Domestic Disturbance

(Just another filler chapter. I've been kinda sick lately and my work hours have changed. Also, working at a pharmacy has it's hazards. We've been held up for drugs. This guy has hit our stores a total of 6 times this month and various other pharmacies all over the city. He has friends and apparently an M-16 rifle. He didnt get anything from our store and has returned to stores that he hasn't managed to get anything from. He may come back to our store. I was there when he attempted the last one. He ran right passed me out the door. Every second day they have robbed a store. It's only a matter of time before they come back. I've been a little stressed lately and now have a bad cough. I won't let this stop me from completing this story, but I may be frazzled for a while and slow down on the chapters. Hence the reason this chapter is so sucky and so late. I appologize to you all for such long waits in between chapters. But hey, life happenes. I will complete this story. I promise.)


Chapter 26 : Failed


"I think that went pretty well." Skywarp muttered as he rearranged the weight of his leader to ease the ache in his shoulder. "Those Autojerks will take the blame for this no problem..."

Thundercracker flew along side his wing mate with a weary frown. The endless expanse of blue ocean stretched out beneath them. They would soon reach the Nemesis.

"And Soundwave will take the fall for the early retreat."

"How exactly did it come to this?" The purple jet groaned as the shift in weight did nothing to relieve the strain of his burden. "What the Hell went wrong?"

"Several things." Came the response. "Megatron and his arrogance for one. Believing that he could keep this up for as long as he did without Starscream making a move to stop it. Prime and his insufferable nobility. If you believe that he really cares as much as he lets on."

"Seems to."

The blue jet grunted and rolled his optics.

"Though... I don't quite know what Starscream sees in him." Skywarp said thoughtfully. "I mean... Megatron I could understand, back before things got messy. But Prime?"

"Simple, really." Thundercracker kept his optics forward as they approached the base. "Prime's a way out. And a way to piss Megatron off."

"I guess." He agreed.

"I can accept that a lot more then the alternative."

"Which is?" The purple jet looked to his brother with a skeptical look, who grimaced as they made eye contact.

"That they're actually in love...."

The large bay doors opened to allow them passage. The two seekers silenced their chatter as they made their landing. Skywarp made an alleviated sound and let the silver mech fall from his back and unceremoniously onto the floor. The other mech shot him a dirty glare for being so brazen. Several other Decepticons, who had most likely heard the racket came running into the room. By the looks on their faces, they had not been expecting what they found.

Soundwave, in particular did not like what he saw.

"What happened?" He demanded as his optics fell on Megatron, who was being lifted from the floor by Blitzwing and Motormaster.

"Well, when you broke off the attack too early, some Autobrats managed to get the drop on him. They escaped with Prime."

"Correction." The blue mech's monotonous vocals rose only slightly to show annoyance. "I was following your lead."

"Our lead?" Skywarp growled and advanced a few steps towards the communications officer. "We were chasing the Autobots who broke off from containment!"

"Not possible. We had them surrounded."

"You missed a couple, Soundwave." Thundercracker stepped up next to his wing mate, ignoring the other Cons who were trying to rouse Megatron. "We gave chase. You must have mistaken our attempt to stop them. We hadn't received the signal from Megatron. You shouldn't have fallen back."

"Liar!" Soundwave clenched his fists. "Error: Lies with the Seekers!"

"Prove it, Dipswitch!"

"Hey, guys cool it!" Blitzwing shouted over his shoulder. "We have to get Megatron repaired. You can sort this mess out later."

"Yes. Solution: Megatron must be fully functional. Blitzwing, Motormaster, follow me."

Soundwave lead the triple changer and the Stunticon, who worked together to bare the tyrant, to the med bay where the Constructions were still working on Starscream. Before exiting the launch bay, the blue mech shot what could only be a look of utter distain towards the pair of jets.

"He's in for a surprise." Thundercracker managed a rare smirk. "He thinks whining to Megatron will save him from his "error". He's going to have to wait a few more days for that to happen."

"Yeah?" Skywarp cocked his helm and grinned back. "Why's that, bro?"

"The Constructicons have been ordered to repair Starscream first. Megatron is not in critical condition. He'll have to wait for a free pair of servos before he can be patched up. Gives us enough time to stir some things up and keep every bot present at that battle confused out of their processors. Megatron won't know who to believe when he finally wakes up."

"Looks like we did good." The purple jet clenched his servo and held it out towards his wing mate.


