Disclaimer: I only own my OCs.

Sentinel: *glances around* Why are we at the liquor store?

Authoress: *looking intently at the shelves* Because it is a necessity.

Trecke: *glances into cart* Ten gallons of various alcohols is a 'necessity'?

Authoress: *nods* Yes.

Fable: *shakes helm* I need to get around to dissecting you.

Chapter 15: Open Internal Borders

Pandimala's 1st P.O.V.

A vent escaped me as I sat in my quarters. The thirty solars that had passed since I came back into Sentinel's existence had been amazing. During the times that the base was clear enough for me to come out and train with the others, I felt that we were growing closer as a team. Fable was honest about what he spoke about and was a professional through and through. A bot that I would trust to work on me in a nano…even including the dissections. And honestly, those were not nearly as bad as they sounded. Kinda relaxing, to be honest. Trecke seemed a sharp processor that would help support Sen regardless of what others may think of our team. I had known Pastel, though not as a bot, for many stellars and I knew that Sen's instinct to bring her onto the team was going to prove extremely beneficial for our Prime. While I knew I wasn't the most skilled of fighters, given that most of my training was either self-taught or from Swiftfire, I knew that I could hold my own against any larger fighters we might come across.

And given how I had reunited with Sen, then that could be from any enemy.

I had been trying to track Pastel since she would most likely try and find Sen given what I saw of their friendship. I had, to her, just died and she would want our friends to know as soon as possible, even giving up her hidden identity in the process. Following her had allowed me to find Sen and, when I saw him thrown against the tree like some common criminal, I about lost it. Thankfully, I was able to keep my helm and listen to what the carriage mech had said. He knew about my connection with Sen. While Sen didn't know how that was, I was sure I was.

But, I wasn't sure how to tell him.

I just got him back. So long both of us had worried about each other, and here I was keeping this secret from him. But, how was I supposed to tell him? It shocked me when I found the evidence, and I didn't have the connection to the Autobots like Sentinel did. He had dedicated so much of his existence to the Autobots that finding this out might just break my Prime, and I didn't want to lose him so soon after getting back to him.

And not only that, but Sen had enough to deal with given the arrival of those other two teams. While they seemed alright from what the security cameras showed, they weren't enough to keep Team Orion back indefinitely. I knew that trouble was going to break, sooner rather than later with them, and I was going to be right in the middle of it. Throw in some assassins being hired to take out our team with the evidence I had found and I was sure that our team was having enemies closing in on all sides.

A flicker of motion on the monitor next to me caused me to glance and see that Team Athenia seemed to be leaving the base. Interesting. Team Vulcan had left earlier and they hadn't come back yet. Did something happen between our teams? Or maybe the Decepticons attacked? Ugh! I hated being confined like this. But, it was a necessary evil if we were going to make the best use of my return.

As the monitors flickered, I allowed my thoughts to travel to a problem that stemmed from the one I was having. From my time living with the Decepticons, I had learned to pick up on when bots were holding information back. It was one of the ways that the Decepticons survived both the Autobots and each other. Using that skill, I could see that I was not the only member of Team Apocalypse that was holding something back. Even Sen. If we kept this up, we might be at each other's sparks before we got the chance to confront Team Orion.

But I knew better than most that talking about our worries and airing our secrets would allow our team to grow even closer. As I was seeing on the screens, and even from the few practice sessions we were able to squeeze in, our teammates were holding back. With both Team Orion and ourselves. This was not healthy for us and we needed to start letting out what we needed. It would be worse for us if we kept on this path. I needed to contact Sen and ask him about this.

"Sen, when you are free to talk, connect to my comm, please. ~Pandimala."

Now, I had to wait.

However, as I waited for my Prime to call me, I found my processor drifting to one of my other worries. When I first met Sen, I had recently run away from my creators and I knew that they would want to find me. They were amazing creators, even though we didn't see optic to optic on the war, and I knew that they would be looking for me. However, I knew that if I had told them about my plans to leave them and not join the Decepticons, they would have found some way to convince me to at least stay with them. And while that wasn't a terrible thing in itself, that meant that I would have been under more pressure to join the Decepticon ranks. How they were back then, I couldn't see myself supporting Megatron.

And now, I had Sen. And the Decepticons were his enemy…and so they were mine.

However, I knew that the solar would eventually come when my creators would find me. It was inevitable given the number of resources and contacts they had access to. When that solar did come, I was going to fight for my existence. And that would certainly be more than a physical fight. While I was loyal to Sentinel and would follow his orders regardless of where they took me, they were my creators. Fighting against them was something that I wasn't sure I was ready to do yet. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any reason to believe that they were currently on Earth. While I was worried about the Decepticon leadership being present on Earth, I knew that my creators tried to support areas where Megatron usually was absent. So, since there were so many of the higher command here on Earth, then I doubted I ran the risk of running into my creators.

"Everything alright 'Mala?" I jumped when Sen's vocals suddenly came through my comm. Even though I was expecting his call, I had lost focus enough to get caught by surprise.

However, now that he was calling, it was time to get this proverbial show rolling. As difficult as it was going to be for us. "For now, but if we don't address a problem with the team, then we might not be soon."

There was a quick silence between the two of us before he responded. "What have you seen, Pandimala?"

He used my full name. That told me he understood just how serious I was about this. "We've all been keeping secrets. Big secrets. I know I have and, from how everybot has been acting on the cameras, you and the others have been as well. Sentinel, if we don't address these secrets as a team, soon, we might just tear each other apart. And given how powerful our team is, that could be an energon-bath. We have seen how secrets are starting to tear Team Orion apart, along with hurting our fight against the Decepticons here on Earth. If we allow our team to keep these secrets any longer, then I fear we will start heading down the same path."

