Chapter Text
Jetfire finished his shift in the medbay, bidding First Aid a farewell and heading into the halls, as he prepared to send a message to Starscream. His creator hadn't been given many tasks by the Autobots yet, so he was free most of the time. Same with Skywarp. That worked well for him.
Before he could send the message, one came in.
[Meet me in the mess hall.]
Jetfire fluttered his wings. What perfect timing!
[Can we ask Skywarp to come?] He replied.
[If she's available.]
Jetfire sent a message to Skywarp as he headed toward the mess hall and received a quick response.
[Sorry, can't come right now! TC is showing me how to repair a wall panel! But I can meet you after!]
Some of Jetfire's enthusiasm dulled, but at least he was still going to share a meal with his creator—even if it was plain, boring energeon. He reached the mess hall and stepped inside, freezing when the chatter of many mecha greeted him. Some looked up, but few noticed.
The pit crept up on him and he wrung his hands. He took a step backward, and that was the excuse his body required to flee. He stood against the wall beside the doorway, a hand on his chest as his spark pulsed.
Starscream would be here any moment. He could just wait outside where it was quiet and no strangers were around. It was fine.
He chewed on the tip of one of his fingers. The pit crept up further, and suddenly, refueling seemed even more unappealing than it already was. He ran his engine quietly, trying to soothe himself with its vibrations.
"Oh, look! It's the shuttle!"
The voice sent a painful zing through Jetfire's plating. He stepped backward, wings drifting low. Sunstreaker came toward him, flanked by the red mech.
"Still hanging out with those monsters?" Sunstreaker asked, a grin spreading across his face.
Jetfire wrung his hands so hard the plating gave. He had to wait for Starscream. If he left, then they couldn't have a meal together!
Sunstreaker waved a hand in front of Jetfire's face. "Hey. Shuttle."
Jetfire flinched. When the mech didn't back away, he bared his teeth and flared his wings. His spark pulsed harder than it already was. It hurt. He tried to tell them to frag off, but his vocalizer refused to activate.
Sunstreaker put his hands on his hips.
"What?" He said. "Think you're too good for us? I'm just tryna get you to hang out with real Autobots!"
Jetfire tried to speak again. Voiceless, yet again. Wringing his hands could only get him so far. The energy just kept building, the pit consuming more and more.
If he just reached over, put the slightest bit of pressure on Sunstreaker's plating, it would crunch like a—
Jetfire terminated that thought. His dentae itched.
Sunstreaker moved to speak again when the red one grabbed his arm. He turned back.
"What?" He said.
"Sunny," the red mech said. "Pay attention for a sec. I think he's scared."
Jetfire's vocalizer finally decided to work. It projected the words at maximum volume.
"I'm not scared!"
Sunstreaker and the red mech exchanged glances. Sunstreaker frowned.
"I see it now," he said.
How much longer was Starscream going to take to get there? Maybe Jetfire was better off if he went searching—
Sunstreaker stepped closer. He offered a hand. Jetfire stared at it. What did he want?
"Whatever you think we're gonna do, we're not," Sunstreaker said. "We just wanna hang cause you're the first new mech we've seen in forever."
Well, it was nice to know that they weren't stupid enough to just tell him they had ill intentions.
"Go away!" Jetfire hissed.
Sunstreaker went rigid. His face shifted into a grimace, dentae on display.
"You must be a real idiot if you—"
"Sunny!" The red one exclaimed, hitting the other mech in the side.
Sunstreaker turned toward him, hands curling into fists. "What?"
"He doesn't wanna hang," the red mech said. "Let's just go."
Sunstreaker stammered, but the red mech just turned away. After a withering glance toward Jetfire, Sunstreaker followed. With them gone, the hallway was much quieter.
Jetfire resumed his waiting, chewing on his fingertip. Starscream would be here any moment. What was taking him so long? Jetfire checked his chronometer. Had it really only been that much time?
He ran his hands down his face with a sigh. Where was Starscream now? With a quick glance down both sides of the hall to ensure no mecha were coming, he placed his hand in front of himself and activated his outlier.
A tiny flame danced in his palm. It flickered and rolled, too small to generate embers. His ability was powered by his own nanites burning energeon externally, so it was costly to use. Though, that mattered little because he rarely had a reason to use it.
"Practicing with your ability?"
Jetfire nearly jumped. He forced himself to stay still, conscious of the flame in his grasp. He let it fade as Starscream approached. Then, with a few large steps, he launched himself at his creator and wrapped him in a hug.
