"Will ya quiet yawning kid?" Wheeljack asked, putting his servos behind his helmet, and laid back against the wall. "Ya gonna make me fall asleep here."
"Sorry, Steele kept us up last night."
"Yeah, yeah, blame the kid." Wheeljack joked, closing his optics in hopes for a nap.
Smiling, Smokescreen rolled his optics. Wheeljack always cracked jokes about him being a creator and still be the only rookie of the team. However, unlike Wheeljack, Smokescreen knew he was ready to take care of a sparkling. Well, at least partly ready. He wanted to take care of a bot similar to how his mother had taken care of him. One thing he did forget was that being so young, Steele always woke up in the night, crying for one of his caretakers. Usually Smokescreen or Tier would be up, but then so would another teammate. Usually Kclayna or Bianna, Smokescreen couldn't understand why Kclayna was awake, but it was Bianna's mother instinct to tend to a crying infant.
Slag, she had six of them at one time, Smokescreen remembered.
"Wheeljack, Smokescreen, "Ultra Magnus announced. Groaning in annoyance and disappointment, Wheeljack's optics opened and looked over at Ultra Magnus.
"Yes, sir?" Smokescreen replied, standing up and saluting the second in command.
"We have been ordered to travel to Jasper, and retrive medical supplies the natives need."
"What can we find in-ow!" Wheeljack shouted after Smokescreen slammed his landing pad on top of Wheeljack's. "The hell was that for?"
"Shut it will ya?" Smokescreen whispered, looking at the kids who were preoccupied with their television cartoon. "We can't tell the kids where we're going otherwise they're going to try to follow us. It's too dangerous for them to even be close to Jasper right now. "
"Yeah, yeah, I get it."
"Hey Wheeljack! Slow down, will ya!?" Smokescreen shouted, trying to keep up with Wheeljack who was speeding down the empty streets of Jasper. Despite the once populated city being turned to ruble, Wheeljack always took the chance to race around the empty streets. Shockingly, the piles of shattered buildings and cars didn't stop him, if anything, he plowed through them like a blaster cannon to the Empire State Building.
"I'm surprised, kid!" Wheeljack shouted, taking a sharp turn, shouting 'yee-haw!'. Smokescreen couldn't help but laugh at Wheeljack's cow-boy shouts of excitement, something he no doubt picked up on his travel's on Earth. " You're in no hurry to get back to your boy?"
"It's not that I'm not excited to get back to him and his mom or anything like that, I'm trying to do my job as a soldier and a father."
"How so?" Ultra Magnus, cautiously driving around the debris, avoiding the trail of broken glass.
"By going on this scouting mission, I'm showing Steele to prioritize responsibilities." Smokescreen replied, feeling slightly proud of himself. " You know, when he's older."
"Whoa, slow down kid." Wheeljack exclaimed, meeting up with them. " Steele's not even a year old, yet, take it easy on him."
"I'm just saying, it's never too late to set a good example. Wait, what was that?" Smokescreen asked, pulling to a sudden stop.
"What was what?"Wheeljack asked, transforming into his bot mode, searching the sky with his blaster armed and ready. Deep down, he was hoping that a Decepticon was just flying above them. For a few days, Wheeljack has been itching to kill Decepticons. Sitting around the base, running minor missions like this, seemed rather pointless to Wheeljack without the thrill of a hunt.
Smokescreen transformed into his bot mode, and walked up to an abandon city hall. The once proud, historical building was now crumbled to dust and debris, Like the Hall of Records at Iacon. And on the other side of the broken walls, was a giant black hole like an abyss. But that's not what caught Smokescreen's optics. Removing a piece of the broken building, or a piece of the building next door, Smokescreen blinked in surprise to see the Shield of Sentinel Prime. Although it wasn't a relic, Smokescreen remembered Alpha Trion saying that, since Sentinel was one of the last Primes, his famous shield was going to be a relic. Unfortunately, no one could find it after Sentinel's assassination.
But how did it get here? Smokescreen asked himself, reaching for the shield.
"Bolts." Wheeljack said out loud, a hint of excitement in his voice as he picked up the shield. Holding it in his servo, Smokescreen could see Wheeljack was admiring the shield, like it was the most amazing thing he's ever seen. "This belonged to Sentinel Prime. Babe's gonna be real thrilled about this."
"Why is that?" Ultra Magnus asked, joining the two, studying the shield. "Is it a relic from Iacon?"
"Well that I don't know." Wheeljack replied, him and Ultra Magnus turned their head's at Smokescreen expectantly.