"Pandimala, these secrets aren't easy to share. Trecke has been on the team since the solar after I lost you before. And I've known since then that there was something that he wasn't sharing. Keeping secrets for that long makes them hard to share."

"That just means we have even more urgency to share them." I debated back. "If these long-kept secrets aren't shared with our team, who we should trust with our sparks, then it will tear us apart and it will be even more disastrous than the decay we are witnessing with Team Orion. From what I heard not only are Bumblebee, Sari, Ratchet, and Arcee on our side, but now Prowl is starting to question Optimus and Elita One. They are on the edge of a full team meltdown and our team will be heading there next if we don't speak on these secrets, and soon."

Silence came back to the conversation after that. The clicks crawled at a slow pace as I waited for Sen's response. He had to see what I was getting at. If we didn't, as the humans said, 'clean the air' between all of us, then we were going to collapse. By Primus, I was not going to allow that to happen. Not when the solution, while difficult in theory, would be much simpler than the alternative. We all had to talk about these things. There was no avoiding this if we wanted our team to survive, and I knew that letting it fall was not an option for any of us.

The sound of a vent coming through the comm caused me to focus as Sen responded. "You're right, 'Mala. We all need to talk. Team Vulcan and Team Athenia are going with Team Orion to report to this country's leaders since Team Orion is supposed to be our liaison with Earth. I offered to take over the position if Team Orion didn't think they could keep up with that along with the other liaisons they have on this planet. You can imagine how that went." Terribly, since that would mean giving a part of their 'status' to our team, despite how much simpler it would make their existence…, especially with the trouble they were having with their team.

However, something didn't make sense. "Why are both of the other teams going? And why isn't our team?"

"Because they have processors," Sentinel joked, causing a laugh to escape my vocals before he continued. "Since Team Orion refused to work with our team upon our arrival, I took it upon myself to introduce our team to this government as well as many others at their main planetary council that they call the United Nations. During that introduction, I negotiated with the governments on behalf of our team that, as long as I sent them reports on our team's militaristic movements and any new members that I may acquire, which includes images, I did not have to physically meet with them anymore when I needed to report. I made them aware of both yours and Pastel's acceptance and reintroduction in your case, to Team Apocalypse. With the promise of some energon to test, which I already sent with their liaison to our team, they agreed to keep your designation out of any reports they would share with the Autobots until we were ready. Trecke believed that would be the best course of action so the humans wouldn't react badly to you once you do come out."

That was good thinking on Trecke's part. We were guests on Earth and, with our chassis, I knew we could cause irreparable damage to this world and its citizens. Keeping them up to date would allow trust to build between our team and them. "So, this would be the best time for a meeting." I voiced the reason Sentinel must have spoken about this.

"Exactly," My leader responded. "I've already sent private messages to the others to meet in the hangar. Make your way there. Since we are doing this, it would be better to get it done as soon as we can. While we should have at least a solar to speak, given how long my meeting with the governments went, we cannot guarantee that much time given what we know of Team Orion. Well, part of Team Orion anyways."

Agreed. Better to let all of this out at once. "I'm on my way Sen. See you there," I responded before I turned off my comm.

This was it. While I knew we needed to air our secrets, if the other secrets were as impactful as mine was going to be, we were going to be in for a meeting that would test the fragile interconnecting bonds we had started to forge as a team. However, I had faith that we would come out of this challenge even stronger than before.

Pastel's 1st P.O.V.

I wasn't normally one to fidget. It was distracting and caused me to miss things happening around me. Being able to observe the room without any distractions was one of the hallmarks of a great Scout. Well, that was what my trainer, Zarron, always said as he drilled my lessons into my helm. However, this time I couldn't get out of my bad habits. Something was going on. When Sentinel called the team meeting, I didn't think anything of it at first and agreed as I should. However, as I made my way to the hangar, I realized that his tone had been strained. Something was happening at this meeting that my leader was nervous about. And if he was nervous, then I had every right to be distracted as well. This wasn't just an assessment meeting like we had in the past. No, this was going to be a serious topic.

And I was sure that all of us saw the writing on the walls, though none of us had brought it up until now. We were all hiding secrets. I had seen it in the first few solars. Yet, I hadn't called the team out on it as I should have. And deep down I knew why. I had my secret that I had been keeping from the team. They trusted me so much, and I had done something that should be unforgivable. I had,

"I am glad you all made it here promptly," I jumped out of my thoughts, and almost physically when my Prime's voice broke through my thoughts. Glancing from where Fable, Trecke, and I were sitting, I watched as Sentinel walked in, Pandimala by his side. Both looked like they were being weighed down, most likely by whatever secrets they were hiding as well. Before any of us could even think of greeting our Prime, he and Pandimala sat down as he continued. "I have complete faith in our team, and with that faith, I know that we are all aware of what this meeting is about. It has been a long time coming and I have failed as your Prime. I should not have waited so long in bringing this problem to the front." The silence from Pandimala, Trecke, and Fable spoke volumes. They had known Sentinel for so long, and felt a devotion to him that I wished to have one solar, and yet they weren't moving to deny Sentinel's claim. Either they believed this was our Prime's fault, or they weren't sure how to respond to that.

There was silence between us before Trecke, who outside of Pandimala had known Sentinel for the longest, spoke up. "This doesn't fully rest on your shoulders my love," Trecke sounded like he was pulling his spark out of his chest plate as he said those words. For him to say that meant that he did agree that part of the blame rested with our leader. "We are a team, and as a team, we should keep each other in check. While you did not share your secrets, we did not share ours as well. You respected our privacy and trusted our judgment. However, we all need to take the blame for this. None of us spoke up about it right away. Even my dear love Pandimala has been holding back, and she has known my love longer than even I have."

