They'd spent the morning disassembling the space bridge. It was a shame, Prowl thought, to take apart the project they'd spent weeks on but it was for the greater good.
It had been 5 days since the Bi-Directional Unified Transport Terminal incident. By now, they'd developed some semblance of a routine. In the morning, the group disassembled the space bridge. By the afternoon, two bots went on patrol. At night, they returned to the base to make space for the ground bridge before breaking off to rest and do the exact same thing the following day. It was exhausting but effective. Prowl hoped their hard work would pay off soon.
Currently, Prowl and Bulkhead accompanied Prime through the city as he hauled the space bridge parts back to their base. Prowl drove in front of the truck while Bulkhead was in the lane beside them.
"Christmas is coming," Bulkhead noted as he, Prowl, and Optimus Prime sped down the highway. They passed by decorated storefronts, festive automatons, and a few repainted lamposts. The expected winter chill had set in too. It was bound to snow any day now.
"It's only November..." Prowl pointed out, his human hologram frowning slightly as they passed the various festive winter holiday decorations. The obnoxious Christmas music would follow soon, the one aspect of the holiday Prowl dreaded.
Sari would've already been raving about what presents she wanted and how they should decorate the base.
"Miko goes back to Japan during this time of the year." Bulkhead relays with some melancholy. He mentioned his human companion at least four times a day, just as much as he mentioned Wheeljack. "She mostly talks about all of the food she eats and her family's embarrassing drama."
Prime watched their surroundings with fondness. "Humans tend to become friendlier during this time of the year. The winter holidays cause them to think about showing kindness to others."
He was quickly proven wrong.
An incoming call rang to both Prowl's and Prime's communication channels. Captain Fanzone's voice filtered through the channel a few decibels too high. "Prime! Those Dinobots made it off their island and are tearing up Charpen Street! Think you tin cans can take a break from your construction project and help us out?!"
"The Dinobots? What are they doing here?" Optimus asked, his voice raising an octave in shock.
Bulkhead's headlights flashed in surprise. He shouted incredulously, "The Dinobots?! Here?"
Captain Fanzone kept going. "I don't know but you need to come stop them! The triceratops just ate a sedan. Ugh, this is why I hate- put that down, you overgrown lizard!" The line abruptly went dead.
Prowl groaned while Optimus sighed. Charpen Street wasn't far and they immediately knew the route to take. The two bots turned on their sirens in unison.
"What's going on?" Bulkhead asked, ignorant of the call the other Autobots just received.
"That was Captain Fanzone of the Detroit Police Department. The Dinobots are in the city causing havoc. Ugh, I don't even know how they made it off their island. And why would they come here? They hate the city!"
Prowl, as usual, took the Dinobots' side. He moved into Bulkhead's lane and began to drive parallel with the Prime. He firmly reasoned, "Dinobot Island is their home. They would never leave unless it's something important."
"If the Dinobots are on Earth, why aren't they with you at the base? What, did they defect?" Bulkhead asked.
"They're not Autobots. The Dinobots were created here about a year ago. They used to be dinosaur animatronics before they were infused with Allspark energy." Optimus explained quickly. "They're on the nearby island for their protection and everyone else's. The Dinobots are territorial and brash, but they're young and very impressionable. All it takes is the right person, and the Dinobots are the pawns in someone else's game."
"So there's a chance they got mixed up wi-" Bulkhead abruptly paused. Conspiratorially, he asked, "Do you guys hear that?"
That's when the other two Bots noticed the faint sound of screaming. It was followed by an explosion and a monstrous roar. Bulkhead nearly crashed into the concrete road barrier when the distinct form of a pteranodon rose into the sky before diving back down past the trees. There was another explosion.
"Well, we found them." Prowl quipped. It wasn't helping Prime's mood but he couldn't resist.
About a minute later, the three Cybertronians were able to see a crowd running down the street in a panic. The Autobots abruptly slowed down before transforming into bi-pedal mode. It was easier to avoid hitting a human that way.
Off in the distance were three familiar dinosaurs.
"Spider-Lady! Spider-Lady!" Grimlock called out, awaiting a response that never came. Humans, animals, and automatons ran for cover as he battered his tail against any objects he could reach. No one was safe from the Dinobot's tantrum.
Meanwhile, the pteranodon was scaling the walls of a building, shattering just about every window with his claws. He squawked every so often at the people in the buildings and on the street.
Captain Fanzone stood near the building's entrance, barking orders through a megaphone. First responders were guiding people out of the building. Despite the three ambulances, no one appeared to be gravely injured. The building's workers were terrified but otherwise fine.
The triceratops Dinobot was much more docile. He was laying on a row of police cars, all the while ignoring the protests of the frustrated policemen that surrounded him. Instead, the triceratops happily gnawed away at the leaves of a splintered tree. A camera bot was skewered on one of his horns while a police drone was shish-kabobed on the other.
It was about the level of chaos that one would expect from the Dinobots.
"Gah! Where are puny humans hiding Spider-Lady?!" Grimlock roared again, fire spewing from his mouth. He kept pacing around the area and destroying property.
"Who is he talking about?" Bulkhead asked, genuinely bewildered.
"A Decepticon named Blackarachnia. She's the most recent bot to turn the Dinobots into lackeys." Prowl explained, choosing his words carefully. Optimus Prime often came to Blackarachnia's defense, similar to how Prowl treated the Dinobots.
"Looks like they really miss her."
"She tends to have that effect on people." A sour frown pulled at Optimus's lips. That was another thing, he always muttered cryptic and mysterious phrases when mentioning Blackarachnia. No one but Sari knew the specifics of Prime's connection to Blackarachnia, and Sari firmly refused to tell anyone else.
"Hey! Are you gonna stand there all day or are you going to help?!" Fanzone shouted at the Autobots, his voice distorted by the megaphone.
"Let me talk to them first." Prowl turned to the red and blue bot. He almost didn't need to ask. Optimus immediately gave his approval. Prowl turned on his heels and strode toward the rampaging tyrannosaur. Prowl spoke above the sound of the scared humans and upset Dinobots. "Grimlock, what's going on? What are you doing off Dinobot Island?"
Grimlock swiveled his head to the ninjabot before giving a dismissive snort. Prowl tried not to be offended.
But as Grimlock began to turn away, he did a double-take. His gaze zeroed in on Optimus Prime and everyone else became nonexistent. Grimlock charged at the Prime at full speed. Optimus only had a few astroseconds to react. He quickly raised his arm to fire a bola. It wrapped around the Dinobot's legs and he only managed two more steps before falling forward. The ground quaked as the giant bot hit the ground.