"I love you," he whispered. "You took forever to get here."
Starscream stayed silent for a moment, unmoving. He always got awkward when Jetfire said he loved him. It was as if he'd never heard anyone say it. Maybe he hadn't. Skywarp and Soundwave definitely never said it to him. That was why Jetfire had to say it.
"I was working on something with Skyfire and Star," Starscream said, withdrawing from the hug. "It was time-sensitive. Took a lot longer than I thought."
Jetfire shrugged. He really didn't care why Starscream took so long. He was here now.
"Okay," Jetfire said. "Let's go fuel."
Starscream smiled. "Yes. Let's."
Starscream walked ahead of Jetfire, so he had a decent view of his creator's stride. A slight limp was always present—it didn't seem any worse than usual. Both legs supported his weight just fine. Starscream was having a good day. The fact warmed Jetfire's spark.
Maybe he could ask him to fly with him today.
They got fuel from the dispenser and Starscream picked a table in the corner of the room nearest to the door. The mecha who were sitting there departed just as they got their fuel, but at this time of day, it wouldn't remain empty for long. Jetfire drank his energeon slightly faster than he should, torn between leaving the mess hall as soon as possible and wanting to spend time with his creator.
He winced as he yet again drank too quickly, overfilling his primary tank before it could drain to his secondary. With both tanks, he didn't need to refuel nearly as often as other mecha, but the time meals allowed him to spend with others was worth it. Besides, the secondary tank was for long term travel and compensating for fuel shortages. He didn't need to use the fuel inside it.
Starscream wasn't done with his cube yet, so Jetfire waited. He wrung his hands, plating scraping as his fingers ground against each other.
Starscream took a sip, then paused. He opened his cockpit just enough to slide his hand in, searching for something. Jetfire leaned into the table to see, but as Starscream pulled it out, he shielded it from him.
"I made you a surprise," he said.
Jetfire wiggled his wings, leaning toward him. "What is it?"
"Remember when we talked about our bad habits?" He asked.
Jetfire nodded. Starscream opened his hands and placed an object on the table: A small, coiled loop with a diamond-shaped charm attached.
Jetfire picked it up. The coils unfurled a bit, the charm hanging down.
"A bracelet," he said. "I like it."
He liked anything his creator made for him, because it came from him. But what was he supposed to do with it? Starscream had asked about bad habits…
"It's chew-resistant," Starscream said. He grabbed the charm with a smile. "Especially the charm. I figured it would help if you had something safe to chew on when you felt the need."
Jetfire squeezed the charm. Then, holding the loop of the bracelet, he brought the charm to his mouth and but down on it. It had some give, but it didn't fall apart. It wasn't the same as what he'd been doing, but maybe it would work. He pulled the bracelet around his wrist.
"What do you think?" Starscream asked.
Jetfire pulled Starscream into a hug. He stiffened before returning it. He always did.
"I love it!" Jetfire said. "Thank you so much!"
Starscream's wings wiggled. It was a small movement, very difficult to notice unless one knew to look for it. Jetfire grinned, warmth flooding his spark.
"I'm glad," Starscream said.
He picked up his half-finished cube and took a sip. Jetfire fiddled with his new bracelet, stretching the springy band. Suddenly, Starscream jolted upward mid-sip. He paused, then downed the rest of his cube in one large sip.
He turned toward Jetfire, wings lowering.
"I have to go," he said. "They want me on a mission."
He couldn't leave yet! They'd barely spent any time together!
"I'll come with you!" Jetfire said.
Starscream stared at him. "No."
He turned away, walking toward the exit. It was easy for Jetfire to catch up. As they passed through the halls, Starscream didn't speak. When he increased his pace, Jetfire increased his. He wasn't going to be left behind. They burst through the doors to an office—
And Jetfire may have regretted following his creator for a moment. Just a moment.
Prowl stared back at him, brow furrowed. His doorwings twitched. Beside him stood Skyfire and Skywarp.
Starscream turned to Jetfire. "Go back to Skyfire's quarters."
Jetfire fanned out his wings.
"No!" He said. "I'm coming with you."
He had no idea what sort of mission this was, but if both Starscream and Skywarp were going, he would be alone. He couldn't let that happen—especially not after those mecha harassed him earlier.
Prowl harrumphed. "I'll allow it."
Starscream looked between Prowl and Jetfire. He stomped a pede.
"He's not combat trained!" He hissed.
"Good thing it's just recon, then," Skyfire said.
Starscream's hands curled. "He's too young!"