The room was quiet for a few more nanos before Fable spoke up. "Lover bot is right. We have all been hurting our team and I won't stand for it anymore."

"And none of us are going to," Sentinel spoke up. I shivered at the determined look in his optics. It was one that I had not seen yet in our leader. It spoke of responsibility and decisiveness. It was a look that made me realize I would one solar come to see Sentinel as the others already did. Somebot who I would follow into the deepest parts of the Pit without any hesitation. "It is the reason that we are all here. No more secrets. While the other teams are away, we are going to settle this." He then let out a vent. "And it is only right that, as your leader, I speak first,"

"Are you sure Sentinel?" I asked though the words felt heavy on my glossa. While I didn't want to go first by any stretch of the processor, it felt wrong for our leader to have to start this.

Sentinel gave a nod toward me. "Yes, I am." He then motioned to us all. "As I told Trecke and Fable on our way to Earth, as I told you both after we returned to the base, we have been keeping ourselves restrained due to my worries about Team Orion and their reactions to us. However, what I haven't told you is that it is more than that." He then let out a vent. "Before Team Apocalypse left Cybertron, I was called into a meeting with the Council. In no uncertain words, I was warned by the majority that if our team didn't start to fall in line, that action would be taken against us. While the sentiment wasn't unanimous within the council itself, and they even started to debate about the statement, the fact that they even held a meeting told me that our team was being scrutinized. Closely. I was…" Sentinel seemed to hesitate, which was telling in itself before he continued. "I was terrified about what might happen should our Team be in the middle of any trouble with Team Orion while we were on Earth."

"My love," Trecke whispered, pain obvious in his vocals. That pain seemed to echo the hurt I was feeling in my spark at this. I knew the damage that the Council could do first servo and the fact that my leader had been bearing this burden by himself.

"After losing Pandimala back then, I didn't want to risk losing the rest of you as well. I couldn't. I don't think I would have survived that." My spark felt like it was splintering as I listened to the pain and fear in my Prime's vocals. I just wanted to take it all away. "So I only told you part of the reason for our restraint. I kept you all in the dark…and that almost led to our offlining at the servos of those assassins. I…I am sorry," He then bowed his helm to us.

Fable didn't waste a nano in responding. "You are forgiven, my Ceaser. You didn't want us to hurt the way you were with the burden you were carrying. However, we are a team, and any burden each of us carries is to be shared. That is one of the functions of a healthy team."

Silence then fell between us for a few nanos. In those nanos, I knew that I needed to go next. Our Prime was not the only one who held back at the risk of our team. "You aren't the only one who has kept information from our team," I whispered. This was going to be difficult to say, but I knew that it needed to be said. "While I truly didn't know that Raum was a Cybertronian when I first met him, I am guilty of hesitating." How did Sentinel do it? Speak so clearly about his secret? I just needed to say the words…and yet they weren't leaving my vocals! Why couldn't I just say it?

"It's alright Pastel," I glanced at Pandimala when she said that, a soft look in her optics. "Take whatever time you need. This isn't going to be easy for any of us." The pain in her optics as she said that told me that her secret hurt her as much as mine hurt me.

I gave a nod, more to my push myself a little more than anything before I picked up where I left off. "On the solar you all met me in my bot form…I…I picked up the neutral signals near yours. I started keeping tabs on your signals once I found out from Raum that you all were Autobots. Making sure that, if I needed to run as I did from Cybertron, I was more than ready for it. So when those neutral signals showed up near yours, for those brief nanos before they vanished, I hesitated. I knew that you were near bots who you most likely didn't know and yet I was scared. Scared that all of our friendship had been a lie and that you would turn me into the Council once you found out who I was. For a nano…I even thought that you were talking with the neutrals to come and hunt me down. Of course, now I know that you all could have done that without help if that had been the case. I am sorry, everybot."

"Though we wouldn't have done that. You are a member of this team…of this family," Fable spoke slowly. "And the closest family is one that is chosen. Even before we knew who and what you were, we considered you family. You and the other humans we have grown close to…you are our family." I had to hold back tears at his response. After hearing that…they still wanted to accept me. It was a weight off my chassis that I hadn't even known existed. "And trust me, choosing your family is much better than having a certain family."

We all paused as Fable said that. What did he mean? I mean, Pandimala's creators were Decepticons. From the stories that Sentinel and Pandimala told us, we all knew that. He had never said anything about her for having her family. Almost seemed to reassure her whenever it was brought up, now that I thought about it. No offense to Pandimala, obviously, but how could having family members that were Decepticons not be the worst family to be connected to?

"Fable?" Sentinel asked. "Are you alright?"

Fable locked optics with our Prime and the two stayed like that for a few nanos before Fable spoke. "Yes, my precious leader. It seems like it is only right that I speak next, though I fear what your reaction will be." For Fable to be nervous about our secrets shook me. He was so loyal to Sentinel that for him to worry about our Prime's view of him after this was complete spoke volumes. Just what sort of secret could Fable, one of the most open bots I had ever met, be hiding to cause this reaction out of him?

Megatron's 1st P.O.V.

We needed to take action, and quickly. The arrival of two more Autobot teams had started to delay my plans more than I thought that they would. Trying to grab the scout from Team Orion, since he seemed to be the most likely to be swayed to our side, given the friction we saw between him and his team, was becoming more and more difficult. These other teams seemed to have their helms in focus whereas before the tensions between the two teams had given us a perfect opportunity to act…and we had missed it.

Of course, the continuous mystery that surrounded Team Apocalypse also seemed to be a distraction. However, that one at least had an opportunity to become a great asset if I could learn all I could about them. That was including the new member that they seemed to have brought into their fold. Spittor had known a little of the femme. When he would be on patrols, he would sometimes pick up signals from Cybertron and he had heard a few of her speeches. From what he had heard, she would have been a perfect candidate to sway.

