Sentinel Prime had expected to be thrown into a prison cell in Kalis and forgotten - perhaps with Optimus as a cellmate, just to drive home how much of a failure he was. He hadn't expected a reprieve, and from one of the unlikeliest of sources to boot.

The guards dragging him away from Ultra Magnus' office and down a corridor halted in their tracks as Alpha Trion stepped into their path. The old statesmech regarded them with his hands clasped behind his back, resplendent in regal plating that gave him the look of a wizard draped in robes. And despite his current seething hatred for the Council and all affiliated with it - not to mention the cuffs binding his wrists - Sentinel felt a sudden urge to salute in respect to the Councilor.

"Ah, just the mech I wished to see," Alpha Trion noted. "How fortuitous."

"This mech is under arrest," one guard informed him. "We're taking him to Kalis to be detained. I'm going to have to ask you to step aside."

Alpha Trion raised an optic ridge. "Is that so? Under whose authority?"

"The authority of Ultra Magnus himself," the second guard replied. "Stand aside, please."

"I see." Alpha Trion stroked the metallic facial extensions that resembled an organic beard and mustache. "In that case, I want him relinquished into my custody."

The guards exchanged a look, ignoring the shocked expression on Sentinel's face. "We have our orders from the Magnus-" one began.

"And now you have orders from a senior member of the Council," Alpha Trion replied, his mild tone at odds with the stern flare of his optics. "I'll be taking custody of him, and will have my guards take him to Kalis when I'm through with him. In the meantime, why don't the two of you take the rest of today off? I'm sure it's been awhile since you had leisure time."

The lure of going off-duty early seemed to convince the guards more than the flex of authority, and they pushed Sentinel towards the statesmech before saluting and turning to leave. Alpha Trion waited until they had rounded the corner before taking Sentinel's elbow and guiding him into his office.

"You've gotten yourself in a bit of a situation, it seems," Alpha Trion noted.

Sentinel bristled, grinding his dental plates together. "Do your worst, then."

"My worst?" The Councilor cocked his head. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"You don't like me," Sentinel spat. "You've made it clear you didn't approve of my actions while I was acting Magnus, and you told me point-blank that you'd make sure I never got another chance at the position. So you've dragged me in here to kill me, or beat me senseless, or at least tell me 'I told you so' before you kick me into a cell. So go for it. Get it out of your system. Primus knows I deserve it."

Alpha Trion chuckled. "You honestly think I hate you?"

Sentinel blinked his optic shutters. "You… don't?"

The aged statesmech shook his head. "I disagree with your style of leadership… but I also understand you were thrust into a role you weren't prepared for, and that you were doing what you believed was right. Even if your methods were… overreaching." He reached into his desk and pulled out a tool of some kind. "If you learned some moderation, and that strict adherence to the rules can be more harmful than helpful in certain situations. you could be a great Magnus someday."

I've already learned that strictly following all orders isn't good, Sentinel thought, but decided not to voice that aloud. "So why DID you bring me in here?"

Alpha Trion quirked an optic ridge… then stepped forward and wedged the tool into a slight seam in his cuffs. The restraints fell open and clattered to the floor.

Sentinel's jaw dropped. "What…"

"Go," Alpha Trion urged. "There's a path through the service tunnels that will take you out of here without getting the guards' attention. Alert the refugees you've helped so much that danger's coming and they have to evacuate now."

His optics blazed in shock. How did he know? "I don't know what you're talking about," he lied.

"I know very well that you've been warning those with Decepticon heritage to flee before they can be arrested," Alpha Trion replied, and to Sentinel's shock he smiled. "Not all of us agree with Ultra Magnus' methods, and I was quite pleased to see you finally take a stand for once. But the last batch you aided were followed… and the Magnus has mobilized the Elite Guard to move in on the Dead Zone. You need to warn them as soon as possible."

