Chapter Text
Pedes kicked the side of Thundercracker's helm. He grunted and rolled over. The mech climbing on him let out a startled noise and tumbled onto Skywarp. Wa woke and immediately jolted backward with a yelp, sending the sparkling to the floor. On the other side of them, Starscream snickered.
Soundwave laid on his back, stunned. Thundercracker reached over, concern seizing his spark, but before his hand connected, Soundwave rolled onto his knees.
"Hide me!" He said. "She's coming!"
Oh. This was a game. Thundercracker sat up, pushing himself toward the wall. Soundwave squished himself behind him. They got into position with barely enough time before Windshear slid into the burrow with a triumphant cry. Va paused, wings at maximum height as va searched the burrow. Excitement hung on the air.
"I know you're in here!" Va chirped.
Soundwave shifted behind Thundercracker. Thundercracker widened his wings in an effort to better conceal him. The movement caught Windshear's optics. Va grinned.
"I have you!" Va said, dashing toward Thundercracker.
At the last moment, Thundercracker scooted out of the way, allowing va to tackle Soundwave. He struggled beneath her.
"Traitor!" He yelled at Thundercracker, but the joy in the air made it clear he didn't mean it.
Thundercracker laughed. Soundwave kicked his way out from beneath Windshear and launched himself at him. Thundercracker turned, catching him. A moment later, a second impact hit Thundercracker's other side as a little arm wrapped around the back of his wing. Windshear giggled.
Va was much larger than before, but still nowhere near the size of an adult Seeker. Vas growth had already outpaced Soundwave's, though that was expected. Autobots were generally a lot smaller than Seekers. At only four vorns old, va was already tall enough to climb onto his wings while he was sitting. Soundwave could barely reach them.
Thundercracker flopped onto his side, eliciting excited squeaks from seekerling and sparkling alike. Windshear slammed vas arm into his shoulder.
"Die, die, die!" Va said. "You're dead now."
Starscream and Skywarp were snickering now. Thundercracker threw his helm back and stuck out his tongue. They laughed louder.
"And now we eat you!" Windshear exclaimed.
Thundercracker broke character, a laugh escaping from his vocalizer. Windshear smacked him again.
"Prey doesn't laugh!" Va said.
"Sorry," Thundercracker said.
Va smacked him again. "It doesn't apologize, either!"
The burrow dissolved into a fit of laughter. It was cut short as another voice shouted from the entrance.
"Incoming!"
A turborat was flung into the burrow. It screeched, scrambling away, but the injuries to its paws kept it from moving far. Soundwave went rigid, then pounced on it. He slammed it against the ground, then severed its dorsal strut the way Thundercracker taught him.
"Food!" Windshear chirped, jumping off of Thundercracker.
The two younglings made quick work of the turborat, tearing it apart in the way they were taught. It warmed Thundercracker's spark to think he had a role in this. They knew how to hunt and dismantle a carcass because he taught them. Though, he had help.
Thundercracker turned toward the entrance. Blast crept into the burrow. Nas wings rose in greeting. Thundercracker raised his back.
"We're ready," Blast said.
Thundercracker flicked his wing, confusion rising in his spark. They hadn't discussed anything that required preparation recently.
"Ready for what?" He asked.
"Soundwave's assessment," Blast said. "Va is six vorns. Va needs one."
"Megatron said he wouldn't do it," Thundercracker said. He still wasn't quite sure what a trine role assessment entailed, but the Winglord was supposed to conduct it. "Besides, Soundwave is…"
Thundercracker trailed off. Soundwave was an Autobot, but he'd been with the Decepticons for two vorns, steadily approaching three. He had been part of the flock for almost as long as Thundercracker had when he first found him.
Wasn't that what Thundercracker wanted? For Soundwave to be a member of the flock? But Autobots were different. They didn't have trines. Could they even form them? Did they have the protocol?
"Soundwave is seekerling," Blast said. "Just a different kind."
He was. Thundercracker said that himself. That argument was what allowed him to keep Soundwave in the first place. Still…
"Can we ask vam first?" Thundercracker said.