However, Soundwave's research since then told me that she had been removed from the Autobots and exiled. So, now I had to add the mystery of how she seemed to not only gain the trust of Team Apocalypse but join their ranks. From what we had observed, the team in question was very exclusive in who they brought into their fold. No records indicated that any bot had left their fold in the time since their creation, and with the femme that created only four bots including their Prime on their team.

Well, four officially.

The rumor that Strika had heard about a possible fifth member that had been asked to join. However, with no records of this outside of the rumor, we would keep it in the back of our processor if needed. Though, now that I started to think of the bot and being a member of this particular team, it made me think of the information that Oilslick had brought with him. This mysterious bot that had been injured at the same time of the incident between the three Primes that we had been watching, coupled with this rumor…perhaps there was more to it than we thought?

"Megatron, we need to talk,"

I raised an optic ridge when I heard Starscream's voice say that. However, I held back on saying anything to him about it when I saw that Pandemonium and Shockwave were accompanying him. Neither of them would have allowed Starscream to say anything like that unless they felt he had good reason. Also, while I thought about it, Starscream's tone was not challenging as I first thought it was. Now that I truly registered his tone, he sounded worried.

"We think we have been looking at phase one the wrong way," Shockwave added on.

"The three of us were speaking of recent events," Pandemonium joined in with them. "And we realized that going after the yellow scout might not be the best option to get phase one back on track. Given the strain that has been a part of the interactions with the members of Team Orion and Team Apocalypse, and with the scout being in the middle of it, then he might not be as receptive to our arguments yet."

"How so?" I asked them. They had seemingly thought for a while about this, however, we also did the same with our original plan of taking him in the first place. I was curious about what they thought changed enough for us to move our target. However, I did have an idea as to what it might be. During our last major conflict with the Autobots…well, Team Orion, observations were made that could not be overlooked. I would understand if this was the concern that they were talking about.

Starscream took control of the room again as he answered me, "From what we saw at the battle in the woods against Team Orion, the scout is suffering from some sort of trauma he experienced in his past. It was obvious from how he would react when he was out of control of the situation. Skittish, hesitant, and most importantly defensive. However, it was that combined with our other observations which caused us to approach you."

I had seen the first observation they made yet I would be honest and admit that I wasn't sure exactly what the second observation could have been. I had some ideas, but none seemed to be strong enough to change the plans for phase one. "I agree that the mech is experiencing trauma during our fights when he loses control. However, his isolation from the other Autobots and our persuasion of him should balance out each other to avoid adding more trauma to the mech."

"Except it is not the trauma that we are worried about." Pandemonium spoke up, a concerned look on his faceplate. "If it was just that, then we wouldn't be here. However, it was the other interaction that was witnessed by all of you that has swayed my position." He then motioned to Starscream. "When Starscream was telling me about the fight, he made mention of a point in the fight when he was facing the leader of Team Orion. He spoke of having the Prime at his mercy during one point when this Bumblebee intervened. However, after his interventions, his team seemed to have a negative reaction."

Ah yes, I remembered now. The Primes of Team Orion had berated and scolded the mech, on the battlefield, about getting into the fight even though he saved his Prime. However, I still did not see how this was a problem. The disunity that we witnessed should give us an easier time in opening the mech's optics to the lies that he had been indoctrinated into. I did not see the issue in this.

"And while that didn't seem like an issue during our original strategizing," Now Shockwave was taking over. "We all realized that combining that with the growing trust we have witnessed between Bumblebee and Team Apocalypse, he might feel an even stronger loyalty to them. Even without that though, we know that a rescue would be inevitable for the scout. He was a part of the team that took us down before, and Cybertron would lose face if he were to be captured by us. Rescue missions would be attempted quickly, and that could potentially unify this team and ruin the work we have been putting forth in breaking down what they think they know. Unifying after retrieving one of their own, which is a vital part of phase 1, would be detrimental to our progress."

Slag. I had been so focused on our goals moving forward that I didn't take Cybertron's reaction to the mech being captured into account. Team Orion, while on the outskirts of mainstream Autobot society, also became central figures on Cybertron due to their capture of myself and my command. As undeserved as it truly was, given the fractured state of the Decepticons at that point, it did allow the Team to become a little more accepted in the echelons of society.

So, the scout was out in terms of what we needed to accomplish. However, I was going to keep an optic on the mech. While he wouldn't work for this part of the phase, I believed that he could be swayed, given that we picked our first bots for phase one wisely. "So, who do you suggest we use instead?"

Fable's 1st P.O.V.

I wasn't sure how to continue. Even thinking about my family wasn't easy…let alone speaking about them. While my proclivity toward limbs had always been with me, I used to be afraid of showing it. And one of those reasons was due to my family. "My Ceasar, I know I haven't been on the team for long. However, I gave you a file when I first met you that was my resume. However, there were some points left out. The first and most important part was my family."

"I thought you didn't have any family," Trecke asked, confused. Of course, lover bot would have looked into my files.

I let out a scoff. "Believe it or not, lover bot, there are even more deranged Autobots out there than me. Well, they used to be Autobots anyways. The Council felt it necessary to remove their existence from all records…even my own. When it first happened, I couldn't be happier. I was trying to be normal back then and being connected to them was not smart."

"Hang on," I turned to Pastel as she interrupted me. "I was speaking out against the Council and I'm still in their records, though I'm no longer an Autobot. Just what sort of family do you have to do that?"