Thundercracker nodded and gave his brother's offered fist a quick rap with his own.

~ ~ ~

Starscream could feel every wire burn. Every exposed circuit and every leaking line. The invaded feeling as their green and purple servos dug into his internals. Every once in a while, that dull pressure of their surgery could be felt as a sharp excruciating stab of pain. He'd manage enough strength to scream before the EMP was used once again to dull the sensations. Why couldn't the bastards just put him into stasis already?

He looked around the room with his faded optics, barely registering their shapes as they hovered around. Just to his left, out of his direct line of sight, he could make out two figures as they worked tirelessly at his lower half. The other three leaned over him. Every squirm of their oil soaked digits could be felt. It was Hell.

Somewhere in his hazy processor, he could feel Megatron. His presence still burned brightly, every once in a while filling him with misery and anger. He was helpless and trapped. Stuck on this cold table while mad scientists dug away at his gory chassis. Far too close to his exposed and dully pulsing spark. Memories looping through his tired mind over and over. It was maddening.

He just needed a sign. Anything too keep him from loosing it completely. Something that would stop him from falling into another fit of thrashing wildly and undoing the repairs.

Just as he could take no more, the doors opened to the outside world once again. He could hear voices. Soundwave's distinct vocals. Perhaps Blitzwing too. The feeling of their servos left his body for a moment. Tilting his helm towards the sound he focused all his will into trying to comprehend what it was that was taking place a few spans to his right.

"Absolutely not." Hook shook his head. "He'll just have to wait until Starscream is in the clear. He's such a terrible patient, always thrashing about. One more stunt could end up off lining him for good! I cannot risk a distraction at this time."

"Priority: Repairing our leader." Soundwave's eerily calm voice sounded just a little more eerie when he was annoyed. "Starscream can wait."

"That's not how Megatron sees it." The purple and green mech crossed his arms, only slightly regretting smearing the seeker's blood over his chassis. "He'd be mighty unhappy if the jet kacks out."

Hook glanced to the other Constructicons.

"Get back to work. I'll make sure Megatron has an energon drip. He'll stay in stasis until Screamer there is in the clear. You two. Put him down over here."

"I must insist that Megatron be repaired first." The blue mech watched as Motormaster and Blitzwing placed Megatron on the indicated med table in the corner. "Why would he care for Starscream's survival?"

Hook shooed the other Cons out before turning to Soundwave. A hint of amusement playing on his features. "You don't get it do you?"

"Explain." Was the simple request. "Why would Megatron give priority to that traitor?"

"Surely one as sensitive to noise as you are should have noticed what was taking place around here." The crane chuckled as he fed a temporary line to Megatron's fuel tanks.

"If you are referring to the activities carried out by Megatron in his privacy...I am aware."

"I did a scan on the jet when he first came in here. He's got enough core energy soaked in there that it will take a few years to clear out. Know what that means?"

"A merge." He replied.

"Ah so you aren't as dumb as I thought." Hook snickered. "Every energy signal is traceable. Like the organics have DNA, each of our laser cores has a distinct frequency. You only have one guess as to who's frequency is buried into every one of our dear air commander's atoms."

Soundwave hesitated to speak. His visor flickered a disturbed garnet.

"....Megatron's."

Hook nodded.

"He must be a pretty good 'face, eh? Now you have two guesses as to why Megatron would want to keep his aft alive."

Clearly unimpressed with the game Hook was playing, the communication's officer turned to leave, not bothering with any response.

"Before you go, Soundwave. Mind telling me what happened to Megatron?"

"Autobots."

"So you failed?"

"I did not fail." He spun around and fixed the Constructicon with a dangerous glare. "Thundercracker and Skywarp departed far too early. They are responsible."

"And...Prime?"

A small sound of ire escaped the blue mech as he made his way out of the room. Hook shook his head and sighed, shrugging as he looked back at the others who had been eavesdropping while they worked on the seeker.

"Guess he doesn't like playing guessing games."

They all laughed as the surgical engineer joined them at Starscream's side. Their merriment at having annoyed the most uptight off all Decepticons soon faded. However, one bot was still chuckling long after the others had stopped.

"Well...." Longhaul exclaimed as he looked up from his patch work on the jet's lower half. "I'll be damned."

The one's who had mouths couldn't hide their amused grins as they looked upon their patient with nothing short of amazement.

Starscream's hoarse vocals managed a few more hiccups until he no longer had the strength to laugh.