Chapter Seven

Lightning stood staring out at the ocean, she sighed as she remembered Bluestreak's harsh words to her "I wish you stayed dead." Tears began to form in her optics, her sparkling wanted her dead what was there to live for? The only reason she had carried on all these years was to be reunited with him once again only for him to turn round and say that, she felt like someone had grabbed her spark and squished it in their hand.

The blue-grey femme was so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed someone creeping up behind her until it was too late. She gasped in surprise as an arm grabbed her around the neck almost strangling her and went to put her hands up to relieve the pressure when a voice said in her audio "move and I'll shoot." Terrified but also curious Lightning looked over to see a weapon aimed at her head but not just any weapon, a seeker weapon. As she looked at the hand she saw the blue colouring and at first she thought it might have been Thundercracker but as her optics continued to travel up the arm she saw the blue end and the grey begin which meant only one thing. "Starscream." She said in a low panicked voice and heard a chuckle. She began to struggle in his grip only for him to increase the pressure around her neck. Starlight, Storm help! She called out to her teammates "get off me Decepticon."

Starscream merely smiled at the squirming femme in his hold, she had no doubt already called for the other femmes so all he had to do now was wait. "Keep struggling and you won't live long enough to see the looks on their faces when I kill them."

Them? Oh no, no! He wanted me to call the others, he's using me as bait to get to them. Lightning thought in dismay. I must stop this! Storm, Starlight ignore what I just said! Do not, I repeat DO NOT come anywhere near me!

Lightning, what the frag?! First you call for help then tell us to ignore it what the slag is wrong with you? Storm asked both annoyed and curious.

You know we can't ignore your call for help, Light. Especially when you sound as panicked as you did. Starlight added.

Please, listen to me. The blue-grey femme pleaded he wants to kill you both, I can't let that happen. He's probably realised the hold you have on the other seekers. You have to stay away, please!

Storm growled, Starscream she said with pure hate.

There's definitely no way we're leaving you in his clutches, Lightning. We'll get you back, you have a sparkling to reunite with remember? Starlight told her seriously.

No I don't. Lightning told them sadly.

After hiding it all these years you're suddenly denying it? We need to get you back here now, that slagger has done something to your head. The light yellow femme joked.

Listen, my life means nothing….not anymore it doesn't anyway, so long as… Lightning began.

You even think of finishing that sentence, Lightning and I'll hit you so hard… Starlight said trailing off.

He's said something to you, hasn't he? Something that made you think your life was no longer worth it. Storm said working it out.

He wishes I were still dead and that I never returned, tell me what the point of living is if your own sparkling hates you. It was Starlight's turn to growl and the communication was cut before anything else could be said Starlight? Storm? Guys please don't try to save me! The jet screamed inwardly she had only made things worse.


Storm stormed through the corridors of the Ark as she headed for the entrance. She was seething, Lightning had nothing to do with her and Starlight's involvement with Thundercracker and Skywarp and yet Starscream used her to get to them. Fragging coward she thought venomously if he's got a problem with us then he should come straight to us not get Lightning involved.

Mechs gave the femme a wide berth when they saw her, not wanting to invoke the femme's wrath or get in the way of whoever had. That was until a certain Porsche saw the highly annoyed jet.

"Something wrong, Storm?" he asked as she walked past him, only to be ignored by the femme. He caught up to her matching her pace, "where ya headin'?" he asked.

"Why should I tell you, you mechs are all the same. Untrustworthy, only wanting one thing and seeing us femmes as weak insolent things." She told him bitterly.

"Quazer didn't seem to think so." Jazz said casually.

Storm stopped and glared at him, "don't you dare bring Quazer into this! What the slag would you know anyway! You weren't slagging there! Nobody was there! Nobody cared when we needed help, was there to comfort us and say everything was going to okay. I had to keep us all together, had to reassure Starlight when she awoke from one of her nightmares, cheer up an upset Lightning because she was being called a traitor and con sympathizer for hanging round with us. Did anyone give a care for me and what I was going through?!"

"Then give us a chance to help, to care about the three of ya." Jazz said not fazed by the fact that the femme was virtually shouting at him.

"Give you chance? You all blew that the moment you found out who Starlight and I were related to."

"If that were true then why did I go out to find ya and bring ya back, or why did others reassure Starlight in ya absence? We don't care what happened in ya past or who ya related ta. We care about the three of ya, of Starlight, Lightning and Storm not who they were or who they had been but who they are now." The saboteur told her calmly.

Storm's anger melted slightly at those words and she looked away from him, "I wish I could believe you, Jazz, but experience has taught me that as soon as you think you can trust someone it all turns out to be a lie. Now if you'll excuse me Starlight and I have to save Lightning from a seeker who needs his aft handed to him." A small smirk appeared on her face before she continued on her way.

