A/N: I never thought I would have to deal with this happening, but even my stories aren't immune to the 'borrowing' of ideas. I have given permission to use my stories and characters to specific people. If you haven't received my written consent to use them, please, do not steal my ideas or stories and pass them off as your own.

Either have the sense to ask to use them or don't post your story.

Disclaimer: Takara, Hasbro et al. own Tranformers, not me. The characters Stealthshadow and Nebula are mine alone. Wraith and Wraith technology are of my creation. The tale of the Seeker's in early Cybertronian history is also mine.

I only make a handful of readers smile with my strange tales and that is reward enough for me.

Synopsis: This chapter is very dark and delves into the deep recesses of Starscream's life. There is some cute Seeker bits and Skywarp pitches a fit. We also get a glimpse of the plotting behaviors that are blooming between the three. Stellar cycles 400 solar cycles, solar cycle one day, joor one hour, klik 1.2 minutes, vorn 82 years. Note: Primacron is one of Cybertron's moons and was given it's most awesome name by Fire From Above! Much love for your creative mind!

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed, reviews are given much love.

Chapter 9 – Study Hard. Train Harder

"I can't do this anymore." Thundercracker slumped down on the floor mats with a soft thud. "My arms are going to rip out of their sockets if I have to cross those rings one more time."

"I can't even feel my arms." Skywarp flopped belly first on the floor next to his best friend.

"I cannnnn…." Starscream slipped down Thundercracker's back and passed out cold on top of Skywarp with the blue youngling joining him seconds later in the exhausted pile.

"Up and at 'em, femmes!" Their flier taskmaster clapped his hands loudly as he stood over them. "Get up! This is not nap time!"

The only reaction out of the youngling pile was a soft snore from Skywarp as he curled up around the other two.

Stealthshadow snickered and shook his head at the sleeping mechs. They had been training hard for the last two stellar cycles, both physically and mentally. He had increased their homework along with their training sessions: three joors in the morning for warm-up exercises, followed by another joor of hand-to-hand combat, followed by working on the obstacle course and finally ending with new assignments and reading to be accomplished for the next day. For every five solar cycles the trio received two solar cycles to rest and play, they were still younglings after all and they needed the down time, but the flier didn't allow them to slack off at all when they came back from their mini-breaks.

He sat down next to the sparkling pile-up and rubbed his sore knee joint. The younglings were also putting him through the paces. He wasn't that old of a mech, but he'd seen enough in his day to warrant him time to age gracefully while sitting in a bar drinking high-grade and reminiscing about the war with old friends.

Stealthshadow thought about his own training back when he was a youngling like Skywarp and the others and what his creator had instilled in him: every era needs warriors to defend against invasions and uprisings. He hoped that they never saw war or ever set foot on a battleground, yet they needed to be prepared.

Too young, he said to himself. Too young to be training like this, but Cybertron wasn't given much warning when the Scintillians attacked, and quite frankly, they weren't prepared for the fight. The city governments had grown soft and decadent being more concerned about fat paychecks and positions in society than protecting the planet and its people. If it hadn't been for the deep traditions of the Guardian Fliers and the Wraith, the war might have ended badly. Even now, after the war had ended, the governments were still more concerned with luxuries for themselves than taking care of its own people. If life on the planet continued this way there would be trouble. And he could feel it brewing on the horizon.

He patted the exhausted Thundercracker on the shoulder and the mech snuggled up closer to his snoozing friends. They were the new generation for Cybertron. They would inherit the planet and all its problems, all its goals and dreams and desires for peace.

He watched them silently as they slept; soon he would need to live up to his promises to get them their first set of wings. They had attacked everything he had thrown at them with such ferocity. They buckled down and worked through all of his exercises with few complaints and they ate up their studies as if their very lives depended on what each text held. He was impressed; even his sparkling had started to strive in his studies. Obviously, the youngling wanted to keep pace with his friends as his study skills improved.

All because they want their wings.

Stealthshadow stood up stiffly and looked at his 'students'. They were a handful when awake, but he had to admit they were quite cute while asleep. He smiled mischievously and took a few stills of them to show Nebula and to embarrass them when they got older.

Nothing like blackmailing your sparklings with cute and embarrassing holopictures.

--

"You left them asleep at the recreation center?" Nebula's optics were drawn from the adorable stills of the three sleeping mechs.

