Thanks to DamonBamon for the other sparkling name: Blaze.
It was only a matter of time.
"Have you picked out names yet?" Miko asked Arcee, as the femme was sitting down, resting. Optimus had made it manditory for her to rest every couple of hours. Arcee nodded.
"Blaze and Fireflight," she said, a hand on her stomach, "I think one of them is a Seeker," Ratchet looked over from his study, and nodded.
"One is a Seeker, and the other is not," Jack was leaning over the rail by the computer. He was holding the piece of paper in his hand with the coordinates on it, "I'm locked onto the coordinates," Optimus, Bulkhead and Bumblebee walked over to the ground bridge, "You get in, get Starscream and get out," Ratchet ordered, "I don't want to have to reattach any limbs," Optimus chuckled, and the three of them went through the ground bridge.
It was only a matter of time.
Starscream leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. He was watching Knock Out and Breakdown work on the control panel. They were doing it all wrong.
"So if we put these wires here," Knock Out was saying, "It should..."
"Blow you to tiny pieces," Starscream said. Knock Out looked over his shoulder at him, "That's how you wire it if you want to build a bomb," He uncrossed his arms and walked over. Knock Out stepped back as Starscream knelt down and began coaxing the wires into place. Airachnid watched from the doorway.
"Well well. Megatron let you out," Starscream stopped his work, and closed his optics.
"On one condition, that is," he said coldly, and opened his optics again. He finished his work with the wires, and stood up. Knock Out looked down at the wires.
"You know Breakdown, we haven't had some energon in a while," he said to his partner, "Why don't we get some?" He winked at Breakdown, and the Decepticon understood.
"Sure," The two walked away from the time machine, "Airachnid, would you like to come with us?" The femme nodded, and the three left the room. Starscream looked at the time machine.
Come on just do it already! Sabotage it!
Starscream grabbed a tool, and slowly knelt down again. He quickly glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one was there. He breathed in, and began his work.
Knock Out wouldn't know the difference.
It was only a matter of time.
Optimus leaned around the corner, checking for drones, and signalled for Bumblebee and Bulkhead to follow him. They quietly crept down the hall, and stopped at a doorway. They heard voices behind it, and Bumblebee leaned in close to listen.
"He'll have that time machine done in no time."
"What if he sabotages it?" There was a chuckle.
"If he cares about Arcee and his newsparks, he won't."
They continued down the hall, "Optimus, you don't think Starscream would build the time machine for them, do you?" Bulkhead whispered. Optimus was silent for a moment.
"I don't know Bulkhead."
It was only a matter of time.
Bumblebee signalled for them, and pointed inside a room. They looked, and saw Starscream bent down by the time machine. Optimus entered the room, "Starscream," The Seeker jumped, and spun around, his missiles ready. He lowered them when he saw Optimus.
"Optimus," he said, standing up, "How did you find me?"
"You can thank Jack for that," Bulkhead said, as he entered the room as well. Bumblebee was outside on watch duty, "He got the coordinates for the Nemesis II."
Thank you Soundwave, Starscream thought, and looked back at the time machine, "It's sabotaged," he said, placing the tools down, "Knock Out won't know the difference," Bumblebee stuck his helm in the room.
Gotta go boss! Cons coming! he said in beeps. Optimus nodded, and looked back to Starscream. The Seeker nodded at him.
"Ratchet, open the ground bridge."
It was only a matter of time.
Jack, Miko, Raf, Arcee and Ratchet turned towards the ground bridge, and soon Optimus walked through, followed by Bulkhead, Bumblebee and finally Starscream. Arcee jumped up, and ran over to Starscream, ignoring Ratchet's comments and threw her arms around him. Starscream pulled her close, and closed his optics, holding her tight. Ratchet cleared his vocal processor, and Starscream looked up, "I'm sure we're all glad that you're safe and that you're back, but we need you to answer a question for us. Why does Megatron want a time machine?" Arcee glared at Ratchet.
"He just got back, and already..."
"It's alright," Starscream said softly, then looked Ratchet dead in the optic, "He wants to go back in time."
"What does he want from the past?" Raf asked, confused, "There's nothing that can help him defeat the Autobots," Starscream's look darkened.
"Yes there is."
Megatron examined the time machine, "How could he had escaped unless," He turned to Knock Out, "you weren't watching him!" He grabbed the second-in-command by the throat and slammed him into the wall, "HOW COULD YOU LET HIM ESCAPE?"
"Lord... Megatron...with...all...due..."
"Don't give me that slag," Megatron snarled, tossing him down, "Now we're going to be behind schedule!"
"That is not so," Airachnid said from the door. She was leaning against the frame, "Starscream left schematics to finish the machine scratched onto the wall of his cell," Megatron smiled.
"Is that so?"
It was only a matter of time.