First things first, I am really sorry for the long wait, but I can't say for sure that it won't be repeated. Even though I'm finished with all my exams, I have to start a month-long summer-practice(?) next week, so I'm not promising anything.

As for the chapter, I... guess everyone will have their own opinion. Whether you tell me or not is up to you. This is my ever first attempt at writing an interface-scene in the Transformers fandom, and it's not... really as explicit, not because I'm a prude (I don't think I am), but I couldn't make it any... more. That I want to keep for... later parts of the story. ;) Anyway, if you liked it, or want to kill me, or by now you hate my guts, don't be afraid to tell me. :)

X.

It was one of those rare times when Skyfire was vibrating and almost bouncing on his pedes at the spaceport. They had been there for several breems, the whole complex ready since they received the signal that Shrapnel successfully bridged back and was now entering the exosphere. It had been more than a hundred stellar cycles since a Cybertronian scientific team, let alone an exclusively Vosian one, was sent to the small organic planet labelled R-03-LC;O155832 in their nomenclature. Skyfire could hardly wait to see the results of their exploration and the samples they brought back.

Starscream, however, was much more reserved. Skyfire thought he was simply tired, during the past solar cycles Starscream only came home in the evenings and almost instantly fell into recharge just to fly back to Iacon to work early in the mornings; they barely had time to spend together in calm silence like they used to, when they went on explorations, just the two of them...

Skyfire glanced down at his intended who stood with arms crossed over his chest, optics on the sky, but he appeared to be deep in thought, optics watching but not seeing. Back then, of the two, it was Starscream who was worse at restraining his excitement, and new discoveries and results had always filled him with thrill - now he was uncharacteristically quiet, as if the return of their scientific team did not interest him at all. Skyfire just opened his mouth to ask if there was anything wrong when a flare of Slipstream's EM field startled them both. Starscream glared at his sister who just shrugged before turning back to the sky, her smile brightening once again as the space shuttle they waited for finally appeared in the atmosphere.

"About time." Bombshell grumbled. The stealth jet crossed his arms over his broad chestplate, but despite the attitude he was putting on, he couldn't hide the mild relief from his features. It was the first time his best friend got to be the leader of the exploration to that organic planet.

"Patience, Bombshell." Skyfire smiled without tearing his optics from the sky, "The most important is that they made it back safely."

"And the results, aren't they?" Starscream added with a smirk that finally eased some of the tension. Skyfire returned his gaze and shared a smile with him, relishing for a moment in the feeling that Starscream was really there. A few solar cycles ago he didn't even come to the Natural History Museum to organize the section where the new samples would go from this expedition after all the genetical and physiological analysis, in taxonomical order, where before he would participate in all with the enthusiasm of a new discovery.

A part of that now shone through and Skyfire wanted to grasp onto it, wishing they could be alone to enjoy it to its full extent, but the next moment they were told to back away as Shrapnel got close enough to land. The grey and purple shuttle's vents made hard, whooshing sounds as he touched ground and received a quiet applause when his door finally opened and his Seeker companions stepped out. Shrapnel only transformed once every piece of equipment was taken outside his cargo hold.

Skyfire couldn't keep his grin at bay as he and Starscream listened to Sunstorm's quick overview of their journey. As the planetologist and mapper of the crew, his report was expected first on the organic planet,

"There weren't drastic geological changes," he explained cheerfully, "hydrologically, it was much more interesting. Of course, the hydrobiological and ecological report will take a little time to make, considering the amount of samples and records—"

"Is it compatible for colonization?" Starscream interrupted. Slipstream turned to him with a frown, but her brother ignored her. Sunstorm seemed to be better at hiding his surprise at his fellow Seeker's sudden question.

"It is a geologically active planet, Your Excellency." he replied, "In terms of diameter and surface gravity, it is similar to Cybertron, and... even the most intelligent species don't come close to be a threat. To answer your question... geochemical and atmospherical research indicates it can potentially hold energon crystals."

"Will you be able to give a more accurate opinion after the analysis of the reports?"

"Yes, senator."

"Good."