I flinched at her question. In the past, when I answered that question, it usually was followed by ridicule and separation. After I stopped pretending to be something I wasn't meant to be, those reactions were by my servo. However, before then…when I tried to be normal, it hurt to be shied away from. Now, as I glanced at each of my teammates, new and old, I felt that fear of pain come back. However, this was going to allow us to grow closer as a team and, despite the pain that was bound to follow, I had to have faith in my team. In my Ceaser, in the lover-mech, in 'Stel, and in 'Malsy. Faith that they would stay by me even with everything I was about to tell them.

So, I let out a vent, before letting it out. "My cousin is a neutral mech who has been questioned on his practices in science more than my medical skills called Pharma." I flinched slightly as everybot but 'Malsy flinched slightly. "And as most of you can probably infer, that means that my brother is the one-time Autobot called Odyssey."

The room seemed to grow tense as the three who seemed to recognize the designations of my family members seemed to be taking them in. 'Malsy, bless her spark, looked lost as she glanced between all of us. "Who are they? I've never heard of them before."

"We'll start with Pharma." Trecke surprisingly jumped in. I thought this was my story? "Every Autobot worth their circuits knows of both of them though. Plus, this way you," He motioned to me, a serious look on his faceplate with a look in his optics I wasn't used to. Curious. "Can prepare to explain about your brother."

I owed the mech. I wasn't excited to speak on Odyssey and having more time to prepare while our strategist spoke about Pharma would help. Plus, I could also prepare to share my other secret with them. Honestly, his taking over my explanation let me feel a sense of relief at how accepting my team would be. I knew that they would be understanding, given that we were teammates, however, the level of acceptance I was getting from them already allowed me to feel relief. Honestly, I shouldn't have doubted them. "Thank you," I thanked Trecke with a nod while I tried to formulate my thoughts.

However, I found myself focusing on Trecke as he spoke. "Pharma was a neutral who lived on Cybertron up until a few stellars before the incident on Archa 7. He was an amazing scientist who made discoveries in medicine and mechanobiology that many planets still use to this solar, despite what was discovered later. A surprise inspection by the Council on his laboratories, for the mech had many, uncovered that the mech was using illegal testing on 'volunteers', though it was never determined who volunteered since he didn't have any records of their acceptance. Given the almost war-crime-level experiments he was doing, the mech had to flee from Cybertron and the Autobot Council still has a bounty on his helm."

Trecke had done very well in telling about my cousin. However, there was more to it. "He had permission from them," I added softly. "I remembered going to visit him with my brother and seeing bots read his agenda and agree to it. However, they never signed a form. It's honestly why I insist on my own being signed, and why it never expires. My family has a lust for energon and violence encoded in our circuits. We can't avoid it. Honestly, those of us who try only end up worse for it. Like Odyssey. Like I almost was."

"I only know that Odyssey was branded a traitor of the Autobots," My leader spoke up. "His files were sealed though, and not even my status as Prime would let me see more. I didn't know he was your brother, Fable. However, I was studying for my History of Medical Advancements class and ran across his designation tied with Pharma. However, I couldn't find out more and ended up using Ratchet as my case study."

Well, it was time for me to speak. "Because my brother had a difficult choice to make, while he was rejecting our programming, and it all fell apart at the same time." Frag this was never easy to talk about. "It was about four stellars before I started boot camp that the incident happened. My brother, Odyssey, was the medic for Team Stolz led by Devcon Prime. Team Stolz was always out in the farther reaches of space and would sometimes have to make tough calls. Those tough calls were usually carried out by my brother, given the inclination our programming gives us. Unlike you, my Ceaser, Devcon was not an honorable mech and did not deserve the title of Prime. The entire team kept quiet about his true nature because they are all tied to the same crimes…and the only reason my brother was ejected from the Autobots as a traitor is that he decided to stand up against his programming during one of the more questionable decisions the Prime made."

"So, I'm assuming from how you are talking that your brother offlined Devcon Prime?" Pandimala asked with a curious look.

I nodded before continuing. "I didn't find out what happened until thousands of stellars after the events. I was investigating the events surrounding my brother's ejection, well after I fell from acceptable Autobot standards, and made contact with the neutral who had been involved with the incident. Team Stolz was sent to Macron to investigate claims of a Decepticon recruiter botnapping bots from the planet to take to the Decepticons. Well, Devcon knew he was right on the edge of enemy territory, though Macron itself was a neutral planet in our war, and wanted the mission to be finished quickly. So, he found the first bot that looked like he might know something and started to try and beat a 'confession' out of him."

"From rumors I heard, Team Stolz had a questionable history before this," Pastel spoke up. "Word was that, before your brother did what he did, there was going to be an investigation started in secret to investigate them." We all looked at her when she said that. When she realized that, she shrugged. "I was trained by the best scout that Cybertron has seen in millennia. Not only that, but he has some high-ranking connections. Let me have some nice ammo to use during my protests." She then shook her helm before she motioned back to me. "But what happened?"

"What happened," I started by echoing her words, "was that the mech they chose refused to give a false confession. Said he was doing the exact opposite work and was making sure that bots weren't going to the Decepticons. Devcon didn't like being denied a quick mission but, since his beatings and torture weren't working like they normally did, he ordered my brother to offline the mech. With the amount of energon that must have been spilled, my brother would have had to fight extremely hard to not act on that order…or at the very least interact with the energon. Like dismemberment is my weakness, and disfiguring of the chassis is Pharma's, Odyssey's weakness is energon being bled out. However, all three of us do have a moral bar and this was crossing Odyssey's. I can't imagine what sort of resistance he had to employ to not only stop himself from interacting with all of that spilled energon…but to refuse to listen to his Prime to do so as well. If I was still fighting my programming, I don't even think I could do that with you as my Prime, my Ceaser."

Pandimala seemed to be catching onto what the others knew about my brother already…or what the Council released that is. "So, I'm assuming this didn't end well for Devcon?"