"It's just for a little bit." Stealthshadow winked at her. "Anyways. It's about time we discussed getting them their wings."

A sad smile crossed her faceplate. "It seems only yesterday that I brought Thundercracker home from the clinic."

"You should see him at the recreation center, you would be so proud of him. Slag! I'm proud of him! He's got to be the most agile mech I've seen in vorns. The Guardian Fliers will run to the Pit and back just to get him to join their ranks." He smiled brightly at Nebula, "So, are you ready to put them in the air?"

She sighed and looked at the silent door on the opposite side of the street. "Before you get carried away, Stealth, we need to discuss Starscream. We can't just take him to get his wings without his creator's permission."

The black and silver flier stood to one side of the steps and elegantly motioned for her to descend and take his arm. "Then let's pay a visit to his creator."

Nebula waved him off and headed across the street. "Though I highly doubt his father-creator would consider anything beneficial for Starscream, I think his mother-creator wouldn't have a problem with getting him his wings."

"Which do you think we'll get the pleasure of meeting?"

The dark blue femme walked up the steps and paused at the door. "I've never spoken to his mother-creator, so let's hope she answers the door."

Stealthshadow nodded silently, but the scowl on his face telegraphed his feelings about the situation. He had seen the marks on the youngling and knew the day after things had happened just by Starscream's actions and attitude. He wanted to throttle the mech responsible, but Nebula said they couldn't until they had proof to take to the authorities. She had contacted numerous counselor services; two groups that helped protect younglings and even the Precinct Warden about what was going on, but all of them said that without viable proof there was nothing they could do. And gently probing the youngling about it only made him tuck in on himself.

He glanced at Nebula before knocking at the door. Just let that mech say something to him. He'd show him to pick on someone his own size.

The door opened a crack and a soft voice answered. "Can I help you?"

Stealthshadow tried to peek inside the door until Nebula sent an elbow into his gut. "Hello. I'm Nebula, I'm Thundercracker's creator and this is Stealthshadow, he's Skywarp's creator. Our younglings are good friends of Starscream."

"Yes. I've seen them playing."

Stealthshadow moved to see the voice and address the femme optic to optic. "I've been teaching the younglings about Cybertron's history and technology and to get them prepared for their first upgraded protoforms and-"

"Starscream doesn't need an upgraded protoform." The quiet femme started to close the door but the larger flier quickly shoved his foot into the doorway.

Stealthshadow peered down at the much smaller silver and red femme who stared at the ground. "I don't mean to be rude, but I think you should know that he wants to be a flier. He's been training exceptionally hard for this and we would like to see him get his wings."

She didn't look up, "He's going to be a scientist."

Nebula smiled warmly at the silver and red femme, "We know. We also know that the Science Academy is in desperate need for fliers for both on planet and interplanetary research projects.

"I don't have the money for an upgrade for him. Now please, I have to go."

"Wait!" Stealthshadow didn't let go of the door. "Credits aren't a problem, so you don't need to worry about that."

Sad purple optics finally looked up at the two visitors. "You don't understand. It would be safer for Starscream if he stayed how he is now."

Thinking she had an opening, Nebula softly asked the femme why.

The femme's optics dropped to the ground, "I think you know why…"

"Then let us help you." There was veiled anger in Stealthshadow's voice and Nebula shot him a pointed glare.

She shook her head silently.

"Starscream will be able to apply to the Academy in the next stellar cycle. He needs to get used to a new protoform before he enters classes," Nebula tried to reason with her. "And he'll be crushed when his friends get their wings and he doesn't. Please let us do this for him. He deserves this."

The silver and red femme was silent a few moments before she nodded her head. "He does deserve it. He deserves a lot of things that I can't give to him."

"Does that mean we have your permission to get him his upgraded protoform?" Stealthshadow's buoyant voice made the femme flinch.

She nodded again. "Yes."

Nebula smiled at her in hopes the excitement of seeing her sparkling happy would cheer her up, "I'll make appointments for them later this week. We can set up another sleepover and take them in the following morning for the procedure."

The femme suddenly grabbed Nebula's arm and stared into her face, "Please. If anything goes wrong, please take care of him."

The blue femme put her comforting hand over the other femme's. "These procedures are done all the time. There is nothing to worry about."

"No. I mean…" She glanced up at Stealthshadow fearfully. "Just please take care of him."