"A moment, I'll be back." Slipstream murmured to Sunstorm who just looked on in confusion as she grabbed Starscream's arm and pulled her brother away from the small crowd that gathered around the recently returned team. Starscream pulled her back and set a slow, steady pace to prevent the young femme from dragging him.

"What's the big deal?" Starscream growled under his breath.

"Kinda wanted to ask you the same." Slipstream hissed, "What do you want from them, they've just come back! What are you planning?"

"What makes you think I'm planning something?"

"Where shall I begin..."

"'Stream..." Starscream rolled his optics, "Let this be my own business, alright? I am going to Kaon this afternoon, if you want to come, get ready."

Slipstream turned to her brother with a flash in her shining red optics, "Kaon? Of course I want to go! But Starscream, Sunstorm just got back, is it too much to ask if I can spend a little time with him?"

Starscream also turned to her with a slight frown on his face. He noticed the bright pulsations in his sister's electromagnetic field that just seemed to intensify since Sunstorm was near again - he couldn't identify anything more exact and he wanted to ask Slipstream about it earlier, but never found the time to do so. He brushed it away once more, thinking he had more important matters to attend to, "Who said you can't? Just be at my platform in two joors, or we're leaving with Skywarp, and then don't come after us. I don't want anyone seeing you in Kaon's airspace."

Slipstream took a deep went, turning towards the sky as if asking for help, "Can you give me any less credit, my dear brother?"

"Crash, please, just think about it. I know it's not much of a—"

"Look, Blurr," Crasher buried her forehead in her palm, "I won't change my opinion, okay?"

The blue mech sitting opposite her, Blurr also vented in frustration and straightened in his seat, "Do you at least have your degrees with you?"

Crasher frowned angrily, "I didn't... finish the academy, Blurr, you damn well know it!" she hissed through her dentae, hushing her voice as if she was afraid of being heard even in her own room, "The ones I do have are... I don't need them here."

::AFTHEAD!::

Rumble almost jumped to the roof of the shaft when he heard his twin's voice bellow in his head. He barely managed to stay motionless and for a moment was afraid even the two robots down in the small room could hear what was happening above them. He switched to his internal comm. and hoped the growl he sent back was still as effective as he wanted.

::What now?::

::Since ya weren't reacting to 'Rumble', thought I'd try your real designation. S'prise, it worked.::

Rumble rolled his optics, ::What do you want, Frenzy?::

::Where are you?::

::'S not your fragging business.::

::Meaning 'with Crasher', huh?::

::Not... yet.:: Rumble directed his optics back to the mini-con and her companion below him still deep in their conversation, ::So unless you're sick or somethin' leave me alone.::

He heard a soft whoosh of air and Frenzy's voice soon followed, ::Creator's heading out in a joor, he wants me to reprogram and fill in some blank datapads for him. I don' wanna do it alone, so drag your aft down here.::

Rumble watched the tall, streamlined robot - that he could still hardly believe was the Velocitronian star racer - give what he recognized as a credit chip to Crasher who silently thanked him before the both of them got up to leave the room. Rumble got ready to follow them, but his cables relaxed when he saw Crasher wasn't going with him. ::Later, Zee, 'kay? Promise.::

::I'm not making dea—::

The mini-con cut off the conversation with his twin and turned back, he positioned himself for transformation - he transformed back to his bipedal form and landed on the floor just as Crasher made her way back to her berth to examine the contents of the chip and almost jumped out of her frame when Rumble materialized in front of her.

"Hey!" the purple 'bot beamed and pointed to the door, "Was it really the Blurr, Lightning of the Road? He really talks faster than a—"

A fist collided with his head and sent him plummeting to the floor. Rumble fell with a hard thud and all he saw was static for a few nanoklicks before his head cleared and he sat up holding his jaw, he could actually make out the faint taste of energon on his glossa. He glared up at the femme who tossed the chip she held under a datapad hurriedly.

"As if you're not used to me coming by now." Rumble threw his hand up and pushed himself to his pedes.

"As if you're not used to me punching you by now." Crasher retorted and stood before Rumble with both hands on her hips as if to block his view from the place where she hid the chip, "Yes, he's that Blurr. So?"

