Optimus barely holds back his fight protocols at the shooting sounds and the dust swirling onscreen, but he certainly manages better than Megatron.

The Decepticon leader is tense in his seat and, even though it's just because he's by his side that he can hear it, his no-longer-there weapons are trying to whirl to activation, meaning there's the soft crackling hum of energy being redirected to where his fusion cannon should be attached, and his plating is flaring while still being pressed to his struts, something that seems to be an art for warmechs such as him.

Fortunately, as a quick glance shows, their four 'humans', who wouldn't understand nor trust such a reaction, are staring entranced at the screen, the Cassettes nestled against Soundwave while Jazz moves to be more comfortable in Prowl's grip, though the Autobot leader knows better.

The saboteur's preparing for anything that may happen, meaning, readying to attack.

Suddenly, this doesn't seem like such a good idea anymore.

"Perceptor, are you alright?"

"Yes, but that one was too close."

The shooting continues, but the dust clears to reveal the scientist kneeling next to a machine that looks a lot like the control panel of a Space Bridge.

"How much do you need? I don't think we have much left." And, with those words, the visual moves to show the battlefield, and both faction leaders tense.

Because those onscreen, engaged in a grappling match, are clearly themselves.

Sure, they have both been reconfigured, along every-mech else, but Optimus has kept his original color scheme, and Megatron—

"Your efforts are futile, Prime! Why don't you just accept your defeat and cut short your suffering?"

—Megatron is clearly recognizable even without hearing him speak, but that doesn't help, either.

"It is not the Autobots who inhabit a rusting ship and steal from organics!"

Dismayed, both faction leaders exchange a look, knowing what is written in each other's processor.

Was that really me?

Did they really hate each other so much, their fellow Cybertronian, to fall to such extremes?

Conflicted, Optimus looks away first, but catches Megatron's helm turning back to the screen almost at the same time, and can't help but think that the Decepticon is embarrassed too.

But of his silly words or his actions?

The image onscreen moves, and the Autobot leader forces himself to put that line of code away.

This is neither the time nor the place.

… Nor was it before, when the memory first began, because it's only now that the Prime notices the Cybertronian subtitles at the bottom of the screen, translating the insults and orders both faction members are shouting as Mirage observes the fight, as well as Perceptor's musings.

Why should they—Oh. Right.

None of the four mechs thinking themselves humans understand English, and taking into account this happened on Earth, and quite some years after they first exited stasis after the crash…

English was our default language back then, as it is now. They wouldn't understand if not for the subtitles.

Meaning, they've 'heard' and still 'hear' all of the silly lines the faction leaders exchange between blows.

Aw, slag.

If he could, Optimus would be blushing out of sheer embarrassment.

He's a Prime, a Chosen of Primus, why did he lower himself to petty insults?

When did the war that ravaged their planet and destroyed almost their whole race become such a mockery?

And why didn't they notice it before and put an end to it?

The answers elude him, so Optimus focuses on the screen again, trying to forget such dark musings.

The next couple mechs engaged in battle are enough to help him with that.

Jazz somersaults easily over his adversary with a smile on his faceplate and his gun ready in his servo, but Soundwave whirls around as if he'd known the saboteur's plan all along, his outstretched arm forcing the black and white Autobot to roll away and hide behind a rocky formation as the Decepticon's shoulder cannon starts to shoot.

"That's… us?" Soundwave—no, Sanders, asks, and Optimus risks a look at the four deluded mechs, only to see the Cassette Carrier shaking hard and curling into Starscream's embrace, his creations worriedly hovering next to him but no longer physically in contact, as Jazz softly shakes his head as if the gesture could make everything disappear, Prowl's grip on him tightening as his doorwings press against his back-struts.

But none of them is looking away from the screen.

"It can't be…" The saboteur whispers and, at a louder explosion, the Autobot leader turns back to the recording, now focused on Superion and Menasor as the airborne Combiner takes flight—

And feels his spark sputter in dismay at the comm appearing on Mirage's visual.

A message from their Tactician to shoot the Decepticon Seekers when they approach certain coordinates.

Despite not remembering, Optimus knows they will recognize the designation of the one sending the message, for they have been told about it.

