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Being the daughter of a Prime and a Gladiator turned Tyrant meant a lot of things.She held up three digits, her optics looking downwards.One, she was split half and half between both factions, considering herself to be an autobot and decepticon all at once. A decepticon insignia was on her chassis, once that she had asked for.Her ‘Papa’ (Care) wasn’t fond of it at first, and neither was his medic (Mentor), but they learned to deal with it.She was a young mech, one that should be able to decide, and around the age of her early twenties.Grew rather quickly.
Two, there were always going to be bots out to get you.One bot in particular, her father’s older second in command, a cowardly fiend, he had considered himself to be her new enemy.The daughter, paid him no mind. She didn’t care about him.This angered him deeply, and something sinister was bubbling within his spark.He had something in mind for her, but she was unaware.
And finally, the third..Conflict.What Nightblaze was, it was a daughter of conflict.A tool, even. A tool that could end the war, or at least make it slow down.Her parents didn’t view her that way, but she did. It began to bug her.Nightblaze slowly learned of her father’s malicious crimes, his destructive nature, and everything above.
Optimus didn’t want that for her, but he knew she would find out regardless.A smart mech she was.She hadn’t distanced herself from her ‘father’ (Sire), but she was weary of him. Was he aware of this?Yes.But, he paid no mind because it didn’t bother him to an extent.They were okay right now, so why would he be so worried?Little did they all know, things were going to change.
“Papa! I— I mean, Care, sorry..” Nightblaze called out to Optimus, whom was arriving back into base. The shifting of metal and whatnot could be heard as the mech shifted into his alt mode, his optics immediately looking down at his daughter.The much smaller mech only met Optimus at about lower arm length. She was twenty two feet, and he towered over her at around twenty eight feet.“Is Ratchet still after you for not being able to process the terms quicker?” he inquired.Nightblaze’s shoulders shrugged back, and she ultimately looked like a deflated balloon. “Ughh, yes! It’s not my fault I never lived on Cybertron!”Optimus smiled softly, resting his servo atop of Nightblaze’s helm.“He knows that it will take you a bit more time to get used to this.”Nightblaze could only pout, but it would soon turn into one of the sweetest smiles Optimus had the honor of witnessing. Her denta clenched as she smiled wide, and followed it with a giggle.“Now then, are you going to try to visit your Sire?” Optimus questioned, slightly wiping his thumb against Nightblaze’s helm to remove an oil smudge.Nightblaze shrugged, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. “Eh, I don’t know. I still haven’t gotten the hang of my jet mode yet.. and it was easier to visit when I was a sparkling since, you know, you drove me.”The mech sighed and took a seat on the floor, dragging her knees up to her face.“And.. Sire, he hasn’t taught me anything lately. Ever since I grew, he just.. I don’t know, doesn’t want to see me anymore.”Optimus exhaled slightly, his servos coming up to his arms as he crossed them over his chassis.“You misunderstand, I’m sure. He’s just..” he paused. “..I don’t know. He’s been off, hasn’t contacted me or Ratchet and I don’t know why myself. I just thought you’d at least know his whereabouts or want to visit him.”Nightblaze shrugged again, her optics sort of looking at the floor and then back at Optimus. “Could I contact Knockout? See if he knows anything?”The much older Prime rolled his optics, which was out of the ordinary for him, but it was only because Knockout was.. well, Knockout.He cared for Nightblaze when she was much younger, and albeit, he was a goddamn good babysitter.“Very well. Go on.”Nightblaze’s antenna perked up immediately, and she dashed over to the master computer.Knockout was buffing himself with his buffer (obviously), smoothing out some new scratches on his shiny paint job. He grumbled ever so slightly, and then noticed Nightblaze’s icon pop up on his computer screen.A smile crossed his faceplate, and he set down his buffer whilst clicking one of his digits on the keyboard to answer.“Hello, this is the one and only Knockout speaking!” he chuckled out. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Nightblaze?”Nightblaze let out a loud sigh, and replied with an amused tone.“Okay, enough with the theatrics. Have you seen my Sire?”Knockout suddenly went silent.“..Knockout?”The red mech silently scratched under his chin whilst forming his answer.“Listen to me carefully. I know he’s been practically MIA, not letting anyone know anything, but even I don’t know his exact whereabouts..”Nightblaze listened closely.“But, a few days ago, he had mentioned Unicron.”Nightblaze’s audio receptors certainly picked up on that.“Unicron?! I thought— I thought he was dead!” she stammered, fear growing inside of her spark. It thrummed against her chest.She knew what Megatron was like during that time. She knew how much of a monster he was.“He is, supposedly! But, it seemed to have been bothering Lord Megatron to the point he took off!” Knockout explained. “Not even Soundwave knows where he is.”
Oh. Oh that’s bad.
Beyond the door, there was a mech, listening in closely.He grinned wildly, sliding his sharpened digits along the spot he was standing in.His heeled backs clicked against the floors of the nemesis.“With Lord Megatron being MIA, and with his very concerned child seemingly intent on looking for him..”Starscream chuckled darkly, a sick smile lingering on his faceplate.“A plan has been set into motion.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The definition of a requiem is an act or a token of remembrance.Where does that come into play?An exciting plan that is sure to come into motion.One that could only require the intelligence of one seeker himself, his name being Starscream.It’s almost hilarious, really.Starscream and intelligence in the same sentence is diabolical in itself.Considering how much of a failure he is, how much his cowardice comes into play, you would think that this mech’s brain was nothing but scrap.But, to be truthful, he was a very smart intellectual.Even Lord Megatron acknowledged that more than once.“How foolish.” Starscream muttered, tapping his digits against his chin.As he paced back and forth, the loud clicks of his heeled backs served to the ambience of the room he resided in.The sounds echoed throughout, bouncing on and off the walls.“To think that Lord Megatron had just went MIA is so strange, but so perfect.. now, a fool I may be for staging a coup, pretending he was dead, but..”
He paused.
He laughed.
“But, I hate to see him going so soft. Why not lead his pathetic little sparkling to death?” he said aloud, his hips swaying along whilst the wings adorning his back had perked up.Besides, Nightblaze hasn’t awoken her inner abilities, she can’t use her jet mode correctly, nor does she have the matrix of leadership.All she is to Starscream is a rat, a rat in the way of progress.He was never a fan of her.Nightblaze had stolen from him more than once, Megatron had threatened his life for hers, and worst of all..She.Made.Megatron.
Soft.
“How pathetic is that?!” he screamed, his optics flaring with anger as he dragged his servo along his face. “Going soft for a thing that doesn’t contribute ANYTHING to the decepticon cause.”He was practically seething.His plan had to be full proof.He had to succeed.But, how would he erase all traces that possibly led to him?Even if the young Prime survived, she wouldn’t dare tell her Care or Sire, not even her mentors
Why?Because Nightblaze was a nervous wreck.So afraid of doing the wrong thing.Afraid of disappointing her family.Afraid of what Megatron will do.
