Author's note. With thanks to Francesca Zatnik for her suggestion of the Rainbow Seekers, Jetstorm the Sparkling for Red Jack and Sacred histories for Shadowlight.
This chapter contains a brief review of what happened in 'Breaking Free', however, I would still advise those who have not read it, to go and read it to fully understand this story, especially this first part.
Sorry for wait updating, I got caught with other fics.
Enjoy and please review.
Sunstreaker's POV.
Flashback/Dream.
"Black, everything's black, I don't understand, what's going on?"
"Sides? We...we were talking, the others, they've gone to stop the Cons', we're guarding the base aren't we? Sides? Sides, answer me."
"Wait, someone's touching me, what are they doing.....?"
"Oh Primus no, no, no, no, no, please don't do that, please."
"No, it hurts, stop that, oh Primus what's happening?"
"Please, somebody, help me..........."
End of Dream/Flashback.
Ratchet's POV.
"Frag, its Sunny, FirstAid, get in here now, emergency."
"Shit, now Sides is screaming, he's having a nightmare too."
"Hey, don't even think of getting up, you two Seekers put your afts right back on those berths....Finally Aid, come on."
"Get me a sedative, they're going to injure themselves."
"Hold them still, I can't get the needle in, damn it, it broke."
"Shhh, it's going to be okay, you'll see, you kids will be up and annoying me in no time. You'll see, just please, get better."
Meeting Room 4B1.
Optimus surveyed the room with a grave face. The Seekers Thundercracker and Skywarp were here to finally find out all that had happened to their Trine Leader. Chromia, along with Ironhide, was also here to judge the situation before deciding who on Cybertron would be best placed to help Starscream, and possibly the twins.
Ratchet normally would be here but he didn't want to leave his Med Bay in case someone else woke up. However, they had all the relevant data about Starscream medical history since coming to the Ark. Finally, there was Skyfire who was here for Starscream's Trine. He hadn't wanted to leave his beloved but he knew he had to be here while Starscream's tale was told.
"Can we start?" Thundercracker said quietly as he held Skywarp's hand, who looked very serious for once.
"We're just waiting for Jazz and Prowl," Optimus begun but at that moment the door was flung open.
"Sorry we're late," Jazz panted as he and Prowl rushed into the room.
"The Rainbow Seekers were loitering around Sector Seven," Prowl said, taking his seat at Optimus's right. "Nothing happened, we just weren't sure of their intentions."
"Think they were just hanging out, that pale blue one was writing stuff in the sky with his contrail," Jazz chipped in as he also took a seat.
"What was he writing?" Ironhide asked with interest. Jazz grinned.
"Swear words mostly, though I swear one was an advert for Taco Bell," he said as Thundercracker rolled his optics.
"Swindle probably put him up to that," he said with a sigh.
"Hey, this is going to sound silly, but I don't think any of us really know their names," Jazz said with an apologetic shrug. "Don't see em' often enough."
"LieLack, Aquamarine and Contrail," Thundercracker supplied as Skywarp said with a big grin.
"Don't worry, not many know them, they keep switching between here and Cybertron."
Everyone smiled before the mood turned serious once again.
"I thought I'd start at the beginning and go from there," Optimus said gravely.
"First off, Starscream did not specifically come to us, he had been programmed too well by Megatron. He had fled from the Nemesis and just happened to crash in front of our base, where he found Bumblebee. Because of what had happened to him, he attacked Bumblebee and that when I, Prowl and Ironhide found him.
Optimus heaved a great sigh.
"I'll never forget what happened next, when we went to apprehend Starscream, he....suffered a breakdown, he begged us not to hurt him, convinced we were going to..."
"Attack him," Ironhide said quietly as the Seekers gasped softly.
"Indeed Ironhide, it was only thanks to Skyfire's arrival that we were able to calm him down. He lost consciousness, so we took him into the base to see Ratchet and leaving him there, we went to discuss the situation."
"It didn't take a genius to work out that Starscream had been attacked, considering his minor injuries and state of mind. But none of us were prepared for Ratchet diagnosis, that he had in fact been raped."
Ironhide, Prowl and Jazz looked grave while Chromia held her mate's arm tightly, it wasn't pleasant to hear. Skyfire's face was twisted in remembrance while the Seekers had looks of pain on their faces as Optimus continued.
"After an incident in the Med Bay involving Starscream waking up and panicking, we learned of how scared he was of being hurt again and that the only one he trusted was Skyfire."