His plating tensed just thinking about it. When he first joined the flock, trine roles were completely foreign to him. In some ways, they still were. He just… tried not to think about it. He couldn't think about it.
His spark hurt.
"If you feel that's best," Blast said.
Thundercracker stared at Soundwave for a few moments. He needed to call him over, but his vocalizer refused to make the sounds. But Soundwave was an observant mech. Perhaps it was the telepathy, but he always seemed to know when others wanted to speak with him.
He turned around and scooted closer to Thundercracker. Windshear paused mid bite of vas meal, olfactory ridge scrunching. But as quickly as va was distracted, va returned to vas meal.
"You wanted to talk," Soundwave said.
"Yes," Thundercracker said, his wings twitching. "We…"
Soundwave knew what trine roles were. After he adjusted to living with the Seekers, he asked about them. Thundercracker modified his language packet with some notes, and Soundwave found them interesting. At the time, Thundercracker let Skywarp and Starscream explain, unable to trust himself.
"Do you want to be tested for you trine role?" Blast asked.
The air flooded with an excitement so intense that Thundercracker's plating itched.
"Yes!" Soundwave squeaked.
In that moment—with Soundwave's joy consuming the air—a realization clawed its way into Thundercracker's spark. It dug its claws into his chestplates and burrowed into his processor. Soundwave wanted this. The system he found so oppressive and distressing was one that Soundwave wanted to be a part of.
Blast smiled, leading Soundwave away. The others followed, but Thundercracker lagged behind. How could Soundwave accept all of this so easily? What was different about Thundercracker that made it so difficult for him?
He forced himself forward. This was an important moment for Soundwave. Hurting spark or not, he had to be there for him.
!!!
The test began with Soundwave in an open field. The others hovered above. Thundercracker's spark hummed anxiously, vibrating his plating. Skywarp shot him a concerned glance—his distress must've been strong enough to travel on the air—but he closed his optics and flicked his wing and wa turned away.
After a few moments, Blast gave Dirge a nod. Dirge plunged from the sky, heading straight for Soundwave. Thundercracker clenched his fists, fighting the urge to defend his sparkling. This was all part of the test.
Soundwave dodged. Dirge stalked toward him. With every step closer, Soundwave backed away. Then, Dirge pounced. Beneath kan, Soundwave went still.
Windshear's cheer pierced his audials. Blast gently placed a claw on vas nose, silencing vam. Va clung to Blast's chest, a wide grin splitting vas face.
Dirge released Soundwave, who pushed himself to his feet. Dirge nodded at him and took off, hovering in front of Blast. Ka placed a hand on kas chest.
"A Spark," Blast said. "I agree."
The group descended. When they landed, Windshear wriggled free from Blast's grasp and launched vaz at Soundwave, tackling him. Soundwave wrapped his arms around vam. Va purred.
Blast stepped forward. Gently, Soundwave pushed Windshear away. He stared up at Blast.
"Congratulations," Blast said warmly. "You're a Spark."
Joy flooded the air. Windshear launched vaz onto Soundwave again. Skywarp teleported next to them, joining in on the hug. Even Starscream cracked a grin. Cheers and shouts and purrs reached Thundercracker's audials,muffled and loud at the same time.
Soundwave pushed his—no, nas—way through the small crowd. Na paused before Thundercracker, holding out nas arms. Thundercracker knelt and embraced nam.
"Thank you for taking me in," na whispered.
Thundercracker pulled away. He stood, staring down at a mech that was more Seeker than he ever was. Soundwave could hunt, but na lacked the systems required to eat anything but the energeon of nas prey. Na couldn't fly. Yet na understood and became something Thundercracker never could.
This was an important moment for Soundwave. Thundercracker should've been proud. His spark should be warm with joy. But all that remained within him was hollow.
Thundercracker scooped up Soundwave. Na clung to him as he leapt into the air. The others followed. Yet another issue was reaching the front of his mind as Soundwave's fingers dug into the seams of his plating: someday, Soundwave would be too heavy to carry. What would happen then?
