Day 7, Afternoon
Optimus stood next to Starscream, the metal cuff from the stasis cuffs still around his arm, but he wasn't attached to the headboard anymore. He watched Skywarp return with pink and black servos. He took his sparkling from Starscream.
"The cameras are black and the minicons are pink," Skywarp reported with a smirk. Starscream nodded and he looked at Optimus.
"We won't be able to escort you out. I'm sure you know your way out. We'll keep Megatron busy."
Optimus nodded and he wanted to thank them, but no words came past his vocals. So he nodded and ran down the halls, clutching his sparkling to his chest. He heard the Seeker trine running the other way. He located the exit and stepped over a whimpering Laserbeak as he rubbed at his optics with his talons. He was covered in pink paint. Optimus mentally thanked Skywarp.
When he made it outside, he reached up and tapped his comm, then he ran in the direction of home. He found Ratchet and Prowl first, who, when he saw the sparkling, he was silent before he narrowed his optics.
"I knew you were lying to me. Cyber-pox? I didn't think so," he growled. "Don't tell me. You were meeting up with your lover and showing off your sparkling when he turned 'con and-"
Optimus stared at him for a long moment, then he pushed past him. "I will meet you at base."
Ratchet glared at Prowl. "He was raped, Prowl, forced to carry that sparkling. He was kidnapped by Megatron and Megatron must have pulled the sparkling away from his spark with force."
Prowl stared at the medic before he began to walk after Optimus. "Optimus?"
"I am fine. I just need to get back into base."
"I just want you to know I'm...sorry. I'm just a little hurt you didn't tell anyone the truth."
Optimus closed his optics as he held his daughter close. "I know. I am sorry." He walked into the Ark and he let Bumblebee peek into his servos.
"Optimus, you didn't tell us that you were sparked!" The yellow warrior smiled up at him. "That's wonderful!"
The Prime smiled and let the warrior take the squealing sparkling. "Be careful with her helm..."
Bumblebee showed the sparkling off, who was fussed over by every mech in the base. They stroked her helm and laughed when she nipped and sucked on digits.
"She's so sweet!"
"I wonder who the sire is!"
"It's probably someone very caring and sweet for her to be this clingy and grabby!"
Dawnbreak curled her little servos into fists and she struck them on Jazz's servos, the very ones holding hers. "Mam!"
The team turned to Optimus and they smiled, Jazz setting the little one into the Prime's waiting servos. "Hello, little one." He nuzzled her. "My Dawnbreak."
She squealed and hugged his face, purring like a baby feline as she curled up against his neck and closed her optics.
Optimus curled around her. "No one will ever hurt you...again..."
"Mam..." She purred and nipped his audio receptor. He laughed.
ooo
"Observation: Cameras are black and minicons are pink. Optimus must have snuck out while everyone was confused."
Megatron buried his face into his servos. "Why did he leave...?"
"Observation: He was not treated like a mate, more like a prisoner."
The warlord threw an Energon cube at him, and the spy caught it in his servo. He dropped it into the growing pile beside him.
"I knew he would run away, so I kept him from running away! I thought he would stay, here, with me...like we planned...all those years ago."
"Observation: Time changes bots."
"Are you quite done now, Soundwave?"
"..." Soundwave slowly backed out of the room and went to check on his minicons, who were bathing themselves as best as they could in the wash racks.
Skywarp was helping them, laughing softly. "Why did you guys get into my paint?"
Rumble whined as he rubbed his optics. "I don't even know what happened before the paint..."
Frenzy made an agreeing sound and he felt around for a rag, grabbing Ravage instead, who shrieked in shock and hopped into Laserbeak. The hawk bit him, who in turn snapped at Frenzy.
Soundwave broke up the squabbling. "Update: Megatron is depressed."
"We knew that, Sound," Skywarp said as he got up. "He's all bent out of shape because his prisoner ran off, we get it."
Soundwave looked down at his minicons. "Observation: Megatron's love did not fade with time."
