Tangled Destiny
Ch 21: A New Equilibrium
…
It was silent for longer than Skyfire expected. No alarms rang out. No angry guard pounded on his door. He listened carefully for any sign from outside, which was the only reason he heard the soft, muted sounds of someone approaching several kliks later. Skyfire reluctantly narrowed the bond as the sounds grew louder. He did it slowly so Starscream wouldn't notice, though at this point he doubted anything would have distracted the Seeker from his trinemates. By the time he stopped, Starscream's presence was just a pinprick against his spark, warm yet distant. Starscream didn't try to investigate the change, so Skyfire counted it as a success. Dragging one of the slightly too small chairs over to the center of the room, he sat down, watching the door nervously.
This time, there was no polite knock to announce their presence. Footsteps clamored directly outside his door before it slid open, and Jazz stormed in like a hurricane. Skyfire caught a quick glimpse of more mecha outside before the door closed, but he didn't have time to worry about them with Jazz stalking towards him. Jazz's face was cold and empty, completely blank of emotions. It somehow managed to be even more frightening than any fury could have been. Even standing, the Autobot was barely any taller than Skyfire, but he still managed to loom, making himself seem far larger and more dangerous than should have been possible with his frame.
"Where the slag is he," Jazz demanded. His voice crackled like a whip, full of simmering anger and impatience.
"I don't know," Skyfire admitted. The words came out quieter than he'd intended, almost weak. It was not a good start.
He hated to admit it, but he cringed under the withering glare Jazz shot him at that answer.
"That was not a request," Jazz said, spitting the word out vehemently. "Tell me where he is."
Intimidating as Jazz was, Skyfire forced himself to stay calm and focused. He didn't have to answer Jazz. To protect Starscream, he would endure any punishment Jazz might think up. The thought helped him sit straight and keep his voice steady.
"Starscream didn't even know where he was going before he left. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't tell you his location," he said. It was, technically, the truth. Starscream hadn't had a clue of where he was going; he'd just followed the trinebond.
Jazz's visor darkened in annoyance, but he seemed to believe him. His voice was still harsh, though less obviously threatening, when he continued. "Then why did he leave?"
Skyfire shrugged. "He's a Seeker. They don't take being caged well." Another truth. Starscream would have balked under having to bow to the Autobot's authority no matter what, even if that alone wouldn't have driven him to leave.
Jazz said nothing. He just stood there, head tilted slightly and visor dark in though. Skyfire fidgeted under Jazz's heavy gaze, but he didn't say anything to break the silence. He wasn't about to volunteer information, if that was what Jazz was after. Of course, he was completely blindsided the next time Jazz spoke.
"Yer lying." Jazz stated matter of factly. "Do ya honestly expect me ta believe a mech, even a Seeker, would abandon his bondmate just ta avoid what little restrictions we'd put him under? Without even attemptin' ta free ya as well?"
Skyfire stiffened. And then he inwardly cursed as he realized that one, unconscious movement might as well have been a verbal confirmation to a mech like Jazz. Skyfire immediately tried to relax again and act like nothing was wrong, but he already knew it was too late. Slaggit, he wasn't cut out for this! He didn't know how to lie to a mech as experienced as Jazz, and he had no idea how to navigate the word games the Saboteur knew so well.
Skyfire tried to stall, putting on his best confused face. "What are you-"
Jazz cut him off. "Yer not a good liar," he said, shaking his head condescendingly. "An' yer not as sneaky as ya seem ta think ya are. Starscream didn't act like a mech with a broken trinebond. I mighta been a Polyhexian mech, but I know what Seekers are like. If he'd lost his trinemates, he wouldn't have been functionin' nearly as well. I'm sure ya know there's only one incomplete Trine on Earth. Did ya know they've been missin' fer the past couple a orns?"
"What?" Skyfire breathed. He'd known something was wrong, but… missing? They were undamaged-he'd felt that through Starscream, and it couldn't have changed that quickly-but… what had happened? What had they done?
