Chapter Nine

It had been a fairly straight forward battle, Autobots against Decepticons, each trying to get the upper hand on the other. That was until Skywarp had noticed how Storm was sticking close to Prowl and even did a few aerial acrobatics in front of him in an attempt to impress him. The black seeker became infuriated that his chosen 'partner' had chosen someone else, and an inferior ground mech too. He sped over to the tactician not caring about anything else, he only had one thing on his mind. Storm is mine.

Prowl had no idea of what was coming his way, despite his many attempts to tell Storm to help others and to try and take down the seekers it only seemed to make her more determined to stay close by him. That was until Skywarp suddenly appeared in front of him grabbed him by the arm and warped them both out of sight.

Storm growled at what she had just seen, no-one took her intended and got away with it. "SKYWARP!" she shouted angrily and began to search the battlefield for both the Datsun and seeker.

Hearing his sister shout out his trinemate's name Thundercracker couldn't help but sigh as he continued to shoot at Lightning "what's he done now?" he asked not realising he'd spoken out loud. He'd managed to convince…okay threaten Skywarp that going to the Ark would go against him approving the mech's 'worthiness' to be with his sister. It had worked to keep him away from the white and ocean blue femme but that was all. The black seeker still kept talking about her and kept up the 'niceness', which annoyed him to no end. In fact, the only time he'd managed to get away from Skywarp was by doing the nightshift.

"He better had not done anything to upset Storm while she's in this…predicament. She'd more than likely tear him apart, especially if he's done anything to Prowl." Lightning commented casually dodging the blue seeker's shots.

"Predicament? What are you talking about, what's wrong with Storm?"

"Don't see why I should tell you anything seeing as it's your trinemate's fault in the first place that she's like this." The blue-grey learjet replied rudely.

"You don't have a choice in the matter." He partly threatened. Seeing an opening he shot the learjet in the engines just as they flew over an outcropping of rock. He watched in satisfaction as the learjet began falling to the ground smoke billowing out from both engines. He took note of where the twin menaces were not wanting to be interrupted by them again. He flew down to the downed femme in a way that if anyone looked they would just think that he would be heading down to finish her off.

Lightning held her head as she sat up and looked around, she was on an outcropping of cliff hidden from everyone's view which meant no chance of anyone coming up to help her. Her engines were toast and with Starlight preoccupied with staying around Prime and Storm off primus knew where she was most definitely on her own. Even if Sunstreaker or any of her family had seen her fall there was no way they'd be able to get up to her. She suddenly gasped as a hand clamped around her neck seeing the blue seeker, an annoyed look on his face.

"There's no-one to save you this time." Thundercracker told her menacingly. "You will tell me what you meant by Storm's predicament and what it has to do with Skywarp."

"I will tell you nothing!" she said defiantly. Her hands wrapped round the mech's wrist trying in a vain attempt to release his grip as it suddenly grew tighter.

"Seems like we've been here before, me wanting to get information out of you about my sister."

The blue-grey learjet looked at him in surprise, that was the first time she'd ever heard Thundercracker openly refer to Storm as his sister. It was then she realised that he was asking as Storm's brother not the Decepticon he was. "Surely you've figured it out already, Thundercracker."

"And what exactly would that be?"

"Skywarp activated Storm's partnering protocols when he tried to forcefully take her." Lightning told him.

"Warp did what?" Thundercracker asked in surprise removing his hand from the femme's throat.

Lightning gave a nod, "had Prowl not shot him out of the way I'm quite sure he would have succeeded." Gently rubbing her throat and trying not to remember the last time someone tried to strangle her. Both times had been about her teammates.

"Why do I get the feeling you're going to tell me…" the blue mech began getting interrupted.

"Storm chose Prowl." She confirmed.

Thundercracker groaned, "when I find that mech I'm going to kick his aft." He said annoyed as one of his hands clenched into a fist.

"That's if there's anything left after Storm's finished with him." She chuckled earning a small smile from the seeker.


"Skywarp, I have told you many times. I am not interested in Storm." Prowl told the black seeker.

"Then why did you interrupt us, it's because you want her for yourself admit it. You broke us apart so you could have her, well I'm not going to let you! She's mine!"

