♡ ʙᴇʜᴀᴠɪᴏᴜʀᴀʟ ᴘᴀᴛᴛᴇʀɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ʙɪʀᴅꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴇᴇᴋᴇʀꜱ ♡

｡ﾟ•┈꒰ა 𝔸𝕍𝔼𝕊 ໒꒱┈• ｡ﾟ

Skywarp had been watching from the small window, where he would have been poised for action, even if the Seekerlet hadn't asked him to be there. It had been hard enough letting the little one go willingly to the Autobots, with every line of code in his body protesting, but they had asked so nicely, and they rarely asked for anything, so he could not find it in his spark to deny them.He knew he had been chosen for his quick reaction speed and ability to teleport, to get the Seekerling out of the situation if anything went sour. But he watched in horror as even his reflexes weren't quick enough to snatch the tiny, frightened youngling before they vanished through the light of the Bridge. One moment the Seekerling was happy, chatting idly with two of the Autobots, the doctor and the femme that Skywarp was less acquainted with, the next he was watching the Bridge burst into life and suck the little one into it .  Skywarp reacted as quickly as Ratchet did, immediately 'porting and rushing through the Bridge, only to find himself staring at the medic on the other side of the portal as if the Bridge was simply a visual rather than a functional device.Panic settled into his systems as he heard Starscream's screech in his audials, followed by Thundercracker's lower register bellow. He could vaguely hear the sounds of blasters activating, the hum of battle building in the air. The noise barely registered amidst the buzz of panic that filled his audials, deafening him to all other sounds. He was looking at a Space Bridge, but it wasn't working. But it has to be working, because the Seekerlet isn't here. But they had just been here , so where are they? Where did they go?He turned his helm, red optics full of both fear and rage, towards the medic. "What. Happened." Skywarp's normally lighthearted tone was buried underneath gritted denta and fiercely building fury. He raised his wings in a threatening manner, casting a menacing shadow over the Autobot doctor. "Where. Are they?"Ratchet had the decency to sputter, looking as shocked and scared as Skywarp felt on the inside, buried underneath his rage. "I-I, I don't–" His white helm whipped around, as if still searching for the tiny form. His blue optics scanned over wires, cables and mechanical detritus with no sign of the youngling. Taking out his scanner from his arm panel, a gentle red light expanded and passed over the surrounding area, shaking slightly as he searched desperately. The red light receded back with a click, Ratchet's equally red brow furrowed as he focused on his forearm panel. His expression was a grim downturn line for an intake and two furiously scanning optics. A few idle grumbles here and there were released under his breath. Skywarp was tense, poised to strike, every fuel line blazing. This was far from the first time something had happened to the youngling while in the Autobot's care, and far from the first time the purple Seeker was ready to see Energon flow. Everytime something happened with the Seekerling it was always the fault of the Autobots, and they still had the struts to call the Seekers bad caretakers. The evidence was pointing them right in the faceplate, and they constantly refused to acknowledge it.Starscream and Thundercracker were yelling in the background, more voices steadily entering audial range as the flight deck was suddenly full of Autobots, weapons drawn. The situation was growing more tense by the klik, but Skywarp couldn't find it within himself to care. Where are they, where are they , his circuits sang, find them, find them , they echoed. Everything else was unimportant. Even the trine bond did little to calm him, the same panicked emotions filtering through both of his brother's connections. The bond was a surge of white static, crackling with unfettered energy. He felt like he was going mad, the only solution to his inner turmoil being some Pits-damned answers .The doctor's blue optics looked stricken as they met Skywarp's red suns. "T-they're not here." His vocaliser sounded dead, toneless. "They were just–they were right here . How could they have passed through when we couldn't? The Bridge was just working, it should be functional." He rambled, panic trickling into his deadened voice. "I checked all the calibrations, everything was optimal. Unless Wheeljack modified something without my knowledge–no, no he wouldn't do that. He knew how imperative this was. And the force that pulled them, like a magnetic pull, w-what was that?" He spoke frenziedly."I-I'll find them. I'll get to the bottom of this." The doctor's words did little to ease Skywarp's spark. He watched as their servos got to work busying themselves, the mech in white and grey and red twitching and shaking.Skywarp lowered his blaster, which he hadn't realised he'd held poised and ready aiming at the doctor. The fury in him wouldn't subside. He scoured the area rapidly, looking, searching for a tiny form that Ratchet could have missed. But his processor didn't lie to him, and he couldn't feel their EM field.They were gone. ________________This new afterlife is painless, which