Back at the Decepticon base the seekers had just returned from their morning flight.
Optimus followed the other 2 seeker, they said they had some work that needed to be done and he offered his help to them, they gladly accepted.
"You in a good mood Screamer?" Skywarp asked him.
"Yes, I am," Optimus agreed, it seemed Starscream did not always offer his help to his trine mates. Or perhaps they normally needed to ask him for it.
Just as they were walking along the corridor, a voice suddenly barked "Starscream!"
Optimus turned to see Megatron looking at him with a slight smirk on his face plates. He wondered what was the warlord's game as he said "Yes Megatron?"
"Where have you been Seeker?" Megatron asked his SIC
"I just for a flight" Optimus said simply put,
"is there something you want Megatron?" asked Optimus gently
"How is your pet project coming along?" Megatron asked, a sneer in his tone.
"Very well," Optimus said slowly, so that was Megatron's game. He wanted to have at go at his Second for his idea. Well, let him.
"Really?" Megatron said as Optimus nodded and said. "It's right on schedule and I have high hopes for it."
"Is that so? then you better not fail" Megatron said in a warning tone
"I won't" Optimus replied in strong sure words
"You better not, you know what happens if you do" Megatron said with a grin.
The false Seeker did not fully know what would happen but he suspected it would involve pain and humiliation. He and his Autobots had witnessed plenty of that on the battlefield and he was sure more went on behind closed doors. But he would not allow Megatron the opportunity to do that to him here.
"When you've finished," Megatron added. "I want you to present it to the while crew and test it in front of them."
"Without testing it prior?" Optimus asked with a slight frown.
"Of course, you would know by now Starscream that i am un-patient mech, especially on your project's" smirked Megatron.
Not only did Megatron want to humiliate Optimus on this project, but he wanted this to be something that would keep down the seeker for good.
"As you wish megtron, i will present it to the while crew when i am done" said Optimus, it was better to follow the warlords orders then to fight ageist him with questions that would not end well.
"See that you do, I look forward to the results," Megatron said darkly before walking away.
Optimus watched him go, marvelling at how Megatron operated. He took far too much pleasure from hurting his own Second, was it any wonder the two of them did not get on? He could see why the Decepticons officers were disorganised, Megatron tormented his Second while praising his Third, it was not a good mix.
Optimus joined the other 2 seekers he did offer them his help, but Optimus was also more focused on his project to get succeed and so far the most of the paper work was done thanks with Thundercrackers help.
Thundercracker could not help but to ask "You are not in trouble are you screamer?" if Megatron called Starscream in the halls it could mostly only mean trouble,but not always.
"No...not yet," Optimus said darkly. "Megatron does not believe our project will succeed. He wants to test it in front of the whole crew."
"And he'll blame you," Thundercracker said flatly. "Starscream, are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"I am sure," Optimus said firmly. "This will work and it will benefit us all."
"We where are done with the paper work correct?" asked Optimus, it was best to get everything checked now so he could see what was needed to get done
"I believe so" said Thundercracker and then added "the only thing we need now is to prepare the materials, and i have the list right here" and showed the data-pad.
"Good, then at least we are prepare for this" Optimus said with a smile
"Are we gonna build it all by ourselves?" Skywarp questioned, Building was not his strongest skill.
"I was thinking we could ask the Constructicons for some help," Optimus informed the purple and black Seeker. "They know how to build things and we will need the expertise on chemical reactions."
Skywarp shrugged, anything that lessened his workload was okay by him.
"Any change the both of you know where the Constructicons are right now?" questioned Optimus, if he could make the Constructicons agree to help him then he had a chance to be free from Megatrons grasp.
"It will be little tricky to find them" answered Skywarp and added "They don't spend much time here at the base"
"Warp is right, i have seen them much out side" agreed Thundercracker
"That is a problem," Optimus mused. "Shall I see if I can locate them?"
"Sure, we're almost done here," Thundercracker agreed with a nod.
Optimus offered his own nod before going in search of them. At one time, the Constructicons had been famous Cybertronian builders but unfortunately, they had chosen to join the Decepticons.
Awhile Skywarp and Thundercaraker worked on the last part of the paper work when Optimus where looking on the computers for the Constructicons, didn't the they have a schedule or something what they where doing in the day?
He didn't know what their interests where besides obviously construction and being Decepticons. Where there parts of human culture that they enjoyed or only Cybertronian? It would seem he'd have to do some investigating so he tried to see if there were any outstanding orders regarding them on the Decepticon database. He was tempted to take a deeper look into Decepticon affairs but decided he'd do it another time.
