Chapter 3

To Fly Free

He could feel it, that encouraging feeling of freedom. That beautiful sky above his head, he felt so free. With that refreshing feeling, and the encouraging confident somehow it wasn't all that quite real, he imagined it. That because he awoke up. It was dream, an interesting one that caused his spark to flinch with a desire. Jetfire, one of the youngest commanders on Cybertron could actually feel himself crackly in his metallic body to the cold refreshing scene in that dream he had. Ever since that ambush, he never thought, he could feel so…weak.

"Are you quite alright?"

His golden eyes flinched as he realized his main mech was at his side. For the thought of who's fault, Jetfire kept himself into mute.

"Jetfire," Optimus called again.

Glazing his yellowish eyes for awhile the feeling of disobeying stood in his way of mind as Jetfire just sneer aside, ignoring the fact what he had done to deserve this. For many times that Optimus could remember, Jetfire was a carefree child. Always running around, getting himself in mischief from all those years, he still hasn't changed one bit. Thus Optimus feared he had spoiled the young commander. Coming up into a stand, Jetfire noticed his expression of thoughts and quickly walked past him with nothing to say.

"Where are you going?" The leader asked.

As finally Jetfire took a glance to look at him again. "To fly free, Optimus…" He positively announced and left without another word. Optimus felt displeased especially when he let him go so easily then he realized his golden mask was left behind.

Outside

'You useless junk…'

In the brightest spots of the forest, Skywarp, a warrior, a seeker, possibly a traitor to anyone had reached his wounds to maximum. Upon a spring with his face severe beaten badly, he used the clear water upon his bloody face before a noise occur. Drawn his winged blade with caution and shutting his face of blood, he spotted his invader…Jetfire. With a shock of a sight of a Decepticon, his gun was raised near his face as Jetfire called for him.

"Drop your weapon and don't move."

Skywarp slightly chuckled as he stabbed his blade to the ground slowly Jetfire approach with his blaster ready if it was any necessary. With his hands shown free of anything, Jetfire watched him carefully while he pulled out statics-cuffs. With un-amused sigh, Skywarp pull his hands in front of him.

"Skywarp, I'm surprised. You seem obedient." Jetfire recalled that made Skywarp rethink about the situation happening.

As Jetfire grab his hand to place the handcuff on, he realized a leak of reddish liquid drizzle under Skywarp's battle mask then to his neck. Curious of what happened. Skywarp wasn't excepting the young commander reached for his face. With a merge shock throughout his entire robotic system, Skywarp reacted quickly by grabbing Jetfire's wrist and bringing him down harshly to the ground with his blade pointed to his neck collar.

"Don't you dare touch me," Skywarp responded seriously that you don't see everyday to anyone.

Afraid that Skywarp was taking advantage, Jetfire sneaky pulled a handgun. Before firing at Skywarp, he had disappeared like a warp-gate. By senses, Jetfire knew he'll be coming back for him. Quickly he got his guns settled, away of his handgun and his blaster was near against the face, he believed any surprises won't stop him. But of course with encouragement clouded his mind unexpectedly Skywarp revealed himself and slashed against the blaster that Jetfire purposely used as a shield.

"Give it up already!" Skywarp screamed angrily as he repeated his move that left Jetfire confused with his anger.

Pushing him away from attack range, Jetfire cried back to him. "What the spark had I done to you?"

Skywarp growled as he tightens his grip of his blade. And there was a surprise; Jetfire never expect to lose his blaster by the seeker with a sword. In a quick move, Skywarp somehow managed to pin Jetfire against a tree with his sword stabbed beside Jetfire's face. With his hand firmly on his neck, the flyer choked.

"I saved your wings and this is what I get?" As his grip turned tighter as the flyer begins to gasps.

'You useless junk…' Skywarp suddenly was startled of a thought of Megatron's voice. 'Your own cousin can't save you now.'

He silently shivered as he felt Jetfire's position, the same way how Megatron had done it to him. Slowly the glimpse of his anger was loosening along with his hand that held Jetfire. By the freedom from the pain, Jetfire was dropped to the ground. Breathing heavily as he looked upon Skywarp curiously.

"Please leave me alone…" He said sounding emotionally, taking his beaten blade with him. He walked away.

"What? Wait!" As Jetfire cried and stood up to follow, Skywarp halted him with his blade that was razor sharp to his neck.

"Don't follow me…" He growled sounding little annoyed, Jetfire feared his intentions as he begin to reason with him.

"Does this involve with the blood on your face?" Skywarp was shaken as the flyer had known.

