CHAPTER 18
Attitude
Starscream checked the hallway before exiting and closing the door behind him. He looked down at his right servo, where Amy stood, clinging onto one of Starscream's digits.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Starscream asked.
"I'm sure," Amy replied though with a hint of a frown on her face. "Let's just get going before I change my mind, please."
"Alright then."
With that, Starscream set in motion, though made sure to walk slowly and carefully, so Amy wouldn't fall off his servo. Amy held tightly around Starscream's index digit, a little over half her own height, while he walked through the large hallways with slow but long strides.
The walk went mostly in silence. As they reached the last hallway before the command center, Starscream stopped and gazed back at Amy.
"You're absolutely sure you're not just a figment of my imagination?" Starscream repeated from earlier. "I'd hate to make a fool out of myself if it turns out I'm the only one who can see you."
"I already said I'm real, I'm just really good at hiding," Amy assured him, slightly annoyed. "Like I said, I'm pretty shy. What I'm not is not real. I mean, I'm real. I'm not a figment of your imagination."
"How do I know you're right?" Starscream speculated concerned.
"Step into the room, show me to the others and find out. I won't hide again, I won't run away, if that's what you're worried about. I'm not going to embarrass you. So don't worry."
"But-"
"If you keep doubting me then I don't wanna meet the others anymore. Sorry for interrupting you."
Starscream sighed. "It's fine. But you're right. I don't know why I'm so worried if you're real or not."
"Perhaps because if it turns out I'm not, the others will think you've lost your mind and will treat you differently for it?" Amy suggested.
Starscream fell silent for a moment. "Now who's causing doubt in this idea?" he teased, though more serious than intended.
"Sorry, thought you wanted to know."
They stood and contemplated in silence for about a minute before Starscream took a deep vent and exhaled.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked.
Amy took in a deep breath of her own and exhaled, glancing at Starscream and put on a smile.
"I'm ready," she replied. "Let's go."
Both gazes set forward, Starscream set into a walk again, heading through the last hallway and reaching the entrance to the command center. He paused once again to share a glance with Amy. They both gave each other a small smile.
"Here we go," Starscream announced quietly.
Amy nodded but didn't say anything. Her gaze returned forward, staring into the room, her smile faltering. She seemed to gulp. Starscream set his own gaze forward, his own smile faltering as well. He took in another deep vent and exhaled.
And stepped inside the command center.
Sunstorm was still ablaze when he and his Trinemates approached the entrance to the Decepticon secret base in Russia, in the northwestern part of the country, also set in a mountain range, though with less snow and surrounded by a lush green pine forest.
"Uh, Commander Sunstorm?" Sideways said concerned over the comm. "You should probably turn off those flames before entering the base."
"Don't tell me what to do, Sideways," Sunstorm hissed, still burning.
"But you'll destroy the machi-"
"Don't talk to me like I was created yesterday, I'm perfectly aware of my own abilities, like I have the last several million years, thank you very much!"
They were but a few dozen meters from the entrance to their hideout, and Sunstorm's flames still had not disappeared.
"With all due respect, sir," Contrail intervened, "it would be a good idea to-"
Merely ten meters before reaching the opening entrance on a mountainside, the flames surrounding Sunstorm disappeared. Contrail silenced.
"Well, but it seems you have everything under control," Contrail decided to say instead.
Once inside the entrance, the three Seekers transformed. The entrance closed, enveloping the room in total darkness aside from the yellow optics of Sunstorm, red visor of Contrail and pink visor of Sideways. A few nano-cycles later, lights turned on, and the floor started going down.
"I am always in control, Contrail," Sunstorm snapped and crossed his arms, facing away from his Trinemates. "Never question me again. Don't take me for a moron."
Contrail and Sideways both crossed their arms, Sideways giving a smirk.
"Aren't you in a mood," Contrail remarked.
It was hard to know if Contrail was smirking too, since he was wearing a mouth mask and never showed his actual face. Much like Soundwave, though still less creepy.
In bot mode, Contrail seemed to be wingless and without a visible cockpit, shambled somewhere on his body. He was mostly orange but had gray thighs. He had a long spike coming out of the top of his head and going back, similar to the Dinobot known as Swoop. His chest seemed more like the grill on a car than something on a jet.
Overall, Contrail didn't look much like a Flier in robot mode and could likely pretend to be a Grounder if he wanted to. Not that he would ever want to, that is. Why lower himself to a measly Grounder that couldn't fly? It was better that everyone knew who and what he was so they wouldn't mess with him. Contrail was one of the most powerful Seekers, both among Decepticons and Autobots, and everyone knew that. Few dared to make a fool out of him, a former member of the High Council on Cybertron.
Only Sunstorm could really induce fear into Contrail, at least among the Seekers. With his unique ability to set himself ablaze with radioactive flames that burned everything touching him and destroyed any machinery around him, pretty much everyone feared him. Autobots, Decepticons, humans. Even Megatron seemed to have his concerns for the hotheaded Seeker.