"For the rest of the team as well," My Prime spoke up. Though, I was relieved that there was no judgment in his vocals or expression. Instead, he seemed to look understanding. "Continue when you are ready, Fable."

After a click, I did just as my Prime asked. "Devcon and the other four bots on the team tried to strong-servo my brother into doing it, and even tried to blackmail him. However, when it was obvious that my brother was against offlining the mech, Devcon tried to take it into his servos and went to offline the mech himself. His servo didn't even make it toward a downward strike before the false Prime's helm was ripped off of its place by my brother. At that point, the energon-lust he had been holding back became too much and, when the rest of his team went to subdue Odyssey, he offlined them all with his bare servos. He was trapped in it. When the last of his team fell, he had his energon lust sated. So, he told the neutral to run due to the last bot having sent off a distress beacon. While the team was the furthest out, there were other teams on nearby worlds. When they arrived, they walked up to the sight of my brother laughing while sitting in a pool of his team's energon. He was arrested and tried for the massacre of his team. Odyssey, from what records I could find, laughed as he recounted every detail."

Pandimala, the only one who did not know of my brother until this solar, seemed to have more questions. "But wait, if he was captured, wouldn't he be imprisoned on Cybertron? Why not go and see him instead for answers?"

The femme was good at questions. I'd give her that. However, the answer to the rest of us was well known and made that impossible. "It was because of the trial. I'm guessing they couldn't risk the knowledge of the brutality that Team Stolz was about to inflict on the neutral to get out. If it did, many of the neutral states would have sided with the Decepticons. So, they declared my brother unstable in his processor to the point where he needed to be shipped to Com's psychotherapy center. However, as they were passing through the Beta System, Cybertron lost contact with the ship and they declared my brother offline. But, I know he is still out there."

I had to stop talking at that point to gather myself again. I knew my brother was out there, somewhere. Since I had a Prime who I knew was good, I'd like to introduce both of them to my Prime and my team. I was sure that they would approve of my choice of who to serve.

After a few clicks, my Prime spoke up. "I understand that was hard for you Fable. However, something tells me that isn't all you have to say." My Prime was as sharp as ever. My blades would be jealous if they could be. "You spoke on holding back against your programming before. I'm assuming something changed?"

Allowing myself to nod to my Prime, I then continued. "As I have already stated, I used to hide my programming. I passed as a regular and ordinary bot. Normal is what I wanted bots to see me as. I didn't want to be connected with Pharma or Odyssey at the time. However, right before boot camp started, I decided to partake in a tradition that my friends were told of by their relatives. Since I wanted to be like every other bot at the time, I made sure they knew that I wanted to come too. So, we went to see Providence Minor."

"She was still around then?" Pastel asked. "By the time I got to boot camp, they had already shipped her off to the lower levels of Iacon Central Med. Rumors said she was spouting some lunacy about the Decepticon infiltration. But, there wasn't one to be found."

"You know bots," Pandimala huffed, which helped to lighten the mood. "I don't know a lot about these 'norms' from Cybertron. Help a femme out and tell me who this Providence Minor was?"

Sentinel then took over. "She was a bot who was gifted with limited future sight. She couldn't control what she saw but her visions usually fell within one of three categories; future bondmate, future career, and future offlining. Thankfully, the last one didn't happen often. It became a tradition in the academy that, before boot camp, cadet hopefuls would go to her with their friends to see what their futures held. My own was that I would have a team that would support me, though they might not be what I was imagining. I thought she was crazy at the time but I'm glad that one was true."

"Mine was that I would end up on a team that I could call my own, and through that team, I would find my future bondmate," Pastel admitted.

Before this conversation got away from me, I continued. "Anyways, I went to her with my 'friends' and we all sat to get our futures read. I was the last one she came to and, like always, she did her readings in secret. Once she read my future though, she gave me a hard look. Usually, that meant that bots had found out who my family was so I assumed it was going to me offlining at either my brother's or my cousin's servo. However…" I then shook my helm when I hesitated. I needed to tell my team this…no matter what happened after. "However, she told me that my future bondmate would be found where I least expected and…and they would have red optics. She didn't call the authorities because she said she knew of neutrals who had those color optics…not only Decepticons. However, I heard the hesitation in her vocals. I was most likely destined to be bonded to a Decepticon. At that click, I realized that hiding my true nature and programming was pointless now. There was nobot left for me to impress. So, I freely followed what my instincts said to, within Autobot law. I never felt the need to impress anybot again until I learned about you, My Prime." I finally ended.

My bondmate was going to most likely be a Decepticon. I immediately took in the expressions of the rest of my team. Most of them looked accepting of my admission. However, the reaction I was most curious about was Trecke's The mech, while not looking repulsed as I thought might happen, looked frozen. Why was he like that?

I was not the only one to notice Trecke's reaction. "Trecke," Sentinel asked with concern easy to hear in his vocals. "Are you alright?"

Surprisingly, Trecke did not answer our Prime right away. Instead, the mech seemed to be lost in his thoughts for a few clicks before he let out a shaky vent. "That seems to be the perfect opportunity to go into my confession, my lovely leader." The lover-bot barely got out as a whisper before he continued, "Like Fable, my admission starts before boot camp. I have not always felt the need to proclaim my love to everybot I meet. Honestly, at first, I forced myself out of desperation. Over time, I said it so much that my programming rewrote itself so now that programming is a part of my function, as Fable's fascination with dismemberment is to him. However, like I said my love, I didn't start like that. I was a normal mech who was gifted in all of the pre-tests that I took before boot camp. I had my future ahead and I was confident that nothing could go wrong. Like all lovely cadet hopefuls who came before us did, my friends and I visited Providence Minor before boot camp. And like Fable's…mine didn't go how I thought it would."