"No, this wasn't a part of the relics." Smokescreen replied, looking down at the shield. "It was suppose to when Sentinel Prime passed away, but he was assassinated at the beginning of the war and his shield was missing."
"Until now."
"Why is Senti going to be thrilled about this?" Smokescreen asked.
"Because Sentinel Prime is her older brother, " Wheeljack explained, putting the shield on his arm. "You should hear the stories she tells about him. You would think that he was her hero, or her mentor, call it what you want."
"Lady Senti is the younger sister of Sentinel Prime?" Ultra Magnus asked, blinking in disbelief. " I have never heard of such a thing. Is that true?"
"Yeah, and believe me, no one believes it." Wheeljack joked, exciting the building. " WHOA!"
Wheeljack shouted, dashing to the side as a missel came down, sending smoke towards Smokescreen and Ultra Magnus after impact. Covering their optics, Smokescreen ducked and hid behind the pile of bricks.
"Everyone alright?" Smokescreen asked, pressing the button on his comlink.
"Minor damage, but I am alright." Ultra Magnus asked.
"The hell was that!?" Wheeljack shouted.
"I don't know." Smokescreen replied, peeking over the pile of bricks as the smoke began to clear. "Jack, what's going on out there?"
"I don't see anyone. Maybe it was some stupid human experiment."
I don't think so, Smokescreen thought to himself as he quietly walked around the bricks and headed out of the building. Suddenly, there came a loud noise like a jet's engine ready to take off. Smokescreen servo transformed into his blaster, arming it for battle.
"So, we meet again, Smokescreen." A familar voice said, a voice that was too familiar to Smokescreen. A voice he prayed he would never have to hear again, the same voice that brought him processor mares, always accompanied with pain and agony at the memories. He didn't need to look, the rage in his stomach pit and the wired nerve sensor's told him who it was that was standing before him.
"Roads." Smokescreen whispered, like the name was like acid. "Thought I recognized that stench. Carry it with you where ever you go, scum bolt."
"Is that how you greet-"
"SHUT UP!" Smokescreen shouted, shooting blue shots at the Decepticon. " You're a lying Decepticon! Why sould I believe you?!"
"Why must you be in denial?!" Roads asked, dodging the blaster shots like they were playing a game of 'dodge ball.' Look between you and I. Do you not see the resemblances?! You must see-"
"I don't care, get the hell out of here!" Smokescreen cried, shooting more blaster balls at Roads like he was trying to shoot at the memories, the pain, the sorrow, the truth.
"Oh I will leave this time, boy." Roads replied, sneering at Smokescreen. " I am not at full strength yet. I suggest on not letting your guard down son, for we will meet once more, son."
"What did he mean when he called you 'son'?" Ultra Magnus asked Smokescreen once Roads was gone, his cannon aimed at Smokescreen's chestplate. " As I recall, you told me you have no creator."
Smokescreen swallowed the lump in his pipes, he knew he couldn't keep the secret of his creator any longer. He didn't even want the team to know, more or less, Smokescreen wished he never found out. He would rather be in the dark and be called a bastard bot then live knowing his creator is a Decepticon. But now, nearly everyone knew, except for Ultra Magnus who came at the last minute when none of it not matter how much he denies the truth, Smokescreen knew he had to grow up and face the fact. Taking a deep breath, he began to explain who Roads was.
"My creator is Roads, and he is a Decepticon." Smokescreen said each word slowly, like he didn't want to believe it himself. And from Ultra Magnus's expression, he didn't want to believe it either. Smokescreen was the bot he considered his own son for a time, he taught him what it meant to be a creator, he trained him and even joined him on drives. No doubt this was shock to him. Then again, it was a shock to everyone.
"Hey, take a chill pill Commander." Wheeljack said, stepping in between them.
"Wheeljack, this matter does not concern you." Ultra Magnus shot, avoiding the urge to push him out of the way.
"With all due respect, if you shoot him, you'll be making a huge mistake. "Wheeljack explained, hoping his words would ease the commanders tensed wires. "Look, His dad was absent throughout his life, he just met him not that long ago. His mother is an Autobot, related to Alpha Trion. and she raised him all on her own. Prime can vouch for him."
"Your carrier is related to Alpha Trion?" Ultra Magnus asked, his optics showing familiarity at Alpha Trion's name.
"Her name was Acrion, or Arsen, and her carrier took care of Alpha Trion when he was injured from a malfunctioned jet."
Ultra Magnus stood up and put the blaster cannon away. But without a word, he turned, transformed and drove back towards base. As Smokescreen watched, he couldn't help but feel the strong pain of disappointment in his spark.