Seeing the blood clearly leaking down his chin, Skywarp never imagine an Autobot would care let alone a Decepticon… But wait, a thought, a memory was coming back for him. It was what Thrust once said…

'The boy is a Decepticon that why. So he basically is one of us…'

Slowly rethinking of Jetfire's offer of trust, he thought of a scheme, a simple plan to lure the prey and then strike. As he drawn his grayish winged blade aside and looked away from the interesting golden eyes, Skywarp responded Jetfire's question.

"Yes…" Unexpected of his plot, the flyer had reached his face.

"Let me see then…" Immediately in shades of blush, Jetfire deactivated his battle mask. The feeling of another touching his cheeks burned with fury blush. But Jetfire had never noticed as he looked surprised of the wounds and scars. Quickly Skywarp turned away.

"It's nothing." He considered that made Jetfire concerned more.

"Nothing, are you serious!? You need a medic to treat those wounds now!" As he pulled Skywarp's wrist swiftly, he wasn't expecting him to fall upon him.

"Ah, sorry man…you okay?" Skywarp asked as he looked down to Jetfire who was under him. His spark twisted as Jetfire dazedly looked up to him.

"It's no big deal," Jetfire recalled. "I'm alright." He smiled afterwards that made Skywarp fall into with new emotions. This was the first time both had their battle masks displaced and face to face just makes the seeker's spark flick.

Skywarp couldn't believe this; his spark was pounding though his circuits especially now, of how close he was to him and for some odd reason, he once remember that he felt this way before when he was young. But remembering it, he had no memory. Getting up, he showed his hand to the flyer.

"Need help?"

Jetfire immediately flashed back of the time, when he was young and the young violet seeker was helping him up. Yet he was more surprised that the youngling just looked like Skywarp, possible he was that youngling but he wasn't sure. Back to the present view, he accepted his offer as he was pulled upon his feet. Jetfire shyly looked back to Skywarp with a smile.

"Thanks. I guess we better get going huh? Before Red Alert finds me out here and dissemble me." He joked as he went to pick up his gun then Skywarp followed his lead.

"Um, one question…Jetfire."

The flyer wasn't surprise that the seeker has knowledge of his name because most of the time they were rivals and struggled in every battle on Earth, recovering those mini-cons, that's was the reason, Skywarp came by and greet him for the first time or so Jetfire thought when he was reminded about his childhood's memory. He then looked back to him carefully.

"What?" He questioned.

"Will your Autobots friends take me in?"

Jetfire gave a slightly sneaky smile. "Of course,"

Autobots Base…

"SAY WHAT!?" Hotshot screamed throughout the base that even scared some birds from outside.

Realizing his behavior was easily praise, Hotshot rant on about Skywarp and Blurr wasn't pleased either since they all know. A Decepticon was yet to be trusted. Jetfire sighed as he knew this was gonna happen and the worst is about to come once he tells Scavenger. Finally Red Alert appeared from the medical bay.

"Jetfire, can you help me with the patient?" Red Alert kindly asked. Jetfire accepts only to avoid the ranting Hotshot and the angry annoyed Blurr.

The two Autobots soon entered the medical bay.

"Hey buddy, how are you doing?" Jetfire asked as he came in and sat down beside Skywarp's bedside.

"Dizzy…" Skywarp explained as Jetfire chuckled.

"Must be the shots then," He recalled as Skywarp kept a straight smile.

"I'm going to tell Optimus, you watch him, Jetfire." Red Alert recalled firmly.

Leaving the room, it was Skywarp's chance to carry on his scheme.

'If I do this right, for sure Megatron will be pleased of my efforts and let me back in.' Thought Skywarp dearly but just by glaring the flyer's face, his spark was getting too much for him. Why? He had no idea. As he continue to stare the side of golden optics, he swore to his own spark had betray his mind and his scheme of joining back to Megatron's side. But strange yet, why would he? Megatron did nothing but gave him grief and worst yet pain. He was once rusted and disabled for weeks because of him. So why would he care about…him?

As Jetfire's eyes had shifted towards the red ones, Skywarp flinched.

"You look cute." Jetfire teased that made Skywarp gulp of embarrassment.

As optics then narrow by seeing the flyer's hand rest on the bedside, Skywarp sneak his hand above it and squeezed it tight that startled Jetfire. As his hand was feeling crushed by his fingers, Jetfire watched Skywarp's intentions of annoy face.

"What are you…?" He was cut off of his words.

"Don't call me cute." The seeker announced seriously.

Jetfire then created a smile that brought out Skywarp's seriousness lead. Jetfire then recalled. "I'll call you whatever I want." Said in a calming tone that made Skywarp a lightly blush.

