Silence In the Skies

"Speech"/ "Thoughts"

"Tailed-Beast speech/ "Thoughts"

AN at bottom.

Japanese will be between [ ] and Cybertronian between { } to differentiate between "English."

Chapter 2: First Contact

Windblade sat alone near the edge of the plateau housing her fellow Autobots, emptily staring out into the vast desert. Her thoughts were consumed by the Spark-shattering news she had been lost for over a million solar cycles, returning to the reality of Cybertron being abandoned. Optimus Prime had pulled her aside shortly after the adult human left to give her a brief-but-thorough summary of the major events she missed, ending in how he and his team came to this planet. Once finished, Prime then asked her if there was anything she could tell him which would help explain how she and the boy traveled forward in time.

There was only one thing she could think of…

{The red spacebridge…} Windblade repeated quietly to herself. In their haste to escape from Shockwave's heavily-armed mockery of a research vessel, her crewmates managed to hack into an unusually red-colored spacebridge covered in strange symbols. Nobody had time to question anything – the ominous portal being their only hope of escape. Once inside, however, the ship violently shook uncontrollably as all their instruments went haywire. Everyone and thing inside were tossed around the interior – Windblade herself had been in the cargo hold to secure the stasis pod holding the organic when turbulence occurred, knocked out by a hard impact before the injuries she sustained in battle forced her into stasis.

Now, she was here on Earth as the only survivor… Her Spark felt heavy at the loss of her comrades, but she knew their sacrifice was not in vain. Not only did they steal and destroy most of Shockwave's data on the experiment, but they also prevented the Decepticons from possessing a renewable source of Energon. Optics shuttered, Windblade remained still as she silently mourned her comrades like so many before. The black-and-red femme kept her cross-legged position for a few minutes, before an unfamiliar sound registered in her audio receptors. Gazing out the corner of her right optic, she saw a sleek four-wheeled vehicle speeding along the highway.

Focusing on the automobile, Windblade found it aesthetically pleasing and its performance satisfactory. Twin green beams of light shot from her optics, instantly hitting their mark, scanning every inch of the vehicle within seconds. Once finished, her form began to change as metal shifted, stretched and compressed – before, where a bipedal robot once stood, a crimson-and-black Nissan GT-R35 with a white hood and solid blue-tinted windows now occupied the space. Returning to her now slightly-altered bipedal mode, Windblade resumed her previous position, not quite done paying her last respects.

Meanwhile, inside the decommissioned missile silo, Cliffjumper closely watched the unconscious organic for any sign of awakening. When the new 'Bot headed up top, it was quickly decided the boy needed to be always watched, while Optimus and Ratchet examined the stolen files recovered from the crashed ship. As they looked through Shockwave's notes and logs, this left the remaining team in charge of monitoring the experiment. Their leader also explicitly ordered he was to be informed of any shift in the child's state alongside regular updates.

{No change so far. I'm not sure if that's good…} thought the red mech as he looked at the sleeping youth with a small frown. The boy's face seemed to be permanently crestfallen, and his body had not moved from a mildly shaking fetal position. He had remained in this state for at least twelve hours now with barely any sound. Cliffjumper wondered if this was an adverse effect of being in stasis for an extended period, as he and the new femme had drifted in space for at least a month before crashing.

Then again, it was also unknown what his living conditions were like under Shockwave…

A light groan registered in the Autobot scout's audio receptors, redirecting his attention downwards to the boy sluggishly shifting to laying on his back, before dull Energon-blue eyes momentarily opened, then closed again. Another groan – this one louder and followed by his limbs groggily stretching – prompted Cliffjumper to inform his comrades the boy was waking up.

No sooner had the message been sent did the organic's eyes snap open, all weariness gone in an instant. Slowly, his head turned to Cliffjumper, terror etched on his face. Unsure how to calm the situation before it could get out of hand, the Autobot did the first thing which came to mind.

[Hi, there] softly greeted Cliffjumper as he squats down a respectful distance away from the frightened boy, keeping his servos visible and maintaining direct visual contact. The child did not respond, looking unblinking at the Cybertronian's optics as he slowly got out of the stasis pod. He tried to stand only to crumple to the floor – his body most likely weak from prolonged inactivity. The last time with Fowler must've been a rush of adrenaline or a last gasp from whatever the bizarre energy was.