Skyfire and Prowl exchanged glances. Starscream looked to Skywarp. Jetfire fiddled with the bracelet again. If they agreed…
"I was sent into combat the day I onlined," Skyfire said. "Star was sent out the moment she was purchased. There's no such thing as too young."
"He's a newspark!" Starscream yelled.
Skyfire took a step toward him. He stepped backward, wings flaring.
"Skywarp!" Starscream exclaimed. "You have to agree!"
Skywarp's wings sank even lower. "He is a warframe… they have combat protocols like we do, right? And he wants to go."
Skywarp's optics met Jetfire's. Guilt buried itself in his spark, but Jetfire refused to be left. They said it was just reconnaissance. He wouldn't need to fight.
(He filed away the mention of him being a 'warframe' for later—it wasn't the first time he'd heard it. No one ever gave answers that made sense.)
"I do," he said. "I really want to go."
"Then you'll go," Skyfire said.
Starscream stomped his pede, about to protest again when Skyfire cut him off.
"It's his choice," Skyfire said. "Let him make it."
"So now you'll let mecha make their own choices?" Starscream hissed at him. His wings drooped as he turned back toward Jetfire. "You're truly certain you want to come along? If this world's Decepticons find us, we'll have to fight."
Jetfire nodded, fighting the tingling nervousness that crawled through his plating. He had to do this. But was Starscream right to protest? Was he too young and inexperienced?
It didn't matter. He wanted to be with Starscream.
"I'm certain," he said.
◇◇◇
The sky was cold, but it was always cold. As they descended, the cold persisted. Jetfire landed in his alt mode, fighting a full body shudder as his landing gears touched the ground. It was blanketed in frozen whiteness—something he knew was called snow. There wasn't this much of it where the Decepticons had been on Earth in his world.
He transformed into robot mode. An alert proclaimed that due to the temperature, he was going to consume increased fuel, and to seek a warmer climate. Jetfire shook himself. That wasn't going to happen until they got back. Still, something about the cold made his plating itch. The back of his processor wanted him to flee.
Skyfire walked ahead with his scanner. The rest of the group trailed behind him. After a while of walking—Jetfire's fuel consumption growing high and higher as his frame rerouted power toward his sublimation system to generate heat—they paused between two large cliffs.
"The signal ends here," Skyfire said. "If it belongs to the Enigma, then it's somewhere in this area."
Starscream quietly muttered, "You don't know?"
Skyfire's wings twitched, but he didn't acknowledge Starscream's words.
"We'll search the ground first. If we don't find it here, then we'll split up to search the cliffs—Skywarp with me—" He motioned toward Jetfire and Starscream. "And you two together."
The ground search revealed nothing. Jetfire checked his fuel levels—still decent. He stuck close to Starscream. His creator was growing sluggish, optics dulling. He couldn't be low on fuel, since they refueled just before they left, so what was it?
As Skyfire declared they split up, Jetfire remembered. His fuel processing disorder—it must've been interfering with the efficiency of his sublimation system! If it wasn't working properly, he wouldn't be able to warm himself in the cold as easily as he needed to. This mission needed to end as quickly as possible.
So, Jetfire scrutinized every possible abnormality as they searched the cliffside. Since no members of the group knew exactly what the Enigma looked like, it could be hiding anywhere. A crack in the cliff caught his optics, and he followed it to a jagged cave.
The cave opened up into a wider cavern. Stalactites and stalagmites hung from the ceiling, many so large that they became one. Jetfire had to squeeze between them as he searched the cavern, letting out a hiss as one of them scratched his wing.
Light caught his optics. He increased his pace. Either this was an exit, which meant another area to search, or it was the Enigma! No matter how close he pulled his wings, the cave still scratched them, but he had to move quickly. Eventually, he reached the far wall.
A box sat before him, its sides glowing in strange patterns. This had to be it! Jetfire carefully placed his hands around the box. With a low hum, the box split apart.
Inside it was a small chip. Unlike the box, which glowed a brilliant blue and had an ornate pattern, the chip was a flat, dull gray. Had they really come all this way just for that?
Whatever. Jetfire pinched the chip between his fingers. After a moment's hesitation, he grabbed the box, too. As he wrangled it into his arms, it hummed again and closed. At least that made it easier to carry.
Jetfire squeezed back through the cave, wings stinging as the rocks rubbed against his scratches and created new ones. But his injuries were minor. They'd heal in a day or two.
Just as he was about to exit the cave, the familiar screech of a flying object gave him pause. The other members of the mission had no reason to fly that quickly, nor fly at all. Had they been found?