Jazz just smiled. "Turns out the Command Trine hasn't been seen in the last couple a raids or in any of our, ah, excursions 'round the flagship. There's also been some whisperings about Old Meg's bein' on the warpath. Seems to me all of that started 'bout the time we picked yer bondmate up from the ice." He paused. "I don't believe in coincidences."
He leaned forward until they were almost nose to nose, and all Skyfire could see was the bright, smug blue of Jazz's visor. "So tell me again. What did your bondmate do?"
Skyfire was struck speechless. His processer froze in horror, and he couldn't think of a single argument to refute what Jazz had discovered. Jazz knew. By the sound of it, he'd been suspicious for a while. To a mech of Jazz's rank, suspicioun and circumstantial evidence was as good as fact. Unless Skyfire could somehow offer irrefutable proof that Starscream wasn't connected to the Command Trine, Jazz wasn't going to back down. Mecha like him never did. So Skyfire could only try to mitigate the consequences. Better for Jazz to know the truth than to speculate that Starscream had left intending to join the Decepticons or sabotage the Autobots.
"They just wanted to see each other. Talk," Skyfire admitted, voice barely louder than a whisper. "His trinemates were as convinced of his deactivation as I was, and they didn't have the benefit of being there for his revival."
The skepticism on Jazz's face was obvious. "That's it? So why did he felt the need to hack the pulser he agreed to install and hightail it outta here? Those ain't the actions of a innocent mech."
True. The situation was rather… incriminating, even though Skyfire knew Starscream hadn't intended anything malicious. "What about a desperate one?" he tried. "Starscream wasn't willing to risk his trinemate's safety or a chance to speak with them. That didn't leave him many options."
Jazz was quiet for a long moment. Skyfire didn't know if that meant he was considering his point or thinking up a new angle of attack. Judging by the look in his visor, Skyfire would have guessed the latter. When Jazz's lips curled into a derisive smirk, Skyfire knew he was right.
"An' that doesn't bother ya at all? How… altruistic of ya," Jazz said, deceptively casually. "Seems like ya should be a mite more upset 'bout yer bondmate abandonin' ya to join the 'Cons with his trinemates."
Even knowing what Jazz was trying to do didn't offset the sting of that jab. Skyfire reacted before he could think. "Starscream is not a Decepticon," he snapped, automatically defending his bonded. Starscream hadn't abandoned him and certainly not to join the other side of a war he had no stake in.
Completely unimpressed, Jazz snorted, crossing his arms "Ya sure 'bout that? He left ya here, alone, ta deal with the fallout so he could rendezvous with one a the highest ranked mecha in the entire army. That don't worry ya at all?"
Skyfire's fist clenched in response, and he almost shot back with what little evidence he had from the bond before catching himself at the last moment. Jazz was baiting him. He'd let Jazz get to him. Frankly, it was downright embarrassing how close Jazz had come to succeeding in getting a hint, no matter how small, to Starscream's location.
Still, something in his expression must have given his certainty away, because Jazz's confrontational stance melted into something more contemplative. "Ya are, aren't ya," he mused. "So they're not just plannin' on takin' off fer the flagship right away. That's somethin', at least."
Jazz looked Skyfire over one last time before apparently dismissing him altogether. "Yer lucky I still got damage control ta do," he said, one last, rather ominous parting shot before turning away.
Then Jazz swept out of the room as dramatically as he'd entered. Skyfire was relieved to see the door close behind him. He stood up and was not surprised at all to find that his legs were trembling beneath him. Two steps later, he sank down on the berth, where he could rest his full weight against the wall without worrying about it collapsing beneath him. Skyfire was barely able to wait until his spark had calmed before widening the bond again. The Seekers' delight, now colored with a tinge of seriousness, flowed across the bond again, and Skyfire sagged downward in relief at the feel of their sparks. He brushed lightly against Starscream's spark just to feel Starscream's pulse back, distracted but strong. Skyfire stayed there, on the outskirts of their emotions, and tried to relax. Starscream was happy. He was safe with his trinemates there to protect him, and Skyfire knew they would never allow anything to harm Starscream while their sparks still pulsed.
