared and indubitably stronger.

"Up to an orn? I just don't know. He looked pretty bad."

Now he became nervous too – "We can't stay here for that long…"

"I know. The klik Megatron notices him gone and we will have a mech-hunt on us."

"I can warp us around, but we can't take him to space in this condition…"

"We can't…" – Thundercracker glanced out of the window to sweep his gaze around the square. It caught at one point, seeing a big frame there that had just landed – "…but he can."

He pointed out at the hulking, white-red frame of the shuttle, who was bemusedly awaiting at the square for the Decepticons who would unload his cargo. Skyfire just returned from Earth, packed full with Energon and didn't know about the commotion that Jazz caused and drew most mechs, even Megatron there to deal with it. He nervously awaited on the square for some mech to come and give him orders. When the Seekers stepped out from one of the building, he tensed, but the slave codes have never been modified to disregard the fliers from the Decepticon category whom he must obey… so when Thundercracker ordered him over to the building, he complied.

When he saw Starscream's frame brought out and loaded into his hold, he froze for a few kliks and his processor was in complete turmoil, seeing the colours on the frame, signifying that he was alive. Impossible, he repeated to himself, it can't be, it's simply not possible! He saw the Seeker deactivated, grayed out, unmoving, he felt his mind dead, his processors frozen, his memory banks shut down. How did they bring him back to life? Dazed with disbelief, he still heard Thundercracker's orders and he dared to feel glad. Anywhere afar from Megatron would be better for Star. And for him too.

"Follow us off-planet and disregard any other orders apart from us. Are you fuelled up enough for a journey to the Stultax II system's Levarg Moon?"

"Y-yes, I can reach it." – he answered after consulting his star maps. It wasn't even that far. He kept his internal sensors on the Seeker, strapped down for his own safety. He had fresh welds and repairs and was obviously in a medical recharge. He probably wouldn't wake up before they reached their goal, albeit he moved a little, like dreaming. Skyfire still couldn't believe that his old friend – no, not a friend for a while, have to remember that – was alive again and they were together once more. He was sure that on the moon they'd find the defecting Seekers' settlement and that even after carrying the Seeker there he would not let to go back. Not that he would want to.

The trip was uneventful and tersely quiet, each of them keeping their silence for various reasons. They landed near the settlement and Thundercracker removed Starscream's still prone frame from the shuttle. He gave standing orders to Skyfire to stay with them, not to reveal their coordinates to anyone or contact anyone – basically what he expected. As far as he was the highest ranking Decepticon around – and the codes certainly accepted him to be - he'd have to follow them. Skyfire decided that as far as Megatron and Soundwave weren't around he'd be fine with the Seekers. Maybe even Starscream would, in time soften a bit and they could be friends again…

Seekers

All Seekers came out from their buildings when they saw them landing and their curiosity just grew exponentially when they saw Thundercracker taking Starscream's frame from the shuttle. He told them to unload the energon too – not that they needed it, but it was still a bonus for their stores. He carried the prone frame into the communal building, laying him on a handy berth there. His digits already started to twitch slightly, signalling that he'd online soon when Thrust, hovering nearby suddenly spoke up.

"Why is his helm blue?"

They all stared at it, Thundercracker and Skywarp looking at each other – how could they miss it before?

"I have no idea… we'll have to ask him when he onlines."

"Unless the shuttle knows…" – they all looked at Skyfire, who just shrugged helplessly; he hasn't seen the Seeker since his deactivation.

They didn't have to wait long before Starscream started to twitch minutely and after some squirming opened his optic covers. The emotion that flashed in the red optics was strange, Thundercracker thought, it was neither happiness nor joy… rather a sort of resigned acceptance, like he didn't really want to be there but not having a say in it, he acquiesced to it. Could they have been so wrong and Screamer wanted that sick pain-pleasure relationship with Megatron? Skywarp apparently didn't miss the glance either and when he spoke, his voice betrayed the uncertainty.

"Uhh… Screamer…?"

