Title: The Prime
Genre: Action/Drama, Friendship/Romance
Rating: T for mild transformer swearing, some violence, and crude language
Short Summary:
When a young mech destined to be the next Prime is exiled by his evil uncle, he must learn what it means to become a great leader.

Chapter Twenty

It was early morn when everyone started to come out of recharge. The first thing that they noticed, the mechs and femmes was Elita One speaking quietly to Slipstream, who looked rather frantic about something.

And the second thing they noticed was two mechs were nowhere to be seen. That was rather disconcerting.

Ironhide detangled himself from recharging next to Chromia, helping her to her feet, which earned him a coy smile. "Hey, what's going on?" He grunted in between a stretch and a yawn.

Elita One turned from Slipstream, frowning seriously. "We have a problem. Where is Optimus? Has anyone seen Optimus?" She asked worriedly.

The mechs stiffened before looking around. They didn't see their tallest friend and adopted brother. That was definitely worrying. He had never been one to be missing when they woke.

Jazz looked worried as he glanced around at the young mechs, motioning to around the area. "Guys, look around the Sanctuary. Find out where Optimus is hiding." He told Prowl, the twins and Bumblebee. He then frowned at Elita One. "I thought he was with you. Why wasn't he? Didn't you find him and talk to him yesterday?"

Elita One sighed, looking away as if ashamed. "We got into a fight. I said...I might have said some things a little too harsh to him." She said regrettably.

"What did you say to him?" Ironhide gruffed, not looking happy at all. In fact, he looked rather protective and angry.

Chromia frowned at him before slapping his chassis lightly. "Hey, do not talk to my friend..." she was saying.

"No." Prowl interrupted seriously. He was looking deeply at Elita One, not looking any happier than the big black mech did. "What did you say to him, Elita One? Whatever you said must have upset him enough. So what...?"

"She told me the truth."

Everyone started at the sound of Optimus' voice from behind them. They spun around to look at him, freezing when they saw that he was not alone. Elita One, Ratchet and the femmes gaped in surprise when they saw the old mech with Optimus. They knew who he was when the others did.

"Alpha Trion!" Elita One said ventlessly before she, the femmes and Ratchet swept down to one knee in a respectful bow.

"Who the frag is that?! How did you find our home?!" Ironhide demanded.

"Hey! Show some respect, hot stuff! He was a Prime!" Chromia told him, though she was smirking. Everyone else just gaped in surprise at that news.

Alpha Trion merely smiled before shaking his head. " I am merely a scholar now. Nothing more. So please stand up, my young friends. We do not have time for such respect." He explained.

Elita One stood up gracefully, glancing at Optimus, who met her gaze. "Master Alpha Trion, what are you doing here? I thought you were in hiding from the Decepticons." She stated.

The old mech merely shrugged. "I was. But I had heard of Young Orion Pax's survival and knew I needed to talk some sense into him. Therefore, here I am." He told her.

Everyone looked at Optimus, questionably, who nodded with a serious look on his face. He looked directly at Elita One, stepping closer to her. "Elita, you were right. I was being a coward and running from my past. But not anymore. I am going to do what is in my energon." He said before looking around at his estrange family. "I am going back to Iacon to face Megatron. I will not ask you to joining me. It would be too dangerous. Risking your lives because of my uncle, I cannot ask you to do that. But I must go back and make things right." He told them.

Jazz and Ironhide glanced at each other, frowning. Then the silver mech stepped forward. "So, what? You are saying goodbye or something? That's it?" He then shook his head when Optimus started to nod. "Nuh-uh, mech. Not gonna happen. We been together for nearly twenty vorns, Optimus. I am going with you. I ain't letting you fighting alone." He said firmly.

"Jazz, it isn't your fight..." Optimus was saying.

Ironhide huffed loudly before folding his arms across his chassis. "We are making it our fight, Optimus. We are family, kid. We found ya when you needed someone there to take care of ya, so we gonna take care of ya. Besides, sounds like a fight's coming if you're facing Decepticreeps. And you know I like a good fight. So I'm going too." He said firmly.

Bumblebee nodded as he stood up, holding his head up high. "I want to help too. All my life you have protected me, Optimus. Now it is my turn." He said as bravely as he could.

Prowl nodded as he stood just as tall. "You have been my best friend for a long time. I will fight alongside you, brother." He told his much taller friend.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker glanced at one another before shrugging and looked at Optimus. "Well, you lot aren't leaving is behind. So we are with you until the end." The sunny colored twin said.

Optimus felt his spark go out to them. He could never be more proud to have friends like this. He would never forget this. "Thank you. This means a lot to me." He then looked around for the last of his brothers and then frowned. "Where's Starscream?"

Slipstream and Elita One stiffened, all pride washing out of them.