Yes, that’s right.Starscream noticed the look in her optics the last time she boarded the nemesis over two months ago.A hint of fear was lingering inside of her optics.Starscream could smell it.The way she looked at Megatron.She must’ve found out about some of the things hidden from her.Megatron seemed indifferent. He only stood there in silence, servos folded behind his back as both he and Nightblaze silently watched the screen before them.It was deadly silent.So silent that you could hear a pin drop.‘Oh, you wretched little sparkling, there’s so much more you don’t know..’ Starscream thought to himself, a conniving smile appearing on his faceplate.She glanced at him ever so slightly, a squint forming with her features.That same stoic expression that Optimus Prime had.It could almost invoke fear in his spark, but it didn’t.It only made him weary.A damn shame, truly.If she was more reliable, more fierce, more like Megatron.. she could have truly been such a valuable asset.He sighed with a deep relief, a smile only to follow after as he orchestrated his plan.“That child is not stupid by any means, nor is she as smart as she should be. How desperate would she be if I had coordinates for where Megatron could be?” Starscream asked himself, his wings sort of dropping at his sides.Yes.. fake coordinates, or at least believable ones.The volcano where it all began, where that dark energon lies below the surface..It was still active, but even Starscream was unsure if Unicron was still alive.No matter.“Coordinates are planned.. now, what is it I should do? Trap her beneath rubble? Scrap her up first?” he muttered, scratching his digit along his chin as the friction made a screeching sound. “Yes, yes..”Starscream grinned wildly, his optics widening as he took a spin, praising himself with his own praises.“What a devil you are, Starscream! Haha, he’ll only THANK me once that brat is deceased!” he shouted, his arms raising in the air.All it would take for Nightblaze to fold, to come running to him for assistance with Lord Megatron’s disappearance.. were simple lies and deception.The true way of a decepticon.To deceive is to be perceived.Oh, but Sire never taught you that, did he, brat?He never taught you anything.He only taught you false information, he deceived you.You bare the decepticon insignia on your chest because you believed you were one of us, but truly, you’re nothing but a pathetic little autobot who has so much to learn about this world.Your Care can’t help you now.Not when your mind is so corroded with the thoughts of your Sire lost and out and about.And that shall be my requiem. My token to you,
Nightblaze Prime.
You will meet your impending doom sooner than later.
I will make sure of it.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Care, not even Soundwave knows where Sire is.”
Not even Soundwave? His trusted right hand?
Optimus’s spark ached.
Why would Megatron even disappear out of the blue? No warning.
Nothing.
“Are you positive? You’ve done double checks through and through?” the Prime asked, his servo squeezing Nightblaze’s shoulder plate.
She nodded her helm, her optics searching his optics for answers that even he didn’t have. “I.. I don’t know if anyone else has information. I can try to scout ahead–”
“No.”
Nightblaze’s antenna dropped, a confused look crossing her optics while her eyebrow ridges furrowed. “No? But– Care, I can! I’m capable!”
Optimus shook his head, his other servo meeting Nightblaze’s other shoulder.“I believe in your capability, but something about this doesn’t seem right. I won’t put you at risk because of Megatron’s disappearance.”
Nightblaze scoffed, and she crossed her arms over her chassis. “And you’d put yourself at risk for him? Even though he’s done unthinkable acts?”
His daughter wasn’t even wrong.
He put himself and his autobots in danger because of Megatron.
..he even went as far as to fraternize with him, thus the creation of Nightblaze’s existence coming into play.
“I did what I thought was right, Nightblaze. It’s time you use that logic for yourself, but not in vain like I have.” Optimus whispered, bonking his helm against Nightblaze’s.
Nightblaze stood there silently, but those words reached her audio receptors very clearly.
Do what you think is right.
The young mech sat on her berth, optics glancing down at her clawed servos.Optimus had told her to go recharge, but she couldn’t. Her mind was clouded.
All she could do was worry for her Sire, even though he was capable of defending himself.
Something just didn’t feel right about this.
Her spark thrummed against her chassis, urging her to take action. But, what sort of autobot would she be if she disobeyed her Care?
Nightblaze let out a long sigh, dragging her servos along her faceplate as she grew even more antsy by the minute. This bugged her to Cybertron and back, and she’s never even been to Cybertron.
Urgh, what could she even do? Who could she go to? She couldn’t talk to Bumblebee. He’d snitch on her so fast.
Mentor? No. Ratchet’s relationship with her Sire was complicated in itself.
Arcee? Bulkhead? Not even them.
Knockout and Soundwave did what they could already, most likely.
That didn’t leave many candidates that could help her.
She didn’t trust the vehicons all that much. They were just.. lackeys.
Dreadwing was kind to her, but why would he help her?
All that left was.. Starscream.
“Eugh, why would I even dare..” Nightblaze muttered. However, it truly seemed like that was her only option. “Fine. Starscream it is.”
Nightblaze cursed at herself internally, trying to keep her steps quiet as she moved to the main room of the base. She cautiously passed by Optimus and Ratchet’s room, along with Bee, Arcee, and Bulkhead’s.
She was lucky nobody was out and about.
Or so she thought.
As soon as she stepped foot into the front room, there was Arcee, coming back from a drive.
Scrap.
“Ahh, Arcee, hey! You.. I didn’t expect to see you out right now..” Nightblaze mumbled, struggling to keep her antenna upright. They tend to drop when she’s upset, nervous, lying, or annoyed.Arcee transformed from her vehicle mode into her alt mode, stretching out her arms above her helm. “You know how I am. I like to cool off. Why are you up though, kid?”“Just.. can’t sleep. Came to check the computer and whatnot.”
Lying through her teeth.
She isn’t going to buy that.
“Alright then. I’m going to recharge.” Arcee shrugged, walking past Nightblaze.
Nightblaze almost let out a sigh of relief before Arcee paused in her tracks and turned back to face her. “And don’t forget to go back to your quarters.”
Oh, thank Primus.
“Yeah, I got that. Goodnight, Arcee.” Nightblaze replied, her breath finally escaping her chassis.Once Arcee was out of view, Nightblaze rushed over to the master computer, her servos frantically spreading out over the keyboard.
She hated working with this thing, honestly. Too confusing, too big, too–Her optics widened as an icon popped up on the screen.
A message.. from Starscream? No, it can’t be.
She glanced around nervously, and then back at the message as she scanned it. Good thing she could read cybertronian.
“I have coordinates on your Sire. Come alone.” Nightblaze read aloud, a hint of uncertainty in her vocalizer. “..meet me below the nemesis.”
She squinted her optics.
This couldn’t be a coincidence, it couldn’t have been. How could Starscream time his message ever so perfectly?
Whatever.
Wait, how did he even manage to know that Nightblaze was the one who would receive this message?
He could have hacked their systems.
Something about this felt so taboo, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
Whatever, just whatever.
“I’m sorry, Care..” Nightblaze whispered to herself.
She hesitantly turned off her energon signal as she powered up the groundbridge.
She had no choice but to go through with this.
She’ll be fine.
As soon as Nightblaze walked through the groundbridge, she was sure someone had woken up from that, but it had already closed behind her.
Nobody was following her.
She caught a glance of the sharp and quick witted seeker, his optics glued right to her.
This made her uncomfortable.
“Starscream!” she called out, walking towards him in a cautious stride. “You say you have information. Give it.”
Starscream waggled one of his digits in her face. “Patience, my dear. Come.”
Nightblaze’s antenna flicked back, but she rolled her optics as she slowly shifted her body around, the plates clacking against one another.
It made for a smooth transformation into her jet mode.
Starscream did the same, but it was quicker, more agile.
He had years, eons of experience on her.
Whatever.
She followed Starscream throughout the pitch black night, the stars being their only light source.
Something was itching.
Itching at her spark for some reason.
It thrummed uncomfortably.
The pair of mechs eventually landed at the bottom of the non active volcano, and Nightblaze glanced around.
Her optics scanned the terrain.
It was a mess, just a big mess.
Rocks pushed against each other, weak cracks were adorning the earth below her pedes. The moon shone down on the lot of the rubble.
It was all pure damage.
“Starscream, are you positive Megatron is here?” she inquired, but Starscream borderline ignored her. All he did was motion for her to follow.
This pissed her off, but what could she do?
Clenching her servos at her sides, all judgement went out of the window as she followed Starscream.
A smaller hole in the ground was present, and there was an ominous purple glow that loomed from it.
Starscream held up his wrist, clutching it as he released a missile down the hole, the impact forcing it to become bigger as the solid ground parted. “After you.”