[Starscream?] He sent.
The response was immediate.
[Jetfire! Where are you? We need to go!]
[I found a cave! And I think I found the Enigma! I was just heading out—]
The ground outside the cave shook as the sky screamed again. Jetfire ducked behind the cave's entrance. His message remained unsent as he peered around the side.
Bright, energeon cyan filled his vision, framed by a deep purple-pink. Two double-pointed wings stood starkly against the sky as pink optics gleamed. Jetfire knew all of the Decepticons in his world, but he had never seen this mech.
"I know someone is here."
Jetfire scrambled further into the cave. The mech's voice sounded like the verge of a storm—calm but able to unleash chaos at any moment. His spark pulsed as he pressed himself against the wall and remembered that was the only exit. Unless she decided to move on, he was trapped.
As pedesteps grew closer, he retreated further back into the cave, reaching the cavern again. He stood at the edge of it, turning the sensitivity of his audials to maximum. This world's Decepticons obviously wanted something from them. Whether it was themselves or the Enigma, Jetfire couldn't let them have it.
If he was going to fight, he needed at least one free hand. He tried to reopen the box, but it refused. He couldn't just throw it out—who knew if it was essential to the Enigma? He could place it in his cockpit, so he did.
But then, the chip was exposed. It was tiny, which made it very easy to lose. He didn't know how durable it was. If he placed it in his cockpit, it would rattle around, and could get crushed by the box.
Pedesteps drew close again. Jetfire had to make a decision now.
He solved the issue the same way he solved all of his problems: he put it in his mouth. As he crept behind a set of stalagmites, something in his mouth clicked. A download began in the back of his processor.
The mech burst through the caverns entrance, rays at the ready. Her optics scanned the cavern, quickly landing on him. She fired.
Jetfire leaped out of the way, the box rattling in his cockpit. Where he crouched moments before was a massive hole. The ray beam exploded on contact with the rocks, rather than searing straight through like his creator's did. Jetfire knew, in that moment, that if he got shot even once, he was dead.
"I can see you," the mech said. "Surrender and I won't need to shoot."
Jetfire cursed his bright white paint job. There was no way to hide against the dark gray walls. He was utterly doomed. There was nowhere to hide, no space to run, and he had no weapons—
Actually…
Jetfire emerged from behind the stalagmites, holding his hands up. The mech watched with narrowed optics as he approached.
"I surrender," he said.
The mech grit her dentae for a moment, wings twitching. Had she not expected this? That was good.
"You're not Skyfire," she said. "Who are you? What is your role on this mission?"
Jetfire lowered his hands as he moved to speak, but raised them as the mech aimed her rays at him again.
"I'm Jetfire," he said. How could he describe his role? He wasn't even supposed to be here. "I… just tagged along to help the search. We didn't find anything. We were about to head back."
She wouldn't let him go, but if she thought he didn't have anything, she might not look. Her wings flicked upward, and he knew he messed up.
"Then you won't mind if I check your cockpit," she said.
"Um… no!" Jetfire squeaked.
He stayed as still as he could as she moved to unlatch his cockpit, her rays still aimed at him. Spark pulsing so strongly it hurt, Jetfire braced himself. With a swift motion, he grabbed her arms and activated his outlier.
She screeched as her plating melted, giving under the combined forces of the fire and Jetfire's grip. Guilt nipped at Jetfire's processor, but it had to be done. With a mighty pull, he threw her across the cavern. Something inside her crunched as her body hit the stalagmites.
Jetfire cringed, but there wasn't time for regret. He sprinted out of the cave. After a moment's hesitation, he leaped into the air, using his rockets to slow his fall.
[Jetfire?]
Jetfire scanned the area desperately as he landed. The mech would only be down for so long. They had to get out of here before she got back up.
[I was attacked!] He sent to Starscream. [A Decepticon Seeker. Cyan, purple, and pink.]
[Must be Slipstream,] Starscream replied. [I just took down Ion Storm. Acid Storm must be here somewhere. Be careful. I'll find you when I can.]
Jetfire's wings twitched. He fiddled with his bracelet as he sent his reply.
[Okay.]
He… hadn't even told Starscream that he found the Enigma. Oh, frag. How did he forget to tell him the entire objective of the mission? He needed to send a message right away—
He let out a cry as something slammed into him from behind, sending him facefirst into the snow. Cracking glass reached his audials as pain spread across his cockpit. Before he could activate his outlier, cuffs clamped around his wrists. Still, he attempted to activate it, but received a weak fizzle in response. Activating his transformation gave him an error.
