♡ ʙᴇʜᴀᴠɪᴏᴜʀᴀʟ ᴘᴀᴛᴛᴇʀɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ʙɪʀᴅꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴇᴇᴋᴇʀꜱ ♡

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა 𝔽𝕃𝕀𝔾ℍ𝕋 𝔽𝔼𝔸𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝕊 ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ

Optimus had expected some retaliation from his broadcast. He wanted to give all Cybertronians a chance to put aside their differences and to be a part of the rebirth of Cybertron; yet another hand of peace extended to those who would normally fight against him. And just like every other time, the hope had died and fighting had ensued.The Ark II was created with one purpose in mind; the transportation of the Emberstone to its final destination on Cybertron. Its rapid construction meant that there was little time or effort spent on extra offensive capabilities, and every one of its crew knew they would be in charge of defending their precious cargo. Its sole purpose was to venture through the space bridge, arrive not far from Cybertron, and land safely with all its passengers intact. In a way, it was more crucial to complete the Space Bridge than it was to complete the actual vessel.Optimus had received fewer responses than he had hoped for with his transmission, which he knew would result in violence on board the vessel before departure. He had hoped that the early completion of the construction would result in less antagonists, but he still warned his troops that they might receive some.He was thankful that only a few rogue Decepticons had the gall to interfere with his plans. He had briefly expected to see Soundwave at some point, but Optimus theorised that he was still tending to his injuries after his last fight with Megatron.Things were quickly progressing as he expected, but it was not all he hoped it would be. The Emberstone was safe beneath the hull of the ship, and the sparkling was kept safely in a reinforced structure on the flight deck of the Ark II . His crew were battle ready and at their stations defending the vessel. The brief timeframe in which the ship was preparing for launch and the departure through the Space Bridge was the most volatile time during this mission. He had expected some kickback that his crew would be well-equipped to handle; what he had not predicted was the arrival of the Command Trine. When he heard the sound of jets overhead, his spark sank. There were too many factors concerning the Seekers' arrival that interfered with his carefully laid plans. He didn't know if they knew of the creation of the sparkling, but the fact that it was a Seeker build they chose made Optimus worry. To lose his only potential Aerialbot after all these years to these Cons? Optimus would rather shoot them out of the sky.Focusing his processing power on fighting rather than the potential future dilemma he may have to deal with, he took stock of his crewmates on the battlefield to see if they needed any Prime-backed assistance. Firing a few warning shots into the sky to deter his flying opponents, he ran towards Ratchet's last known coordinates.Ratchet was in charge of getting the Space Bridge up and running to ensure their getaway. As soon as the fighting was through the Space Bridge, the potential for any backup would cease and the Autobots would succeed based on sheer force of numbers. Optimus was counting on the vessel moving through the Bridge while the fighting was still ongoing to prioritise getting into space with as many Cybertronians as possible. Even if some were hostile to Autobots, he prayed in his spark that once they saw the common goal they all shared, they would join forces for the betterment of Cybertron.Comming his CMO, he shot a few more warning shots before retreating underground to the main Space Bridge terminal. Activating it above ground was paramount, and Ratchet couldn't do it alone. Venturing once more through the tunnels of G.H.O.S.T., though this time in a more unused portion to limit the interference of humans, he ran through the passageways until he spotted Ratchet's red and white armour plating.Without even looking up from the terminal, Ratchet reported, "The sparkling is safe in the reinforced chamber, they know not to leave until it is reported safe." Optimus nodded, even though Ratchet wasn't looking at him. "And the Emberstone?" The doctor queried. "Safe in a secure location. Onboard and heavily guarded.""By whom?""Elita-1 has volunteered to guard the Emberstone for the duration of the voyage. I have absolute trust it will be safe in her servos. Once we have landed on Cybertron and the battle has ceased you will be in charge of its safekeeping until it can be brought to the Well."Ratchet typed frantically at the panel, whirring motors coming to life around him, signalling the warm up sequence of the space bridge. Familiar coordinates were entered into the terminal, and a monitor on the upper right wall displayed the fighting above them using old security cameras that were placed around the unused military facility. Audials tuned to the only passage leading to this terminal, Optimus waited and watched his surroundings for anything that might interfere with his comrade's important task. Before giving his full attention to the corridor in front of him, Optimus saw something on the monitor that made his fuel lines run cold. From his perspective, he could see the reinforced structure that held the sparkling smoking from damage; a large hole exposing its vital inner cargo. Energon could be seen leaking onto the concrete and Optimus prayed to Primus that none of it belonged to the sparkling. He knew he had to get back up there, but the battle commands within his processor notified him that the safest option would be to continue with the original plan. Activating the Space Bridge above ground and leaving with the vessel as soon as possible was the quickest way to ensure the safety of everyone on board including