makes you briefly thankful. The first time you felt like you were dying it was painful , probably the most pain you'd ever felt in your short life. And just like the first time, death is surrounded by a glowing teal light, surrounding your vision even through your offline optics. It's all around you, pressing against your edges sharply, though it's merely unpleasant, not painful. So you sit and wait for this new afterlife to begin its next stage, letting your consciousness wander; maybe you'll be a bug in your next life, or a cheetah. You briefly pray that whatever you are next, you're still able to fly. That part had been fun, however brief.This whole time you'd been wondering what a long, extended lifetime would be like. Other Cybertronians live for literal millenia, and you had foolishly assumed that you might be like them. Never had the thought pierced your mind that because you were such a new existence you might be unstable , and thus die sooner than either of the races you had been. Maybe this was your time limit, and you just didn't know it at the time. Either way, what's done is done now and you try to content yourself with whatever this next stage is. Being no longer human or even robot anymore, do you go to Heaven or the Allspark? You have no choice but to wait and find out.Which is...taking longer than you're expecting. The uncomfortable feeling is solidifying into a 'lying on something hard and lumpy and your body doth protest' kind of feeling and you just want it to end already. There's a phantom feeling of limbs that you try to ignore, and a gentle rustling sound that reminds you that you have audials.The sound carries with it a familiar smell, a breeze of fresh air and moist earth. There's more smells too, now that you focus a little harder; dry hay and a dusty stagnation. Hmm, this afterlife is certainly less wet than the last one.Then a different sound meets your audials, one that confuses you as much as it shocks you.A young voice, a girl by the sounds of it, yells loudly, breaking the din of gentle sounds and shaking you out of your internal reverie."Mooooom? Somebody's in our storage shed."Okay, that's unexpected. You online your optics, briefly blinded by two separate colours of light. As you adjust in the green and yellow glow, a curious sight baffles you. Sunlight filters into a wooden structured space, illuminating motes of dust with light making them look like stars falling. There's a figure backlit by the sun, a dark but familiar shape. Humanoid–wait no, they look like they're actually human. The more your optics adjust to the sight, the more details come filtering into your processor; metal drums of Embertstone liquid drip onto the hay-strewn floor where it's been spilled, a trail of destruction leading back to you. Almost as if you fell on them.The figure is still there, the human. She looks at you, unafraid despite your appearance (which you know from personal experience must be shocking). She's taking a few steps towards you, hands outstretched and open, placating. She's watching you take all this in."Hello? Are you okay? What are you doing in our barn?" You turn to look at her, finally registering a face to the voice that's speaking. She's definitely young, maybe your age but you can't be sure. Her hair is dark and curly and big, perfect curls surrounding her face like a halo. She looks friendly, and still oddly calm, which is way better than how you're feeling because you're only just coming to terms with the fact you might not be dead right now. You respond to the new figure with the first question to come to your mind."W-where am I?" Your vocaliser is clear, not scratchy like you expect from a near-death experience. What happened to you anyway?She laughs a little, the noise oddly putting you at ease. When was the last time you spoke with someone your own age? "Our family barn, which we use for storage nowadays. But I guess you already knew that. Or maybe you mean the city we're in, or the country? But that's a secret until I know a little bit more about you." She's cautious but confident, her brown eyes light with mirth. She raises a hand to cover her mouth when she laughs, an oddly familiar looking glove peeking out from under her sleeve.The glove is fingerless, and weirdly seems to merge with her skin. But the alarming part is that in the dim light of the barn it glows a little. And not in a glow-stick kind of way; a familiar teal glow. An Emberstone light.She notices your stare, and something similar to recognition blooms on her face. " Oh ." She says, turning her head out of the barn without taking her eyes off of you. Her body stays facing you, but relaxes incrementally. " Mom ! Robbie! A new Terran!"Your optics shoot up to her face. You know that word. You've heard that word. You raise a digit and point at her slowly. "Are you...? Is this Earth?"She laughs, louder this time, easier. "Hah, this is definitely Earth last I checked. Why would you..." She trails off. "Were you...not on Earth before?"A second figure appears in the doorway, a taller adult woman dressed in casual clothing. Her arms are bare, no hint of any Emberstone circuitry on her person, but one leg is definitely more mechanical than the rest of her. Her hair is tied, and her face