Ch. 125

Miko screamed loudly and darted away from the couch, pointing, "Over there! It went that way!"

Starscream lazily walked over and grumbled, "What is going on now?"

Jack yawned, "Miko saw a bug."

The girl glared at her friend, "It is NOT just a bug! Now squish it before I squish you!"

Starscream blinked slowly and gently poked at one of the couch cushions. A black speck dropped from the underside and tried to scuttle away, causing Miko to scream again, and the seeker calmly poked the tip of his sharp servo atop it, smashing it.

Jack nodded and clapped gently, "Nice kill."

"Yes. Nice," Starscream agreed, "Now what did I kill?"

"A SPIDER!" Miko shrieked, as though it was obvious, "A big, freaking, ugly spider!"

The seeker looked confused, "That tiny thing?"

Raf came up the steps quietly, adjusting his glasses, "Well, what's tiny to you will be bigger to us," he explained, "I'll agree with Miko on this one. It was a pretty good size."

Starscream hummed lightly and wiped the smashed remains of the spider off on the underside of the lounging area, "Yes, quite..."

The small boy peered at him, "So... are you still on surveillance duty?"

The seeker whined, "Oh, it's the sixth day in a row! No flights, no walks outside, I had my datapad taken away! I'm suffocating!"

Jack chuckled, "Wow, sounds like the time I came home two hours after curfew last year. Mom grounded me for a month. I can't believe Optimus grounded you."

Starscream frowned, "Yes, I think I established that when I said 'no flights'."

Miko giggled, "No, no, grounding for kids is different for giant, flying robots. Buuuut in this case, I think it's the same thing."

The seeker's wings flattened, "... Explain."

The children all looked to each other and Jack took a breath, "Uh, well, when you do something that your mom and dad..." he looked up at Starscream and frowned, "umm... parents? Uh... Cybertronians who brought you into the world?"

Starscream nodded, "We call those 'creators'. Now continue. 'When you do something that your mom and dad, parents, or Cybertronians who brought you into the world...'?"

Jack smiled, "Right... Well, when you do something that they don't like or worries them near to death, especially in our case, you get grounded. No going out, no phone-"

"No friends," Miko piped up, "no watching TV, no games!"

Raf hugged his laptop, "No internet, no special treats, nothing exciting."

Starscream leered gently, "And what is the purpose of... grounding?"

Jack shrugged, "Not really sure. I think it's supposed to teach you a lesson about how to conduct yourself? I know my mom used it so she could keep an eye on me and make sure I wouldn't get hurt."

The seeker hummed, "But she doesn't anymore?"

The boy laughed, "Not since we became a part of Team Prime and we've had to help you guys save the world and all."

Miko smirked at Starscream, "But it looks like Daddy Prime is all upset with you if he made you grounded, huh?"

The silver mech frowned again, then blinked, then frowned once more.

When he had mulled over this new information in his helm, he growled softly, "Are... are you saying that Optimus is treating me like Mrs. Darby treats Jack?"

Raf sat on the couch and opened his laptop, "It sure looks like it. I mean, he's always taking you aside and trying to talk to you."

Miko pursed, cooing, "Aww! It reminds me of my dad back in Tokyo! Whenever I was having trouble or a problem with something, he'd always talk to me and tell me that everything would be ok!"

Starscream's optics widened as he frowned harder, "Are you absolutely sure he's treating me the way you say?"

Jack nodded, "I agree with Raf. It sounds like it. Why? Do you think it's something else?"

The seeker began to get flustered, his wings vibrating and fluttering up and down as though they themselves were trying to assess which angle was appropriate for Starscream's confused feelings, "Well, when Hardshell and C.Y.L.A.S. were trying to kill Smokescreen and kidnap me, Optimus rescued us. And he told me after that if he hadn't restrained himself, he would have killed the pair of them outright."

Each of the children nodded, "Yep." "Sounds about right." "That's totally a parent."

Starscream blinked then whined loudly, "Why is he parenting me?!"

Raf leaned back into the couch in thought, "Well, you're going through a lot right now, aren't you? Maybe Optimus just wants to help and it just feels like he's parenting."

The seeker was starting to snarl, his fluttering wings vibrating more angrily by the second, "Oh no, he's doing this human-parenting thing. First he's being understanding, then he has the audacity to tell me he believes in me, and then he says he'd die to protect me, and then he almost kills Hardshell and C.Y.L.A.S. and THEN he goes and grounds me!"

Miko shook her head, tsking, "Scream. It's official. You've been adopted."

Starscream stopped his small tantrum to stare at the girl before his voice became shrill, "I don't want to be adopted! How dare he!"

Jack held in a laugh, "What a cruel fate, huh?"

The seeker began stomping around, "I can't believe him! Treating me like this! I studied in the Iacon Science Division! I was the elite of the elite at the flight academy! I led the most proficient energon Seekers that had ever been trained! I've fought beside the most destructive tyrant in all the galaxy! I will not be treated like some sparkling!"

"Is something wrong?" came a deep voice.

Starscream turned harshly as Optimus walked into the room, his blue optics blinking softly, "I heard yelling and thought something had happened."

The seeker shrieked and stomped a ped, "I am NOT a sparkling! I don't want your 'parenting'! Stop treating me like a youngling! I can take care of myself! I don't need you to look over my shoulder plating all the time! I want to be alone!"

Starscream huffed and stormed out of the room, his wings finally deciding to flare out wide and rigid in anger. The Prime stood still and watched him leave before looking down at the children.

"It would seem Starscream does not take well to being cared for," he said simply.

Miko shrugged, "Well, he is an adult Cybertronian, isn't he?"

Optimus nodded, "That he is."

"That's not always the problem," Raf suggested, "Starscream wasn't treated very well before. Other people being nice can be too much for someone who isn't used to that."

The Prime shuttered his optics, "I have tried to be compassionate but perhaps my presence is a hinderance to his own growth."

Jack smiled, "Optimus, you're kinda what he needs right now. Even if you are parenting him a bit."

Miko pouted, "You leave Daddy Prime alone! He's gotta make his own decisions."

Optimus shook his helm, "Perhaps Jack is right, Miko. I have been... overly cautious when a situation involves Starscream."

"You kinda have to, Optimus," Raf hummed, "I mean, Megatron's after him and wants to use him in some kind of evil plan. If you have to be a little overbearing to protect him, where's the harm in that?"

The Prime smiled gently, "The harm is what we just witnessed. I will allow Starscream to calm down instead of approaching him now. Putting him back into the cortical psychic patch training will begin today to help ease and strengthen his mind further."

Miko smiled back, "Yeah! Get out the ol' mental punching bag! But does that mean he's still grounded?"

Optimus blinked, "I am certain that his 'no flight' status would confirm his grounding."

The girl laughed and waved at Jack, "You tell him."