Steeljaw stood behind Strongarm as nervousness and a bit of fear filled him, "This is Steeljaw," Strongarm introduced.
"Strongarm's mate," Bumblebee told him.
"What?" Ultra Magnus asked in a low tone.
"He's my mate, dad."
Ultra Magnus looked to his daughter and back to Steeljaw, "When did this happen?"
"About a month ago, sir," Steeljaw replies nervously.
Ultra Magnus glared at Steeljaw, he kept his optics locked on the Decepticon when it was broken by a metallic thud. Turning to see what was the source of the sound he let out a small gasp, "Get off my ship, Metalsound!"
The said she-wolf was scratching her back on the ship's roof, "Is that any way to greet a fellow member of the Wreckers?" She teased.
"Hey, Metalsound!" The other three said happy to see her again.
"Hey guys," she greeted as she hopped off the ship, transforming as she landed. Bulkhead gave her the same treatment as he had with Bumblebee, "Why didn't you tell us you were here?" He asked with a chuckle.
"I wanted to surprise you guys," she grunted from his hug.
"Well, what a surprise it was," Arcee says with a smile.
Metalsound's tail wagged with delight at seeing her old pack again, "It's really good to see you four again. Where's Smokescreen?"
"Not sure."
"So what have you guys been up to?" Bumblebee asked.
"Just scouting space looking for any members of Team Prime," Arcee replies.
"Cool. Did you find anyone?"
"We found each other and you, no traces of Smokescreen or Ratchet."
"Ratchet was here not too long ago, and Optimus is back," Strongarm responded.
"Really? The big boss is back!? Where is he?" Bulkhead asked excitedly.
"He and Ratchet left on this ship called the Alchemor, they're delivering some prisoners," Sideswipe replied coolly.
"Optimus wanted to go back to Cybertron to straighten everything out," Bumblebee added.
"I see. And why do you have three Decepticons here?" Ultra Magnus asked, glaring at Steeljaw.
"Well, Steeljaw is Strongarm's mate, Thunderhoof is Metalsound's mate and Soundwave helped us, so they're staying free. But on probation and doing community service."
"I see. How did they become mates?" He growled the word venomously. He kept his optics locked on Steeljaw who was keeping close to Strongarm.
"We were having a secret love affair, I fell in love with him and then it just happened," Strongarm replies afraid to tell him everything.
"Basically, it's a Romeo and Juliet kind of story," Metalsound added, "Only without the bad ending."
"What? What bad ending?" Steeljaw growled at the femme.
Metalsound winced, "They both died in the end."
"They die in the end!? Why you didn't tell me!?"
"I didn't want to freak you out."
"Fair point."
"Strongarm, you got to tell him," Bumblebee says in a firm tone.
"Tell me what?" Ultra Magnus asked as he looked at the cadet.
"Sir, please," Strongarm says in a pleading tone.
"Strongarm, now."
Strongarm sighs, "Steeljaw kidnapped me and made me his mate without my consent."
Ultra Magnus' optics grew wide, his icy blue optics shifted over to Steeljaw who flinched. Before anyone could react he charged the former Decepticon.
Steeljaw moves out of the way, "Whoa sir! Sir! I love her I wanted her for my mate! I'm sorry!"
The commander's claw took out a chunk of wood when he missed, "You made her your mate without her consent nor mine!" The mech chased after the Wolf-Con.
"Should we help him?" Strongarm asked in worry.
"All I want to do is jump in and get that Wolf-Con," Wheeljack says with anger in his tone.
"I want to smash him," Bulkhead adds slamming his fist into his servo.
"You can," Strongarm looked at Metalsound in shock, "If it helps I thunder-punched him when I found out."
"You what?" Strongarm squeaked in shock.
"Yeah, but let's not forget he turned around and beat your aft," Thunderhoof throws in.
Metalsound growls at the memory before speaking again, "If Steeljaw survives whatever the commander has in store for him, it depends on his condition afterward."