Suddenly Optimus appeared in the medical bay with Red Alert. Quickly Skywarp removed his hand away from Jetfire before Optimus had seen it.

The fear of his Decepticon's spark is where the main problem finally shows and that's the leader of the group of the merchants' robotics. Who knows what the Autobots' greatest leader was thinking… So thus Skywarp had feared Optimus since his youth.

Stories such as made by the Decepticons when he was young, Optimus was malicious and yet more devious of what they say as he leaded his Autobots to war. But of course such stories were made to scare the little ones from the Autobots until they reached a certain age, they must learn to fight and to be discipline as like every other military soldier. UN-least…they were displaced in an Autobot's hands.

He couldn't shake it; it can never go away as the thought of his adopted son was a Decepticon all along. He knew it in the very beginning when he met him. Even in one time he was planning to give him away but of course the bond between the protector and child was hard to break especially when the sparkling wants him to be at his side when he grows. Until difficult obstacles come in the way to break their bond, such as the one when the Decepticons had attacked Jetfire earlier, Optimus felt the worse was yet to come.

"I can explain Optimus…" Jetfire cries nervously as he came to a stand.

Yellow optics glared upon the violet seeker with a serious look that frightened the younger mech to respond anything as Jetfire explains.

"So…can he stay, Optimus?" Jetfire kindly asked as he looked straight at the edge of his commander's helm.

His commander's eyes finally took the glance at him. The silent response kept him quiet as he knew by heart what Optimus was thinking.

"You can't trust everyone even if they look innocent."

It was something Optimus always say to him, every time young Jetfire runs off from every argument was made and finds himself a stranger taking him in. But of course a concern parent will always finds a way to relieve their child again before they were harmed. Any slightest mission even if Jetfire was grown very much a adult, Optimus always fears what would happen if he ever went solo even if he was in group of familiar faces. Not everyone was trusted…so Optimus reminded himself. That he had remembered deep inside of his glowing spark.

"I understand…"

Optimus perk in surprise as he realized Skywarp had said it even Jetfire too had the same expression on his face.

"Skywarp…" He spoke quietly.

"Thanks for you help, Jetfire. But…I should go." Skywarp recalled with a nervous tone.

He got up slowly then swift his legs to walk towards the exit while the trio of Autobots watched him go until Jetfire called him out. With his hand over his wing span, Skywarp felt a shocking surge throughout his entire robotic system. Turning his head one side to see the quiet shining golden optics, Skywarp held his gulp.

"Skywarp, where would you go? Not back with Megatron, I hope. Look at me when I'm talking to you." Jetfire exclaimed as Skywarp obeyed his slightest command.

As he turned around to stare the golden eyes where Jetfire had been placed, he gave a tiny shy smile.

"What the point, I'm a Decepticon there no way you Autobots can trust me…" He replied so simply.

Jetfire begin to growl as he clutched on both of his shoulder's blades.

"But I do!" He cried.

Skywarp was shock indeed with a burning spark that started to flicker harshly. Seeing the angry face of the flyer who was shorter then him, Skywarp spread a smile. Then he remembered the other Autobots nearby, he looked up towards the leader's face only. With his mouth basically covered by the slivery mask, Skywarp could barely tell if he was angry or not. But he could tell by looking at his eyes, Optimus was feeling tense.

Jetfire is a Decepticon that why he accepted Skywarp and trusts him…thought Optimus was afraid. If anything was bound to happen to his native son, he'll know what to do then…

"I say we take him in." Red Alert explained, agreeing with Jetfire.

Jetfire was pleased to hear that and of course Skywarp and Optimus felt a little uneasy about it.

"Very well then…" Optimus begin to praise. "He can stay."

Skywarp was shocked of the respond, Jetfire was too as he spread a smile and let go of the seeker to thank gratefully to his commander.

"In one condition," Optimus begin to say. "You're in charge of him."

"Understood…" Jetfire replied simply.

The leader slightly nodded his head and carried on towards the exit leaving the rest to Red Alert to deal with. Skywarp could have disagreed with Jetfire's outburst earlier but how could he…when he was just there staring at him like he was trying to confess something…

His spark was playing tricks so he thought. There was no way a Decepticon could fall in love with an Autobot especially when they are the same gender. Aw shit, he mentioned love didn't he? Stupid, stupid, stupid, now he was really heating up his jet engines especially when he was just nearby. His blushes upon his face had grown more reddish then before. As he continued to stare the familiar red helm of the flyer, Jetfire had a gleam with his grin along with his golden eyes set to the one he was talking too. Skywarp could feel his energon blood flow so fast in his system that made his spark flicker so hard to calm down. It was rarest feeling he had throughout his lifeline. No it couldn't be…was this love?