As Jazz watched the white and ocean blue jet he remembered the conversation he had with both Skywarp and Thundercracker before Storm returned to the Ark.
"Promise to keep Lazer safe and I'll tell you." Seeing the confused look Thundercracker added "Storm."

"I'll do my best."

"No." The blue seeker said forcefully. "You keep her safe, that's all I ask. If you can't do that then we're done here."

The Porsche had agreed to keep both Starlight and Storm relatively safe, though he could not promise that he could keep them safe during battles to which the two seekers conceded.

"We believe that Starscream wants to do them harm, serious harm." Thundercracker revealed.

"He knows we'd never be able to harm 'Flare and Lazer regardless of the fact that they hate the sight of us." Skywarp added.

"Making the two of ya virtually useless against them." Jazz thought aloud and two sets of red optics narrowed in annoyance at him. "But if he could…make 'em disappear…" another thought suddenly occurred to the Porsche "Megatron doesn't know about them, does he." He half stated.

"Do you really think we'd be here asking this if he did?" Skywarp replied slightly insulting.

"Starscream is the only one who knows, thank Primus." Thundercracker told him "and that's the way we want to keep it."

"If Megatron ever find out about them…" Skywarp trailed off. There was silence between the three Cybertronians all knowing what the Decepticon leader would probably do if he ever found out.

Starscream's gonna kill 'em and he's usin' Lightnin' as bait. The saboteur thought before heading after Storm.


The entire rec room of the Ark was in shock, the light yellow jet had walked in headed over to Bluestreak and slapped him, hard.
"Don't you dare tell Lightning she's better off dead ever again, you hear me? Or I'll do more than hit you." She seethed. All the Datsun could do was sit there holding his stinging cheek in stunned shock.

"Starlight." A voice said cutting through the silence and gaining the femme's attention. "Where is Lightning now?"

Starlight ignored the mech and started to walk out only to be held back by someone grabbing her arm, she looked back at them glaring. "Let. Go. Skyfire."

"You tell me where that femme is right now." He demanded.

She smirked at him and tried to yank her arm away but his grip remained firm even tightening slightly. "No." she said plainly "you mechs caused this mess and now we need to clean it up, I'm not going to let you mess it up again. I don't care if you are Lightning's father you've done nothing but get in her way and her life is now in danger because of…" SMACK Skyfire's anger exploded and he hit the femme across the face before dragging her out of the rec room and towards Prime's office. The white jet didn't even knock before walking in not caring if the Autobot leader was in the middle of something pulling the femme along with him and almost flinging her at the semi.

"Skyfire?" Optimus asked in surprise "what…."

"I need answers, Prime. I need to know where Lightning is and why her life is in danger." He told him forcefully "and I need to know now."

Confused Optimus looked over at Starlight seeing the femme looking at the floor away from everyone trying to hold tears back, there was also a mark on her cheek. Had the jet stuck her? The Prime felt anger rise within him at the thought that someone had hurt her.

"What do you mean Lightning's life is in danger? In danger from what?" Prowl asked.

"Ask her." Skyfire replied virtually glaring at Starlight.

"Starlight?" Optimus asked the femme kindly. He saw her move her head slightly before returning to her original position. He stood and walked over to her, "Starlight." He said once again she turned her back on him and he sighed, the femme had retreated in on herself he wasn't sure if he'd be able to get through to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder only for her to try and shrug it off. He gave the shoulder a little squeeze "leave me alone." Came a quiet reply. "We need to know why Lightning is in danger so we can help." He told her.

Starlight glared up at him and shoved his hand off with her arm. "Help? Help!" she virtually yelled "you're the slagging cause! All of you!" looking at each mech in turn "Storm was right and I was stupid as to not see it. You can't trust anyone," she directed her stare at Prowl "especially ones who are suppose to be family."

"You're referring to Sunstreaker." Prowl said assuming the blue-grey femme had told her teammates of what had happened back then.

"Of your so-called brother who turned out to be her so-called sparkling. Who in their right mind would turn round to their carrier and tell them that they wished they were dead!" she spat.

"Lightning's run off, hasn't she?" Skyfire said as realisation struck him.

"Starlight, where is Storm?" Optimus asked already half knowing the answer.

"Gone to clean up your mess and she'll teach that pain in the aft seeker a lesson he won't soon forget either."

"Star…" Skyfire began before dashing out.

"Skyfire." Prowl called out to no avail.

Starlight went to follow him only to be pulled back by the Autobot leader. "Let me go you stupid mech I need to stop him from messing everything up even more."

The semi ignored her, "Prowl, take Sunstreaker and Sideswipe and follow after Skyfire, make sure that both Lightning and Storm return safely." The Datsun gave a nod and headed out to find the mechs in question. "Starlight." He began.

"I've nothing to say to you, now let me go."

"Solarflare, I need you to listen to me." He told her surprising the femme and having her look at him.

"How did you…?" Starlight asked him shocked.

"I need you to stay here, for your own safety." He said remembering what Jazz had told him yesterday.