Chapter 75:
Day Twelve: Friday Evening Arizona Time 11:22 P.M.:
At the same time that Megatron and Optimus Prime were thrashing things out, Dirge had taken Mirage safely away from Thundercracker, and they continued their discussion in the hallway.
Unbeknownst to both, Agent William Fowler had his snipers stationed a block away, tucked in the backseats of two respective Arizona state patrol cruisers, just in case.
And all the while, Red Alert, Cliffjumper, Prowl, Agent Fowler, Agent Harold Attinger, and the other agents from the C.I.A. listened in quietly, recording it all.
Throughout their conversation, Dirge made every effort to make Mirage look like a double agent; he leaned in close, "I just hope these mooks aren't giving you too much trouble."
"Um, mooks?" Mirage asked nervously.
"These Autobots," the dark blue Conehead whispered, "I hear you was in the slammer."
"Unfortunately," Mirage admitted, "but that's all cleared up."
Dirge: "So they didn't suspect anything?"
"No, nothing…Wait!" the Formula-1 Racer realized how that sounded, "I mean, there's nothing to suspect! Not on my part anyway!"
"Riiiiggghhhttt," Dirge oozed, "I forget, you're a 'spy,' right?" he nudged the other's elbow.
"Look, Dirge," Mirage groaned, "my field is espionage, yes. But that's NOT why I came tonight! I came here to pay my respects to Starscream."
Dirge: "Right, right. So, were you able to find out anything about what the Americans are planning?"
"Well, yes," Mirage nodded, "we all had a big meeting with them a few days ago. They are going to meet with the U.N. about prosecuting that Submarine Captain."
Dirge: "U.N.?"
Mirage: "The United Nations."
"Ah, I see," the Conehead nodded, "that's good information. What else?"
"Well, uh," Mirage stopped himself, "Hey, what a second! I'm not here to answer YOUR questions!"
"Noooo, of course not, my mech," Dirge smiled slyly, "I know you gotta stay undercover and all and say what you need to say."
Based on the dialect, Mirage guessed that Dirge was from the West Side of Vos and not the more suburban-sounding vocals of 'The Iceman' he had heard now on too many phone conversations.
"I came to see The Iceman," the Racer insisted, "is he here?"
Dirge: "Of course. Everybody was here tonight," deliberately non-answering.
"O-Oh," the Autobot thought that meant he had missed the mysterious mech, "I was hoping to see him…"
Dirge: "Yeah, he said you were his old friend."
"Um…" Mirage didn't want to let on that he didn't know who the mech was, "Did he say anything?"
"Just to keep your helm down," Dirge lied, "and thanks for not telling them anything even when you were in the brig."
Mirage: "I-I didn't KNOW anything!"
Dirge: "Probably too much heat going on right now anyways."
Mirage: "Heat?"
Dirge: "To pull the plot."
"Oh?" Mirage hoped to get information, "What plot is that?"
"The plot we're all doing," Dirge smiled, "you know, with Prime and the assassination and all!" The dark blue Conehead was good; he KNEW how that sentence would sound to the C.I.A. Agents, but if questioned, he could claim he was referring to Optimus Prime's negotiations with the government and the assassination of his Decepticon Air Commander.
Mirage: "WHAT?"
Dirge: "Shhh, keep your vocals down. There's Autobots here."
Mirage: "I'M an Autobot, you cracked crayon!"
"Right…." the Coneheaded Seeker grinned again, "Just be careful, bro. Make sure they don't suspect ya."
"Look, they don't!" then Mirage realized how that sounded, "I-I mean…"
Dirge: "That little red one never should've embarrassed you in front of those big shots. Just saying." He didn't mention that it was Thundercracker that had told him that, deliberately making it sound like Mirage himself had told him.
Mirage: "Yeah…well."
Dirge: "Your Creator wouldn't have taken that. By the way, is the old mech still around?"
Mirage: "Y-Yeah, my Father's still around."
Dirge: "I remember he was in with Ratbat. He was here tonight, by the way."
Mirage: "Who cares? Listen you, are you just hear to chit-chat or what?"
"Okay, okay, geez, it's all business with you all the time," Dirge lied again, "Alright, we just gotta all lay low right now. I don't think they suspect anything."
Mirage: "There's nothing TO suspect!"
Dirge: "Whatever. Thanks for the save back there."
