Trigger Warning: mentions of assault!

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"WHAT?"

Was the first reaction Steeljaw's fellow mechs, minus Dead End, expressed. The raised pitch of each voice forced the blue/gray Lupicon to fold his ears back and grimace in disdain.

"Sensitive hearing, you three, sensitive hearing!" Steeljaw snapped, rubbing his ears to soothe the pain.

"Sorry, it's just…" Knockout attempted to apologize.

"You have a brother? Why am I just finding out about this now?" Bumblebee interrupted in a frenzy.

"Many reasons, believe me," Steeljaw muttered, his glare switching from the Lieutenant to his brother. "For starters, I had no idea if you were still alive or not."

"I've told you before, brother, I can't disclose the confidentiality of my work," Phantomjaw replied.

"You couldn't set aside time to take a break and at least visit every once in a while?"

"Everytime I tried, you were off galavanting with a bunch of barbaric rebels."

"Oh, like you're one to talk!"

Phantomjaw tilted his helm, a clear sign that he was confused. It was a common habit that the brothers shared.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that you have never worked for less than savory mechs?"

The black and white Lupicon didn't answer. He shifted his weight from one ped to the other.

"Nothing to say? That's a first," Steeljaw remarked.

"I will, eventually," Phantomjaw replied, shrugging his shoulder plates. He then looked over to Bumblebee and pointed at him. "Anyway, why does the Autobot care about you not talking about something? Are you mates or something?"

"NO!" The rivals exclaimed simultaneously.

"Absolutely not!" Steejaw snapped.

"I hate him, he hates me; we have this sort of love/hate dynamic going on," Bumblebee explained.

However, Phantomjaw was unconvinced, but whatever he was thinking, he wasn't saying. If there's one thing about his brother's job that Steeljaw appreciates, it's that he knows what information to disclose and when. He was filled with relief when the subject changed.

"Moving on, Moonracer here said that I could hitch a ride with you guys once you arrived," Phantomjaw said.

"Do you not have a ship of your own?" Dead End asked.

"No."

"Then how did you get here?" Starscream questioned.

"Spacebridge malfunction."

The mechs exchanged uncertain looks.

"Please? He's been really helpful for the past chord, and I promised him a lift off planet," Moonracer pleaded, optics locked on Dead End.

"Well, it's not really my decision," the ex-Stunticon pointed out. "That's up to Wreck-Gar and Slipstream."

"If you must speak to your superiors, then very well," Phantomjaw said, bowing his helm. "I have been on this planet for a while now. A few more kliks worth of waiting won't hurt."

Dead End muttered something under his breath, but he did turn around and walked back up the ramp and into the ship. Moonracer stood between Steeljaw and Phantomjaw, and Bumblebee, Knockout, and Starscream were all standing behind the femme. All remained still for a moment.

"I presume you three are Moonracer's other friends?" Phantomjaw spoke, breaking the awkward silence. "Bumblebee, Knockout, and Starscream, yes?"

"That would be us," Knockout vented. He felt uncomfortable around this mech, but he couldn't figure why. "So, what'd she tell you about us?"

Moonracer stiffened.

"Oh, not much that I didn't already know," Phantomjaw chuckled. "Bumblebee: a young Autobot scout for Optimus Prime who lost his voice in the war. Got it back at around the same time he supposedly deactivated Megatron. After Cybertron's revival, he became a cop – the Lieutenant, as so many refer to him as – in Iacon, then moved back to Earth for a new mission assigned by the complicated predicament his former leader was in.

Knockout: the formerly Decepticon aligned Velocitronian medic and racer. Lost his conjunx-endura Breakdown during the war while on Earth, and his son Wildbreak imprisoned with Motormaster and his current gang of Stunticons after causing trouble, ironically, on Earth. Now a neutral and on a mission that was somehow greenlit by the new yet temporary Autobot Council, after the fall of the Decepticon High Council that infiltrated Cybertron's newly established hierarchy and took over.

And I don't believe I need to recount the history of the infamous Starscream."

