Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.

A Close Call

"Skywarp, can you teleport?!" Thundercracker yelled.

"What?!" The wind made it really hard to communicate. They dragged Starscream by his arms, and their Air Commander sure wasn't helping. He was hanging along, holding both of their arms.

"I said, can you teleport?!" The blue jet repeated.

"No! I'm too low on power!" The black and purple jet responded. "Can we land?! Just for a short moment?!" Skywarp shouted.

"No! We need to get to the Autobots as fast as we can! Megatron must have send someone after us already!" Thundercracker answered.

"Yeah, I just hope it's not Astrotrain..." Skywarp said to himself. "What?!" Thundercracker asked. "Nothing!" Skywarp answered. "Good! Focus on the flying! We need to keep moving!" The blue jet yelled.

"But the wind's against us! I don't know how much longer I can go on!"

"Me Starscream scared!" Their Air Commander interjected. Thundercracker glanced at the Seeker between them. "It's alright! We'll manage! And soon you'll be safe!" That did little to calm the 'sparkling'.

"Me Starscream no like this! Me Starscream want home!" Then he began to cry. Thundercracker sighed. "Skywarp, please try to teleport!" Thundercracker pleaded. "I'll... I'll try!" Skywarp powered off his optics and struggled. Thundercracker was left to guide them alone.

He knew Skywarp was doing his best. He had used almost all his power on this long trip, not to mention that he teleported them half-way over the Atlantic Ocean earlier. Primus, Thundercracker didn't know what he would do without Skywarp.

Then suddenly they teleported. Thundercracker welcomed the strange feeling with a smile on his lips.

They teleported away from the storm. But then they began to fall. Thundercracker panicked as he tried to keep them in the air.

"Skywarp! A little help here?!" He glanced at his mate. "Oh, dear Primus, help me..." Skywarp was unconscious and slipping away from Starscream's grip. "Quick! Starscream, hold onto him!" For one scary second, Thundercracker was sure Starscream would let go.

But then his Air Commander improved his grip. "What happened to him? Me scared." The Seeker said to Thundercracker, still sobbing. The blue jet hid his panic from Starscream.

"It's alright." He said, both to Starscream and to himself. "Starscream, could you help me? I need you to use your thrusters." Starscream shook his head. "Me no can fly, me too little."

Thundercracker saw the ground coming closer with disturbing speed. Despite all he did to prevent it, they were falling and fast. "Please, Starscream! You can do it! If you don't, we'll smash on the ground!" Again, the Decepticon Air Commander shook his head.

"Me Starscream no care."

"We will die! I've seen you fly many times, you can do it! Trust me!"

"Me no trust you. Why purple idiot no help you? Me too little."

"Skywarp is unconscious, he can't help us! Please Starscream! Try to fly! If you don't, we'll die!"

Starscream glanced at the unconscious Seeker on his left. "Purple idiot hurt?"

"Yes! Please, use your thrusters and try to keep us in the air!"

Starscream nodded. "Ok. Me try." He said.

"Feed power to your thrusters, then they will go online." Thundercracker gave instructions to Starscream. It was so ironic. He was ordering his Air Commander. He was teaching the best flyer of the Decepticon army how to fly. If the situation hadn't been so critical, he would laugh.

Then he felt how their speed decreased. They weren't falling anymore!

"You did it! You did it!" Starscream smiled. "Me Starscream good." He stated smugly. "Yes, very good. Now, help me land."

"Ok."

They landed with a thud and Skywarp collapsed on the ground. Thundercracker quickly kneeled beside him and took his head onto his lap. "Skywarp, wake up! I need you!" He shook his mate, but the black and purple Seeker showed no signs of awakening. His systems were online. He was only unconscious.

"Listen, Starscream. We'll need to carry him the rest of the way. Grab his arm." Starscream did and Thundercracker took Skywarp's right arm over his shoulders.

"Like this, ok? We'll be fine."

"I don't think so, Deceptiscum." Thundercracker looked up. Ironhide and Jazz stood on a small cliff and were pointing their guns at the Seekers' heads.

"Don't shoot!" Thundercracker cried out and lifted his arms up in the air. Starscream followed his example and lifted his arms up too.

Ironhide laughed. "Why not? So you can shoot us first? No way, Thundercracker."

"But we're not your enemies! We came to offer you our aid! We are no longer with the Decepticons, we left them!"

"Yeah, right. I know you Decepticreeps better than I know my own sub space. You'll try anything to get to us. You scumbags..."