"How do you know him? You seemed very... personal... with him." Rumble cocked his head to the side that in turn made Crasher raise an optical ridge.

"He's my cousin. And... my patron."

"Your what?! I never saw him here before!"

Crasher shrugged and her rigid stance relaxed somewhat, her voice growing quieter, "He constantly wants to get me out of here. He doesn't understand my reasoning, so I guess it's for the better we don't meet often. Only when he brings me the credits. At least the few I can get to my hands. That's quite enough."

"And you hid it from me because... you thought I'd take it from you?" pure confusion shone through Rumble's voice, reminding Crasher that he was still not fully accustomed to life there among the gladiators.

"Experience." she replied and added solemnly, "I got used to not trusting. Not just here. You'll get used to it, too."

"But you can trust me." Rumble grinned and climbed up to the berth next to her and playfully punched her arm, "I'm your best buddy."

"Oh, yes." Crasher rolled her optics with a hidden smile, "Where would I be without you?"

"Exactly!"

"I thought you could hear the sarcasm dripping..." Crasher raised her optics to the ceiling and shook her head, "I really don't know what I ever found attractive in such a dumbaft like you."

"So you are attracted!" the mini-mech let his head fall onto the other's shoulder, "Hard to believe with you."

"With you being this damn clingy, it's not a surprise." the gladiator cocked an optical ridge and found a hand had sneaked around her head and pulled her down with minimal force to meet the other mini-con's lip components. She let him; while she firmly believed she was better off alone, it was undoubtedly nice to be cherished once in a while. Or rather more and more often, with Rumble who was, understandably, used to having his creator and siblings close to him all the time, he was practically craving this bodily contact. Crasher had already forgotten what it felt like until he showed her again and though she knew she would never become this affectionate, she couldn't deny that it felt good, really good.

Almost... normal.

"What exactly do you want?" she whispered, locking her optics deep in the other's brightly glowing ones as if trying to seek truth from them alone.

However, the answer was that annoying grin she seemed to receive more often than she would have liked, "As in right now, or...?"

"Oh, shut up."

"What took you so long?"

The grumbled question and the sight of the tri-color Seeker standing before him with arms crossed over his chest plates, a frown marring his dark, delicate features - and especially the tone Starscream used should not have surprised him. Megatron resisted the urge to raise an optical ridge as he took in the picture and turned fully to the senator, making sure he stood close enough to tower over the more fragile mech.

"I fail to figure out, Starscream," he hissed the designation, "just why you feel like you have the right to demand here. Must I always remind you that you are not in charge?"

"No... I'm just your personally required guest who happens to be part of the ruling body." Starscream straightened up, "I know why I'm here. You need me and my flyers and you know there is no other state than Vos that has an elite army of well-trained flyers in such a large number. That's it, isn't it? That is why you want me here and you better not insult me or else—"

"Come down from the clouds, Starscream." Megatron took a deep vent, "I do not recall saying anything insulting to upset your sensitive little spark. And yes, that is the main reason of your being here, I don't deny." Megatron took a step back and, intent on distracting Starscream's attention from his superior feelings, he asked, "But what is your current reason for coming?"

Starscream huffed, his optics followed the large gladiator as he slowly paced in his room. It was the first time they had talked in Megatron's own quarters - something Starscream didn't think he would have been ready for had it been the other way around, but at least they were alone, even that creepy silent gladiator, Soundwave wasn't there, who always seemed to be by Megatron's side like a shadow.

"A suggestion." the Seeker's voice stopped Megatron's pacing and Starscream allowed a smirk to his faceplate, "We do not only have Cybertron's largest aerial military force... ours are some of the finest astronomers as well. My... intended... is the director of our Astronomical Division and one of our exploration teams has just arrived back from a mission."

Megatron frowned slightly at hearing the Seeker's words, he again faced Starscream, "How does that concern our rebellion?"

"What it concerns... is what comes after the rebellion." Starscream took a step forward, "When the Senate's forces strike back, it will become open war. And when we win and possess Cybertron under our rule..." Megatron's optics narrowed slightly, his spark swirling up, but he let Starscream continue, "we need to ensure we have all the resources we need. You have weapons... robots who are willing to fight for the cause... but we need to feed them. Bases to house them."