the sparkling.Ratchet, still typing furiously at the terminal, didn't seem to notice the smoking damage on the structure their precious charge was kept in. He barely looked up from the panel, his servos a blur of movement spurred on by battle adrenaline. Optimus knew guiltily that if he told Ratchet of the danger (or damage) the sparkling was currently in, he would abort his mission abruptly and rush to their location. Making a hard decision, Optimus chose not to notify him, and instead proceeded with their task as if nothing had changed. Spark heavy with guilt and worry, the leader of the Autobots counted the cliks until he was free to run up and protect the little one himself.Comming Bumblebee on a private channel, he could see the proximity of the yellow bot on the monitors. : Bumblebee, what is the status of the sparkling?::I'm a little busy here, Optimus. I'm sure they're fine.: Optimus could see him blasing heavily upon a black Con who Optimus presumed was Barricade.:The reinforced structure didn't hold, it's smoking. Can you confirm the whereabouts of the sparkling?:On the monitor Optimus could see Bumblebee's rapid glance at the smoking structure, and he heard a curse over comms.:Frag, I can't get to them right now. Barricade's fire won't let up. I can't get to them right now without jeopardising their safety and the mission. There's nothing I can do Optimus, I'm sorry.:Optimus let out a shaky sigh, all the while hoping Ratchet wouldn't notice his tense behaviour.:I understand, but keep a close optic on the sparkling if you see them, and prioritise their safety if you find an escape from your opponent. Sending you reinforcements when I can.:He closed the comms channel and tried to tear his optics away from the monitor to no avail. The smoke billowing out of the structure filled his vision, and the quality made the video capture less than optimal. A few moments passed in this tense silence, the only sounds were the clicking of Ratchet's typing and the whirr of his own engine. Watching the monitor with close optics, Optimus always found it difficult to watch his comrades fight on his behalf while he was stationed elsewhere. He much preferred to be in the action himself, to fight alongside his team, but as a leader he knew that wasn't always possible. Megatron had told him once in confidence that the hardest thing he, as a leader, had to experience was to ignore the deaths of his comrades around him and focus on lifting the morale of those surviving. Optimus couldn't help but agree; there was no place he'd rather be at this moment than rushing to the sparkling's side and ensuring their safety, but the mission had to come first and this made his core thrum with anxiety.But there, a small movement near the base of the smoking structure. The sparkling's small helm peered out from behind the charred remains of the right wall, finials downturned and frightened. Optimus spared a glance at Ratchet to see if he had noticed, but his old friend's typing continued undeterred, coordinates calibrating and startup sequences engaging. His spark leapt at the sight, seeing the young Seeker online and undamaged even with his limited view. It was a brief positive moment however, for as quickly as he noticed the sparkling, they chose to leave their moderately safe location and run straight into heavy gunfire . Optimus couldn't stop his smokestacks from steaming at the reckless, dangerous behaviour, and his panic caught the attention of Ratchet. Cursing under his breath, Optimus watched Ratched glance up at the monitor where he was looking."The sparkling!"Ratchet's sudden terror caused the typing sound to stop abruptly. In an instant he turned away from the console and started running down the corridor. Optimus didn't blame him, as his pedes were also turned to leave the moment the sparkling put themselves into danger. Tearing his optics away from the monitor, they sped above ground as fast as they could manage, fear for the sparkling's safety gnashing at their heels.Cursing his previous choices, Optimus prayed that they wouldn't be too late.It had only taken them a few moments to emerge from the winding tunnels coming from the console room, but the first thing they heard was the immediate lack of gunfire. In fact, the lingering echo of his desperate footsteps in the corridor behind him seemed to be the only noise they could hear.The fighting had stopped. Every Cybertronian was standing still and looking in the same direction.On the ground, at the feet of the seekers, was a form clad in blue armour plating that was getting paler and paler the longer he stared.Stopping in his tracks, Optimus could do no more than look on in horror as the payment of the battle had been decided. Thundercracker lay on the ground, his colours paling, signalling an inevitable offlining. From the saturation of his colours, he didn't have long left.Taking one heavy step after another, he approached the forms kneeling on the ground next to their fallen kin. Starscream, usually the most proud and malicious of any Cybertronian he knew, was silent at the helm of his dying brother. Skywarp, usually equally as hyperactive and chatty, was as still as Starscream. Neither moved. Neither could tear their optics away.Although he did not know much of Vosian culture, he knew that for their kind, this loss was a devastating one. With so few Cybertronians left from the Golden Age, and far fewer Seekers. Starcream and his brothers had in this battle paid the ultimate price. His spark was cold in its chamber. He knew grief from war, but the longer he lived, the more the losses piled higher, towering over the victories. Too many had been lost in these countless conflicts, and he swore to Primus that this would be the last loss of their kind they would ever have to experience.They were prepared for injuries, and even prepared to take prisoners for the duration of the voyage if need be. Optimus knew that many rogue Cybertronians