They landed. The few Seekers closest to them scattered, some hissing. Despite Thundercracker's attempts to find more allies, any he hadn't already made were reluctant to speak with him. It seemed most shared Megatron's attitude toward Soundwave, and him by extension, but none were willing to do anything about their hatred beyond avoiding them.
Just about everything had stalled—his plans, his thoughts, himself—and he didn't know what to do about it.
Windshear leaped on Soundwave as soon as na removed naz from Thundercracker. The two seekerlings wrestled. With great struggle, Soundwave managed to pin vam. Va kicked, sending na flying backward. Na landed on nas back with a surprised noise.
Windshear let out a trill that turned into a purr. Then, va pinned him and leaned in, whispering conspiratorially but much too loudly, "When I take mine, I'm gonna be a Claw! And then I'm gonna trine you!"
Thundercracker's spark burned. Did Windshear even recognize the difference between vam and Soundwave? Did Windshear even know that Soundwave might not have the trining protocol? Va would be so disappointed…
"Speaking of—" An elbow jabbed Thundercracker's side. He turned to face Skywarp, who nuzzled him. "Your Hunger's gotta be coming soon. Did you think about…?"
Cold fear gripped Thundercracker. He suppressed a shudder.
"Not this time," he said.
"That's what you said the other times!" Skywarp said.
"Most trines only court for an orn or two." Starscream's voice startled Thundercracker as ka approached from the other side of him. "Scrap, some even trine right after meeting if they happen to do so while one of them is in Hunger. We've been courting for vorns and you've gone into Hunger during all of them. The others have already noticed."
Thundercracker shook his helm. "I'm… not ready. Just give me another vorn."
"We've heard that one, too," Skywarp said. "What's the holdup? Do you not want us anymore?"
"I want you!" Thundercracker said. "I just—"
"Need more time? Yeah, right," Skywarp said. "You've had vorns. So what's the problem? Because if there wasn't one, you would've said yes already."
Thundercracker closed his optics. Since they'd linked up that first time—the only time they'd linked up—Skywarp had gotten more confident. It was a slow but steady process that took Thundercracker some time to notice. Wa still flinched at unexpected movements and shot into the sky when startled, but wa held no fear toward Thundercracker anymore.
"We just want an answer," Starscream said.
"I gave you an answer!" Thundercracker hissed. "I—"
"Tell us the truth!" Skywarp said, flicking waz wings. "Do you want to trine us or not?"
Thundercracker flinched. "I do! I do—"
"Then trine us!" Skywarp said.
"I will!" Thundercracker growled. "I will… I…"
He took a step back, shaking himself out. His spark hurt. His plating was numb. His fuel lines burned. He wanted to crawl out of his body.
"I need to go," he mumbled, taking off before the other two Seekers could reply.
!!!
Thundercracker spun, the world around him nothing but a meaningless blur. He didn't know up from down, but he knew exactly what maneuver he needed to make to pull himself out of the spin. A controlled crash, just as he'd had many times before. He landed with a heavy thud, the ground beneath him smoking. Then, he settled on the ground, closing his optics and allowing himself to become dead to the world.
The scream of a flight in the sky tore him from peaceful silence. He forced himself upward, his optics snapping open. Had they found him already?
But the shape in the sky was silver, not red nor purple. Although, small streaks of red caught Thundercracker's optics as the Seeker soared. They were slower than Starscream or even Skywarp would be, moving in a vaguely elliptical motion. They circled, then circled again. They threw in a spin here and there, but the overall pattern was the same.
Thundercracker took off, approaching the Seeker slowly. Recognition hit him as he came closer—Megatron. The Winglord slowed to a stop, then transformed into root mode.
"I-interesting flight pattern you've got there," Thundercracker stammered.
It was intended to be confident. He wanted to throw Megatron's words back at him. Instead, it was weak. Megatron's optics seared his plating. Ka grunted and turned away.
"Wait!" Thundercracker called. Megatron paused, watching him from the corner of his optic. "You… you said that you saw it in Seekers that were caged. Does that mean you were caged, too?"