Optimus's thoughts were still a bit sluggish but it didn't stop him from realizing the fact that the Seekers thought him to be Starscream. It did, however made him vary of how to express the fact that he wasn't; he simply wasn't sure how they'd take the information.

"I… uhh… it is not that simple. But I'm not… khmmm, not Starscream."

They stared at him like frozen ice-statues, he once saw the humans make in wintertime. Well, it was still better than reacting with violence. Optimus squirmed a little, signalling that he'd want to sit up at least – laying on his back was not really comfortable, if he didn't set the wings just right. They moved away a few inches automatically, just enough for him to sit. Apparently Seekers didn't have big personal spaces, or invading it was common practice.

"H-how is that possible?" – It was Thundercracker who first shook the frozen disbelief off himself. - "This is Starscream's frame. I recognize it." – by the time he finished the sentence, Skywarp nodding in affirmation beside him, Thundercracker's voice was already tinted with suspicion. Of course they would be intimately familiar with Starscream's frame; even he knew that Trines usually meant intimate relationships too. He'd have to clear this up soon or they could turn inimical if they thought that he'd gotten the frame through despicable means.

"Yes… it is. I'm Optimus. Megatron made Hook to rebuild me in your former Trine-leader's frame. I'm sorry…"

The silence was only broken by a silent, but still distinctly unhappy scream that all of them heard. It echoed around them, bringing cold and shivering, fretful wings with his noise. More than one Seeker flinched as they heard it and Optimus was kinda glad that it took some of the attention from himself. Skywarp was the only one seemingly unaffected by the surreal experience while he gaped at him, mouthing silently 'Optimus', like he didn't know what it meant and Optimus felt more than a bit insulted. They couldn't have forgotten what a Prime was, now, could they?

He felt a sudden coldness, followed by the usual hot arousal in his circuits and miraculously, the slave codes in his processor dissolved suddenly, like they have never existed. By this time, he more than believed that the infamous Seeker did stick around as a ghost or similar apparition and these unexplainable, sudden bouts of hot and cold signalled his presence. It was really the only explanation, however surreal it sounded. But to have the slave codes rewritten in the processor that was currently his, he didn't know how it was possible. He'd have to confer with the humans who had far more experience – or claimed to do so – about afterlife and visitations. Cybertronians did not have any notions of such; mechs who'd gone to the Well or the Pit tended to stay there and not come back, unless completely reborn.

"I know that it is not what you had expected. Believe me, it is not something that I'm comfortable with either… but then they didn't ask me before it was done."

"So you… you are not Starscream…? He is… he is truly GONE?" – Skywarp looked more and more livid by the klik and Optimus was suddenly apprehensive. The black Seeker was famous for being volatile and reacting with violence and he was shaky enough on his thrusters not to want to fight for his life just yet. He'd have to calm him down before he did something unwise.

"I truly sorry… I mean I couldn't help it… but here I am, trying to make the best of it. It is not like I have a frame to go back to, even if it would be my choice. But I think that I heard your Trine-leader's sounds around more than once. Even deactivated he seems to want to stick around."

They gaped at him at that even more. Truly, Optimus has never seen so many dumbfounded Seekers and he almost made a mistake of smirking at the thought. Fortunately he captured the intention before it could translate into a facial movement. He had a sneaking suspicion that Skywarp for one wouldn't have appreciated it as humor, even as he heard the surreal laughter in his audials. Starscream, apparently was in agreement with him.

"B-but you are a grounder!" – Thundercracker felt almost insulted. To put a grounder into the Winglord's frame?

"That, I most certainly am. I felt it in the wings every time I bumped them into something." – a few snickers came from the peanut gallery at the weak attempt to joke and Optimus appreciated it as breaking the ice. He'd rather have the Seekers laugh at him than blame him for Starscream's fate. It took a few joors and some more jokes at his expense before the air in the place became, well, not friendly, but at least not inimical either. He even saw Skywarp's mouth curve into a smirk that he tried and failed to hide after a while and then he felt somewhat safe for the first time in vorns. At least the Seekers responded to his jokes about his predicament – Megatron wasn't so easy to manipulate. Rather impossible, as he thought back.

