CHAPTER 19
Introduction
"Starscream, are you out of your mind?!" Skyfire said. "You're not supposed to pick up humans and bring them back to base! What if her family starts searching for her? You could expose us to-"
"Hey, calm down!" Starscream said and waved his left servo, while pulling his right servo with Amy a little back. "I didn't steal her, she followed me."
"From where?"
Starscream briefly glanced down at Amy, who tried very hard not to move even an inch or even make a sound. Even breathing seemed to be too risky for her. She didn't seem comfortable by Skyfire's loud and angry voice.
"From Metroplex," Starscream admitted and gazed back at Skyfire.
Skyfire's expression seemed even more shocked than before. Even Minerva standing next to him gave Starscream a surprised look. Shuta and Cab decided to ignore their video game and joined the others by the railings. Metalhawk and Smokescreen remained by the monitors but seemed to be listening and throwing glimpses at the others now and then. Bluestreak and Cosmos had both approached the medbay to get a look at the girl.
"From Metroplex?!" Skyfire exclaimed. "She followed you all the way from America?!"
Amy couldn't stand still anymore. She crouched down and grabbed Starscream's digits and tried to hide. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all. She was getting stressed by the loud noises and all the stares by the surrounding bots and humans.
Starscream understood and pulled her closer and held up his left servo to shield her a bit further before his gaze returned to Skyfire.
"Don't shout, please," Starscream said. "You're scaring her."
"You don't think it's you she's scared of?" Skyfire countered.
Starscream cocked a ridge in confusion. "Me? Why would she be scared of me?"
Skyfire pinched his nasal ridge with two digits. "Because... because you're a giant alien robot, Starscream," he replied and looked back at the smaller Seeker. "Humans are scared of us. That's why we have to disguise ourselves as vehicles. I thought you knew that."
"I have amnesia, remember?" Starscream said with a hint of a hiss. "I have an actual excuse for forgetting things, you don't."
Skyfire seemed to silence at that. He covered his face in his palm.
"I'm sorry, Starscream, I did forget that," Skyfire groaned and removed his palm, let out a vent and assumed a calmer expression as he looked down at the frightened Amy. "I apologize, Amy, was it? I'm sorry for scaring you. Did I scare you?"
Amy looked through Starscream's talons, not willing to come out yet. "A little," she said quietly. "Please don't be mad at Starscream. I followed him here. So please stop yelling."
Skyfire managed to put a soft smile on his face. "I'm not mad at Starscream," Skyfire said. "And I'm not mad at you either. I'm Skyfire, by the way, captain of this base."
Amy, sensing things were beginning to calm down a bit, decided to stand up, still looking at Skyfire, still holding tightly around Starscream's talons. "I'm Amy," she greeted.
Starscream pulled away his left servo, allowing Amy to be a bit more free, but didn't reach his right servo forth just yet. His gaze shifted between Amy and Skyfire.
"She... said she was hungry," Starscream informed. "Right?"
"Yeah..." Amy replied. "Do... do you have any food?"
"We sure do," Minerva replied beside Skyfire. "I'm Minerva. I'm actually a human too, but I'm inside this Transtector's head. I'm a Junior Headmaster."
Amy glanced at Minerva and she seemed captivated. "Wow, really? You're a human?"
"Hey, we're Junior Headmasters too!" Shuta and Cab exclaimed in sync, catching Amy's attention. They pointed down next to the medbay. "Our Transtectors are down there!"
Amy followed their pointing to the police car and firetruck down below. "You can even transform? That is so cool."
"Did you want some food?" Minerva asked.
"Oh, right," Amy remembered. She looked up at Starscream. "Can you put me down at the railings? I'll be okay."
Starscream's gaze went from Amy to the boys at the railings. He gave them a glare as he slowly reached his right servo over to them, allowing Amy to get off.
"Be nice to her," Starscream said with what sounded like the most restrained hiss he could make. "Or else."
"Starscream," Amy whispered in embarrassment. She looked at the two boys, indeed about her size, and gulped. She carefully stepped down from Starscream's servo and turned slightly to the boys, but then turned away again, avoiding eye contact.
"Hey, I'm Cab," Cab greeted with his arms crossed behind his head and a smile.
"I'm Shuta," Shuta greeted with crossed arms and a smile. "Or Goshooter, whichever works."
"I'm Amy," Amy greeted with her hands folded and forced her eyes to look at the boys. She gave them a nervous grin. Starscream suddenly recognized the grin from the first few times he had been met by Amy and realized her constant smiling and grinning and giggling back then had been expressions of anxiety.
