Chapter 33 Exploration

Emberstar glanced around with a serious look on her face, her small, red optics narrowed slightly. Oblivion looked curiously at her sister. "What's wrong, sis?" She asked with a chirp.

"Noftin'." Emberstar replied, smiling again and swinging her legs slightly.

Oblivion frowned. "Then why are you so serious?" She asked as she climbed up onto Megatron's shoulder so that she had a clear view of her sister.

"Cuz I wanna be." She replied.

Oblivion chirped in confusion. "Ok." She replied. She rotated her wings around and chirped several times. "Can we go flying?" She asked as she looked up at her father.

"You're much too young." Starscream replied as he gave her an even look.

Oblivion looked down at Starscream. "Can't you and Daddy take us?" She asked with large watery optics.

'She's going to be murder to try to NOT be spoilt with those optics.' Megatron commented with a gently chuckle.

"Ask your father." Starscream grumbled, glancing away from his sparkling.

Oblivion turned her enormous optics on Megatron. "Can we Daddy?" She asked.

'Frag.' Megatron shook his head, closing his optics so he wouldn't see hers. "With the Autobots so close at hand, it isn't safe to leave the base." He stated. 'This is not going to be easy.' Oblivion's optics grew bigger and her lower lip began to tremble. 'Slag.'

Starscream glared at Emberstar as the sparkling chirped sweetly. "Don't get any ideas." He stated as she blinked up at him.

'Sis! Help me out here! Do you want to go flying?!' Oblivion sent to her sister over a slightly more secret link that they shared.

She made her lip tremble even more and her optics grew more watery, she even threw in an adorable whimper. Megatron's optic twitched as he tried to keep himself from falling for the act. Emberstar did the same, staring up at Starscream and making her optics widen and grow bigger.

'Starscream...what are we suppose to do?' Megatron squeaked. "Oblivion," he stated, trying to sound stern, "stop that this instant." Oblivion started crying, sniffling as tears fell down her face. 'Aww slag.'

"Do you want to be taken by the Autobots?" Starscream asked, giving his sparklings each a hard look.

Oblivion shook her head. "N-n-no." She chirped. "But...I don't like being underground." She whimpered as she shook. "Too cold...too dark...no sky."

"I can relate." Starscream sighed as he gave his wings a small shake.

Oblivion wiped her face. "So can we at least go outside?" She asked. "Please? We'll be on our best behavior...right sis?" She asked her sister.

"I'm not make'n any promises." Emberstar snickered.

Oblivion's head fell forward in an anime style fashion. 'Then at least say you'll behave! Do you want to go outside?'

"Fine, I'll behave." Emberstar stated, shrugging her shoulders.

Oblivion smiled up at her parents. "Please?" She asked.

Megatron frowned. "What do you say Starscream?" He asked.

"Fine." He grumbled, reaching up onto his shoulder to pull Emberstar down.

"YEAH!" Oblivion cheered.

"But you are staying in our arms, understood?" Megatron added quickly, cutting down the chances of losing the sparklings to the Autobots from them wandering off while they weren't paying attention.

"I haven't seen the sky in so long." Starscream sighed as he stared drearily up at the ceiling.

Megatron smiled sadly at his mate. "Forgive me." He murmured as he led the way to the entrance of the base.

"I love the outcome though." He purred gently as he gazed down at his sparkling as Emberstar snuggled against his chest.

Oblivion chirped happily as she nuzzled her face into Megatron's chest plate. "We so cute." She chirped with a giggle.

'I think they got your ego.' Starscream smiled at his mate's back as he heard his comment through their bond. "Hold on." Megatron stated as he rose up to the entrance to the base. Sunlight was shining outside and Oblivion gasped in awe.

The forest around the base was glistening as the sunlight struck it, sending soft green shadows over everything. Oblivion let out a curious chirp as she reached out to touch one of the branches that were hanging near the entrance to the base. Megatron smiled as she ran her fingers along the leaves and examining the texture of the bark. Emberstar chirped curiously as she blinked in the bright sunlight, her red optics brightening and showing the small, white orb within.

"Sun," Starscream breathed, hovering beside his mate.

Oblivion looked up, blinking in the unfamiliar light. "Why is it so bright?" She asked. "It hurts the optics."

"It's the Sun." Starscream replied. "It provides plants the means to grow on this planet, meaning that other life-forms can develop as well."

Oblivion blinked a few more times. "Wow!" She murmured as she took in all the trees, mountains, grass, and the occasional squirrel. "It's beautiful." She cooed.

"What's that?" Emberstar chirped curiously as she pointed at a buck.

"That's a male deer, also known as a buck or a stag." Starscream replied as he nuzzled her gently.

Oblivion watched a large bird circle above them. It kept turning back, twisting its tail around as it steered itself in a large circle, almost like it was getting ready to dive right at them. She chirped curiously, watching the shimmer that the sunlight made off the bird's body.

"What's that?" She asked, pointing up at the circling bird.

"An eagle." Megatron replied, glancing up at it absentmindedly.

Starscream looked up at the bird, squinting slightly as he tried to bring it into focus. "No it's not." He commented.

"A hawk?" He asked as Oblivion giggled.

"No." He stated. "It looks.....metal." He whispered.

Megatron gripped Oblivion close to his chest. "Back up into the base and run a scan on that thing." He whispered as he started to back up.

"Take Emberstar, I'll go check it out." Starscream stated as he took a step closer to Megatron.

Megatron gave Starscream an angry look. 'Last time I let you out of my sight you almost died!'

'It's a fragging bird.' Starscream chuckled.

Megatron glared at him. 'You just said it was metal.' He snapped.

'It's still a bird; what's it going to do? Peck me to death?' Starscream snickered.

"Um...Daddy? It's getting closer!" Oblivion chirped.

Megatron glanced up. "Get in the base now with the sparklings." He ordered. 'And it could also soil your armor...then you're sleeping in a holding cell for the night.' Megatron replied with a chuckle.

Starscream growled as he followed Megatron back, clutching Emberstar tightly as she squirmed slightly. Megatron stopped just at the base entrance and handed Oblivion to Starscream. He turned back to the metal bird and waited, fusion cannon charging. The robotic black and red condor perched calmly on a tree root that hung into the roof entrance of Decepticon base. It cocked its head curiously, and shifted on its legs.

'Ok, so it wasn't an eagle.' "State your business." He stated coldly to the condor.

The bird lowered its head honorably, letting a small chirp leave it. It opened its beak and a recording of a mech's voice sounded from the back of the bird's throat. Megatron tilted his head curiously. "Soundwave, reporting."