The only one not swayed by the self-derision and ironic humour was Thundercracker, who sat at the side and watched him work the crowd and slowly bend them if not to his side, but at least to be neutral to him. Optimus knew that he would be an entirely different matter to convince and sway. But he wasn't worried about him overasmuch – philosophing and dissecting thoughts was more his forte than humor, in which he heavily leaned on Starscream's memories and experiences. Those caused a few queer kliks too, when a certain Seeker would just stare at him, almost visibly wondering where he had known that piece of information that he shouldn't be privy to.

Negotiating

"You are clever." – Thundercracker remarked casually as he sat down by Optimus, finally deciding that he saw enough and came closer. Most of the Seekers have left by this time and they were more or less alone in the common room. The blue Seeker nonchalantly handed a cube of high grade to him which he gladly accepted; with all that transpired that orn, Optimus hardly remembered when he last refueled. – "You worked them like a pro, that you used to be Optimus… Prime?" – the last word he enunciated with an almost questioning tone.

"I'm not a Prime any more, Thundercracker." – he suddenly felt tired, despite of the energy boost of the cube, a fine high grade by any reckoning. – "And you of all mechs probably see that presently I try to survive, nothing more. I do not aspire to any sort of power that Starscream held among you. I know that having this frame does not qualify me for any such; neither personally, in your Trine nor legally among the Seekers. But I don't want to be blamed for it either."

"I don't blame you for it." – Thundercracker sipped from his own cube, courtesy dictating that he too should drink and not let the guest… guest? Is he that now? ... so the guest drink alone. – "Although I can't help but wonder of your motives. Survival is just the surface for even an ex-Prime."

Optimus only had to look at Starscream's memories to know where that mistrust and suspicion came from. He understood it perfectly, in the Seeker's place he'd have held himself in doubt as well. They didn't have good experiences with Sentinel Prime and no matter how he regretted that, he had to face with the consequences. They didn't know him to be any better yet.

"I'm not a Prime any more, hasn't been one for vorns." – he turned slightly to look the blue Seeker in the optics. – "You know what Starscream's fate was in Megatron's hands. I got to experience the same. Believe me, it reduces a mech to pure survival, nothing more. He is a master of manipulating, torture and coercion." – Optimus decided that it would be unwise to mention Starscream as a perpetrator in what transpired. Megatron was the main motivator anyway. Starscream, although not quite a victim, was heavily manipulated into the position where he did what the warlord wanted.

They fell silent for a while at that, wings a tiny bit nervously flexing backwards; Optimus too was getting the hang of it slowly.

"True. But… if you are not the Prime, not the winglord, not Starscream… then who are you and who do you want to be? You managed to survive, when Star did not. What now? You aren't just a middling person, even without the Matrix in your chest. You can't exactly hide among the ranks, not with flaunting Star's colours anyway."

"I haven't really had time to think any further than surviving yet. If you accept me here, I'd be happy to help in anything you want me to. I take it that you are the leader of the Seekers now…?" – it was half a guess, half a question; Optimus didn't know the rest of the Seekers well enough to judge who could take Starscream's place. Thundercracker could, that much he suspected, he certainly had the processor for it.

"I am but an administrator really… I'm not a leader type. I'm more comfortable with following someone, like Star… but these idiot glitches don't come even close to what he was. We just dawdle here really…"

"He is here around, you know?"

"What do you mean around? You mentioned it before, but… are you serious?"

"Surely you heard him, felt the cold touch and the sheer presence he sometimes exudes?"

Thundercracker did feel and hear it of course, he just didn't want to believe in it.

"But it is… impossible."

"Well, look up the human concept 'ghost'. They have plenty of information on the subject."

It was fortunate that Thundercracker was fairly well-versed in human culture, because Cybertronians had no concept of ghosts. Afterlife yes; when a mech died he went to either the Well of All Sparks or the Pit according to how Primus judged their lives to have been lived. But no visitations from either place, no corporeal entities who walked among the functioning existed in their culture.