Nebula gripped the femme's hand tightly, suddenly understanding what she was being asked to do. "We will. Don't worry."

--

"ARRRGG! I don't understand any of this!" Skywarp tossed his data pad down the steps in pure frustration. "Why the slag do we need to learn about hardwiring communication systems?! We have comlinks! And comlinks that can't be hacked into at that!"

Starscream sighed and picked up the fallen data pad. "It's in case we're on the battlefield and our com-systems are damaged."

"Hello? We're going to be fliers. Our battlefield will be the skies."

"What if we get shot down, 'Warp?" Thundercracker didn't even look up from his work, his stylus highlighting the text as he read. "We have to be able to communicate to each other if one of us gets downed."

Skywarp snorted, "Get shot down?! Shot down? Us?! Slag! Do either of you listen to yourselves? We are going to be the best fliers in Cybertron. We won't get shot down! Ever!"

"When you fail this section for being a glitch, don't come crying to us about it." Starscream scowled at him and went back to work.

"Ahh! This is pointless!" The black mech leaned back on the stoop and stared at the sky and the flier patrols in training as they swept just below the clouds. He put an arm behind his head and watched as they frolicked and rolled, dipped and spun, and he was soon mesmerized by their graceful aerial performance. He lifted his finger in the air and began tracing their aerial dance. He wasn't sure what most of the maneuvers were called - TC probably did and could tell him every detail about their aerial concert. He readily understood why his friend loved to watch them for joors on end and wanted to be up there flying alongside them. The urge to play amid the clouds filled his spark; he couldn't wait until they were able to get their wings.

The fliers paired up and began weaving in and back across the sky. "Hey, TC?"

Thundercracker didn't look up from his homework, "What?"

"What are they doing?"

The blue youngling glanced over at his friend and noticed his finger in the air following the fliers. He looked up into the sky. Each pair of fliers were flying belly to belly, spinning slowly on a horizontal axis as they weaved in and out with the opposite pair in a perfect s-shape. Thundercracker grinned, "That's a mated fluid defense. You need to have a lot of trust in the skills of your wingmate to pull that off. Basically, you and your wingmate have to fly extremely close to each other and synchronize a steady roll so that it will cut down on your exposure to enemy fire while increasing your range of fire. It destroys your enemy's defensive position and forces them to pull out of your line of fire and into the second pair's firing range." He drew in the air with his fingers to demonstrate. "If you and your wingmate are really good, you can pull off the maneuver without the second pair. When your enemy pulls off, you just split and chase them down."

"You think we can do that?" Skywarp turned to look at him.

Thundercracker pondered the question before grinning. "I think I can trust you to fly that close to me."

"I meant all three of us."

The blue mech shot Skywarp an incredulous look. "No. It's only done in pairs."

The black mech stared up into the skies. "I bet we could. Like instead of just splitting into two directions," he motioned with his hands. "We could split into three. Then you wouldn't need to wait and see what direction your enemy takes, one of us would already be there to shoot him down."

Thundercracker didn't answer him, and after a few moments of complete silence Skywarp stopped watching the fliers and glanced over at his friend.

Both Starscream and Thundercracker were staring at him.

"What? It's not that bad of an idea."

The other two mechs looked at each other. "Who are you and what did you do with Skywarp?"

"Huh?" Optic ridges rose in confusion until he caught the joke and sneered. "Oh very funny."

Starscream tapped his stylus on the edge of his data pad as he glanced up at the fliers, "Actually, that's a plausible move for three agile fliers. And why would you need to break off? Why can't you continue pursuit?"

"Because it would be impossible to make a tight turn when you're that close to your wingmate without colliding."

"I bet we could do it." Skywarp's optics glittered. "Since we're going to be the best fliers Cybertron's ever seen, we'll be able to do it easily."

"TC? Do you still have that data pad with the diagrams of the Guardian Flier's maneuvers?" Starscream looked at Thundercracker expectantly.

Thundercracker stared at his friend. "Is the Pit dark? Of course I still have it!"

"Go get it. Let's see if we can modify some of their partnered maneuvers for a triad." There was a glint in Starscream's optics that Thundercracker didn't like.

"What about our homework?" The blue youngling glanced between his plotting friends.

"This won't take long, TC," Starscream pulled out a blank data pad. "Or don't you want to be one of the best fliers like 'Warp and I?"

The black youngling's faceplate lit up. "Yeah, TC! Don't you want to be one of the elite like us?"