It would have to be enough.
…
Skyfire was left completely isolated for the next few solar cycles. Intentionally or not, it was probably one of the best punishments the Autobots could have chosen. Skyfire was left constantly on edge, processor whirring with all the possible punishments the Autobots could choose. Despite it all, boredom started to set in after the first empty cycles, mixing sickeningly with the nervous anticipation. Not for the first time, Skyfire wished for his lab again or at least an old project to work on. Anything to keep his hands and processer busy.
Instead, he ended up spending much of that time trying to guess what the three Seekers were doing. The bond was still strong, which meant they hadn't left the general area, but every so often he could feel them flying around. After a while, he cautiously began to believe the three Seekers were alone. He would have recognized the telltale signs of a fight, and Starscream was never suspicious enough to have been introduced to someone new. Every so often he could sense them arguing rather intensely but, so far as he could tell, it was only within the Trine.
Skyfire almost wished he could have joined Starscream in his escape just so he could hear what was being said. He couldn't have kept Starscream from his trine-and wouldn't have even if it were possible-but he wanted to be there, able to hear what was being said and have some control over their decision. Instead, he could only hope that, whatever else happened, he wouldn't have to feel Starscream's spark heading towards the Nemesis. He didn't want his bondmate anywhere near Megatron, not when he was too far away to protect him. Maybe Starscream would be fine-he was intelligent and an exceptional flyer; useful, in other words. Then again, maybe Megatron would immediately throw him on a mission he wasn't prepared for. Or maybe Megatron would slag him over some imagined slight or punishment. Megatron had hated Neutrals-had considered anyone who refused to fight the worst kind of coward. There was no telling what he would make of Starscream.
But Skyfire wasn't with them. Instead, he was stuck here, isolated and useless. So he sat, and he waited, and he hoped.
….
The first sign Skyfire had that something had changed was when Starscream's spark suddenly, intentionally flared. The strong pulse subsided as soon as Starscream had Skyfire's full attention, though the bond remained wide open. The first-and strongest-emotion Skyfire noticed was the bright pulses of excitement threaded with a heady sense of anticipation. Nervousness was present as well, and underlying it all was a sense of purpose that had been missing ever since his escape. Starscream had a plan. That could be a good or a very, very bad thing.
The three of them were flying-Skyfire could feel the way their sparks practically purred from being in the air-but that didn't tell him where they were going or why Starscream thought it was so important to let him know about it. Not for the first time, Skyfire cursed how thoroughly Ratchet had blocked off his communication systems. He only needed a moment to talk with the others and find out just what they were doing, because, for whatever reason, they were getting closer to him and thus the Ark.
It was near impossible to get a precise estimate of distance from the bond alone, but they were definitely getting closer. Factor in how quickly a Seeker could fly, even in root mode, and Skyfire was seriously starting to worry. At the very least, they had to be getting near the outskirts of the Autobot's regular patrols. And they didn't show any signs of stopping.
Skyfire sent sent Starscream a questioning probe, heavily mixed with his own worry and confusion, but Starscream's reply didn't help. It was such a jumble of emotions that Skyfire didn't understand anything except that, despite all reason, Starscream was barely even worried about flying back towards Autobot territory.
With a frustrated groan, Skyfire stood up and began pacing around the room. He had to turn every few steps to avoid the walls, and the room had never before seemed quite so confining. His wings prickled lightly; he wanted to find Starscream, and it really had been too long since he'd last flown or even seen outside, even if he didn't feel the true need yet.