Nightblaze scoffed, jumping into the hole as Starscream followed directly behind.Landing on her pedes, she took a stride forward, her optics widening as a sharp innermost pain crossed her spark.
That itching again.
She clutched her chassis and continued forward, scanning the cause of the purple glow.
Dark energon.
Starscream followed behind her.
Something wasn’t fucking right.Her spark thrummed violently against her chassis
It felt like it was screaming at her.
It was warning her.
But, she pushed on.
“Your Sire is close, my dear.” Starscream said aloud, forcing Nightblaze out of her thoughts.
She stopped walking for a second, her optics scanning the area they entered.
It.. looked like a mine.
There were carts, tipped and full, and.. body parts.
Arms.
Legs.
Dislocated torsos.
Heads.
They all looked like vehicons.
In a far corner, what looked like a pod, began to thrum. A pulsing glow.
“Starscream, where.. where are we?” Nightblaze’s vocal processor quivered out, slowly turning around to face Starscream who was eying her manically.“Your demise.”
No.
Wait– no– no!
A loud screeching sound echoed throughout the cave.
Nightblaze held her servo over her left optic. It was leaking.
She stumbled back.
Starscream rubbed his digits against each other, Nightblaze’s energon coating them. “You can’t stay still, can you? No matter.”
His jets inside of his pedes began to start up, a loud whirring sound as he flew upwards, pointing his missiles directly at Nightblaze, only to point them at the very top of the cavern. “I’ll let whatever is inside of that pod deal with you. Goodbye, prime. ”
“No–! N-No, no, please–!” Nightblaze stammered out, coolant rolling down her faceplate as it mixed with her leaking optic.
Starscream ignored her pleas, firing his missiles as he immediately flew out to save himself.
The cavern came caving in, and it all went black.
Nightblaze laid there on the ground, her optics flickering weakly.“..frag, this.. my– my optic..” she whimpered, holding her servo on top of her injured optic. It was the left one.
Her body ached.
Slowly, she sat up, bringing herself to her knees as she scanned the area with her working optic.
It was lit up only by the dark energon, but even then, it was still dark.
The optic went straight to look at the pod which was opened.
“Oh, oh Primus.. I need to g-get out of here..” she whispered.
What slowly creeped up behind her, opening its mouth, was an insecticon.
It was hungry.
A low growl emitted from it, and then Nightblaze whipped around, a scream escaping her as she scampered away, only to be met with more rubble.The insecticon and the bot began to play a game of cat and mouse, only the mouse was gravely injured.
The damages caused to her frame weren’t dire, but her optic being damaged was.She was scraped up, one of her arms nearly dislocated, exposed wiring in both of her legs.
This only made her look more delectable to the creature. It yearned for the taste of desperation.
It always made the meal delicious.
Nightblaze backed herself into a corner, which was luckily hidden from the creature’s sight, but she barely had any time.
She tried to devise a plan, but this constant aching was hurting her.
Her servos clutched her helm, and she began to drag the clawed digits along which made an echoing screech. She screamed as her optics widened, the left one finally working, but it was like she was under control.
Nightblaze couldn’t get control of her body.
It contorted.
The creature was coming towards her, getting closer with every step, only struggling because of the rubble.
Purple clouded her vision.
Purple leaked from her mouth.The creature moved away from the large rock, blasting through it with its own helm.
It roared.
Nightblaze laughed.
Laughed in the face of the danger before her.
But, was it really her?
Her arm shifted, contorting back into place with a loud snap.In her servo, she held onto what was a double sided scythe. Her optics slowly glanced at the creature.
She smiled.“Come get me..” her voice said, a hint of a masculine voice colliding with her own which could be heard.
The insecticon roared once more, rushing towards her.
Nightblaze swung her scythe.
Its head pummeled to the ground with a thud, following with its body not too long after.
It leaked dark energon.
Blood was spilled..And it was no longer just hers.
She shifted the scythe back in place, only to shift her arm into a cannon as she let out multiple shots towards the upper body of the cavern.
Once a big enough hole was created, a sliver of sunlight peeked through.The mech shot up through the cavern, pushing herself through the hole as she clawed at the desert ground before her.Letting out a low, guttural growl, she pulled herself out of the hole.
Her optics twitched, and she held the left side of her faceplate.
She felt something stirring inside of her.As if something had been activated within her circuits.Slowly, she stood up, pedes digging in the sand as she limped off.
She didn’t feel the same.
She won’t ever be the same.
Starscream got what he wanted, right?
The old her was gone.
Instead, she was replaced with a reflection of herself.
She was going to fucking kill Starscream fro this.
She was going to take his left eye.
As she continued limping, the looming presence of something deep inside of her only grew with each step.
She was out of control.
She felt dead.
Starscream got what he wanted.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Optimus paced back and forth, his servos clutched into fists. His worry was growing.The same worry, that same ache for Megatron was now for Nightblaze. He hadn’t seen her for two days.“Optimus, please calm down. I’m doing all I can to find her.” Ratchet said, his optics focused on the computer screen before him. His digits worked flawlessly against the board. “From tracking the activity from two days ago, an anonymous call came through, or so it looks like.”Optimus paused in his pacing, instead coming up behind Ratchet as his optics locking onto the screen. “Can you remove the anonymity?”Ratchet nodded his helm. “It shouldn’t take me too long. Contact the others to see if they’ve gotten a track on her.”Bumblebee sped through the horizon, the sun already setting behind him. The road cracked and rubbed against his tires, a slight pain cruising through his frame.No matter. This wasn’t about him. He just wanted to find his sister and get back to base.
Bumblebee came to a halt, a loud skid could be heard as he immediately shifted into his alt mode. His optics fixated on the desert sand before him, and then at his wrist as a holographic life signal was glitching in and out.Odd.He could see his fine, it wasn’t his glitching. It was someone else’s.‘It has to be Nightblaze..’ he thought to himself. He may as well follow it, see where it goes.In fact, he wasn’t too far. Maybe a few miles away, but a bit of a walk will do him some good. His tires ached.
Nightblaze sat on her knees, her vision blurry while she stared down at her shaking servos. They were coated in her energon, which was now contaminated with dark.Everything felt dark.The upcoming twilight behind the rock she was curled up under.Dark.She shook violently, her digits weakly clawing at her left optic which kept on fucking healing.It won’t stop.“Leave.. leave me alone..! Get out of my head.. give me back my eye, I want my eye back..!” Nightblaze desperately cried out, turning onto her arms as they scraped the sand.Her pedes dug into the ground. She sobbed out loud, spitting out energon as she choked on it.Her left optic widened, it pulsed, ached, coolant running down her face as she cried.Her cries grew louder.Dark energon seeped from her optic, despite it not even being damaged, no matter how hard she tried.She wanted to rip it out, but the wires, the wires were fully intact. They held onto it tightly.
Bumblebee watched in horror, his optics dilating back. He stumbled slightly, hiding behind the rock nearby. His servos shook.He didn’t know what to do. He was afraid.He never saw Nightblaze act like this. Never.She almost looked like.. him.But— it wouldn’t make sense! He got better, right? He was on the path to redemption, right?So, why was Nightblaze acting like this..?Suddenly, her optics were fixated on Bumblebee. She smiled.She was silent.She watched him closely.“Bee, I’m glad to see you!” Nightblaze exclaimed, only.. Bumblebee recognized that wasn’t her voice.Well, it was, but it sounded off to his audio receptors.
That’s not Nightblaze.
Arcee and Bulkhead were already on their way back to base, but Bumblebee hadn’t answered Optimus’s contact and it worried him.Something was wrong.Something was so very wrong.Something.No word from Megatron either. He’s still MIA.