The blue youngling looked at Starscream in shock, "You're wanting to put aside your homework to plot out aerial maneuvers for a triad?"

The red youngling looked up at his friend curiously. "Yes. Why?"

"Oh, Primus." Thundercracker put his head in his hands. "I must be having some weird dream where 'Warp's mind has taken over the planet."

Starscream smacked the blue youngling in the arm. "Just go get the data pad."

--

"Five kliks," Stealthshadow shook his head as Thundercracker ran up to him panting. "Close, but not close enough. You're up, Skywarp."

The black youngling attacked the obstacle course as if his very life depended on it. They had worked so hard over the past two stellar cycles. Eight hundred and fifty-two solar cycles, to be exact.

Skywarp growled and threw himself to the ground, crawling through the ever changing, twisting maze that was to represent a minefield. He was going to make it through the course in three kliks this time. Frag, he was going to do it in two kliks! He pushed himself onward as he exited the mine-maze. Two kliks, he promised himself. Two kliks and he'd get his wings. He leapt onto the sixty-foot wall they had to climb and he scaled it quickly, barely touching the tiny handholds that ran up the face of the wall.

Two kliks! The swinging rings were next. He had memorized the pendulums' sway and could cross them in his sleep if necessary. Skywarp jumped and somersaulted his way through the course without stopping; the momentum of one foot touching the floor sent him through the next jump. He spun in the air as he finished his assault on the pendulums and was off and running towards the next obstacle.

Two kliks! The ropes were next. He scaled the almost slippery pole up to the very ceiling of the recreation center where the dangerously thin ropes were hung. He didn't bother making sure he had good footing on the first rope as he stepped out and began running across it - he wasn't going to fall. He lunged for the next rope, grabbing at the dangling ring as his feet left the precarious safety of the first. One ring after the next, Skywarp was nearly air born as he crossed the gently wiggling rope rings. After dropping from the final ring, he snarled in a feral-like manner as he somersaulted in the air, landing on his hands and springing away from the course in a mad dash towards his evil taskmaster.

Two kliks! He knew he made it in two kliks!

The timer was stopped as Skywarp skidded into his father-creator with a triumphant look upon his faceplate.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. For a moment I thought you had Thundercracker beat, femme."

"WHAT?!" Skywarp's optics nearly popped out of his face. "What do you mean? I know I made it!"

"Nice thought to have in whatever dream world you're living in, femme. Five point two kliks." Stealthshadow patted him on the head in the most patronizing manner. "You're up, Starscream."

"NO! I know I made it in under two kliks! You're not reading to clock right, or, or, or you're cheating because you don't want to give us our wings!" Skywarp spluttered out loud enough to garner the attention of everyone else in the recreation center.

Green optics narrowed at the enraged youngling. "Cheating?"

A finger was pointed up at the much larger flier in accusation. "Yeah! You're cheating!"

Skywarp found himself flat on his back and halfway across the obstacle course. His father-creator stormed over to where he was laying and blinking up at the ceiling. He was hauled to his feet roughly and shaken like he was a sparkling's blanket. "You think I'm cheating so you won't get your wings? How about I permanently make certain that you won't get your wings?!"

Getting his bearing, Skywarp shrugged himself free of his creator's grasp and pointed at him again. "Then you do it. You run the slagging course in three kliks and show us how it's done. I'll even let 'Screamer time you so you know I won't be cheating!"

There was a low and energon-freezing chuckle from the flier. "Alright. I'll show you how it's done. But when I complete it in time, your time drops from three kliks to the two kliks you swear you did the course in."

"Fine." Skywarp stomped over to Starscream. "Time him as he makes a fool of himself."

Stealthshadow stretched out his wings. He was slightly amused at being called out by his sparkling, but getting the attention of everyone in the building rankled him. He gave the briefest thought to embarrassing Skywarp by turning him over his knee, but showing the trio just how to run the course in the allotted time would be a better lesson.

He walked over to the controls for the course and altered it to allow his much bigger frame.

"And no flying to get through the course, either!" Maybe he would still turn the brat over his knee.

"No flying. Got it." Stealthshadow walked over to the stunned mech at the entrance desk with an evil grin. "Can you help me with these, Flare?"

The mech blinked in disbelief as the black and silver flier turned around and pointed to his wing joints. "Are you insane?"