Starscream's apprehension suddenly peaked, now tinged with veins of real fear, and Skyfire couldn't take it anymore. Abandoning his circuit around the room, Skyfire headed straight to the door. If Starscream couldn't tell him what had happened to frighten him in Autobot territory, then maybe he could find another mech who could.
He hesitated before his hand hit the metal. Did he really want to bring attention to this… whatever it was the Seekers were doing? Or would that only put them in more danger? He forced his processer to calm down and think it through.
If he was wrong-if the Autobots really didn't have any idea about the Seekers sneaking around their territory-he'd be putting the three of them in serious danger. Yet… They felt so close now; they had to be in range of the Autobot patrols, and he hadn't felt the brief flicker that meant Skywarp had used his Sigma ability to avoid someone. More than that, he had to trust that Skywarp and Thundercracker wouldn't bring Starscream along for anything dangerous, like snooping around the Ark.
He sent another tendril across the bond, but nothing had changed. The fear was, perhaps, slightly less pronounced, but it was still present. Starscream, sensing his probe, sent him a pulse of reassurance and tentative hope. It didn't help much; Skyfire could feel just how anxious Starscream still was.
With a low, frustrated hiss of breath, Skyfire brought his fist against the door, creating a loud, obvious clang. The Autobots had to know about the Trine's incursion into their territory, even if it was just from a security camera or a distant glimpse from a patrol. Surely just asking about it wouldn't put them in any more danger.
There was a long pause after that, long enough for Skyfire to knock on the door a second time. When even that didn't get a response, he started to get suspicious. He'd seen where his guards sat, and it wasn't that far away from the door. They would definitely be able to hear him. Maybe they needed to ask Jazz for permission to open the door now. So Skyfire waited impatiently beside the entrance, counting the astroseconds as they passed. The door still didn't open. Eventually, Skyfire had to admit it wasn't going to.
For several long moments, Skyfire continued blankly staring at the door. They'd trapped him inside. Those… those slaggers weren't even going to give him the chance to ask or argue his case. He briefly entertained the thought that ignoring him was another part of his punishment, but he doubted it. Surely, if that were the case, they would have at least heard him out in case he said something useful. No, they had to have noticed something, and now they were intentionally keeping him out of the loop.
A growing ache in his hands alerted him to the fact that, completely without noticing, he'd clenched his hands into fists. He turned and, without pausing to think, slammed his fist into the door as hard as he could. Pain flared up his arm as the more fragile metal of his hand dented, but it was worth it for the loud, satisfying crack that reverberated through the room. As the echoes stopped, he was tempted to hit it again, but his better sense won out. The more uncontrolled he seemed, the less likely anyone would come.
The metal was cool against the plating of his hand where it still rested against the door. It felt soothing against the heated areas where his self-repair had already started to work, and Skyfire leaned forward, resting his head against the door as if that would help soothe his processer as well. Just a few inches of metal separated him from the rest of the ship. It might as well have been a megamile. So, with a low growl of frustration, Skyfire pushed away from the door and resumed his circuit around the room.
His frustration didn't go unnoticed by his bondmate. Starscream was reaching out in worry, and he could feel just how much his own anger was upsetting his bondmate. With that realization, he consciously tried to calm his spark. He wasn't very successful.
It wasn't long before he stopped being able to tell if Starscream was still getting closer; the Seeker was so close the bond was as strong and open as it was going to get. Skyfire groaned, and he had to stop himself from hitting something again. What the slag was going on out there? Had Starscream been recaptured? Had he surrendered? What about Skywarp and Thundercracker-were they still beside him, or had they split up?
He jerked to a stop at the sound of the door unlocking. It slid open quietly, revealing Bluestreak, blaster in hand, on the other side. The mech was shifting nervously from side to side as his optics scanned the room, though the hand holding his blaster never wavered. He twitched when Skyfire took a step forward, so Skyfire stopped moving.
"Tell me what's going on," Skyfire ordered.