"Skywarp, Thundercracker is it possible that frenzy or rumble know where the constructions are?" asked Optimus, he knew that Soundwaves creations where always with him almost all the time and properly listing on mission and other things, they must know something right?
"Maybe, i am not sure" answered the purple seeker a bit uncertain.
"I believe I will try them, I'm not getting anywhere here," Optimus told them, standing up and departing from the room.
It was a lot easier to find Rumble and Frenzy, he just had to keep listening and eventually, he heard them.
"Ow, watch it slagger," Rumble groused as they tried to fix a control panel to a storage room.
"Well hold it still," Frenzy snapped right back. "YOW!"
"Hah, looks like you should have watched it," sniggered Rumble as Frenzy hit him.
"Rumble, Frenzy," Optimus called out before the two of them could start fighting.
"hu" both said before looking up to see Starscream looking down at them.
"Screamer" said Frenzy and still worked at the control panel
"If you have come to yell at us, i swear i didn't do anything this time" Rumble said in a self-defense tone
"No, i haven't come here to yell at you both, but to ask something" said the red, blue seeker
"What?" Frenzy asked curiously as Rumble looked wary.
"Do you know where I might find the Constructicons?" Optimus asked them. "I need their help for our project but I do not know where to find them."
"Is that all?" Rumble said in relief, he'd be thinking Starscream was looking to bust their afts for something.
"Yes, that would be all" Optimus pointed out, hopeful that Rumble and Frenzy could help him.
"Well if they are not at the base then they are out side probably just trying to find some materials" Shrugged Rumble.
"But where? what location?" asked Optimus almost demanding.
"Eh, I dunno, probably that scrap yard they like," Rumble replied with a shrug. "You remember where it is?"
"Uh, yeah, I think so," Frenzy said thoughtfully. "It's just outside of town...on the east side near the industrial estate."
"I think I know where that is," Optimus said with relief. "Thank you for your help."
Rumbel started to say "See" and Frenzy finished "Ya" they bot watch Optimus leave
"I was going to say that" snapped Rumble to his brother.
"You where to slow" grined Frenzy to Rumble shoved him and they started their fight once again.
Meanwhile, Optimus headed for the exit, he had no urgent duties other than his project so he felt it would be alright to take a flight. This time, it was much easier to take off into the air and also much more enjoyable. He felt that he didn't need to perform in front of Thundercracker and Skywarp so it didn't take him long to find the junkyard that Rumble and Frenzy had talked about.
"Ah there it is" smiled Optimus for himself before finding a clear place to land on, this junkyard is truly big and so much junk at the same time no wonder the Constructicons come here.
"Now where are they?" Optimus asked himself again and started to look around.
"No, please be careful with that" came a voice that Optimus recognized and started to walked over to find them.
"I am being careful," was the grouchy replied and he saw Long Haul lifting up a large vat containing goodness knows what it is.
Optimus paused for a moment, watching them as they sorted through the piles of scrap that lay all around. But it wasn't long until one of them spotted him.
"What do you want, Starscream?" Hook asked suspiciously as the others also paused and stared at him.
"I was wondering if I could talk with you about something," Optimus began.
"What is it you want to talk about?" Hook asked again curious, his own mind took up questions why did Starscream seek us out? couldn't he just ask Soundwave to send a note to us instead?
"You see i am working on a project that Megatron put me in charge of it" Optimus began to say and continued "But, i have no expertise off build machines like you and your team have"
"That a fact?" Scrapper said with a small smile. "What's this project you want us to help with?"
"I want to be able to produce Energon within the base, without having to steal it from humans. The Autobots appear to have their own system, why can't we?" Optimus explained passionately.
"That is not a bad idea" said one of the Constructicons and the others look at him and where thinking about this.
Soon all the Constructicons where in a ring talking to each other about this, It could make life on the Nemeses much easier.
"It will be easier to get energon instead of getting scraped each time when we try to steal it" said a other Constructicon "i don't see why we should not help Starscream, he and the other can't build this machine with out us in with they clearly need us"
"Your help would be very much appreciated," Optimus said earnestly. "It would allow all of us some peace of mind if we had a safe and reliable source of energon."
"Yeah and I guess old Megatron had focus more on defeating the Autobots," Scrapper said with a shrug as Optimus inwardly grimaced. But at least Megatron would hopefully leave the humans more alone.
Note: will the Constructicons help Optimus on this project? Wait and see on the next chapter