Optimus Prime, who looked like he had a mini sparkattack, began with a loud, "Grimlock-"
"Grah! Tiny Autobot! You help me find Spider-Lady!" Grimlock shouted as he transformed. The bola that was wrapped around his legs now bound his forearms together. Grimlock began to tug and cut at the cord with his golden claws.
"I can't help you if you don't calm down and tell me what's going on!" Optimus sternly reminded the Dinobot. He placed his servos on his hips. "What happened to Blackarachnia?"
"Spider-Lady not on Dinobot Island! Dinobots checked everywhere!"
Prowl took his chance to join the conversation. He approached Prime's side and crossed his arms. "She might have simply left the island, or perhaps left the planet entirely."
"Nuh uh!" Grimlock firmly protested with an emphatic shake of the head. "Spider-Lady stay here! She never leave big thingy!"
"Big thingy…?" Bulkhead, Prowl, and Optimus said in unison. The Autobots all looked at each other. They stood in a semi-circle of confusion.
"Big thingy!" Grimlock shouted back. He spread his arms wide, trying to demonstrate the size of whatever he was talking about. "Big thingy still here so Spider-Lady still here! Spider-Lady's home a mess too! Spider-Lady never leave a mess!"
"Home's a mess…" Optimus parroted, his optics downcast in thought. Prowl could practically see the cogs in the bot's processor slowly gain speed. "Do you think someone actually took her?"
"Yes! Puny humans took Spider-Lady! Just like Meltdown!" Grimlock tossed Prime's bola to the ground and transformed back his dino mode with a furious roar.
"Let's not jump to conclusions." Optimus quickly pointed out before Grimlock could go storming off somewhere else. He hesitated briefly before offering, "What if we go to Dinobot Island with you? We can figure out what happened to Blackarachnia if we work together."
Grimlock hummed thoughtfully, his tail swishing back and forth as he weighed his options. Thankfully, Grimlock eventually relented. "Okay! But Swoop and Hornhead stay here. Spider-Lady might still be in city!" Grimlock nodded toward the other two Dinobots.
"Swoop and Hornhead?" Prowl echoed. He must have been away for a while, he had no idea when the tricerotops and pteradon got new names.
"Hornhead, huh? We call him Slug," Bulkhead crossed his arms. That bit of information wasn't very useful but Prowl didn't comment on it.
Shaking his head, Prowl got back on track. The Dinobots needed someone to watch out for them. "I'll call Bumblebee and Ratchet over."
"No need," Bulkhead turned to the road behind them and gestured to the sub compact and ambulance headed their way, sirens blazing. Jack waved to them from Ratchet's front seat.
For some reason, an orange garbage truck was with them and, to Prowl's surprise, it transformed when Bumblebee and Ratchet did. The bot was yet another Earth-born Cybertronian, Prowl knew that much.
"What are the Dinobots doing here?" Ratchet said as soon as he transformed. He was slightly horrified.
"Guess who we found!" Bumblebee jabbed a thumb in the orange bot's direction. He looked shocked but also incredibly amused.
The grey and orange garbage bot had a large, boxy head with an antenna sticking out from the side of his left audio receptor. The body of his garbage truck mode was attached to him like a giant backpack. The bot trotted toward them and bits of trash bounced out of his backpack. An awful smell hit Prowl as the bot drew closer.
"Bah weep graaagnah weep ni ni bong!" The bot, who somehow knew old universal greetings, shouted jovially. He stuck out his servo and Optimus Prime was pulled into an enthusiastic handshake, clamping both of his servos around Prime's servo. The orange bot was surprisingly tall and strong. "My name's Wreck-Gar! I'm looking for a lady spider!"
"…You're the bot that Ratchet, Sari, and Bumblebee met a few months back," Prowl said in astonishment. He and Optimus hadn't been present when the bot had come online but Ratchet, Sari, and Bumblebee told them enough about Wreck-Gar. They'd said the bot was eaten by microbots and his parts washed away in the Detroit River.
The arrival of the other bots and Jack Darby drew the attention of the other two Dinobots. In a matter of seconds, nine bots and one human stood in a group. The Autobots and human stood to the left while the Dinobots and Wreck-Gar stood to the right.
"Turns out Wreck-Gar hadn't been eaten alive! He was just stuck at the bottom of the Detroit River for months!" Bumblebee explained with a wide grin. "The Dinobots found him while they were trying to get to the mainland."
"Grimlock…how did you and the other Dinobots cross Lake Erie?" Optimus suddenly asked. He looked like he already knew the answer.
Grimlock snorted as if it was the dumbest question he'd heard all day. "Dinobots walk."
"You walked from Dinobot Island...? As in you walked across the bottom of Lake Erie and the Detroit River to get here?"
Grimlock nodded. Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Ratchet let out whistles of astonishment.
The truck let out a huff of laughter. "I can't say I'm surprised. When was the last time you saw Blackarachnia?"
"Spider-Lady gone for days!"
"...Has she been gone for five days?" Ratchet asked with furrowed optics ridges. He and Optimus instantly made eye contact, their expressions both gravely serious.
"Uhhh…." Grimlock attempted to count on his fingers how many days it had been since his precious fembot's disappearance. He could only count to three. To be fair, they should have known better than to ask Grimlock a question that involved math.
"You don't think Blackarachnia was affected by the transwarp incident, do you?" Prowl frowned. It didn't sound crazy but it was strange to imagine. How would that have been possible?
Bumblebee's optics widened. "Oh no fragging way!"
Prime shook his head. "Blackarachnia is unpredictable. Like you said Prowl, there could be a number of other reasons for her absence. For now, Bulkhead, Grimlock, Prowl, and I will head to Dinobot Island to take a look around. Bumblebee, Ratchet, Jack, I want you all to follow up with the DPD. They might have some information on any strange activity on the island or in the city. Plus they'll need some help cleaning all of this mess up." Prime commanded, glancing back at the destruction the Dinobots caused.
Bumblebee grumbled in disappointment. "Great…we get babysitting duty."
"Would you rather go back to Dinobot Island and risk being poisoned by a technorganic spider? Again?" Prowl calmly challenged the young bot. The yellow bot had met Blackarachnia twice and had been the victim of her venom both times. Prowl was sure the human phrase "third time's a charm" didn't apply to technorganic venom.
"Okay, babysitting duty it is, then."
"Good choice." Prowl and Bulkhead said in unison.
"I also have my reservations about this," Ratchet stated without hesitation. "If there was an accident involving transwarp energy on that island, I would like to be present as well."
