Author's notes: Yes, I know I have other stories in progress, but I came into this idea during shower and it had to be written. Isn't shower the source of endless creativity (or insanity, same thing)?

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this. I found it quite amusing to write.

Thank yous and hugs to KayDeeBlu for beta reading this chapter.

Till all are none

Chapter 1

Seeker soup

Megatron evilly narrowed his optics as the right side of his face was illuminated by the shine of a very close explosion that half destroyed the door.

Such circumstances never used to be isolated events. Another shot shook the room and a cloud of black smoke announced the violent entrance of Skywarp to the Command Center, a sharp red object in his hands, his body convulsing clear signals of having been the target of a certain null ray. His right shoulder was a sparking hole of exposed circuitry.

A shivering Starscream walked behind, limping, his cockpit falling in pieces.

"Megatron! What are you doing here?" he asked as soon as he caught sight of his leader.

"And just what am I supposed to be doing, stupid? This is my base, isn't it?" the Decepticon Commander angrily replied as he got up from his seat. "Put your weapons down! You better start explaining what in the Pit is going on here before I permanently separate your head from your body, Starscream!"

The addressed Seeker pointed an accusing finger at Skywarp, who was uselessly trying to get up, still shaken by the effects of his Air Commander's null ray.

"It's Skywarp! For some reason only his idiotic mind comprehends, he thought it would be funny to detonate a cluster bomb under my recharge berth and nearly blew my entire mid section!"

"My bad, the original target was your aft!" a very offended Skywarp stated.

"Why you…!"

"Silence!" Megatron roared. "How many times do I have to tell you not to…? Skywarp, is that one of Starscream's air intakes?"

The black and purple Seeker smiled innocently and glanced at the object in his hand.

"Huh… seems so…"

"See?! Do you see that, Megatron?! The fragger dared to mutilate me!"

Megatron placed his hands behind his back and started to walk from one side to the other, trying to calm his temper.

Children, that's what they were. His aerial elite, pride of the Cybertron War Academy were nothing more than a bunch of microchip morons that behaved worse than sparklings. He cursed himself for the umpteenth time for having allowed the Seekers to have such a high rank in the Decepticon hierarchy.

"Cargo ships… that's what they should be… though they are so stupid they would certainly fail at that too…" Megatron mumbled to himself.

"Stupid soldiers are the result of a defficient Commander, Megatron! Why don't you show some leadership for a change and punish a very obvious disrespectful attack against your Second in Command?"

Starscream was so furious that he didn't noticed he had crossed the imaginary line he should keep by rule from his leader in situations like that until it was too late. A dark hand closed around his neck and he was violently shoved toward the floor. He fell beside Skywarp, a painful reminder of why it was always wise to keep some physical distance toward the silver tyrant.

However, making good use of his new position at the floor, Starscream pounced at his wingmate, trying to get his air intake back. The black and purple Seeker, already recovered from the effects of the null ray, counterattacked with equal violence, not willing to give up his macabre trophy.

"ENOUGH!"

A very convenient fusion cannon blast impacted between both Seekers, making them quickly separate.

"Watch out, Megatron! You almost blew off my other air intake!" Starscream complained.

Skywarp burst in laughter. "A shame he didn't! You would've looked more symmetric, Screamer."

"This is the last time I demand you to stop calling me that!"

A new violent outburst was interrupted when Megatron roughly held both Seeker's heads and crashed them against each other. Feeling disgusted by the painful groans coming from his subordinate's vocalizers, Megatron disdainfully kicked both fliers away from him.

"It's bad enough you waste my valuable resources in your pathetic fights and now you dare to make me lose my precious time as well!" he yelled.

Starscream was the first to get to his knees, still rubbing his sore head. "It's all Skywarp's fault, Megatron! He did the stupid prank and resisted against a punishment he clearly deserved!"

"Liar! Megatron, my leader, I assure you I did it to boost the morale of the crew of this base. And how wasn't I supposed to resist, if Screamer tried to snatch my spark away?"

"I swear it, Skywarp, if you call me that again…!"

"DOESN'T ANY OF YOU UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE WORD SILENCE??"

The two jets held back the wave of curses that was about to erupt from their vocalizers and flinched. No matter how serious their current issue was, they both knew they couldn't allow to really annoy Megatron.

"Get up, pair of imbeciles, and go get yourselves repaired. You are an embarrasement for the Decepticon Empire. I don't know why you dare to call yourselves elite warriors. You have been part of the same trine for millions of years and still you are not able to function like a barely organized aerial unit."

Starscream and Skywarp picked they shattered structures from the floor and bowed their heads. Skywarp was still holding Starscream's air intake.

"Listen very carefully. This is the last time, the last one, that you waste the resources of the Repair Bay fixing the consequences of your childish disputes. Next time you will look for spare parts in the disposal units, is that clear?"

Two somber voices could be heard in response. "Yes, Megatron…"

"Retire to your quarters now. I don't want to see your pathetic faces until further notice."