Fortunately for Megatron, Sunstorm was also a religious mech and would thus not misuse his powers gifted to him by Primus. Unless threatening his Trinemates with the flames counted as misuse, that is.
Sideways didn't worry about Sunstorm misusing his powers though. He was also religious, though not as much as Sunstorm. So he knew that Sunstorm would not go against Primus' words. Sideways looked more like the typical Vosian Seeker, same build as Sunstorm; tall, sleek and with long wings and an orange cockpit in his chest. His plating was black, orange and silver, his face orange with a pink visor and his head covered by a black helm. Unlike the other Seekers, Sideways had a pair of crooked horns sticking out of the sides of his helm. It made him easier to recognize among the many generic Seekers in their ranks in any case.
Like Contrail, Sideways wasn't a mech to mess around with. He wasn't as powerful as Contrail or even Sunstorm, but he was a master of his own skill. He was cunning and very deceitful, comparable to even Starscream. He served as one of the Decepticons' spies, and one of the best at that. While technically being under Sunstorm's command, he was also one of Soundwave's lieutenants. Without Sunstorm or Starscream, or any of the other Decepticons knowing, of course. Only Soundwave and Megatron knew, and they were the only two who needed to know.
Sunstorm remained silent for the remainder of the journey down the elevator, until it stopped and the elevator doors opened up, allowing the Seekers to step out into the command center.
Sunstorm walked through the room in a swift pace, his Trinemates following close behind. Around in the room, the Constructicons were scattered and working on each their own things. Hook was at the medbay and was studying something, Mixmaster was busy cleaning the floor as ordered by Sunstorm before he and his Trinemates left for patrol, Scavenger was watching the monitors for energy signals, and Long Haul was carrying empty Absorption Cubes into the command center from the hallway. Bonecrusher and Scrapper seemed to be absent, probably in the training room to blow off some steam.
Sunstorm barely took notice of the empty cubes as he stormed over to the monitors on a slightly higher level surrounded by railings. Hook briefly looked up from his work.
"Oh, you're back," he said. "What-"
"Silence," Sunstorm hissed and gave Hook a sharp look, silencing the Constructicon. He walked over to Scavenger. "Scavenger, call the Nemesis," he ordered.
Scavenger looked up, seemingly half asleep. "Why?" he asked drowzily.
Sunstorm snorted. "Because I can't push the buttons without risking destroying the whole thing."
"I know that, but why do I have to call the Nemesis?"
"Because I need to speak to Lord Megatron," Sunstorm hissed annoyed. "Now get on with it!"
"Okay, okay," Scavenger said and started pushing the buttons. "Don't gotta bite my helm off. Jeez..."
While Scavenger tried to contact the Nemesis, Sunstorm paced back and forth, apparently thinking it was taking too long. Sideways and Contrail looked on from below the monitors near the medbay.
"What crawled up his tailpipe and died?" Hook asked offended to the two orange Seekers.
Sideways smirked and crossed his arms as he glanced at Hook. "More like what crawled up his tailpipe, left something dead and then died itself," he replied.
Hook cocked a ridge. "Eh...what?"
"Be silent and maybe you'll find out, Grounder," Contrail replied without looking at Hook, still gazing up at the distressed Sunstorm pacing back and forth beside the monitors.
Finally the monitor beeped and the screen popped up, showing Megatron's face. Sunstorm finally stopped his pacing.
"Lord Megatron," Scavenger greeted and bowed his head slightly. "This is Scavenger from Decepticon Outpost Gamma-Delta."
"What is it, Scavenger?" Megatron's raspy voice sounded through the comm.
"Sunstorm wishes to speak to you, my liege."
"Well, don't just sit there, bring him forth!"
Scavenger got up from his seat and stepped aside, letting Sunstorm step in front of the monitor to face the Decepticon warlord.
"Sunstorm," Megatron greeted and gave the Seeker a toothy smile. "Long time no see. What do you want?"
"Lord Megatron, we encountered a pair of Autobots when we went out on patrol just a while ago. One of them was Skyfire, the other one was new."
Megatron cocked a ridge. "New? As in a new recruit, or as in someone you've never seen before but we others have?"
"How should I know if you've encountered him before?" Sunstorm hissed with little care for the fact that he was speaking to their leader. "He seemed to be Vosian like me and the other Seekers. But he was wearing a blue visor and a gray mouthplate."
Megatron seemed to hum. "What was his paintjob like?"
"White, with a red torso and blue arms and pedes," Sunstorm described.
Megatron cocked a ridge again, silent for a moment. Then he barked a laugh. "You sure you're not seeing ghosts, Sunstorm? For that description sounds a lot like Starscream. And you know that your dear brother is dead."
"You don't have to remind me," Sunstorm snorted. "And it wasn't Starscream. I know my brother when I see him. Starscream would never hide his face, not even to avoid your attention. Besides, he was a terrible Flier, my brother was the best of the best. I will destroy that mech the next time we meet."