"Wh-" Bumblebee's optics burned vividly in shock. "I can't watch Dinobots and a garbage-bot by myself!"
Before an argument could erupt, a wailing megaphone siren drew everyone's attention to the approaching policeman. Captain Fanzone did not look happy to see them. Then again, he rarely did. Prowl grew apprehensive as he watched the human draw closer. Whatever Fanzone was going to say wouldn't go over well with Bulkhead, Ratchet, or the Dinobots.
"Those Dinobots need to go back to their island!" Fanzone declared through the megaphone. He then dropped the megaphone and began yelling at them in his typical fashion. "And I don't care what they want or who they're trying to kidnap!"
"An Agent Fowler equivalent…I should have expected this." Ratchet grumbled as Fanzone kept yelling. Prowl vaguely remembered Ratchet and Bulkhead mentioning a human agent ally, but he couldn't remember much else.
"Do you know how much a police cruiser costs?! Those metal lizards better be gone in the next 15 minutes or…" He trailed off as he finally noticed the larger-than-normal group of Autobots. His bushy eyebrows created a perfect V shape as he looked between Ratchet, Bulkhead, and Wreck-Gar. "Don't tell me you have more Autobot-alien ambassadors."
"Ah, right," Optimus said with a snap of his digits. He gestured to the two Autobots, "This is Bulkhead and this Ratchet. It's a bit hard to explain but they come from an alternate dimension-"
"Hold on! Hold on!" Fanzone loudly interrupted with a raised hand. "Does any of this involve the Dinobots rampaging through Charpen Street?"
"Uh no..."
"Then I don't need to know about it. Your business is your business." Fanzone declared. He then turned his attention to Jack, pointed an accusatory finger, and asked, "Who are you?"
All eyes and optics were on Jack. Jack slowly pointed to Ratchet and said, "I'm with them? Alternate dimension."
Optimus Prime nodded over to Wreck-Gar. "And you already know Wreck-Gar. He helped take care of the garbage dispute a few months ago."
Captain Fanzone raised an eyebrow, his small eye widening a fraction as he tried to get a better look at the orange bot. After a few seconds, he shook his head. "I can't remember every bot that lands on this planet. My concern is whether or not they pose a threat to anyone in Detroit. The blue goon you brought around was bad enough. I don't need more of that."
The corner of Prowl's mouth curved upward while Bumblebee beamed at the human. The Autobots and police captain could bond over their mutual dislike of Sentinel Prime, if nothing else.
Optimus fought back a smile and nodded in understanding. "I can assure you, they won't be like him."
Fanzone wasn't placated by that statement, but he didn't seem angrier than he already was. "I'm keeping you to that. I'm also reminding you of our little agreement: if you bots break it, you either pay the city or fix it yourselves."
"We know, Fanzone!" Bumblebee rolled his optics dramatically. "That's what we were figuring out before you started yelling at us."
The longer they stood around, the less daylight they'd have to aid them in searching the island. Wanting to continue the conversation without any more delays, Prowl turned to their leader. "I'll stay behind with Bumblebee, Jack, and the others."
Optimus gave the motorcycle a small smile. "I appreciate it. Ratchet, Bulkhead, Grimlock, and I will search the island."
"Policeman Fanzone," Ratchet spoke up with a thoughtful frown, "have you or your men seen any Decepticons around here lately?"
"Grah! Me Grimlock no care about Decepticons! Me Grimlock want to find Spider-Lady!" The Dinobot shouted. He had run out of patience with this conversation. To his credit, he listened to their conversation for longer than Prowl thought possible.
Optimus quickly placated the bot. "We're looking at all avenues, remember? Captain Fanzone, is there any chance there were any reported sightings of a large purple spider?"
Now Fanzone looked at them like they'd all grown extra heads. "No. Nothing like that. What exactly have you lot gotten yourselves into…?"
"Nothing too out of the ordinary! Do you want to hear about it?" Bumblebee chirped with amusement. There was a smug and mischievous glint in this optic.
Fanzone looked like he was going to object, then he paused. "How long is it going to take?"
"Oh not long. You're gonna love it!" Bumblebee crouched and began to regale the policeman with a dramatic retelling of their current predicament.
"You three fill him in," Prime said with a shake of the head and a wry smile on his lips. He jerked his head to the left and continued, "Ratchet, Bulkhead, Grimlock, and I are going to get a move on. We might be able to make it to Dinobot Island before sundown."
Prowl nodded. "Be careful," He warned them firmly. Nothing ever went right when they visited the island and Prowl was sure today would be no different.
The boat rocked steadily as it sailed toward Dinobot Island. The vessel was courtesy of Sumdac Systems and it held their combined weight surprisingly well. The Autobots sat toward the center of the ship. Optimus was perched on a few crates while Bulkhead and Ratchet sat on the floor. Grimlock was excitedly bouncing on the ship's bow. His gaze was locked onto the island and hadn't moved since. It was like watching a turbofox pup paw at the door, eager to go on an adventure.
Grimlock wagged his tail as he watched his home from a distance. "Spider-Lady! Me Grimlock coming to rescue you!"
"Grimlock, don't get too close to the edge. You'll fall." Optimus Prime cautioned the T-Rex. The bot sounded less like a leader and more like a weary parent.
Grimlock, predictably, ignored him.
Ratchet turned his attention to Dinobot Island. On the way to the ship, Prime explained that there were only three things on the island: the Dinobots, Blackarachnia, and a subterranean laboratory. The Dinobots were always lingering by the subterranean laboratory because that's where Blackarachnia resided. The imagery of Grimlock lingering around a purple Decepticon with a knack for experimentation reminded Ratchet of Shockwave after he captured and experimented on the Lightning Strike Coalition Force.
"So, what are the odds that Blackarachnia is working with the Decepticons again?" Bulkhead called to Optimus Prime.
A thoughtful yet troubled expression crossed Prime's face. The long silence was filled with the crashing waves and whistling wind around them. The bot eventually responded with a confident, "The odds are low."
"Low… but not zero, right?"
"Blackarachnia's main concern is purging her organic side and becoming a full Cybertronian again. The Decepticons have been on Earth for as long as we have and she hadn't joined up with Megatron. If Megatron can't get her to rejoin his ranks, no one else can." Optimus Prime shifted his position to fully face the other Autobots. A weak smile pulled at his lips and Ratchet was immediately suspicious.
'Blackarachnia is more than a Decepticon. At least, to him.' Ratchet surmised quickly. This was a familiar face to him. This was the face he often saw when Optime Prime spoke about Megatron during the height of the War for Cybertron. Optimus Prime had lost a dear friend and was still coming to terms with that tragedy. In Ratchet's world, it was Megatron. In this world, he suspected, it was Blackarachnia.