Leaning against the pod, the child resumed watching Cliffjumper with a tired glare, edged by an almost unnoticeable fear.

[…So, you're my new owners…]

[No, we are not] the Autobot leader gently refuted as he entered the command center followed by Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee. Cliffjumper stood up and joined his fellows in a semicircle while their leader drew closer, remaining a respectful distance away while lowering himself as much as he could to the child's level.

[I am Optimus Prime] the gentle giant introduced himself, watching as the youth's luminescent Energon blue eyes focused intensely on his form while stealing untrusting glances at the others. He seemed to be waiting for any sudden strike from any of them.

[We mean you no harm, young one; you are safe here.]

The boy's lack of an initial response showed his doubt of Prime's statement. Completely justified, given his time as Shockwave's experiment and witnessing firsthand the heinous extermination of a large portion of his species by the unforgivable process of pink alchemy.

[I understand your hesitance to trust us, as we have given you no reason to… while Shockwave-]

The child shuttered heavily at the mere mention of the Decepticon scientist, causing Optimus to lower his helm and dim his optics. [-has given you every reason to hate us.] The fact his species had inflicted similar destruction on countless worlds – including their own – because of their war weighed heavily on his Spark.

Despite his shaken state, the boy seemed to take notice of the metal being's remorseful countenance before he spoke again.

[However, I hope one day we may earn your trust, young one.]

Rising to his full height, Optimus let the young human know to ask if he needed anything. Turning to give instructions to his waiting subordinates, the leader of the Autobots heard a soft voice from behind.

[Naruto… My name is… Naruto] the smaller being quietly shared while looking off to the side. Slowly looking up, Naruto received a gentle smile in response, before the tall red-and-blue mech returned to his previous engagement. Hearing a series of distinctive clicks, whirls and other mechanical sounds come from the group prompted the little human to study the appearances of these new metal beings.

Starting with the obvious leader, this one stood taller than the others, possessing broad shoulders attached to somewhat lanky arms, precisely armored so as not to restrict movement. Supporting the primarily red upper body were blue-and-silver legs with large black wheels on the outer sides. Lastly, a blue helmet-shaped head and metallic silver face finished his appearance.

Next, Naruto saw a green-hued robot built like a sumo wrestler supported by stubby, mechanical pillars for legs and massive arms. After that was a black-and-yellow one with a stocky build, lacking a visible mouth, possessing a pair of glass – at least it looked like glass – and metal wings on his back. Next to him stood the red, horned one from earlier who was a tad bulkier in build than the previous.

The final machine differed in appearance, being the only one possessing a feminine build, her lithe body being primarily a dark blue with strips of pink on her legs, forearms and sides of her face. Other notable features were prominent spikes jutting from her knees and a single horn sprouting from slightly above the middle of her… eyes, for lack of a better term. All seemed to have minor scratches and chipped paint scattered around their plating, whereas the ones which held Naruto captive were pristine and flawless in appearance.

Wait… one was missing.

[Where's Kabuki?] Naruto asked quietly to himself, not expecting to be heard over the various alien sounds coming from the robots. He vaguely recalled the white- and red-faced machine and this 'Optimum Pride' or whatever from his last moment of consciousness, but the event was like a fever dream. A look at his surroundings revealed he was surrounded by stone and metal with no sight of the outside world. Naruto noticed a large screen displaying multiple different images above a consoled sized for the robots. In the center sat a green outline of a large irregular shape, while on an upper corner sat a green wireframe depiction of a rotating sphere with multiple irregular shapes, one being the previous image. Lastly, the sides were enveloped by the same alien text used by Naruto's prior captors.

Recognizing a map when he saw one, Naruto didn't bother to stop himself from sighing as it clicked – the shapes were representative of land masses and territories. With this realization quickly rose another: this was not his world. Aside from the map, his inability to understand the middle-aged man's words who had previously been with the machines provided further evidence, as only one language was spoken throughout where he was born.