Megatron raised a claw, pointing it toward Thundercracker. Then, ka pointed down. After a moment, ka descended. Thundercracker followed. When he landed, Megatron was already sitting on the ground. Ka motioned for Thundercracker to sit beside kan. Spark humming anxiously, Thundercracker obeyed.
"I was one of the first," Megatron said. "The others came after me. I woke to staring optics and the droning of laboratory equipment. I only saw the sky when I was sent out to kill."
Thundercracker knew the history—Seekers were the protectors of Cybertron, but something happened and they went rogue. For Megatron to have lived back then… ka was older than he realized.
"The Quintessons?" Thundercracker asked.
He knew about the Quintesson War, at least the broad strokes. Prowl taught him about it. Until now, he never had much interest in history, but he was starting to regret it.
"That and more," Megatron said. "When the war ended, they didn't know what to do with us, so they sold us all. A new owner didn't change anything for me. I was still locked away, and only let out when they wanted to make shanix."
But ka was here now…
"How did you escape?" Thundercracker asked.
Megatron shook kas helm. "I didn't. A law was passed that made the fight rings illegal. In an effort to escape arrest, I was dumped on the street. My master may have planned to come back for me, but I would never know. I left."
Thundercracker didn't know how to respond. He didn't know if Megatron wanted a response.
"I realized then who the ultimate enemy was," Megatron said, leaning kas helm back to stare at the sky. "I spent so long fighting beneath the Autobots when I should have been fighting against them. Despite their gadgets and technologies, they are weak. They resort to dishonorable tactics like poison and external weapons to get their way because they cannot counter our strength. Do you understand?"
The Autobots had abused and mistreated Megatron and those ka knew. But Megatron wasn't citing that as the reason for kas desire to eliminate them—ka was highlighting their weakness. Was being controlled by beings ka perceived as weak worse to kan than the vorns of mistreatment?
"I understand that the Autobots hurt you," Thundercracker said. "But I don't—"
"They didn't hurt me!" Megatron hissed. "They deceived me. Manipulated me. But I see the truth now. Seekers are more powerful than them. They are merely a new kind of prey, and don't deserve the power they wield."
Thundercracker could object. Thundercracker could defend the Autobots, but he wasn't alive when all of this happened. He could tell Megatron that ka was wrong—they shouldn't destroy the Autobots just because they were weaker—but all it would result in was getting pinned to the ground. He knew that now. To disagree with Megatron was to challenge kan.
Megatron stood, kas shadow falling over Thundercracker.
"You're strong," ka said. "Don't waste that strength."
Ka took off, leaving Thundercracker alone with kas words. The meadow quieted. The dormant fire within Thundercracker's spark renewed itself. There was no reasoning with Megatron, as much as he didn't want to admit it. Removing him from power was the only path forward. He had already waited too long.
But first, he had to complete his trine. No matter how much the idea made his spark race, Starscream and Skywarp were right. He had made them wait too long. The other Seekers noticed, and that made executing his plan even more difficult than it had to be.
It was time to get to work.
!!!
Despite his determination, Thundercracker's plating was tense as he entered the burrow. Starscream and Skywarp sat on opposite sides of it, distinctly looking away from each other. Between them was Soundwave, who stared down at nas lap. Tension hung on the air, swirling with anger and irritation.
What happened while Thundercracker was away? He shook himself. Whatever it was, they would need to work it out.
"Soundwave," he said, waiting for the mentioned mech to look up. "Can you go see Blast? I need to talk to Skywarp and Starscream."
Soundwave nodded and got up. Thundercracker waited for nam to exit the burrow before turning back toward the others. Starscream's wings were high, quivering slightly. There was a trace of energeon on kas cheek. Thundercracker followed it, finding a small scratch.
Skywarp stared back at Thundercracker, wings high. Wa leaned back against the walls of the nest, plating relaxed—a complete contrast to Starscream's demeanor. As Thundercracker continued to stare, wa flicked waz wings and frowned.