Bluestreak met his gaze, looking uncomfortable but not intimidated. "I'm… not sure what I'm allowed to say yet. And it's really not worth disturbing Jazz over it right now. Just wait a couple kliks and you'll be able to see instead."
Despite what Bluestreak had intended, the statement was more ominous than reassuring. What, exactly, was he going to see? Impatience won out though, and he remained silent. Bluestreak stepped backwards, gesturing for Skyfire to follow, and Skyfire obeyed.
The next several kliks were filled with an awkward, stilted chatter as Bluestreak tried to fill the silence without revealing any information. Skyfire didn't catch a word of it. They were walking in a new direction this time, deeper into the ship than he'd been before. Bluestreak was moving quickly, and it wasn't long before they took a sharp turn down a new hall and stopped outside a locked door. The Praxian keyed in the code, and they entered.
Skyfire recognized the sight of holding cells. He'd certainly seen enough of them as a Decepticon to recognize the telltale signs of thicker walls and security cameras liberally dotting the ceiling. Undoubtedly one of the doors led to a true interrogation room and the rest to the more heavily secured holding cells, where important prisoners would be kept. The red Twin, Sideswipe, was standing outside one of the doors, leaning against the wall with a blaster hanging over his shoulder and a thoroughly bored expression on his face.
Sideswipe straightened up at their approach, but he didn't even try to hide his disinterest in the whole situation. His optics settled on Skyfire for only a moment before sliding away, obviously dismissing him. Skyfire might have been insulted if he'd bothered to spare any attention for the other mech. As it was, he was too preoccupied with his growing suspicion of exactly who was on the other side of that door.
"Hey, Blue," Sideswipe said, nodding at the Praxian. "Everything ready?"
Bluestreak nodded. "Yep. Jazz and Red Alert have already cleared it."
"Fair 'nough." Sideswipe turned and started fiddling with a complicated series of key pads and physical locks that barred the door, deactivating them one by one. After he removed the last one, he paused before opening the door and turned to address Skyfire for the first time.
"Knock if ya wanna get out. Not gonna guarantee we'll answer though," he said, obviously indifferent towards the situation and just repeating what he was required to say. "We've got cameras everywhere inside, so don't try anything stupid. No linking up either; if you're gonna say something, you say it out loud."
He didn't even wait for Skyfire's acknowledgement before opening the door and shoving Skyfire inside, sliding the door closed again immediately. Skyfire only managed to take a single step inside when something came barreling across the room and a very familiar Seeker half tackled him, sending Skyfire back a half-step. He didn't even need to see the familiar red and white to know who it was; the bond sang with joy at the physical contact,
Movement out of the corner of his vision sent his head shooting up again just in time to register a different pair of wings, and then Skyfire found himself with a second Seeker in his arms. This time, the force was enough to push him back into the wall with a loud clatter of metal on metal. Skyfire barely noticed the sound or the brief ache that accompanied it. He was too busy staring at the black and purple frame that had joined Starscream.
"Skywarp?" he gasped in surprise.
"Missed you," Skywarp mumbled, the words muffled against Skyfire's plating. Then he squeezed tighter.
Skyfire was struck speechless for several long moments, unable to do anything more than stare down at the two pairs of wings and hesitantly return their embrace. Skywarp didn't seem like he was going to be letting go any time soon, and Skyfire found he didn't mind the thought. He'd missed the Seeker, even though it hadn't even been a dozen orns since they'd last seen each other.
"What are you doing here?" he asked when he'd recovered enough for a coherent conversation.
Skywarp groaned and tried to hide his head between Skyfire's plating and Starscream's wing. It took another moment-and a prod over the bond that even Skyfire could feel-for Skywarp to respond. "Long story. Really long. Let's at least get more comfortable first."
