Times:

Orn- 1 day

Joor- hour

Vorn- year

Klik- minute

"Wow," Starscream exclaimed as he transformed and landed on the ground. "I am surprised you took me back here, Tc. After all the complaining you did the last time."

"I'm full of surprises, aren't I?" Thundercracker replied with a grin. He reached out his hand for Starscream's and grasped firmly as he walked through the busy streets. He led his lover towards the bar.

"So, care to enlighten me why you brought me here?" Starscream questioned.

"You'll see, " Thundercracker replied. "I want you to meet someone."

"Who?" the red and white mech asked, but Thundercracker didn't respond. "You know I don't like surprises."

The blue seeker laughed as he made his way across the street. The entrance to the bar was in sight, but he didn't see his purple and black seeker. Scanning the crowd, the blue seeker looked to the left then the right. What was keeping Skywarp? Primus, he hoped he wasn't being stood up.

"Well, I see," Starscream smirked. "What an interestingly bland door you took me to, Tc."

"Shut up," Thundercracker retorted and turned around and let out a little startled shout.

"Hey, what's up?" Skywarp said grinning.

"What the..." Starscream said as he backed up away from the purple and black seeker.

Thundercracker shook his head. "What the frag! How did you get right there?"

"My specialty," Skywarp answered and stood right next to Thundercracker.

"You can teleport." Starscream said with a bit of a scowl. "Interesting. Anyways, we are waiting for something important."

"Yup," Skywarp gleefully said. "Sorry to keep you waiting." He wrapped his arm around Thundercracker's.

"I managed to find him yesterday," Thundercracker said and clasped the new seeker's hand.

"You went looking for him?" Starscream asked.

"Yeah," Thundercracker replied meekly. He could tell Starscream was a little upset, although, he wasn't sure why. "And I wanted to introduce him to you."

"Skywarp," the purple and black seeker beamed, extending a hand.

Starscream let out a sigh. "Starscream." With a bit of reluctance, he took the hand in a weak shake.

"Well, now that we know each other, let's get going to the main event!" Skywarp chirped as he began to walk away. He glanced over his shoulder, and frowned. "You two coming or what?"

Thundercracker inched forward as Starscream folded his arms across his chest and huffed. Thundercracker beckoned the red seeker with grabbing at the folded arm and pulling.

"Come on Stars, give him a chance," Thundercracker whispered "He intrigues me. He's nice."

"He smells," Starscream spat back.

"He's homeless." Thundercracker said as he freed an arm.

"And this is a quality that gains your interest?" The red seeker frowned his lips in disgust.

"No. But other things do," Thundercracker explained.

"Like what?"

Thundercracker remained silent as he thought. "I am not really sure." This was the truth. Skywarp didn't take care of his frame. Barely took care of himself, and Starscream was right, he did have a funky odor to him. "Something just... Draws me to him."

Starscream rolled his optics and laughed. "You sure know how to pick 'em Tc."

"Just come on," Thundercracker said, giving the blue and white arm a forceful tug. "Just attempt to get to know him? For me?" Starscream just let out another sigh. "Please?"

Starscream threw his arms up in defeat and began to walk forward. "Fine," He muttered as he grabbed onto Thundercracker's hand. The began to walk after Skywarp, who had walked a bit ahead of them and was looking at a street vendor's cart. Once the pair caught up to Skywarp, the three began walking towards the center of the city. Skywarp led while Thundercracker and Starscream trailed behind.

"So, you quickly decided to go out and look for a third without a care in the world what I would think about it?" Starscream leaned in and whispered in Thundercracker's audial. "You know I have standards."

"Not now, Stars," Thundercracker said, fearing Skywarp could hear. Starscream scowled and opened his mouth to speak but Thundercracker interrupted him. "It's not like that. Not purposely, you know? The urge just happened to go try and find him." Once again, Starscream opened his mouth to complain. "Not now, Stars, OK? We'll talk about it later." Thundercracker fanned his wings in agitation.

Skywarp turned around and walked backwards to speak to the other two. "We are almost there." The crowd became more dense as the trio pushed their way through. Starscream made bitter remarks as bots ran into him or pushed him. Skywarp refrained from laughing as just just stopped. "Here, grab onto me," Skywarp said as he held his arms out. "I can teleport us in closer.

Thundercracker grabbed on, but Starscream was a bit leary at first. With a look of question on his face, he reached out and grabbed the purple seeker's arm. The feeling of dizziness and weightlessness took upon the group as they vanished from the spot to reappear further down the road. Once Skywarp took is arms away, Starscream wobbled a bit in confusion. Thundercracker grabbed at him to ground him, although he wasn't doing much better.

"It'll go away quickly, " Skywarp informed them and smiled.

"What's so special about this place?" Starscream asked.

"You'll see." Skywarp said. "You'll like it."

"How do you know what I'll like?" Starscream replied. "You don't know me."

Skywarp laughed. "No, I don't know you. But I did see how much you enjoyed Megatronus at the gladiatorial match." He quirked an eyebrow at the red and white seeker.

Starscream scrunched up his face. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"He is giving a speech today." Skywarp replied. "This is one of his rallies."

"Rallies?" Starscream questioned.

"About what?" Thundercracker chimed in. "What tactics work best in a match? Or how about the brutalist way to snuff out your opponent's spark?"

"HAH!" Skywarp chuckled. "No, though that would be interesting. He talks about what is really happening. You know, with the energon shortage. And the council." Starscream gave a harump at that. "I think the council is up to something. You know, hiding their true intentions, not being honest." He shrugged his shoulders. "What Megatronus says sounds right."

"What exactly does he say?" Thundercracker asked.

Skywarp shrugged. "A whole bunch of stuff. How the council is corrupt, and he has plans to make some changes. You'll see. It should start soon."