How should he begin this?
"We're sorry," Skywarp said. "We—"
"I didn't do anything wrong!" Starscream hissed.
Skywarp glared at kan, widening waz wings. Starscream lowered kas and closed kas optics.
"We didn't mean to upset you," Skywarp said. "We pushed too hard."
Thundercracker shook his helm.
"No," he said. "You were right. I made you wait too long."
Skywarp sat up. "Does that mean…?"
"Yes," Thundercracker said. "I want to trine you, and we're going to do it when I go into Data Hunger."
Before he could even process the movement, Skywarp launched waz at him, wrapping waz arms around him. Waz claws dug into his plating as wa purred. Wa nuzzled him, joy invading the air. Thundercracker returned the embrace.
He had to do this, Thundercracker reminded himself. It was only fair to them. If that made him just a Spark forever, then so be it. He could live with that. He wasn't not a Spark, after all.
He could just be half of himself.
!!!
Thundercracker's cycle—as he had eventually learned—was startlingly consistent and short. Once a vorn was not the typical frequency of Data Hunger, if Sunstorm was telling the truth. Skywarp went into it only once since he met wan, and wa was inconsolable. Starscream hadn't entered it at all, and cited kas fuel processing issues when pressed. Apparently, ka had only entered Data Hunger once in kas entire lifetime.
Enduring Data Hunger so frequently gave Thundercracker plenty of experience with the signs. The restlessness had already started—that horrible crawling feeling, a tenseness throughout his entire body—and he knew what to expect. Soon, he wouldn't want to leave the nest anymore.
Constantly, he fought to keep his wings still, not wanting his trinemates-to-be to pick up on the signs just yet. He justified it to himself over and over—they'd notice soon, but he just wanted a little more time. Each cycle passed the same as the ones before—they woke, Soundwave practiced hunting, they ate, and so on.
Thundercracker picked between Starscream's seams absentmindedly. As always, Starscream remained still and pliant. Thundercracker still didn't know why, not that he ever asked. When he groomed Skywarp, wa didn't go still. When Thrust groomed nas trinemates, they didn't go still, either.
"You're gonna give kan seam rub," Skywarp said, pulling Thundercracker from his thoughts.
He startled, withdrawing his hands. Beneath him, the seams of Starscream's wings were scratched, some of the paint missing from the edges. Skywarp leaned over kan.
"Oh," wa said. "Too late."
Starscream looked up, flicking kas wings. Thundercracker scrunched his olfactory ridge.
"Why didn't you say anything?" He asked.
Starscream rose to kas knees. Ka shook kas wings out and flexed them.
"I can take it," ka said.
"What?"
Thundercracker hadn't been trying to do anything. What was there for Starscream to take?
Skywarp snickered, poking Starscream in the side of the helm. "Na isn't punishing you. Na just got distracted."
Starscream swatted at wan, but before kas claws could land, Skywarp withdrew waz hand. Wa bared waz dentae. Starscream lowered kas wings.
"Please say something next time," Thundercracker said. "I don't want to hurt you."
Starscream stared at him, the air swarming with a feeling that Thundercracker couldn't put a name to. They had courted for vorns, yet sometimes Skywarp and Starscream—especially Starscream—seemed to forget that he didn't know everything about being a Seeker. They still ran into moments like these frequently, where Thundercracker would take an action only to later learn that it was interpreted in a way he didn't intend.
"Claws protect and serve," Starscream said. "You should punish me how you see fit."
"It wasn't a punishment!" Thundercracker snapped. How did ka not understand that? "And even if I did want to punish you, it wouldn't be like that. I would tell you. We would talk it out first."
"I'm strong," Starscream hissed. "Don't coddle me."
Thundercracker let frustration get the better of him. He tapped Starscream on the top of the helm. Ka froze.
"There," Thundercracker said. "That was for making me mad. Happy now?"
Starscream continued to stare ahead blankly. Thundercracker sighed.
"Look," he said. "I'm not coddling you. That's just how I want to do things."
"Okay," Starscream mumbled.