Sentinel stared a moment longer, then finally gathered his wits enough to nod. "Th-thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," Alpha Trion warned. "Go. I'll keep the guards here occupied as long as I can. The rest is up to you."

Sentinel nodded again and ducked out of the office, checking the hallway carefully before making his way to the service tunnels. He'd been given another chance - he'd be a fool to squander it. Though he could only hope that he could make it to the Dead Zone before the Elite Guard.

Fleeing the Dead Zone might have been a simple process for just Optimus' team. But it wasn't just Team Detroit - the young Prime had Team Athenia, Team Chaar, Megatron's team, and over two hundred civilian refugees to worry about. And there were children and injured mechs among those refugees, and supplies and personal belongings that needed to be collected and organized. It was a lot more complicated than simply transforming and driving away before the Elite Guard reached them.

Knowing all this didn't stop Optimus from twitching with impatience as he helped mechs pack their belongings and round up their sparklings. They were rushing as fast as possible, but he feared it wouldn't be fast enough.

"The medical center's finally cleared out, thank Primus," Ratchet muttered. "Got some of the bigger mechs hauling those who still can't walk or drive under their own power."

"Thank you, Ratchet," Optimus told him. "Is everyone accounted for? Sparklings as well?"

"All present and accounted for," Dominus replied. "I have the children under Hot Shot's care at the moment. He has promised to protect them with his life."

Ratchet snorted. "You put a sparkling in charge of the sparklings. There's no way THAT can't end badly."

"Have a little faith, medic," Dominus chuckled. "Hot Shot, of all young mechanisms, understands just how serious the situation is."

Optimus frowned. "What do you mean?"

Dominus' optics widened. "Why… I thought you knew. I had a chat with that young mech, and he's a Decepticon descendant as well."

Optimus' jaw dropped, but he snapped it quickly shut. "He told you this?"

"I suspected it," Dominus admitted. "Those flame-generating abilities aren't exactly common among Autobots - and you can't tell me they were intended solely for welding purposes. No, I felt he must have Decepticon programming, and he confirmed it when I asked."

"How did he manage to make his way into the Elite Guard?" Optimus asked. "You would think they'd check for that kind of thing." Though he'd somehow managed to slip through…

"The same way so many other youngsters 'join' the Elite Guard," Ratchet replied, placing curious emphasis on the word "join." "They end up in orphanages and foundling homes, then get funneled directly into the Academy after nobody adopts them. I'm sure there are plenty of Decepticon and half-Decepticon kids in the Elite Guard who aren't even aware of their own programming."

"If that's the case, though, why didn't the Council purge the Elite Guard of them?" asked Optimus. "Since they were so quick to scour Iacon for-"

"Because they won't get rid of mechs who they deem useful," Megatron put in from behind Optimus, a snarl in his voice. "Civilians are disposable enough, but you'll notice you saw no members of the Guard or the Council in the Dead Zone. Your heritage only matters if they can't exploit you."

"Rather cynical, but sadly true," Dominus noted. "But enough talk. We're as ready to leave as we'll ever be. Do we have a clear path to a space bridge or Omega Supreme planned?"

"Space bridge access is blocked right now, according to Bulkhead," Optimus replied. "Omega Supreme's waiting outside the Dead Zone, but we couldn't get him as close as we would have hoped."

"He's a Guardian," Ratchet retorted. "They aren't exactly built to be stealthy-"

A shouted curse interrupted their talk, and Optimus turned to see Prowl and Jazz escorting a mech bound in scavenged chains. Well, less "escorting" and more "dragging" - the mech in question was writhing and yelling, doing everything possible to make the job difficult for the two cyberninjas. Prowl looked utterly unfazed at their captive's struggles, while Jazz looked like he wanted to punch him in the overly ample jaw.

