After picking up Moonracer and Phantomjaw, the Daytrader was back on schedule. According to Wreck-Gar and Slipstream, they had to double-back to a planet they were previously settled on to retrieve some members that voluntarily stayed behind to search for Energon and other necessary resources. It would take a while, though, as they currently did not retain the means to make a swift return. Yes, they had the quantum warp drive, but they burned through that power, and the recharge process could take who knows how long.

At least nobody was bored; everyone had something to do, even the newcomers…

Steeljaw and Phantomjaw played Catch Up in the privacy of their own room.

Knockout and Moonracer opted to hang around Dead End and talk about Breakdown and Velocitron.

Bumblebee remained on the bridge with Wreck-Gar as they discussed what to do next.

Slipstream would have gladly stayed…

"SUNSTORM! GET BACK HERE!"

But much to her chagrin, she had to deal with her brothers.

"Curse my spark, what did I do to deserve this?" Slipstream murmured, covering her faceplate and shaking her helm. She feels something hot approaching her, and in an instant, a golden, fiery glow shoots past her.

"HI, SLIPSTREAM!" Sunstorm greets.

Barely a second later, a silver blur sped past her in the same direction as Sunstorm.

"DON'T INTERFERE!" Starscream shouted to his sister.

Slipstream remained where she was for a minute, debating on whether she should follow or not.

Well, it's not like I listen to Scream, ever, anyway, Slipstream thought, beginning her trek down the hall. Besides, Sunny was radiating more than normal, and the last thing we need is for him to burn this whole ship and everyone on it.

With that alarming thought in mind, the femme wasted no time in transforming and flying after her brothers, hoping to catch up to them before something bad happens, but apparently the universe hates her. It wasn't much longer till she heard a crash and shouting. Slipstream transformed and walked the rest of the way, flinching when she saw smoke and heard sizzling.

"Oh scrap."

Slipstream stops in the doorway of the bridge, her optics wide as she scans the mess that laid before her. The floor was marked by a long, scorched line, leading to a destroyed set of consoles that were indeed smoking and sizzling. Sunstorm and Starscream are partly conscious in a hole of their own making. Everyone else in the room – Wreck-Gar, Bumblebee, and some Vehicons – all looked like they just had a spark attack.

"Please don't tell me they destroyed anything too important?"

"Yeah, we're fine, thanks for asking," Starscream responded. He twists his helm to glare at his twin, who was lying splayed out beneath him. "Though Sunstorm won't be for long."

"Aw, come on, Scream!" Sunstorm whined as he tried to get out from under the other mech.

"Don't pull that scrap with me, Sunstorm! I'm not falling for it!"

"Blazing stars, Scream, you can be so annoying!"

"Look who's talking!"

"ENOUGH!" Slipstream snapped, simultaneously silencing her brothers and snapping the others out of their shocked stupor. She walked over to Sunstorm and Starscream, stopping in front of them with a scowl and crossed arms. "Now, care to tell me what the problem is this time?"

Both mechs opened their mouths to answer…

"One at a time," the femme added, raising a servo with only one digit pointing upward. The mechs shut their mouths and look at each other, all of a sudden neither seemingly too keen on speaking, which Slipstream knows never bodes well.

Oh, great. What did these two idiots do before they destroyed half the bridge?

"Hey, is that supposed to be happening?" Bumblebee asked, his voice bringing Slipstream's attention to something she didn't notice before. The part of the console Sunstorm is lying on is glowing red/orange and melting.

Every Seeker in the room shared a look and replied, "Sort of?"

Bumblebee looked at each of them, his optics full of confusion and concern.

"What do you mean 'sort of'?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Well…" Sunstorm trailed.

"Sunstorm has the ability to burn anything he touches," Starscream interrupted, removing himself from his brother, then turning around to help him up as well.

"Then, how come you aren't, you know, burning?" Bumblebee stammered, staring at Starscream's relatively unscathed frame.

"Scream and I are immune. Don't ask me how, because I don't know. All I do know is that the two of us are the only ones unaffected by Sunny's ability," Slipstream explained.

"Uh-huh… and that?"

The yellow and black mech pointed to the damaged console, which was starting to cool down now that Sunstorm was no longer on it.

"That's kind of the reason why Scream was chasing me," Sunstorm replied, folding his arms behind his back and scuffing the floor with a ped. "You see, the device I use to keep my radiation under control runs out of power after a while so it needs a recharge, and I guess I didn't realize it was that time because I was so happy Scream was back…"

"And then he burned my stuff and nearly destroyed the Lightbender that Knockout gave me!" Starscream exclaimed. "Do you know what Knockout would do to me if that Lightbender is Primus-forbid destroyed?"

"Something bad?" Slipstream inquired, smirking. Starscream turned and glared at her.

"Slipstream, love, I believe that's enough for now," Wreck-Gar spoke, approaching the femme and wrapping his arms around her frame.

There it is again! Starscream internally fumes, watching as his sister shows a more openly affectionate side around the Junkion. What is with those two? And why does he keep calling Slipstream 'love'? They can't possibly be…

"Hey, Scream, you alright?" Sunstorm asked, waving a servo in front of his brother's faceplate. "You seem kind of angry. Are you still mad at me? Scream?"

"WHAT?"

The silver Seeker's voice echoed throughout the room, startling everyone, including himself.

"Erm… sorry," he cleared his vocalizer and apologized. He then turned his attention to his sister and Wreck-Gar and pointed at them. "I'm just wondering why you two are so…"

"It's because we're conjunx-endura, Scream," Slipstream snapped, wrapping one arm around Wreck-Gar and placing the other on a cocked hip. "Got a problem with that?"

Starscream didn't answer.

It was an awkward moment of silence.

"Well, congratulations!" Bumblebee piped. "You both seem quite happy with each other."

"We are," the couple said, smiling. Wreck-Gar tightened his hold on Slipstream, who leaned further into the embrace.

The sound of ped steps reached their audials. The mechs and femme noticed that Starscream was leaving the bridge, his expression unreadable as he was no longer facing them.

"Starscream?" Bumblebee reached out.

No response.

"Hey, Scream, your friend's talking to you," Slipstream said next.

Still, no response.

Nobody bothered to go after him once he was gone and out of sight.

"What's wrong with him?" Bumblebee muttered, worrying about his shipmate.

"What isn't wrong with him?" Slipstream retorted, but her voice wasn't as venomous as it normally was wherever it regarded her brother. When it came to Starscream, Slipstream never worried about him, but if he started acting in an abnormal way, – abnormal for him, anyway – that's when she started worrying.

This was one of those times.

"Sunny, follow him. Make sure he doesn't hurt himself or do something stupid."

"Got it, sis!" Sunstorm perked to attention, giving a little salute before running off.

I hope I don't regret being the slightest bit worried about Starscream.