“Optimus.”Ratchet’s voice had called to him, pulling him out of his thoughts.“Yes?” the Prime replied, going back over to Ratchet’s side.“I finished breaking down the anonymous firewall hidden behind the contact, and.. well, it was Starscream who contacted us..” Ratchet explained, and a squint followed. “He probably was the last one who was in contact with Nightblaze.”Optimus clutched his servos.His processor continued to work as the information was given to him. Starscream.Somehow, he was involved.He wasn’t sure how, but hopefully he would find out soon.Heavy footsteps could be heard as Bumblebee rushed forward through the base entrance, his panic very evident.His beeps were a panic, practically indescribable as Optimus tried to calm him down. His servos rested on his son’s shoulders. “Bee, slow down. All I got from that was sheer panic.”More footsteps.Bulkhead? Arcee?No. These footsteps caused Bumblebee to shake Optimus.His beeps translated into, “That isn’t Nightblaze. I don’t know who, or what, but it isn’t her.”
Optimus’s eyebrows furrowed, and his optics glanced at the wide doorway.
Nightblaze stood there, her frame as still as can be, watching.
A look in her eye pierced Optimus, Ratchet, and Bee to the core.
Energon leaked from her digits, and she contorted slightly. Her helm tilted.
“Nightblaze..?” Optimus whispered, fear lacing his tone.
She stalked forward.
She lunged right at Optimus, her digits clawing right into his left optic.
A long screeching could be heard as she dragged her digits down his faceplate.
Ratchet yelled, both him and Bumblebee holding her back.
Optimus shook in place.
His servo slowly reached up to his optic, digits tracing the now seeping socket.
He looked at his daughter.
All he could see before him was a figment of who she was.
She shook. She broke out of the grip of Ratchet and Bumblebee.
She sobbed out like a crying child.
He wanted to reach out for her, but she ran.
She ran as far as her legs could take her.
Before she ran, she sobbed, “I’m sorry, Papa, I’m so sorry, my C-Care..!”
Optimus’s frame began to shake. His vision went blurry.
He swore he could hear Ratchet, and then Arcee, then Bulkhead.
Then Bumblebee’s concerned beeps.
That’s when he collapsed.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Optimus blinked his optic ever so slightly, his vision still impaired, but functional. A groan escaped him.
He slowly rose up, only to be met with a servo on his arm. Ratchet glanced at him with worry in his optics, and his grip tightened.“Optimus, please.. take it easy..” he whispered, his grip unwavering.
Optimus nodded his helm, scanning the room as he looked upon his worried autobots, and along with them, the worried human companions they’ve made.Miko cringed slightly, a glimmer of concern in her eyes. “Uh, Optimus, what.. happened?”The Prime tried to recall what had happened beforehand, but his mind was still in a haze. He silently shook his head, lying back down on the berth as his optics shut once more. He needed to rest.
Ratchet sighed loudly, walking over to the railing as he looked up at the human children. “I’ll explain for you.”Raf readjusted his glasses, followed it with a nod, and listened closely. Both Miko and Jack did the same as well.“It’s something to do with.. Nightblaze. She went berserk, proceeded to attack Optimus, and.. well, almost gauged out his left optic.” Ratchet explained, motioning his servo to Optimus. His left optic had a patch over it, and it wasn’t a pretty look for him. “It took me a bit to stabilize him, and it could’ve been worse.”Jack’s eyes widened.“No way! Nightblaze went rogue?”Ratchet sighed loudly, slapping his servo against his faceplate. “No—“Miko and Raf then joined in, spouting absolute nonsense theories.“She’s evil now? I mean, yeah, Megatron’s daughter but..”Raf pipes in next.“No no, that’s illogical. She wouldn’t just attack Optimus like that. She really loves him!”“Quiet!” Ratchet shouted, his optics flaring as he stared down the three teenagers.
They shut up.
Ratchet inhaled, holding his servos together as he walked away, needing to take some space. Bumblebee followed him, clinging to his side. He was worried about him too, just as much as he was with Optimus.Arcee let out a long whistle for a moment, and then crossed her arms over her chassis. “Don’t take it personal, kids. He’s just.. worried.”“You think?” Jack asked, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.Raf and Miko looked at each other, and then back at Bulkhead and Arcee.Miko looked at Bulkhead with puppy eyes, and Bulkhead let out a long groan. “Miko, you know that you don’t have to do that, right? You could literally just ask me what that was all about.”“Great! Soo, what was that about?” She asked eagerly.Bulkhead rubbed the back of his helm. “Uh, well, Nightblaze.. the kid was in a funk ever since Megatron went MIA about a week ago. From what Arcee and I know personally, she went looking for him. Then, well..”He glanced at Arcee as she finished the sentence.
“She went crazy, quote on quote.” She flexed her digits into quotations.Raf nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “That’s a weak summary, but it gets the job done. However, this is odd. She wouldn’t just attack Optimus like that, you know? We’ve known her for so long!”“Yeah, it isn’t like her at all!” Miko added.Both Bulkhead and Arcee nodded in agreement to the teens revelations.
They couldn’t do much but agree.“Apart from that, are you guys injured? Or was it just Optimus?” Jack inquired, his brows furrowing at the question. The thought of his other friends, especially Arcee being hurt wasn’t easy to fathom.Arcee reached her servo over the railing, patting Jack’s head. “Don’t worry Jack. We weren’t here for that.”Jack gave her a smile and proceeded to push her servo away gently. She got the gist and crossed her arms over her chassis again.
Amongst their discussions, little did they know that the topic of their discussion had finally made his return.Where was he? Is that necessary to know? Perhaps.“Soundwave, I have returned!” Megatron called out, pushing past the vehicons who were looking at Megatron with curiosity and shocked expressions.Soundwave himself turned to face Megatron, tilting his helm to the side as he spoke. “Where.. have you been?”Megatron sighed loudly, resting his servos on Soundwave’s shoulders. “I felt.. a presence. I was unsure of it, but I went back to my last meeting place with Unicron.”Soundwave listened closely, his shoulders tensing.“He’s active. Alive, even, somehow..” he continued, his optics fixated on Soundwave’s expressionless faceplate. “I apologize for my absence. Is there anything I should know about?”‘Anything he should know about? Don’t make me laugh..’ Soundwave thought to himself.It wasn’t hard for Soundwave to find out about Starscream’s little message to Nightblaze. The mech forgets that he has ears everywhere. He can HEAR everything.The way his digits flexed on the keyboard, the way they clicked and clacked, the little laugh, he heard it all.Without hesitation, Soundwave’s faceplate lit up, the message appearing on the once blackened screen.Megatron’s optics widened as he read it, his eyebrow ridges furrowing. “He did what?!”Anger and rage overtook Megatron rather quickly, and then his spark pulsed. He clawed at his chassis, a bit of agony overtaking him. Soundwave stepped back to give him room.“Soundwave. Contact Ratchet. Immediately.”
Ratchet readied the groundbridge as soon as he received the contact from Soundwave. He crossed his arms over his chassis as he watched Megatron rush through.Before he could even speak, Ratchet was quick to bring him into a scolding. “Where on earth have you been? Huh?!”Megatron growled, attempting to scoot past Ratchet. “Out of my way! I need to see him!”“No! You need to explain where you have been for the past damn week before you even think about seeing Optimus!” Ratchet shouted.“No, I do not! Move!” he shouted back.Ratchet shoved Megatron, making the bigger mech stumble a bit. “Absolutely not! Tell me where you’ve been! Maybe it’s connected to why your daughter ran off and went crazy!”
Megatron’s optics narrowed. “What do you mean by ‘went crazy?’”Ratchet inhaled ever so slightly, and grabbed Megatron’s servo. “Come with me.”As the two mechs walked past the other bots and humans, Megatron’s spark thrummed against his chassis more. He hated to admit it, but he was worried.