Mirage: "What save?!"
Dirge: "If they bother ya, just let us know."
Mirage: "Who? The Cons?"
Dirge: "Ironhide, Cliffbumper, whoever."
Mirage: "No, it's CliffJUMPER."
Dirge: "We need to look out for Cliffjumper?"
Mirage: "No, I mean, I was correcting you!"
Dirge: "Watch out for Cliffjumper, gotcha."
Mirage: "Look, I can't do this."
Dirge acted like he knew, "How come?"
Mirage: "Cliffjumper's watching my steel hide everywhere I go now."
Dirge: "Thanks for the tip."
Mirage: "Will you stop acting like we're having a spy conversation!"
Dirge: "Chill, Dino, nobody's out here but us."
Mirage: "My name's Mirage now."
Dirge: "Didn't it used to be Dino?"
"Yes, but…UGH!" Mirage was getting fed up and walked back towards the Receiving Room. Dirge, in turn, was right on his tail.
Dirge: "Let's just stand over here, and I'll tell you something," he pulled the Formula-1 Racer towards the microphone stand. Mirage eagerly followed, thinking he would finally find out some information. But when he did, both the cordless microphone that Cascade had used earlier and Mirage's own secret mic gave off a loud, high-pitch frequency blur, temporarily deafening the two.
Dirge: "Careful, Dino! They'll know you're wired!"
Mirage's optics were saucers now, "Y-You know?!"
Dirge: "You don't want those politicos to suspect anything, do ya?"
Mirage: "HUH?"
Dirge: "Stay calm, Dino. Stick to the script."
Mirage: "There's no script, Dirge!"
Dirge: "Rrriiiggghhhttt…Gotcha. Just don't let on what you know."
Mirage: "I don't know scrap!"
Dirge: "We'll tell you soon."
Mirage: "Yes! Tell me! Tell me the plot!"
Dirge: "We will, at our usual time."
Mirage: "HUH?"
Dirge: "The usual, wink-wink."
Mirage: "What are you talking about?"
Then the Conehead pulled him away, "Cool your jets, Dino; I hear Optimus Prime coming!"
Mirage: "SO?!"
Dirge: "So we gotta play it cool, or he'll suspect something's up!"
Mirage was grateful to see his Leader and raced towards him, "Prime, I can't deal with his crazy Seeker!"
Optimus put a hand up to tell his officer to calm down, then looked at Dirge.
Dirge acted innocent, "We were talking about Russia and stuff."
Prime looked at Mirage, wondering why the Racer didn't want to gather the intel, "Just a few more minutes."
Mirage: "BUT!"
The Truck pulled away to get the others.
Day Twelve: Friday Evening Arizona Time 11:30 P.M.:
There wasn't much going on with the rest of the two factions during the two respective meetings. The two Trine brothers were deathly silent; the Constructicons were waiting to lock up. And George smoked his cigarette with one hand as he held his gun in the other.
Ironhide tried to lighten the mood, "What I'll remember Screamer for was his wit," he told Soundwave, "nobody could ever match his quips."
Soundwave nodded, willing to listen.
"One time," the Autobot Weapon Specialist sat in Megatron's Chief Mourner chair, "we were duking it out at a Louisiana oil rig. And I'm driving, and Starscream yells out, 'You're too slow, rusty-pants!'"
Frenzy giggled a little, and even Soundwave couldn't help but let a titer escape his vocalizer.
"Josh Groban was performing earlier," Shockwave remarked offhandedly, "he covered an old Seeker number."
"Man, oh man, I bet he brought the house down!" Jazz complimented.
The purple President nodded.
But everyone was silent when Skyfire finally entered the Receiving Room. The large flyer approached the Altar and knelt in front of it. He just cried, letting the coolant tears fall freely, eventually taking out a handkerchief and dubbing his optics and occasionally letting soft sobs escape his vocalizer.
It almost seemed fitting that Skyfire was the last mourner to enter the Receiving Room. For a long time, he stared at the Altar, running his hand lovingly over the purple banner that read 'Decepticon Second-In-Command,' a title that the Seeker had not held when the two were a couple.