"Pain sensors are off and I've all ready released the main connectors."

"Stealth, this is not a good idea, even if it is just to show up your sparkling. You'll be sore for days and what if you cause a leak?"

Stealthshadow glared at the mech over his shoulder. "Just help me take them off."

The center was deathly quiet as the black and silver wings were carefully removed from the warrior's back. He grunted and shrugged his shoulders; it had been awhile since he needed to take them off and was a little off-balanced without them. With a cold purpose, Stealthshadow stalked past the two frightened younglings and his defiant brat towards the start of the course. "Are you ready, Starscream?"

The nervous red youngling nodded. "On my mark."

He didn't wait for Starscream to say go.

The mechs and femmes in the building formed a semi-circle around the younglings and were cheering the older flier on as he jumped, swept and leaped through the course.

Thundercracker's optics shifted uneasily between Stealthshadow and Skywarp; he didn't want to waste another stellar cycle's worth of running the course just because of Skywarp's outburst.

Stealthshadow did a final handspring as he ended the course and jogged over to the younglings. He wasn't even panting. "How did I do, Starscream?"

Wide purple optics looked up at the flier in deep respect. "One point nine kliks."

The small crowd applauded the older mech as he smirked triumphantly at the sour Skywarp. "One point nine sounds like a good end mark for you, femme. When you can beat that, then I'll think about getting you your wings."

Starscream and Thundercracker shared a defeated look before turning to glare at Skywarp.

The blue youngling wanted to hit him. He had worked so hard trying to get through the course; he even practiced his somersaults and handsprings before he left his house in the morning and right after dinner in the evening. "Good going, slagger. Now we're never going to get our wings."

Stealthshadow chuckled as the other mech helped him reattach his wings. "Your times haven't changed, TC. Only Skywarp has to beat the one point nine mark."

The black mech's optics widened, "That's not fair!"

"Maybe you'll think before you call someone out just because you don't get your way." The black and silver flier flexed his wings and thanked the mech you had helped him.

"Now I believe it is Starscream's turn on the course." He turned to the red mech with a grin. "Ready?"

--

It was her scream that woke him from his recharge.

"No! Please…" There was a loud crash and the dull thwack of something hitting the wall.

Starscream balled his fists and glared at the ceiling. "Just keep studying as hard as you can and we'll get out of here." No. She would never survive his wrath until it was time for him to enter the Academy. He had to do something now. He needed to put Stealthshadow's training to use.

Another crash and a whimper echoed in the house as the red youngling bolted out of his berth and down the stairs, taking three of them at a time to get to her and stop tonight's beating. He dashed into the kitchen where she was curled up in one corner; one damaged hand up trying to fend off his blows, her bloodied face turned away. The gray mech had a chair raised above his head about to slam it down on her battered frame when Starscream slid in front of her and blocked the hit. The youngling had his arms crossed and raised in the defensive position, the fluid movement automatic since his training with Stealthshadow.

He locked optics with his father-creator: furious red optics, enraged and boring holes through the steady purple optics of the youngling. "Leave her alone."

"Why you little worm -"

"Leave her alone!"

He felt her energon-stained hand on his arm, "Please, Starscream. Don't-"

Starscream didn't back down. He didn't break optic contact with the infuriated mech. "No." The normally screechy tone of his voice was gone and replaced by an icy cold timbre. "He's not going to do this to you anymore. I won't let him."

His mother-creator's voice was soft, but trembling in utter fear. "Starscream… Please. I'll be okay. Just-"

The incensed mech tried to lift the chair to strike at the youngling, but Starscream had grabbed on, and with the addition of his growing weight had made the chair unwieldy. His father-creator pulled and yanked at the chair in an attempt to dislodge him, but Starscream held fast.

He was doing it. He was standing up to him.

Starscream couldn't help but smile; he would make sure his father-creator never beat them again.

The smile of the youngling's faceplate pushed the raging mech over the edge and he shoved the chair back at Starscream, effectively catching him off guard and sending him tumbling to the floor alongside his mother-creator. Stunned at the turn of events, Starscream let go of the chair, which was quickly jerked away from him and brought crashing down on his head. He was sent reeling onto his chest, his optics flickering from the blow. He could hear her scream in agony and fear as the chair was brought down on his back and head again, and again, and again.