After turning down the corridor, they arrived at Optimus and Ratchet’s quarters. So, Ratchet rested his servo on the recognition plate, letting the machine scan it. The door opened right after.They stepped inside, and Megatron’s optics fixated on a resting Optimus. Then, he glanced at his covered optic. “What.. Ratchet. What happened?”“Remember when I said Nightblaze went crazy? She nearly blinded him.” Ratchet replied.Megatron stood still.His little sparkling? Hurting her Care?That wasn’t like his babygirl at all.Oh, Primus. She was going down his path.“No..” he whispered, his tone laced with disbelief. He covered his mouth.Ratchet watched him silently, his own servo resting on Megatron’s free shaking one. “Her optics flashed purple. Her limbs contorted.”There was pure silence as Megatron hung his head low, his optics wide and he trembled in place.
“..Medic. Do you remember where I was with Optimus? When we supposedly destroyed Unicron?”Ratchet nodded, and then his own optics widened. “You mean..?”Megatron nodded.“I felt his presence. I left for a week to confirm my suspicions..” he muttered.Ratchet stood there in fear.“Please don’t tell me she has dark energon running through her circuits.”Megatron looked at him with an unsure expression.
Optimus slowly rose up, scanning the room as his working optic landed on Megatron and Ratchet. “..Megatron?”Megatron immediately rushed over, pulling Optimus into a deep hug. He could feel their sparks thrumming against one another. Optimus slowly rested his servos on Megatron’s back, his mind still in a haze.He was conscious, that’s what mattered. Suddenly, he became frantic.“Nightblaze! She— she’s gone, she ran away again! I don’t— Megatron, I didn’t—!” Optimus yelled out, pulling away from the hug as he stared up at Megatron who only rested his sevros on Optimus’s cheek plates.“I didn’t know up until now either. Please, do not blame yourself..” he whispered, resting his forehead against Optimus’s.The Prime became soothed by the gesture, inhaling in and out as he held onto Megatron’s wrists.“Medic. You can run a test on my energon if you so wish, and once we get ahold of Nightblaze, compare it to hers. We shall see if that of yours is correct.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Nightblaze rocked back and forth behind a rock in her parents desolate getaway cave. She inhaled and exhaled. Her chassis rose and dropped with each breath. She was alone.So, so alone.She didn’t know where her Sire was. She didn’t want to know where he was.“What.. no, I wouldn’t ever think that..” she whispered to herself, her servos trembling as she held onto her helm. How could she think that? Why would she think that?She loved her Sire, right? That was her father at the end of the day.So, why did she feel so..Bitter?He took care of her. He loved her.So why did he leave? Why did he stop hanging out with her so much? Asking her to come over?‘Why’ was all Nightblaze could truly think of. If she had to be completely honest, she was neglected on his side. At least emotionally, or physically. Maybe both.She didn’t know.She fucking hated not knowing. She should already know. She should know where her spark lies.But, she didn’t.She was nothing but a lost sparkling again. Calling out for her parents.
Optimus’ antenna twitched once he heard the cries of his little one. He rushed over, his pedes impacting with the desert sand as he looked around the small woodland area nearby.
“Nightblaze?” he called out.
A few more wails, and then came Megatron. He wasn’t too far behind Optimus when he also ran out looking for their sparkling.
They both looked at each other as they rummaged through the brush, optics glancing down at a curled up Nightblaze.
Megatron scooped her into his servos, moving his helm closer to hers as she sniffled. “Papa..”
“Yes, I’m right here my little monster. By Primus, I didn’t mean for you to get lost..” he whispered, bonking his forehead against hers.
Optimus quietly watched, his stoic demeanor unchanging, but a glimmer of disappointment was in his optics.
He sighed, slowly taking Nightblaze into his own servos. “You need to watch her better. This is the third time she has gotten away. What if she were to get away again and get into danger?”
Megatron took a moment to think about his next response.
Optimus wasn’t wrong at all.
“Look, I will pay better attention to her. I just.. it’s a struggle. I don’t think I’m fit to be a father.”
The Prime sighed more, brushing off Nightblaze’s tears as he glanced at Megatron.
“You are fit. You just don’t try.”
Optimus drove through the desert, Megatron following right above him. They needed to find their daughter.And if they were going to do that, it was going to be together. She needed them, just as much as they needed her.“Optimus, tell me.. did she truly miss me while I was absent?” Megatron suddenly asked, his voice cutting through Optimus’s cabin.“Yes.”He responded without a second thought. Why else would she risk her own life by consulting Starscream?That conniving little prick. He deserved his head ripped clean off, but that didn’t matter right now.The risks he posed to Nightblaze will not go unnoticed, but only when the time is truly right.“I have this feeling. A feeling I know where she could be..” Optimus suddenly mentioned, his speed increasing as he sped forward more.The dirt and rocks grated against his wheels, a trail of dust rising from behind him. Megatron slowed himself down enough to keep up with Optimus, but not slow to the point his jets could cool.He was unaware of where Optimus was taking him, but as they got closer, the direction they took seemed a lot more familiar than before.Familiar.
Not too long after, both mechs transformed into their alt modes, stretching out their limbs. The Prime winced at a rock stuck in his tire, flicking it off as his optics scanned the area.“This should be it. Come.”Megatron cocked his head to the side, but he listened. He followed right behind his sparkmate, and slowly reached his servo out to intertwine his digits with his.But he didn’t.
Servos were at his sides once more, and both walked in silence.Nightblaze curled up on the now broken nest of pine and brush, her frame trembling as she contemplated her sins.For the past few hours, all she heard was whispers in the back of her mind. In her audio receptors.Inside of her spark.The voices called to her, said that it was all her fault.Called her a foolish child who has yet to truly grow up.Screamed at her.
Then, the scene of her care’s bleeding optic kept replaying in her mind, taunting her. Creating more guilt.
“I hate myself enough, please..! Please leave me alone.. I didn’t mean it..!” she cried, clawing at her faceplate as she sobbed.She hated herself.Hated.. hated..Hate.Hate.
Hated him.
Suddenly, she felt arms around her. Tucked perfectly under her own.She didn’t hesitate to hold back, her sobs decreasing in volume as she held onto the mech before her.Megatron shushed her down, rubbing her helm with one of his servos. He looked towards Optimus, urging him over.
Optimus approached with caution, and slowly joined in the hug.Nightblaze whined, trembling in her parents arms. She was so afraid.As they held onto her, her grip loosened on Megatron ever so slightly, not enough for him to notice.She was at war with her internal feelings, and at the end, it wouldn’t even matter that would be the last hug she would ever receive from her father.Something was brewing in both of them.Something that would tear them further apart.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A loud rumble from the earth could be heard within a miles radius. The ground shattered, rocks began to rise and cliffs began to fall. Trees began to shake.The weather began to go wild, switching from hard winds to snow, and then back to rain. It felt like the world was ending for a few minutes. Only a few.Then all was still.Beyond the temporary grave, deep underground, he stirred. His awakening was inevitable.His death was temporary.
Why would he let them live in peace? Why would he let a brand new vessel fit for a god escape from his grasps?That feeling of sheer power that he felt.. it was enough to make his toes curl. He yearned to have more of it. To feel more of it.He must have it.He must have her.
Such a strong being, one who has yet to unlock her full potential. A descendant of a Prime? A daughter of war tyrant? Oh, the endless possibilities.
It made his spark thrum.That aura she radiated, it reeked of power. A power he needed to harness.But, in order to do that.. he needed to return to his old vessel. Needed to be in control.Needed to enter Megatron’s mind.
Break him slowly.He was an old mech. What harm could this do?Unicron didn’t care.