is kind, and she steps into the barn with an easy gait."Oh." She says, similar to the other girl. There's a distinct resemblance. Mother and daughter maybe? "This all must be very confusing to you. Let's get you somewhere a bit more comfortable, shall we?"Moving your limbs feels like something you've only recently remembered how to do. Easing yourself off the fallen metal drums, you suddenly feel the need to apologise. "Sorry about the mess, I-I didn't mean to." Your vocaliser once again rings clear, making you sound more put-together than you currently feel. Your pedes find steady ground underneath you, and you use a spare servo to hoist you upright. The smaller girl offers a green-lit hand to help. Normally you wouldn't trust someone you just met, but she's a kid just like you. And none of the usual alarms are going off in your processor."I'm Mo." She says cheerfully as she helps to steady you. "This is my Mom." The older woman offers a gentle smile. "I'm sure you've got lots of questions. Luck for you, we've done this more than a few times before."Your optical ridge furrows, betraying your inner emotion. Things are still so confusing. But you step out of the barn into the sunlight, barely looking behind you at the mess you've probably made, and take a look at your surroundings.It's like a country paradise. Trees at every edge, the smell of freshly cut grass, a few older looking structures that could be either cottages or sheds. A few farm animals eating grass, looking unperturbed by the silvery human-sized robot with wings walking around. The air feels warmer than you remember, maybe later in the season when you left. An idle thought crosses your processor, is it possible that could this be a different time entirely? But you save those burning questions for later.The older woman is speaking. "You can call me Dot, or Mom. Whichever you prefer." She glances at her daughter, who's still holding your hand. You haven't let go either. "They look overwhelmed. How do they feel, Mo?" That's an odd question to ask, especially since you're right here. Why doesn't she ask you outright?Mo shakes her head. "I don't feel them, Mom. I don't think they're connected to us."Dot looks pensive. "That's a first. But then again we have no idea how they got here in the first place. Besides, the Emberstone is with Optimus, isn't it? Last I heard he'd found it."You baulk immediately at the name, tearing your servo out of Mo's grasp harshly. Your body stiffens with anxiety and you adopt a defensive stance, catching the humans off guard. Wings are raised and flared, you try to make yourself look bigger than you feel. "You work for Optimus? Did he plan this? Tell me or I'll shoot." You raise your arm, mine panel poised to open if needed. This would be another of Optimus' plans.Mo looks a touch hurt, and mostly confused, but Dot moves quickly to put her daughter behind her. Her eyes are trained on you, her moves calculated and practised; trained. Her hands are empty but you have no doubt she'll hurt you if you try anything. She pauses, though is poised to move if necessary. Her voice betrays the potential violence of her posture. "I think our discussion will be longer than I expected." She pats her daughter lightly. "Honey, will you get Dad and Robbie and the rest of your siblings and tell them to stay back until I have this sorted out?" Her eyes never look away from your arm panel, as if she knows what it contains. Mo nods as she backs away slowly, you let her go. You don't know those names, though some of them sound slightly familiar, and it looks like Dot here has some answers. Before Mo leaves your vision ducking behind a few trees, walking backwards, Dot calls out. "Don't worry about me, honey. I'll be fine."You're tightly strung like an over-stretched elastic band, seconds away from snapping. Between thinking you've died, waking up back on Earth somehow, and hearing Optimus' name come out of this woman's mouth, you've only just woken up, but you're already at the end of your rope."Talk." You grit out. Her expression looks a touch more calm now that her daughter is somewhere safe. "Tell me what you know."She hasn't moved, but instead responds cooly. "Depends on what you want to know. But before we talk further, I have to know if you were sent here to hurt us." Her eyes soften a little. "Because if you were, I would have preferred they didn't send someone quite so young ."Her voice is full of that same motherly tone that she spoke to Mo with, one that makes your optics want to well up with tears. But you keep the emotion stubbornly down, responding in a clear voice. "I won't hurt anyone unless I have to. I'm sick of being dragged places without my consent, so if this is all some sick plan of Optimus' then you can forget continuing this conversation."She straightens lightly. "Then I can tell you with certainty, I have no idea how you got here. So according to my knowledge, Optimus Prime has nothing to do with this."As much as you want to stop from showing your relief, your body physically crumples. Your knees hit the grass in the same instant Dot pulls a 180 and goes from 'protective mama bear ready to throw hands' to a warm hand on your backstrut, whispering low and comforting in your audial. You want to