"That hasn't avoided my attention." Megatron cocked his head to the side, "Our construction team is ready to deal with the accommodation of the growing number of our soldiers. As for the energon... there have been suggestions of developing synthetic compounds. What is your suggestion? And what does it have to do with that mission?"

"If you had let me finish," Starscream raised an optical ridge, "The team's current mission was the exploration of a rocky organic planet that has a high potential to hold and grow raw energon crystals. We are also leading experts at developing cyberforming techniques... the eco-structuring of exoplanets. And we're not talking about only one world, but many."

Megatron took a moment in contemplating silence before he spoke again quietly, "Colonization, Starscream? We are not planning that far yet... our rebellion has not even started, and it won't for a while until I deem it ready."

"Well, then, you should think further." Starscream stepped up to him, his optics were blazing like the fires of a star and the beginning of a smile was playing on his lips, "With us at your side... when you turn Cybertron's rules upside down, you will need to think of your people. Hide some of our supplies offworld... for when Cybertron's resources dry out, we will still be standing. And don't forget that Vos's spacebridge is not under the Senate's supervision. We are independent in that matter, thanks to my efforts. Let it not go to waste either." the Seeker stepped even further, his smile grew and his voice quieted down, floating just between the two of them, "Use it to our advantage. I am... willing to grant it to further our cause. What do you say, Megatron?"

Manipulative little glitch, Megatron thought, but found himself returning the smile. Starscream's words made sense, they really needed to think about resources, energon mainly, after all, rumor had been circulating around about Cybertron's energon supplies decreasing every stellar cycle. And what they were planning would consume much energy. In... or outside of Cybertron.

The gladiator lifted a hand and placed it on the smaller mech's shoulder - he felt Starscream tense and could see he just managed to get his features back under control, "Everything in due time, Starscream. You are envisioning many and enormous things... but be careful. They may crush a mech should there be a mistake."

Starscream narrowed his optics at the silent warning as the words ran through his central circuitry, for a moment he even forgot about the large hand resting on his shoulder plate,

"Since I'm not the only one involved... I'm sure there will be a counter-balance." he cocked an optical ridge again, his spark was angrily buzzing and small fluctuations ran along his EM field. He decided to let it flow, let Megatron know he wouldn't make him back down with mere words. He knew what he was doing, and he also knew that Megatron needed them and Starscream felt some small satisfaction over that fact. The game would eventually be played by his rules...

"Fortunate indeed," the smirk wasn't gone from Megatron's face and the satisfaction was wiped away, "that I have many to count on. Don't forget it Starscream; we do it together. No one, not even you will decide without me. You may have your titles, and I am thinking about giving you a high rank and important tasks among my advisors, but it is me you will answer to. And together," his grip on Starscream's shoulder tightened slightly, the two EM fields brushed together in faint waves, "there will be no mistakes."

...after all, Cybertron would crumble under the sheer force of will and power that was Megatron and the starving lot. And he would be there to take whatever could be taken. They would be there.

"Have you ever done it before?"

"Seriously?"

"Mech or femme?"

"Mechs and femmes. In plural."

Crasher rolled her optics for the umpteenth time that joor, but there was no annoyance in it now. She was lying on the berth, facing Rumble above her who already sneaked a leg between her thighs as if asking for permission. She listened to the combined whirring of their cooling fans in the mute quarters and tried to turn the tone serious before she would let him advance any further.

"I told you last time to think before you jump into things." her voice was quiet and devoid of any reprimanding tone, "Are you sure?"

Rumble's faceplate smoothed out from the smirk he was wearing and tilted his head to the side as he studied the other mini-con's expression, trying to figure out why she was still doubting him, "I know I want you. It's rather what you want."

His ventilations were still small, soft, just enough to help his fans circulate air in his frame, coolant tubules were still not rushing with icy liquid - but it was clear his systems were prepared for what would come if only she allowed him. And even if he lied, Crasher thought, what could she lose? She had lived without him, without anyone to really trust for stellar cycles. She wouldn't be weaker just because she let him in; the only thing she would have to adjust to - and he was making sure she did - was having him near.