"Calm your thrusters, dear Sunstorm," Megatron said, his smirk having returned. "The fact that you had an encounter with the Autobots, the first in weeks, means there's another battle on its way. If not at your location, then here at the Nemesis. The Autobots will retaliate now that the peace is broken. We have managed to harvest Energon around the world without their notice, but now they will know of our secret plans and attempt to stop us."
Sunstorm frowned in confusion. "All we did was shoot at a pair of measley Autobot Seekers, I don't think the 'Bots know about our plans... Lord Megatron," he added.
"It's just a matter of time before they do. It's a miracle we lasted as long as we did. For now, keep a low profile and stay in the base until further notice. Should the Autobots decide to retaliate at the Nemesis, we need to be prepared with all the troops available. Only the transporters will continue their work with gathering Energon at hot spots. I will announce the next battle when the time comes. That is all."
Megatron seemed to be about to hang up, but Sunstorm wasn't finished.
"Megatron, don't go yet!" Sunstorm exclaimed.
Megatron paused and stared at the Seeker with a stony expression. He didn't seem pleased with being addressed so informally in such an insubordinate tone.
"You have something else you want to talk to me about, Sunstorm?" Megatron asked with a low growl.
"You aren't seriously telling me that we are going to stay underground and avoid flying for who knows how long?"
"I am. Do you have a problem with it?"
The two mechs stared intently into each other's optics in tense silence, Sunstorm's burning gaze and Megatron's freezing glare. The Constructicons and two other Seekers looked on, feeling the tension between the two mechs.
After what felt like an eternity, Sunstorm let out a snorty sigh and broke optic contact, looking down at the floor. "No, my liege," he snarled. "Not at all. I will see you soon."
Megatron's smirk returned, followed by the monitor going black, breaking the comm. Sunstorm turned around, gaze still fixed at the floor, and walked down to the lower floor and past his Trinemates.
"Commander Sunstorm," Sideways said.
"I'm heading to my quarters," Sunstorm said quietly, barely snarling at all. "Do not disturb me."
The Decepticons gazed after the golden Seeker as he left the room through the hallways, heading for his quarters. They all knew what that meant.
Sunstorm was going to pray. And only a fool with a death wish would dare disturb him in the middle of a prayer. At least that meant the rest of the residents of Decepticon Outpost Gamma-Delta would have some peace and quiet from their moody base captain.
Sideways let out a sigh. "That's the First Lieutenant for you," he commented quietly. "And he was doing so well..."
"Not like his good days are much better than his bad days," Hook commented.
Contrail turned sharply to the Constructicon. "Shut your mouth," he hissed and turned his attention to Long Haul. "Prepare yourselves for take-off. If we are going to be trapped in this place, the least you can do is steal some energy from the humans. Lock onto the coordinates of the latest energy signal and get that Energon!"
Sideways side-glanced Contrail and the Constructicons, preparing for departure, before he went through the hallways himself.
Course set for Sunstorm's quarters.
Starscream held his breath as he entered the command center, heading towards the others. Skyfire was having his wounds checked by Minerva, Smokescreen seemingly having been taken care of. Shuta and Cab seemed to have left their Transtector bodies, both transformed into a police car and a firetruck respectively, parked in a small 'garage' right next to the edge of the railings. The two boys were sitting in the couch playing a video game.
Starscream walked slowly, his gaze occasionally moving down to Amy, perhaps to make sure she was still there. She seemed to kneel down, trying to hide behind the Seeker's talons. She seemed a bit anxious. She gazed up at Starscream, who tried to give her a reassuring smile. She smiled back, though with uncertainty.
Looking back up, Starscream saw Metalhawk and Smokescreen standing by a pair of monitors, Bluestreak arriving from the GroundBridge and Cosmos arriving from the elevator. Skylynx was still absent.
Starscream paused just a short distance from the medbay, gaze fixed on Skyfire. Skyfire looked up from Minerva's work and his gaze fell on Starscream, standing in the middle of the room. He didn't smile, but he didn't frown either. His expression was stony and neutral.
"Hey, Starscream," Skyfire greeted calmly, making everyone aware that he was present. "Something wrong?"
Starscream stood in silence for a while, his right servo outstretched, talons close together to hide Amy. He let out a sigh and parted his claws, revealing Amy, who decided to finally stand up.
"I... want you to meet someone," Starscream began and stepped forward, until he reached the medbay.
As Starscream lowered his servo and looked up at Skyfire, he saw the larger Flier's gaze falling from Starscream's face to his servo. The white Flier seemed to stiffen as his gaze fixed on Amy.
"Starscream," Skyfire remarked with shock. "What have you done?"
Starscream returned his gaze to Amy, who was still standing on his servo, stalk stiff and staring anxiously at Skyfire. The Seeker returned his gaze to Skyfire, whose expression was less stony and more frowny.
"This is Amy," Starscream introduced. "She's my friend."