The group fell back into routine. Thundercracker moved on to Skywarp, this time careful not to overgroom anyone. Windshear complained as usual when Blast groomed vam. Thrust and nas trinemates settled into the group, bringing a sizeable haul of carcasses.
Ramjet paused before Starscream and snorted. "Nice wings you've got there."
Starscream growled quietly.
"What'd you do to piss nam off?" Ramjet said, leaning forward.
Starscream reached up, swiping at the tip of Ramjet's olfactory ridge. Wa stumbled backward. "You—!"
"It was an accident," Thundercracker said.
Ramjet glanced at him. Then, wa hummed, settling beside waz trinemates. When they finished grooming, the group shared the carcasses. After they finished with that, they lounged in the sun as Windshear and Soundwave played, Soundwave's pets flying between them.
Windshear pinned Soundwave, but Soundwave wriggled out from beneath vam. The shing of a blade drew his attention for a moment. Starscream had a rock in kas hands that ka ran over one of kas swords, sharpening it. Thundercracker turned back toward the seekerlings.
Windshear would begin learning to hunt soon. Va could deal a killing blow just fine with vas teeth, but holding onto prey was an entirely different problem. Maybe…
"Where did you get those from, anyway?" Thundercracker asked Starscream.
Starscream held the sword up to the light, turning it. When ka was satisfied, ka put it away and pulled out the other.
"I was born with them," ka said.
Thundercracker should have guessed. He was born with his rays, after all. But for some reason, being born with wing swords hadn't crossed his mind.
"What happens if they break?" Thundercracker asked. "Or if you lose them?"
Starscream ran the rock over the blade. Ka didn't look up as ka spoke.
"I haven't lost or broken them yet," ka said. "And I don't ever intend to. But I suppose the special program I have tucked away somewhere would generate new ones if I ran it. Why are you asking?"
An idea was forming in Thundercracker's helm, but Starscream's biting tone and subtly defensive posture made him rethink it. Despite kas claims that the swords might grow back if lost, ka clearly cared deeply for them. If Thundercracker asked kan to give them up…
"I was just thinking about Windshear," Thundercracker mumbled. "Va will need something to help vam hold onto prey when va learns to hunt."
"Not my swords," Starscream growled, dentae poking out from beneath kas lips.
Irritation bit at Thundercracker. He hadn't even asked!
"No," Thundercracker said. "I was just wondering if you might know how to make weapons, but it seems like you don't."
Starscream sheathed kas sword and glared at him. Thundercracker sat taller and flared his wings. Lowering kas, Starscream looked away. Thundercracker sighed.
So, Starscream really didn't know. Blast and Skywarp didn't have weapons. Neither did Thrust's trine. They likely didn't know how to make them, either.
"I've seen Nacelle with daggers," Starscream muttered.
Thundercracker fought not to hiss. "Nacelle?"
"Yes," Starscream said. "They were crude and ugly, but daggers nonetheless. Ka wasn't born with daggers, so ka must've made them. Ka is always desperate to feel useful, so perhaps if you asked kan…"
Starscream trailed off, tilting kas helm. Thundercracker was still attempting to get control of himself. Nacelle? Of all Seekers? That lying, selfish scrapheap?
Then, Starscream's words sank in. Thundercracker's mind began to turn at the implications. When Nacelle tried to court him, ka made some sort of metal trinket. It made sense that ka would put that ability to use elsewhere. If ka was desperate to feel useful like Starscream said…
Well, was Nacelle truly a selfish scrapheap if that was what ka was taught? If it was what was expected of kan?
Despite Thundercracker's misgivings, taking out Megatron would require the support of any ally they could obtain. If that meant sucking it up and speaking with Nacelle, then so be it.
!!!
Prowl caught Bumblebee in the halls. His doors twitched as he approached—an odd little impulse that led to his name. Others likened him to a cybee for the flutterlike twitches of his doors. Prowl didn't see it, but he did understand the other reason for the comparison: he was the exact same shades of yellow and black as a cybee.
