CHAPTER 22, IMMOBILISING TRUTHS

NORMAL P.O.V

The near silent whirring of the Decepticon Warship hovered through the dark grey clouds and pink sky, breaking through into a clearing. Inside the Nemesis was a silver, red-eyed Cybertronian standing in pitch darkness, expression thoughtful.

"I have been a fool, made mistakes - monumental ones." Soundwave stood before Starscream's back as he continued his monologue. "I now realize that I was never destined to be a leader, or even an equal partner, and… I'm at peace with that. I have gained a clear understanding of my place in this universe; of who I am, of who I was always meant to be." He returned to face the silent Decepticon. "Starscream, a co-second-in-command, humble servant to Lord Megatron. Thank you for listening, Soundwave."

The Seeker walked away glumly to the bridge of the Decepticon Warship, hands folded behind his back and ready to accept whatever his Master ordered of him. The doors slid open for him to walk through.

"Is this true?" He lifted his head up at Megatron's sudden gasp of disbelief.

"Starscream never mentioned it?" Airachnid mused innocently beside the Warlord.

"If he's up to his old tricks, I shall grind him to powder." At the noise of Starscream coughing loudly to inform the pair of Decepticons in discussion of his presence, Megatron flicked his eyes over his shoulder, before turning his head fully in anger, "Starscream."

The Seeker strutted up, "Lord Megatron. Please excuse Airachnid's impertinence." He clutched his clawed hands nervously. "Now, what was it I allegedly failed to mention?"

"The Harbinger."

A nervous, knowing gasp escaped Starscream, "What about it?"

"Eons ago, a Decepticon transport crash-landed on this planet." Behind the spider-like Cybertronian, an image of the transport ship appeared on the monitor.

"Oh please, common knowledge. I scouted the crash site when we first arrived on Earth."

"Then I presume you recovered the experimental weapon prototype the Harbinger had been transporting?"

The Seeker only sputtered in his attempt to formulate a response.

"Where is the crash site?" Megatron demanded.

"It was never logged into your ship's database."

"You failed to record the coordinates of a Decepticon transport?" The Warlord seethed at the revelation.

"An oversight, Master, but I noted its exact location," Starscream informed, tapping his head.

"Then you can lead Airachnid there, so that she may retrieve the prototype for me." The Warlord turned away. "If in case you struggle to remember, Moonlight will assist in relearning the coordinates." His head overlooked his shoulder again. "I would send Slipstream in her place, however, she remains in recovery, and I need her at her best."

"My personal native guide," Airachnid sarcastically exclaimed, glancing up at the Seeker, "How delightful."

Starscream furiously gritted his teeth together as he struggled to keep his anger contained. He fully understood Airachnid's intentions of undermining him, secretly plotting to usurp him in his post. If the Seeker wasn't fully aware of what was happening around him, he did now.

The sun rose above the desert plains of Jasper, Nevada, shining brightly upon a small rock cluster on the edge of a rock cliff.

"Hey, partner, heck of a view you've got up here." The small, blue Autobot stood near the memorial of her fallen friend. "If there's even a small chance your spark is out there listening… Well, we could really use you, Cliff. Seems like everyday, another Decepticon arrives on the scene. The team's grown since you've been gone, but we're still outnumbered and outgunned… Yeah. I know what you'd say... 'Sounds like a fair fight'." Arcee's head slumped sadly. "If that's the world we live in, so be it. I just want you to know… I haven't given up. I'm gonna find the 'Con that took you from us."

The lithe Autobot stood with fists clenched at her sides in determination of keeping her promise.

It was overcast in the open forest, dark clouds threatening to pour rain onto the area. The sudden aerial noise disrupted the quiet, as a silver jet with a dark grey nose hovered closer to the ground, kicking up dust. It transformed into Starscream, head looking above at the black and pink-highlighted helicopter transforming into Airachnid to land.

"Your chosen vehicular mode lacks thrust," Starscream mused.

The revv of a motorcycle engine roared in the distance, causing the Decepticon pair to turn to a large grey rock. Leaping across the rock was a mostly black 2008 Ducati 1098S motorcycle, hot pink flames licking up the sides of it below the seat. It skidded into a stop, transforming into a familiar face for the duo.

Starscream pulled a disgusted face, "Then again, it's not ground-based."

"Joys of being multi-talented," Moonlight remarked as she crossed her arms, "What can you do again Starscream? Cheat death all the time?"

"I could say the same for yourself and Breakdown."

"Are you going to keep bickering or are you going to guide?"

Moonlight overlooked Starscream at Airachnid's impatient question, glaring warily, "Tell us what we're looking for, first."

"That information is need-to-know. And right now, neither of you don't."

"Oh, you would do well to respect me, Airachnid," Starscream warned, narrowing his eyes, "Before I joined Megatron, I was Air Commander of a squadron of Energon Seekers."

"On Cybertron. And how many eons ago was that?"

Starscream stammered slightly, "Just recently, I personally vanquished one of Optimus Prime's fiercest warriors: Cliffjumper."

Airachnid spun around immediately at the revelation, impressed, "You snuffed an Autobot?"

"Yes I did. Without mercy."

"Oh." Airachnid turned away. "Even Megatron showed you mercy when he planned to terminate you at the mine."

At the revelation, Moonlight faced Starscream with amusement, "Cheated death again, Starscream?"

"What?! He told you about that?!"

"We talk," The spider-like Cybertronian nonchalantly answered, "And clearly, so do you two."

"Clearly, not anymore." Starscream sputtered at Moonlight's words. "If he can't even tell me or provide me with the Energon hoard he'd been hiding, he has no more use for me."

Airachnid chuckled, "Oh my, the betrayal must cut so deep if the soldier with the hearing aid is switching her allegiance, Starscream."

Moonlight scowled at the implied barb, covering the right side of her head where her missing receptor used to sit. As Breakdown had been fitted with his alternative eye patch to cover his missing eye, the Decepticon triple changer had been given a similar patch on her head. It was an struggling adjustment, one she would happily keep to herself.