"What!? No! No! You guys are not gonna beat up on my-" suddenly a gunshot went towards Magnus, going straight past him, stopping him in his tracks. Metalsound jumped onto Bulkhead shaking like a leaf when she heard the gunshot. Strongarm looked to see who shot at her father.
"You need to stop and calm down Ultra Magnus!" Arcee shouts as she puts her gun away.
Strongarm just sighed in relief, as much as she hated the fact that Arcee shot at her father she was happy that she stopped him from doing any damage to her mate. Plus, she knew that Arcee wouldn't have actually shot him.
"That was uncalled for Arcee," Ultra Magnus warned as he tried to calm himself.
"You were about to tear that mech apart, I had to stop you! If you look at your daughter you'll see how upset she is! She doesn't want you beating the scrap out of her mate! If you do that you won't only be hurting the mech you'll be hurting your daughter as well!"
Ultra Magnus looked at Strongarm, he saw the same look he had when her mother passed away. With a sigh he backed off, transforming he drove out of the scrapyard.
"Is it safe to come out?" Steeljaw asked as he came out with hesitation.
Strongarm walked over to him and gave him a hug, "Yes, he's gone for now."
"I thought for sure he was going to kill me," he told her. He wanted to fight back and defend himself but he also didn't want to hurt his mate's sire.
"It doesn't mean we won't either," Bulkhead growled as Metalsound sank to the ground.
"No, you won't!" Strongarm yells at them as she tightens her hold on her mate, "None of you will hurt my mate!"
Metalsound just transforms into her beast form and heads out with her tail between her legs, she's still shaky after that gunshot. Thunderhoof followed her to make sure she was okay.
Arcee walked over to Steeljaw and Strongarm, "You alright kid?" She asked Steeljaw.
"Yeah, fine," he replies as he tries his best not to growl. He has to keep in mind that these bots are important to his mate.
"I know a thing or two on how to deal with Magnus. He seems to be like that with all couples, Wheeljack and I had to hide our relationship from him for a while at first because we didn't want to hear his mouth on it. He found out eventually and gave us an ear full," Arcee explained, "You being his sparkling makes this worse," she then tells Strongarm.
Strongarm sighed, "I know. But he can't protect me from everything."
"No he can't, and we need to help him see that."
Ultra Magnus came to a stop light, waiting for the light to change he saw the familiar yellow and black Camaro, "I wanted to be alone for a while," he said stiffly.
"I just want to talk to you."
"There's nothing to talk about," he drove off as soon as the light turned green.
Bumblebee drives after him, "I know how you're feeling, I wanted to tear Steeljaw apart myself after I found out but I let him be because Strongarm loves him."
"I appreciate you looking after her when I wasn't able to. If I had been with her this wouldn't have happened."
"Of course, that's what buddies are for," he then lets out a sigh, "It's my fault really that he did it, when I caught them together I told him he was to never see her again unless it's on the battlefield and that caused him to panic and do what he did because he didn't want to lose her, he loves her."
Pondering on what Bumblebee had just told him Ultra Magnus made a turn, heading onto a dirt road, "How did you find out?"
"I caught them together after I went out to look for her when she didn't return from her patrol."
"Has he done anything to harm her, anything that she didn't approve of other than making her his mate?"
"Other than kidnapping her nothing, he's been taking good care of her and he's been very protective over her."
"I see."
"In fact just recently Sideswipe kissed Strongarm and Steeljaw went crazy on him, would have killed him if Metalsound didn't interfere. He was so mad he almost attacked and hurt all of us, Strongarm was the only one who could get close to him without getting hurt and she was able to calm him down."
Ultra Magnus' tires halted as he slid across the dirt road, "Which one was Sideswipe?" He asked calmly.
Bumblebee halted to a stop as well, "The red one with spikes on his helm."
Turning around Ultra Magnus headed back to the scrapyard, not saying a word as he drove back. Bumblebee drove back alongside him, "Now Magnus, don't go off the deep end again."
"I won't."
"What are you planning on doing?"
"You'll see."