[At least I'll be able to blend in…] Naruto murmured as he peered at a long tunnel which curved off to the left. The youth wondered if it led to an exit, but knew he wouldn't be able to get there if he tried, not with his body in the ragged state it was in. As if in agreement with him, a deep ache suddenly came from his abused flesh, making him groan in discomfort before he leaned his back and head on the pod for support. A flood of exhaustion – mental and physical – crashed into Naruto, his body now realizing he was on solid ground again, and more importantly off that damn ship. Eyes closed, Naruto tried to relax for the first time in nearly two years, even if he could feel them watching his crumpled form.

{Kid's not looking too good,} Bulkhead observed, before suggesting Ratchet look at him. Optimus shook his helm negatively before dismissing his soldiers, instructing them to return to their previous engagements.

{I fear he may respond negatively to one of us examining him, but I will ask Fowler to bring a human medic to do so in our stead.}

Bulkhead nodded in agreement before walking off, leaving his leader alone with the boy. Optimus carefully watched as the youth panted in exhaustion, sent Agent Fowler a message of Naruto's awakening, and requested a human doctor to be brought. Food and water would also be needed along with clothes. Lastly, one of the many untouched rooms in outpost Omega 1 could be used to house the misplaced organic.

As Optimus planned out his potential ward's living conditions, he registered a quiet proximity alert – they had silenced the alarm to prevent Naruto from becoming further agitated – before walking over to the main console where he watched as Fowler arrived in a single-seat interceptor type aircraft equipped with V-TOL systems. Windblade greeted the human, assisting him in getting himself and five large duffel bags to the ground. There was a short exchange between the two, before the newcomer scanned and transformed into the jet, then returned to her previous form. Optimus softly smiled when Windblade offered her assistance to the clearly over-encumbered Fowler, carrying both him and the bags in hand as she headed back inside.

The sounds of light mechanical steps, followed by hushed foreign vocalizations, roused Naruto out of his semi-conscious state. Turning to the source, the boy saw Optimus silently conversing with a slightly out-of-shape middle-aged man in a blue suit with dark skin, brown eyes, and black hair standing on a nearby catwalk. Their alien words were completely ignored as Naruto thoroughly studied her, the one responsible for taking him away from that Hell-ship.

She stood on black wedge-heels connected to slim red-and-black plated legs with hints of bright blue and a gold strip halfway up the black upper leg. Wheels were embedded in what would be knees on a human, wrapping around gold joint. These metal limbs attached to a slim main section shaped like an hourglass, also colored red-and-black with bright blue highlights on the upper body. Black-plated upper arms and spaulders connected to red lower extremities with flat, white-tipped fins poking out above black hands. Lastly, on her back were a pair of triangular wings with a set of blades in a circle on each wing.

Her face was a cross between a geisha and kabuki theater mask, bearing intricate, jagged red markings and what appeared to be red lipstick on a flawless white surface. Delicate features and twin beacons of soft blue light gave her an admittedly beautiful visage. The rest of her head reminded Naruto of a black-and-red ceremonial samurai helmet, gold tassels on both sides, and a prominent gold crest in the shape of a fan on the top. Adding to the helmet image was a curved blue strip which dipped to a sharp point between the eyes, aligned with a solid strip of blue ascending to a U-shaped notch at the top. Two downward sloped pieces of pointed black metal curved slightly around the sides of her face, stopping at a nearly straight line extending down a bit past a raised red collar protecting the neck finished her appearance.

[I see you are awake.]

Snapped out of concentration by the sudden voice, Naruto quickly shrunk back as he felt three separate gazes on him. Now incredibly nervous, Naruto managed to maintain eye contact as he heard the man speak in his alien language to Optimus. The tall robot nodded before holding a mechanical palm up to the catwalk, patiently waiting as the dark-skinned stranger loaded five duffel bags into his hand. Once done, the man carefully pulled himself over the railing, keeping his eyes on Naruto as he was lowered to the floor.