Optimus locked optics with their captive… and felt shock and anger pierce his spark. He hadn't expected to ever run into Sentinel Prime again, much less in a reversal of roles, with Sentinel bound and at his mercy. But staring the mech down, he couldn't help but remember the horror of that last meeting, the blow of learning his heritage, a blow quickly followed by incarceration and the all too real blows dealt by the abusive guards…

Sentinel met Optimus' gaze for a moment, then lowered his optics to stare at the ground. There was no trace of the arrogant, angry mech he'd known for so long - he looked almost regretful. Did he actually feel remorse for what he'd done? Had something happened to finally take the wind out of the blue mech's sails?

"Sentinel!" Ratchet exclaimed. "What in tarnation…"

"Found him trying to get into th' Dead Zone," Jazz replied, scowling. "Nabbed him an' figured you'd wanna decide what to do with him."

"He's hoping to track our location," Megatron snarled. "He'll need to be silenced."

"We're not killing anybody!" Optimus protested, an exclamation that brought looks of surprise from everyone - including Sentinel. Even Optimus was shocked at his own outburst.

"We can't just have him go running off to alert Ultra Magnus where we're going," Dominus replied. "Though I wouldn't go quite so far as to offline him." He shot Megatron a look, but the silver mech only shrugged in response.

"We'll tie him up tight and leave him in a dark alley in the Dead Zone," Optimus suggested. "By the time he works himself free or is rescued, we'll be long gone."

"Isn't anyone going to ask me WHY I came?!" Sentinel shouted. "And no, it wasn't to track your location! I'm here to warn you the Elite Guard's on its way! They tracked some of the refugees here and are aiming to wipe this place out!"

"You're a little late for THAT," Ratchet grumbled. "Our scouts already sighted them. We're leaving as soon as we're done with you."

Sentinel's optics flickered. "Oh… I'm too late…"

"How did you know we were here?" asked Optimus. "Is this a trick of some kind?"

Sentinel ground his dental plates, as if the answer were painful to release. "I… I told mechs… to come here."

Optimus jerked in surprise. He hadn't expected THAT.

"Ultra Magnus wanted me to find more Decepticon descendents," Sentinel went on. "They were a threat to our society, and had to be confined for the safety of Cybertron. But… I couldn't do it. What they were doing… throwing innocent mechs, even sparklings, into prison… was awful. So I tipped them off and suggested this place as a safe refuge."

Optimus stared at his former comrade, still struggling to process what he'd been told. "You disobeyed a direct order?"

Sentinel nodded. "Believe me, it was far harder for ME than it is for you." He shifted against his chains. "Why are we still standing around talking about this, though? Get your afts out of here before the Guard blasts them off of you!"

"We were in the process of doing that before your untimely arrival," Dominus replied evenly. "But we appreciate the effort. Shall we go, then?"

Optimus nodded. "Ratchet, you're in charge of moving the injured. Jazz, Prowl, head back to the perimeter and tell the guards to fall back and join the evacuation. Father, Dominus, lead the way for the refugees. I'll catch up."

Megatron gave his shoulder a light squeeze. "Be careful," he murmured, then turned to go. Dominus folded into his turbofox form and bounded after him. Ratchet gave him a long hard look, then transformed and drove off.

Optimus waited until Jazz and Prowl had departed, then reached out and undid Sentinel's chains. "You'd better go before the Guard gets here."

Sentinel gaped. "You're… just letting me go? You're not angry with me?"

"Well… I'm not exactly happy," Optimus admitted. He wouldn't lie - some resentment still boiled in his tanks when he looked at Sentinel's face. Not just for his involvement in revealing who his father was, but for years of grudges and mistreatment. But that didn't make his next statement a lie either.

"You obviously care about what happens to Cybertron and its people," he went on. "And while we may disagree on some things - on a lot of things, really - that's one thing we have in common. I know you were doing what you thought was right when you told Ultra Magnus what you'd discovered about my heritage. And while I could choose to hate you for that… I think we'd all be better off if we called it the past and moved on from here."