Behind them, a mechanical sound was heard. They turned and saw Minerva's head jump off, the robot transforming into an ambulance right next to the police car and firetruck. The head transformed into a girl in red armor who landed by the edge of the railings. Minerva pressed a button on the armor, after which the armor seemed to transform into a tiny wristband, leaving Minerva with her long, golden hair, bright blue eyes and her dark blue uniform. A smile adorned her face, captivating not only the two boys, but also Amy.
"Cool..." Amy said quietly and gave Minerva a genuine smile. "That's pretty awesome. Do you have more of those Transtector things?"
"Not at the moment, but maybe we can call Brainstorm and see if he can make an extra," Minerva replied and giggled. "Follow me, our kitchen's over here."
"Brainstorm? He makes those things?" Amy asked as they moved further into the human section of the base, still within Starscream's view, but he watched them like a cyberhawk.
Skyfire laid a servo on Starscream's shoulder, getting his attention.
"She'll be fine, Starscream," Skyfire said and turned him away from the human area, leading them a bit away to talk out of the humans' hearing range. They stopped when they were near the monitors where Metalhawk and Smokescreen stood. Cosmos and Bluestreak both went with Skyfire and Starscream.
"Don't send her back to America," Starscream said right away. "Please."
Skyfire and the others seemed to pause. "What?" Skyfire said in confusion.
"She wants to stay here with me, she said so herself," Starscream replied. "So please don't tell Ironhide. Or Optimus Prime."
"Starscream..."
"I'll look after her. She'll stay here in base where she's safe, she can befriend those other humans you have over there, and we can see each other every day."
"Starscream, she has a family," Skyfire said sternly but not loudly and crossed his arms. "She has a life, school and friends in America. It's not fair to take her away from that."
"No, that's the thing, she doesn't have any friends back there," Starscream protested. "Even her family ignores her, and she fears the school system back in America. She's afraid of strangers, but she seems to be okay with me."
Skyfire hummed and frowned a bit. "We can't keep her here forever, you know that, right?"
"She said she wanted to stay for the next couple of months, something about being the beginning of a summer vacation or something."
"I don't know, Starscream..."
"How about asking her ourselves?" Bluestreak suggested. "If we're discussing whether she can stay here or not, wouldn't it be more sensible and fair to have her be part of the conversation?"
Starscream and Skyfire glanced at Bluestreak, then turned to glance at the humans in the human area. Amy sat by the table in the kitchen section and ate some fruit, it seemed. Her attention was largely on the food rather than the people around her. She seemed pretty hungry.
Starscream smiled at the sight. So did Skyfire. The latter let out a sigh.
"Alright," Skyfire said and let his arms fall to his sides. "We'll wait until she's finished eating. Then we'll talk to her about allowing her to stay. Until then, I have to inform you of something, Starscream."
Starscream perked to attention and gazed intently at Skyfire. "What is it?"
"I called Optimus Prime earlier, while you were in your room. And he told us that to avoid a bigger confrontation with the Decepticons, we have to lay low for the time being. That means we all have to stay in the base and not go out even for a fly."
Starscream seemed shocked by the information. "How long do we have to stay down here?"
"For now, at least a week."
"A whole week?!"
"It's just a week, you can handle it."
"Skyfire, I have been online for less than four days so far, since I lost my memories. I haven't even mentally existed for a week, and you expect me to wait an entire week from now with going for a fly again?"
Skyfire paused to think. "That's right, I forgot. Again. Sorry. I'll try harder to remember."
"You better," Starscream replied with crossed arms and a pout. "A whole week without flying. You've got to be kidding me."
Again Skyfire laid a servo on Starscream's shoulder and gave him a soft smile. "I think you can do it, Starscream. You're stronger, calmer and more patient than you think. More than most bots think. I know you. You can handle a week without flying."
Starscream listened intently to Skyfire's words and fell silent, looking down.
"If you want, I can ask Wheeljack to make more puzzles for you if you don't have enough already?" Skyfire suggested with his head slightly tilted.
Starscream couldn't help but smile back at the big guy. "That sounds lovely. I'll keep it in mind."
Skyfire pulled back, and the bots gazed back at the humans by the railings. Amy seemed to be about finished with her meal. Skyfire seemed to be about to walk back when Starscream stopped him by holding onto the other's servo.
"Skyfire," Starscream said, his smile disppearing and his tone more serious. "You said there are more Vosians with the Autobots like me, right? Who are they?"
Skyfire paused and turned back to Starscream, briefly glancing to Bluestreak and Cosmos standing on either side of him, as well as briefly glancing to Metalhawk and Smokescreen, still busy by the monitors.