I flinched when I heard the mech's intakes stutter. This was not how our confident tactician acted. I did not like seeing him in this state at all. "Lover bot, what happened?" I pushed the mech.

"My friends went first and then she took me to get my reading done," He finally continued after a few clicks. "Like I'm assuming she did for her other readings, she went into a partial trance and started to speak. She said that my future bondmate…in her vision, my future bondmate was a monster. Seemingly happy to be around parts of offline Cybertronians and other children of Primus alike." Trecke then hesitated, an action I wasn't used to seeing from him before he continued. "Providence Minor flew off her gears and attacked me, calling me a Decepticon. The Elite Guard had to be called in and there was an investigation. Of course, I wasn't one, but everybot kept their distance from me. Even those I thought were my friends. I was desperate for any interaction…so I started to proclaim my love to all of my loves. Any that I could. I couldn't end up with a monster. I said it so much over the stellars that it has ingrained itself into my programming."

While that was interesting, I could tell that there was something else that the lover bot was holding back. He would get this twitch on the right side of his lips when he was keeping something to himself. And, after that story that was similar to my own, I was hard-focused on the mech. Something sounded familiar in his story that I wasn't seeing. The obvious parts were, well, obvious. But, there seemed to be something I was missing. However, for now, I needed to call out my teammate. "What else are you holding back Trecke?"

He didn't miss the chance to throw a glare at me. "I was getting to that, brute," I felt relieved as he sounded like he usually did. He needed to get back in focus and making myself a target seems to be the best way to do it. A vent escaped the mech before he spoke again. "It's just not…easy. Even with our team together…this has never been easy. The only bots who know about this are my creators, my boot camp instructor, and Ultra Magnus." Just what else was lover bot hiding? When he started to lift a shaking servo toward his visor, I realized that must be what he was talking about. "My optics have always been a point of worry for me because I knew that most Autobots would see them and think the worst. These are my optics."

I stared intently as Trecke removed that visor from his faceplate. Immediately, I felt mesmerized by the scarlet orbs that shone back at me. Red. His optics… were red. Immediately, my spark seemed to grow euphoric as I continued to stare at those amazing optics. Those words of my fortune-telling trip rang through my audios as I found myself unable to look away.

They will have red optics.

I had resigned myself to the fate of having a Decepticon as a bondmate. However, connecting those beautiful scarlet orbs with the mech's future bondmate's description; being surrounded by amazing chassis parts…I found myself hopeful. I needed to dissect this information before I went to recharge this solar to get a plan in motion. I needed to get closer to lover bot…and I would. I hadn't felt this hopeful about my future since that fateful solar that my future was predicted than I did at this click.

"You know, your optics are quite stunning," Pandimala spoke up, staring at them as well. "Most Decepticons have to get enhancements done, slight ones, to get that sort of bright color. I'd say at least half of them were born with a darker shade of red than they wear now. Frag, if they got the chance, you'd probably get a lot of courting offers just for the hope that your programming for your optics would be passed on."

Immediately, a low growl escaped me at the thought. No, he was mine. The others glanced toward me at my outburst, though they thankfully didn't say anything. Good. I needed to keep myself in check. If I was going to do this, I needed to start slowly. Trecke and I weren't always on the best pede with each other, and that meant that, if I had any hope of growing closer to the mech to test this theory, then I needed to move slowly.

"Anyways," Our leader spoke, seemingly to shift the conversation. "If my count is correct, that means that there is only one more bot left to share." We all then turned to Pandimala once he said that. "'Mala, when you are ready."

The femme gave a low nod before she let out a vent. "The first secret I have to share is probably the easier of the two I need to say." Straight and to the point. Very fitting for our warrior. "Sen, that solar on Archa Seven when we first met. I told you about an experimental energon that was on the ship."

"Yes, I remembered that you told me that the spiders on the planet had been mutated by it," Our leader confirmed what Pandimala said.

"Well, I've since found out that it wasn't experimental energon. The original occupants of the ship probably were experimenting with it, but that energon was not made by experimental means," She then gripped her shoulder with her servo before she continued. "It was dark energon."

A cold chill traveled through my chassis as those words left her vocals. Dark energon. An energon so rare that it was thought to be a myth. The essence of Unicron, the Chaos Bringer himself, was shed during the monumental clash that he fought against Primus. "And you are positive that it is that energon that is now inside of you?" Our leader asked her.

She nodded. "I should have offlined from my injuries Sen. The energon…it slowly started to heal me to the point where I was able to stay online and even investigate the ship some more, since the explosion eliminated the spiders, long enough for a scavenging crew to arrive on Archa Seven and take me to Vehicon for repairs. While I don't need the substance to stay online, as I feared, I have found that I can detect its presence. It is a part of me. It is the reason I am on Earth instead of somewhere closer to Archa Seven. This is where the dark energon that was healing my chassis brought me after I was patched up on Vehicon."

"Why would it bring you to Earth?" Pastel asked, a confused look on her faceplate.

Our warrior didn't even hesitate as she spoke. "From the levels I can detect here, the only logical conclusion I can make is that Earth was formed around the defeated chassis of the Chaos Bringer. Earth is the new source of dark energon. However, it is being used for a better purpose. Earth is full of curiosity and potential. It has been amazing. I also think the positive use of dark energon by the locals, unintentionally at that, is what has expedited my recovery."

Interesting. I would have to observe the dark energon in our warrior in our sessions moving forward. There had been an anomaly that I had detected during our exams. However, I had assumed that it was due to her Decepticon heritage. That would teach me to assume, as rarely as I allowed myself to do so anyway. However, our warrior had said that there were two secrets that she had to share and, since it sounded like she was finished with that one, which was quite interesting in itself, it was time to keep this moving. We weren't sure how long the other teams would be gone and we needed to keep 'Malsy here a secret until the time was right. "And your other secret?"

