Ch. 131

Starscream paced nervously on the beach, a beach he disliked because of that horrible sand tickling its way into small crevices in his peds. He was sure a rock beach or seaside cliff would be more to his tastes. Somewhere far away from here...

"So, what was it?" Smokescreen asked excitedly.

The seeker pointed at Arcee, "I want to hear what you saw first. Just in case I'm jumping to conclusions."

Arcee nodded, "They were moving energon. A lot of it. If that structure and set up was what I thought it was, then they have another space bridge. A smaller one. They're getting care packages."

Starscream growled, but Smokescreen spoke up, "Care packages? From where?"

"And isn't that the question?" the silver mech huffed, "That's what I saw as well. A space bridge and a collection of fresh energon shipped to move," he transformed out his blaster again, snarling, "We should go back in now! Three against three, they'll be down in-"

"AUTOBOTS!" came a booming voice from their COMMs.

All of them flinched but Smokescreen would be the last to admit that he actually yelped loudly. And Starscream didn't dare touch his COMM.

He looked to Arcee, scout team leader, and she sighed, activating her the COMM at the side of her helm, "This is Arcee. Go ahead, Optimus."

Optimus didn't sound pleased, "Return to your ground bridge extraction point. This mission is over."

The group sighed gently but the seeker stiffened when he heard an added, "And tell Starscream that he and I are going to have a conversation."

The COMM cut and Starscream scoffed, "W... What does he- thinking he can- I mean, where does he get off- I can't believe- how dare- the nerve of it all- I'm going to-"

Smokescreen hushed him, patting his backplates, "Easy, easy, you're going to break yourself. Nothing happened. You just helped us make up some numbers on a very basic scouting mission. No biggie!"

Arcee shook her helm, "You may not think so, rookie, but Optimus has a right to be..."

"Angry?" Smokescreen offered.

"No," Starscream hissed, "that helicopter-parenting, overbearing, watching my every move, stopping me from going outside, sticking me with Soundwave and Ratchet-"

Arcee hushed him physically, clamping her servo over his mouth, "You are going to break yourself. And no, Optimus won't be angry. Just disappointed. Let's stop talking and just get back to base. Get this over with quickly."

Starscream growled from under her servo, but nodded, his bright blue optics and seething glare telling of a bad experience for everyone regardless of what was said.

And the experience was bad for everyone. Optimus stared his three soldiers down, neither a frown nor a glare on his faceplates. His look was more concerned, if anything. Starscream felt that creeping anxiety again. Why couldn't Optimus just beat them and be done with it?

The Prime took a deep intake but Starscream cut him off, "No! Don't you dare make excuses! If you even think I could withstand being cooped up in here, suffering at Soundwave's mind bends for nearly a week, you're insane! How dare you trap me here! I can't take it anymore!"

Optimus's optics only narrowed slightly and he glanced to Arcee, "Were the three of you cleared for this scouting mission?"

Arcee shook her helm, "No. Smokescreen and I were. Starscream left with us before we could add him to the roster properly. I'll admit, we've all been itching to get out into the field. The Cons haven't been this quiet in a while."

"And it looks like they're doing that for a reason!" Smokescreen said excitedly, "They're getting supplies, space bridging in what looks like large shipments of energon from somewhere else. Who knows where they're getting it from?"

"Or who's supplying it," Arcee added.

Starscream huffed, "Or what they need it for..."

Optimus nodded gently, "All fair points... but I am concerned with how each of you ignored protocol, especially in these harsher times. Starscream, if you do not wish to be captured then you must adhere to my 'grounding' policy. If you are as desperate as you say you are to leave the base, please inform myself or Ratchet and we will put together a team that will escort you in the outside world so you may relax safely."

The seeker's wings perked, "Like a posse? Or even guards? The lot of you would act as my personal guards? Can I give orders?"

Arcee smirked, "Not if you don't want to wake up red, white and blue, Starscrimus."

Starscream glared, "Well maybe it'd be worth the risk, Arceemus."

"Autobots," the Prime said deeply, "this matter is still unresolved. Starscream, since you have already sated your need for outside connection, you are posted back on cortical training."

The seeker groaned loudly and stomped back to the medbay, scowling and muttering loudly.

Optimus's optics watched him go then leveled back at Arcee and Smokescreen, "I am disappointed. Both of you should have notified me when you had decided to take Starscream with you. I expect both of you to reflect on this while you are performing inventory duty tomorrow."

Arcee frowned and grumbled, but Smokescreen whined, "Aw, really? C'mon, Optimus, it won't happen again!"

"No," the Prime agreed, "it will not. Finish your reports. You are dismissed for the evening."

Optimus stepped away and the white mech groaned, kicking his ped at nothing, "Inventory... I can't focus long enough to count how many cubes of energon we've stocked or how many bolts we have."

Arcee sighed, "Yeah, it's a bummer. So let's use our last hours of freedom for something fun. Wanna use these open lanes of road outside as a race track?"

Smokescreen chuckled and nodded, "I can't believe you just read my mind."