Eyeing the bags curiously, Naruto cautiously watched as the man slowly approached, shifting his exhausted body into a kneeling position. Holding his arms across his chest in an X formation, large crystal claws sprouted from Naruto's fingertips, making the man pause two meters away and the robots visibly stiffen at the sight. Internally, Fowler felt an itch of fear at the warning display, a dryness forming in his mouth. Pushing the feeling aside, the ex-Army Ranger instead sat down, put the bags down before opening them and displaying the contents within. The child's eyes widened at the simple sight of bottled water, fresh fruit, vegetables, canned foods, crackers, and multiple pairs of clothes.

His stomach growled ravenously in desire for actual food.

Still on guard, Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man, watching him for any hint of deception. This continued for a few minutes until Naruto slowly stood, an odd metallic creaking came from his body as he got on his feet with a low groan of discomfort. Back straight, arms held low to allow his crystalline claws to dig into the stone below, Naruto began to slowly walk forward, sparks trailing behind him. Twin points of electric blue bored into Fowler's dark gaze as the alien child slowly approached, yet the government agent did not move nor break eye contact.

"C'mon kid, there's no need for a bluff. Nobody here wants to hurt you."

Staring up at the boy, now only a few steps away, Fowler motioned for him to sit. A few seconds past by before the claws shattered into dust, and the younger male lowered himself to a cross-legged position, returning to a more docile but still-alert state. Naruto slowly looked over the sustenance-filled bags, reaching for a bright red apple. He ceased movement, shifting his eyes at Fowler with a questioning gaze, still unsure if the offered food wasn't some kind of ploy. The older man gave him a singular nod and an encouraging smile. Turning his eyes back to the apple, Naruto's arm shook slightly as he lifted the fruit to his trembling lips, exposing sharper than average canine teeth as he took a bite.

"That's it… eat."

The other three occupants watched as he chewed for a few seconds, before small streams of tears began to flow from his eyes. Each bite was chewed slowly, the boy's eyes closed as he focused on the taste and texture of the apple. Once Naruto had finished the fruit, he moved on to the rest of the produce, taking his time as he rediscovered flavor. Fowler watched with a sympathetic smile, having done the same when he returned home from duty and ate regular food again. The two Autobots also watched, Optimus pleased Naruto was eating and drinking as he and Fowler had been concerned if the alien child could eat the same foods as Earth-humans, given his birthplace was a completely different planet and very likely possessed different foodstuffs, thus giving him different nutritional requirements. Seeing Naruto recognize the sustenance offered to him proved to be a blessing, as feeding him was one less issue to worry about.

Granted, it was another odd similarity between Naruto's world and Earth.

The Autobot leader received a sudden 'ping' from Ratchet, requesting his presence, stating he had finished decrypting the available files. The Prime glanced down at the organics, noticing Fowler using a device humans called a tablet utilizing its translation and speech-to-text functions in a somewhat successful attempt to engage in conversation with Naruto. The child's responses were laconic, his focus mainly on refu- eating, Optimus corrected himself – rather than talking.

So far, their human liaison had gotten basic introductions out of the way, currently informing the boy the names of some fruits and vegetables he didn't recognize. Prime then peered over at Windblade, her curious optics watched as the child she freed from Shockwave ate. He then asked the newcomer if she could monitor Fowler and Naruto, knowing it wasn't safe to leave them alone.

Windblade nodded an affirmative, filing the younger organic's name away in her memory banks. As Optimus left, she turned back to smaller beings, focused on the one she freed from the Decepticon scientist. He hadn't stopped consuming what was in front of him, but the clear liquid had ceased leaking from his reddened eyes. A small smile of amusement formed as she watched Fowler struggle to get more than a few words out of the silently-feasting youngling. The man sighed in defeat, choosing to wait until Naruto had his fill.

The Agent didn't have to wait too long, as the whisker-faced boy ceased eating after he finished off some cherries and a canned ham. Naruto silently exhaled, glanced at Fowler, then nervously peeked past him at Windblade who returned his gaze with a small, friendly smile. Her smile faltered a bit when he immediately shifted his eyes to the ground. A nervous twitch came from his slumped body every so often, face long and downcast, eyes only moving upwards to show some form of acknowledgement when the older human made another attempt at interaction.

Windblade noticed Fowler quickly cease his attempts, give Naruto an understanding smile before standing up. Curious optics watched as Fowler put the bag of clothes next to Naruto before he crouched down, and attempted to touch Naruto's shoulder. Another metallic creak was heard as Naruto's head snapped up at Fowler with slit pupils set in a warning glare.

