Back at the Nemesis, Smokescreen transformed back into his robot mode and he was still upset when Megatron came to congratulate him. "Congratulations, my son. You have done well, Smokescreen and I am so proud of you." The warlord said to his adopted son as he placed his hand servo onto his shoulder. Smokescreen looked at Megatron before lowering his head down, feeling sad, angry, and regretful. "I can't believe it...I betrayed my team!" Smokescreen exclaimed. Megatron gave the rookie a reassuring look. "You did the right thing by choosing a different side and to be on our side was a better choice, Smokescreen. What you did wasn't wrong. So pay no attention to the Autobots and focus more on being a Decepticon. You are now one of us." Megatron told the young bot. "As you wish, father." Smokescreen replied.
In the aftermath of the battle, Team Prime returned to their hidden base where Optimus Prime and his Autobots had a group gathering, and luckily, their human allies weren't there to hear the unfortunate news of what became of their rookie. Ratchet was unhappy with the way Smokescreen denounced and betrayed the Autobots by joining Megatron's side as his surrogate son and he and the Autobots are worried that the young mech would reveal to the Decepticons the location of their secret base. Arcee on the other hand is guilty of being so hard on Smokescreen and she and the rest of the Autobots are ashamed of themselves for doubting Smokescreen and his potential to be their new warrior as he believed he was destined for greatness.
"We shouldn't have doubted him. But now, Smokescreen has joined Megatron and denounced the Autobots because of us! It's our fault that he left us and now we've lost another one of our teammates. Just as we've lost Cliffjumper...!" Ratchet said remorsefully. Arcee disagreed as she admitted, "No, Ratchet. It's my fault. I was the one for being too hard on Smokescreen." She said in regret.
"Mine too." Said Bulkhead. "The kid said he had the full potential of becoming a great warrior. But we doubted him for being reckless and now...he's accepted a fate worse than death because of how we treated him." He said in regret. Optimus Prime nodded, "No. I believe that Smokescreen did what he thought was right." He said. "Optimus! How could you say that?!" Ratchet exclaimed, "Smokescreen is young and strong! Do you know what Megatron would do to him now that he's a Decepticon?! He could brainwash him or even force him to reveal the location of our hidden base!" He said. "I know. But from what Smokescreen told me, he thinks that he will try to change Megatron's mind about whatever plans he has for Earth and Cybertron and that he will convince him to win the war peacefully without destroying innocent lives for his creed of peace through tyranny." Optimus Prime said to his Autobot friends.
Wheeljack disagreed, "That's crazy talk. There is no way that Megatron would have a little bit of good in his cold spark! Let's not forget about the fact that he murdered one of our closest allies, including Cliffjumper! So what makes you believe that Smokescreen could reform him!?" He asked. The Prime answered, "I know Megatron. He would not harm children, he would only have them captured and used for ransom." Optimus Prime told Wheeljack before he explained to his Autobot comrades, "From what he told me, Megatron claimed that he once saved Smokescreen from the day he was born when he lost his carrier. He brought him over to the nursery at Iacon where he cared for him and put him up for adoption. And Megatron even claimed to have given Smokescreen his name and loved him as if he were his metal and Energon."
"That's insane. I know that you and Megatron were friends before the war began, but you cannot trust in the words of that evil warlord!" Ratchet protested, "He practically lied to Smokescreen that he was his sire the whole time and I don't see any family resemblance between Smokescreen and Megatron!" He said. "He didn't say that Megatron was Smokescreen's father, Ratchet." Bulkhead corrected Ratchet. "I can only assume that he wanted the kid to join the Decepticons so that bucket head will have an heir to his empire." He said. "We will pray to Primus for Smokescreen's safety, but all we can do now is try to find a way to reason with him and get him back from the Decepticons. Megatron cannot be reasoned with and he will never change his mind about winning the war." Arcee told her Autobot friends. Bumblebee, still without a voice box, bleeped as he said, "I just hope that Smokescreen is just going through a phase right now until he can see the error of his ways and return to us soon."
Meanwhile, back at the Nemesis, Smokescreen was in his berth room still feeling angry and sad about choosing to be a Decepticon and renouncing the Autobots. For what had happened within the past many hours, he was still remembering all of the things the Autobots had spoken about him or even became very angry with his choices and actions, even now he can even hear the voices of his former Autobot members. The more that he thought about it, the more he came to feel the regret and sadness build into him.