react and push her away, she could be lying, but you're just so overwhelmed. Your HUD is a flood of alarms and notifications, and you barely have the capacity to dismiss them. Having no choice but to accept the touches, you take a few steadying breaths and speak."So then...you have no idea how I got here?" From your periphery you can see Dot shaking her head. "I take it you don't either?" It's your turn to shake your head. "I don't know how new you are, but if you know Optimus–" You can't help the tense shiver that runs up your backstrut. Dot pauses as she feels it, then continues, "To my knowledge none of the Terrans have memories from before they were created. What's the last thing you remember?" Her voice is soothing and calming. It makes you want to listen. Trusting her so quickly would be a bad thing, but you promised yourself you'd be better at giving people chances. So far she's done nothing to you, and if you want answers then she's gonna need something to go off of."A portal. On the ship. Sucked me in." You get back to your pedes, Dot taking a step back to give you some space. You're slightly shorter than her, roughly the same size as Mo, wings notwithstanding. A kid in her eyes."I...fell. I think. And then I got sucked in." You turn to look at her, optics unfocused. "But that was on Cybertron. How am I here ?"She sucks in a breath. "Cybertron? This mystery really is getting thicker. Normally, I'd call Megs for more information, but I think we'll keep this in the family until we clear a few things up." She offers a hand in a similar fashion to her daughter to help you get steady. "Come, we'll go to the kitchen. I'm sure your wings will fit through the doorway easier than Twitch's." Her tone has resumed that lightness, all previous tension gone from her voice as if it never existed in the first place. "But I'll warn you it might be a little rowdy at the beginning, but they'll calm down after a little bit."Who is they? Who is Twitch? Taking a few steps, you follow Dot through the trees to a larger building, a cheerful country home peeking out from the forest. Mo comes running out with a boy slightly older than her, followed by an even older man in yellow. But before you can register more details about the two, a red shape shoots out of the sky in your direction and tackles you to the ground."Ooh! A new sibling? Why didn't you tell us?" A bright, chipper voice chatters a mile a minute, with no thought to personal space. "You've got wings! Another flyer like me, this is awesome . Me and Nightshade are gonna show you all the cool spots around here, you're gonna looooove it. Mo was saying that you were gonna hurt Mom, but you're made of thinner plating than even me, so I'm not worried. Plus Mom's badass so you wouldn't be able to hurt her if you tried, believe me."Dot shoots the red ball of energy with a light-hearted glare. "Language, Twitch Malto. And let's not overwhelm our guest, shall we? We have a lot to talk about without you tackling them with no warning."A teal face with yellow optics looks sheepish. "Sorry Mom." She sounds femme. Getting to her pedes, she takes a turn and hovers in front of you, pulling you upright by your arms and dusting any residual grass off. "Sorry, I got too excited. It's nice to meet you." She's hovering with two circular disks and translucent thin yellow wings. A Seeker?You can't help but ask. "Are you a Seeker too?" She laughs. "A Seeker? Whassat? I'm a Malto, and a Terran. Sometimes we get called Maltobots, which I think is pretty funny. We're like you! Hey, where's your human? You don't feel like one of ours."You shake your helm, thoughts buzzing trying to keep up with her words. "I'm not a Terran." You've heard so much about them, and you can definitely see how there might be some sort of resemblance. "I don't have a human."  This Terran, Twitch, is smaller than any Cybertronian you've met before, though she's still taller than you. She's the closest to your size of anyone you've met, humans notwithstanding.She cocks her helm, smile still bright. "No human? That's weird. You sure look like a Terran. Feel like one too.""Ratchet said I was different from Terrans."The older man approaches and puts a hand on Dot's waist, showing clearly that he's her husband or something similar. "You've met Ratchet?"Dot takes her partner's hand gently, tucking herself closer to him. "They know Optimus." She says in a whispered tone, as if trying not to frighten a wounded animal. You hear her anyway. "We're gonna need to talk to get to the bottom of this. Will you get the kitchen ready for company?" He pats her hand reassuringly and nods. "Of course, Dottie."The younger boy (who looks older than you, maybe 15) approaches you cautiously. "You're smaller than any Terran we've met before. You're even smaller than Twitch."The red Terran pipes up. "Hey! Being small isn't a bad thing."You can't help your questions spilling out. "How many Terrans have you met?"His shoulders lower as if tension bleeds out of them and into you. A tremble makes its way through your wings. "A few, but they're all here. I'm sure you'll meet us all eventually." How are they all so casual?It seems so domestic, you almost forgot that this is what family units were like. Human families were just