Skyfire had never stopped hoping for a reconciliation with his former Bondmate. He never told anyone though, not even Prime. Late at night, while working in his laboratory, he would fantasize about Starscream contacting him again. That at least, the two would be friends again, and at most, although the Shuttle rarely allowed his thoughts to wander as far, rekindle the love they once felt for one another. Part of Skyfire's processor wanted to believe that Starscream, deep in his spark, would return to him one day. But now, all those dreams, all those hopes, were dashed forever with the young Seeker's early deactivation.
"Why?" Skyfire thought to himself, "Why did the only mech I ever loved have to die?"
Starscream had never left the Shuttle's CPU ever, not even for a day. Skyfire clung to the memory files of their happier times together before their petty differences would break them apart. The Shuttle had never stopped loving his ex. It was just that their Bonding came at such a tumultuous time in Cybertron's history. Times were different; mixed Alt-Mode pairings were frowned upon. Society would never accept the Bonding of a Shuttle and a Seeker.
Skyfire's family never really approved, either. But what did the prejudice get them? His eldest sister, Ursula, never married and had recently lost her business, taking an office job she was overqualified for. His second older sister, Helga, eventually Bonded with a mech and at least lived comfortably, but Skyfire often wondered what would happen when the mech's grown sparklings would eventually want their inheritance and control of the family's credits and how Helga, who they viewed as a hussy anyways, would fair.
Skyfire wished that he could have worked things out with Starscream; that they would have had sparklings together. Then maybe they would still be together. And maybe Star wouldn't have joined the Decepticons. And none of this would have happened.
But it did happen. And now, the Shuttle was looking at the flowers and photographs on an Altar honoring his beloved's memory.
After what seemed like forever, Skyfire finally stood, sniffling and wiping his optics; he walked slowly over to the guestbook and signed it. It seemed very appropriate that his name would be the last entry.
The white Shuttle wanted to leave; wait outside for the other Autobots. But then he thought better. Skyfire turned and went back to Thundercracker and Skywarp and knelt before them.
Skyfire: "I know we have had our differences. But I want you both to know that I'm truly sorry for everything that has happened. And that I will always love Starscream."
The younger Seeker, spent, didn't answer.
The older one did, "Thank you," was Thundercracker's only response.
"Please call me if you need anything," Skyfire told them, "my phone is always open to you." And with that, the Shuttle stood and left.
"Um, Soundwave?" Ratchet began tentatively.
Soundwave: "Yes?"
The Autobot Medic checked his sensors again and confirmed his earlier suspicions before speaking to the big blue mech. It was always risky for an Autobot to engage a Decepticon in any matter, but his Hippocratic Oath was to help any Transformer in need.
Ratchet asked now, "You are the Decepticons' Chief Medical Officer, correct?"
The Tapedeck was dry, "Affirmative."
"Well, I'm detecting the presence of Tox-En coming from someone in this room," Ratchet stated, "Are you…?"
Soundwave played it cool, "We are aware of the situation." For him, this was another confirmation of Whirl's earlier assessment of Skywarp, "it is under control for the time being."
Ratchet was relieved and nodded, but then another thought struck him, "You Decepticons really shouldn't be experimenting with Tox-En," he scolded, "if this is about—"
"Negative," Soundwave cut him off, "our faction doesn't engage in biological warfare." Then he narrowed his optics behind his black visor, "A Decepticon contracted the substance from contact with the Soviet Union ammunition."
The Autobot CMO was shocked beyond comprehension; his optics were as wide as saucers, "Y-You can't m-mean…humans h-have?"
The Tapedeck nodded coldly.
"W-We have to tell Optimus!" Ratchet pleaded, "He can inform the government—"
"The Decepticons have no use for the United States government," Soundwave spat, "or any human governing body after what happened. We will handle this in our own way."
The Autobot CMO thought better of arguing with the dangerous mech, so he simply nodded, "Alright."
Finally, Optimus Prime and Megatron returned to the Receiving Room, "Megatron, parts of our conversation this evening must never be shared," the Truck whispered, referring to his confession about Harold Attinger.
"Oh, sure," Megatron oozed sarcasm, knowing full well he was going to share it with the other Decepticons.
Then Megatron saw Ironhide sitting in his Chief Mourner chair, and the rage he emitted nearly melted his faceplates!
The Autobot Leader quickly cleared his air intakes and announced, "Autobots, we should leave. Our presence is only serving to upset the Decepticons further."
Both Ironhide and Soundwave looked up with surprise since they were doing just fine, but the Autobots obliged, filing out of the room and joining Skyfire outside.