Hands grabbed him and he was flipped onto his back, one of his wings bending unnaturally in the process. Pink optics glared at him. Jetfire squirmed as Slipstream's hands unhooked his cockpit. He kicked at her, sending her flying as her own cockpit shattered.
Jetfire closed his cockpit and rolled over, stumbling as he pushed himself to his feet. He only made it a few steps before his wing was seized. A ray gun was shoved into the side of his helm. Slipstream's cockpit dug into his dorsal pack, the broken glass sinking into his plating as she pressed herself close.
"Pull that again and I'll blast your processor out of your helm," Slipstream hissed directly into his audial. She reached around his waist, claws drumming on the glass. "Now, open."
Jetfire opened his cockpit. He shuddered as Slipstream's hands entered it, scraping his interior. She clawed at him harshly, caring little for anything except her target. Her hands closed around the cube, dragging it along his interior. He let out a whine as it scraped deep and hot energeon leaked from the wound.
"Pathetic!" Slipstream spat. "Where are the Autobots getting their recruits?"
Jetfire didn't know if he was supposed to answer that. It didn't matter. Her focus quickly shifted to the cube. He attempted to wriggle away, but she just pressed her ray against his helm again.
Slipstream rolled the cube in her hand. "Tell me, Autobot—what does this do?"
"Not an Autobot," Jetfire muttered.
Slipstream pressed the ray harder against his helm. "Just tell me!"
Jetfire clenched his jaw until his dentae hurt.
"I don't know!" He said.
It was technically the truth. He didn't know if the box was actually part of the Enigma. If it wasn't, he had no idea what it was. It could be a useless case, or it could be an entirely different artifact.
Slipstream scoffed.
"If you won't tell me," she said, dropping the box inside her broken cockpit. "I'll just have to find out for myself. The Autobots wouldn't send a search team if it wasn't important."
Jetfire sincerely hoped it wasn't. The program running in the back of his processor ended, sending him a notification.
{Download complete. Loading program…}
The downloaded program's name was a long, indecipherable string of letters and numbers. Whatever this chip had installed, he had no way to stop it. But the chip was safe for now, regardless of whatever it did to him. If Slipstream shot him in the helm, she probably wouldn't check his sublingual drive. It just wasn't a thing most mecha thought of.
Jetfire was thrown to the ground as something boomed in his audials. He pushed himself to his feet and ran, putting as much distance between himself and Slipstream as he could. Slipstream didn't pursue, turning toward whoever had shot her and firing. No one was there.
Skywarp appeared on the other side of her, wings spread wide. Slipstream let out a frustrated yell and lunged, but Skywarp just teleported again.
"Thank frag we found you."
Jetfire jumped at the voice next to his audial. He lowered his wings back to neutral position as he recognized the source.
"Starscream!" He whispered.
Starscream nodded. "Skywarp can only distract her for so long. We need to get to cover so we can evacuate. Follow me."
They climbed up the other cliff as quickly as they could manage, hiding behind a large outcropping. Skyfire stared as they slid behind it.
"Did you find anything?" He asked.
Starscream ignored him, so Jetfire did the same. As Starscream deactivated the cuffs, Jetfire peered around the rock, watching as Skywarp evaded hit after hit. Her wings dropped as she began to tire, signs of dizziness becoming clearer with each warp. Then, she disappeared and didn't reappear. Slipstream howled and searched for her.
Jetfire was pulled close, then the world twisting around him. He blinked, and they were in the middle of a temperate forest.
"Quite far from the base," Skyfire muttered.
Skywarp hunched against a tree, fans whirring.
"It's as close as I could get in one go," she said quietly, putting a hand to her face. "I can try again in a bit."
Skyfire nodded. He looked toward the rest of the group.
"We didn't find anything," he said. "Did you?"
"No," Starscream said. "We—"
"I found a chip!" Jetfire said.
The other two mecha went silent. Skyfire furrowed his brow.
"Where is it?" He asked.
Jetfire fiddled with his bracelet. "I, uh… put it in my sublingual drive. On accident."
Skyfire frowned. Starscream's optics went wide. He took a step back, wings twitching.
"That's alright," Skyfire said. "Did it download anything?"
"It did." Jetfire read out the program's name.
Skyfire hummed. Starscream tapped his pede, staring down at his claws. They were buried in his arm guards.
"That complicates things," Skyfire said.
Starscream whipped toward him in an explosion of limbs. "Complicates things?"