She sounded so far away as she pleaded with the angry mech, and Starscream could vaguely feel her hands trying to fend off the blows that were raining down on him. He tried to sit up only to be knocked to the floor again.

"Beg."

Pain and consciousness flittered through him as he felt the crushing kick to his side. "I said beg, you worthless piece of slag! BEG!"

Another kick sent him sprawling across the floor and onto his back. Starscream lifted one arm to shield his optics from the glaring kitchen light and was rewarded with another kick. "I SAID BEG OR I'LL KILL HER!"

Starscream's head lolled to one side and he caught sight of the petrified form of his mother-creator on her knees and crying. He had her by the head and from the strain Starscream saw in the cables of her neck, he was microns away from snapping it off her shoulders.

"BEG!" He shouted at him again as a sickening gurgle escaped his mother-creator's vocalizer.

He had to stay conscious and fight off the darkness that threatened to drag him into its deep undercurrents. "…don't hurt her…"

His father-creator mockingly put one hand to his audios, "I didn't hear you! Did you say something, you rotten pit-spawn?!"

"Please. Don't hurt her…" Starscream winced as he rolled over onto his stomach. "Please."

Obviously enjoying this perverse pleasure, the mech put his foot in between Starscream's shoulder blades and forced him to the ground. "Get on your knees and beg for her life!"

He bit back the yelp of pain from the blow and steeled his jaw. "Please. I beg you, don't hurt her."

"Louder!"

"I beg you! Don't hurt her anymore!"

"I can't hear you, worm!"

"PLEASE! I BEG YOU! PLEASE STOP HURTING HER!" Starscream shouted into the floorboards.

His father-creator's foot connected with his head and sent him skidding across the floor. He could barely make out his mother-creator's panicked screech for him or the disgusting thumps as she was dragged up the stairs.

The kitchen light swam in his vision. He needed to get up, but gravity was keeping him stuck to the floor. Or was that the strange glue that was keeping him in place? Starscream lifted one hand up and tried to focus on it. It was coated with something warm and sticky. It was… purple. Yes, it was definitely purple. And it was something he should be worried about, but exactly what it was or why he should be worried escaped him. His optics flickered and his hand felt much heavier. He looked back at the light above and watched it swing back and forth, in and out of focus. It was relaxing. Hypnotizing. Maybe he needed to recharge. That sounded good. A little recharge and he could tackle the problems of why gravity has stopped working and what all the purple goo was. His optics shuttered. Just a little recharge…

--

"Starscream?"

The voice that called his name sounded so far away.

"Starscream, please wake up."

The darkness that surrounded him swirled into a graying light and he groaned.

Arms were wrapped tightly around him and he could hear the voice sobbing. "Oh, Primus, Starscream. I thought he killed you."

"Wha?" His optics flickered online as he slowly regained consciousness. "What- what happened?"

She carefully turned him around, cupping his face in her hands and pressing her lips on his forehead. "What made you do such a crazy thing, Starscream?" She pulled away to look into his optics and he winced when he saw how battered her faceplate was.

He reached up to touch her cheek, his optics watering and his lips quivering when he saw how damaged she was.

She grabbed his hand and kissed his palm. "Why, Starscream?"

He dropped his head in shame. He had meant to save her, not subject her to a worse beating. His vocal processor hitched in a sob as the tears slipped down his cheeks. "I'm sorry. I don't want him to hurt you anymore… I'm sorry."

His mother-creator pulled him close and rocked him in her arms. "Hush. We don't want to wake him up."

He looked up at her with his tear and energon stained face and grabbed her hand. "Then lets leave. Right now. We can go and get away from him right now. I even know where we can go! Thundercracker's mother-creator will help-"

She shook her head violently, "I can't leave, Starscream. He'll follow me."

"But she stood up to him. She could protect you! Or we could go to Skywarp's-"

"No." She gave a terrified glance to the stairs, "He'll find me, Starscream."

Starscream stood up unsteadily and tugged at her hand, "Not if we go into hiding! Lets go right now!"

She pulled him into a crushing hug and sobbed into his shoulder "You don't understand. We could run to Primacron, and he would still find me. His spark would be able to sense mine no matter where I went."

He held onto her tightly as her despair overwhelmed him, "How am I supposed to save you?"

She knew the answer to that question, but she wasn't going to tell her beloved sparkling the answer. "We'll find a way, Starscream. We'll find a way."

--

A/N: Like it? Hate it? Leave a review, please.