Optimus shot the Shuttle a kind look as he said this, and Skyfire smiled sadly. Thundercracker suddenly spoke.
"When did you know it was....Megatron?"
"It was actually little ole Bee who figured it out," said Ironhide. "When he was being attacked, he'd asked Screamer if Megatron had 'whacked' him one too many and that's when the poor kid lost it. We later found out from Skyfire that it was that Slagger."
"We'd decided that it would be best if Skyfire look after him while he was here," Prowl said before adding. "We had no intention of letting Megatron get his hands on Starscream but we weren't holding him prisoner."
"Indeed," said Optimus as he looked at the two Seekers. "I never saw Starscream as any kind of enemy after that, only a Mechling who needed help."
"At first Starscream kept to his room with Skyfire, though he did suffer from nightmares," Optimus said, his optics flashing as he remembered.
"What about the marks?" Skywarp asked, his voice almost a whisper. "I....I saw whip marks on his back that time in the cave with Megatron."
Optimus's optics flashed in anger as he remembered those events, his men were also looking grim as Chromia and the two Seekers looked apprehensive.
"We didn't even know about those," Prowl said quietly. "Not until a trick by the twins went wrong and they were revealed."
"It happened after you had both been injured over Greenland," Prowl continued softly. "Starscream was terrified you would not recover, and then he was attacked. It seems he angered Megatron because he could not stop crying, so......Megatron whipped him so bad, he was almost permanently damaged."
Skywarp gagged, it sounded like he had almost thrown up but had managed to suppress it. Thundercracker held him even tighter, his optics watering.
"I remember," he whispered. "He was...so distant, so angry and yet so desperate for our company, how could I not have seen something was wrong?"
"Tain't yer fault," Ironhide said gruffly. "He covered everything up with a paint job and a determination not to be found out."
"He's right," Skyfire said, leaning over to grasp Thundercracker's free hand. "Primus, not even Ratchet discovered those wounds, even though by that time we were all looking."
"Guy can sure be tipped lipped when he wants to be," Jazz said knowingly before a sudden look of revulsion spread across his features.
"Oh no," he said. "No, no, no."
"What?" Skywarp asked eagerly as Thundercracker frowned.
Jazz smiled nervously.
"Let's just say we've come to a particularly delightful part of the story."
"Jazz, what do you...?" Optimus started to say before realisation dawned across his face and he groaned, burying his face in one hand.
The two Seekers were looking very confused so Ironhide said.
"Aw hell, ah'd almost forgotten about that," he said with a sigh before looking at them straight in the optic. "See, only a few in the base knew what had actually happened to Starscream at that time, we thought it'd be easier to keep what had happened, a secret."
"Unfortunately, that meant some Mech's didn't know not ta say certain, and ah'm afraid Blaster assumed that that all Starscream got from Megatron were a few beatings. Poor kid had had a rough day and on top o' that he was still nervous about Prime, so when Blaster said that he sorta...snapped."
"What did he say?" Thundercracker said to which Prowl grimly replied.
"That he'd been raped and then he, ah..."
"Hollered," Ironhide cut in as Prowl's paused uncertainly. "That Megatron was thinking of our 'precious Prime' as he did it."
The two Seekers jaws dropped and even Chromia looked a bit surprised though thanks to her mate, she'd had an inkling of the truth.
"Woh," said Thundercracker softly.
"Yeah," Jazz said with a grimace. "Could've done without knowing that little detail."
"So wait, wait, wait..." Skywarp said, holding up his hands. He stared open mouthed at Optimus as he said.
"So you're telling us that Megatron would like nothing better than to frag you senseless?"
"That's....one way of putting it," Optimus grimaced. He looked a little ill.
"I try not to think about it."
"As do we all," added Prowl and everyone nodded their agreement, it was pretty horrible thought.
"So....what happened next?" asked Thundercracker finally. Some of the Autobots now perked up and even Optimus looked much happier.
"Ah, now here's some good news," Optimus said with a twinkle of his optics. The other Autobots all grinned at this, certain the Seekers reaction was going to be a good one.
"You'll never believe the bots who managed to reach Starscream," Optimus continued with a chuckle.
"Who?" Thundercracker asked, with the same curious look on his face as Skywarp.
"Starscream went and hid in one of our training rooms and he was found by none other than..." Optimus couldn't resist pausing for dramatic effect.
"The Dinobots."
"The Dinobots?" echoed the two Seekers in total disbelief, their mouths dropping open causing everyone to laugh.