"Changes?" Thundercracker sharply asked. "What kind? And who would implement them? Megatronus?"

"Don't judge a book by it's cover," Skywarp replied. "Just listen. OK?"

Thundercracker nodded, though didn't really like the sound of it. What he didn't like even more was how Starscream's optics lit up at the sound of Megatronus' name, or how he nodded his head in agreement with the things Skywarp said. He just got a bad feeling about it all. He was distracted by his thoughts by the roar of the crowd, and up on the stage, the silver mech walked out. Primus, he was much more intimidating than Thundercracker remembered.

The silver mech smiled and nodded to the audience as he took his place at the center of the stage. The crowd hollered enthusiastically and waved their hands in the air. Megatronus held a hand in the air, and the crowd silenced. Clearing his throat, Megatronus peered over the audience and began to address his crowd.

"Greetings, citizens of Kaon, and those of other cities joining us today." Megatronus boldly spoke. "We gather here once again in the dawning of a new time. A time when all mechs are no longer brought down by the constraints of the old ways. The old ways of categorizing mechs by a presumed function is coming to an end. As well as the unfair distribution of energon. Who is the Council to say we don't deserve our fair share? Why is it they get to engorge themselves with fine energon while we are left with the scraps?"

Megatronus droned on while Starscream ate up the words. Skywarp only idly listened while Thundercracker fidgeted. He just got a bad vibe about all of this, and it bothered him immensely his wanted trine-mate was mesmerized by the speech. The blue seeker let out a sigh and walked behind Starscream to wrap his arms around his waist. Hands slapped as his arms.

"Come on, Tc." Starscream said as he squirmed out of the embrace. "Don't pester me now."

With a sigh of defeat, Thundercracker backed away, completely unhappy at being dismissed. Especially for this speech from Megatronus. He crossed his arms across his chest and scowled until he found a pair of arms wrapping around his own waist. Turning, he saw Skywarp at his side.

"You can coddle me, Tc. " Skywarp said and smiled. "I won't mind." The purple seeker leaned in for a kiss and turned around to lean his back into his chest. Thundercracker rubbed at the other's cockpit and placed light kisses on his neck.

"So, how long has this been going on?" Thundercracker asked and nodded towards the silver mech currently speaking of revolution on the stage.

"For a few months," Skywarp replied. "I see you aren't liking it Tc. But if you didn't stay couped up in Vos, you would see how bad it really is."

"I know what is going on Sky." Thundercracker said between kissing at the other seeker's neck.

"Do you really?" Skywarp questioned sarcastically. "I don't think you do."

"What makes you say that?" Thundercracker asked, slightly offended.

"Don't get mad, OK?" Skywarp asked. "But you are ignorant of how the world is outside Vos. Would you have ever come to Kaon had it not been for Starscream dragging you here?" Thundercracker shook his head no. "How often have you left your secluded city and actually took the time to look at what's happening with the world around you?"

"I've left Vos before." Thundercracker retorted, but deep down, he knew Skywarp was right.

"Ever notice how Kaon is compared to Iacon?" Skywarp asked.

"Iacon isn't in shambles. It's still functioning rather well considering." The blue seeker stated.

"And why is Kaon in ruins? So short on Energon when there where so many mines here?" Skywarp asked.

"The mines dried up," Thundercracker answered.

"They dried up because of order's from the Council from Iacon." The purple and black seeker responded. "They panicked, and once some mines where yielding no more, they ordered all the mines here to be harvested at such a fast pace. They decided to clear Kaon's mines first, taking all the energon from our area and claiming it for themselves. Now, we are left with nothing."

"Why do you stay here then, Skywarp?"

"Because of him," Skywarp pointed to the silver mech. "He's going to change things. Lead us to a better future. Get rid of this corruption and take charge to give the power back to the common mechs."

"And you're sure this Megatronus is the right mech for the job?" Thundercracker sarcastically threw at Skywarp. "How do we know if he won't be just as bad as the Council?"

Skywarp shrugged. "He's a better option then what we got going on now." He turned to face the blue seeker. "Plus, how long do you think Vos has until it feels the strains of corruption?"

"I don't think very much longer," Starscream said and walked next to Skywarp. "I done some searching yesterday. While yes, Vos has energon in storage, but the supply has already been tapped. And how much longer can we afford to be making secret purchases from surrounding cities mines? They are running very low as well."

"It is time to join together and stand up against the injustices inflicted upon us." Megatronus roared from the stage. "Change is upon us, and we are called to rise up and take control of our future; of Cybertron's future."

The crowd went wild with cheers and whistles. Megatronus gave a hearty smile to the crowd, and walked down the side of the stage. Mechs in the crowd shook his hand and patted him on the back while they conversed with the silver mech. Starscream watched on the tip of his pedes.

"What's going on now?" Starscream asked Skywarp.

"Oh, he speaks with mechs who wish to talk after his speeches," Skywarp replied.

"Oh, really?" Starscream curiously said. " Have you ever spoke with him?" Skywarp nodded. " I want to speak with him."

"I don't think so, Stars," Thundercracker butted in with a look of concern on his face.

"Why not?" The red and white seeker demanded.

"It's OK Tc," Skywarp said, placing a hand on a wing in comfort. "Megatronus doesn't rip out sparks or dismember bots outside of the gladiatorial matches."

"It's too crowded," Thundercracker growled as his wings shook in agitation. "We'll never make it."

Skywarp let out a laugh, causing the other two to stare at him. "Guys, I can teleport us in, remember?" He gave a cheeky grin, and Starscream grabbed ahold of his arm, this time with no hesitation. Thundercracker growled, but it was clear that Starscream was going to go, with or without him. He reached out and placed his hand on Skywarp's other arm as his wings flicked angrily on his back. He didn't like this, not one bit.