were aimless without a leader, and desperate on top of that. He did not begrudge them their choices, only hoped to rehabilitate them and give them a sense of hope that they had lost during the war. Further death, however, he had hoped desperately to avoid. With his race so close to permanent extinction, any death from either side was considered a huge loss for their species as a whole. Primus wouldn't want the rebirth of their planet to be cultivated at the cost of the last of its older generation. But here, with death closing in on a member of the last Seeker trine, he felt nothing but guilt in his actions that had brought them all here.Belatedly, Optimus noticed the Seekerling in the purple servos of Skywarp. Their optics were also looking at Thundercracker, as if the harder they stared the more likely he would rise from the ground unharmed. Their servos were tense and their wings were shaking, but they appeared mostly unharmed save for a few cosmetic scrapes. They made no motion to move from the bigger Seeker's hold. He focused his optics on the small figure rather than seek the gaze of the grieving Seekers that no doubt placed the blame rightfully on Optimus' shoulders.Ratchet's footsteps sounded behind him, he had taken a few extra moments to process what his optics were showing him. A sharp gasp released from his intake, and Optimus could see his shivering servos from the corner of his vision. He too, realised the direness of the situation, but Optimus could see his friend's code fighting to override the programming to get the sparkling out of the purple Seeker's clutches. This, and all the guilt this moment had caused, brought the medic to a standstill next to his leader. More footsteps crept closer to the increasingly paling body, not a word spoken by anyone.Rather than looking at the body closely, terrified to see the damage his crew had inflicted, instead he chose to speak gently. "This was never my intention." Optimus began softly, addressing the kneeling Seekers. "I am deeply sorry for your loss." Starscream didn't look up from his kneeling posture on the ground. His body, bright with colours of red and blue much like his own, was frozen in place. A small tilt of his helm indicated he heard what was said. Optimus doesn't have the courage to look at Skywarp, instead offlining his optics.A subdued voice, unlike his usual gravitas, scratches its way outside of Starscream's intake. "I'd like to-" he breaks for a moment, static clouding his words. He pauses, then continues. "I'd like to perform Vosian funeral rites."Optimus' optics online and soften. "Of course. Whatever you need." Now was not the time for fighting. The air was heavy with grief. Starscream's wings shuddered, as if shivering from the cold. "...and his body? As his family you would know best where he would like to be laid to rest."Starscream's helm turned to the side, and Optimus could faintly hear his denta clench together in misery. A few moments passed in silence before Starscream could vocalise his answer."...Cybertron. Thundercracker always wanted to go back home." His voice was so soft, he was barely audible.Optimus nodded, even though he knew that Starscream couldn't see it. "You will both be guests aboard this vessel, and we will aid you in delivering him to his final resting place." He fought an urge to lay his servo on Starscream's shoulder, knowing the gesture wouldn't be appreciated. He turned to leave, addressing his teammates that were too stunned to look away from the paling corpse. "Give them some privacy and prepare to depart. No harm will come to them during this voyage." His voice, piercing in its authority, echoed throughout the flight deck. He commed Elita-1 privately to ensure that Barricade was following his orders as well. He too, it seemed, was shell shocked at the loss of Thundercracker. He didn't fight back when he was escorted below deck.Unlike the rest of his comrades, Ratchet moved forward rather than backward. Edging behind Skywarp, servos trembling, he gestured silently for the sparkling. Skywarp, who hadn't moved during this entire exchange, twitched his servos slightly. The sparkling startled and looked up at his faceplate. Their tiny talons grazed the larger fingers that held them, almost reassuringly, before hopping into Ratchet's open servos. There was no fight left in either of them, but Ratchet knew this wouldn't be the end of their silent discussion. With his servos empty of their tiny prize, Skywarp finally let his arms fall and he stared silently ahead.Ratchet took this as his cue to leave, and the flight deck was left empty save for the grieving Seekers, their fallen brother, and the weight of mourning in the air.________________Starscream's shoulders trembled, every part of his body shaking from his wingtips to the tips of his servos. Skywarp knelt next to him, helm facing downward, unmoving. Moments passed in silence, the footsteps long since faded below deck, and neither moved save for the quiver that shook their bodies. Servos clenched on the ground, and Starscream could hold it in no longer.He laughed sharply and tried to stifle his mirth. Containing it was a losing battle and his talons scraped the metal ground where they knelt.The plan had worked perfectly . Skywarp laughed too, smiling widely from audial to audial. Still contained as to not draw suspicion, but gleeful all the same. Thundercracker's voice came through their private comm channel. :I take it they bought my performance?::Hook, line and suckers .: Starscream's delighted response rang through their channel.The plan had been simple. Why fight when you can be escorted as guests of honour? All they needed to do was appeal to Prime's bleeding spark and they would be brought to Cybertron as guests rather than prisoners of war. And with Thundercracker's hue shifting ability, one that he used rarely, usually only for stealth missions that were few and far between, the trine had succeeded