"Prowl," he said, slowing his pace. He fidgeted, nearly stopping. "Do you need anything?"
"I just want to talk," Prowl said.
Bumblebee may have been young, but he was clever. He paused, leaning against the wall, and scrutinized him.
"Just talk, sir?" He said.
Prowl's spark spun anxiously. He had to weave this carefully. He could already imagine the chances of failure rising, but he refused to let himself calculate the odds.
"In truth, I am concerned about someone you seem close to," he said. Bumblebee's optics widened. He leaned in, not out—a good sign. "Have you spoken with Optimus lately?"
"Only a few cycles ago," he said. "I invited him to refuel but he refused and I haven't seen nor heard from him since."
"That is precisely what I'm concerned about," Prowl said.
Bumblebee's doors twitched. He pursed his lips. This close, Prowl could identify concern on the air. He had him.
"You don't think…?" He mumbled.
"I am uncertain of what to think," Prowl said.
Bumblebee turned in the other direction. Prowl kept pace with him as he walked through the halls, heading for Optimus's room. He stopped at the door, sending Prowl an anxious glance before knocking.
No response. He knocked again. Then again.
What could Optimus possibly be doing? Prowl reached past Bumblebee and entered his override code, cause now provided. The door chimed and slid open. Bumblebee slipped through, nearly sliding into the middle of the room. Prowl entered after him.
On the berth was Optimus. 78% likelihood he was recharging. Prowl shook his shoulder. His optics powered on, dim and fuzzy but present. He turned to stare at Prowl, squinting.
"Optimus!" Bumblebee said.
Optimus blinked, turning toward Bumblebee.
"Oh," he said quietly. "Hey, Bee."
His fans ran fast, filling the room with a quiet whirr. Prowl hovered a hand over one of them, quickly withdrawing it when heat touched his fingertips.
"You must have a virus," Prowl said. "Your temperature is elevated."
Optimus hummed. Plans formed in Prowl's mind. He turned toward Bumblebee.
"Why don't you fetch Ratchet?" Prowl said. "I believe he's on break right now, so he won't respond to comms."
It was a lie. Ratchet always responded to comms. But Bumblebee didn't know Ratchet as well as he did. Bumblebee nodded, darting out of the room. Prowl waited for the door to shut before turning back toward Optimus.
"We need to talk," Prowl said.
Optimus sat up with a quiet groan.
"Sure," he muttered. "Do you have any energeon on you? I'm low."
Prowl did. His own ration, which he had forgotten to consume. He pulled it out and offered it to Optimus, who popped it open and took a sip.
"This is about my village," Optimus said, optics meeting Prowl's. At Prowl's silence, he added, "Am I wrong?"
"You're correct," Prowl said. "Something doesn't add up. I'm giving you the opportunity to confess before I conduct a formal investigation. It will make everything easier for the both of us."
Optimus took a long sip. "Confess to what?"
"Sabotaging the routes," Prowl said. "I don't understand your motive, but you're one of the only mecha who was in a position to do it."
Optimus placed the cube on the berth and glared.
"You can't understand my motive because there wasn't one," he said. "I didn't sabotage the routes. Do you think I wanted to harm my community? To lead all of those mecha to their deaths? I swore a vow to protect them and I failed, but it was not because I decided to."
The air between them was angry, sharp like a thrashing whip. Despite his illness, Optimus sat tall, fingers digging into the berthcovers. He meant this.
Prowl reran the calculations. The probabilities dropped. Another, much more concerning one rose. Prowl hadn't failed to consider it before, but he had dismissed it. Now, it stared him in the face. Optimus lived because Thundercracker let him go, not because of any grand plan. Any idea that implicated Optimus would also implicate Thundercracker, and Prowl knew he would never do something like this.
The orders came directly from the Magnus's aides. Someone close to The Magnus was behind this. This compromise could be high in Autobot command. Prowl would need more proof.
The door slid open before he could voice his thoughts. Ratchet came through, grumbling about being interrupted. Prowl caught Optimus's optics before turning away.
They would need to speak again. This was bigger than Prowl realized.