And would that be really that bad?

She parted her legs and almost shuddered when Rumble's EM field flared up against hers. He eagerly climbed atop her and the small femme already felt his digits trying to worm their way between plates that made her tense up at the sudden contact.

"We're not hurrying anywhere." Crasher bumped her knee to his side and Rumble stopped for a klick to place a peck on her carotid cables.

"Sorry." he mumbled and slowed his movements a tad, continuing with caresses instead as the panel slid aside and his digits found their way to the valve's folds. It took a few klicks for Crasher to relax into the touch; she hadn't interfaced for stellar cycles by then and the thought that maybe it was foolish to go there still sprang to her mind, it took some klicks to override it. The intensity of the contact was much stronger than she remembered when that digit was now sliding along the mesh and nodes inside the valve, trying to prepare it for the friction they needed.

"Does it hurt?" she heard Rumble ask, his ventilations were growing wilder by the moment. Crasher onlined her optics to see Rumble give her a questioning look, his expression almost one of fear as he waited for her answer. She shook her head and told her frame to relax on the berth as she felt her circuits springing to life with a quickening saltatory of charge. Waves of electricity, magnetic field and sensory input threatened an onslaught on her processor.

Voltage-gated channels opening to feed the inner turmoil, Rumble watched the other's face for a while to search for any signs of discomfort, trying to slow his pace if Crasher's features twitched, but the moist heat around his spike and the friction their movements created left his sensors more and more overwhelmed with the intensity. He didn't remember ever having so much charge build up in his circuits before during an interface that just kept his gyros moving, pump overworking to rush coolant along cydraulics while the charge still just built...

Electricity burst to his chest and Rumble let the plates open, purely on instinct, to bare his spark chamber and soon only his naked, whirling spark. Induced by the combined stimuli of the spark's unique energy field and the charge ravaging her own frame, Crasher's plates also opened before she could have stopped it. As if she wasn't in control of her own body anymore; the sparks pulled, coronae meeting in tiny tendrils, the endoplasma around their cores were starting to melt away to allow access to all microspheres in the center that contained their CNA - preparing for a full merge.

The words caught up in Crasher's vocalizer and all that came out was a thin whine as all the conductive filaments attached and the very core of their being touched. All she saw was blazing light at first that she couldn't decide was the physical light of the merge or her optics whiting out; pictures flashed in her processor, memories not her own, and for a moment she realized Rumble must have seen hers as well. Just a small part of the share, for the next klick the charge reached its maximum and overload burst through their every nanocircuitry.

It took several klicks for Rumble to come back to his senses and realize what happened. Their chest plates closed on their own accord, and he still felt like his spark - and his whole body - was burning, it ran crazy circles inside his chamber and throbbed savagely against his coils. He couldn't even move, and he saw that neither could Crasher. Their vents working hard, they just stared at each other in the afterglow of the interface and spark merge, the shock still too much for either of them to be able to say anything.

Soundwave was just finishing the last datapad for the joor and sighed as he placed it atop the others. The construction mechs still didn't get around to make place for his personal computer in his own room and until that he always had to go down to the central computer to transfer all data there. He liked better to be alone when he worked.

But, at least he was free to go out to meet Blaster that afternoon. He was satisfied with their developement so far; he was slowly introducing the other dual-spark to their lifestyle, both helping him with his research and silently coaxing him into patronage. It didn't require any acting on his part - he sincerely felt good with the other dual-spark, he was fully himself during the time they spent together and that offered much needed comfort for Soundwave. Quiet serenity filled his spark at the thought as he ran his optics along the lines on the datapad for the last time before rising to go to Megatron.

"Frenzy," he spoke, the mini-mech looked up from his cube of energon at his designation, "Have you called your brothe—"

Soundwave never finished his question, for at that moment he felt like he had exploded inside; an all crushing tidal wave of charge raged over his whole body, static burst before his optics for a moment and his spark expanded and squeezed, oscillating in searing heat. He gasped and just caught himself on his chair as his knee joints buckled, his frame shuddered wildly from the assault of charge and sensations, overloading in a burst of stars. He faintly heard a feline yowl and the sound of breaking glass before his vision cleared.