It was twilight by the time the trio arrived on Dinobot Island. Journeying to an unknown island to look for a Decepticon wasn't ideal and the lack of visibility made it worse. Their night vision scanners would only work so well.
"Keep your sensors on high. Blackarachnia's technorganic nature means her spark signature won't show up on regular scanners." Optimus Prime told Bulkhead and Ratchet as they trudged onto shore. Dirt and freshwater coated their armor already.
"Great," Bulkhead drawled sarcastically.
"Don't worry. I know the path to the laboratory. I just need you two to keep an optic out for Blackarachnia or any other bot." Optimus Prime pointed out calmly. It didn't provide Ratchet much reassurance.
There was a giant splash as Grimlock leaped from the bow of the ship. Grimlock trudged onto the sandy shore with intent and a passionate flame in his optics. He breezed past the Autobots and stomped straight into the treeline. His body jostled the trees as he disappeared into the forest. A deep, guttural growl followed shortly after.
Prime wasn't too concerned about Grimlock's agitated state. He jerked his head in Grimlock's direction and soon the trio were pushing aside branches to follow the Dinobot. The forest was eerily silent. The sound of Lake Erie and their own footfalls were the only things Ratchet could hear as they ventured toward the laboratory.
"I can't believe the Dinobots live here," Bulkhead said over the wet crunch of the undergrowth. "I get wanting to live away from humans but this island is too isolated. I can't imagine walking through a lake for hours every time I want to see Miko or go to a drive-in."
Optimus explained with sympathy, "The Dinobots thought they were organics at one point. They know better now, but they still behave as if they're no different than most natives on this planet. Living here works for them far better than it would work for us. Other than the need for fuel, they're able to survive on their own."
"I'm surprised they don't want to fight the Cons. Even if they aren't Autobots, don't they like to fight?" Bulkhead asked with genuine curiosity. His optics were locked onto Grimlock's swaying tail, the only part of Grimlock they could see.
Prime shrugged. "I'm surprised too. We asked them to help us fight Megatron once. They weren't interested."
"They didn't seem to have qualms picking fights with anyone or causing destruction in the city." Ratchet snorted and shook his head as he remembered the distressed humans and the absurd amount of property damage they had to help clean up. "Fighting the Cons would be a fun hobby for them."
"Having the Dinobots as allies definitely would have made your fight against the Cons easier. They're no Wrecker squad but they've made Cons in our world spring oil leaks out of fear." Bulkhead stated, ending with a little chuckle. His words were blunt and absolutely true.
Prime chuckled good-naturedly but Ratchet could hear doubt in his voice as he responded. "It's entirely possible, but they are…intense. I'm not sure how my team would handle them being around all of the time. Plus there's always the humans to consider."
"Intense is one way to describe them! Our Dinobots were regular Cybertronians until Shockwave got a hold of them. Their team was called the- frag, it was such a dumb name- the Lightning Strike Coalition Force. Grimlock was their leader. The Wreckers don't take slag from anyone but the Grimlock's crew was filled with some of the most hostile, bullheaded, brutal Autobots I've met! They made Roadbuster look sane!" Bulkhead explained fondly.
"Anyone that could leave Roadbuster baffled needs to be avoided." Ratchet tacked on, completely serious. Bulkhead only laughed.
"Our Dinobots aren't that bad," was Optimus's weak defense.
"Probably not. The Lightning Strike Coalition Force was a team of commandos. These bots here...they're just bots that turn into dinosaurs." Bulkhead hummed as he pushed aside a long, spindly branch.
"Dinobots tough! Much stronger than puny Autobot!" The T-Rex suddenly shouted. Ratchet was surprised that Grimlock had been listening to their conversation. The bot seemed too narrow-minded to even acknowledge anything not related to Blackarachnia.
Predictably, Bulkhead took his words as a challenge. He crossed his arms and used his standard Wrecker Intimidation Tactic, the one Bulkhead always used against people he just met. "Puny, huh?" While Grimlock towered over Prime and the other Autobots of this world, he was shorter than Bulkhead. Ratchet was sure Bulkhead was the tallest Autobot Grimlock had met.
This didn't intimidate Grimlock of course. The Dinobot transformed as he turned around. He marched toward the trio of Autobots, mean-mugging Bulkhead the entire time. Optimus tried to intervene but his words fell on deaf audio receptors and he wasn't foolish enough to step between the two large bots. A sharp golden claw poked Bulkhead in the chest. "Me Grimlock could clobber green Autobot any time, any day."
It was the challenge Bulkhead was waiting for since he'd arrived in this dimension. Ratchet was sure of it. "Oh yeah?" The Wrecker gave a lopsided grin.
Before the two large bots could needlessly continue, the familiar sound of thrusts cut through the air. As the noise drew closer, as did the sound of rustling trees.
"It's the-woah!" Ratchet's warning was interrupted by a startled yelp as the jets passed over them from the west. The Autobots instinctively ducked as the Decepticons flew over them. Thankfully, they went unnoticed by their enemies.
The two jets that flew over them were extremely close to the tree line. It was a miracle that none of the trees burst into flames. Instead of creating a hellish forest fire, the seekers left a flurry of leaves and branches in their wake. Ratchet frowned as a few twigs thumped against his forearms and leaves dusted over his faceplate.
Grimlock let out a frustrated howl, the loudest he'd made so far. The trees shook yet again, this time with Grimlock's fury. He broke out into a sprint before transforming back into his dinosaur mode, headed down the path with his single minded determination.
"What's up with him?" Bulkhead called out, frustrated with Grimlock's unpredictable actions.
Ratchet was also irritated. He expected Optimus Prime to have a similar reaction. He was surprised when he saw Optimus waving them in Grimlock's direction.
"The seekers are headed towards the lab!" Optimus said. He chased after Grimlock.
Ratchet and Bulkhead followed a split second later. Optimus and Grimlock were much faster than Ratchet would have assumed. It helped that they knew where they were going. They traversed the dark forest as if it were second nature. At some point in the journey, all three Autobots transformed and sped down the bumpy dirt path.
It took them a few short minutes to reach their destination. Optimus Prime slowed down as they came to the edge of an unexpected crater. Grimlock was nowhere to be seen. That was not a good sign.
Prime's headlights flickered briefly as he spoke. "Starscream's clones."
Ratchet could see the bottom of the crater where, beyond all of the dense trees, there was a large opening in the crater's wall. Sure enough, at the entrance of the cave stood two bots with high arching wings. Ratchet had seen one of Starscream's clones on the hover-billboard when they first arrived but it was too dark to see their paint jobs and they were too far away to hear their conversation.