Silence fell. Optics wide and horrified, mouths agape, the mechs set their sights on Moonracer.

"Hey, I didn't tell him anything," the femme said, raising her servos in defense. "I mean, I did, but not that information. More so what you guys are like personally. You know? How you interact with each other and such."

"But…"

"Then…"

"How did…"

Phantomjaw laughed. He couldn't handle how funny their reactions were.

"You still haven't changed a bit," Steeljaw vented, closing his optics and shaking his helm.

"Steeljaw, how does your brother know all about us if Moonracer didn't tell him?" Bumblebee demanded. Phantomjaw burst into another fit of laughter.

"Oh… oh, by the stars, this is priceless!" The black and white Lupicon choked out. He calmed down and approached his brother. "I can't believe someone as clever as you was constantly beaten by a bunch of blind Autobots!"

"Well excuse me for not having the same skill sets that you do!" Steeljaw retorted. "I specialized in engineering and science, not police codes or spy missions!"

"Speaking of which, I hope you don't mind, but I had to borrow a couple things from one of your old super secret caches. Thanks for setting those up for me, by the way. Some of the stuff you made is perfect for the job!"

"And what job would that be?" Bumblebee interrupted before Steeljaw could respond to what his brother said about touching his stuff. "I'm a cop, remember? Telling either the truth or a lie will get you into trouble."

The black and white Lupicon chuckled.

"Aw, I see why you stuck around him all this time, Steel-y. He's adorable! And so fun to mess with, too!"

"Brother, please stop," Steeljaw begged. "On all accounts, just stop."

"Very well. Besides, I suppose it's time to properly introduce myself, after all."

Phantomjaw turned away from Steeljaw and Moonracer and bowed in front of the remaining three bots, like a performer at the end of a play.

"I am Phantomjaw, former Decepticon spy, now working as a freelancer for anyone looking to hire someone of my caliber. Require information, equipment, or the like? Just leave it to me, because believe me when I say that you will not be disappointed!"

"Please don't tell me you've been hanging out with that Swindle mech again?" Steeljaw complained. Pantomjaw returned his attention to his brother and tilted his helm.

"Too much sales-mech charm, you think?" He asked.

"Maybe just a little over the top."

"Ah, thank you. Always appreciate your input when it comes to conversing, brother!"

"Clearly."

"Okay, enough sibling banter!" Knockout interrupted. "What I don't understand is that if you're a Decepticon, how come there were no records of you in the database?"

"I have been with the Decepticons since the beginning, and I never heard of you or seen you before," Starscream added, crossing his arms.

"Same here, and even the Autobot databases hold most if not all of the same information the 'Cons did," Bumblebee inputted.

Phantomjaw snorted in amusement, then opened his mouth to speak…

"I'm one of the best Decepticon spies. The best of the best, in fact. Nobody knows who I am, not even my fellow Decepticons. I am the best at what I do, and because of that, I have never been caught. That's why no one knows I exist. I am like my namesake: a phantom. I come and go as I please, appearing and disappearing when needed, and only give what was asked of me. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't expect to gain control over me, because it will never happen."

For the second time that day, Phantomjaw was shocked into silence. Everyone turned their surprised expressions onto Steeljaw, the one who actually spoke. He didn't bother with the others; he only paid attention to his brother.

"You… you still remember that?" Phantomjaw stuttered, shaking himself out of his trance.

"How can I not?" Steeljaw scoffed. "I've heard your monologue so many times it replays itself in my processor constantly! Figured I might as well save a little bit of my sanity."

His brother remained silent for another minute. Then, he approached and slapped Steeljaw across the backplate.

"Good to have you around again, brother," Phantomjaw laughed.

"You, too, brother," Steeljaw replied, a smile forming on his faceplate.

"Well would you look at that? You can be happy once in a while!"

A low growl emanating from his vocals, Steeljaw pounced his brother and soon both Lupicons were a jumbled, tumbling mess. The others just watched from a safe distance.

"You know, they kind of remind me of puppies play-fighting," Starscream mentioned. His optics widened when he realized what he just admitted and turned to see three pairs of optics staring back at him. "What? Earth creatures are entertaining!"