Starscream exhaled defeatedly, "The wreckage lies just beneath where we stand. I will need to find a point of entry." He turned away to ponder his words at the same time Airachnid drilled her way through the ground. He growled with annoyance, looking over the newly created hole, "Showoff."

"She does a better job at it than you." The Seeker's face became adorned with a scowl at Moonlight's mutter, watching her jump into the hole after her fellow Decepticon.

Airachnid scuttled along the roof of the abandoned transport ship, leading the knife-wielding Moonlight to stalk carefully behind her in the darkness.

"Suit yourself." Starscream casually brought up the rear of the trio. "I conducted a thorough search of this husk years ago." He strolled to a stop at Airachnid activating the control systems of the Harbinger, horror forming on his face. "What are you doing?"

"Accessing the cargo manifest," The spider-like Cybertronian answered immediately as she worked on pressing commands on the keypad. "Or didn't you think to do that during your thorough search?"

"Idiot," The Seeker muttered loudly, "The ship's systems haven't been activated for eons. The Autobots could detect its energy signature."

The control system pinged in response to Airachnid's work, much to Moonlight's delight as she beamed, "And there it is: Section Twenty-Three." Her head glanced over her shoulder at the still-annoyed acquaintance, "Did you know it was in Section Twenty-Three, Starscream?"

A snarl was her only response.

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

"Optimus." I snapped my helm up at my leader's name. "Our scanners have detected a Decepticon energy profile. But it's… ancient."

"The past has a way of catching up with the present, Ratchet."

Those words had a lot of meaning behind them; they could relate to a lot of situations. Especially recently, for Optimus and Bumblebee and Starlight. I didn't really understand what had happened at Griffin Rock, but it had involved a lot of time-related events. They couldn't really go into too much detail about what happened either, for mission-related reasons, but they had come home safe; that was the main thing.

I knew all too well, too, that the past could catch with the present quite quickly. It still didn't feel like it had been that long since I found out that Optimus and I were somewhat related sometimes, but maybe that was because we don't really acknowledge it.

It just felt better not to, simply because it really shouldn't change anything within the team dynamic. Yet, at the same time, sometimes it felt like it had.

NORMAL P.O.V

The black and pink spider-like Cybertronian scuttled along the roof of the corridor once more, trailed by an eager and armed acquaintance behind her. The former dropped to the ground suddenly, dashing into a run to the left corridor, as a silver and red highlighted Seeker watched her follower do the same.

"Section Twenty-Three should be right about…" Airachnid stopped in her path. "Here?" Deactivating her extended limbs, she took in the sight of the dirt and rock wall before her. "The ship just ends."

"Must've broken in half during the landing," Moonlight mused beside her.

Starscream snorted behind them, "Or in the air. If you performed actual research, you would have learnt that an Autobot battalion shot the Harbinger out of the sky."

Airachnid spun on her heel to face the Seeker, "How far away is the other half?!"

"I'm afraid that information is need-to-know." Starscream overlooked his talons smugly in his small victory against his plotting acquaintance. In a matter of moments, the Seeker was slamming to the ground, bound in webbing. "What are you-?"

"You tried to make me look like a fool before Megatron." Airachnid scuttled forward to affirm her position above Starscream. "Have me return empty-handed while you locate that weapon yourself."

"How dare you accuse me?! You are nothing but a scavenger! An opportunist!"

"Aren't you one to talk?"

"Perhaps… but I've changed." Moonlight raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the admission. "Seen the error of my ways. I live to serve Megatron now."

"You won't live to serve anyone if you don't tell me where to find the rest of this ship. Now."

Starscream huffed defeatedly, "A few clicks north of here through a stone arch. Now release me!"

Airachnid immediately scuttled away from her bound prisoner, returning to her two feet, "When I have the weapon in hand. That is, if I can find my way back without my guide."

Moonlight stepped forward willingly, "Need a new one?"

Airachnid turned around with an amused expression at the triple changer, thoughtfully musing on the suggestion, "You're no longer on his side, so I'd imagine you are looking for somebot new to follow."

Moonlight smirked smugly, crossing her arms, "I follow my own path, along with whoever I feel seems fit."

Airachnid mirrored the smirk, "Oh… wonderful." The spider-like Cybertronian returned her back to the Seeker lying bound. "Come along then."

"Gladly."

Starscream watched Moonlight step over his webbed form to walk alongside Airachnid furiously, "This is not funny, you two! Come back here right now and cut me loose! AIRACHNID! MOONLIGHT! That is an order!"

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

"I am your commanding officer!" By the All-Spark… who was screeching like that?

Bumblebee, Arcee and Starlight suddenly froze in front of me, so I walked up to join them to see what had them so still and angry-

"Moonlight!"

"Airachnid!"

I slammed my forehelm, "Scrap." Of all missions we get sent on, it had to be where two of my friend's worst enemies were here.

"Surrender."

Airachnid and Moonlight suddenly retreated at Optimus' warning in different directions, which made Arcee and Starlight immediately give chase to them. I made myself sprint after them, because there was no Primus-damned way either of them were facing off against their enemies alone. If Aquastrike were here, she'd be doing the same… only, she was still recovering from the mine experience we had… which was why Starlight was filling in on her behalf in the first place.

I stopped in the middle of the hallway; Starlight was chasing Moonlight down one direction, and in the other, Arcee was running after Airachnid, who was scampering-

"Airachnid! You traitor!" -Over Starscream? What in the world…?

I felt a rush of air beside me, making me turn to Bumblebee running after Starlight. It made me feel immediately better about going after Arcee and Airachnid, because it meant someone was going to be able to stop Star from Moonlight. It was true that she would go blind with fury anytime her split-spark was involved in something, but there was a select few of us who could snap her out of it. Bumblebee happened to be one of those few.

Airachnid ran up to a dirt wall, which under normal circumstances, would be a dead end. She drilled a hole into it and ran through. Arcee was quick to run in after her.

I stopped at the hole, "Arcee!" …Primus, what was I doing? This was Arcee I was yelling after. There was no way she was going to listen in her clouded state… so I leapt into the dirt hole after her.