And with that, the Autobots departed the building.
Megatron plopped back in his chair with all his weight landing heavily.
"What did he say?" Soundwave asked.
Megatron shrugged, "Some gobbledygook about the United Nations willing to prosecute the Submarine Captain if we hold our fire for a while. I gave him a six-month deadline."
"I see," the 3ic nodded.
Thundercracker: "And that's official?"
"Of course not!" the former Gladiator scoffed, "We're gonna bomb the hell outta them by Monday! I just had to get him off my backstruct, Shhesh," and he sunk further into the chair.
Shockwave, meanwhile, noted the time, "It's nearly Midnight. We need to go now…" It was a painful statement, knowing they needed to end this leg of their journey to goodbye to Starscream.
"I just wanna get out of here!" Mirage said as they all transformed and drove off back to the Ark.
"Get any intel?" Jazz asked.
"Nothing to hang my helmet on," the Racer groaned, "just that they're plotting something soon!"
"I had them all sign the books," Rumble mentioned tiredly as said guestbooks were being packed up, "all except those two that fought with TC, 'cause they refused."
The Constructicons began gathering the valuables and packing the flowers into the two flower vans that had been rented for the occasion. They would travel to Cybertron for the Funeral.
But suddenly, Megatron announced to the group, "I can't leave yet."
Esmeralda: "What?"
"I just can't leave yet," the Decepticon Leader's optics were glazed, and he was looking off into a wall, "if I leave, this is real. And I can't let it be real…"
"Oh, Megatron," his Mother began, "we have to go. We have to get to Cybertron."
"Let me watch them," Megs mumbled, referring to the deconstruction of the items in the room, "I want to be the last to leave…"
"Whatever…" Soundwave didn't want to alarm anyone, "We'll be in the transporter."
Day Thirteen: Early Hours of Saturday Morning Arizona Time 12:22 A.M.:
Megatron had not been kidding when he said he wasn't ready to leave. In fact, he was refusing to budge from his Chief Mourner chair, crying and mumbling about Starscream and how he would never be the same. Esmeralda and Shockwave stayed with him, sitting on either side of him. All the while trying to be sympathetic but at the same time trying to encourage him to leave with the others so that the group could move forward. They still needed to return to the Underwater Base, deposit Skywarp in the Med-Bay, travel through the Space Bridge to Cybertron, then drive to Shockwave's Tower for the layover before Starscream's Funeral on Sunday morning.
The Constructicons had all left; the others all stayed for a while but were growing tired. Skywarp, in particular, seemed to want to sleep, leaning against Thundercracker and trying to tuck into his side. Dirge, Thrust, and Ramjet waited around with them because they were worried about Skywarp.
Then the rains came. Hard.
"We can't fly out," Ramjet told Dirge nervously.
Soundwave got up, "Come on, we'll make room in the transporter."
The Tapedeck and George packed the wheelchair (there was no way Skywarp would allow them to strap him into the contraption again) into the cabinet door built into the floor of the transporter and folded up a fourth-row backseat. The Coneheaded Seekers piled in, along with Soundwave's Cassettes, for the trip home. Soundwave brought the injured black and purple Seeker in an over-the-shoulder carry and placed him in the third seat row.
Skywarp curled into a ball, whimpering and crying; he was in physical pain; the Tox-En was destroying his systems. Soundwave had to inject him with a new round of sedatives and painkillers, just as a precaution.
George got into the driver's seat while Thundercracker climbed into the back. The blue Seeker found his little brother in a horrible state, and he briefly considered hollering at him for looking so pathetic and weak in front of the other Decepticons before thinking better of it. Skywarp refused to look at him, instead only continuing to cry.
"Skywarp, I'm so sorry," the blue Seeker whispered, a wave of guilt hitting his processor, "what happened tonight, with her…I'd give anything to take that back." He thought that witnessing the fight had hurt his little sibling more than he was already hurting that is.
"It's alright," the darker Jet's vocals were weak, "Cascade and her microphone…worse…"
The rains started coming down again, this time harder than earlier. Sheets of water poured down the windows on the transporter despite it being sheltered by the cement canopy of the building.
Soundwave's twins huddled next to Ravage for warmth; Laserbeak, ever the emotional enigma, sat next to his siblings (in front of the Coneheads and next to Thundercracker) and simply watched the rains fall.