So, it is with pain that the Prime sees his former Second curl around his Third, though in fear instead of in an effort to protect the other Grounder.

Fowler is smart, always was, so the Autobot leader knows, despite no words being voiced, that he's noticed the insignias differentiating the two factions.

And realized two of those with him were their sworn enemies.

"Who does he think I am, Bluestreak?" Mirage whispers, but aims at the incoming jets, lead by a familiar white, red and blue Flier, as they approach to release their cargo of cluster bombs.

And fires.

The first Seeker avoids the shots gracefully with a barrel roll, but the second, a blue one, doesn't.

"Carter…" Starscream—Reeds, actually—whispers apprehensively, and Optimus sees the gliding flaps shine under the artificial lights as they extend, but that's the only movement of the four.

The Thundercracker onscreen transforms to slow his fall, the side of his thoracic plating blackened from the shot, but before he can do more else, two red and gold shapes fall on him from the cliff, sending him down with a war cry.

"Nice shot." Perceptor congratulates, and the spy turns to see him still busy fiddling with the cables of the Space Bridge controls.

"How is it going?"

"Almost done, I just need some more—"

The scientist's words are drowned by the whine of an opening Bridge, but the startled look on the red mech's faceplate betrays its origin point.

"Shockwave."

"The Autobots have sabotaged the Space Bridge!" Starscream's characteristic screech is easily heard over the roar of the portal opening, though it doesn't stay as such much longer.

The screen fills with a blinding white light for barely a nanoklik, and when it clears…

When it clears, matte black drones are pouring out like glitch mice and shooting at the first Cybertronian to enter their visual range, Autobots and Decepticons alike.

Still caught in their grappling, the faction leaders are the first to be hit—and the first to fall limply with their optics offline, not having had the chance to even turn around and see what came through the Bridge.

Optimus would have been embarrassed to have been caught that easily, if he hadn't been filled with horror and a thorough feeling of uselessness, watching Mirage almost literally sweep a frozen Perceptor away from the controls, watching his soldiers, his brave mechs, be brought down by a single shot, as well as the tough, beatable yet indestructible Combiners follow along, watching Prowl, his calm and collected SIC, call a retreat with his doorwings pressed tight against his back-struts and Jazz pull up a smile to calm Bumblebee down before losing it to uncharacteristic seriousness as the Minibot rushes behind the cover of some rocks—

And being unable to do anything as his Autobots fall down to be covered by the drones like a wave of black Scraplets, more and more and more still pouring out of the Bridge—

Halfway through his transformation, a stray shot hits Skyfire, and the Shuttle reverts to root mode with his optics offline.

The drones keep pouring, regardless of how many of their numbers the Cybertronian shoot down.

"How are we going to get out of here now?!" Gears shouts, avoiding being hit with a quick jerk to the side.

"Get inside Astrotrain, you processor-less scrap-heaps!" Starscream's screech makes Mirage turn to a rock formation near the canyon, from where the Decepticons are jumping down the chasm.

Ravage snarls up at the Seeker, who simply points into the unseen fissure in the ground.

"They have Thundercracker too, but how do you expect to rescue them if you're also caught?!" The Cassette curls a bit into himself—

Before turning tail and jumping into the canyon.

Blazing red optics meet the Spec Ops' agent then, and, by the jerk of the screen, Mirage tenses.

"And what in the Pit are you waiting for, a Senatorial Private Pass? Get in gear before I decide to leave you all to serve as bait, Autoscum!"

"He can't be seriously—"

"Just hurry up, Gears!" Prowl snarls before turning around to shoot at the drones, and Jazz quickly rushes up to the Seeker's position—

Who just keeps shooting at their attackers and lets the saboteur run behind him to look down at their possible escape route.

When the black and white mech turns around, it is with a smile on his faceplate and to wave them to follow.

Still pushing Perceptor around, Mirage obeys, Bumblebee by his side.

"What the Pit are you doing, Screamer?!" Skywarp, by his Trineleader's side shooting at their enemy, snarls, glaring at the approaching 'Bots. "You're betraying Megatron?!"