Ignoring the chairs bolted to the floor in the opposite end of the room, Skywarp tugged them over to an empty corner of the bare room. He stared at Skyfire expectantly until he sat, plating brushing the two walls. Starscream immediately claimed his spot on Skyfire's lap and leant against Skyfire's chest, where his helm was pressed close to his spark as if he could hear the quiet hum of life beneath the thick armor. Skywarp protested halfheartedly before settling against Skyfire's side, trapping Skyfire between him, the walls, and Starscream. Even then, when they were properly situated, Skywarp didn't say anything, and Skyfire realized the Seeker was waiting for him to make the first move.
"Where's Thundercracker?" Skyfire asked first. Surely, if both of his trinemates were here, the third Seeker couldn't be far away.
Skywarp made a face and glanced over towards the bare wall on their left. "Jazz is talking to him. Alone." He snorted. "As if we won't know what's going on in there anyway."
"Is he alright?"
Skywarp nodded. "He's not damaged. None of us were hurt."
A weight seemed to lift from Skyfire's shoulders. "Good. I was worried," he said. One of his hands was still cradling Starscream, but he shifted so that he could move his other arm up to stroke along the bottom of Skywarp's wing.
Skywarp pulled away from cuddling against Skyfire's side enough to give him an incredulous look. "You were worried? Who's the one who's been a prisoner of the slagging Autobots for orns. Do you have any idea how we felt when we realized you were gone after that explosion? We were worried you might have deactivated! We looked, but we couldn't find you anywhere. And then the Prime called to say he had you and wanted a trade, but Megatron just slagging offlined the vidscreen in his face."
He said Megatron's name with such venom that Skyfire visibly started. He looked down at Skywarp in surprise, but the Seeker met his gaze unrepentantly. How… unexpected. Sure, Skywarp's admiration for their Commander had cooled ever since the first time he slagged Thundercracker, but it'd never gone passed frustrated mutters about Megatron's temper. Why now? Megatron just refusing to negotiate for his return-nothing unexpected, really-wouldn't have caused such a dramatic change.
"What happened while I was gone?" Skyfire asked.
Skywarp grimaced and leaned back against Skyfire's side, where he nudged at Skyfire's arm until he took the hint and resumed stroking his wing. He shot a glance at a security camera ostentatiously hanging in the opposite corner before huffing and, apparently, deciding to ignore it.
"Things got worse after you were taken," he admitted quietly. "It wasn't too bad at first. Megatron's temper's been getting worse, but it hadn't been anything we couldn't handle. Mostly just a lot of ranting with some punching and the occasional beating. He was getting more paranoid too, always worried about people plotting against him and slag like that."
Skyfire wished he could have said he was surprised. It fit all too well with what he'd observed of Megatron's behavior, especially after their arrival on Earth. It went without saying that the two Seekers had occasionally been the victims of Megatron's foul temper. He wished he could have been there, though logically he knew he couldn't have made a difference.
Skywarp started toying along the thick plating of his side, tracing the thin seams of the interlocking plates absentmindedly as he spoke. "When we found out what'd happened, we tried to get you back. We weren't just gonna leave you there, no matter what Megatron decided. TC came up with this plan and went to Megatron trying to convince him to deal, but Megatron didn't listen. Then TC tried to push it, and Megatron slagged him up bad for disrespecting him. Worse than usual." He took a shaky breath, and his hand slid down to lay motionlessly on his lap. "It was bad enough the Constructicons had to get involved in repairing him, and he had to stay in the med-bay for a couple solar cycles. Worse than the other times, though he wasn't in danger of stasis lock at least. He'd just been released when Megatron decided it was time for a raid, and he didn't care that Thundercracker was still recovering. We didn't have a choice-he nearly slagged me up for arguing 'bout having TC stay behind, and TC wasn't gonna let that happen. So he agreed to come. Of course, TC couldn't fly right. He was hurting, and his replaced sensors were still uncalibrated. He tried to hide it but I could tell he was struggling."
Skywarp sounded so upset that Skyfire couldn't help but reach out and tug him closer, angling the Seeker so he could reach his wings better. Skywarp accepted the gesture with a quiet rumble, but it didn't distract him for long.