with flying colours.The blue of Thundercracker's plating was meant to mimic various sky saturations, though he was limited to only his usual hue. Changing the saturation was an easy trick, and shifting to a powdery blue gave the impression he was close to death. Many Seekers had this ability (Starscream had even discovered some earth creatures had similar colour shifting abilities, even ones that had the gift of flight) and with very few Seekers left, the trine knew that it wasn't common knowledge outside of Vos. There was little chance that the Autobots knew of this ability, thus their chances of success were high.It didn't matter how many opponents were present during the battle, they never intended to fight anyway. One well placed smoke bomb (human made, practically garbage but it did the trick) and the shifting of saturation closer to grey made the perfect performance for the Autobots to fall for. What did the humans call it? Oh yes, playing possum . "What about the Seekerling?" Skywarp's voice cut through his gleeful thoughts.:Over comms, you idiot! We have to play the part of a grieving trine. We can't have them catching onto our ruse until we're well on our way to Cybertron.:The Seekerling had been a huge surprise. To find one here, alive , and without any visible care to their wellbeing, Starscream had felt like he was about to explode with rage when he saw the youngling. He knew that if anything happened to the little one, he would be the first to raze the ship to the ground, no matter the casualties. :I don't think I've ever seen one before, besides us when we were that age. What do you think they're doing here?: Skywarp sounded uncharacteristically quiet when speaking about the youngling.:I have no idea, but their safety must take precedence over our mission.: Thundercracker's body may be unmoving, but they could hear the seriousness in his tone. :You both felt it too, right? The flight sickness?:Starscream bared his pointed denta, snarling. His wings trembled with a different emotion now; anger. Every inch of the sparkling's EM field had screamed alone at him. While he didn't get as close of a look as Thundercracker did, the sickening frequency had sent a shiver down his strut the moment he felt it.This wasn't just a single cycle of solitary isolation; this was multiple. Who knew how long they'd been locked up, alone, without even a window to look at the sky? He clenched his servo, talons digging into his palm painfully. To torture a Seeker youngling like this was barbaric. Not even Megatron at the height of his tyranny would have executed an order resulting in this. Starscream had to contain himself when Optimus had approached him, using every bit of restraint to keep himself from blowing his performance and punching the leader in the faceplate.:We have to prioritise gaining guardianship over the youngling. I won't leave them one cycle longer in the hands of those undeserving Autobots. Their medic should have known better. Wasn't he a sparkling doctor once?:Skywarp nodded, and looked at his servos. He only held the sparkling for a few moments, but he knew in his spark if anything happened to them he'd kill them all and then himself. He could almost feel the slight weight that had rested on his palms only moments ago. The last of the Seeker line, and the hope of Vos had been just here, cradled in his very own servos. Plucking them out of the air had been a joy, despite their brief terror. He looked forward to many flying lessons going forward in the future.:The medic seems very invested in the sparkling, it'll be hard to fight his credentials in guardianship.::Scrap credentials, they're a Seeker ! We are probably the last of the Vosians! They deserve to know their culture! We have the stronger authority in this matter.: Starscream seethed. :I won't let some two-bit Grounder take command of our charge. They belong with us by all rights, but I agree it's not going to be easy.: Starscream cursed under his breath. It would be so easy to just take the Seekerling and fly away. Part of him wanted to do just that. But his tactical brain found multiple other methods of success that would accomplish all of his goals. It might take a bit more work, but it would be worth it.:We'll find a way. And if the Autobots do not agree, we have the entire voyage to convince them.: He gave a side glance to his purple plated brother. :If they continue to remain obstinate, well, it's not like Grounders can fly.: Skywarp's grin matched his own. The pride of Vos would never die, the Command trine would make sure of that. A Seekerling belonged with their own, and nothing was going to get in their way.Starscream continued on the channel. :We continue with the plan, and convince the Autobots to relinquish guardianship. They belong with us anyway.: He addressed Thundercracker. :Enjoy your rest below deck, you'll probably be placed in storage.: The blue seeker groaned. : Keep in contact over comms and we'll update you on changes in the plan. Remember, trine channel only , we can't have the Autobots picking up on your 'online' status.: He chuckled deeply. :We'll keep the medic and the rest of the Autobots off your back. Vosian funeral rules and all that.: Fighting one last grin, he ended the comm and stood.Skywarp stood a moment later, meeting his trine leader's optics. Giving a minute nod, they prepared to make their case. The Seekerling belonged with them, no matter what it took."Let us begin phase two."