Chapter Five: Shuttles and Jets
Once Jetracer fully recovered and Jetfire was checked for any damage (he was luckily unscathed by his crash, Ratchet was convinced these two were Primus' favourites) the two officially joined the Autobots. Making there numbers go from very low to still very low. But it was better than having none.
Jetracer was a capable warrior, and Starscream's ex-second in command. She was surprisingly nice for spending hours with the annoying seeker with a greed for power. She was also a scientist along with Jetfire.
Jetfire's skills weren't as handy or experienced as Jetracer's but they were all nice to have on the team. Being a scientist with some medical knowledge was better than nothing after all. He also had knowledge of engineering. Which made Wheeljack happy much to Ratchet's own misery.
Jetfire had been caught by a stray wind and crash landed on Earth's surface. He was convinced his partner had searched the whole globe looking for him. His partner was also most likely dead too, seeing as he was a seeker and most of the were dead.
Jetracer had gotten to this planet by being seen as a threat to the council. Being shot in the chest and having her spark ripped out and put in a jar for display while her frame was launched into space.
The only reason she escaped was the council being attacked and the jar her spark was in shattered. She flew away and found Smokescreen. She wanted to protect him so she stayed by him. No one really knows why Smokescreen would need protection, and they didn't know from who.
Smokescreen shared his half of the story and they lined up pretty easily. So they could confirm that Jetracer wasn't lying to them. But Smokescreen didn't know why he needed protection, Jetracer said that if a certain someone found something out. He would be in danger. She didn't specify anything beyond that.
Ratchet looked at the screen. "Decepticon activity," Ratchet said in an annoyed tone.
"May I go on this mission?" Jetracer asked, Optimus nodded. "Yes!" She muttered under her voice, her optic glimmered with joy. If Ratchet could guess, she would have become a Wrecker if she wasn't separated from her frame and kept in a jar for most of the war.
"Arcee and Bulkhead will also accompany you Jetracer," Optimus said, looking at the two. "We will need to find an energon mine soon too, with the addition of two new Autobots and you two's much larger frames."
"Well, we burn a lot less energon due to being long range shuttles," Jetfire said in a matter-of-factly tone. "We are used to not having to consume energon for long journeys between planets and galaxies and solar systems."
"And we have two tanks!" Jetracer butted in, everyone just stared at the two shuttles. "What? I'm just saying that."
Ratchet opened the ground bridge and the three walked through it. The two shuttles wouldn't be able to acquire an Earth based alt-mode due to their size.
He watched as they disappeared through the green vortex. They won't be gone for long.
Ratchet got to work trying to price together why Jetracer felt so familiar. Maybe he could get Optimus to help too. The quicker they got the answer to that, the quicker they would know more about the shuttle. But for now, he would have to manage the ground bridge.
…
Jetracer followed the two Autobots she was paired up with. She noticed that they were treating her like a rookie. Oh how she was going to prove them all wrong on that. They started by explaining how to do stealth missions (her SPECIALTY for Primus sake!) and how scouts were expecting to be silent. Along with deadly, she knew she was deadly. Megs could confirm she was deadly and so could Screamer!
"You heard about the rumours about Foulplay?" A vehicon asked another vehicon. "The one where her ghost haunts the Nemesis waiting for her next victim? It's bad enough vehicons are going missing and found dead, beaten to death by a wrench. Which is coincidently Foulplay's favourite method of killing someone? It's either she's returned or she's always been haunting the Nemesis the whole time!"
"Let's just pray to Primus that she's dead!" The other vehicon spoke. "First the Autobots killed her conjux, then she hides her sparkling! Which I might add was directly disobeying Lord Megatron's orders! Which was to kill the little thing!"
Jetracer listened to hear if there were more vehicons than the two of them. They continued to ramble on about her disobedience of Megs orders. She heard no other vehicons and decided to pounce.
She tackled the two vehicons to the ground and knocked them unconscious. She dragged over to the other two and tied them up. Patted them both on the head then turned to the, now stunned, Autobot teammates.
"What? You said it was stealth mission," Jetracer whispered, her wings twitching with anticipation of a possible battle. "And I was stealthy!"
"It's not the fact that you were stealthy," Arcee said, "it's the fact you are letting them live."