Sentinel shook his head. "I'll never understand you, Optimus."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Optimus chuckled. "Think you can make it back to Iacon safely?"

Sentinel hesitated, fear in his optics. "I… can't go back. They were going to throw my aft into prison before Alpha Trion helped me escape. If I go back, they might decide prison's too good for me."

Optimus' tanks clenched. Had they discovered Sentinel's role in guiding refugees to the Dead Zone? Or had he managed to do something else rebellious? No time to ask - the Guard would be here at any moment, and Sentinel was in as much danger as the rest of them.

"Come with us," he offered.

Sentinel's jaw dropped. "I can't… they hate me… I couldn't possibly…"

"If you helped as many of them escape as you say you did, they won't hate you," Optimus assured him. "As for my team… well, I'm sure they'll understand." He extended his hand. "C'mon. Omega Supreme won't wait forever."

Sentinel looked at him as if he'd slipped a cog, but finally nodded and grasped his hand. Optimus gave it a quick squeeze before releasing it, then transformed and drove off. Sentinel shifted and followed close behind.

"So… you're calling the Great Slagmaker 'Father' now," Sentinel noted. "You must have had some quality bonding time since I last saw you."

Optimus couldn't tell whether that was supposed to be a jab or not - Sentinel's tone made it sound a little snarky, but that could have been him assuming everything that came out of the blue mech's mouth was condescending. "We've had… time to talk. I've learned a lot of things. I'm not sure how much of it I'm ready to discuss yet, but… there's a lot I've taken for granted over the years, and more of it's wrong than I first realized."

He half-expected a scathing retort at that… but Sentinel was silent for a long moment as they drove. Optimus was about to brace himself for one of the mech's usual insults when he spoke up again.

"You're not the only one who's taken things for granted… and realized more of it's wrong than you thought." Sentinel's voice was heavy, tired, the voice of a mech who had seen and heard things that had shaken him to the core. "The Autobots… the Council… in some ways they're no better than the Decepticons we've been told are our enemies for so long. And Magnus…"

Optimus slowed a bit, aligning himself alongside Sentinel to hear his words better. "What did he do?"

"He became a flaming hypocrite is what," Sentinel snapped.

"About what?"

An explosion tore through whatever Sentinel's reply had been, and Optimus checked his mirrors. Flames and debris rose from the Dead Zone, and a tower collapsed with a rumble like thunder. The Elite Guard were taking no chances, it seemed… and they didn't seem to fussed about taking prisoners, either. The thought sickened him.

"We'd better talk more when we get to wherever we're going," Sentinel replied. "Can't that Earth mode of yours go any faster?"

At least some of your inner grouch has returned, Optimus thought wryly as he sped down the streets, making for the rendezvous point with Omega. But somehow seeing his former friend returning to normal warmed his spark.

"Do the angry face again!"

"No, the crazy face! I wanna see him do the glossa trick again!"

"Do the blue face! That's the most handsome face."

"Haha, Sideburn's got a crush!"

"I do not, I just like the blue face!"

Blitzwing flipped between all three of his faceplates in rapid succession, as if trying to meet each sparklings' demands at once, before giving up and settling on his angry personality. "Ve are NOT your entertainment for zis journey, little ones! Frag off!"

The sparklings showed no signs of fragging off - they burst into giggles and shouted for more. Blitzwing seethed a moment, but his crazed personality slid into view before his angry persona could launch into a further tirade.

"Zis game is BORING, little ones!" he insisted, and scooped up a violet sparkling and plunked them on his shoulders. "Here's a better one! Pony rides!"

The sparklings whooped and cheered, chasing after the triple changer as he began running laps through the passenger bay of Omega Supreme, still hauling the sparkling on his shoulders. Hot Shot and Bumblebee joined in the chase, each picking up a kid and setting them on his shoulders as they did so. Other mechs just looked on with amused smiles, or did their best to scoot out of the way as the stampede barreled past.

