Ch. 236

Soundwave waited dutifully at the ground bridge's controls as the rest of the room watched and waited. The lithe, blue mech noted every face and faceplate in a state of upset. It was at moments like this that Soundwave was grateful to have such control over what his own screen was capable of displaying.

Heavy pedfalls drew attention to the doorway of the room and Optimus stepped in, gazing out over his team, "Autobots," he directed them, "we will return in a few days time. Should either of us be needed, you may COMM us."

"Optimus, we can help him here," Arcee frowned, her optics cast down and her arms crossed tightly, "The two of you out there, alone- what about the risk of a 'Con attack?"

"At least let Predaking come with you," Bulkhead gestured to the great mech, who stood off to the side.

Optimus shook his helm, "As great as this risk is, it will be far safer for myself and Starscream to be on our own."

Breakdown grumbled, "Few days is gonna feel like forever..."

"We just got everyone back together," Jack said, "now it feels like we're going to be missing bots all over again."

Wheeljack knelt down to pat the boy on the back, "Hey, I hear ya, kid. And it ain't a great feelin', but Prime says it's gonna help out..."

The white mech quieted down as sharper pedfalls became audible, standing slowly, "Starscream."

The seeker walked in nervously. His optics wanted to avoid looking at anyone but he allowed a braver version of himself to take over as he approached Wheeljack first.

"You know that's not what you call me, Jackie."

Wheeljack managed a small smirk, "C'mere, air-helm," he pulled Starscream into a hug, "Scream, when you come back..."

The taller mech hugged him back, "I'm going to be better, I know I will..."

Optimus moved out of the way to allow the rest of his team to approach the seeker, noting, with a sad realization, that one of his teammates was missing.

Ultra Magnus noticed the look of disappointment on the Prime's faceplates as he approached and shook his helm, "Ratchet couldn't bring himself to come down here and see you both off. I can talk to him and have him come down before you go."

"No, Magnus, that is not necessary," Optimus sighed, "Ratchet is not in a place to reach out to us and I do not wish to stress that further. Just as we need time away, Ratchet needs time away from us. This..." he turned back to see Bulkhead and Bumblebee talking lightly with Starscream, "will be good for all of us..."

The blue mech nodded, "I have studied your ethic with your team. It's not at all in line with normal protocol... but I will do my best to keep them on the straight and narrow without such... rigid guidelines."

"That will be best, Magnus," the Prime nodded, "and it will be beneficial all around."

Arcee was next to speak with Starscream, the femme working hard not to tear up. The seeker was the one who initiated contact first, hugging her tightly as he murmured apologies and whispers asking for forgiveness.

Arcee shook her helm as she hugged him back, "Don't apologize for this. You can't be sorry."

"The things I said..."

"You didn't mean them," she said firmly, pulling back to cup his helm in her servos, "and when you come back, you, me and Smokimus are going out for a long walk on the beach."

Starscream snorted a weak laugh, tears in his optics, "Primus, you truly wish to see me tormented supplicant at your peds, don't you?"

Arcee gently patted his cheekplate, "Only the worst for you, Starscream."

The mech nodded, "I expect no less..."

He pulled away to allow Smokescreen to see him next, the white mech hardly waiting as he pulled the seeker into a tight hug, his frame heavy, "This is all my fault... it's all my fault."

"Smokey, no," Starscream hugged him back, "you're not responsible for any of this."

Smokescreen started to tremble, his voice hoarse, "If I hadn't shot at you, he wouldn't have been able to take you away..."

The red and white mech shook his helm, "He had me, Smokimus. No one could have stopped that. You were brave enough, strong enough, to try something that no one else here would have dared. You are every bit the mech destiny is calling to," Starscream pulled back to smile at him, "Don't ever doubt that."

Smokescreen blinked back tears and nodded, moving as Predaking slowly approached.

"Oh, Predaking," Starscream stared sadly, his wings drooping as he stood on the tips of his peds so he could reach his faceplates, "Sweetspark, I'm sorry you had to see all this..."

"I am sad," the great mech huffed, a soft whine escaping him; he knelt down to hug the seeker, "I am sad and I do not wish for you to leave."

"I know, I know..." Starscream heard sniffles from the children somewhere around his peds and a tickle as one of them went underfoot; he kept the heel of his right ped high to avoid any problems, "U-um... Predaking," he began, "I don't know what you know about my situation... but you need to know that I do care about you very much. And I'm sorry my leaving is hurting you."

"They are telling me," Predaking gestured around him, "they say that this will be good. That it is going to make you feel better..."

Starscream nodded, "What happened to us on the Nemesis... the things he did to me made me very sick in a way that can't be cured easily... And I promise you, I tried so hard to work on this on my own. It... was not the wrong idea, but it was not the best... Optimus will make sure that I get better."

Predaking whimpered loudly, "And you will return, my friend? You will come back?"