Nightblaze sat on the berth, keeping her optics fixated on the light Ratchet was pointing towards her. He cocked his brow, examining the small veins that were now under her left optic. They pulsed with a purple light.“So, like you said, Starscream damaged your optic.. and now it’s fixed?” he inquired, needing another confirmation of what he was seeing. “And now it’s purple.”Nightblaze sighed loudly, her face mask shifting back into place. “Yeah. That’s.. basically it. I don’t know how or- or why, it just happened. An insect thing tried to kill me, and then..”She paused.“I wasn’t myself.”Ratchet sighed, resting his servos on Nightblaze’s shoulders. “I know. Believe me, we all know you wouldn’t attack Optimus like that. It was just a mistake..”The younger mech shook her head, bringing her knees up to her face. Her optics glanced away, and all that existed inside of those eyes at that very moment.. just guilt. Sheer guilt.“I didn’t mean to.. I promise I didn’t..” she whispered, small tears pricking up in the corners of her eye sockets.Ratchet rubbed Nightblaze’s helm, kind of bending back her antenna. “I know. We all know.”Nightblaze purred, relaxing her frame as she suddenly threw herself into a hug with Ratchet, just basking in his presence. She knew that he was always going to be reliable.And he was always going to be there. No matter what.He didn’t hesitate to hug her back. That was his daughter regardless. Always going to be, even if not united by blood.To be quite honest, if Nightblaze really took some time to think about it, Ratchet was a better parent than her own father.He helped preen her, made sure she didn’t go hungry, always fixed up any blemishes or scars if needed because he didn’t wanna see that, it’s all odd. Sure, Megatron wasn’t a bad father, but he wasn’t a good parent. Not every parent deserves the title of ‘dad’ or ‘mom’..And not every father or mother deserved the title of ‘parent.’It was two sides of the same coin, just flipped, but the meanings were incredibly different.
For her.Megatron silently gazed upon the land, servos folded behind his back as he witnessed chaos come to a still. He inhaled.Optics were fixated on the tarnish in the earth below him. Cracks. Rocks emerging. Cliffs being broken down. The clouds stuck between gray and light.The more he looked at it, the more it felt like his time was almost up. The more he felt like it was all over. The more it felt like he was losing his grip on the reality he desired. A reality where war could have come to an indefinite halt. One where he could’ve had a peaceful life with his daughter, his true sparkmate.. even with Soundwave and Ratchet.Peace.
It felt stupid to even wish for, especially now.He was back to square one. He knew Unicron was coming for him, and soon, he would reset everything. Reset it back to where it all began.Did it even fucking matter? Did it matter he tried to be who he was before?“You and I both know it didn’t matter..” a voice whispered, pulling Megatron out of his thoughts. The voice was all too familiar to be his own.Megatron responded fairly quickly, a sneer leering on his face. “Can’t you understand? I have no need for you.”
Unicron hummed, and just then, a sharp snap could be heard and the tyrant fell to his knees, growling in pain. He held onto his now oddly shaped arm, optics widening as another snap came through.
A howl of pain.Snap.“Make it.. stop—! Stop it!”
Snap.
Megatron mewled in pain, his limbs going all limp. His helm was throbbing. He was in agony.
Snap.
Metal collided with the earth. It was all quiet. Was he dead? No. Just..Enjoying a nice nap.
Slowly, but surely, Unicron could feel his presence grow stronger inside of Megatron’s limp body. Then, he slowly rose up, snapping the contorted limbs back into place.He glanced down, the red vision now replaced with purple. He chuckled. “Just how I like it.. but it’s not enough.”He laughed softly, scratching at the metal of Megatron’s armor, and then it turned into a more diabolical one. Something sinister.The sky once more grew dark.Rain began to fall. Thunder began to crack. The volcano began to erupt.
“For my conquering, I need a proper vessel. That daughter of yours, she’ll do nicely!” he chortled out.
Nightblaze’s optic pulsed violently, forcing her to sit up in her berth. She held onto the left side of her face, nearly sobbing out because of the pain. She screamed out, and Optimus came running to her side.He tried to calm her down, but she was scampering about, afraid for her life. It felt like a part of her was dying. Her spark ached, and suddenly, so did Optimus’s.Something was wrong, oh so wrong.The inevitable has come to pass.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
To say the past few weeks was full of chaos would be an understatement. It was more than just that. It felt like actual hell to the autobots and their companions.Contrasted with the difficult task of fighting for resources, trying to get through to Megatron, Bulkhead ending up injured, and just trying to exist.. at this point, it could be hell.Nightblaze was inevitably fighting with her kin, swinging her scythe about and slicing through any sort of enemy that opposed her. All Megatron could see was she was like Optimus. He wanted that for her.All he could see was that he was fighting a battle he wished that he wasn’t. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place through force.Despite fighting her own parent, Nightblaze was still facing internal struggles herself (literally and figuratively). Coming to terms with the fact she was somehow bonded to a planet eating beast who literally lived in the cracks of the earth, well, it didn’t necessarily sit well. It only made her aloof. More irritable.She had to do mandatory breathing exercises and constant physical tests to see if anything had changed. Having conversations with Raf during each one, it at least kept her entertained. She was fond of the human. Even her being in her early twenties and Raf being around fourteen, they had good fun.Nightblaze had also kept her distance from the other cons, the ones who she considered family. It was just for safety, she told herself.But, damn. It would be a lie to say she didn’t miss the company of Knockout or Soundwave.From what she knows though, Starscream was currently MIA. That stupid little creep was going to pay. If she really wanted someone to blame, oh, there was a candidate.As if that wasn’t enough, her relationship with Optimus was partially strained. She still couldn’t look him in the eye, not even after about a month after the incident. It just.. hurt to look.That scar was settled on his left optic, just permanently there. Just like Nightblaze’s.She really hated the fact she was a spitting image of both of her parents, but she couldn’t do scrap about it. Made her feel ill. Made her want to look away from anything and anyone.But, Primus, she wanted something to look at. Just something. Someone even.Someone who just gets her.“Optimus, you may want to come look at this!” Ratchet called out, motioning over the mech as he pinpointed a location on a decepticon escape pod. “Look. It’s coming into the atmosphere right as we speak.”Optimus nodded, bending down slightly as his optics scanned the moving red dot that glided across the screen. “Odd. I would have thought that all escape pods would’ve been dismantled by now.”Ratchet nodded in agreement, and then Bulkhead began to limp over. The squeal of his injured lower leg pierced the two mechs audio receptors. He came to a halt, panting ever so slightly.“Come on. You gotta let me out, Ratch. I’m perfectly capable to go check out things with the group..” he pleaded, only for Ratchet to groan and shake his helm.“Absolutely not. You are to stay here and rest until I fix that injury.”Bulkhead began to stutter on his words, and then Nightblaze peeked her head out from behind the entryway to the chambers. “I’ll go in his place, if that’s fine.”Optimus turned to face her, and a small smile came across his faceplate. “I wouldn’t be opposed. Bulkhead?”Hesitantly, Bulkhead grumbled and nodded in defeat. No point in fighting or pushing for a place where he can’t even be in. He kind of disliked Nightblaze, and that was obvious to her. She didn’t really care though.“Yeah, just.. yeah..” he mumbled, limping past Nightblaze and she turned her head to follow his movements.“Bulk?” she called out.He stopped and looked back at her.“I’ll give them a good wrecker style beating.”That made him chuckle. He waved her off and replied before heading back to his chambers.“Counting on it, kid.”As soon as the pod had crashed into a location, the autobots were preparing to get there before the decepticons. They’d be lucky if they did, considering the unnecessary amount of recruits and backups that faction had.All things considered, Nightblaze figured it’d be best for her to just fight with her fists and clawed digits. Just.. just in case she went mad again. It’s better to be cautious. To be weary.“Ready up the groundbridge!” Optimus called out.Ratchet nodded immediately, setting the location for the groundbridge. Both Arcee, Bee, and Nightblaze stood by the opening, just waiting for it to open.“So, what are our guesses for what we’ll have waiting for us?” Arcee mentioned, glancing at the two siblings. Both Bee and Nightblaze glanced at each other, and then both shrugged.Bee made a few beeps, and then followed with another shrug.Nightblaze agreed. “Honestly, we just don’t know. It’s not exactly.. I guess obvious. It could just be a random escape pod.”Arcee nodded at the interpretation.Once the groundbridge was readied, Optimus and his autobots went on through, leaving Bulkhead and Ratchet behind.