Both Knockout and Bumblebee were amused by this new revelation.

"Okay, the next time we go on a trip, you're taking me to Earth," Moonracer said.

"Just me, or… who are you talking to, exactly?" Knockout asked.

"All of you."

Now three pairs of optics were on Moonracer.

"You really want to spend more time around us?" Bumblebee questioned.

"Believe it or not, I really like hanging out with you guys, and I want all of us to spend more time together after the mission," Moonracer replied, a little meek. She then grew a determined look. "Besides, somebody's got to make sure you four stay out of trouble. Might as well be me."

The mechs and femme shared a laugh.

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"What's gotten into them?" Phantomjaw asked, gesturing to the quartet with his snout.

"Don't know, couldn't hear very well since someone slammed my helm into the ground," Steeljaw retorted from his spot, underneath his brother, who had him pinned.

"Oh, please, you aren't leaking any Energon! You're fine!"

"I almost forgot how much of a pain in my aft you actually are."

"Would you rather that I be boring?"

"Scrap no!"

"Good!"

"Yeah…"

Steeljaw bit back a whine of discomfort as he felt his brother's hind claws press against a damaged piece of plating.

"Can you get off now?"

Phantomjaw shifted his weight off his brother, but when Steeljaw tried to get up, he didn't get very far. He looked up and noticed that Phantomjaw was still there.

"Would you rather I have said get out of my way?" Steeljaw snarled.

"Sorry, but you are injured," Phantomjaw replied, his voice sincere. Steeljaw flinched, not used to hearing his brother talk like he was worried about him.

"Oh, so you did notice."

"It comes with the job description. I wouldn't be a good spy, let alone the best of the best, if I didn't have a keen optic."

Steeljaw laughed, but it was half-sparked, and quiet. His brother lay down beside him, curling his tail protectively around his blue/gray frame and pulling him closer.

"I really am worried about you, Steeljaw," Phantomjaw whispered. He didn't want this private conversation between him and his brother to reach the others. "Don't think for a nanoklik you can hide your pain from me. What happened?"

Even after all this time apart, the black and white Lupicon still retained concern for his brother's wellbeing. He was used to hearing all of the trouble Steeljaw would get himself into, but nothing he couldn't fight or talk or improvise his way out of and still come out his normal self. Those kinds of situations Phantomjaw could deal with, but now…

He didn't want to think about…

He couldn't possibly imagine Steeljaw…

But the signs were right there, clear as day.

"Brother?"

Steeljaw's voice snapped Phantomjaw out of his trance.

"My apologies, brother," the black and white Lupicon vented, shaking his helm. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. Just remember, if you do, I promise I won't tell anyone unless you give me the all clear."

"Thank you," Steeljaw whispered, a small smile forming. "I'm a little surprised yet grateful that you still hold onto our vow to each other."

"To never betray you and vice-versa. Why would I ever forget that?"

"I… If you have been keeping tabs on me from a distance, then you know how well my luck's been going."

"Short answer: not good. Long answer…"

"I don't want to hear the long answer. I don't need to be reminded of the past."

Phantomjaw scanned his brother. Suddenly, it clicked. He recognized the symptoms. He's only ever seen his brother like this once before.

"Hey, you two coming or what?" Knockout called. The Lupicon brothers looked up and spotted the quartet, along with Slipstream and Dead End, standing by the ship.

"Your brother is allowed on board, Steeljaw!" Moonracer added. "Come on!"

"Great! Just give us another klik, okay?" Phantomjaw responded before his brother could.

The other bots shared confused looks.

"We are leaving in ten kliks, so I suggest you make it quick!" Slipstream stated.

Once the femme and other bots were out of sight, Phantomjaw turned back to his brother.

"What was that all about?" Steeljaw asked.

"I highly doubt you want them eavesdropping about you know who," the black and white Lupicon answered. "That's assuming…"

"They don't know about him."

"Still refuse to talk about it?"

"They don't need to know about that part of my life."