like this, even the robot family members acting in their associated roles. Siblings acted like siblings, parents acted like parents. You almost forgot that you knew this.He must've seen some sort of negative expression on your faceplate, so the boy introduces himself in a hurry as if to change the subject. "I'm Robbie. That's our Dad." He gestures to the man holding Dot, whom you guessed correctly. "And you are?"You shake your helm and bite your lip plate. If you're here on Earth, the Seekers must still be back on the ship. You've left them again . Another time you didn't get to say goodbye."You won't tell us?" Another shake. "You don't have one?"The tears are back, fighting behind your optics. "I don't have one yet. And I don't remember what it was before ." As much as you try to stop them, you know your wings are shaking.Robbie's Dad releases Dot's hand before taking a step towards you, more gentle and harmless than Dot or even Mo had been moments prior. His eyes are soft and pitying, and you don't know how to feel when he looks at you like that. He takes your servo with his tanned hand, his warmth seeping through. "I'll make some Salabat whenever you're ready. You look like you need it."You open your intake to retort, but he's walking away before you can stop him, like a man on a mission. Dot takes the servo her husband left, leading you and her growing league of children presumably towards the kitchen. You have a lot to talk about.________________Whatever Salabat is (Alex Malto, the father of the Malto legion, explained that it was a traditional ginger tea commonly drank for health benefits, steeped in Emberstone charged water for the Terrans and your sake), your body digests it no problem. The Malto kitchen is wide and tall, with an enormous window overlooking the kitchen table. You could easily fit twenty Twitch-sized Terrans in here, and you find out exactly why very quickly.The Malto family, as you briefly remember hearing from Bumblebee all those weeks ago in a storage hangar, are the family that (invented? Created? Discovered?) the Terrans, adopting each as a member of the family. With two biological children and five Terrans, the wide kitchen space makes total sense, especially as you learn that Twitch is the smallest of her robotic siblings. Four other Terrans introduce themselves; Thrash, one of the elder of the two Terrans alongside Twitch, as well as Hashtag, Jawbreaker, and Nightshade. Each one greets you cheerfully, some even offering small waves. None of them tackle you like Twitch did, which you're grateful for. If Hashtag did that, you'd be a smear on the floor. It took a while before Dot convinced them that maybe smaller quantities of new people (Terrans included) would be better at the start.They were quite a collection of personalities, all of them, including the human members. Dot, you learned, was ex-military; who had requested her family to be moved to somewhere remote so as to live in peace, safe from any Cybertronian skirmishes. She didn't want her family at risk, so they were in hiding. To her, she says to you, children should not be fighting any war. And despite the fact that more than a few of her children are towering alien robots, that didn't stop them from being children, her children. You get the impression that if you'd met her first rather than Optimus, things might have gone a lot differently.It's clear that this family cares about each other. It's healthy and has you yearning in an odd sort of way. The way the siblings gently bicker and the parents look on fondly reminds you of three brothers you left behind halfway across the galaxy. Pushing down a spark ache, you try to keep your emotions to yourself.But it's easy to spill your guts to them. There's a familiarity here, with the blend of human and Cybertronian culture. It makes you feel oddly at home, but there's still that gaping hole in your spark where the Seekers used to be. It feels heavy and empty at the same time, and Dot and Alex Malto are quick to pick up on your clear distress. Robbie's also here to balance out the mix."Let's start from the beginning. You say Ratchet said you're not a Terran? Forgive me, but that's exactly what you look like to me." Alex's words are soft but inquisitive as he takes a sip of his own Salabat. You nod. "Mm-hmm." You also take a sip of the tea. It warms your vocaliser pleasantly. "We came up with a theory that Terrans are made when a human comes into contact with the Emberstone. I'm what happens when you add the Emberstone charged water to the mix."Dot stands up sharply from her position across from you at the table. "Wait. Are you human?" She looks alarmed.Trying to decide whether to shrug or nod, you opt for neither. "I used to be." You answer quietly. "I don't remember much about before anymore."Dot sits back down and rubs her forehead with stressed fingers with a groan escaping her lips. "You can't be more than twelve. How could this have happened?"Thirteen, you want to say, but you keep quiet.Alex looks alarmed too. "And your parents?" You shake your head, responding sadly. "I don't remember if I have any, let alone their names or what they looked like. I think the robot body is trying to erase human stuff to make more memory space, or something." No