"Oh! Well that was the problem we were trying to find you for! Starscream is gone! He left!" The Seeker femme said now frantic.

Everyone stiffened, looking worried now. Optimus stared intensely at Slipstream, his spark feeling as if it was about to rupture. "Where did he go?" He asked anxiously.

Slipstream grimaced weakly as she looked directly at him. She knew this was going to be a very tense subject for them when they found out. "He...he has gone to Iacon. To kill Megatron for what he has done to you. He is going to get himself killed if he faces that monster alone." She said weakly.

Again, the Sanctuary mechs tensed up, this time in horror. "What?!" They exclaimed.

Swooping through the air, Starscream could see his destination right up ahead. It had taken all cycle of flight to getting there, but he finally found it.

His red optics hidden behind his cockpit narrowed as he took in the dark structure before him. It was a dark place, darker than Tranquility had been. He could see how much this place had suffered by how dark it was. He had heard how bright and live Iacon had been but he just wasn't seeing it. This once glorious city, the brightest and most alive city of all of Cybertron was a wasteland now.

The streets were barely empty and full of scrap metal from Cybertronians torn apart by the Decepticons. There were hardly any one out. There was even a hint of fear and hatred in the air, so thick that it made the Seeker's spark vibrate nervously.

Starscream didn't like this. But he had a goal he was seeking. He had to make things all right again. He owed it to Optimus, Prowl and all of his strange brothers.

Suddenly, there came the screaming of jet engines, tearing Starscream's processor out of his deep thoughts. He jerked in the air as warning shot was fired at him, causing him to spin in the sky to avoid another shot. He barely had time to set himself straight when there came a loud crack and something landed hard on his wings.
A yelp was all he could muster before he was sent crashing to the ground with something heavy pinning him down. He couldn't even transform as he was shoved mirthlessly into the broken streets of Iacon.

Before Starscream could even think of trying to fight off whoever was pinning him down, there came a series of heavy thuds, forcing him to look. And his spark nearly stopped functioning to see many Seeker mechs standing around him, cannons pointed at him.

"Do not move, pitspawn!" A large tri-colored Seeker snarled.

There came another heavy thud right before Starscream, forcing him to look forward only to see a large dark blue Seeker standing over him, glaring at him with burning violently red optics. Black and yellow markings of lightning were painted across his chassis, giving him a very intimidating look. But nonetheless, there was a familiar ping about him. Starscream could feel his spark stretching out to this mech. Almost as if wanting to bond with him in some way. He knew it wasn't intimacy it was looking for, but something else. It was like...it was like his spark had found a piece of itself in this mech.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The large Seeker chuckled as he looked down at Starscream. "A rogue Seeker. You have some nerve to trespassing on our land, little one."

Starscream didn't like that at all. He felt a growl erupt from him and he started to struggle to get up but the mech sitting on his wings jabbed him sharply with a cannon.

"Don't move, little pitspawn!" A semi high but deep voice warned him.

At those words, Starscream's spark felt as if it was stretching in two different directions. It was reaching out to the mech in front of him and now to the mech sitting on top of him. He could only barely turn his head to see that this Seeker was a violent purple and black. His burning red optics were narrowed dangerously.

Frowning at the mech, Starscream growled as he struggled again. "Get off my wings, brat! That hurts!" He snarled.

The purple Seeker sneered and jabbed him harder. "In a megaclick, it won't so much if you keep moving! Stay still or I will blow your processor out of your helm!" He snarled right back.

Starscream huffed but ceased his movements. He knew he wasn't in a position to make demands. 'Calm yourself, Star. It is just like that time when you first met Ironhide. It is not about you all of the time.' He thought to himself.

The dark blue Seeker frowned down at the one that his brother had pinned down. There was something about this Seeker. He could feel his spark reaching out to him. As if trying to create a bond with him. But he roughly shoved back his spark's stretch. "Who are you, rogue?! Why are you trespassing in Iacon's air space?! Speak!" He ordered.

Starscream gave that Seeker a dark look but then relented. He needed to be careful. There were many of them and one of him. It was like Ironhide used to say. Be careful when you are outnumbered. Play your game right and you can out fool Decepticreeps.

So taking a deep vent, Starscream looked up at what clearly was the Leader. "I have come to join the ranks of the Decepticons. I wish to speak to the Mighty Prime of Iacon, to arrange my recruitment. I can be a great asset to his Seeker force." He said as boldly as he could.

A few of the other Seekers snickered in disbelief. They surely did not believe that this small Seeker was serious. He was much smaller than most of them.

"Puh-lease! A Seeker your size would never stand a chance against enemies." One of the cone head shaped Seekers sneered.

"As if Lord Megatron would ever allow a weakling like you in our forces!" Another sneered.