________________Moving from Skywarp's servo to Ratchet's, you immediately notice a drop in temperature.In Skywarp's hold you felt warm, safe, content. You didn't even know him, but you felt an instant connection. Maybe it was because he plucked you out of literal thin air , but you felt safer with him. At least his reflexes were good. Not that Ratchet had been unkind to you, you just don't know him that well either. Plus the Seekers have wings . Maybe one of them could teach you to fly.Your thoughts scurry through your processor, darting from one thought to the next. You try everything to get your mind off of what you just witnessed; experienced.At thirteen, you are practically an adult. You feel distinctly repulsed by anyone babying you and making decisions without your input. Sure, there are some things you might not be old enough to do yet (and you might never get a chance to do them now that you're a robot, you think dimly), but you are old enough to make your own choices. Thirteen is old enough to be on your own, no matter what anyone else says. It was your life, your rules, with everything that came with it good or bad.Sadness was coursing through your body. The blue Seeker ( Thundercracker . Thundercracker was his name) had...died? And he had done so saving your life. Guilt courses through your fuel lines like acid. This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you.(You stupid child, acting like a grown up. Getting others in trouble when you can't even take care of yourself. This is all your fault.)Your optics blurr with tears (lubricant? Coolant? Windshield wiper fluid?) and you offline your optics. His loss was as a result of your stupid actions, and there wasn't anything you could do about it. His brothers probably hate you. You don't blame them.Ratchet, for all of his previous attention, is blind to what is happening in his servos. Running after Optimus through a passage leading further underground, you only listened vaguely to their conversation."Optimus, are you sure this is the right choice? Are we really leaving with them on board?" The medic's voice is strained as he continues down the passageway.The leader of the Autobots pauses, slowing in his steps slightly. "...The voyage to Cybertron will be brief. They will remain guests aboard the Ark II , and we will limit their interaction with the little one."You stiffen slightly, indignant to his words. Its like they barely register you are here! What about you and your own choices? And what's this about a voyage? You open your intake to say something, but you're interrupted."But is it safe ? You know better than anyone the kind of things they've done in the past. Can we trust them?"Optimus sighs, defeated. "We have no other choice, Ratchet. We offlined a member of their trine, one of the last of their kind. Our species can't afford more bloodshed, not while we're so close to righting our wrongs."Ratchet growles, low enough that it rumbles through his chassis. The walls around you seem to echo with it as well. But even after a few moments he doesn't reply.The corridor opens up to a terminal full of alien technology. You don't even know what you are looking at. The room is lit with a few colourful lights hidden amidst the foreign machinery, but it is mostly luminated by a large screen in the upper right corner. On it you can see a blurred image of the flight deck outside, both Seekers still kneeling next to their brother, unmoving. You look away painfully, spark thudding in your chest. Your fault.Distracted, you barely notice Bumblebee following the other bots into the chamber. So sunken into your thoughts, you don't even hear his footsteps behind you. His voice cuts through your disassociating reverie. "Optimus? Are we still proceeding with the launch?" His blue optics meet Optimus', hope still shining through. Optimus nods, and moves towards Ratchet. Without a word passing between them, you are being shuffled into his larger servos from Ratchet's smaller ones. Ratchet turns to the terminal and starts typing swiftly, his attention anywhere but you. You feel cold. The chills return."Send Wheeljack to see if the Seekers would like his assistance in transporting the body below deck. I don't know any Vosian customs, so it's best to follow their lead so we don't step on anyone's pedes." Bumblebee nods and sends the missive, likely over comm. "Elita-1 is escorting Barricade to one of our guest chambers. She notified me that she will stand guard until she believes he is not a threat." Bumblebee reports. "At least until we've departed."There it is again, that word: depart . Are they going somewhere? What about you? They said they'd help you, and now you are the cause of this huge mess. One of the last of the Seekers is dead because of you. If you still had a stomach, you knew you'd be sick. Instead, that feeling of cold keeps washing over you. Keeping the shivers at bay, you continue to listen until you have more clarification."Arcee is readying the Ark II . Engines are running optimally. As soon as the flight line is clear, we'll be good to go."On the monitor you notice that scary green mech from earlier approach the kneeling Seekers. As he gets closer, the red and blue one swats at him and he retreats back a few steps. Then he gets to his feet alongside his purple brother and they carry their fallen sibling through an open door on the flight deck and out of sight.As soon as the trio disappear, a sickly green light takes over the monitor. It's huge, illuminating the entire flight deck, making it difficult to see anything. It spins wildly with an energy starkly different from electricity, and you can feel the hum even this far underground. On top of the vibrations and the strange light, a different sound carries through the corridor. You hadn't noticed it earlier, but the whole room reverberates like a computer booting up. Or an engine .The light on the monitor grows brighter and brighter, and you notice Bumblebee's optics trained on the same sight. Except where you feel trepidation and confusion, you see him repress a smile on his faceplate. Someone just died and he is smiling?Realising the visual on the monitor is getting closer to the light rather than getting bigger, the feeling of unease within you continues to grow. The Autobots, with all their talk of 'helping' have kept you mostly in the dark about what is going on around you, and it both frightens and angers you. The dual