[Don't touch me…] Naruto lightly growled in irritation, his body tensed up as claws began to grow. Windblade equally prepared to intervene, but Fowler flashed him an apologetic smile and backed off, relaxing Naruto and the Camien. The Agent walked over to a kneeling Windblade, both watching as the youth brought his knees to his face and rested his forehead on them, arms wrapped around his shins.

"Well, I made some progress – he's tolerant of me being in close proximity, but draws the line at physical contact," Fowler shared, looking up at the triple-changer who stared down at him.

"How do think he'd respond to you getting close? He's been stealing glances your way the entire time."

"I'm aware," Windblade confirmed, before shifting her optics to the tunnel leading to the outside world.

"He's also been peeking around for any exits. I think he knows there's no way out."

"Trapped again," Fowler griped with a sigh, throwing a sympathetic gaze Naruto's way which Windblade mirrored. Over a year trapped as a Decepticon scientist's guinea pig, kept away from even his world's sun, and now stuck who-knows-where surrounded by strangers. Thinking about it made Fowler recall the unnatural metallic creaking the boy's body made. Just what did this Shockwave do to him? Knowing that information was going to be shared with him soon, Fowler took another look at Naruto's unhealthily pale skin. The sight disgusted him.

"We gotta get him outside… He needs the sun." Fowler stated in concern. He was no doctor, but it was common knowledge humans required expose to the sun – not only for Vitamin D, but psychological reasons as well. The warm rays and light helped with production of the happy chemical serotonin and dopamine, substances Fowler doubted the boy had known the feeling of in a long time. Windblade seemed to agree with the smaller being as she rose to her full height, nearly the same as Bulkhead, and promptly walked over to the object of their concern.

Once close enough, she followed Optimus' example by bringing herself closer to his level, using a low kneel rather than getting on her digits. Naruto lifted his head, meeting Windblade's brilliant beacons with his own dim bioluminescent eyes. Windblade saw a world of emotions in those eyes, including gratuitous amounts of distrust, fear, anticipation, hurt and loneliness ringed with an outlier: cold defiance.

[Would you like to go outside?]

[…what?] Naruto dumbly responded, not quite sure he heard her correctly.

[It's a nice day out] Windblade continued with a soft smile. [The sun is a bit hot, but the sky is a clear blue. Would you like to see it?]

[…are you fucking with me, Kabuki!?] Naruto hissed, claws once more beginning to grow as he shot to his feet with a snarl. He would not fall for this sick trick again!

[Hey! There's no need to get prickly! I'm being serious!] Windblade assured the smaller being, her expression hopeful as she extended a hand towards him. [You've been in the dark long enough, don't you want to be back in the light?]

Naruto's expression calmed aside from an uncertain glare, considering her words. He studied her rather earnest expression, noticing a genuine sincerity in those glowing beacons. With a ragged sigh, Naruto willed his crystal weapons to shatter as he directed a melancholic look off to the side.

[I'm… sorry… I'm just tired of being tricked and played with.]

Naruto blinked hard as he started to see a mental image of a red-and-black plated individual he had thought was his only ally on that Hell-bound vessel. Trusting her had cost him dearly… Others, everything.

His thoughts were interrupted by the surprisingly gentle feeling of cold metal on his face. Unconsciously leaning into the touch, Naruto felt more metal delicately curl around him before he was gently lifted upwards. Opening his eyes, he found himself standing on Kabuki's palm, his head more-or-less level with her chin. Realizing she had picked him up incensed Naruto immediately. Giving the geisha-looking robot a wicked glare, Naruto lifted a heel up, sprouted a sharp spike of crystal from the raised area, then stomped down with as much strength as he could.

The effect was instant.

The sudden prick caused Windblade to yank her servo back with a hiss, allowing Naruto to drop quickly to the ground, his landing rather sloppy due to his being horribly out of shape and practice. Windblade looked down at Naruto with an annoyed expression.

[That wasn't necessary, I just wanted to carry you to the roof so you wouldn't strain yourself.]