matter how hard you try, you can't get the sad tone to leave your voice. "I don't even remember my own name anymore."He ponders with a thumb on his chin. "That explains your comment about before . It means before you were changed, right?" You nod. He looks at his wife with sad eyes."I'm afraid that's not a lot to go off of if you want us to find them. But you're welcome to stay here for as long as you need. If you want to stay here while you try to recover your memories, there's more than enough space here. There's no way I'm leaving a child your age to fend for themself, especially one that's been through so much already." Dot says affirmingly. It's clear from Alex's expression that he shares the sentiment. Relief tastes like Emberstone ginger tea. You won't fall into stasis with their supply of fuel, but you're no closer to figuring out this mystery."But how did I get here? Last I remember I was falling through a portal on Cybertron ."I have three brothers who are probably worried sick about me , you want to say, but you keep quiet. These people are nice, but you don't know their loyalties yet. Better to keep things concerning the Seekers to yourself for now.Robbie puts a hand on your shoulder pauldron. His hand is warm and his expression is nothing short of beaming. "Which, can I say, is so cool ." He clenches his opposite fist in an envious fashion. "I've got so many questions, but mostly I'm so jealous."He's older than you, so it's weird to hear, but more than anything you want to correct him. "I wasn't brought there willingly. Optimus kidnapped me."Alex looks absolutely puzzled. "That sounds unlike him. Why on Earth would Optimus need to steal away a child to Cybertron?"You take another sip of piping hot tea, more than ready to spill your own. "Probably because I'm like a baby to them. Something about me being the closest thing to a sparkling they've had in millenia."This time Dot looks confused. "But why you and not..." Her gaze falls upon her son, lingering there for a moment. Then she looks devastated. "Oh Alex, they couldn't take our kids because of the sleeves. Because of their bond." Alex still looks puzzled, so Dot continues, gripping her mug a little tighter."Remember when Optimus came by and proposed the Ground Bridge commute project? Where they proposed that the Terrans would live on G.H.O.S.T. headquarters and could transit back here easily? Remember how hard it was on them?" She gripped her husband's hand. "They were testing them. Testing the limits of the bond."Robbie looked at his glowing green sleeve. "I can feel all of the Terran's emotions, and they can feel mine. Mo's sleeve does the same thing. We're connected and the farthest we've ever been apart is when I have to go to school ." Robbie looks at you. "I can't imagine being away from them permanently. Or even for long periods of time, it's unbearable.""Now I understand why you were so afraid when you heard Optimus' name. It sounds like he's had a similar idea for a long time. If he comes back here, I'll be giving him a stern talking to."With all due respect, even though Dot has some military experience and a bit of height on you, you don't foresee a fight between her and Optimus going well for her. But you keep that thought to yourself and relish in the fact that she's willing to fight for you at all."Do you think Ratchet sent you here because he thought we'd paint Optimus in a better light?" Alex chimes in. "It's a vague theory, but I don't have a lot else to work off of."Robbie shakes his head. "Then why didn't we know about them? Frankly, I think that theory's bunk, Dad. No offence."The Malto patriarch puts both hands up in a 'none taken' pose. Dot fixes you a motherly smile, and asks the burning question you've been consumed with for over a week now. "What do you want to do?"You can't deny there's a part of you that relishes in the fact that you got what you wanted. You're back on Earth, with people that will help you with your memories and your past. You got back! You did it! You won't starve and you have people here who somewhat understand what you're going through.This whole time you've been back on Earth, you want to be happy about it. Then why aren't you happy? Because the whole time, since the moment you arrived, you've only been thinking about one thing; three brothers who you saw mere hours ago, that you miss more than anything in the universe. You miss them like a physical pain in your spark, throbbing with every beat you're separated. Away from them, it's suddenly so easy and yet so hard to make that decision you've been deliberating over for the past few solar cycles. It is somehow easier to look deep inside yourself and make the decision; which would you rather live without? Earth? Or them?You bite your lip plate again, thinking about how you want to respond. The pit in your spark aches, longing to be filled again. Mustering up some courage, you somehow find it easier than you thought to speak the words you've been keeping to yourself aloud."There are...people I care about that I want to go back to. I-I didn't get to say goodbye. I don't think I ever want to say goodbye to them again." Your spark hurts as you speak, the honesty carving a knife through your being.Alex looks delighted, Dot looks