"Just kill him, TC! He is a weakling! He couldn't even dodge Skywarp's teleportation! So he isn't worth it!" Another conehead Seeker called.

Starscream froze, his optics widening. He felt as if his spark had stopped functioning. He jerked his head around to look at who spoke and then followed that one's optics back to the large dark blue Seeker, who was frowning deeply at him. It was like he was trying to figure something out.

"Th-Thundercracker?" Starscream asked ventlessly.

The large Seeker stiffened at the sound of his name and narrowed his optics down at the small Seeker. "What?" He growled.

Starscream stiffened in realization. He couldn't believe this! It was...it was..."TC, it...is that you?" He asked weakly.

Thundercracker gave the Seeker a dark look before shifting his feet and looking impatient down at him. "Yes, it is me! But everyone knows Lord Megatron's Air Commander! Now what do you want? State your designation of I will have Skywarp blow your circuits out!" He snapped.

"And I will do it too! I haven't got to kill someone in a while now!" Giggled the Seeker on his wings, rather darkly.

Again, Starscream stiffened and looked wide optic up at the Seeker on his back. "Wa-Warp?! You...you are alive too?!"

All Seekers were frowning now. They were starting to get the inkling that there was something familiar about this Seeker.

"I am not going to tell you again, Seeker! Who are you?! Do not answer again, and you die!" Thundercracker snapped.

Starscream looked up at his long lost triplet brother, optics soft. He knew that this was going to come as a shock but it was already shocking his spark to the core. "TC, it's me. Do you not recognize me?" He asked weakly.

All Seekers stiffened, quite taken aback. But the Air Commander was frowning. He narrowed his optics down at the smaller Seeker before sweeping down to one knee to get a closer look at him. He even roughly grabbed Starscream's face plates and looked him over. He twisted his head this way ad that.

And then stiffened, his optics widening. He did recognize this Seeker.

Slowly, Thundercracker stood up and stepped back, horror and shock revealing itself to all. "No...no. I cannot be...you...you're dead! You are suppose to be...!" His head jerked up and he looked at the Seeker sitting on top of their captured. "Skywarp! Get off of him! Let him up!" He ordered.

Immediately, the Seeker obeyed, frowning deeply as he joined his older brother's side. "What is it, TC? Who is this?" He asked uncertainly.

Thundercracker ignored him as he reached down, grabbed the smaller Seeker to pull to his feet before he pulled him into loud clanging, metal groaning embrace, startling all. All froze in shock to actually see the emotion on their leader's face. He was actually trembling as he hugged this smaller mech. All Seekers could only gape in surprise and confusion.

"You're alive! You are actually alive!" Thundercracker said weakly and full of emotion. He then pulled away, looking at him in confusion. "But how?! We couldn't feel you! Skywarp was wailing that day! I was...so how?!"

"Thundercracker, what's going on?" The purple asked confused.

Thundercracker pulled away from Starscream to look at the middle brother with a grin. "Skywarp! It's him! It's our younger brother! Starscream!" He said proudly.

Series of optics widened at the revelation. Skywarp had stiffened, looking at the smaller Seeker with shock, studying him for a long moment before his optics brightened.

"St-Starscream?!"

Starscream smiled and nodded as he reached out for his slightly older brother. "It is me, Sky. I am alive and I have come home." He said fondly.

Grinning big, Skywarp leapt forward and dragged both brothers into a metal groaning embrace. All three laughed weakly as they just held on to each other. The Seekers all around them smiled, touched by the brothers' reunion. To have a brother Seeker return to them, it was the greatest thing that could happen.

"What are doing here? How did you escape from Vos' destruction?" Thundercracker asked, pulling away.

For a moment, Starscream's optics darkened and he looked serious. He had almost been too caught up in the moment that he forgot his goal. But then placing a cool smirk on his face, he dipped his head down. "I came to join the Decepticons. I would like to meet Megatron." He told them.

Frowning, his older brothers looked at one another before shrugging. They figured why not. They would love to have their brother in their trine. Of course, they would love to have proved the Prime wrong about their brother too.

"All right. We will take you to Lord Megatron Prime. Come." Thundercracker told him before looking around at all of the Seekers. "Seekers, form an escort barrage! We will take our brother, Lord Starscream, to our great leader!"

The Seekers, every one, clapped fists against their chests and spread their wings high. "Hail Lord Starscream! Prince of Vos! Hail Lord Skywarp, Prince of Vos! And hail Lord Thundercracker, Patriarch of Vos and Air Commander of all Seekers!" They all bellowed before they transformed and took to the air.

Of course, Starscream couldn't help but smirk for a few reasons. One, he did like the sound of being called a lord. Two, he had his brothers back. And last, he was so looking forward to looking Megatron in the optic before he did exactly what he had come to do.