"Skylynx, come back to base already," Metalhawk spoke into the comm. "We're in house arrest for a week, that includes you."
"Yes, yes, I hear you," Skylynx' voice sounded from the comm. "Let me just finish my round and I'll come right back to you all."
"No, you have to get back now!" Metalhawk said sternly. "Optimus' orders."
"Skyfire?"
Skyfire pulled his attention away from Metalhawk's conversation with the ignorant Skylynx and returned his focus to Starscream, looking none too pleased with being ignored.
"Did you hear what I said?" Starscream asked with a frown and crossed arms.
"Autobot Vosians other than you," Skyfire repeated. "That's right, there are more Vosians with us. The Aerialbots are all Vosians. Silverbolt, Air Raid, Slingshot, Fireflight and Skydive. And, I think, Whirl. The Aerialbots are also Seekers, actually. So am I."
Starscream perked to attention. "You're a Seeker too? I thought you were a scientist."
"Seekers are warriors, mostly, yes, but we are also sort of scientists. Though in truth, Seeker is a title given to the best Fliers on Cybertron, many of which are from Vos. Mostly because the majority of Fliers come from Vos. For some reason Flier Sparks just love to appear in Vos grounds."
"Flier Sparks?" Starscream repeated intrigued.
"Yes, there are two main types of Cybertronians, Fliers and Grounders. For Forged bots, this is true all the way to the Spark. A Flier Spark will grow into a flight frame, while a Grounder Spark will grow into a ground frame. Of course, bots can scan a new altenate mode, and blank Protoforms can become Fliers or Grounders regardless of their Sparks, but if a Grounder scans an air vehicle they often start out with a fear of heights and it takes them time to get used to flying. And as for Fliers that become Grounders, well, they become pretty anxious and often get claustrophobic because they can't fly anymore and that's pretty bad for their mental health, but-"
"Hold on, wait a moment," Starscream said and waved his servos. "Grounders can become Fliers? And Fliers can become Grounders?"
"Yes, but it's generally a bad idea unless you're a Triple-Changer," Skyfire replied. "Triple-Changers can normally turn into both a ground and an air vehicle, so bots with special Triple-Changer Transformation-Cogs are pretty adaptable, both physically and mentally. They work fine whether they can fly or not."
"Okay," Starscream replied. "Now, what does claustrophobic mean?"
"It means being afraid of small enclosed spaces," Skyfire replied. "A very common phobia among flight frames. Especially... Vosians like you."
Starscream silenced for a while, lost in thought. He remembered the panicking feeling he had had back in the Metroplex medbay, when he felt like the walls and ceiling had begun to shrink around him and he had begun getting dizzy. Had that been claustrophobia?
"Flight frames are used to be out in the open and able to fly," Starscream concluded on his own. "That's right. We panic if we can't fly, even more so if we're kept in small enclosed spaces for prolonged periods of time."
Skyfire nodded and smiled. "Well, it seemed like your friend Amy finished with her meal earlier," Skyfire said. "Shall we go over and talk to her about her staying here?"
Starscream smiled and nodded back. "We shall," he replied.
The two Seekers walked back to the railings, followed close behind by the curious Bluestreak and Cosmos, but noticed Amy and Minerva were absent. Starscream's optics darted around the human area.
"Where is Amy?" he asked concerned. "Where did you take her?"
"Relax," Cab said and put up his hands. "Amy said she had to go to the bathroom, and Minerva decided to show her the way."
Starscream cocked his head. "Bathroom? What's a bathroom?"
"I believe it's the place where humans dispose of their waste products," Skyfire replied. "I've never seen one, so I'm not sure."
"Eh, it's pretty accurate," Shuta replied and rubbed his nose with a finger. "They should be back soon."
"Do you humans do that often?" Starscream asked the boy.
"Uh, yeah, like, several times a day. Why?"
Starscream fell silent and thought. As far as he knew, Amy had been with him for at least thirteen hours, probably more even, as he didn't know at what time she arrived in his room in the desert and snuck into his subspace. It could very well have been over fifteen hours since she had last gone to that 'bathroom' thing, whatever it entailed.
The kids seemed concerned about his silence. "Uh, you haven't had her with you since yesterday, have you?" Cab asked.
"I have," Starscream replied. "She snuck into my subspace yesterday morning... that is, morning in America, and then this morning she snuck inside my cockpit before Skyfire and I went on patrol. Why?"
The boys looked concerned at each other before looking back at Starscream. "Maybe, uh, check your cockpit?" Shuta suggested.
Starscream cocked a ridge but nonetheless opened his cockpit with a click. The boys took a look inside.
"Well?" Starscream said confused. "What is it?"