[I can walk fine on my own… Don't touch me, Kabuki!] Naruto snapped back.

[My name is Windblade] corrected the Camien, plucking out the splinter of crystal – 'sapphire' was the human designation – dropping it unknowingly into Fowler's hands, the man immediately recognizing what he now held and smiled.

[Then don't touch me, Windblade!] Naruto hissed in return, Windblade now believing he was prickly in more ways than one. He heard her grumble, [This is going to take some patience] before requesting him to follow her. Admittedly surprised she still intended to take him outside, Naruto did as asked, albeit with difficulty. They had hardly made it a quarter of the way before Naruto had to stop, resulting in Windblade having the last laugh as he sat in her palm the rest of the way.

After a silently tense walk, the two reached their destination. Setting Naruto down, Windblade backed away while the smaller being shielded his sensitive eyes from the harshly bright sun. Despite this, Naruto could feel the warm rays flood into the greedy skin on his upper neck and nearly bald head.

More. He needed to feel the sun on more of his deprived flesh. Grasping the hem of the white bodysuit Shockwave forced on him, Naruto pulled until a tear had formed all the way past his navel. He then formed a crude knife from crystal, used his self-made tool to cut the material lengthwise to the opposite side of the tear. This newly-separated section was then pulled off, exposing Naruto's entire upper body to the sun before he directed attention to his legs, turning the remaining bodysuit into a pair of form-fitting shorts ending a few centimeters above the knee.

Finished with the impromptu modifications, Naruto proceeded to crystallize the scraps before shattering them to atoms with a satisfied expression. Pleased with his actions, the almost-naked teenager closed his eyes, spreading his scrawny arms out to embrace the warmth of the alien sun. Windblade watched from a short distance away, pleased to see some form of enjoyment out of him. Her optics could just barely see the raised corners of his lips as his back was mostly towards her.

{I'd rather see a smile than that connection port…}

The circular disk of black metal embedded in the back of Naruto's skull contrasted clearly with his pale skin, serving Solus-knows-what what heinous purpose. The Autobot's optics roamed his body, magnifying numerous scars marring his flesh, mainly surgical given their clean-cut and microscopic size. Others, however, seemed to have been gained in combat, which made her frown in concern. Plainly seen was a jagged, discolored section of skin near his shoulder. Micro-scars lined the majority of his upper torso with the precision only a surgeon had, with Windblade only able to imagine what Shockwave did in there.

Her other concern were Naruto's hands: They seemed ordinary enough, but zooming In led to her discovering the "skin" on his hands possessed a different structure, like some kind of synthetic material. On further examination, she noticed what initially appeared to be scars encircling the wrists… but they were too perfect. Windblade recalled Naruto's first awakening when he formed an Energon crystal through his wrist, then compared this with the crystal claws earlier.

{There was no blood today…} Windblade realized with a grim expression. {Why would Shockwave…? Oh, you BUTCHER!}

[You know I only came up here to run away right, Kabuki?]

Naruto's sudden voice drew the mechanical being out of her thoughts. The boy lowered his hands as he stared into the empty desert. He continued, speaking with the same melancholic tone as he did before.

[I faked needing to be carried- just wanted to conserve my strength for the run, but then the sun hit me and I saw the desert, when a random thought hit me: Where do I go?] Naruto asked rhetorically as he slowly sat down on the rough top of the plateau. Windblade began to walk up to where he was seated, sitting down cross-legged.

She remained silent as he spoke, [I see roads, but I don't know where they lead – and even if I did, I can't make the trip before my body gives out. Not to mention nobody would understand me…] Naruto returned to having his legs up to his chest with his arms wrapped around them, his eyes downcast as he realized he was stuck there.

Windblade sighed, before speaking, [Naruto, I know we're the last things you want to be around, but we're the only ones who can help you. Whatever Shockwave did, we're the only ones with the knowledge and ability to help you live with it.]

Naruto quietly listened to her words, looking up as she continued, [I know you're scared – who wouldn't be, in your situation? – but please, trust me when we said we won't hurt you. We just want to help you.]

[In exchange for the Energon I can produce… I know how badly you need it] Naruto interjected as he tilted his eyes downwards.