horrified. She speaks first."There were other humans on that ship?"Your optics looking panicked, you quickly correct her. "No! No, no other humans. Just me."Alex tilts his head with a small smile. "You were close with some of the Autobots?" He asks cheerfully. "No need to be bashful, we've met most of them. Which of them are you closest to?"You can see where he's gotten confused, and while you could easily respond with Elita-1 or outright lie, it feels like a betrayal to hide the real source of your affections to these people."Not Autobots."Now Dot and Alex look truly confused. Robbie is the first to pick up on the clue, looking mildly disgusted. "Ugh, Decepticreeps? You're chummy with Decepticons?""Robbie!" Dot scolds sharply. "I taught you better than that."You're quick to respond to his comment, with anger even quicker to rise. "Hey, you shut up! You don't know anything about them!"Alex holds his wife's hand gently and rubs a thumb over her knuckles. "Dottie, I think we might be out of our depth here. We should call for an expert on this matter."You turn to face him, still a little heated from your outburst. "An expert on Space Bridges?""No, an expert on Decepticons."________________It's dark by the time the 'Decepticon expert' arrives. You feel a little bit out of the loop not knowing who it is, but Dot reassures you that you're in safe hands and that she'll be here with you the whole time. She leads you up to the barn where she ascends the inner staircase to reach a roof hatch that opens without a hint of disuse. Walking onto the roof of the barn feels surreal, but you're confident you can at least glide down to safety in the event an accident occurs. If Dot didn't look so practised up here, you might be worried of what would happen if she fell.You get the impression that whoever you're meeting is big, hence why you're on the roof. They're probably another Autobot, maybe a spymaster or something that gathers intel on their supposed enemy. You're ready to immediately dislike whoever it is, though you promise Dot that you'll give them a chance.The tension is still tightly strung in your body. No amount of warm tea, cheerful smiles, and gentle voices are unweaving that tangled knot. But you're doing your best to keep yourself together, and no matter what this so-called expert says, you're not going to let them slander your favourite Seekers.The nightly air has a chill to it, but the breeze is gentle. It rustles the branches of the trees beneath your gaze, and carries leaves to the sky where the stars blink down at you. Somewhere in those stars, three brothers are looking for you, and you're going to do everything you can to get back to them. It'll be easier this time, you tell yourself. You've got allies, you can fly now, you know where you are and you know where they are. Nobody's hurt and this is old hat for you by now. You did it once, you can do it again. The wind picks up around you, scattering the leaves in a gust that turns the outer plating of your armour to ice. A low vibration begins through your pedes as a large shape obscures the stars, a massive military-grade bomber appearing out of the dark sky, looking completely out of place in this country setting. The wind picks up further as the craft lowers to land, neither you nor Dot moving an inch. This must be their expert. There's no turning back now.The bomber touches down in the barn paddock, softer than you'd expect for a vehicle of that size. And just like you had assumed, the craft shifts and changes before your optics, pieces folding and merge until a huge (bigger than Barricade, bigger than Optimus ), Cybertronian clad entirely in grey stands before you, a massive deadly-looking cannon affixed to his arm.You're thankful that Dot has a grip on your hand to keep you from falling off the roof, because the moment you see this new figure's red optics the tension within you snaps and the tears are flowing freely now. Those red optics are so familiar, and remind you so much of the brothers that you can't take it anymore. Large, gulping hiccups choke their way up and out of your intake, and without Dot's grip you'd have fallen off the roof by now.The red optics of a Decepticon. You never thought you'd be so happy to see them.The massive figure looks a little lost, their expression lightly puzzled and red optics looking to Dot for an explanation. Dot is a little busy patting your backstruts and whispering it'll be okay, take all the time you need to respond in the moment, but you're trying to focus on calming down so you're not paying complete attention."Dorothy." The gargantuan figure speaks with a low Scottish brogue. He sounds male. "I see now why your message was so urgent."Dot looks up at the figure, a small smile on her face. "Looks like your entrance was a little much for our guest here, Megs."The red optics close briefly, apologetic. As soon as the red glow leaves your vision, you feel instantly worse. "I apologise, this was one of my more tame entrances."You get enough energy to stand a little straighter, suddenly more interested to speak with this 'Megs' knowing that he's a Decepticon. Though, the longer you look, the more you can't seem to find that purple symbol you've come to recognize from the Seeker's wings. Instead