The boys pulled back. "Looks fine," Cab said. "How about your subspace?"
Starscream closed his cockpit and felt in his subspace, first the left pocket, then the right pocket. Both seemed empty. He shrugged.
"I don't really understand what you're trying to say here," Starscream said. "Why should I be worried about my subspace and cockpit?"
The boys glanced at each other and to the Autobots. They burst into laughing. Starscream looked around at them, more confused than before.
"What's so funny?" Starscream asked confused.
"Oh, it's nothing," Skyfire said and pat Starscream's back. "Let's just say you're a lucky mech."
"Very, very lucky," Bluestreak said in agreement.
Starscream looked confused from bot to bot, concern building up in him. He sighed in annoyance.
"Fine. Maybe I don't want to know."
So they decided to stand there and chat, while waiting for Minerva and Amy to return so they could discuss Amy's living plans with the Autobots.
When Sunstorrm first entered his room, it was in complete darkness. But thanks to his superb Cybertronian senses, he was able to see even in this blackness and made his way to the end of the room. He knelt down and touch the crystals, until each of them glowed so brightly they illuminated the entire room in a soft blue glow.
Thirteen small blue crystals adorned a small altar, each crystal representing one of the Thirteen original Primes. In the middle of the altar lay a copy of the Covenant of Primus, which was well-worn from the many times Sunstorm had read it. He opened the book until he found a specific page and left it there. He stepped back, got down on both knees, folded his servos together, held them by his chin, closed his optics and started his prayer.
"Primus below, you who created us..." Sunstorm muttered, his wings fluttering in pace with his prayer. He always opened a prayer by greeting Primus and thanking him for his life and everything he had done for Cybertron and the Cybertronian race, as well as keeping them safe from Unicron, the Quintessons and all other things evil. He also thanked each of the Thirteen by name, save for The Fallen and The Arisen, for everything they had done for Cybertron, Primus and the Cybertronian race.
Having greeted and thanked all the important figures, Sunstorm went to what he wanted to say.
"Please keep my brother's Spark safe from harm, and if possible, guide him back to me, so we can be together again. For a long time I have not felt my brother's Spark, but now it seems he has returned. I thank thee Primus for hearing my prayers and saving my brother. I will wait for him to make his decision, for I cannot force him to return. He, like all your other children, must come on his own. Even if he is not a true Believer. He is still my brother, and I miss him. So please, great Primus, keep Starscream safe. 'Til all are one."
Having finished his verbal prayer, Sunstorm then just kept sitting on the floor with his optics closed and his servos folded in silence, repeating the prayer in his mind.
Other than the altar, Sunstorm's room didn't really have anything other than a berth in the corner next to the door to sleep on. He only went to his room for recharging or praying, otherwise he spent all his time in the command center, patrolling or on missions or in battles. Now that they had been ordered to stay in the base by Megatron, however, there would only be recharging, praying and wandering the hallways and command center, surrounded by morons for the next week, maybe even longer.
Unless, of course, they decided to go against Megatron's orders and go out anyway. Whether through the physical entrance or through the GroundBridge and land somewhere else than this cold northern region.
On the other side of Sunstorm's door, unbeknownst to Sunstorm himself, Sideways stood and listened to the low muttering of Sunstorm's verbal prayer. He smirked to himself and left the door, heading to his own quarters.
As he stepped inside the more generic berthroom with a berth, a desk and a shelf, he walked to the end of the room, touching the wall. There was a click.
The wall slid aside, revealing a secret tunnel. Sideways went into it and closed the wall behind him. He wandered through the tunnel until he saw light and exited the tunnel.
And arrived outside from a cave at the foot of the mountain, inside the pine forest.
"Time for for some spy-changing," Sideways snickered to himself.
Sideways' body parts started to shift and move around him. But instead of assuming jet mode, he stayed in robot mode... or rather, changed to a new robot mode. Sideways had been altered by Shockwave and Soundwave to obtain the unique ability to assume a second robot mode, technique stolen from the little-known Autobot spy named Punch, calling himself Counterpunch when in his Decepticon form.
A few seconds later, Sideways had transformed into a bot of swapped colors of silver, orange and black, his pink visor having been replaced with a pair of blue optics, his now silver face covered by an orange mouth mask, his helm black and hornless, his now silver wings facing downwards instead of upwards. He looked different from before, different enough that no one would be able to tell that these two bots were the same.
As he transformed, his jet mode had become silver with black and some orange areas, his wings shaped slightly different than before. On his wings adorned the Autobot insignia in its characteristic red coloration.
"Time for Wayside to investigate," 'Wayside' said gleefully and took off into the sky.