"Do you really think we can beat them all on our own?! And, in case you haven't noticed, they're carrying the fallen back into the Space Bridge! They don't want us deactivated, they want us functioning! I'm not about to give them more tools, not if I can use them to get the rest of us back!" The Decepticon SIC screeches back, and Gears and Bumblebee shout indignantly at being referred to as mere items, before Jazz ushers them down the canyon.

Mirage follows, looking down to see Astrotrain in his ground-based alt mode and Onslaught just outside, signaling them to hurry the Pit up!

"I'm not leaving Megatron there!" The purple and black Seeker shouts, and the sound of displaced air is easily heard despite the shooting.

Optimus can't berate Mirage for turning around, even though he should've been already descending, at that, for everyone knows to keep their scans primed to Skywarp in case he teleports behind them.

But that's not what they see.

The mass of drones, walking over the frames of their fallen frame-kin as if they were but ruble, part as the Seeker falls from above, most of the group carrying a barely visible silver frame towards the Bridge being trapped under deceivingly powerful turbines—

And one of them pushing a blue-glowing riffle-like weapon against a startled white faceplate and—

Skywarp's body falls back a quite impressive distance, black helm turning gray and circuitry sparkling visibly amongst mangled metal, but it's not the sight that makes Optimus tense, nor the unheard shot or crash.

It's the spark-broken shriek that makes their audials scramble and go through a quick reboot.

The screen does a weird snapping movement as it moves to focus on their shelter behind the rocks only to follow the roaring streak of white, red, blue and fire as it blasts itself to the mass of drones.

The Prime's plating presses tight against his struts at the visual and, once more, he wonders how could they all forget what a war was when on Earth.

He remembers the time Chip asked him why had Starscream kept his post as Second in Command of the Decepticons, given all they'd seen on the boy's home planet, and he remembers laughing and simply saying that Megatron was too glitched to even realize such a change was necessary.

He asks himself now if it wasn't him the one glitching, because he knew why the Seeker had been named such in the first place, and that was more than reason enough to have never doubted it despite of anything.

Because the Starscream of Earth was treacherous and more of an annoying glitch than an asset, but he'd been about to destroy both humanity's home world and Cybertron itself with his plans, and there had been another reason Megatron had kept him close, one he's glad their human friends never got to know.

After all, it would have been Autobots being ripped to pieces by bare servos in such an event prior to the one onscreen.

The Seeker is positively feral, tearing through the black mass without mercy nor, seemingly, even needing to think about it, white optics fixed on the drones carrying his Trinemate's limp frame away from him—

Until a shot slams against his side.

The Flier jerks and stumbles in a futile effort to keep upright, but his optics are already flickering and about to enter stasis, like all the others—

Optimus jumps in his seat, feeling not-there weapons try to whirl to activation as the Air Commander twists around with a deafening shriek and a boom of his turbines as he throws himself to the surrounding drones, servos trapping limbs and separating them effortlessly from the frames they're attached to—

Another shot hits and the Seeker stumbles barely noticeably before turning around and ripping the weapon from the matte black servos as easily as he does the helm from the neck struts—

"Mirage! Down!" Prowl shouts from his position peeking over the rocks, trying to provide the berserk Decepticon with some cover fire in his rampage, and, without another nanoklik to lose, the spy jumps down the canyon and jerks as Onslaught takes a step closer.

"What in the Pit were you waiting for? Get inside!" The Combaticon leader shouts, pointing to the Triple Changer's cargo bay, and, when Jazz appears at his side, the noblemech obeys.

Both Autobots and Decepticons turn to him as he enters, but Perceptor waving him to his side quickly catches his attention.

"Lift off, Astrotrain!" Onslaught shouts as soon as Prowl joins them, the Coneheads rushing out just before the doors close and their transport drives away, not transforming to his airborne alt mode.

"Where are they going?" Swindle asks nervously, optics fixed on the now closed exit.

"To cover our back-struts. There are no aerial drones, so they should have an advantage. They'll buy us enough time to put some distance between us, allowing Astrotrain to fly away safely."

"With a cargo full of Autobots." The Triple Changer's voice seems to echo, even through the speakers, as he answers in a soft growl, and red and purple visual arrays turn to glare at the red-branded mechs.

"Starscream's orders." Onslaugh returns calmly, crossing his arms against his chassis. "If you have anything to say against it, you can take it up to him. But I doubt he'll let you keep your helm attached to your neck struts after that."