Thundercracker powered off his optics. 'Perhaps this wasn't so good idea after all...' He felt how Starscream hid behind him.

"Wait, Ironhide!" Thundercracker brought his optics back online. Jazz was holding Ironhide's hand, preventing him from shooting.

"You know, maybe they're telling the truth man. I mean, what would they be doing here, just the three of them? I sense no one else in the area." Ironhide pulled his hand away from his friend's grasp.

"Isn't it obvious? They are deceiving our sensors. Don't forget they've got that creepy Soundwave."

"Yeah, but I still don't get it. Can't you see that Skywarp's injured? Why would they send an injured Seeker in first?"

Ironhide chuckled dryly. "To arouse our curiousity, that's why. To make us think that he needs our help. I don't think he's even really injured."

Starscream whimpered. Thundercracker turned to him. "It's ok. Everything's gonna be ok..."

"Oh yeah? Says you. What's up with the screechy one anyway? He's been quiet all the time." Thundercracker turned to look at the Autobot.

"He's ill. Very ill. Partly the reason why we came to see you, besides that we want to live in peace."

"Rubbish!"

"Wait a minute man, let him explain himself." Thundercracker quietly thanked Primus for Jazz. Ironhide snorted and folded his arms, still pointing his gun at Thundercracker's head.

"Speak freely, my man. Why are you three here?"

"We came to offer you our aid against a favor."

"What favor?"

"We need you to cure Starscream. He's got amnesia, or so we were told, and Megatron ordered him dead."

"I see. And you're not working for Megatron anymore?"

"No. Would you work for a tyrant who ordered your friend dead?"

Jazz rubbed his chin. "No. But aren't you Decepticons suppose to be sparkless? I've heard that specifically you only care about your own afterburners."

"That's not true. I care about Skywarp and Starscream. And we need your help. I'm sure Megatron has already send someone after us, to kill us. We need shelter from his rage, a sanctuary. And I offer you our aid if you help us."

"Don't tell me you believe that nonsense, Jazz?" Ironhide interrupted. He had a disapproving scowl on his face.

"In fact, I do. Besides, it's not our place to decide what's to happen to them. That's Optimus' call. We need to get them to headquarters."

Ironhide lowered his weapon and jumped off the cliff, Jazz quickly behind him. The red Autobot leaned closer to Thundercracker. "I hope Optimus decides to execute you." He growled.

"Calm down man." Jazz said and went to the Seeker trio. He disarmed them and threw their weapons to Ironhide. Ironhide took them and shot a glare to Thundercracker. "If you try any tricks I'll kill you." Thundercracker nodded.

Jazz sighed. "You're one hot-headed Autobot, you know that Ironhide?" He said and grabbed Skywarp's arm.

"I'll help you carry him." He offerred to the blue jet. Thundercracker smiled. "Thank you." Ironhide snorted. "Hurry up."

Thundercracker turned to look at Starscream. "Stay close to me, Starscream." He said. Starscream nodded. Thundercracker and Jazz lifted Skywarp up and began to carry him. Starscream grasped Thundercracker's wing and followed him.

Thundercracker hoped that Optimus would spare them. Otherwise... He didn't want to think about it.

XXX

Soundwave's cassettes sat around in the control room. Soundwave wasn't there yet and he didn't answer to his comm. link.

"Where do you think he is? This is not like boss at all." Frenzy wondered.

"I dunno. He's never been late before." Rumble sat down on the control panel. Ravage growled and jumped beside him.

'Maybe he's still recharging.' Ravage said as he layed down beside his brother.

"I don't think so Ravage. Soundwave never spends day off's lying around. Besides, he would be in our quarters and we didn't see him." Rumble said. Ravage leaned his head down on Rumble's lap and absent-mindedly, Rumble began to pet him.

"Maybe he's on some secret mission." Frenzy guessed.

"Without us?"

Frenzy shrugged. He looked up to the ceiling. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw were sitting on an air conditioning pipe. "What do you think guys? What did the boss tell you when he ordered you back, Laser'?" Laserbeak jumped off the pipe screeching and landed gracefully on a chair's armrest. Buzzsaw looked after his brother and soon followed him. Neither of them seemed very interested in the topic.

Frenzy sighed. "Ok. How about we forget the whole deal and find something else to do than sit around here?"

"I know, we could go to the Triple Changers and annoy the slag out of them! What do you say guys?" No one was very fond of Rumble's idea. "Alright. As you wish. You can just sit around here and wait for boss whenever he arrives. Or doesn't arrive." Rumble folded his arms. Ravage let out an annoyed growl as the petting stopped.