"Arcee! Windswept! Wait!" I'd heed my uncle's orders usually, but this time, I just couldn't.

I leapt out of the dirt hole in the ground, into a clear patch of a forest. The sky was dark and cloudy, but it didn't feel like it was going to rain. I ran up to the back of my partner and activated my blaster to take in the surroundings she wasn't looking at.

"I've got this 'Swept!"

I shook my helm, "You'd do the same for me and Slipstream."

Something suddenly dug up from the ground, sending me off my pedes and onto the ground hard. I lifted my helm up at a familiar figure with her back towards me; she was clearly focusing her attention on my partner.

"Arcee."

"I didn't peg you for re-signing with the Decepticons." Arcee activated her arm blade and charged at Airachnid.

"A temporary arrangement, Arcee. You know I prefer working alone." She dodged the swing Arcee threw and grabbed one of her pedes with one of her extended limbs. She began throwing her around like some training dummy.

I stood up and activated my blasters to fire at Airachnid; with luck, I could somehow distract her enough into letting Arcee go. But the 'Con only looked at me with a smirk and swung Arcee into my direction.

"I would've thought the same about you, Arcee. But here you are, with the Prime's niece at your disposal."

…It didn't feel good being called 'the Prime's niece' from a Decepticon, let alone one like Airachnid.

Arcee suddenly activated her arm blades again and charged at Airachnid again with a growl. She swung at her enemy, but she grabbed a hold of one of her arms… and her other servo.

…Scrap.

"Speaking of, add anymore deceased partners to your growing list?" Airachnid was clutching Arcee harder against her form. She looked at me with a chuckle, and flicked an extended limb out in my direction. "No? Then perhaps I should help with that."

"Airachnid!" Thank Primus for my leader's arrival… because I didn't like my odds of fighting that 'Con, even if she had Arcee in her hold. "Release her!"

Airachnid threw Arcee into my direction and transformed into her aerial form as Optimus fired at her. But each shot missed the higher she went into the clouds… fleeing from us once again…

Optimus turned to us and deactivated his mouth shield, "Arcee, Windswept, you know better than to engage the enemy alone."

"Not her. Not after what she did to Tailgate." I could feel Arcee freeze beside me, like she was replaying the memory of what happened to him in her mind. She had told me once how she had begged Airachnid not to do it… she had been helpless as she had been forced to watch Airachnid slaughter him with no mercy… Her optics suddenly narrowed. "She will pay."

"Revenge will not bring back those we have lost. Is that understood?"

She turned away from us, probably not wanting us to see her being so… vulnerable. I reached out my servo to her upper arm so I could try and comfort her somehow.

"Move it!" I moved my servo away at Bulkhead's sudden yell.

"No need to use force!" He shoved Starscream onto the ground.

I looked between Bulkhead and Sunburst… it looked like it was just them and Starscream. I could feel the worry fill inside me, "Where's 'Bee and Star?"

"We couldn't find them." Sunburst saying those words didn't provide me any comfort…

Starlight and Bumblebee usually could take care of themselves just fine… but we had only come across Airachnid, Moonlight and Starscream in that abandoned ship. There could've been more Decepticons down there that we didn't know about.

Sudden whimpering made me look down at Starscream looking up at us, "I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Bulkhead was chuckling behind him, "Is that right? And what do you want in return?"

I could feel Optimus step forward behind me, like he was also anticipating Starscream's response.

"I want to be… on your side."

I felt my jaw go slack… what in the All-Spark did he just say…?

NORMAL P.O.V

Footsteps were almost silent in the hallway of the Harbinger, gently pressing on the ground as their owner cautiously looked around. Bladed weapons were held in each hand, the blush pink and white blades ready to strike at any antagonising person coming to them. The white face shield over the lower half of the Autobots face covered much of the concentrated face, with the sky blue eyes darting left and right, waiting for their target to appear.

Fast and sudden footsteps rang through the silent hallway, causing Starlight to spin around with weapons raised at the approaching yellow figure. With relief at the sight, she lowered her knives, before the serious expression adorned her features again, "'Bee? What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Bumblebee angrily buzzed his response, twin barrelled Energon stingers activated on his wrists. "'Swept's gonna be so mad at you."

Starlight widened her eyes in a bizarre expression, shaking her head, "I need to deal with my sister first, 'Bee. You need to go ba-"

"Let him stay, little sister." The Autobot pair faced the end of the corridor, a black and hot pink highlighted Decepticon figure walking out to stand in the centre. The figure swung a matching knife up, catching it with ease. "Let him watch me hunt you down and destroy you like the prey you are."

Starlight stepped forward, "You need to stop this madness, Moonlight, and stop allowing Megatron to control you."

"Control me?!" Moonlight laughed loudly, "I could never be controlled, little sister. Influenced, perhaps. But controlled? Nobody controls me, Starlight."

"If that were true, why would you allow Starscream to lead you into doing his work?"

"Because I was fooled into believing he was capable of helping me rise into being Megatron's true right-hand soldier."

"Obsessed much?"

The blush pink and white Autobot stepped forward again, "Moonlight, please. Megatron is a Warlord who wants power and control, who wants to destroy everything in his path to get to it. I know you're not silly, Moon, but why can't you see what he's doing?"

The Decepticon's face was cast with a flicker of doubt at her sister's pleading, gritting her teeth together immediately to remove the feeling, "Silly, silly little sister. Too blinded by your faith in me." Her fists clenched at the handles of her knives. "Maybe I should break it." She threw one of her weapons at the pair of the Autobots, watching them move out of the way in time to dodge it, before sprinting down the corridor she had appeared from.

Starlight turned back to face her sister, finding nothing but air in where she had stood. She moved into a run down the corridor, tailed by her fellow Autobot in Bumblebee, stopping to look down each corridor path. The pair glanced down the path the Decepticon had raced down, moving their heads to exchange a look.

"I'm not leaving you behind."

At the yellow scouts' confirmation, Starlight slowly nodded, aware that arguing against her determined teammate would be useless. She transformed into her vehicle form. Bumblebee mirroring her movements as they sped down the corridor in hopes of finding the evading Decepticon.