Frenzy was on all fours above the broken cube and puddle of energon, his entire body was terribly shaking and he was grasping his chest plate with one hand as his ventilations grew labored - Soundwave was by his side the next moment, he picked him up and placed him gently on the berth, trying to soothe his creation both telepathically and via their bond. Ravage and Laserbeak were soon there, Soundwave could detect a quick buzzing in their EM fields as well and he was also still on his way to calm down after the energy washed through him, a wave so strong it had literally become physical through the spark bond they all shared.

A faint groan of pain from Frenzy brought him back from his thoughts and Soundwave activated the mini-con's fans to help him cool down. When it seemed his ventilations were finally calming, Soundwave pulled his trembling creation close and stroked his chest plate in circles to help soothe his spark further, close to his own spark to help Frenzy feel its radiation, since he couldn't transform to directly attach to it and settle down, but his thoughts were already elsewhere again. To his one creation who wasn't present... and a hard weight of anger flashed in his processor.

Rumble...

"You're quiet."

Crasher averted her optics from the ceiling to meet Rumble's still overly bright ones. She frowned slightly, her fans had quieted down by then and the charge was dissipating, but her circuits were still running, nanotubules overflowing with thoughts. For a while they just lay on the berth, side by side, Rumble's digits occasionally caressed traces on her arm and shoulder, but she didn't return the affection. There was too much in her mind to pay attention; it was Rumble's voice that tore her away from the maelstrom of thoughts and emotions.

"I... never merged before." was the only sensible thing she could muster. She couldn't form into words what she was feeling right then.

"Me neither." Rumble pushed himself up on his elbow to lean closer to her, "You alright?"

Crasher nodded slowly, despite the warmth still not quite gone from her chest, and decided to ask what had set her mind reeling in a furious storm, "You really love me so much?"

A quiet, amused huff was the answer, "Wasn't it obvious?" then Rumble frowned, too, his tone turning more serious, "You could... feel it, huh?" seeing Crasher nod again, the frown returned, "Then why are ya still not believing it?"

Crasher turned back to the ceiling and shrugged, "I thought you were just coaxing me into an interface... I went along because I like you, but I never had high hopes. I thought... you would just leave like the others after you had me, and it would be over."

"Like the ot—..." Rumble reeled back in shock, but continued, "If you thought I'd jus' leave you, why did you do it with me?"

Crasher shook her head and spoke softly, "I guess I'm a slagging idiot. That's why."

"We agree on that."

"Thought so."

The happy smile returned to Rumble's face, relieved that the tension between them finally seemed to evaporate, only to freeze along with his whole frame. A hand flew to his chest and Rumble frowned, pushing himself up on the berth. Crasher followed him with an expression that could even be called worried on her faceplate.

"What is it?" she asked, "Your spark hurts?"

"Nah," the mini-mech shook his head, "'S... Frenzy hurting."

Her features smoothing out and wondering about the sudden sinking feeling, Crasher murmured, "You need to go then."

Two digits under her chin gently forced her to look back up into those cheerful and optimistic optics, "Take off that face, will ya? I'm coming back."

"No, no, your family's more important." she waved him away and stood up from the berth, "I wanted to go to the training room anyway."

"After this? You should rest."

"And you should shut up and get your aft off my berth."

Soundwave could hear the pain lessen in Frenzy's spark that was caused by the powerful overload the merge created in Rumble by the time their door opened. The dual-spark did not even need to look up to know who entered; Rumble took two steps into their room, hurried steps to his brother's side before he halted seeing the icy look Soundwave gave him. The purple twin was vibrating with colors, only for his EM field to shrink back in sudden fear when Soundwave got up from the berth and towered over him.

"C-creator..."

"Was it Crasher?" the growl of a question made Rumble take a step back, optics widening at the silent fury he felt in Soundwave's electromagnetic field.

"I didn't..."

"You didn't?!"