The landscape was fairly damaged. The escape pod was sitting there, open. Nothing was inside, and nobody was. At least, that’s what it looked like.There was a young mech, laughing to himself as he shot at some stray vehicons. He clearly enjoyed the thrill of the ride. You would think he’s just running on pure adrenaline.Nightblaze’s optics fixated on the masc, tilting her helm to the side as her antenna twitches. Slowly, but surely, she began to approach, cautiously shifting her arm into a cannon. Optimus, Arcee, and Bee also followed.“Hands up.”Smokescreen paused, optics glancing behind him as they land on the femme behind him. “Woah, I don’t mean any— trouble?”He didn’t focus on much, but his eyes then landed on the decepticon insignia that was engraved on her chassis. Immediately, they both held their guns to each other.Nightblaze squinted, battle mask still up. “I’m not what you think I am.”Smokescreen got more defensive, gritting his denta together. “Yeah, that’s what they all say! The evidence is right there, right on your chassis!”They began to circle each other, defenses up and raised. It felt like the world revolved around them.Suddenly, a blast went right between their faces and that snapped them out of it. They looked at each other at first, and then they both jumped the vehicon that shot at them.Optimus was at a loss for words, he was just standing there in shock. Bee and Arcee didn’t wait, they just went to join in the jumping.Once they drove off the remaining cons, Nightblaze sighed loudly, glancing at the mech who literally held her at gunpoint, but she did the same. It was only a fair reaction.Something about the way he looked at her though, it felt.. exhilarating. Weird.Smokescreen finally was able to come down from his adrenaline high, and to his shock, the one and only Optimus Prime was right in front of him. He yelped out of excitement and immediately stood front.“What is your name, young mech?” Optimus inquired.“S-Smokescreen, sir! My name is Smokescreen!” he replied, a smile spreading across his faceplate. Then, he once again looked at Nightblaze and pointed at her. “Also, what’s the deal with them?”Nightblaze cocked her eyebrow, a scoff escaping her vocal processor. “My deal? Optimus—““She’s my daughter. This is Nightblaze.”Smokescreen’s jaw dropped. Optics glanced between the two and it became a lot more clear. The antenna, the singular optic, the dull blue compared to Optimus’ bright blue?“No way! Then, why is she a decepticon? It just— huh?”Nightblaze grimaced, turning away as she grumbled under her battle mask. “None of your business, underdog.”“Underdog?” Smokescreen grinned, crossing his arms over his chassis.Arcee punched his shoulder, walking past him as he looked at her as well. “Yeah, you heard her. You’re an underdog, kid. Anyway, Optimus, we should get back to base. Take him with us.”Bee nodded in agreement, and Optimus took that time to call Ratchet to open up a groundbridge.All five of the mechs returned to base unharmed, and Ratchet’s optics widened as he saw Smokescreen come in right behind Optimus.Jack lifted his head up and smiled at Arcee, and then his eyes landed on Smokescreen. “A newbie—““Who on earth is this? Optimus, can we even trust him?” Ratchet exclaimed, immediately cutting Jack off as he rushed over to Optimus.Smokescreen looked around, walking around as he scanned the entire base. “Woah, nice place you got here sir!”Optimus nodded, and then he began conversing with Ratchet about the situation.
Nightblaze leaned against the wall, optics fixated on Smokescreen. She felt so suspicious of him, and rightfully so. No bot just shows up out of nowhere and deserves to be trusted.But, he had a bit of charm to him. She’ll give him that.
With this new potential recruit, comes with the chance to form new bonds.Nightblaze didn’t know if she was ready for that though. Neither did Smokescreen.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Smokescreen felt like an outsider. Technically, he was. He wish he wasn’t. He wishes that he had the opportunity to be apart of a team, to be something more than just an understudy.Then the war happened.It was all so quick. His mentor, Alpha Trion forced him into stasis and his last words to Smokescreen were “Stay safe” and that was that. He was pushed into a decepticon escape pod, and he was there for god knows how long.
All of a sudden, he was in the atmosphere. On trek to a new planet. One called.. “earth.”The impact of the collision with the earth was enough to force him out of stasis. When he opened his optics, he didn’t know where the hell he was. His processors were damaged. He felt damaged.It didn’t click. Nothing clicked.Once the pod had opened, Smokescreen slowly pulled himself out and was then bombarded with the faces of vehicons, pointing cannons right in his face.
That’s when he acted, when he found himself driven by pure adrenaline.Next thing he knew, he was met with a supposed decepticon who was pointing a cannon right in his face. He did it back to her, only to find out that she was the Optimus Prime’s daughter. The details only ever clicked once he was told that she was also Megatron’s daughter.The mech was sensitive about it. Very sensitive.It was understandable because it was well, him. Someone like him. He was not something or someone to talk about. He was essentially the boogie man to little sparklets. What Smokescreen knew personally, he scared the shit out of him.
He didn’t bring it up with Nightblaze though, since it would probably be a topic that would push him further away from the team.
Speaking of, Bulkhead didn’t like him that much. He assumed the worst. Assumed Smokescreen was a total replacement, which he wasn’t. He wasn’t trying to.Even though he’s a new recruit, he wouldn’t replace Bulk. He was just an extra set of servos. That’s what he tried to explain to Bulkhead, but he wouldn’t hear it. He limped away quickly, anger radiating off his frame.Smokescreen’s audial receptors dropped slightly, and he rubbed one of his servos awkwardly on his arm.“Don’t take it personal, kid. He’ll come around..” Arcee mentioned, patting Smokescreen’s back. Smokescreen looked down at her and gave her an awkward smile, but he still couldn’t get that itchy feeling out of his head.The feeling he wasn’t liked. The feeling he was only just going to be viewed as a replacement.It sucked.What sucked even more, when he went out looking for a vehicle mode with Jack, he struggled to pick one. He wanted something that spoke to him. Something that screamed him. He went through like fifteen cars in the span of an hour.But, he found it. The perfect vehicle. A sports car, loosely designed like a McLaren. It looked badass.After scanning his new mode, he stretched out his arms, and then his legs. Just wanted to make sure his joints were in check.
“Jack! Wanna give this a spin? We totally should!” he exclaimed, a devious smile etching his features.Jack grinned and shrugged his shoulders back in agreement, so Smokescreen shifted into his new vehicle mode, and propped his door open. The human slid right on into the driver’s seat, and shut the door.It didn’t take long for them to get on the road, and next thing they knew, they were way past the speed limit. Smokescreen revved his engine, driving at a speed that he didn’t think was all that possible. It was exhilarating. He felt alive.The adrenaline ran through his frame, and here he was, laughing and goofing off with a human boy. He didn’t think it’d be such an issue, to let go. To just.. breathe.To feel like he belonged.That fun didn’t necessarily last though. First, he was scolded by Ratchet and Arcee for exceeding speed limits. To quote, “We’re supposed to be robots in disguise! Not plain sight!”Second time, he really fucked up. It was an accident, kind of. Not really. To him, it was.Problem was that a picture of him and Bumblebee got posted to the internet within seconds. Luckily, Raf was able to remove it from mainstream sights in less than an hour. He was scolded again. He didn’t think that he didn’t deserve to be scolded, since he put their cover in danger.But damn, all he wanted was to fit in. He just wanted someone he could click with. Was that too much to ask?“Oye, Smokescreen! Pay attention!” Nightblaze shouted, pointing her digit right into Smokescreen’s face. “Come on. Focus.”Smokescreen blinked his optics rapidly, being pulled right out of his head when he was thinking about his troubles. “My bad, sorry, sorry. I was just thinking.”“I don’t care if you were in La La Land. Drop and give me twenty!” She exclaimed, but with a smile.