"That wasn't even the worst of it," he continued. "TC hadn't been invited to the strategy meeting for the mission at all, and Megatron apparently didn't see a problem in letting a grounder have full control over what the air support would be doing. So, of course, we ended up with something slagging stupid, and it was too soon for TC to risk arguing with Megatron again. The mission was a spectacular failure. We were running around trying to hold a perimeter that didn't make sense, which meant Megatron was basically wasting half the mecha he'd brought on the raid." He took a deep breath. "Long story short, the Autobots came, we weren't prepared, and we got our afts handed to us. And then, of course, Megatron blamed Thundercracker for it."
Skywarp was tense under Skyfire's hand, plating clenched tight against his frame and wings rigid. On Skyfire's other side, Starscream stirred, reaching out to his trinemate with both frame and spark. He pulled Skywarp closer, shielding him from the rest of the room and stroking along his back and wings. Skywarp didn't relax, but he leaned into the soothing pressure nonetheless. He even reached up with his free arm to tug Starscream closer.
"Megatron was pissed as Pit about the failure, and of course he blamed us for not providing adequate support or warning," Skywarp continued. "Nevermind that we had nothing to do with the formations or the plan. Or that, if we had adjusted to something more reasonable, he'd just have slagged us up anyway for disobeying orders."
By the end, Skywarp's voice had started to rise until it was almost a shout. He cut himself off and took a deep, shuddering breath, visibly reining in his emotions. When he continued, his voice was calmer, but Skyfire could still clearly hear the anger bubbling under the surface.
"TC was already in bad shape from the battle. He'd torn some wields and gotten a nasty shot to the side, so he already should have been on his way back to the med-bay. Megatron didn't care. He just-" Skywarp broke off, shuddering. "He was in stasis by the time Megatron stopped. Any longer, and he might have actually-"
Skywarp stopped there, swallowing hard and staring downward, away from them. His hands were clenched uselessly at his side.
"Skywarp..." Skyfire started, but he couldn't continue. He couldn't think of anything he could say to make this better.
Skywarp shook his head. "I shoulda jumped in soon as I realized Megatron was going to far," Skywarp admitted quietly, voice wavering. "I was going to. But then TC ordered me not to, and I wasn't sure what to do. So I did nothing. I probably would have kept doing nothing until it was too late if Megatron had kept going. I could have been alone."
Skywarp said the word with a heartbreaking terror. To a Seeker, who was surrounded by kin and Trine for their entire life, being alone was the worst possible fate in a way no other frametype, save perhaps a gestalt, could understand. To be Trineless was to barely even be a Seeker anymore.
Starscream made a soft, mournful sound and curled around his trinemate as much as he could. Skyfire could sense how the two tangled together over the bond, offering and giving comfort. Skyfire continued stroking the two Seekers, but the motion was almost mechanical as he struggled to process the new revelation.
Thundercracker could have deactivated, and he wouldn't have even known until it was far too late.
He could all too easily picture what would have happened next. Skywarp would have followed his trinemate instead of having to deal with a second empty bond, assuming the backlash from being alone in his spark for the first time since his sparklinghood didn't deactivate him first. There was a reason so few Trineless had existed, even during the Golden Age when there was still kin and the interconnected network of Seekers to support them. Without the trinebonds to stabilize his spark, Starscream might not have survived his retrieval either. Skyfire was painfully grateful that hadn't happened-that he'd, against all reason, managed to regain all three of his Seekers instead of losing everything once again. He held the two Seekers, still curled around each other, closer.
Skywarp sighed and, still cradled between himself and Starscream, finished the story. "When we felt Starscream… we left. Thundercracker logged some slag about a training mission or something just in case, but we didn't stick around to ask permission. Less chance of getting slagged up that way." His voice hardened. "Let Megatron find a new scapegoat. I'm slagging done."