Optimus Prime continued in a grave tone. "That large opening wasn't there before. Someone couldn't get passed the door and decided to make their own entrance."
"It could have been Grimlock," Bulkhead reasoned. He carefully rolled closer to the edge of the crater.
"Grimlock would have melted the door not…" The red and blue truck trailed off as he spotted someone walking out of the trees at the bottom of the crater.
As if on cue, Grimlock appeared, spewing unintelligible threats at the two seekers. The Dinobot's unexpected presence spooked the Decepticons but the two seekers quickly recovered. They jumped out of the way of Grimock's flames and began to hover a few feet above the ground.
"Come on!" Optimus's engine revved as he began to roll over the edge of the crater. Bulkhead followed next, then Ratchet.
It was a bumpy ride to the crater floor but at least no one popped a tire on the way down. As they grew closer, it was easier to understand exactly what the three bots were shouting at each other. Each voice was punctuated by the sound of blaster fire and whooshing flames.
"You have terrible aim!"
"Fire? Ha! You think that's enough to hurt us?"
"Dumb planes take Spider-Lady! Give me Grimlock back Spider-Lady!"
Ratchet broke free of the tree line to see Grimlock, now transformed and brandishing a sword, swinging his weapon and dodging the weapon fire from the flying seekers. Ratchet and Optimus slowed down and transformed but Bulkhead continued to blaze through in his alt mode. The Wrecker didn't stop until he was beside the tyrannosaurus. When Bulkhead finally did transform, he was brandishing his blaster. The seekers had a split second to react before Bulkhead started firing.
"Woah!" One of the seekers, a purple and blue fembot, gasped as one blaster bolt brushed past the curve of her wing. "When did you Autobots get those?!"
"We got upgrades," Bulkhead responded as he shot at her again.
The clone shrieked in indignation and began to fire back with one servo while pressing a digit to the side of her head. She was calling someone, but Ratchet couldn't hear over the sound of thrusters, Grimlock shouting, and blaster fire. Ratchet did, however, see a flash of movement to his left.
"Optimus!" Ratchet snapped as he focused on the giant hole in the crater wall. There was a shadow moving along the wall, the only indicator that someone was inside. "I think there's another Con in the lab!"
The red and blue mech's optics widened before he nodded. The two Autobots sprinted forward, dodging stray blaster shots as they went. Even when Bulkhead stepped into their path or when Grimlock's sword nearly lobbed Prime's head off, the two kept going. The duo were only a few steps away from the entrance of the lab when the suspected third seeker became more visible. Conveniently, he was walking right towards them.
"Oh frag!" The bot, a bronze seeker clone, squeaked as soon as he noticed Ratchet and Optimus Prime. He turned on his heel and ran back inside the laboratory, the two Autobots hot on his thrusters.
When Ratchet finally made it inside the lab, he faltered.
The lab was a mess, just like Grimlock described earlier. The bright fluorescent lighting made it easier to spot the many imperfections. There were a lot of puddles on the floor along with broken glass and the suspicious liquids of unknown experiments. Scorch marks could be found everywhere. The walls were lined with large, circular glass vats, each filled with a sickening green liquid and something else, things Ratchet didn't want to further examine. What caught Ratchet's attention over everything else was the giant transwarp power cell at the far end of the room.
"Well we guess we found the 'big thingy' Grimlock was talking about…" Ratchet nodded to the power cell. He felt dread then and it only got worse when he turned his attention back to the Decepticon they'd chased inside.
The clone had bypassed all of the broken glass, puddles of water, and scorch marks to stand on the platform next to the power cell. Two identical metal pods stood on the platform hooked up to wires coming from the ceiling. An eerie green glow emanated from the glass panel on the doors of the pod. A table filled with laboratory equipment was positioned next to the pods, every piece of equipment filled with mysterious neon liquids.
Ratchet suddenly wanted nothing to do with whatever project Blackarachnia was working on.
Starscream's clone ignored the pods and aimed his weapon at the two Autobots. His other servo was clenched around a thin, black rectangular object. Despite his determined pose, he smiled jovially. "Ah, if it isn't Optimus Prime himself! I must say, fighting an exceptionally skilled Autobot such as yourself is quite the pleasure!"
"We didn't come for a fight!" Optimus Prime insisted with raised servos. "We're only here to get information on a fembot named Blackarachnia."
Ratchet added, "All we need to know is her location. We'll leave as soon as we get what we came for."
The Con paused, his optics flitting to the object in his grip, and he regarded them with skepticism. His tone remained the same though. "She sounds wonderful, but I have no idea who that is!"
"No, I can't imagine you would." Optimus relented with a sigh.
Ratchet's optics focused on the Con's closed servo. 'If they don't know who she is, then what are they doing here?' There were a number of possibilities ranging from innocent to malicious. Ratchet was certain the mysterious object would give them a clue.
Ratchet began an impromptu interrogation. He tried to use a light, casual tone but still came across as accusatory. "Did you find anything interesting, looking around an abandoned Decepticon laboratory?"
The Con's optics widened and his smile faltered briefly. The bot quickly recovered and sounded as cheerful and innocent as possible. "Oh we found all sorts of things in this delightful lab!"
Prime's optics narrowed. He finally noticed the object. "Is that why you have that datastick?"
"Ah, that's why you're here. What was Blackarachnia doing here that interested you so much?" Ratchet said as the connection clicked.
He didn't want to jump to conclusions but he couldn't help but wonder if Starscream was behind this. Maybe Starscream met with the clones and was already using them as pawns. Or another Decepticon, one from this dimension, was planning something sinister. Or perhaps this was a simple case of a few low level Cons trying to continue what Megatron started. Whatever it was, the datastick would give them the answers.
The bot practically cooed at them with a smug, toothy grin. Now Ratchet saw the similarities between the clone and the original Starscream. "Clever Autobots." Then he fired at them.
The Autobots dove out of the way, Ratchet sliding between the large vats while Optimus hid behind the tables on the other side of the room. Prime flipped a long table on its side just as Sunstorm aimed at him, glass vials and mysterious liquids scattering across the floor. Prime grunted as he tried to keep the table stabilized against his shoulder and arms. Ratchet unsheathed his blades while Prime grabbed his axe and brought up his battle mask.
Before either moved, a furious roar and thunderous footsteps came from behind.
The Dinobot burst into the room with a shout. "Where is Spider-Lady?!"