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

"On our side? Yeah right! And I've been lobbing with the Fallen!"

"There is no way you'd betray the Decepticons after all you've done with them."

Bulkhead and Sunburst were clearly amused by Starscream's proposal… I was still trying to pick my metaphorical jaw up from the ground.

"Wouldn't I? What have they done for me lately besides humiliate me, spy on me, demote me?" …All good points… unfortunately. "While Slipstream watched, Megatron tried to extinguish my spark in cold blood, then all but replaced me with the traitorous wretch, Airachnid! She and Moonlight abandoned me, left me for scrap! So why not rat them out?"

I mean, it had appeared that way when we came across them...

We had heard his side, but the rest of us needed to talk this out. I looked over at Sunburst and gave him a nod. He seemed to realise what the nod was for, because he started reaching for his battle axes. I spun around to make sure my back was to Starscream and huddled into a small circle with Bulkhead, Arcee and Optimus.

"He's telling the truth about Megatron trying to scrap him. 'Swept and I saw with our own eyes."

I nodded at Arcee's point; Slipstream had indeed watched as Megatron was nanokliks away from terminating Starscream in that mine… before we had literally walked in and ruined it. I don't know or understand how he ended up in that position, but regardless, he was an invaluable member of the Decepticons. He had been, briefly, Megatron's second, and very likely even shared that position with Slipstream for a long time. He knew things that could give us the edge in this war.

…Was it too early to predict that he could actually be the key for us to end this conflict? Primus, the thought of all this was… truly unbelievable, but here we were.

Bulkhead's optics were narrowing, "You're not saying you actually trust Starscream?"

I wanted to laugh, "Trust him? Of course not. I just…" I shook my helm; even the idea of saying this out loud was odd. "I feel like this is a perfect opportunity for our objectives to align for once."

"You're right to be worried, Bulkhead, but I agree with Windswept."

Bulkhead didn't look pleased about Optimus' decision, but there was a sense of understanding on his expressions. He knew this was an opportunity we couldn't ignore. Airachnid and Moonlight had left Starscream in our mercy, after all… I could only imagine how Megatron would react when he realised what his 'loyal soldiers' had done.

NORMAL P.O.V

Amidst the stormy clouds, a black helicopter flew by, ducking underneath a stone arch. Through the canyon formations that threatened to crush her within the gap they left, Airachnid continued her mission as she reached an abandoned and damaged Cybertronian ship moulded into the mountain side.

The spider-like Cybertronian wasted no time in immediately finding what she was searching for upon entering the damaged aircraft. Her shadow cast itself over a storage compartment, quickly throwing off the lid of the tomb.

Her hand reached into it, "Be still, my beating spark."

She stepped back to activate it, extending into a bo staff-like weapon. With a chuckle, Airachnid watched the weapon activate and course blue electricity from one end, ready to strike whoever stood in her way…

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

It felt like a storm was brewing above us as we travelled through this desert. Maybe it was because we were heading into a storm of our own? After we had left our huddle, we had questioned Starscream what he, Moonlight and Airachnid were doing that alerted us back at base. I was both surprised and not that he was willing to share the information of a prototype weapon in a Decepticon Warship.

Apparently, Autobot forces had shot the ship down when it was orbiting over Earth, and somehow we had never picked up its destruction. That was likely because it occurred before Team Prime settled here… but still, weird, considering we had picked up that plague ship a while back. Then again, maybe there was no emergency beacons to set off because of its' damage? Who knew; certainly none of us, anyway...

It was intriguing that Starscream wanted to mention that he had scouted the ship on both destroyed sides, and didn't log it into Decepticon systems even though he had found nothing. Surely, Slipstream would've made sure he followed up? I sighed internally; all of this just didn't make a lot of sense, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to understand it.

We pulled up in front of a stone arch… exactly what he mentioned we'd find when we had reached the right location.

"What do you know?" I transformed at Bulkhead's rhetorical hum.

"Could still be a trap."

Sunburst stood beside Arcee, "I thought you were on the side of 'let's trust Starscream'." He hadn't been amused about the idea either, but like Bulkhead, he knew we needed to put our distrustfulness of this 'Con aside.

I heard transformation sounds behind me, so I turned to Optimus, "Starscream's loyalty to Megatron has always been questionable. If he has truly split from the Decepticons, our prisoner's knowledge of their agendas could make him a valuable ally."

"Please do not suggest you mean permanently, Optimus."

"As in 'keys to the base' and everything?"

Sunburst and Bulkhead were remaining firm on their stance, and Arcee was only doing what Optimus would've suggested anyway… I just wanted to find out everything he knew about everything from the Decepticon side. After that… I wanted nothing more to do with him. I wasn't going to allow him another nanoklik around us when he could also turn his back struts to us in a matter of moments.

"However unlikely that scenario, every sentient being deserves an opportunity for redemption."

"Even bot killers? Even Airachnid?" Arcee was clutching her fist beside me. "Even Slipstream?"

This wasn't about her; in fact, it'd be highly unlikely we'd ever be in this position where she would want to switch sides and we had to decide whether to let her in anyway. …But, on the hypothetical chance that Slipstream was in this predicament instead of Starscream, I think my stance would definitely be different. I easily understood why Arcee was angry with Optimus' statement.

"Without that hope, we may never achieve lasting peace."

...And that was why we needed to believe that anybot was capable of change.

I watched Bulkhead go to the back of Optimus' trailer and slam the door open, "Rise and shine, Screamy." It was rather amusing watching Starscream be yanked out by Bulk pulling on his legs and making him slam the ground.

He was no longer in that sticky webbing, just in usual cuffs on his wrists and wings. Aquastrike had brought them and the trailer out for us through our Groundbridge. She definitely seemed rather amused about his predicament. It was probably a good thing we didn't exactly inform her and Ratchet of anything more than just grab the cuffs and the transportation trailer because if we had actually informed them of the actual situation, I already knew what side she would've been on.

"We're here. Where's the ship?"