The Tapedeck did a helm count and told them all, "Let me just tell Megatron we're ready," and went back inside.
Megatron: "I can't leave…I just can't leave him here, Shockwave."
"He's not here, Megatron," the President tried, "we have to get to Cybertron."
"NO!" Megatron screamed, "I'm not ready!"
Esmeralda: "Son…"
Megatron shook his helm, "I'm just not ready to leave," he sat there, staring at the empty room and Altar where the Constructicons had packed everything up earlier. He kept everyone waiting while he struggled to come to terms with his lover's deactivation, not ready to leave. Because leaving would mean, in his CPU anyway, moving forward. And moving on. And Megatron wasn't ready for that.
Time dragged on as Esmeralda and Shockwave sat with him, sometimes comforting him, sometimes pleading with him to let them all get on the road.
Shockwave: "Megatron, we needed to leave hours ago."
But the Decepticon Leader just shook his helm.
Soundwave was less sympathetic, "Megatron, we still have to pack. We have to get going!"
Again, no real response.
Soundwave: "It's a monsoon out there!"
Megatron didn't acknowledge it. And the fight between the two (former) friends began to heat up again.
After waiting forty minutes in the ice-cold vehicle, Skywarp opened the left passenger door and vomited up what little he'd had for dinner. Afterward, he just coughed and suffered dry heaves.
Thundercracker held him the whole time and finally pulled him back inside and shut the door. Ramjet found a fleece blanket in the backseat storage, and together they wrapped the sick flyer up in it. Now Skywarp was weak and barely conscious, whimpering in his big brother's arms. He was shivering now.
Thundercracker: "George, can you turn on the heater?"
"We barely got enough gas to get back," the black Vehicon shrugged as he continued to smoke his cigarette, "I say, don't risk it."
TC wanted to bellow at George to at least put out the cigarette, but he had fought with enough Transformers for one evening. Instead, he pulled his little brother into his lap and held him.
"T-Tee-C-Ceee," Skywarp sobbed, "it's hurtttsss…" he had coolant tears streaking down his faceplates. The pain from the Tox-En coursing through his fuel lines.
"I know you don't feel good, kiddo," the blue flyer whispered as he let Skywarp bury his helm into his neck cables. He couldn't figure out why his little sibling couldn't shake his illness, "just hang in there, okay?" TC definitely ruled out traveling to Cybertron; now he was debating taking Skywarp straight to the Med-Bay.
Soundwave ran a groove in the grounds between the transporter and the Receiving Room, stalking back and forth from trying to hurry Megatron up and reassuring the flyers that he was doing all he could do to get them on the road!
Soundwave: "MEGATRON, GET INTO THE TRANSPORTER BEFORE I DRAG YOU THERE!"
Megatron: "RAM IT UP YOUR TAILPIPE!" and then he would switch to his whispering, mournful tone to his Mother, "I'd give up everything I have just to get him back with me."
The Hooded Ma was getting sick of this as much as the Tapedeck.
Soundwave: "We still have to pack, you idiot!"
Skywarp, meanwhile, was getting weaker, and every part of his chassis seemed to hurt, coughing so much that his chestplates ached.
Thundercracker tried to stay calm, knowing that panicking would only scare the younger Seeker, going back and forth from rocking him to petting his wings. He tried sending calming vibes through their Trine Bond. Ramjet moved from the backseat to the third row to sit next to them, and Dirge and Thrust tried talking to Skywarp as well, hoping the presence of fellow Seekers would be of some comfort to the youngest member of their squadron.
"Slag it, Shockwave," Thundercracker mumbled as he pulled his shivering sibling closer once again, "if his air intakes flood, I'll break your GOOD hand…"
Soundwave knew it was the Tox-En poisoning overtaking the young flyer, but he didn't want to tell EVERYBODY just yet. He wanted to speak to Thundercracker and Skywarp privately about the antivirus treatment, and informing everyone would only cause pandemonium anyway. Skywarp wasn't contagious, after all.
The big blue mech kept going back and forth to tell Megatron to come into the transporter, "We could've traveled to Cybertron and back FOUR TIMES by now!"
"Help me…" Skywarp whimpered; the fever was back now.
"Oh, Primus," TC could feel Skywarp's backstruct burning up, and he was sweating. "Ramjet, get a cold towel!"
Ramjet ran back into the building and found a rag, poured ice-cold water on it, and jumped back in the transporter.