Grimlock roared with a mouth full of fire as he charged at the seeker. Said Decepticon shot at the bot, grazing the top of Grimlock's head and tail with a few shots. Still, nothing deterred the Dinobot. Seconds after he entered the room, Grimlock rammed into the bronze seeker's torso. An awful cacophony noise echoed through the lab as the two bots crashed into the containment pods. The seeker's back crushed one of the pods and small pieces of metal, glass, and plastic scattered across the floor. There was a small explosion as the pods, seeker, and Dinobot hit the wall.
The pungent smell of burning aluminum and copper filled the room. Smoke rose from the mangled pile of bots and machinery. The smoke alarm activated as smoke filled the room. Grimlock slowly pulled his head away from his opponent's torso and backed up. Ratchet knew the bot had injured himself based on the way he moved. Ratchet sprinted forward right before Grimlock's legs gave out. The tyrannosaurus rex tumbled off of the platform and landed on his back.
Prime's gasp of shock was drowned out by the smoke alarm. Anything else he said was overshadowed by the sprinkler system activating.
"Help me roll him on his side!" Ratchet shouted over the noise.
For a bot that was annoyed by everything Grimlock did, Optimus Prime moved at lightning speed to aid Ratchet.
With Ratchet near Grimlock's upper torso and Prime by Grimlock's legs, they rolled Grimlock onto his side. They immediately winced at Grimlock's injury. The bot's snout was crushed like a soda can, making his head seem smaller and blockier than normal. Water from the sprinkler system mixed with the oil that poured from what was left of Grimlock's mouth and nose. At least there wasn't any energon leakage.
"Primus…" Optimus Prime mumbled and Ratchet nodded in agreement.
"Grimlock, can you hear me?" Ratchet asked loudly. Fixing Grimlock's snout would still require hours of operation and that wasn't even covering the possible processor damage Grimlock could have. They needed to get back to base as soon as possible.
Grimlock groaned in response, his optic flashing online briefly.
"We need to get you out of here. Prime, help me-"
"Autobot scum! What did you do?!" One of the seekers snarled. The fembot - who looked remarkably like Slipstream - moved alarmingly fast, crossing the room like a Velocitronian. Water sloshed around her pedes as she crouched in front of the unconscious seeker. "Sunstorm, wake u- ow!"
An electric arc flashed between the two seekers. The bronze Con jolted awake while the Slipstream lookalike drew back in pain. Any trace of concern she had for her brother was gone. Instead, she glared at the confused bot.
"Sunstorm! Did you just zap me?!" She shouted with indignation.
From the sidelines, the third seeker laughed. "He didn't zap you! You did that to yourself!"
"Whu? N-no! I would never-" Sunstorm's plea was cut short when he felt another jolt of electricity. He winced at the sensation. Sunstorm sat up, revealing the containment pod beneath him. A few sparks burst from its broken electrical circuits.
Ratchet's optic ridges furrowed as he glanced at the floor. Every inch of the lab was covered in water and the sprinklers were still running. If the pod was still shocking Suntorm and Slipstream, then he, Prime and Grimlock should have been feeling it as well.
"Ratchet, come on. Let's get Grimlock out of here," Prime whispered, barely audible over the smoke alarm, sprinklers, and the seekers squabbling.
Ratchet nodded and the two began trying to maneuver Grimlock's body. Just as the duo figured out how they were going to drag him out of the lab, Grimlock twitched. To Ratchet's surprise and relief, the Dinobot transformed into bi-pedal mode. Grimlock's crushed snout became his back kibble. Grimlock clutched the side of his helm in discomfort, which wasn't a good sign, but it was amazing that the bot could move at all. With shaky limbs and pained moans, Ratchet and Optimus Prime helped Grimlock stand. Ratchet was incredibly grateful he and Grimlock were the same height. If Grimlock was any taller or heavier, they'd have a serious problem.
"Mn, Spider-Lady…" Grimlock groaned as he swayed on his pedes.
Prime groaned as he helped stabilize the Dinobot. "She's the last thing you should worry about right now."
Just as Ratchet draped Grimlock's left arm over his right shoulder, the lights flickered. A light fixture burst an astrosecond later. Standing on Grimlock's right side, Optimus Prime looked just as concerned as Ratchet. They'd taken two more steps when a loud sizzle and pop drew Ratchet's attention. Ratchet craned his neck toward the sound and gasped when he saw a small flame erupt behind the large circular glass vats on the left side of the room. The sprinklers, which were starting to run out of water, didn't extinguish the flame. If anything that made the fire Decepticons were too caught up in whatever Sunstorm was going through to notice the fire.
Slipstream sneered, "You help him up, Ramjet, since you think you're so smart!"
Ramjet scoffed, "Oh great idea! I'm obviously so much smarter than you!"
Sunstorm moaned, "I don't feel so good…"
With those words, the circuit breaker near the entrance of the lab exploded, sending metal shrapnel everywhere. Ratchet took a step back in surprise and swayed when Grimlock's knee joint momentarily gave out. The lab's power shut off, plunging the room into darkness. Fortunately, the moonlight gave them some additional light. The moonlight and the fire, which the seekers finally noticed.
Ratchet and Optimus helped Grimlock out of the lab just as they heard Slipstream's surprised shout. "Woah, how long has that been there?"
Bulkhead greeted them as soon as they were out of the lab. The bot was leaning on a boulder. Ratchet spotted a small flow of energon leaking from his shoulder. "What happened to him?" Bulkhead asked through clenched denta, his gaze trained on Grimlock.
"What happened to you?" Ratchet and Optimus asked in unison.
"That fembot is faster than she looks." Bulkhead grumbled. He then raised an optic ridge at Grimlock. "Is he going to be okay? Do we need to haul him out of this crater?"
Grimlock began to move in protest. He pulled his arms away from the Autobots and tried to stand on his own. "Mrah, me Grimlock f-fine! Me Grimlock no need puny Autobots!" The Dinobot spat. A trail of oil began to leak out the corner of his mouth.
"Yes, yes you do need our help!" Ratchet said, now thoroughly irritated and worried by Grimlock's actions. "We don't have any time to spare. It'll take us at least an hour and a half to get across the lake and get back to base. Grimlock's injury is going to get worse the longer we delay."
"And we have a long walk back to the ship," Optimus added with a frown. He jerked his head toward the treeline. "Let's get moving."
"Me Grimlock fine!" The Dinobot said even as he slung an arm over Ratchet. They began to walk toward the treeline.
The others began to traverse through the trees but Bulkhead lingered, still looking back at the lab. He frowned as he noticed the glow of the fire inside. "Did you find anything interesting?"