[No!] Windblade denied, [Optimus would never allow that, and if I were to take advantage of you, then it'd be a betrayal of every principle I believe in.]

Naruto remained silent for a few moments. […how can I trust any of you after what I've been through?]

[You can't] Windblade admitted. [We're just going to have to earn it.]

Naruto recalled similar words being uttered by the one calling himself Optimus Prime. He sighed before looking up at the sky. It was clear and blue, just like she said.

[…I want to stay out for a little while. The sky is beautiful.]

Windblade only smiled.

[It truly is.]

On the other side of the planet lazily drifted the Decepticon Flagship, the Nemesis. Hidden by cloaking technology millennia beyond the fleshy native's detection, the massive, angular warship housed the bulk of the Decepticon forces on Earth.

The nameless drones buzzed around the bridge, tending to their varies duties under the watch of a tall, lanky flier. Starscream didn't even try to stop the pleased expression on his faceplates, wings triumphantly raised to their maximum elevation. Finally! Megatron was gone – not permanently, the SIC wasn't that lucky – departing to do or find Primus-knows-who or -what a few days ago and giving no estimate on when he'd return. The Air Commander relished not only the freedom, but the opportunity Megatron's absence gave him. Soon, the Decepticons would be following him over that brute through choice, not mere obedience to the chain of command!

{Lord Starscream, we have unfortunate news regarding the crashed craft,} a Vehicon solider respectfully spoke from behind.

Smirk still in place, Starscream turned around to hear the latest update on the ship they detected the night prior. He was mildly surprised to see not just a kneeling Vehicon, but two Insecticons: Kick-Back and Shrapnel. Without delay, the Decepticon ground trooper began to speak, informing Starscream the Autobots had already located and pilfered the vessel. Fortunately, Soundwave found out the ship was merely a small squad transport carrying limited munitions, a meager amount of Energon and a dead crew… save for one individual.

It was here when Shrapnel Interjected, stating he recognized the ship from at least a million solar cycles ago, the crew having stolen a rather prized piece of equipment from Shockwave.

{The capsule containing the device is rather small, easily stowed in subspace – yet, knowing Shockwave, it's safe to assume the function is dangerous, dangerous.}

Starscream's expression had shifted to calculative as he listened before taking a few moments to consider the best course of action. There wasn't much information to go on, but he knew the Autobots had been hitting their mines for sustenance for some time now. They were sure to do so again, possibly with whatever it was they now possessed.

{Given how little we know, our best course of action is to tighten security around our mining operations – perhaps the Autobots will use this device against us, and we'll have more information to go on. In short- wait and see.}

Dismissing the soldiers, Starscream called for Soundwave to inform the miners of the increase in security. While he did this, Shrapnel and Kick-Back returned to their previous post, the latter giving the former a crooked side-eye as they walked.

{Care to share why you withheld information from our glorious leader regarding Project Reprisal?} Kick-back asked while mocking their temporary Commander.

{And be forced to grovel to Starscream for a cube of enhanced-Energon made from the experiment's power?! I think not, not!} Shrapnel answered hotly, unconsciously repeating the last word in an echoing tone – an odd quirk of the Insecticon. His anger faded as a sadistic grin shifted his faceplates.

{Besides, Brother, I still need to repay the brat for wounding me, me!} Unconsciously, the black-purple-gold-plated mech gently touched an easily overlooked, slightly discolored section of plating directly below his spark chamber with the tip of a claw. A matching mark on Shrapnel's backside mirrored the first, both completely indistinguishable from what may have been a small accident.

The only accident was the large spike of Energon the boy hurled was supposed to impale Starscream, not Shrapnel.

CUT! CHAPTER OVER!

AN: I am so terribly sorry this took this long to update but it's here! In my absence I have also planned out the next three chapters, made a flexible outline and have decided for overall length to break this story into multiple parts each being between 20 to 30 chapters covering the events of each season of Transformers Prime and my additional storylines. Next chapter is currently being written and will come much sooner than this one especially given the massive boost going to TFcon next month will give me.

Anyway, read and review! Tell which Bots and Cons you guys are hoping show up cause I'm adding quite a few from multiple different continuities.

Greyblueflames burning out!