"But, but, but, but they're, I mean..." Skywarp spluttered at Thundercracker gawked.
"Not exactly the most sensitive of Mechs," Prowl suggested and the Seekers nodded dumly.
"They have more intelligence than we give them credit for," Optimus said firmly. "Not only did they know without us telling them, what was wrong with Starscream they also....knew about Megatron's obsession with me."
The Seekers looked awed as Ironhide said.
"They've been trying to help tha' kid ever since, remember how they helped him and Skyfire escape when Megatron had Bee and Spike?"
"Wow," was all they could say, even as they looked a little guilty over that incident with the Autobot Youngling and human. They had been doing their best to 'rescue' Starscream from the Autobots and return him to the Nemesis.
"The rest of the story is somewhat history," Optimus said with an apologetic look at Skywarp. "Though I believe I never properly apologised for squashing you."
"That's okay," Skywarp said, waving away the apology. "I understand now why you did it."
"Is there anything else we should know?" Thundercracker asked seriously.
Here, Skyfire reached over and took the Seekers clasped hands.
"There is one thing you should know," he said softly. "Did you know Starscream was still a virgin when he joined the Decepticons?"
They shook their heads, looking scared about what Skyfire was about to tell them.
"Well, he was and one night when you two were making clear your desire for each other's company, he decided he wanted to experience that too. Unfortunately, that incident brought to Megatron's attention that Starscream was a virgin so he decided he....wanted Starscream."
If Seekers were human, the blood would have just drained from their face. As it were, they looked pretty shocked.
"Starscream was raped the first time he ever interfaced?" Thundercracker asked shakily as tears rolled down Skywarp's face.
"Yes," Skyfire whispered, his grief clear as well. "He tricked Starscream into sharing some very high grade Energon and then seduced him. By the time Starscream realised what was happening, Megatron had him where he wanted him and Starscream couldn't escape. He tried to say no, but Megatron ignored him and then raped him brutally."
For a long moment there was silence as everyone dwelt on that terrible piece of news. Ironhide hugged Chromia who looked like she wanted to castrate a certain Mech. If not for the fact that had already happened, she probably would have gone and done just that.
"Hey," Jazz said gently as the two Seekers wept their grief silently. "I know it's pretty horrible, but together we can help Starscream get over it. Things will work out you'll see."
They nodded, now with fierce looks in their optics.
"We want to join you," Thundercracker declared. "We want to join you Optimus Prime and your Autobots, and stop anything like this happening ever again."
"I, and all of my men will be glad to have you," Optimus said , equally firmly. "There may be a bit of paperwork and stuff, for instance we must be sure you are no threat to human."
"Not that we think you are," Prowl quickly said. "But it's a formality we have to go through for the sake of our human allies. If we could observe you with a human and getting on fine..."
"Way ahead of you, Prowl," Skywarp said confidently and with that he Warped away.
There was a lingering silence of surprise as everyone stared at the spot Skywarp had disappeared from.
"Umm, while Skywarp's.....away, perhaps we should discuss possible councillors for Starscream and the twins," Optimus said, turning to Chromia who looked very thoughtful.
She had taken in everything Optimus and the others had said, and was now trying to think of a suitable candidate.
"I think Shadowlight might be the best choice," Chromia said slowly. "She's not a Medic but she's really good at listening and helping others. I know at least one rape victim she's been helping, she's the only one they'll talk to."
"And," she continued. "I also think Red Jack would be a good choice, he's this medic who works with the Neutrals on Cybertron but I think he would be good back up for Shadowlight."
Optimus nodded.
"Very well, I will contact Elita later tonight and arrange that."
"We'll have ta wait for the Space Bridge to be fixed," Ironhide pointed out, which made Thundercracker say.
"If I know Soundwave, he won't leave it too long, it's too important for supplying Cybertron with Energon."
"Let's hope that doesn't take too long..." Jazz started to say but at that moment, there was a crack, and Skywarp reappeared, holding a dazed human girl.
As the Autobots mouths fell open, Skywarp said cheerfully.
"Hey, this is Rosie and she's my friend, aren't you."
"Um yeah," said the confused girl. "Nice to meet you all."
"So, when can I join?" Skywarp asked at large as his mate slowly shook his head.
"Oh, Skywarp."
Author's note. Nest chapter will focus on Cybertron as Elita meets with her troops. The appearance of several new characters will take place in the next chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it. Also a bit of scheming by Shockwave. Till next time.