"AUUGHHH," Skywarp cried out when they rubbed the cloth on his forehelm.
"Shhh, shh, it's okay," his brother tried, "we're gonna get you some help, okay?"
The next time Soundwave appeared to update them, TC told him, "Soundwave, he's got a bad fever again!"
Soundwave didn't flinch, predicting in his CPU that things were getting worse, and told them, "We're going to take him to the Med-Bay. Just let me get the others."
Thundercracker: "HURRY!"
This time Soundwave went to Shockwave instead of Megatron, "I have to give Skywarp his medicine now! Just drag Megatron along!"
Esmeralda got up, "Megatron, it's time to go! You can mourn on the way back!"
Shockwave and the Hooded Ma pulled the Decepticon Leader along like an old prize fighter with too many blows to the helm out of the ring after the fifteenth round.
"I-I don't want to go yet…" Megatron mumbled, but the others just led him to the transporter.
It was still raining a freezing rain, and everyone jumped into the vehicle to get out of the storms. Again, Shockwave and Esmeralda sat on either side of Megatron in the first row. George pulled out of the driveway and headed carefully but quickly down the highway, the windshield wipers set to turbo.
Skywarp was very quiet now, laying against Thundercracker's chestplates with the cold cloth on his forehelm and bundled up in the fleece blanket, somehow sweating and shivering simultaneously. Ramjet had moved back to the backseat when Soundwave got in, and the Tapedeck scanned the ill Seeker. His vital signs were not at a healthy level, but it wasn't dire just yet, "He's going to be fine; we'll take him to the Med-Bay," he told Thundercracker. The younger Seeker just wanted to sleep, cuddling in his sibling's arms; he seemed very limp now.
"Skywarp?" the blue Seeker asked, wondering if he'd gone offline.
"Hmm?" his dim optics opened and looked up.
TC nodded, "Just checking…" and rubbed his wings, letting Skywarp shutter his optics once again.
Shockwave sighed, looking at the roads, "Well, it's now One-Forty in the morning…over three hours later than our scheduled departure."
"Ah, shut up with your slagging schedule, Shock!" Megatron barked, slumping down in the seat and covering himself with his cape. "Grief has no schedule!"
"Megatron, please keep your vocals down," Soundwave scolded, "we have a very sick mech back here!"
Megatron just scoffed.
Thundercracker looked at Soundwave for help.
"Just keep him calm," the Tapedeck whispered, "as long as he doesn't get agitated, it won't exacerbate his condition."
The blue Seeker nodded and quietly held his little brother close.
As they drove into the night, the transporter was very quiet. Thrust, Rumble, Skywarp, and to a degree, Megatron were all dozing. Laserbeak remained quiet but alert. The others all silently reflected on the sadness of the occasion.
Megatron began picturing Starscream in his CPU again:
Healthy, young, and strong, a beautiful red and white flyer.
Suddenly, Starscream seemed to see something off in the darkness, "Stay away from them, you!" he narrowed his optics at the being.
When Megatron turned to look, he was suddenly back in the transporter and saw a silver, winged monster—claws, fangs, and glowing green optics burning into the Decepticon Leader—flying at top speed, coming down from the roaring skies. He was headed right for the front windshield of their transporter!
Megatron onlined squalling: "AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"
George slammed on the brakes and screeched the vehicle to a halt! Everyone inside woke up with a terrible jolt.
Soundwave, Shockwave, and Esmeralda collectively chided the former Gladiator for his outburst. Skywarp bolted up, shaking and sweating again, "W-W-What?!"
"T-That, T-That, that THING!" Megatron gasped, pointing a digit at the open, empty road.
George looked around, "What thing?"
Megatron pointed his shaking digit at the road, "That horrible monster! He was heading right for us!"
"What monster?" George kept looking, but there was nothing out there but the howling winds, rains, and blowing trees.
"Megatron, you had a bad dream," Esmeralda told him, "just calm down…"
But Megatron felt he knew what he saw; for him, it was REAL!
Skywarp started crying again, dropping his helm back into the crook of Thundercracker's neck cables, "Skywarp, stay calm, buddy…" he held his little brother and tried again, sending reassurances through their Trine Bond. Too late, though: Skywarp was fully online now and very scared; he sobbed and keened all the way home.
Soundwave wanted to strangle Megatron.