Starscream was silent as he got onto his kneeplates. He whipped his head around like he was making sure we were at the correct location he had told us, "It's through the arch. Among the stones."

"Bulkhead, Sunburst, Windswept, you're with me." Optimus instructed, "Arcee, remain with our prisoner, and inform Bumblebee and Starlight to remain with you should they arrive."

We hadn't heard anything from 'Bee or Star in a while, but Ratchet did tell us that their locations were still active and moving, only that they had deactivated their communication links. I tried not to worry, I just couldn't help myself. Hopefully, they were just lost and finding their way out… and had dealt with Moonlight already…

"Optimus, please." It didn't surprise me that Arcee was immediately trying to follow us. I looked back at her. "For Tailgate."

"Your desire to avenge Tailgate will only continue to cloud your judgment." Optimus turned around again to carry on.

I gave my partner a knowing expression and turned to walk with the rest of the team. I knew all too well that if this had been Slipstream, Optimus would be asking me, and likely Sunburst too, of the same thing. He was only looking out for us, really, but in those moments, when our desires to avenge our fallen friends take over, it was really hard to see what he was trying to do for us.

I had those moments, when I either knew better or I didn't. It depended on the cycle, really, because there were plenty of times where I had been thinking of my Iaconian friends Slipstream had taken away from me before I had gone out on a mission only to end up facing her.

Starscream sounded like he was grumbling as we continued walking away, "Is the clamp really necessary? I promise not to fly away. It's really giving me a crick."

"I can shove you back in the trailer." I couldn't help but chuckle at Starscream's disappointed moan as Arcee's reply.

"He would already be back in the trailer if it were me staying back. Would've locked it up and tossed the key for a while too." …I think I would've done the same, Sunburst.

"Be alert. Airachnid is known to attack from below ground."

"Riiiight." Bulkhead sounded like he was remembering the last time we'd come against her and a dangerous weapon. Though we didn't know what the weapon was this time, if it was a Decepticon prototype, it was still bound to be dangerous.

I looked around me with caution; Optimus was leading us into this area, Bulkhead and Sunburst were at his sides and I was taking up the rear. It was a good formation on a regular day, but this was Airachnid we were hunting down. One small slip from any of us, we'd likely be webbed and hung upside down before we could fully blink our own optics.

Optimus stopped in his walking and so did Bulkhead and Sunburst. I stepped between them so I could see why they had paused. In front of us was some kind of destroyed ship embedded in a canyon; this must've been the rest of the Harbinger. I looked up to my leader for guidance on our next move, because there was no doubt that Airachnid got here before us and was waiting. He raised his servo and made a signal to carry on, but in a silent manner. The instruction was clear; keep moving and don't make a sound.

I stepped forward as quietly as I could and looked around when something suddenly pushed me onto the ground. I landed on my knees plates as the sound of blaster fire erupted beside me, making me look at Optimus firing at the Harbinger. I flicked my optics over to the ship, where Airachnid was leaping back from Optimus' firepower.

"I got her!" I stood to my pedes at the same time Bulkhead ran up and fired at Airachnid.

She leapt up to dodge his blaster fire, and fired a whirring blue beam in his direction… freezing him right before our own optics?!

"Scrap," I couldn't help the mutter of disbelief escaping me.

"The Immobiliser, true to its name." I leapt out of the firing beam before it could get me…

NORMAL P.O.V

Moonlight stepped across the canyon silently, cautiously watching her surroundings, expecting to meet her Autobot enemies. The Decepticon held a Kunai knife at her side, clutching the weapon furiously. At the sound of rocks falling down the canyon, she turned her head into the direction of her sole receptor slowly, waiting for the moment to strike.

A hand wrapped itself around her lower ankle, pulling her off the canyon ridge into the gap. The triple-changing Decepticon collided with her back on the ground, immediately being pounced on by a blush pink and white Cybetronian. Wrists pinned above her, Moonlight snarled at the figure trapping her.

"Can't stay away, can you little sister?" A neutral expression adorned the Autobot as Moonlight spoke. "How smart of you to use my own hearing problems against me? Is that any way to treat your split-spark?"

"If it means I can have a moment to speak with you."

Moonlight laughed maniacally, shaking her head, "What could possibly make you want to have a reasonable conversation for once?"

"I want to understand you, Moon. Please, let's talk."

"Let me go so I can consider it." The petite Autobot slowly moved away from the Decepticon, the pair standing to face each other. The latter wiped dust from her upper legs. "A start." She sighed annoyingly, glaring at Starlight. "What could you possibly want to know from me?"

"Why?"

"Why… what? Why do we exist? See, long, long ago, silly sister, we wer-"

"Moonlight…"

"Ohhh, the fascination with my one and only Master Megatron?" The black and hot pink-highlighted Decepticon was given a nod by her counterpart. "Started in the pits of Kaon, when Megatron was nothing more than a Gladiator. An inspiration to the lowest of the low, just like our Creators, and ourselves." The Decepticon could remember the memories of overseeing the young Cybertronian Warlord in the gladiatorial ring, overwatching his success with interest, piquing her own.

Starlight shook her head, "We were not 'low', Moonlight."

"Hah, we certainly weren't royalty either, sister."

The small Autobot stepped forward, "If you did look up to Megatron and his call for equality, why ignore what's right by helping stop the conflict he was creating?"

Moonlight chuckled sinisterly, waving her arms around her body, "Don't you realise that Megatron was only wanting to help those without a voice?"

"By using oppression? You know it's wrong, Moonlight," Starlight attempted to reason, "You're not a follower like that."

"Why are you so interested in knowing me, now? After all this time, Starlight, you never wanted to care about why I am the way I am." Moonlight narrowed her blood red optics. "Why care now?"

Starlight shook her head, "You don't make a lot of sense to me. You're my split-spark, that means I should know you better than any Cybertronian." Her face was overcome with a somber expression. "Yet, I don't." She watched her elder sibling take a cautious, curious step forward. "If you hate me as much as you portray yourself to, why don't you get rid of me already?"