"You had your weapon against her head, had I not intervened you would have shot her." Prowl said trying to reason with the mech.

"I saw the way you put your arm around her, Prowl. She was not injured and quite capable of walking by herself. I will not listen to these excuses any longer, once I get rid of you she will see I'm the better mech." Just as Skywarp made a move towards the Datsun a voice said, "Touch him and I'll kill you."

The two Cybertronians watched as Storm landed in-between them. "You want to fight someone, Skywarp, fight me. I will not let you harm him."

The seeker growled, "why do you insist on wanting to be with this aft when I am much better, he doesn't even fly."

"I would not expect an idiot like you to know." She insulted.

"You will pay for your insult, Femme. You belong to me not him."

"I belong to no-one!" Storm cried out as she hit him. Prowl watched helplessly as the two flyers fought each other both eventually taking their battle to the sky. He vaguely wondered if the other battle he was taken from was over and if everyone was wondering where both he and Storm were. He inwardly groaned at that thought, with what had been going on with Storm lately and having both of them missing everyone would no doubt think the two of them had gone off to be alone. Lightning, can you hear me? He commed the blue-grey learjet. Suddenly there was a scream and Prowl saw Storm falling from the sky, he briefly wondered if he tried to catch her would Skywarp accuse him once again of having feelings for the femme jet leader, but before he could even move someone else had caught the white and ocean blue femme laying her carefully on the ground and checking her over to see if she was okay.

As Skywarp landed he glared at the mech, "Thundercracker, what the frag do you think you're doing?"

"Protecting my sister from you." He replied coldly turning to stand and making sure he was in-between Storm and Skywarp.

"She's the one who wanted to fight me instead of him." The black seeker explained referring to Prowl.

"I will not allow you to date Lazer, Skywarp." Thundercracker said fiercely.

Skywarp looked like he'd just been slapped across the face upon hearing the blue seeker's words, "why not?" he virtually whined.

"Because you forced her into this. Had this of happened naturally I might have considered it, but you forced her into partnering with you." He looked back at Prowl "thank you for saving her from him. I'm sorry you got mixed up in all this."

The Datsun gave a nod and asked, "do you know why she chose me?"

"When you shot Warp away her protocols had been activated as you know. As I was not there to help her get through it she chose the first mech she saw, you." Thundercracker explained. "Though I am curious, do you know how Starlight triggered this all off?" there came a growl and the blue mech looked back over at his trinemate.

"You leave Solarflare out of this." Skywarp said.

"Warp, listen to me." Thundercracker began walking over to the black mech "you and Flare are twins, if one's protocols are activated then both of yours are and I know for a fact you weren't planning on partnering with anyone any time soon, if ever."

Skywarp looked confused for a second his head tilting to the side, "she…who could she have chosen?" he asked, "the only flyer here is Skyfire and he partnered long ago." He looked over at the tactician. "Who did she choose?"

"You need to ask Starlight that." Prowl told him.

The black seeker narrowed his optics at the mech, "as her brother only I can say who she can be with, just as Thundercracker can with Lazer."

"I will not tell you, Skywarp." The Datsun told him "though if Storm's…closeness and reactions to me are anything to go by, it should no doubt be obvious to the two of you who she chose."

Thundercracker suddenly facepalmed, he'd seen who Starlight had been 'hanging around' and he wasn't sure that Skywarp would take to kindly to it. In fact, it would put the femme in even more danger than usual.

"You know, don't you TC." Skywarp asked his trinemate seeing his reaction.

Removing his hand from his face Thundercracker said, "perhaps it's best that you don't know, Warp."

"Why? What could be so bad that…" "Skywarp. You do not need to worry; she is in good hands." Prime's voice suddenly said in his head. "Oh no. No, she didn't. Please tell me she didn't." he said only to get more worried when he saw Thundercracker give a nod. He sighed and looked away, "I'm sorry TC, I didn't know what I was doing."

"It's okay, Warp. Though why did you go after Storm?"

"We'd better go, knowing Starscream he's also figured out why Starlight was staying around Prime." Skywarp said not answering his friend and flying off. Sighing Thundercracker looked back at Storm one last time before looking up at Prowl, giving a nod and following his trinemate.