"We'll have to rework project Safeguard," Skyfire said calmly.
"You are not!" Starscream spat, clenching his claws and whipping one of his hands through the air. "You are not!"
Skyfire rested a hand on Starscream's shoulder. "We are."
Starscream swiped at him with a yell.
"Don't touch me!" He spat. "Don't fragging touch me!"
Skywarp opened her optics. Her wings went up in alarm.
"Skyfire," she said. "Screamer's—"
"Being irrational. I know," Skyfire said.
He wrapped his hand around Starscream's arm. Starscream's optics went wide as he bared his teeth and tried to pull away.
"You know this is the best course of action," Skyfire said gently.
"No!" Starscream spat, launching himself at Skyfire. He slashed his face, reopening the wound across his olfactory ridge. "No!"
Skyfire grabbed his hands. Starscream kicked him, still screaming. When that didn't work, he bit him, dentae sinking deep into the plating of Skyfire's arms. Skyfire bared his dentae and threw Starscream to the ground, then placed a pede between his wings.
Starscream thrashed beneath him, clawing at the ground. He kept screaming. It was the same things over and over—
"No!"
"Don't touch me!"
"You're not!"
Skyfire stared down at him with a frown. He sighed, as if Starscream's suffering was exasperating. Jetfire's plating tensed, especially tight around his chest. His spark burned.
"What are you doing?" Skywarp said, finally moving away from the tree. Her wings fanned out as she approached.
"I'm waiting for him to calm down," Skyfire said.
"Just let him go," Skywarp said. "He gets like this sometimes. It's easier if you don't force anything."
"I know," Skyfire said.
"Then let him go."
"He needs to learn that this isn't okay," Skyfire said. "Star used to do this. She only stopped after we held her down."
Jetfire played with the bracelet. His dentae itched as the pit crept up again. He wanted to bite the charm, but if Skyfire was doing this to Starscream for getting stuck, what would he do to him?
"Let him go," Skywarp repeated.
"He'll exhaust himself and go into recharge eventually," Skyfire said. "I'm just making sure he doesn't hurt anyone or wander off. It's a good incentive to behave."
"He doesn't need an incentive! He's been punished enough for things like this!" Skywarp snapped.
Starscream was still screaming. Both mecha ignored it. Jetfire wanted to do something—anything—but he didn't know how to help. So he stood, paralyzed.
"If you really think so."
Skyfire lifted his pede. Immediately, Starscream scrambled out from underneath it. Both mecha jumped back as he launched himself into the sky and transformed. Before anyone could even think to follow, he was already gone.
"There he goes," Skywarp muttered.
Skyfire glanced at her, brows raised. She growled, flaring her wings. He looked away.
"Let's head back," he said.
Skywarp made a frustrated noise before offering her hands. Skyfire and Jetfire took them, and soon, the group was inside of Skyfire's quarters. The vertigo that warping caused faded quickly. Jetfire took a moment to observe Skywarp, and he didn't like what he saw.
Her optics were dim. As Skyfire and Jetfire backed away from her, she spread her wings out and shook her helm. She took an unsteady step forward, her warp drive humming unusually loud as it activated.
"Now I need to go get Screamer—"
She gasped as her warp drive stuttered to a stop. Jetfire ran to her side immediately, panic seizing his spark. Skywarp clutched her chestplates, optics tightly shut.
"I'm okay," she whispered, voice filled with static as it strained to exit her vocalizer.
"You're not," Skyfire said.
He turned toward the other side of the room. Jetfire followed his gaze. Thundercracker sat up in the berth, a datapad by her side as if she was just reading. The red Starscream—Star—sat at the base of the berth, wings against the wall, with a datapad on her legs.
"Thunder, Star—can you two go look for Starscream?" Skyfire asked. "He flew off."
Thundercracker and Star exchanged glances before leaving, placing their datapads on the shelf on their way out. Skyfire watched them leave, then turned back toward Jetfire and Skywarp.
"I'm going to deliver our mission report," Skyfire said. His optics fell on Skywarp, something in his gaze softening. "You should rest."
Jetfire helped Skywarp to the spare berth as Skyfire left the room. Jetfire waited for a moment to ensure he was truly gone.
"Why did he do that to Starscream?" He asked.
Skywarp's hands still rested over her chest. She flicked one of her wings irritably.
"Because he's an ignorant idiot," she said.
Jetfire supposed that was true. But ignorant idiot or not, he was the one in charge of them until the Autobots deemed them trustworthy. What would become of them now?