Moonlight gave another sinister chuckle, accompanied by a knowing smirk she knew the Autobot wouldn't understand over its existence, "Because, little sister, your presence in our war is important to my cause." She glanced over the shoulder of the opposing Cybertronian, discovering a yellow and black-striped vehicle approaching rapidly. "My turn for a question; is it worth dragging him along through it?"

Starlight turned to the approaching custom muscle car transforming into her fellow teammate, before going to return her attention to the elder Decepticon. Instead, she was met by the tell-tale signs of aerial smoke, forced to watch her fly high into the stormy clouds.

"Does Optimus' advice of 'not engaging enemies alone' mean nothing to you?"

The petite Autobot turned her body to the angrily buzzing scout. "You don't understand 'Bee! My sister does things that don't make sense." She moved her hand up to remove her battle mask. "There is a spark inside of her, one that cares for me despite our differences… If I could get to her enough, she could…"

"Switch sides?" Bumblebee finished softly. "She forced torture on you when you refused to join hers. Suddenly you want to reach out to her?"

"I understand it appears odd that I want to…" Starlight nodded, trailing off her sentence momentarily, "Optimus and 'Swept have never led us astray before; maybe there is hope that reaching out to any Decepticon… could help us."

"You think that's what they're doing with Starscream right now?"

Starlight presented an uncertain expression to the scout, "Maybe… if we could convert him, there's hope we could turn more."

The yellow and black-striped Autobot watched his blush pink and white teammate glance into the dark grey clouds above them, where the Cybertronian jet form of Moonlight had disappeared into. He was silent agreement of her, knowing his leader well enough that he would believe in the possibility for change. He commended the hopefulness she had shown him silently by laying a comforting hand on the half tire on her winglet, watching her return her delicate features to him.

"Still not leaving you behind, if you still want to go after her."

Starlight nodded, "One more time."

The pair transformed in the vehicle forms, charging ahead in the direction of their Decepticon foe.

Arcee paced in front of the bound Starscream, annoyed for the reasons of having to be his guard while stewing over not being able to join the rest of her teammates in their mission of stopping her arch enemy.

"I'm not really so bad, you know. Megatron and Slipstream, they're the evil ones."

The blue Autobot stopped her pacing, "Tell it to someone who cares."

"Like whom, Airachnid? What I wouldn't do to get my hands around her wretched throat."

"So we can agree on one thing."

"Oh, you have no idea. She showed up one day and the next thing you know, she's acting like she runs the place." The Autobot had a smirk grow at the corner of her lips as Starscream whined. "She whispered lies into Megatron's ear, maneuvered to rob me of my rightful place!"

"Well, she terminated my partner," Arcee whispered darkly, glancing away from the Seeker.

"What?! She's taking credit for scrapping him now too? That was my doing!"

"What?" The Autobot swiftly raised an eyebrow at Starscream's revelation. "You weren't there."

The Seeker stammered slightly, "Of course I wasn't. I don't know what I was thinking."

Arcee stepped forward, pointing a threatening finger to the prisoner, "Who are you talking about?"

"No one." Starscream cocked his head to the side. "Who are you talking about?"

"Tailgate."

"Uh-Who's Tailgate?"

Realisation dawned upon the Autobots' face, dread and anger growing on her features as realised that bound and kneeling before her was the murderer of her recently lost partner, "You were the one… You extinguished Cliffjumper."

"Cliffjumper?!" Starscream shrieked, watching Arcee raise her fist. He immediately held out his bound hands to protect himself. "No! No, no, no, you misunderstand!" The memory of his own clawed talons stabbing themselves into the red Autobot's chest flashed into his mind. Upon pulling his hand away, Cliffjumper collapsed lifelessly before him. He was quick to realise he needed to adjust his story in order to keep the option of joining the Autobots alive. "It wasn't like you think! The troopers mortally wounded him! I was trying to help Cliffjumper!" The Seeker gripped the blue Autobot's arm. "Put him out of his misery! He begged me to!"

Arcee growled, seeing through the lies Starscream was attempting to present to her. She activated her arm blade to forcibly remove the talons clutching her limb, kicking the Seeker onto his back.

The latter rose up into a sitting position immediately, "Okay, okay, it was a mistake! I've made many, but I've changed!" He returned to his knees desperately. "You wouldn't terminate a defenseless prisoner, would you?"

The Autobot stepped away knowingly, watching her prisoner look up at her helplessly. She pulled up a blue and grey keycard, throwing it so hard to the ground, it buried itself partially into the dirt.

"What? What is that?"

"The key to your cuffs."

"What for?"

"Cliff would have given you a fighting chance."

"No! Please!" The Seeker arched away from the key. "I don't want to! What's passed is past! I'm one of you now!" Arcee no longer cared about the offer Starscream had presented to her team, unfurling her twin blaster weapons to point them at the deliriously whimpering Seeker, "No, no, PLEASE NO!"

"TAKE IT!" She sneered, watching Starscream take hold of the key from the ground. He glanced up at the threatening weapons before him, immediately whimpering once more, making the key card slip from his grasp. "You're pathetic." She returned her left hand to grab the key.

Starscream's fearful expression turned into one of sinister smugness, chuckling as he activated his clawed talons. He swung one of them into the side of the Autobot, making her release the key onto the ground along with small, blue droplets of Energon. He took back hold of the key card at the same time Arcee stepped away in shock, glancing down at the injury along her side.

As she collapsed onto the ground, the Seeker stood over her to throw his open cuffs onto the ground in front of her. "Something wrong, Arcee?" He rubbed his wrists smugly, stalking his enemy. "I thought you wanted a fight."

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

Sunburst jumped over to me and behind a rock boulder. Dodging Airachnid with the Immobiliser was becoming a tall order, considering she was a fierce competitor on her own. But we were down Bulkhead, and we hadn't heard anything about Bumblebee or Starlight with Arcee, otherwise Optimus would've asked for their back-up. It was just us three versing this 'Con.

I peaked around the corner of the boulder in time to see Optimus leap away from Airachnid firing at him. He ducked behind a boulder further away from us and fired at her. I stood up to fire at Airachnid; if we could distract her somehow to get close enough to her, without getting immobilised or webbed, it'd be a small victory on its own.