"Or rather, you don't want them to know about the love of your life."

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"We were attacked out of the blue and captured by a mech named Thundertron," Steeljaw began.

"Name sounds familiar," Phantomjaw muttered. "I believe he's the leader of a group of marauders called the Star Seekers."

"You've dealt with them before?"

"No. Just heard about them from a few outposts I'd visit during a job. They sound like nasty pieces of work, but I digress. Please, continue."

"After we were captured, Knockout, Bumblebee, and I were restrained. Well, two of the three of us were restrained; Knockout was paralyzed. Don't recall how that happened, but there's no point in worrying about that now. Starscream was in disguise, courtesy of his Lightbender, so he managed to stay out of the brig for a whole week… I mean, chord. You already know what happened with Moonracer, since she was here with you during everything.

Thundertron questioned us, and he showed a particular interest in me. It was unsettling. Then, he started touching me, and I couldn't get away. Bumblebee tried to intervene and protect me, but it didn't work out."

Steeljaw stopped talking. The memories of what happened – after Starscream left, and Bumblebee and Knockout were taken away; when he was alone with Thundertron – flooded his processor. In his distressed state, he almost didn't notice Phantomjaw curling even tighter around him.

"I know you're hurting, brother, and I'm right here to help you recover," Phantomjaw soothed, rubbing his helm gently against his brother's. "I promise, I won't be going anywhere anytime soon, not until I know you'll be alright without me once again."

"Don't flatter yourself," Steeljaw huffed, snuggling closer to his brother like they used to do when they were pups. Phantomjaw smiled, but it didn't last for long.

"I hate to ask…"

He felt his brother stiffen.

"But I need to know…"

He felt the ground churn beneath his brother's claws.

"If you were…"

"Stop," his brother growled. Phantomjaw allowed Steeljaw a moment to collect himself. "If you're asking me if Thundertron assaulted me further after everyone left, and before I was tortured by two of his crewmen, then the answer is yes.

I was defiant during the interrogation afterward, so that was fun. Got some nice, sweet payback by making things hard for them. And then the next day came around. I thought I was prepared for what they would throw my way next, but I wasn't. Far from it. They injected me with something that caused fear-driven hallucinations, and… and I… I saw him.

It's not that I don't want to see him again, but that's the problem. I can't see him because I don't know where he is or if he's even alive! He's the only one I ever loved and wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and he had to leave me behind to protect me!

Seeing him in my processor… I don't want to remember! I miss him so much, but it hurts to think about him when's no longer here! And I can't let go of him because I love him!

I love him so much, brother, and I want him back!"

Phantomjaw couldn't do anything other than comfort his brother in his time of need. He gently grasped Steeljaw and pulled the both of them into sitting positions. They embraced each other and entwined their tails, one crying against the other's chassis, and the other rubbing the one's backplate.

The Lupicon brothers remained where they were until they were called inside by Slipstream.

"Come on, brother, you can cry more once we're inside," Phantomjaw whispered, helping his brother rise to his pedes. He allowed the other Lupicon to lean against him as they made their way over to the ship.

"Again, you are a pain in my aft," Steeljaw muttered, but at least he was smiling. Phantomjaw counted that as a win.

"Now what kind of brother would I be if I wasn't a pain in your aft?"

"Then you wouldn't be my brother in the first place."

The mechs shared a laugh.

"Listen, brother, you know I won't tell anyone about any of this, no matter what…"

"I sense a 'but' coming."

"But sooner or later, you're going to have to tell them. It'd be better if you do, before they cross a line trying to obtain the truth. From what I've read, heard, and seen of these guys, they don't seem like the types to back down."

"They aren't, especially the Lieutenant."

Steeljaw paused and vented.

"And I did promise Moonracer I wouldn't hide things from her if it doesn't affect my overall health and function."

"Oh scrap. Sooner it is, then."

"Yes… in all honesty though, brother, thank you."

Phantomjaw smiled and pulled Steeljaw closer to him as they scaled the ramp and entered the ship.

"That's what family is for."