emotions fight inside your processor resulting in an immovable standstill. There isn't anything you can do in this situation. You feel so powerless.The humming becomes louder and louder, and the green light seems to swallow the tip of the flight deck. It disappears through the light, growing larger as it gets closer and closer to the camera. Over the smoking walls of the building that used to have your room (you wonder distantly if you'll get a new room after all this), over the empty place where Thundercracker had lain not moments ago, until it finally encompasses the visual. Bumblebee beams above you, and Optimus also releases a small smile. He's finally, finally looking down at you, rubbing your helm with the tip of his forefinger. He doesn't say anything, but from the look of his expression he seems to have a weight lifted off his massive shoulders. You glance at Ratchet who is still typing, a frown marring his faceplate. He meets your glance briefly before turning back to his work.The view on the monitor has changed; it was dark outside now. Stars could be seen in the distance, dimmed by the automatic lights that line the flight deck. How was it night all of a sudden? What was going on out there? You seem to be asking yourself that question constantly.Ratchet sighs, pausing his typing. "Let's go then." And without another word, the three of them turn and leave the terminal.Venturing back outside, the green light is still pulsing. It was bigger than you thought it would be in person, and it's loud . It whirrs with an angry electrical pulse, and it generates some wind too. It's so large that the base of it touches the ground of the flight line, and for some reason you were all walking right towards it . Squirming frantically, you try to wriggle your way out of Optimus' hold. Without even looking down, he pets your helm gently and shushes you. Dread courses through your cables as you try desperately to get away away from the green light. "Don't move so much, you'll fall and hurt yourself." Optimus's gentle tone does nothing to quell the hysteria building within you. You don't care if you hurt yourself jumping down from this height, you do not want to go in that thing!But your strength is nothing compared to the metal giant holding you, and he cups the servo that had been stroking you, folding it over your head making a cage of fingers around you. There was no getting out of this. Fighting back tears, you can do nothing as the green light surrounds Ratchet in front, making him disappear from your sight. Bumblebee follows soon after, giddy for reasons you don't understand, and then finally it surrounds you. In the shadow of Optimus' large fingers with only small strips of light peeking through, you're temporarily blind. It takes you a moment to clear your optics to see what the hell has just happened. The first thing you notice are the stars, more than you've ever seen before. The second thing you notice is the green light fading from behind you, leaving only the light of the stars and the dim lightstrips lining the flight deck. The third and last thing you notice, is that other than the ship you're on, there's nothing else around you.Like, actually nothing. A void, the absence of anything, inky blackness. Nothing. That hysteria from earlier multiplies tenfold as you realise they've brought you to space . And they didn't even ask you. The rush of shock hits you so hard you stop moving completely, limbs becoming dead weight.Optimus, mistaking this for calm, continues to smile gently down at you. "That wasn't so bad, right?" His voice was cheery despite his blatant kidnapping . "Today was a very exciting cycle, wasn't it? I'm sure you're eager to explore now that the danger has passed."He moves to set you down, but doesn't release you quite yet. "You gave us quite the scare, little one, running out into danger." The quiet timbre sets your teeth on edge. "We would have been devastated if anything happened to you. Your plating is a lot thinner than ours, and it's a lot easier for you to get hurt." You hold your tongue in rage, the panicked adrenaline tied with the hysteria still flowing strong through your fuel lines.The other two bots are walking away in separate directions; Bumblebee towards a door on the right, and Ratchet ventures towards the tip of the (what you now realise is a) spaceship. Optimus gets your attention by raising a finger in a parental fashion."First up, ship rules. You're free to explore anywhere you like, but keep away from our new guests." He pauses, considering. Then he continues to smile that chilling smile. "Any of the Autobots on board will be happy to help you with anything that you need, but please be careful. The holding cells are obviously off limits, and anywhere you choose to explore will require an escort for your safety." If you still had blood it would be ice by now. Staying silent, you wait until he lowers you close enough to the ground and you jump down easily. Looking up at him with blank optics, hoping all your emotions are invisible on your face, you try not to flinch when he pats your helm one last time. "I am needed elsewhere for the moment, but I will return as soon as I'm able to escort you around the inner workings of the ship, once you've finished exploring the hull." He winks at you, and you feel sick. Keep a straight face, keep it together.After giving you one more fond glance that sets your denta on edge, he turns and goes somewhere underground. You don't pay attention because you start running the moment he stops paying attention to you.Ratchet must've heard your footfalls on the flight deck or something, because he turns around and kneels when he sees you coming his way. His faceplate breaks out into a sad but relieved expression, and he opens his servos as if to scoop you up like a caretaker once you get close.But you aren't running to Ratchet. Off to the side, you had noticed the open doors that the Seekers had gone