The anger and conviction Skywarp felt was obvious. He didn't regret what they'd done. Beneath that, though, was a deep pain and sense of betrayal. Skywarp had truly believed in the Decepticons in a way Skyfire never had. That enthusiasm had faded as the war stretched on, but he'd always been loyal. Until this.
"I'm glad you came," Skyfire said quietly, hoping to reassure the Seeker. "I wish the situation was different, but I'm glad you're here." He chuckled humorlessly. "What does it say that it's actually safer as here as a prisoner than as a high ranking officer back at the ship?"
It was an observation more than a real question, but Skywarp answered anyway. "That things are just as fragged up now as they were before the war."
There wasn't anything to say to that. It was unfortunately true. For all the promises and death and strife, nothing had truly improved since the Rebellion began. He didn't particularly want to think about it, so he changed the subject.
"What will you do now?"
Skywarp shrugged listlessly. "Dunno. Survive. TC has some tidbits he's willing to share for sanctuary if he has to, stuff 'bout plans for the next couple raids mostly. You know more about their standard policies than I do. What do you think will happen?"
Skyfire quieted as he gave the question his full concentration. Honestly, he still didn't know much about the Autobot's policies, but he wanted to give Skywarp his best guess nonetheless.
"Thundercracker's rank complicates matters, as will Megatron's reaction once news reaches him of your arrival," he started. "You do have good leverage though. That'll help. You should be able to stay out of a cell and have some freedom of movement at least. No matter what, you'll be treated well compared to being in the Decepticon brig. Although…" He glanced over at Starscream as he remembered a new complication. "Starscream did prove he could deactivate a fairly important safety measure. I'm not sure how they'll react to that."
He gave Starscream a pointed look, and Starscream smirked proudly-not quite the reaction he was looking for.
Skywarp sighed and slouched downward. "So, we really just need to wait and see what TC manages to negotiate for us. Slag. I've always hated waiting."
Skyfire sensed the spark of mischief a moment before Starscream spoke.
"That's because you have the attention span of a petrorabbit," he said, tapping Skywarp lightly on the helm.
"Oi!" Skywarp said, pretending to take offense. It wasn't much of a distraction, but it made Skywarp smile again. They squabbled goodnaturedly for a few kliks before slowly trickling to a stop. The silence that followed was lighter, though the undercurrents of tension couldn't completely disappear. Skywarp, of course, didn't let the silence last for long. Soon enough, he twisted in Skyfire's grip to stare up at him again.
"Tell me about what's happened since you were taken," he said.
Caught off guard by the non-sequitur, it took a moment for Skyfire to respond. "Most of it isn't very interesting." He'd spent most of the time since his capture as just a prisoner, staring at the same four walls.
"Tell me anyway."
This time, Skyfire was able to see just how anxious Skywarp was for a distraction. Skywarp was holding it together remarkably well, but he was still separated from his trinemate and trapped inside the enemy's flagship. Bringing up recent memories certainly couldn't have helped his emotional state either.
So Skyfire nodded. "Alright."
It took him a moment to figure out where to start, but eventually he began with some of his first moments after his capture and went from there. He'd leave some of it out. Skywarp didn't need to know how frightened he'd been at first, alone in the Autobot flagship, or the mindnumbing boredom that had often set in. Some of it, though, he thought Skywarp would enjoy. The Seeker would probably get a kick out of hearing about his first escape attempt, and he'd love to know more about the Aerialbots' antics.
Skywarp settled in to listen, and Starscream perked up curiously. Soon enough, the quiet rumble of his voice was the only sound in the room. Skywarp and Starscream were both warm, comforting weights against his plating, where he could feel the soft vibrations and heat of living systems. If he offlined his optics, he could almost pretend they were back in his old quarters, just sharing a normal conversation. They would find out what would happen to the four of them later. For now, he just wanted to enjoy having his bondmate and one of the few other mecha he cared about beside him.
~.*.~