Jetracer gave them a confused and all be it, shocked, expression. She then started to frown, of course they couldn't see it but she did anyway, and gave them a disappointed look.
"Do you kill them?" She asked, getting a nod from Bulkhead. "You guys are idiots, your blaster fire would alert the others right away! Do you guys even know how to NOT kill someone that clearly doesn't need to be killed for the mission to work?"
"But, their Cons!" Arcee snapped back, what a lame excuse. Jetracer facepalmed, her look of disappointment getting out of hand. "They've killed us too!"
"Because it's war, and I thought you Autobots were trying to be the better people," Jetracer whispered with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "General Starscream knows better than to kill in a stealth mission!"
They both looked at her, shocked to hear her using Starscream as an example of good work. Which was weird for Jetracer. Starscream planned for every fight. He is one of the best winglord's in Vosian history! Maybe she would have to snap some sense into the Autobots when she gets back.
"Starscream is cowardly, of course he wouldn't kill on a stealth mission," Arcee said, as if it was a clever comeback. Jetracer raised an optic ridge. "We have killed Cons in stealth missions before!"
"Did they stay a stealth mission for long?" Jetracer asked, completely baffled that Arcee knew how to be a scout but at the same time not know how to be a scout. Arcee didn't respond, thinking back to her stealth missions. "Thats what I thought."
"That doesn't mean Starscream is better!" Arcee snapped back, trying to find something that would make her the better stealth expert. "I bet he hasn't had a successful stealth mission!"
"How would you know?" Jetracer said, crouching down to Arcee's level. "Have you, I don't know, caught him while he was on a stealth mission?"
Arcee was at a loss for words. Jetracer smiled, she had finally convinced someone of Starscream's expertise! That being his incredible stealth. She might have to make the same argument back at base, but that's fine.
"Now back to the mission at hand," Jetracer said, walking towards where the vehicons came from, scanning for hiding spots as she went on. She motioned for the two to follow her. "Now be quiet and don't kill anyone."
The two nodded and the hid behind a boulder. As if right on cue, Screamer walks in. He had a different frame. Jetracer could feel her sparkbeat going faster. Who did that to him?
"What is this weird feeling?!" Starscream said, his much more slender and silver frame glimmered in the light. Where was his red and blue paint? "I know it's not anything like attraction… this is more like a hi feeling! Like someone I thought dead is alive… I made a promise with my eldest to beat up those that betrayed her with a wrench. Could she have survived..?"
Jetracer wanted to walk over there and hug him. Starscream has already lost so much… he didn't deserve to loose her or their family. Jetracer started to walk over subconsciously.
"Screamer..?" Jetracer said softly, Starscream turned his head towards the pale shuttle. A look of disbelief crossed his face. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there for when…" she motioned at his frame, "that happened… but I am here now. And I don't plan on hurting you…"
Starscream walked closer, his servo moving hesitantly to her. Before walking up and touching her own servo. Tears started to run down his face from his optics.
Starscream hugged Jetracer, Jetracer crouched down to his level so he could get a better hug. Muffled sobs could be heard as he clung to Jetracer's frame.
"You're… you're… alive…" Starscream between sobs, his arms tightened around the larger frame. "I thought you died… I-I saw Megatron shoot you through the head… but you're here…with me right now.."
"Thats the least of the damage done to my frame!" Jetracer said, her servo rubbed Starscream's back. Her frame radiated heat, safety and joy. "You should know that! Or did you forget about the fact I was a gladiator of Kaon? It takes more than a shot to the head to kill us!"
Arcee and Bulkhead finally walked in. They looked at the heartwarming scene before them. At least Jetracer thought it was heartwarming. She heard a blaster come out. She turned her helm towards Acree and Bulkhead. Arcee was pointing her blaster at Jetracer.
"Traitor!" Arcee said, digit over the trigger. Bulkhead looked at Jetracer with a look of betrayal. As if she just killed his best friend. "You-you work with that monster!"
"Starscream is no monster!" Jetracer snaps, picking Starscream up when she stood up. "He was forced into this war! And he only joined because his FAMILY was THREATENED!"
Arcee looked at her with disbelief. "How would you know?!" Arcee said, "It's not like he's your sire or carrier!"
"You are YOU to say I've never CARRIED?!" Starscream snapped, "My proof is holding me right now! Isn't that right Jetracer?"