"Empty words." Long Haul snarls from his kneeling position next to a stasis locked Blitzwing, Scavenger and Scrapper, the only other Constructicons in the bay, next to him.

"I don't know, he didn't sound too happy before we took off." The three green and purple mechs scowl, but keep quiet at the still nonchalant words.

"And since when are you so supportive of that traitorous Seeker, huh?" Kickback protests, bristling. "Since when do you get along so nicely that he would name you his Second after Soundwave got captured, huh?"

"Onslaught was Lead Tactician of the Decepticons, why wouldn't he name him?" Brawl snarls back, weapons whirring before Swindle puts a servo on his upper arm to restrain him.

"Now, now, we're all Decepticons here. Minus the Autobots, but since Screamer said to play nice with them—"

"And that's another!" Scrapper growls, standing up angrily. "What does he think he's doing, helping the Autoscum!"

Onslaught's visor darkens in annoyance, but, before he can answer, Astrotrain shakes, forcing them all to grip the closest support available.

"Mute it, all of you. Oh, and we're taking off, and I'm letting the Seekers in, so grab onto something."

All visual arrays glare at the closest wall as the cargo bay doors open with a hiss and the howling of air rushing past, and, when Mirage turns to them, he sees Dirge and Thrust carrying a stasis locked Ramjet inside—

And a more gray than colored Flier touching down after them, one optic offline and having to lean against a wall to keep upright, glittering pink Energon staining his frame.

"Primus Starscream! What the Pit did you—?!" Scavenger's worried question is cut as the Seeker straightens, glaring him and Onslaught away when they approach as the doors close.

"They're just color nanites, nothing to merit such a distressed response." Yet, despite his words, his voice box decides not to collaborate when instead of the usual high pitched screech it spews an almost mechanical rasp.

Regardless, none of them approach as he confidently, and more stable than after touching down inside the Triple Changer, walks up to Prowl.

The Autobot Second in Command simply looks up at his Decepticon counterpart, doorwings locked into their usual no-nonsense V-like position.

For what feels like an eternity, they just stare at one another.

And then, accompanied by the soft whirr of transformation, the Seeker's wings fall down and open, making all the others in the bay take a step back in surprise.

All minus Prowl, whose doorwings imitate the movement of the one in front of him.

"I, Starscream, Second in Command, Air Commander and acting leader of the Decepticons, in my name and in those of my faction, offer a truce."

"I, Prowl, Second in Command, Lead Tactician and acting leader of the Autobots, in my name and in those of my faction, accept the truce."

The cacophony of 'what' and 'the Pit' that echo in the room are not only from the speakers, but, unlike before, Optimus can no longer hold himself back.

Nor can the others also witnessing this event for the first time, apparently.

Regardless, none of the two SICs seems to even notice the others around them.

"Until the sky vanishes at my pass—"

"Until the ground vanishes at my pass—"

"will this truce hold strong as the struts on my back… and may my wings become the word spoken, to be held proudly in accomplishment, and turn to rust if the deal should break." They finish in unison, and silence fills the room.

"The Oath of Winged Words… Primus, Starscream, you swore the Oath of Winged Words?!" Thundercracker shouts, turning to look at his confused Trineleader, but Optimus knows he won't get an answer.

After all, Steve Reeds is the one staring back at them.

"I… guess?"

"You had to do that, didn't you." Vortex's voice through the speakers makes them all turn back to the screen, where the helicopter is now the spotlight, arms crossed against his chest-plates and a deadpanned expression on his faceplate. "Ah, slag you. Of course you had to. Come here, let me take a look at that optic."

"You are going to scan him?" Scrapper asks, stunned, as the Combaticon walks up to be by the Air Commander's side despite his previous words.

"Duh, do you think I'd be able to do my job so efficiently if I didn't have some notion of mechanics?" He answers easily, tilting the calm Seeker's helm so as to better observe the black hole surrounded by gray plating. "And just how many shots did you take? I know your immunity against scramblers was an advantage back there, but there's such a thing as 'too much', you know."

"Immunity?" Mirage asks, and the amused engine snort makes the screen turn to the rest of Combaticons.