a black circular shape is present on his chassis.'Megs' turns his optics to you upon noting your climb down of emotional distress. "I've heard a lot about you, little one. I'm glad we have finally met."Mildly suspicious, you turn a (still slightly wet) scrutinising green gaze towards the hulking figure. "Why have you heard about me? From who?"He looks unperturbed by your shrewd questioning. "From Optimus, of course. Though I haven't heard from him since the voyage. I had assumed you'd all arrived safely."Optimus again. The relief seeing his red optics gave you sizzles out like a wet flame, replaced with thinly veiled anger. "So you knew too, huh?" You clench your servos for good measure. He may have the red optics of a Decepticon, but he's clearly an Autobot.Dot puts up a placating hand between the two of you. "I didn't bring the both of you here to start a fight. Megatron, Optimus did something that on a humane level is wrong . I've brought you here to see if you can help."Megatron. Starscream had mentioned that name a few times, or maybe it was Skywarp. He was a Decepticon, a rather high ranking one if you remember correctly. You vaguely remember his name being spoken with a certain degree of scorn. A defector?Your servo is given a little squeeze. "This little one was human once. Optimus stole them away to Cybertron without their consent. I don't know what things are like for Cybertronians, but here on Earth that's wrong . It's kidnapping, and they're a minor."Megatron's optical ridge furrows in a way you've seen a hundred times before. Cybertronians trying to understand integral human concepts of consent while their mechanical brains struggle to compute logic. "But, this is a sparkling.""Both can be true." You bite out, irritated to have to explain this again . "For all the processing power Cybertronians have, you're all so slow at coming to terms with that."The grey hulk looks at Dot, slightly desperate, slightly taken aback. "You mentioned they were close with Decepticons? Judging from their temper, I think I can guess whom." He takes a knee, barely rustling the nearby trees, yet still somehow towering over you both despite being on the roof of a barn. Red optics cast a red glow over your wings as you can see his processor clicking information into place. "Not just a sparkling and a former human then. A Seekerling as well."His Scottish brogue sends shivers up your backstrut alongside the knowledge he's imparting.He knows .You straighten at the realisation, your words suddenly desperate. "You know the brothers! I have to get back to them. They're all I have. You have to help me get back to them." The dried tear tracks still linger on your faceplate, wind rushing underneath your wings."While others might find it hard to believe that my former Seekers would make good guardians, it's evident that you care for them. Do they treat you well?"His former Seekers? That sounds a bit presumptuous. But you let it slide in order to answer the question."They're the best . I miss them so much ." A silver servo clenches above your spark chamber in an attempt to ease the pain. Dot is noticeably quiet as you converse with Megatron."It's clear you've imprinted wonderfully. All the more reason to reunite you. A sparkling should never be kept from their Guardians, and nor a Seekerlet from their Trine unit." He gestures to your clenched servo with a tip of his massive helm. "It hurts in your spark, does it not?"Your intake is agape. You've barely met this mech, and he already seems to know so much. "How did you know?""I can feel your pain pulsing through your field. Do you not feel mine brushing against yours?""My what ?""Your Electromagnetic field. It serves as a secondary source of communication between Cybertronians. It serves as inflections to mood or honesty." He looks briefly puzzled once more. "I suppose such knowledge would not be innate to you, though I find it hard to believe that no one has mentioned it to you yet."So that's why everyone seems to know more about you than you do sometimes. You'd always clocked it up to robot aura reading or something alongside their robot telepathy, but it all makes sense now. You can feel Megatron's EM field like a low frequency buzz around your edges. You can feel he's...slightly concerned, but that's all you can sense for now.Your understanding must show on your face, or in your EM field, because he nods as if he clocks that you've understood. Dot sends a scowl directly at Megatron. "How come this is the first I'm hearing about this?"He looks justifiably smug with his answer. "Humans do not have an EM field, thus it is unnecessary. You and I communicate just fine without one."She huffs good-naturedly, it's obvious the friendship between them is solid. It makes you miss the brothers all the more."So will  you help me get back to them?" Since he can sense what you're feeling anyway, there's no harm in letting the desperation into your voice. "Is it even possible?"Those familiar red optics crinkle softly at the edges, betraying his age. "I'll do what I can." His soft brogue is foreign, but comforting. You believe him."First we have to deduce how you came to be here in the first place. To travel such a distance without your knowledge is quite the mystery."