"Alright bro. But just for a little longer. I'm not gonna stay here and bore myself out of my processors." As soon as his hand landed on Ravage's back, the door hissed open.

Megatron and Soundwave strolled in. Laserbeak reacted fast, as usual, and took off to their direction. Megatron extended his arm and the little vulture cassette sat on it. Rumble jumped off the control panel and walked towards them, Ravage on his heels.

"Hey bosses. Where've you been? We've been looking all over for ya." Rumble began. Soundwave and Megatron shared a glance.

"We have been... Busy. But that's none of your concern." Megatron said. As he began to lower his arm, Laserbeak jumped off and landed on Soundwave's shoulder.

'Mine.' He stated, looking at Buzzsaw.

Buzzsaw didn't like that. He flew after his brother and landed on Soundwave's shoulder cannon. Soundwave seemed annoyed as he began to shoo them away with his hands. That was when Ravage decided to sit down on his foot. Rumble and Frenzy chuckled.

"Hey Soundwave, I guess they really missed you." Frenzy laughed. Soundwave shot them a glare.

"Rumble, Frenzy: Attention. Operation: Shut up." That did little to silence the twins. They just laughed even more.

Megatron went to sit down on a chair in front of the control panel. Laserbeak flew after him and landed on his shoulder. The tyrant didn't notice him at all, as he began to type something on the computer. Laserbeak shot a challenging glare to Buzzsaw.

'Mine.' He stated. Buzzsaw glanced at his direction, looking Megatron over. He decided to stay where it was safe and jumped down on the ground, beside his creator. Laserbeak screeched in triumph. Buzzsaw glared at him angrily and inched closer to Soundwave's feet.

Ravage growled at him. 'Find your own place.' He said. Buzzsaw took off in the air, he was scared of his older brother. Rumble and Frenzy laughed at him. 'Coward.' Laserbeak stated. That was the last drop to Soundwave, who had listened to their exchange of words all along.

"Cassettes: Leave." He ordered and showed them the door. Rumble and Frenzy whined all the way to the corridor, but the rest followed them obediently. Soundwave knew that Ravage, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw would always follow the twins' example. Rumble and Frenzy had some weird power over the rest of his cassettes.

Soundwave watched after them, making sure they didn't stay in the corridor. Then he closed the door and moved across the room to his leader.

Megatron didn't notice him as he stared at the numbers on the screen and rubbed his chin.

"That can't be right..." He muttered and typed in something. Soundwave leaned over his shoulder and wrapped his arms around him. Megatron glanced at him absent-mindedly and then turned his gaze back to the screen.

Soundwave smiled under his face mask. He noticed the error in Megatron's calculations.

"Let me do this, Megatron. This is my responsibility." He said. Megatron sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I guess you're right. And you are better with these than I am. Very well." Megatron stood up and Soundwave pulled his arms back.

The silver mech moved aside and Soundwave sat on the chair. The Decepticon leader watched in awe as Soundwave quickly corrected his error and finished the calculations. "It is done. These are the correct numbers of energon cubes we get from that oil field."

Megatron leaned over his shoulder. "Amazing. I never knew you were that fast..."

"I have had my training." Soundwave explained.

"That much energon cubes? They will last for a long time. Excellent work, Soundwave. We'll attack tomorrow. Now I need to decide who will lead the diversion attack since Starscream is... Gone." He made a small pause.

"I was thinking of Blitzwing. He's a good enough soldier and the others respect him, I'm sure he won't have any problems with the Coneheads or Thundercracker and Skywarp. Maybe I'll even make him my new Second-In-Command..." Megatron studied the reaction of his words on Soundwave with a knowing grin on his lips.

The Communications Officer winced, then he turned his head away and ignored his leader. Megatron chuckled at him.

"It was a joke, Soundwave. If I promote someone to be my Second-In-Command, that someone will be you." The silver mech said and placed his hand on Soundwave's shoulder. The telepath turned to him again and placed his own hand on top of his leader's.

He sent a flirting spark of energy to the silver mech. Megatron had a smug grin on his lips and there was that playful glint in his optics that Soundwave knew well.

"So, you want to play around with your life? I could execute you for that. Fortunately for you, I have a better idea..."

The Decepticon leader pressed a button on the control panel and locked the door. Then he turned his Third around in his chair and sat on his lap. He waved his legs over the armrests. "Let's see how tough you are after I'm through with you..."

Soundwave chuckled with his monotone as the silver mech's fangs attacked his neck. He was sure Megatron would soon get over Starscream with his help.