Prowl turned slightly in the pilot's chair to watch the mayhem. "Should… we stop him? I doubt some of these parents would be pleased to see their child playing with a Decepticon."

Optimus just laughed. "They're having fun, and he's apparently a big softie for sparklings under that insanity. Besides, most of these sparklings are on the run because one or both of their parents have Decepticon programming. I'm sure having a Decepticon babysit their kids is the least of their worries."

"All the same, it's hard to watch the mech who use to try to kill you on a regular basis interacting with children," Prowl replied.

"That's true," Optimus admitted. "How are we doing?"

Prowl turned back to the controls. "Omega Supreme's still recharging. Approximately a quarter breem before his recharge cycle's complete and we can be on our way again."

"Good… that's good." Optimus gazed out of the viewscreen at the rocky asteroid where Omega had touched down to recharge and prepare for the final space-bridge jump. "The sooner we get back to Detroit, the better."

"Earth has almost become more of a home for us than Cybertron, hasn't it?" Prowl asked.

"In a way," Optimus replied, though there was a lot more truth to what Prowl said than he wanted to admit. Yes, he'd grown fond of that odd organic planet and its inhabitants… but given recent events, he wasn't sure he could ever properly call Cybertron his home ever again. No one on this ship could - even those who didn't have Decepticon data in their systems were fugitives from justice for their actions. And for many of them, Earth was their last hope for refuge… if the humans would take so many Cybertronians in.

They will, he told himself. For all their flaws, humans are compassionate. Surely they won't turn us away.

Speaking of humans… his gaze rested on Isaac Sumdac, who had just disconnected from a phone call and was reattaching the device to his work belt. The scientist sighed and rubbed his temples, and Optimus was struck by how very tired he looked. This experience had been very hard on him, and he couldn't help but feel guilty for dragging the man into something that wasn't even his kind's business.

"Are you all right, Isaac?" Optimus asked. "Do you need food or rest? Do you need to… um… get rid of waste products?"

Isaac shook his head. "I'll be fine on all those counts until we get back to Sumdac Tower. I was just trying to get ahold of Sari."

His internals jolted at the mention of Isaac's daughter. "She's still on Cybertron, isn't she? At the Iacon Academy."

Isaac nodded. "She was good about calling every weekend… but I have not heard from her in two weeks. I was worried, especially given all that has happened."

Optimus knelt to better address the professor. "Do we need to go back? We can launch a rescue mission. We'll have to be extremely careful not to get caught-"

Isaac raised a hand to silence the mech. "She… does not want to come back to Earth."

Optimus rebooted his optics. "You're kidding."

He shook his head. "She answered her phone… but she says she feels more at home on Cybertron than she ever did on Earth. She is happy living with the Autobots, and she does not want to return to Earth. And… she has heard about your relationship with Megatron. She did not take it well."

He felt his spark sink into his fuel tanks. Sari had been the Autobots' first human ally, and had been by their side for so many of their adventures. To know that she had turned against him - and her own father, if she had decided she preferred to embrace her Cybertronian heritage over her human upbringing - was a blow.

"I'm sorry, Isaac," he murmured.

Isaac shook his head. "It is not your fault. You can't help who your father is. And children grow up and leave the nest eventually. You just never expect them to fly off to another planet and never come back."

"She'll come back," Optimus assured him. "Just give her time. I'm sure she'll remember everything you did to raise and take care of her and return, if only to visit."

Isaac managed a smile before wrapping his arms around himself and turning away. Optimus' spark ached for the man. Had he managed to split apart Isaac's family in the process of reuniting with his father? If that was truly the case, he wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself.

Omega's voice filled the interior of the ship before he could continue down that line of thought. "RECHARGE CYCLE COMPLETE. PREPARING FOR FINAL JUMP."