Ratchet huffed as he and Prime tried to help Grimlock get over a particularly large root in the ground. "We found a giant space bridge power cell in the corner of the lab and we know the seekers are interested in Blackarachnia's research."
"What? That's it? Don't you want to go back and-"
A loud whoosh interrupted Bulkhead's question. To the Autobots' collective horror, the entire lab erupted in flames. All three seekers were fleeing the lab and taking to the sky.
Bulkhead scowled in frustration. "Great. So we came here for nothing!"
Optimus Prime hummed in contemplation. "I wouldn't say that, Bulkhead. We do have Sunstorm's datastick." He lifted his right servo and there, between the bot's pointer finger and index finger, was a familiar rectangular object. After that disastrous encounter a few minutes ago, that datastick might as well have been the Allspark itself.
Bulkhead let out a victorious whoop and Ratchet's optics widened in surprise. When did Optimus grab that?
A wide grin spread across Prime's blue face. "I'm glad you're impressed."
"Very much so," Ratchet responded, his gaze locked on the datastick.
"What do you think is on it?"
The truck twirled the datastick in his digits. "I don't know but Prowl and I are going to spend the rest of the night finding out."
Sunstorm was bent over, his servos glued to his knee joints. Gravity was his enemy at the moment, swaying him right and left, only increasing his nausea. His head hurt and his body was abuzz with static. Nothing felt right. Coming to this island was a huge mistake.
"Don't stop moving now! You have a few more steps, Sunstorm!" Slipstream urged him forward with gentle but persistent servos.
The rippling waves of Lake Eerie were only a few inches away. They'd provide some relief to Sunstorm's overheated body, if he ever got the strength to actually get in the water. The frigid wind and moistened sand were helping already, thankfully. His plating and thrusters were cooling little by little.
Just as Sunstorm began to feel slightly better, his world literally flipped upside down. A grey arm looped around Sunstorm's left arm and yanked him forward. The brightly colored clone stumbled forward and could barely stop himself from hitting the ground. It wasn't until he was roughly spun and shoved back that Sunstorm finally collapsed into the water. His injured wings stung from landing on the rocks and shells in the sand. He could faintly hear Slipstream's protests over the sound of water washing over him. The sand was uncomfortable and he'd have to take a very thorough shower later but right now Sunstorm felt relief. The heat from his armor clashed with the cool freshwater waves, turning the water around him lukewarm.
"Thanks, Grey. You're the best." Sunstorm mumbled to Ramjet. He would have given a thumbs up, but he was far too tired. Instead, Sunstorm offlined his optics and focused on the ebb and flow of Lake Erie. He then frowned as an errant thought came to him. "The water feels nice…but I think I'm going to infect the poor, beautiful fish with my disease…." Sunstorm moaned.
There was a splash as Ramjet settled next to Sunstorm on his knees. Ramjet splashed more water onto his brother and flippantly replied, "Oh I'm sure they'll be fine."
Slipstream put her servos on her hips and shook her head "Oh please, Ramjet, we can't trust anything you say."
Sunstorm pursed his lips. Slipstream was too hard on them sometimes. He gently objected to her claims. "I think you're quite smart, Ramjet. Don't listen to Slipstream when she gets like this."
"Ramjet threw water over an electrical fire! He could have killed us back there! Besides, you need to worry about yourself." Slipstream sharply reprimanded him. Even without seeing her, Sunstorm could vividly imagine Slipstream's crossed arms and sour frown. Unexpectedly, her voice developed a distinct and unpleasant edge as she said, "Speaking of idiots…"
"It's our favorite pompous flier." Ramjet drawled with a slap of the water. Since he could only lie, sarcasm was Ramjet's near and dear friend.
Sunstorm onlined his optics just in time to see Starscream land on the shore. With the energy still zapped from his system, Sunstorm didn't move. He heard the crunch of Starscream's pedes against the ground.
"What are you fools doing?" Starscream's voice cut through their tranquility. "Where's the datastick?"
"Here it is! We got everything!" Ramjet declared.
There was a small click as Ramjet tossed Starscream his datastick. In truth, it was only half of the information from the lab's console. Sunstorm was downloading the rest of the information when the Autobots stormed in. Sunstorm dropped the datastick when the Dinobot rammed into him. That datastick was now smelted or crushed by the rest of the lab's debris, Sunstorm was sure of it.
"We ran into a bit of an issue, I told you that when I called." Slipstream stated firmly. Sunstorm could imagine the accusatory finger she was likely pointing at Starscream as she continued, "Why didn't you warn us about the Autobots' upgrades? We were nearly killed!"
"Oh please! I've never encountered the Autobots of this world! How would I have known Autobots were going to be there? Blitzwing said the lab was owned by a Decepticon. Be angry at Blitzwing!" Starscream was probably rolling his optics. Sunstorm couldn't blame him. Despite his own dissatisfaction with their mission, none of this was Starscream's fault.
"That's solid reasoning, Starscream!" Sunstorm chirped.
There were more crunching noises and eventually some splashes as Starscream approached Sunstorm. "Sunstorm, what-" Starscream immediately stopped and recoiled once the heat from Sunstorm's body washed over his frame. "For spark's sake, what's wrong with you?"
"I-I'm not sure…" Sunstorm replied pitifully.
"What happened?" Starscream asked, genuinely curious.
"That giant Dinobot rammed him in the chassis, cracked his canopy, and pushed him into some weird machine! Whatever shock he got from it has been scrambling his circuits and then some."
"The Dinobots? Here? How could-" Starscream shook his head to focus back on the topic at hand. "Nevermind that. That's an issue to deal with later. What machine was it?"
"How the frag are we supposed to know?"
"How- that's why I sent you over there in the first place! You were supposed to investigate what that fembot was working on! That machine might have some impact on Sunstorm's abilities!"
There was silence as the three clones processed Starscream's words. Sunstorm slowly sat up and turned to face Starscream. They all grew more confused by the second.
"Starscream, you-" Sunstorm began, unsure how to phrase his question.
"What abilities?" Slipstream cut in bluntly. She squinted at Starscream incredulously.
Starscream was just as confused. He looked over each seeker and scrubbed a servo over his faceplate, as if suddenly hit with a processorache. "By the Celestial Spires, you didn't know he could do that, did you?"
"Of course we knew he could!" Ramjet snapped. But then he turned to Sunstorm and weakly added, "...Right?"
Sunstorm glanced down at his cockpit and frowned. He still wasn't sure what abilities Starscream was talking about. Sunstorm had felt like a completely normal bot until about an hour ago.