Starscream hugged the great mech tightly, "Predaking," he struggled to keep his voice steady, "I could never imagine leaving all of you and never coming back. Everyone here is strong, courageous, unstoppable, and they will care for you while I am away. I could never imagine leaving you with better bots, not in all the universe."

Predaking rumbled a purr and nestled close, "Optimus has said we can COMM you. I will tell you of our stories and adventures while you are away from the ship."

"I like this idea very much," Starscream smiled weakly, "and even if you've no stories to tell, you may COMM me to tell me how you are doing. Alright?"

The great mech nodded, pulling back. Starscream looked down at his peds to see the children waiting off to the side and he knelt down to them, Miko wasting no time in running to him.

"You feel better," she grabbed onto his outstretched servo, hugging tight, "You work this out with Optimus and you feel better..."

"I will, Miko, I will..."

Raf didn't have words. He walked up and snuggled into the palm of Starscream's servo. Jack stayed just out of reach, staring up at the seeker.

"Jack..." Starscream murmured, "... I never regretted saving you and your mother..."

"I know," the teen nodded, "I-" he choked down a sob and rubbed his eyes on the end of his sleeve.

The seeker shuttered his optics and pulled away after the children let go, turning to meet Knockout's gaze. The two silently locked optics and Starscream began to shake.

"Kn-Knockout, I didn't mean it, I never meant-"

The red mech grabbed Starscream in a hug and squeezed tightly, "We followed you," he cried as softly as he could, "we believed you and in you from the start. And when things went south, we stuck with you," Breakdown moved in to hug the pair and Knockout let out a sob, "so don't you dare think we'd leave you now after all the things we've seen and the paint we've lost."

Starscream began to shake, "I never meant any of it, I never did. All this- I'd go through this all over again to save each and every one of you, all of you mean so much-"

The rest of the group moved in to share in the hug. Optimus, Ultra Magnus and Soundwave waited by the ground bridge controls and as the group backed away, Magnus stepped forward.

"Starscream," he began, his servos tight at his back, "you and I have not spent much time together, but the stories I hear from each of them tells me the kind of mech you've become. When you return, I look forward to getting to know that mech myself."

The seeker nodded, "Yes, Ultra Magnus, thank you."

Starscream moved over to see Soundwave, the blue mech embracing him gently.

"Soundwave: already missing Starscream."

The red and white mech sighed as he hugged back, "I'm missing all of you, too. Be good, Soundwave... and I promise I will do the same."

The blue mech nodded and let him go, returning to the ground bridge terminal as he activated a portal.

"Autobots," Optimus called out, "I will COMM in as soon as we have settled. Should you need me to return, I will do so for a short amount of time..." his gaze looked down at Starscream, "but I ask that you allow Starscream this time away to rest and heal. We will both return when we are ready."

Ultra Magnus pulled over a loaded semi container, hitching it to the Prime after Optimus transformed. The red mech honked his horn loudly and drove through the bridge. Starscream hesitated, looking back to give a small smile before following Optimus. When both had gone, Soundwave shut the bridge down.

Smokescreen shook his helm, "Starscream... this isn't fair to him..."

"What he's going through, kid," Wheeljack sighed, "it's not an easy thing."

Predaking grumbled, "I should have crushed Megatron when I had the chance..."

Breakdown patted the great mech's arm, "You can think that way all you want but Starscream wouldn't have like that. You did everything right, Predaking. You did an awesome job protecting him..."

Ultra Magnus saw a figure slip back from the doorway as he looked out over his somber troops and his optics narrowed as he left the room to follow, "You could have made your goodbyes," he called down the hall, "you had plenty of opportunities."

Ratchet froze in his steps, his servos in tight fists at his sides. He kept his back facing the larger mech and slowly began walking again.

"I... I have work to do..."

Bombshock snarled excitedly as he rushed down the dirt tunnel, his claws digging into dirt well traveled by the servos of his brethren. Behind him, Darksteel and Skylynx followed with just as much fervor while C.Y.L.A.S. brought up the rear. Bombshock knew the black mech was oblivious to the familial hum growing louder the deeper they went, the audial embrace becoming the reason they pushed harder.

"We are near!" the Insecticon hissed, jumping out of the hole and into a dark, open cavern.

The Predacons scuttled to a halt in front of the exit, the pair sniffing nervously.

"Bombshock," Darksteel growled, "that smell..." he inhaled deeply, "it is the same as..."

"The same as the ones that Lord Megatron took with him," Skylynx hissed.

Bombshock purred, watching as C.Y.L.A.S. pushed passed the pair to stand beside him, "It is the last of us here, the ones who remained in stasis," he shrieked loudly and the dark cavern filled with a small army of flashing red visors and vicious squeals.

"With this hive, we shall bring the Autobot scum to their knees! And we shall present Lord Megatron with the greatest of gifts: the helm of Optimus Prime and our lord's stolen treasure, Starscream!"