through earlier. If Optimus doesn't want you near them, then that's exactly who you need to talk to. Optimus is no longer trustworthy after this stunt, and if you can get to them before anyone catches up with you, you hope they will help you even after everything that happened with Thundercracker. Veering off towards the door, you run through the opening and into a dimly lit passageway. Behind you, you distantly hear Ratchet's voice call for you in a worried tone, followed by his heavy footsteps. They still sound a distance away, giving you a fair head start, but you have to move fast if you want to get to the Seekers before he reaches you.Down one hallway and through another, you feel yourself going downward. The slight slant of the floors gives away how deep you're going, and you pray to anybody that's listening that the Seekers come back up this hallway once they bring their brother's body to a safe place.Ratchet's footfalls are coming up behind you louder and louder, and you don't have the chance to look back to see how close he's gaining. His voice, growing more and more panicked the more you run, was also growing louder."Little one, where are you going? I'm right here! Come to me!" That same feeling you got from Optimus' voice creeps up your strut and you cringe with fear. Everyone on this ship is making your choices for you, and you hope the Seekers will be different. Your processor brings up the audio memory without your permission (it wasn't even that long ago) of Starscream calling your wings strong. And Skywarp's warm servos. And Thundercracker. You choke, stumbling a bit but not falling. Don't get distracted now. If the Seekers won't help you because of what you've done, maybe you can repay them by being a servant or something. Anything to get away from these Autobots . It was your fault that Thundercracker is dead, and that they lost their family. Tears of an unknown liquid stream down your faceplate as you run, a cry making its way up your throat unbidden. Your helm feels warm from the physical and mental exertion, and your servos clenched tightly as you run. Ratchet's heavy footsteps are shaking the floor now, he's getting too close.But relief hits your optics as the red and blue form of Starscream enters your vision. Not able to stop the cry from escaping your intake, you wail loudly and it seems to get his attention. Skywarp's similar looking helm peers out from behind him, and they both look in your direction.The sight of the two of them gives you a boost of speed, you run faster than you ever did as a human and try to reach them before Ratchet captures you. They take a step towards you and you jump - unable to create words through your wailing - into Starscream's open servos. He catches you easily, and turns his body immediately to shield you from Ratchet. Wings raised, he takes up your entire vision.You cry and you cry, unable to stop. The grief and guilt you feel from Thundercracker's loss (your fault, your fault ) is spilling out of you without stopping. You only vaguely notice Skywarp taking a step out in front, further blocking you from Ratchet's path. The medic skids to a halt in front of the Seekers, his sad face visible even through your blurry optics.Your own tiny servos scratch and wipe your face, trying to stop crying, but only making the horrible feeling worse. Starscream's servos are warm beneath you, same as Skywarp's and Thundercracker's had been. You try to calm your breathing enough to speak, but only unintelligible wet babble escapes you. Ratchet continues to look worried from what you could see behind Starscream's wings, and you can only vaguely hear him try to reason with the Seekers to give you back to him. Any attempt to grab you physically is met with Skywarp's swift intervention, and he even hisses at the medic getting him to step back."I-I'm-, I-I am" Words are so hard when you're crying so hard. You hiccup a bit and try to take a deep breath to calm down, but it only ends up shaky. "I-I'm s-s, s-so s-s-sorry" You manage to make out, albeit wetly. Warm servos touch your helm, and you find you don't mind them. They're sharper than the others' and they don't remind you of Optimus. Starscream's scratchy voice shushes you gently. His voice is still unfamiliar to you, but it's soothing in its uniqueness. His talon runs along your left finial, which is downturn in grief. You can barely see him through your tears, his body mostly a blob of blue and red and white. His talon feels nice, but you can't help the strong feelings of sadness coursing through you. Calming down enough to talk is proving to be a challenge.Ratchet's voice gets louder with his attempts to reach you. "Release them, they belong with us . Little one can you hear me? Come to me, I'll keep you safe." You hear the sound of metal screeching on metal, like he's being forcibly kept from you. Good.Starscream takes a step back down the corridor away from Ratchet, his wings still high and proud. Skywarp takes a step back with him, and Ratchet doesn't move from where he's standing. Everyone is tense, and you can't stop your tears. ________________Starscream could barely keep his processor straight, so many alarms were blaring at once.The sparkling, the Seekerling , had run right into his arms, and was now crying fitfully in his servos. Fear was coursing through their EM field, and the feeling of flight sickness was now impossible to ignore. He was beyond enraged, he was furious . But it wouldn't do to frighten the youngling.Using his wings to shield their prize from the medic, who had such a fierce look on his faceplate when he was running after the sparkling, was the most he could do at this time. Processor working overtime, he tried to quickly think of reasons why the youngling should stay with them, and never leave. The instant he had finally felt the tiny form in his claws, he knew he'd never let them go.Guardianship protocols were a hell of a thing. They blared the