While Trecke threw a glare my way, with those gorgeous optics of his still out, Pandimala smirked. "Of course." However, in that smirk, I could see hesitation and nervousness. What was our warrior keeping from us? "Honestly, back on Archa Seven after the incident, I could have contacted Sen for a pickup, since he knew where I was then…but I didn't. What I found during one of my explorations to get used to using my pedes again stopped me from doing so." She then, surprisingly, went to reach into her subspace. "I've carried this with me since that solar for the time I would reunite with you Sen. As much as you and I thought that our first contact was an accident, this proves that it might not have been so."

She then placed a surveillance drone in the center of our circle.

An Autobot surveillance drone.

They had known where she was…and did nothing to help our dear 'Malsy.

"The Autobots were watching you?" My Prime asked, his voice having hints of anger in it. "They knew you were in trouble and did nothing?"

Pandimala nodded slowly. "I think so. At the very least, they were watching what happened on Archa Seven. I think they were planning something with me and you and were making sure that we moved in the right direction. However, the drone was damaged during the explosion and they must have thought that I offlined as well."

"They knew you were fighting for survival…for fifty stellar cycles…and yet they left you there." My Prime growled as he glared at the offlined surveillance drone. "All of those times when you had to risk spark and chassis just to get energon for the solar."

Pastel placed a servo on our leader's shoulder, I'm assuming to help calm him down. While I knew that his anger was more than just, this was not the place for it. My Ceaser needed to save it for those who were responsible for this…and we would find out who that was. "Sentinel, calm down. We need to stay focused on this solar. We will save this for another solar."

My leader calmed at her words and nodded. "Apologies. I lost myself for a click."

We all readily assured my Ceaser that it was more than fine that he let that out before Trecke spoke up. "This also explains a few strange events that happened back in the early stellars. The way that the intelligence bots just let you in to pick a teammate after such a public scandal to allow us to meet my love. The way that those intelligence bots would seem to defend us, even with the backlash that we were receiving from the blame due to the incident of Archa Seven that unjustly fell on your shoulders. Even the way that they would glance at us when they thought we weren't looking. They knew the truth about what happened on Archa Seven. Well, what we thought was the truth at least, Pandimala my love."

Anger flickered in my spark as Trecke pointed that out. All of the suffering that my Ceaser and Trecke had stood tall through from the backlash of that incident…and there were bots in high standing that could have defended them. Could have defended them and didn't? I barely contained my growl as those thoughts came to my processor. Oh, they would pay in energon and chassis pieces. Helms, living helms, would roll thanks to the wisdom that I convinced the human Masterson to share.

"With the barriers that we were keeping from each other removed," I focused as my leader spoke. "I must ask a favor of you all." I would do anything for my Prime, and I was sure that the others felt the same. I was ready to serve my Ceaser even more readily after this. "Please, restrain yourselves for just a little longer. Earlier, we received word that a member of the Council was going to be visiting within the next few solars and I wish us to be in good standing enough to request a private conversation with whoever it is…to find out answers. However, to do that, we must hold ourselves back just a little longer. I know it is much to ask, given all the restraint you have shown already. However, to find out the answers we want, I ask for just a little longer. Please."

"We will wait as long as you need us to Sentinel," Pastel spoke up first.

I gave a nod, feeling the determination to obey my Ceaser course through my chassis. "As always, my Ceaser, I stand at the ready to excise a path of victory for you at your word."

Trecke gave his approving nod as well. "My Love, of course. I will make sure that I will see all that you wish to come to pass fulfilled. My wit and my chassis are yours to do with as you may need."

Finally, Pandimala spoke. "Sen, I have placed my trust in you since that fateful solar so long ago. I was willing to join the Autobots, who I was raised to fear, just for the chance to serve under you. You. Not Ultra Magnus. Not the Council. Not even Megatron. You. Your word is my trigger, and I stand ready to take out whatever enemies you need me to at your call."

Our leader stood at that point, which caused the rest of us to stand before he spoke. "Thank you. All of you. This solar was not easy for any of us. However, it will bring us even closer together and prepare us for the trouble that is bound to come over the horizon. For now, go and get some recharge. Team Vulcan has requested us to show them around various points in the city in our soliforms. And we would hate to disappoint."

I felt a smirk grow on my faceplate as I walked to my quarters. Oh, I could have so much fun with this…even with restraining myself. And who knew? With the entirety of Team Vulcan and Team Athenia having signed my contracts now, I could convince more of Team Orion to do the same. Having an excuse to dissect a few of them would be most gratifying.

As I lay down to recharge, I found myself losing consciousness to the thought of beautiful scarlet optics.

Sentinel: *frowns* That wasn't a good idea.

Authoress: *half awake on couch* And your mother was a pig farmer. *readjusts self*

Fable: *smirks* Now, this has opened up some possibilities. *moves in with permanent marker*

Authoress: *mumbles* Touch me with that and your aft is grass.

AN: And here is the next chapter! Oh, boy was it a doozy of a chapter though. I felt bad for making it so long but that couldn't be helped. Not with all the information I had to jam in here. But, I hope that it was worth it. It would take too long to discuss all that just happened so I am going to just point out one of the many things I hid in those secrets: Be mindful of the bots mentioned. I can guarantee that I made a slight reference to a previously mentioned bot. Now, let's see if you can find them.

Now, until next we meet, here are the names of the next chapters.

Chapter 16: Fall of the Prime

Chapter 17: Unexpected Side of Events

Chapter 18:... (find out next time of course!)

Well, that's all for now! Thank you all for reading this. Seeing the numbers each time I check fills me with hope and inspiration! Well, until next time, TTYL! *dancing to some random music*