Jetracer nodded. Bulkhead stopped looking like he was betrayed but a deeper understanding. Arcee didn't, she would not believe a thing that came out of either Starscream's or Jetracer's mouths.
"I can see!" Bulkhead said, getting Arcee to look Jetracer up and down. Realization hitting her like a brick wall. "The optics are the biggest give away since some people with orange optics have sparklings with red optics or the other way around! Which is Jetracer's case!"
"I'm surprised you know genetics Bulkhead," Arcee said, lowering her weapon. Jetracer had not attacked them at first. And with Starscream unable to attack them due to being in his daughter's servos. "But what are we going to do with Starscream here?"
"I have an idea," Jetracer said, a mischievous gleam in her optics said it all. Jetracer opened the entrance to her subspace and placed Starscream in. Than closed it. "Hope you don't mind if I put ya in here Screamer!"
Starscream did not protest. He adjusted himself until he was comfortable. Then he stopped moving, relaxing in the dark and warm space.
"Shall we head back to base then?" Jetracer asked, putting a servo on her hip as she put her weight onto one pede. "Or am I going to have to stay here with Starscream in my subspace until Megatron arrives? And I don't think his reaction would be a good one."
…
The trio was back in the base. Jetracer seemed too happy. While Arcee keeps glancing back at her as if someone would shoot a whole in her chest and crawl out. Ratchet was unsure why he had that visualization but it did fit. He waited for Optimus to come back. Then they would discuss what was so important.
Optimus walked into the room. Jetracer seemed to take that as her cue to get up and walk towards Optimus. Arcee and Bulkhead came shortly after her.
"What is it that you want to share Jetracer?" Optimus asked, looking at the white shuttle.
"So you know Starscream?" Jetracer said, it was an odd question but it didn't seem to weird or out of the normal. "What if I told you I had him right now? How would you react?"
"Hmmm… I do not know…" Optimus responded. Looking at into Jetracer's warm optics. "Why do you ask?"
"Do you wanna know?" She said, before anyone could respond, Jetracer opened up her subspace and grabbed something from with in it. Before he could actually see what it was. A familiar voice spoke… one that matched up with her question perfectly…
"Hey! I was HAVING a NAP RACER!" Starscream protested, Jetracer held him like a human would hold their cat. "What is going on any- AM I AT THE AUTOBOT BASE?!"
"I thought you wanted to see there base!" Jetracer said, all the Autobots (besides Jetfire) looked at Jetracer with shock. "And those two wanted proof you're my carrier, even though we both said it was true. Arcee does not believe my word or your word!"
"Wait, Starscream is your CARRIER?!" Ratchet asked, looking at Jetracer with genuine shock. "I knew you were part seeker from the scans but STARSCREAM?! Who did you pull?!"
"That would be me…" Jetfire spoke up, walking over to take Starscream from Jetracer's servos. Starscream did not protest to that much to Ratchet's surprise. "And if you're wondering how he is alive, we have no idea. And Jetracer is our eldest, our other daughter is named Starshooter."
"Still wish I could have named one of them after myself," Starscream said, looking down with sadness. "But Starshooter is as close as I could get!"
"Hah, imagine not being able to name your sparkling the name of your conjux," Jetracer said, Ratchet could tell she had the biggest grin in the world from her optic alone. "Couldn't be me."
"Your conjux is dead," Starscream said flatly. Jetfire looked at Starscream with disappointment. "But I am sorry about your loss and I would love to meet my grand sparkling. I still don't get Lord Megatron's obsession with y-Foulplay!"
"What do you mean by that Starscream," Ratchet noticed he was about to say you, he knew Starscream would not have told him if he had not said it out front. "Why did you almost say "you" instead of Foulplay?"
There was a pause. Then Jetracer spoke, cutting Starscream off elbefore he could talk. He was most likely going to try and lie his way out of it.
"Because I am Foulplay," Jetracer/Foulplay said. "But Foulplay was a stage name, and I am sorry for lying to you all. Especially you Ratch, and no, I won't stop calling you that Ratch."
"You are never one to let nicknames go," Ratchet said, looking at Foulplay/Jetracer with unsurprised expression. "At least it's better than Doc."
…
Shockwave was back on the Nemesis, and Starshooter was there with him. She glared at him with a hatred that could rival Unicron's own.