"Sunstorm, you can manipulate electromagnetic energy." Starscream pressed the palms of his servos to his optics. "How did you not know this? Your name is Sunstorm."
"Lucky coincidence," Ramjet stated confidently.
Starscream huffed and dropped his servos. "This was a mistake. Our little alliance is over." To punctuate his statement, Starscream turned on his heels and walked away.
He left three stunned seeker clones in his wake. It took them a few seconds to process his words. Slipstream ran after Starscream. Ramjet and Sunstorm stayed by the water, watching the scene unfold.
"Wait what?!" Slipstream practically shrieked as she speed walked to catch up with the grey Decepticon. "What do you mean 'over'? We got what you wanted!"
Under other circumstances, Sunstorm was sure that Slipstream wouldn't care. But considering they were only allied with Starscream so that they could find their missing brothers, this was a problem. That, and Slipstream hated rejection. She had a bit of an inferiority complex.
"Yes you did. In exchange for this datastick, I'm amicably cutting you out of our deal rather than shooting you in the back." Starscream explained flippantly. He went on to explain, "I have neither the time nor the interest in watching over a bunch of fledglings. And it hurts my pride as a seeker to see you flounder around like this."
"Hurts your pride as a seeker? What the frag does that mean?" Slipstream threw up her hands in frustration. If Cybertronians could cry, Sunstorm was sure Slipstream would be on the verge of angry tears.
"The fact that you don't know is part of the problem." Starscream scoffed and shooed her away.
Starscream continued speaking, most likely berating them, at a lower volume. Sunstorm struggled to hear him over the roar of crashing waves and whistling wind.
"Well this is going well," Ramjet clicked his glossa. He watched the two seekers with a detached attitude, more interested in playing in the sand than anything else.
Sunstorm frowned as he watched Ramjet pick at a few rocks. Ramjet was never too concerned about finding Skywarp and Thundercracker. He never admitted it out loud, but Sunstorm knew. It was obvious to anyone that paid attention, he thought. Slipstream, as determined and capable as she was, was too abrasive and self-centered to really notice. While Sunstorm didn't blame Ramjet for his flippant attitude concerning their other brothers, Sunstorm didn't share his opinion. Skywarp was funny, in his own pathetic way, and Thundercracker's inflated self-worth balanced out Slipstream's overly critical nature. Neither of them deserved to be shot out into space a trillion lightyears from home. If anyone was going to bring Skywarp and Thundercracker home, it should be their fellow clones.
Besides, they were born as a unit and they should stick together as a unit. If the Constructicons could do it, why couldn't the clones?
"Okay," Sunstorm sighed in resignation and willed himself to stand up. Water, sand, twigs, and God knows what else stuck in his cockpit and joints but he ignored that for now. Now, he had to put his sycophant programming to good use. He called out to Starscream loud and clear. "Oh powerful and ingenious Starscream, what would we do without your invaluable leadership?"
Starscream raised an unimpressed optic ridge at him. Slipstream barely held back a scoff. She did, however, move out of the way so Sunstorm could stand in front of Starscream.
"You've caught on rather quickly that my siblings and I aren't familiar with fighting or seeker culture or anything else that most Cybertronians would know. You're so observant! That's part of the reason why we would be so, so grateful if you could teach us!"
Starscream glared at him, thoroughly unimpressed. But he hadn't flown off yet, which was a good sign. "I told you I don't have time to teach you sparkling anything."
He knew Starscream's patience was running thin, so he jumped into a quick sales pitch. "We know how tirelessly and diligently you've been working this past week! Look at it this way! The more you teach us, the more we can help you. Slipstream and Ramjet are fast learners and are very skilled for bots their age! This is also your opportunity to teach three newly sparked seekers about what it means to be a seeker! We can't learn from our progenitor, from our Starscream, but maybe we can learn from a Starscream just as wise!"
The heavy silence that followed was enhanced by the biting breeze from Lake Erie. Slipstream and Starscream stared at him in stunned silence. Despite the odd looks, Sunstorm kept a cheerful smile plastered on his face. He hoped his dirty appearance made him a bit more sympathetic too.
Eventually, thankfully, the older bot finally snickered. Starscream's bright red optics gleamed in the moonlight as he regarded Sunstorm with a strange form of respect. "You really are cloned from a Starscream. Or you're Swindle in disguise."
"The first part! Actually, after we came online, Starscream-"
"Stop, stop, I don't care. You talk too much… Which perhaps means I talk too much."
"You certainly do," Slipstream added. She couldn't help herself.
The smile slipped from Starscream's face as he gave her an irate side eye. "I know you three have your own selfish reasons for working with me and that's why you need my help. I don't care what those reasons are as long as they don't interfere with my plans. You three will meet me at the docks at sunrise tomorrow. I can teach you a few aerial maneuvers, at the very least"
"Brilliant strategy!" Sunstorm beamed. He couldn't believe he convinced Starscream to do, well, anything! He felt a high like no other.
Starscream gave him another wry smile before turning away. He'd only taken a few steps before he paused and turned back to Sunstorm. "Oh and Sunstorm? In my world, your powers go berzerk during your first battle. You kill about 300 people before your processor melts through your audio receptors."
"O-oh…" A chill ran down Sunstorm's spinal strut, ruining his mood. How could he even respond to that? More importantly, why hadn't Starscream mentioned that earlier? Why was he mentioning that now?
Starscream's optics shone mischievously. He was clearly enjoying Sunstorm's unease. "Let's try not to let that happen again, shall we?"
Sunstorm could only nod.
With that, Starscream transformed and disappeared into the night. Sunstorm watched the bot with an anxious spark. He'd been so delighted a few seconds ago. Now, the image of his own brain melting inside of his head plagued him. In some alternate world, he died a painful death after killing an absurd amount of people.
'Is the same thing going to happen to me?' He felt nauseous all over again. His ventilations picked up as heat washed over the bot. For some reason, he couldn't help but imagine lava pouring out of his head. His brain hot, oozing, and smelling like sulfur as it dripped out of him.
"Hey," Slipstream's cool servo on his back snapped Sunstorm out of his processor fog. Her optics roamed his face as she watched him have a small panic attack. "Starscream is messing with you. Don't fall for it, you're too smart for that."
Sunstorm gave a small smile of acknowledgement but his nausea and anxiety remained. The image of boiling lava also remained in his head. Starscream might have been messing with him, making up yet another lie for his own satisfaction, but it didn't feel like a lie. It felt like a cruel fact that Starscream exploited to make a thinly veiled threat.
That alone made Sunstorm all the more worried. Maybe he shouldn't have been so quick to change Starscream's mind. 'Primus, what are we getting into?'