"Scrap! Uugghh...what was I thinking?! Why did I do this?! Why join the Decepticons? And to have Megatron take me in? Oh man, this is a huge big mistake! But...I guess Arcee, Ratchet and the others are right. I know that I was just trying to prove to myself that I can help them and that I wanted to become a warrior, but I feel like I failed them...What am I going to do...what am I gonna do?" Smokescreen thought when he was having both of his servo hands covering his face, as the stress and anger build into him.
And the more that Smokescreen recalled of it, the more that it made the young Autobot feel even more guilt that he placed onto himself. But as he did so, he soon heard the door open and then he saw Megatron entering the room to see him. "Hello my son, I've come to check onto you to see how you're feeling, in hopes that I can speak with you for a few bream," Megatron spoke in a soft tone as he looked to Smokescreen to speak with him for a few minutes, (for, in other words, bream meant to say a few minutes for Cybertronians).
But when glancing at the young Autobot, Megatron soon sensed that something wasn't right. "Smokescreen? Is...something wrong?" Asked the Decepticon leader as the look on his face changed to a sort of confused look. Smokescreen couldn't say any words as he felt very silent at the moment, but he was trying to not show any sign of anger or sadness. When he slowly gets up and then looks up at Megatron, the young Autobot tried to salute him and even try to speak, but his voice sounded like a mix of sadness and guilt.
"N-Nothing is wrong sir, I...I mean father." That was the first thing that Smokescreen began to say. "I was just lost in thought that's all, and I just needed a bit of rest."
Megatron somehow started to figure that Smokescreen was feeling very angered by what had happened earlier. "Are you sure of that Smokescreen? It seems like you are still angered and a little bit unhappy, not to mention guilty about your decision to join my side from many cycles ago? And, I can sense the feeling by the look on your faceplate...am I correct?" Megatron then asked while looking at Smokescreen.
Smokescreen began to feel shocked inside in hearing Megatron guessing him right. But when trying to hold back his tears, he was slowly feeling his optics flow in tears. It soon came to Smokescreen that he couldn't hold it inside anymore. But all he could do was sigh in sadness and gently lay his forehead onto Megatron's chest as a soft clank sound was then heard. Megatron's optics widen in a bit of surprise seeing the young Autobot doing such of thing and soon Smokescreen starting sobbing at the same time.
"I...I just can't stop thinking about this, but I also hate my choice for that I've done today in siding with the Decepticons...and I am now regretting for the fact that I just left behind Optimus Prime and my friends. I just can't stand it anymore, for I am so ashamed of myself for all that has happened." Smokescreen told Megatron while crying on his chest. "I-I don't know of what to do now, I feel like I am a horrible scrap of pain and a ton of headaches to those who have seen what I've chosen and my actions have caused for them...I...I just can't stand it!" Smokescreen then said in raising his voice a little in anger and tears. Megatron now could see how much this decision for Smokescreen was pressuring him, and it was making him feel a lot of anger, sadness, and a high amount of guilt.
Megatron soon began to smile in a kind of sad look but to completely understand the young Autobot turned Decepticon, with him as the old silver mech soon placed his right servo hand behind Smokescreen's back, his left servo hand began to gently stroke and dry Smokescreen's tears and then giving him some comforting words. "There, there, now. It's okay. Don not cry. You'll be alright." Within the next few minutes, Smokescreen was silently sobbing as he felt Megatron's hand cup the side of his cheek while a few tears flow down as he looked up to the Decepticon leader. "Smokescreen, let me tell you some words of wisdom: don't try to be like someone else. Don't try to be like Optimus Prime. Just be yourself because you're already perfect in your unique way."
After hearing those words, Smokescreen soon rubs off the tears to try taking some deep breaths as Megatron kept his smile on him to see the Ex-Autobot trying to calm himself down. "You mean that?" Asked Smokescreen as he seemed to have a spark of hope building in him. Megatron nodded to the young mech and he soon lowers his hand to then place it on Smokescreen's shoulder. "Yes." Megatron then replied.
Soon, the Decepticon leader began to hold Smokescreen in both arms for a comforting hug and he closed his optics in giving him the same comfort that the Decepticon once gave the young mech he knew from many decades ago...but he couldn't tell Smokescreen of it, but for now he's doing what he can to comfort the young mech, as Megatron decided to spend the next few moments with him and to help him feel into more the ease, for he even knew that it was about become a long night for the two of the Cybertronians to feel into ease and comfort that they both will need from each other, for even as Megatron will do all he could to keep Smokescreen from falling into despair, and in feeling the hate in his spark for in his young age.