"But how is it possible?"

"I'm not a scientist. Not even a priest, no matter the Matrix. I can only offer my guess: that Starscream simply refused to die."

"That would be Screamer all right…" – Skywarp joined them again with some high grade too. He even had a slight smirk on his face at the idea.

"But why? What would keep him here?"

"Revenge…? A hope for regaining his body? Sheer cussedness?"

"My frequent processor-aches and other reactions tell me that he did try to… repossess… his frame."

"But he couldn't."

"Would you give it back if he could?"

"Provided that I get another frame… yes, of course." – Optimus considered the idea perfectly normal and fair; he didn't feel the Seeker frame as his and if Starscream could have it again, then he'd gladly give it up. – "Only… I see no way for it. And I don't think you have scientists among you who can examine the matter and make even guesses as to how to start."

"But there are some among your Autobots. Perceptor, Wheeljack, Ratchet… if anymech is capable of finding a way for it, they are the ones. But would they help?"

"If you help them to escape slavery… I think they would. In fact I'm sure that in exchange for your help in it, we can do whatever we can about Starscream. It can also coincide with your revenge."

"He's right TC. We want to get Megatron for this and we did consider the Autobots as possible help." – Skywarp suddenly found that everything fell into its place and the solution for their problems was right in front of them.

"We have to plan this carefully. Gather information. Contact the Autobots and get their codes rewritten. A lot of things to do, plan and coordinate…"

"I can help you with detailed info about the fortifications, the armaments, the forces, patrols… everything. I read every report that Megatron got." – and since the slave codes were dissolved, he could tell it to the Seekers too. Optimus was sure that it was Starscream's doing, albeit it wasn't a comfortable feeling to know that he had shared a processor with the Seeker and not even feel it.

"That would be really helpful." – and far more than Thundercracker expected. Optimus apparently was more useful than he first thought. – "By the way… can you fly?"

"I never had the opportunity to try. But to be honest, I'm not optimistic…"

"You can try it tomorrow. Warp can port us somewhere farther… it'd be best if the others don't see if you fail." – Thundercracker had a glint in his optics that Optimus recognized. He had a plan, something that involved him, required flying - but he wouldn't tell it yet.

Matrix

The next orn saw the three of them on an empty plateau, far from prying optics. Optimus was apprehensive and the other two saw it clearly on his quivering wings. He'd gone through all his flight protocols and systems during the recharge cycle and they seemed frightfully complex. Driving was far easier and he wished his well-known truck-form back instead of a flier frame that everyone half-expected not only to able to fly but be the best of it at once. He also wished if Starscream's ghost would be able to help him – but the mocking laughter at that wish suggested him that it was either impossible or the Seeker just wouldn't do it. It would be so much easier if he was able to communicate with the ghost, convince him to help, as it was both their interests.

He saw that the other two was almost as uncomfortable with the situation as he – albeit for different reasons. They stared at him covertly, the red optics sliding all over the frame before they noticed him glancing back and looked away quickly. Optimus almost felt their thoughts, the yearning for their partner, Trine-leader, mate… it made his own broken bond twinge, acutely uncomfortable. Not that they were in any way objectionable… no, Seekers were a secret crush of him for a long time, before he deemed it inappropriate for a Prime to admire the enemy and suppressed the feeling. It decided to come to the surface though and the Seekers' longing glances didn't help him any.

"Well… try your thrusters without transforming first." – Thundercracker's deep voice broke the silence that started to become awkward.

Optimus nodded and did just that. At first it seemed okay, as he slowly rose into the still air of the moon. But at the first variable, he lost it, as the straight trajectory wobbled and he started to compensate, then again and again… and it quickly overwhelmed his ability to follow the process. Fortunately he wasn't that high and the two Seekers caught him. Unfortunately, it didn't become easier even after a joor's practice; he kept thinking with his grounder processor, in two dimensions and he simply couldn't cope with flying.

"It doesn't work." – he admitted frustrated, dented and low on energon after Skywarp teleported them back to the compound. – "I don't know why, but I can't seem to access Starscream's processor when I need to – only when it kicks in by itself."