Holy shit. She was making a joke.‘Can I laugh? For a mech with a resting bitch face, she is funny. I like that.’Smokescreen chuckled, giving Nightblaze a two finger motion. “You got it boss! I’ll drop and give you twenty at the end of the business day!”Both of them started to giggle, and Smokescreen finally got a good look at that face.Her audials were pushed back, a smile etched into her features, and her eyes were shut. She looked so..Happy.Nothing Smokescreen had seen in the past few weeks he’s been around her. At least, not this close. Not this alone. Not this.. personal.It was.. so intimate.
Smokescreen’s face began to heat up, and his audio receptors dropped. A blush spread across his faceplate and his mouth felt dry. Holy hell.Nightblaze caught wind of this, and she leaned closer, servos resting on his shoulders. “Are you alright? Your frame is heating up, and what’s up with your face?”Smokescreen began to laugh nervously, waving his servos around frantically as he backed away. “I-I’m good! Trust me, just ah.. malfunction! I’ll go see the Doc right now!”“But—“ Nightblaze started, but was immediately cutoff as Smokescreen bolted off. She stood there, genuinely confused.Smokescreen panted loudly as he hid in his quarters inside of the base. He held onto his chassis, the feeling of his spark thrumming violently against it.His optics were wide, and it felt like he was drowning. Felt like he was under a spell? If that was even a thing.Oh Primus.
Do I like her? No, definitely.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Nightblaze was still thinking about that encounter with Smokescreen the other day, leaning her cheek on her servo. It was such a confusing one. Why did Smokescreen look so blue?That’s almost calling him sad, which he wasn’t. He looked quite the opposite. Eyes wide, steam radiating from his frame. Maybe she should talk to Ratchet or her care. Wouldn’t be an awful idea. Maybe Bumblebee knew? Arcee? Bulk was as dumb as a bag of hammers. What would he know?Maybe not as dumb as a bag of hammers, but he wasn’t the smartest guy. Wait, why would she talk to a guy about this?It kind of seemed like.. girl talk. Arcee could be the best bet, or maybe even Miko. Well, there was her game plan. Nightblaze had someone to talk to.
Rising out of her berth, she rubbed the back of her helm as she stood up. Nightblaze grumbled a bit, stepping over to her door as she pressed her servo down on the pad. Time to find Miko.
Considering Nightblaze tended to be in stasis until afternoons, Miko should be out of school by now. Hopefully she’d be there to assist her. Girl talk. This is what that is.
Miko has known her ever since she hatched out of her egg, so they have a bond. Kind of.
Her bonds mostly were with her parents and parental figures, but even those were strained. Especially ever since she..
She didn’t mean it. She didn’t mean it. She didn’t mean it. She didn’t mean it—“Nightblaze?”She snapped out of it and her optics fixated on the sight in front of her. Immediately, she jumped back, her pedes just mere inches away from stepping on her human friend. “Shit— I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”Miko shrugged, knocking her fist on Nightblaze’s lower leg. “Don’t worry! I’ve almost been stepped on by Bulk plenty of times. Nothing new.”Nightblaze smiled hesitantly, and crouched down to meet Miko’s face. “Still, I could’ve hurt you. I’m glad your voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I do that a lot.”“Yeah, I can tell! You usually look like Optimus when you space out.” Miko mentioned, and Nightblaze winced slightly at that. “Really..? I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.”Miko grinned, holding both sides of Nightblaze’s face as she attempted to squish her cheeks. Unfortunately, it failed miserably. You can’t exactly squish metal. At least not on the faceplate or helm. For the sake of it, Nightblaze pursed her dermas to make it look like she was squished. Miko giggled and that was good enough for both of them.Now, what she was really here for.. and one of her biggest issues.Talking about her internal feelings.
She wasn’t a social butterfly, but she could engage in conversations. But regarding herself? That’s a different story. Also, why was she talking about a mech? Well, Smokescreen wasn’t a bad mech. At least that’s what Miko’s saying.
“By definition, a bad mech would be Starscream and.. your dad. Speaking of, did you guys ever figure out what was going on?” Miko asked.
Nightblaze shook her head, leaning against the side of the base wall. “Not really. I don’t wanna talk about that though, I just wanna talk about.. you know.”“Okay! You’re all grown upp, in love with—“
Nightblaze immediately cut Miko off. “Don’t call it that! It’s just.. like a mutual crush or something. I don’t think it should develop any further than it is right now. What if I hurt him?”“You have a lot of baggage girl. But, I don’t think it’d kill you to get with him or try to!” Miko said with a grin. She wasn’t wrong. Nightblaze was supposed to get to experience things, but they were in the middle of a sparked up war.
She was supposed to be the ender of all wars. A peace agreement between two leaders who held love for one another.
So much for that life.
Maybe she could have a partner, someone like Smokescreen. But, she couldn’t.
He’d get hurt. She was sure he knew that himself, so why did he cling to her and try to keep making connections?“You’re spacing out againn! Come on, you should ask him out.” Miko prodded. “Take the chance! Or at least give him a hint!”“I don’t know..” Nightblaze mumbled, bringing her knees up to her face. Her antenna dropped. Her hesitance was skyrocketing. It really felt like she didn’t deserve to love or care for someone else. She wanted to stay closed off.
“You got this! Just think it over.”Miko was right. About thinking it over. She couldn’t rush into it.She was good at thinking about things.
And overthinking them.
It’ll— it’ll be okay. Miko said think about it. That’s what she’s going to do. Nightblaze will think about it.. think about him.
She wondered— even hoped that Smokescreen was thinking about her or something. Her faceplate began to heat up, and her antenna began to twitch just thinking about it.
The talk with Miko had long ended once Nightblaze went back down the hall to go to her chambers. On her way, she ironically passed Smokescreen and their shoulders knocked into each other.
Smokescreen yelped for a second, only to immediately lean against the wall and play it off. “Fancy running into you here.”Nightblaze inhaled, her face forming into one that wasn’t trying to laugh. Clearing her throat, she nodded in acknowledgment. “Mhm.”“So.. uhm, I’m sorry I uh.. ran off like that. I was just malfunctioning.”
Liar.
“It’s cool. I understand.” Nightblaze said, servos awkwardly at her sides as her digits tapped against her thighs.
They stood there in awkward silence for maybe two minutes. Both stole glances without the other looking.
Breaking the stillness, Smokescreen reached for Nightblaze’s servo and lightly grazed his digits along hers. Nightblaze cleared her throat, pulling her servo away and Smokescreen had just realized what he’d done.
“I— I’m sorry. I don’t know why I..” he started, only to be cut off. “It’s okay. Just let me know next time.”Nightblaze then turned away and strode off to her chambers. Smokescreen stood there in the hall, groaning to himself as he cursed at himself internally.
Stepping into her room, Nightblaze frantically forced the door shut as her spark pounded against her chassis. She gulped, holding the side of her helm as her legs felt like they were caving in.
Oh Primus. She couldn’t be feeling this. Maybe it was just— maybe it was her eye. No, it was her spark. It was practically beating in her audio receptors.
Goddammit.
She’s not allowed to feel this. She couldn’t.
Not for him.