A flurry of activity followed that announcement. Mechs scrambled for their seats, strapping themselves in for the space-bridge leap. Parents grabbed their sparklings, and Strika and Lugnut tackled Blitzwing and dragged him back to his own seat for the jump. The air practically crackled with nervous energy - no one knew what to expect when they finally arrived on Earth, and they had to be ready for any possibility.

Optimus had just buckled his own safety straps and leaned back in his seat when he felt a hand on his own, and he glanced to the side to see that Megatron had claimed the seat beside him. The mech's expression never seemed to veer too far from "sternly noble," but his optics glowed with concern.

"Are you all right?"

"I… will be," Optimus replied. "It's been… a rough few days."

Megatron nodded. "An understatement, I'm sure. But whatever awaits us on Earth, we will face it together. I just got you back, Orion… I'm not going to lose you again."

Optimus had just opened his mouth to reply when the blue globe of Earth appeared in the viewscreen. A smattering of cheers rose from the passengers, though just as many murmurs of confusion met the sight.

"What's all that blue?" asked Cosmos. "Is it toxic?"

"It's water," Jazz assured the green mech. "It's cool, no worries."

"I never thought I'd come back to THIS dirtball again," Sentinel huffed. "Let's hope the streets are a little more sanitary this time around."

"You know, you COULD have stayed behind," Ratchet reminded him. "I'm not sure why Optimus brought you along in the first place."

"Let him alone, Ratchet," Optimus advised. "He's just happier if he has something to complain about-"

"Optimus, message from the planet," Prowl announced. "From someone identifying themself as the Lord Mayor."

Lord Mayor? Optimus hadn't even been aware that was a title. Just what had happened on Earth while he'd been gone? "Put it through."

A communications screen flared to life, blocking out their view of the blue planet. The face that glared back at them brought screams from more than a few mechs… and a grunt of shock from Megatron.

"That traitor," he growled. "He could never stay dead, could he?"

"This is Lord Mayor Starscream," the mech onscreen rasped, a gloating smile on his face. "Your ship is intruding on the Detroit Territory airspace. You and all your passengers are under arrest and will be escorted to my headquarters at once!"

Horror and despair flared in Optimus' spark. It was worse than he'd feared - Starscream had not only survived the Battle of Detroit, he had taken over the city in their absence. Their desperate flight from Cybertron had been for nothing.

"I would advise you to cooperate, Cybertronian ship," Starscream went on, gesturing grandly as he spoke. "I think you will find that I, Lord Mayor Starscream, am a benevolent leader if you obey my will. But any refusal on your part will only lead to your destruction…"

"Pit, he likes to hear himself talk," Bumblebee muttered. "Doesn't he realize who he's talking to?"

"He's not even lookin' at the viewscreen," Ironhide pointed out. "Think we can just make another jump an' get outta here while he's distracted?"

Before Optimus could reply, two more faces thrust themselves into view - one orange and ivory, the other blue and silver. They gave identical grins and began waving enthusiastically.

"Look, Brother, it is being Sentinel Prime!"

"He is coming back to Earth! We were thinking he hated this place!"

Sentinel made a strangled noise, jerking in his seat. "You! What the frag are you two lunkheads doing with Starscream?!"

"It is being a long story," Jetstorm replied with a shrug.

"Dad, look, it is being Sentinel Prime!" Jetfire exclaimed, grabbing Starscream's arm and shaking it. "He is being like a stepfather to us!"

Bumblebee and Hot Shot exchanged a look of pure and utter shock. "DAD?!"

"Will you little fools stand back?!" Starscream shrilled, pushing the twins off to either side. "I am in the middle of…" His voice trailed off as he finally got a good look at who he was addressing, and his wings drooped in response. "Oh… slag. It's YOU."

Optimus chanced a glance at his father. To his shock, Megatron looked neither angry nor concerned that Starscream had taken over the city in their absence. The silver mech actually wore an utterly smug look.

"Land the ship," he advised. "We cooperate with Starscream - or shall we say, 'Dad' - for now. This is going to be far more interesting than I thought."