"That proves that you can access it. You just have to learn how to do it all the time." – Thundercracker was disappointed by Optimus's lack of results during the first attempt to fly, but he was willing to encourage him to practice more. Skywarp on the other servo was quite frustrated and pouting. It was sad to see Starscream's frame completely unable to fly straight, but at least it hammered home the fact that he was, after all and despite of the appearance not Starscream. Which made the black Seeker think of another idea…

::TC, should we give him back the Matrix?::

::It would change him again… but maybe for the better. I guess we should.::

::It is his.::

"Optimus, we must tell you something."

"I hope it is not about my flying." – the attempt at joking was not a good idea, he saw immediately; both Seekers stayed serious and from Skywarp that was telling.

"No. It is about the Matrix."

"What about it?" – he had resigned himself to never see it again long ago.

"We have it here… 'Warp stole it from Megatron when we left."

"I see… and what is your intention with it?"

"Well… nothing was really, at least until now. But we have just decided to give it back to you. After all, it rightfully belongs to you…" – Thundercracker paused a bit, hesitating how to continue - "but we don't know what it would cause you in this frame."

"I'm not sure of that either… it is supposed to enhance the bearer's frame."

"Well… try it if you want to.."

The whole situation started to become surreal for Optimus. Here they stood, calmly discussing the most sacred relic of their kind, like it was a simple mod, the Seekers almost foisting it to him to try… and he was apprehensive too. He remembered the pain of the transforming process twice over; once when he became a Prime and last when he stopped being one. He had experienced quite a lot of pain recently to not look forward to some more… but then he realized that it was cowardly, it was trying to avoid responsibility, that if the Matrix hasn't chosen anyone else, then it was still his job to bear it and… lead, probably. Because that's what Primes do. He should lead and lead better than before.

Being in a flier frame had a purpose too – if only he kept in mind what he learned from Starscream's memories, he could be a better Prime, more able to see even the Decepticon point of view. In the future, if what Thundercracker proposed was done, he'd need that knowledge, that insight, to hold together the two groups even after the necessity of cooperation has passed. Skywarp came back to the room, holding out the shimmering metal of the Matrix, like it was just a common wrench to fix something. Optimus lay on a couch and warned them.

"Don't interfere, whatever happens. Once it starts, it is out of our servos, whether it kills me or transforms me into…" - he shrugged – "something."

He took the relic from the purple hands and before he could rethink his decision, lifted it to his chest and opened his plates.

The Matrix, as it did the first time, shone with a shimmering, inner fire and grew tendrils of light towards his spark. When they connected, he groaned as the searing light forced his spark chamber open and touched his spark. It did not welcome the intruder back, like he thought it would; deep down, he did consider that the Matrix abandoned him when the Decepticons ambushed them and it gave no warning. The flaring blue light fluctuated around the white tendrils, almost battling them and Optimus moaned again in pain.

The two Seekers decided to move away a few steps to give him plenty of space. Neither of them has ever witnessed a Prime transformation, but it didn't look very peaceful, not with the bright lights that strobed like crazy around his chest area, and his groans of what were unmistakably pain and not pleasure. But the whitish brilliance of the Matrix seemed to slowly sink into his own blue radiance, encompassing the spark like before. When it did and the spark chamber shut close, cutting of the light spectacle, his whole frame started to shine with an inner light.

His colours became blindingly bright before shading into a slightly darker, golden edged version of their former self. The legs visibly strengthened, the armor protecting them became thicker, stronger. The torso hardly changed, only the golden cockpit turned and hid underneath a solid, heavy piece of armor that grew over to protect it. The wings changed only slightly, becoming sturdier and somewhat smaller. The two Seekers watched the transformation with avid interest as Optimus Prime stood up again. He looked still like Starscream, only a less slender looking one, with the golden stripes that gave him a more majestic appearance; and the wings that strangely, suddenly looked like truly belonging to him.

Behind them a cold sob echoed from the empty air, like Starscream mourning his frame.