Faster than lightning, Soundwave grabbed the back of the mini-con's neck, leaving Rumble gasping in frozen shock. By the time he regained his senses enough to try to fight back, Soundwave's other hand was already on the panel covering his interface array. He heard Laserbeak calling out to him, her voice also frightened at their creator's outburst, but he silenced her and her siblings with a mental push. He shoved away Rumble's hands and pushed apart his legs, tightening his grip on the mini-mech's neck that made him hiss in pain. Soundwave got the panel open and pulled the spike out, Rumble shuddered and watched him raise his hand up with terrified optics, on his creator's digits the remnants of lubricant and transmetal fluid glistened in the sunlight.

Soundwave turned back to him, ice-cold gaze hardening even more, but his voice was a silent whisper, "This is what you didn't do?"

He finally let go of his creation and stood up, he turned his back to Rumble, but soon turned to him again. The purple mini-mech was still just standing there, panel open, digits curled into fists, his body was shaking slightly; tears formed under his optics, barely holding from rolling down his face. Soundwave felt his spark squeeze at the image, feeling how angry and scared of him his son was, but his own anger and disappointment overrode feeling sorry for what he did to him.

"I asked you one thing... to be careful." Soundwave grumbled, "That you wouldn't do anything reckless. For all our sake. Was it too much to ask?!"

Rumble looked up, his features disfigured in a grimace of fury, "I didn't merge on purpose!" he cried, "You're overreacting like you always do when something happens! Can't I be with whoever I like?"

"It's not about that, Rumble!" Soundwave's volume was rising as well, "Can't you understand that? You think I want to deny you everything good? No, I say things for a reason, but if I can't trust even my own creation, then what am I supposed to do?!"

"As if I ever gave you any reason not to trust me!" Rumble pointed a digit at him, "You're a hypocrite, Soundwave! You go around fooling with Blaster, but when I want to have somebody you're blowing it all up!"

Not even calling me creator now. Soundwave's optics narrowed at the accusation and he took a step towards the mini-con, "I told you already about the situation and my purpose with Blaster, so calling me a hypocrite on that is meaningless. You never think before you say something... or before you do something. Why can't you listen to me? Why do you need to rebel?!"

"Because you think you can control everything around you," Rumble wiped the coolant away from his optics, "even us! I fragging well know we need to keep together, but when we try to live our own lives you stop that in some way! You want to chain us to yourself, or what?! You want to solve everything for us and control our lives, but can't you see you can't?! We're not younglings now, Soundwave, and we can decide about what we do without you saying yes or no!"

Soundwave glared at his creation in cold silence, his words harsh inside his processor. He could feel and hear and see the raging storm of emotions in and around the small mech that seemed to match what he himself was feeling at the moment. Never had any of his creations talked to him like that; of course, they had arguments in the past, but never to this extent. He couldn't decide whether it was anger, disappointment or both that welled up in him...

His chronometer pinged him in warning that he should leave soon - he picked up the datapad he filled in for Megatron and turned one last time to his trembling creation,

"Alright..." he said, calmly, coolly quiet, "then it's time you took responsibility for your decisions. Without me being there to solve your mistakes."

With that, he stepped aside Rumble and exited their room, leaving all four siblings in shocked silence. His pedes took him to Megatron's quarters, Soundwave didn't even see where he was going, but he had his senses enough to feel surprised when he saw Starscream in the room as well and saw that he, apart from tiny bursts of color, was content in the gladiator's presence alone far from his trine mates.

"The report about Heretech and his partners." Soundwave said as he gave the datapad to Megatron, "I would like to leave the arena for a few joors."

"Of course, Soundwave, spend outside as much time as you like." Megatron tilted his head to the side, frowning slightly, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes." the dual-spark replied curtly and bowed his head towards the two mechs in farewell before he finally left the arena. All serenity in his spark upon the thought of meeting with Blaster was gone now, and only the task remained before him that Soundwave knew he needed to accomplish, for his family, to make it all better for them. The only thing that kept him going for stellar cycles by then, whatever Rumble or anyone else thought.

After all, who else would solve everything?

Thank you for reading! :)

Off to bed.