She aimed her weapon to me, so I ducked behind the boulder with Sunburst. I focused my optics over to Optimus again, where he was standing up and ready to fire. There was a puzzled expression on his faceplates, even though I couldn't fully see his face with his mouth guard; Airachnid must've fled… which meant she was very likely nearby.

I felt a nudge on my shoulder-pladding, making me glance at Sunburst. He was cocking his helm in a way to indicate that we should've been moving to Optimus. I nodded at his idea, and began running over to my leader with him. My form skidded along the ground to stand at Optimus' side and pointed my blaster at the Harbinger.

"Freeze." I spun around at the word to see Airachnid firing the Immobiliser… straight at Optimus!

I fired angrily at Airachnid, but she leapt away and up onto a tall rock formation above us. Two versus one with an immobilising weapon, and without any backup to call. Primus, be on our side for this fight…

NORMAL P.O.V

Moonlight ducked beneath the dark clouds continuing to grace their presence in the canyon to overlook the ground, suspiciousness arising within her. She expected to see the Autobot pair persistently following her. Her Cybertronian jet form hovered the area with intrigue, relying on her sole audio receptor for any noise.

An engine rev allowed the Decepticon to turn in its direction, chuckling with irritable smugness, "Give it up already, silly sister. You and the bug are fighting a losing battle."

The blush pink and white motorcycle stormed across the desert plain with the custom yellow and black-striped muscle car on her rear, headlights flashing ablaze as they gave chase to the fleeing aerial craft.

"I won't give up on you, Moon!"

Moonlight flew up, over the Autobot pair until she was hovering behind them. Realising the Decepticon's movements, Starlight and Bumblebee skidded to a halt, the front of their vehicle forms directed at the opposing Cybertronian jet.

"Warning you now, Starlight, I'd give up on me. You should know I would've changed by now had I wanted to."

The motorcycle crept forward, "There is still time to change! I know I won't forgive you for what you have put me through. I need to put that aside for the good of what we do, if it means you would be willing to cooperate with us."

Moonlight chuckled once more, the laughter shaking her chosen aerial form, "You'd put aside the pain I gave you? I feel as if I should be touched by the offer."

"What if I told you that my teammates could be trying to reach out to Starscream too? Would that make a difference?"

"Starscream and I are no longer aligned anymore. But if I were you, scout-" Bumblebee moved closer at Moonlight referring to him. "-I wouldn't let him near anyone close to that former 'Bot. You know, the horned one?" With that said, the Decepticon switched on her afterburners to return her to the dark clouds.

Starlight revved her motorcycle engine, "Who was she talking about?"

Realisation dawned upon the yellow and black-striped muscle car, as he released a whirr of sadness.

Arcee clutched her wound tightly as she dodged the swipe from Starscream. Holding up her twin arm blades, she continued to dodge the swipes being thrown from the chuckling Seeker. She moved one of her hands to her Energon-seeping side, as she continued to stop Starscream from laying another attack on her with one arm. The Autobot kneed him in the chest, taking advantage of the brief pause in his attack to send him away.

"You're tougher to scrap than your former partner, at least the one I scrapped," Starscream mused, mirroring the movement the small Autobot was making by circling her, "Was Tailgate weak like Cliffjumper?"

"Just… keep talking, Starscream." Clutching her wound with one hand and her other into a fist, she cried out a warrior's cry as she swung her arm blade at her opposition once again.

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

"Tell me, Prime's niece and friend-" I don't think I'll ever like being just known as 'the Prime's niece'. It should be an honour to be called as such… instead, it made me feel like it was something condescending to say… and the way she just called Sunburst 'friend'? Primus please, he deserves more respect than that! "-Do you think Megatron will enjoy his new trophies?" I peaked around the corner of the tall rock formation I was standing behind to see Airachnid wandering up to Bulkhead. "He'll probably use the bulky one here for target practice." She shoved him to the ground, before leaping onto my leader. "Prime is the true prize. Perhaps he'll adorn the prowl of Megatron's warship."

She must've seen me looking at her, because she started firing rapidly in my direction. I managed to return to my hiding spot in time to dodge it. But the blaster fire was heading straight for a rock cliff in front of me… making it collapse… and rain dust around us!

This was perfect!

I snapped my helm to Sunburst beside me, "Can you read my processing unit?"

His smirk was all the answer I needed.

I activated my blasters and fired at the rock cliff. There was extra blaster fire coming from my partner also shooting at it. If we could get it to collapse, then we could send enough dust flying to be able to catch Airachnid by surprise…!

"Freeze." Sunburst was chuckling as he mimicked Airachnid's tone.

I could feel the dust clearing away from me, and her evil chuckle, probably thinking she had defeated us since we were frozen in place as if we had been hit by the Immobiliser.

She crawled on her limbs to Sunburst, "But you, Sunshine? I suspect Megatron will simply dismantle you for spare parts." She looked at me with a somewhat impressed expression. "The Prime's niece I hear is very much in demand. You might come in handy."

I resisted the powerful urge to roll my optics as Airachnid moved to my leader.

"As a rogue, a scavenger, I should disappear into the night with this treasure. But using it to worm my way into Megatron's favor is too good an opportunity to pass up." I could feel Sunburst flinch beside me. "Wouldn't you say, Prime?" He gave me a nod, so I gave up my frozen position and began creeping up behind Airachnid. "I mean, with results like this, I could earn Megatron's eternal trust."

She must've heard us walking up, because she suddenly spun around… just in time for Sunburst to land a fierce right hook on her that sent her plummeting to the ground. The Immobiliser went flying up into the sky. I leapt up onto a nearby boulder to prepare myself to jump and grab it… when a sudden knife suddenly cut right through the weapon and broke it apart.

The pieces showered around me, so I dodged them in time to see Airachnid glance up at us in fury, "You fools!"

A sudden thud made me turn to… Starlight?! Primus, finally! She raced up to us at the same Sunburst was firing at Airachnid, who transformed in her helicopter mode and began heading in our direction. We leapt in different directions to dodge her as she flew away from us.