"What, you thought that because the null-rays are his primary weapons he wouldn't have some counter or defense against them?" Swindle asks mockingly, and Optimus finds himself as stunned as the rest of Autobots onscreen.

"Guess they weren't the ones to take Blast Off, though, if those drones attacking all of us meant something." Scavenger whispers after a moment, but the silence in the cargo bay is such that his words are easily heard.

"Nor were you those who took Cosmos, then." Jazz adds, tone easy-going, but faceplate serious as the spy turns to him. "What do you think the puppeteers want with us?"

"Don't know, but I've got Shockwave on comm." Astrotrain answers, and Mirage exchanges a surprised look with Perceptor. "Apparently, he called the Victory and Viewfinder patched him through. They say it's important."

"Then what are you waiting for? Let us talk to him." Starscream orders with a sneer, Vortex keeping a hand on his upper arm in a gesture that looks suspiciously supportive.

Yet again, with the Seeker's looks, maybe he is about to fall down if that meager help is taken away.

"Lord Megatron, this is Shockwave. I have urgent news." The mono-optic mech's voice echoes from the speakers, having been patched through the Triple Changer's inner communications systems.

"So do I, starting with the fact Megatron is no longer here." The Air Commander answers darkly, though it doesn't seem directed at his fellow Decepticon.

After a nanoklick of silence, Shockwave answers.

"I was too late, it seems."

"If by that you mean you were about to inform us of an attack…"

"By a swarm of matte black drones armed with scrambler guns." The not-present mech finishes, and the Seeker scowls.

"Do you have more information than that?" Prowl asks, and the Decepticon on the other side of the comm remains silent some more.

"Are those prisoners?"

"Allies." Starscream answers firmly, glaring at the rest of his troops as they fidget uncomfortably.

"A logical decision." And all Decepticons and Autobots turn to look at the speakers on the cargo bay's walls in astonishment. "This enemy we now face will not be defeated easily, nor, I suspect, by one faction alone. Perhaps, once this conversation is over, I should try to contact the Autobot forces here on Cybertron to offer such a truce."

"Let the other Autobots talk to them first. Now, about this enemy…" And the Air Commander lets the sentence trail off, so that the other high-ranked Decepticon may continue with the awaited information.

"Some background will be needed to introduce them, for their first appearance in the history of our race goes back to before the first records, and even further back than the first Cybertronian."

The memory ends as the screen goes black.

Still trying to make sense of all that has happened, all that they've been made aware of, Optimus turns to the four mechs exchanging conflicted looks, and feels his Decepticon counterpart follow his gaze, as well as the rest of the room's occupants.

And then, Jazz smiles cheekily.

"So… how did you say we could revert this?"


AN: I'm baaaaaaaaaaack! Better late than never, huh?

First of all, sorry for the wait. Second, I've updated last chapter's AN with the info on Lightflight, as well as some links as to his looks.

And third, this is the last chapter of the 'trip down memory lane', so, back with the action!

Also, I've been updating previous chapters with corrected versions grammar-wise. Nothing has changed, there are just less typos in them (I hope).

Now, about this chapter... well, as always, feel free to ask any questions you have, I'll answer them, or let you know if I can't. As for other things... Well, if I had something else to say, I have forgotten now, sorry...

Thanks for waiting and I hope you enjoyed (or at least didn't hate) this chapter.

I'm back to schedule, people, so read you again next weekend!

Angel Heart: Hi again, and here you have another upload, the first of many more (I hope)!

I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, I worried you readers might feel it was more of a filler... So I'm really happy to hear you all liked it :)

About the first memory... well, I guess with how long it took me to update, it's understandable you didn't recognize it as such until after a bit. Besides, I write it all in the same doc before putting it in the Doc Manager, meaning, in my 'script' there are no breaks between these last three chapters, so I forgot you didn't have the ending of the last chapter there to read... I think I'll put a note or something at the start, just in case.

I'm glad you thought Skywarp was cute, because that was what I was hoping for XD And that, in turn, made the present Skywarp really embarrased, which was the second goal of that precise memory (TC can be such an aft, when he wants to *snickers*).

And thanks for letting me know about the typos, it's a relief to read that...

Thanks for the review, and read you later!