loudest in his processor, and he couldn't help but to listen. They hadn't been activated in millenia, and they were damn near impossible to ignore. He couldn't even remember if they had ever been used before. The crying and sickness was agony to feel, and Starscream swore on every Spark in the Well that he would never let anything bad happen to this tiny little being ever again.The medic continued to rant incoherently, sometimes addressing the sparkling in shaky, cooing tones and sometimes addressing the trine desperately. "Give them back! They're not yours, they belong with us! They came to us !"At this display, Starscream almost felt the need to laugh sardonically. Meeting the medic's optics, he spoke with malicious venom. "Is that so? Then why did they run so desperately away from you and to me ?" He let the last syllable drag on, making his pride clear. "It doesn't seem like they want to stay with you." He looked away from the doctor, his talons continuing to stroke the helm of the Seekerling, who's crying had quieted slightly in the time he was holding them.Seeing a Seekerling so small cry so ardently in his servos pulled on his spark painfully. This was unacceptable. Whoever put them in this situation was going to pay and Starscream knew exactly where to lay his blame.Seething at the medic, Starscream allowed his rage to show through his red optics. "They don't want anything to do with you. Leave us, we will take better care of them than you ever have." Ratchet almost looked close to tears, but he still tried to gain the youngling's attention."Little one, these are bad Cybertronians. I can't trust them to know they won't hurt you. Please come back to me." Starscream hissed at his words. "Hurt? Hurt ? Why were they running so fearfully away from you, hmm ? And why are they showing such severe signs of flight sickness?" He could hardly control the rage that bubbled in his fuel tanks. Flight sickness in a Seekerling. Repulsive.This caused Ratchet to pause quizzically for a moment. "Flight sickness? I've never heard of such a thing. You could be lying. What is it? I'm a doctor, I can help!" His voice turned from disbelief to sputtering.Starscream spat back. "You've kept them alone in a windowless chamber, haven't you? How long had it been since they'd seen the sky beforetoday? Where are the rest of their sparkmates?!" Ratchet was slow to respond, his intake open in shock. "B-but that's no cause for concern. Sparklings are fine by themselves during that frame cycle. I was a sparkling doctor, I would know!""A Grounder sparkling doctor." Starscream's red optics were steely. "Seekerlings are never alone. We are raised in family groups and failure of that results in flight sickness." His gravelly voice was strained in fury. "Seekers need the sky the same way Grounders need gravity. What you Autobots have inflicted on this poor youngling is nothing short of torture ."Ratchet had the decency to look absolutely sick with this information. Starscream had to stop himself from showing his pride at how his words affected the medic. The words were all true, and from the look of the doctor's face, everything he theorised had been correct. The Seekerling had been kept in a box, alone, for an untold amount of time. The chills still wracking the small form, along with the quieting sobs, only made Starscream's rage grow stronger.But he kept his head, and looked down on the small figure in his claws. They were so small, and they had already been through so much. Skywarp stood like a wall between him and the medic, not allowing him to take even one step closer.The doctor opened his intake and closed it again without a sound. Guilt and realisation shone on his faceplate. Starscream knew he had won this, but he still needed something to drive the feeling home.Conveniently, luck was on his side. As he peered down at the small Seeker, sobs quieting to a few hiccups and the occasional shudder, they reached up to rub their optics of the fluid and tried to calm their spark. As they did this, Starscream noticed the first streak of colour appear on the youngling's plating. Across their faceplate and staining their audials, a black stripe resembling a mask appeared.Fighting the urge to grin and losing, Starscream looked triumphantly at the medic, who met his gaze with the same horror as before.Holding the Seekerling a little higher so the doctor could see, Starscream let his final words hammer home. "And look," his gravelly voice let the last syllable drag, enunciating his glee, "their first colouring! This proves without a doubt that they feel more comfortable with us than they do with you." He grinned proudly, and clutched at his tiny prize. Ratchet looked absolutely defeated; his servos hung limply to his sides and his blue optics were open wide in dismay. The first colouring on a sparkling usually appeared to a youngling's parents, signalling the sense of belonging that they felt with their family units. Sires and Carriers used to mark the cycle of first colouring as a day to be celebrated, usually when the sparkling had begun to cultivate aspects of their personality. Other than the stripe of black across their faceplate, not a speck of colour could be seen on any other part of the silver sparkling.Skywarp beamed at the colouring, and the sparkling calmed enough to look quizzically back at him. The black around their optics made them stand out starkly, the bright blue green colouring making them look piercing and huge. Starscream watched as Skywarp fought the need to coo. There would be plenty of time for that soon enough."So you see, doctor, they will be staying with us for the time being." He turned on his heel and walked down the corridor, wings bouncing proudly. "Notify the Prime that they will be recharging in our chambers." Skywarp followed closely after, and the medic stood unmoving in the hallway. He didn't stop watching until they left his sight, and buried his face in his servos.