I turned to Star with a smirk, "It's about time you came back."

"Was it necessary to destroy the weapon as your 'returning moment'?" I turned my helm to Sunburst trying to collect the broken pieces of the Immobiliser.

She glanced around us at our frozen teammates, and gave a guilty expression to me, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. The most important thing is that we're all okay." Starlight's expression changed to concern… Wait, where's Bumblebee? "Is 'Bee okay?"

She nodded… somewhat somberly, "He is fine…" But where was he? "'Swept?" Her expression was really starting to worry me. "There's something I need to tell you about Starscream."

I could feel Sunburst's presence beside me, so I looked up at him; he was also giving me a worried look… What was so bad about Starscream that had Starlight like this?

NORMAL P.O.V

Arcee gasped, trying to recover her strength before she was brutally hit by Starscream once more, kicked into her core before being dealt a hit on her back. The combined melee hit made her collapse onto the ground, where the Seeker kicked her down the slope of the dirt hill to finish her off. She skidded to a halt with a weakened groan.

"You should have finished me when I was helpless to fight. Just like I finished Cliffjumper!" The Autobot struggled to lift her head with an exhausted groan, as Starscream approached her. "Now, prepare to reunite with your partners!" Energon splashing onto the ground, she gasped on her hands and knees, mumbling incoherently to the amused Seeker. "What's that? I can't hear your last words."

"This…is for…CLIFFJUMPER!"

With one hand clutching her injury, Arcee activated her arm blade, swiping Starscream across his face. She quickly swung back at him, slashing him across his chest before swinging herself around to body-slam the Seeker onto the ground. As the dust cleared, she pressed her blade into the Decepticon's neck threateningly.

"Go on! Do it! Megatron will only terminate me for treason if I dare return to the Decepticons. You might as well be the one to put me out of my misery."

"As if I needed convincing." Arcee raised her fist.

"What? Wait! NO!"

The Autobot clenched her fist and teeth as she prepared to land the final blow, before sudden movement caught her attention. She looked to the top of the hill, finding her yellow and black-striped teammate watching on in fear of her next movement.

The awareness was registering upon her, discovering the position she had put herself and Starscream in as a result of her deprived sight over her deceased partner. It wasn't going to bring back her longtime partner, nor would anything she did moving forward. Would Cliffjumper even want her in this position, staring down his terminator's terrified expression, fearful of her next movement?

Arcee deactivated her arm blades, manoeuvring herself off the grateful Starscream. She began to step away, only for the severe injury on her side to force her to collapse onto the ground. Ignoring the Seeker casually walking away from the scene, Bumblebee slid down the hill to his injured friend.

Starscream continued his walk away, unable to glance back or think about taking advantage of the situation. He was grateful to be walking away with his life, a chance he had no plans to throw away in his immediate future…

"You left Starscream with the Autobots? Do you have any NOTION of the consequences of your blunder?!"

"But my lordship! It was Starscream and Moonlight's incompetence that cost us the Immobilizer!"

"MY incompetence?! Coming from the one who dumped Starscream upon the first opportunity?!"

"You dare speak while wasting your time playing catch with your split-spark and the bug?!"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT SOME TRINKET OR YOUR SIBLING!" The Decepticon Warlord stepped in Airachnid and Moonlight's personal space. "The other half of my Second-In-Command is a prisoner of the enemy! Which means all Decepticon intelligence could be at the fingertips of the Autobots!"

WINDSWEPT P.O.V

"The damage looked bad but it was a snap to repair, allowing us to reverse its effect on you." I lifted my helm at Bulkhead stepping onto the ground and stretching. "You should regain your full range of motion before long."

"Ahh, woulda made ya holdin' up that roof in t'e mines much easier, huh?"

"No kidding." At least Aquastrike and Bulkhead were able to provide some type of comfort.

"And… Arcee?"

I turned my helm to my friend holding her injury… The damage had looked bad when Starlight and I had arrived to help, but that was likely because she was exhausted from fighting Starscream… Mind you, if it had been me in that position, finding out that he had terminated Cliffjumper in cold Energon, I don't think I could've restrained myself from not offlining him like Arcee somehow did.

"I have grown to learn over time that two-wheelers are rather… resilient." My optics locked onto Starlight's. "Arcee is no different."

I heard movement beside me, so I looked at my partner. She was glancing over her shoulder padding at us.

Familiar footsteps walked up to the medical berth we were sitting on, "It is the external wounds which heal the quickest."

"I thought settling scores would allow me to move on. Instead, I chased away our hope of winning this war anytime soon."

I don't know if I could've allowed Starscream anywhere near us after what he did to Cliffjumper. The pain of knowing it was him who took his life away hurt like nothing I'd felt before, and I had lost countless friends and allies at Iacon… It felt like I was grieving all over again for someone we had lost a while ago now.

I had a feeling Arcee was feeling somewhat similar, along with her guilt.

"Wisdom cannot be granted, Arcee. It must be earned. Sometimes at a cost." I felt her rest her helm onto my shoulder, so I let the side of my helm rest on hers.

We may have lost the chance to gain some kind of advantage in this forsaken war… but we got answers about what happened to Cliffjumper. It hurt, though maybe it was a combination of everything that made us like this. Whatever it was, it was only going to be temporary; it'll always be there, but it wasn't going to always hurt as badly as it did at this moment. Perhaps, one cycle, we could get redemption for this… if that cycle even existed at all…

NORMAL P.O.V

Stressed gasps broke through the silence of the evening in the canyon, the body of Starscream flung against the rock side as he attempted to break the cuffs bounding his wings. He slammed himself against the rock twice more, the second time being enough for the cuffs to give way and slip off the Seeker onto the ground.

He gripped his sore shoulder as his thoughts took over, "I have been a fool, made mistakes - monumental ones. But I have gained a clear understanding of my place in this universe - of who I am. Starscream." The Seeker leapt into his aerial jet form, flying out of the canyon. "Aligned with no side, servant to no one."