Not daring to look at their leader's optics, the scolded Seekers walked out. Right before they reached the half ripped door of the Command Center, Starscream violently pushed Skywarp aside and recovered his air intake. Skywarp glanced uneasily from his running wingmate to his leader before teleporting out.

Megatron shook his head. He was wrong. They were worst than sparklings…

"Course of action not recommended."

The monotonic voice reverberated through the wide but austere personal quarters of Megatron.

"I thought you would say so, Soundwave," Megatron replied as he annalyzed for the umpteenth time in the night the six diagrams and technical specifications displayed on the screen of his computer.

"Subjects: incompatible. Merge: inconceivable," the Communication Officer insisted.

"Spare me the obvious. What is exactly going through your logics?"

Soundwave relaxed a little. Alone with Megatron, he didn't have to follow the rigid protocol, but still some habits were hard to leave aside.

"Seekers have erratic mind patterns. Their arrogance disqualifies them as proper candidates for a combiner team."

"Still, they are highly efficient operating in trines."

"Affirmative. Trine work is based on the organized function of independent individuals. Combiner team: totally different situation."

Megatron placed his right hand under his chin and remained silent for some seconds. Generally Soundwave was the voice of reason itself, but Megatron hadn't reached the position of Supreme Commander of all Decepticons by being particularly cautious. Risks had to be taken sometimes. War, as illogical as it was, always had place for surprises.

"Suggestion noted but ignored", he finally said. "Summon the subjects at 2300 hours of the next solar cycle in the Command Center. We will put this plan in motion right away."

"As you command, Megatron," Soundwave replied, taking slightly more time than usual in procceeding to fulfill his Commander's orders.

Megatron smirked when he noticed the insignificant disturbance on his lieutenant. Yes, the Decepticon leader was definitely in the mood for challenging the inconceivable.

At exactly the 2305 hours of the next solar cycle, six Seekers were standing uneasy at the Command Center of the Nemesis base.

Notoriously separated from the rest of their wingmates, Thrust, Dirge and Ramjet were leaning on a bulkhead, aggressive grimaces adorning their facial features.

"I tell you morons, if you three got us in trouble again, you will have to look for your arm cannons inside your afts," growled Ramjet.

"And why are you staring at me, Conehead?" an angry Thundercracker shot back. "I know the same as you about this non expected reunion."

Too busy exchanging murderous looks and imagining sadistic ways to get rid of each other, Starscream and Skywarp were oblivious to the presence of the other four fliers, which left Thundercracker in a very precarious situation. As always, he would have to intervene if his two wingmates decided to take their eternal quarrel to physical violence once again, and also he would have to take the responsibility of defending his trine if the Coneheads became aggressive. Whatever it happened, he was doomed.

"But who does that junk pile thinks he is? Making me wait! ME, Starscream!"

The Air Commander's complaints were ignored, as usual. Fortunately, the authoritative steps of Megatron could be heard soon and ended the tension that threatened to turn into insubordination.

The six Seekers aligned themselves in military formation as their leader entered the Command Center and sat on his throne. Behind him, Soundwave walked in, glancing at the fliers the same way he would have looked at a bunch of dying petro rabbits.

"Finally, Megatron!" spat Starscream. "I put aside really urgent things for coming to your stupid meeting. I hope it is important or so help me I…"

A sudden blast from Megatron's fusion cannon impacted Starscream's shoulder and violently threw him backward. His wingmates stared at him with horror and straightened up immediately, their faces the image of discipline itself.

"Now that I have your attention, I shall procceed to inform the reason of your presence here, unless, of course, someone else has another disagreement," Megatron said as he oscilated his always dangerous right arm.

Nobody said a word. Starscream began to get up, never taking his glance off his leader. The shot he received wasn't at full power, showing the not so aggressive intentions of Megatron, if such a thing existed.

"For millions of years, I have given the Seekers the role as the main base of my army," the Decepticon Commander continued. "Today I question myself about such decision. The poor military and personal performance you have showed, despite considering yourselves the best fliers of all Cybertron, forces me to reconsider."

Despite the painful corrective he had received, Starscream wasn't going to keep his vocalizer shut.

"Reconsider? What are you talking about, Megatron?"

"Changes, Starscream. I'm talking about changes."

"But why…?"

"Changes that will begin to happen immediately. Know this: from this moment on, all of you are relieved from your respective wingmates. You will no longer operate in trines."

Confusion made its appearance on the six addresssed faces. Unconsciously, the Seekers broke their formation to look at each other in search for an explanation they didn't dare to request.

"From today on, you will be assigned to only one wingmate, which means you will fly in pairs. Is that clear?"

Five pairs of optics targeted Starscream, waiting for him to give voice to the question they all wanted to ask. Fortunately for them, their cocky Air Commander didn't disappoint them.

"Pairs?! Are you insane, Megatron? We Seekers function in trines. Pair formations are destined to failure in battle. History records are not mistaken."

"I will decide what's destined to failure and what is not, Starscream. All of you will obey my orders without complaining. I will consider any objection as a personal offense, so if you value your lives you will follow blindly my instructions."

Starscream closed his fists with impotence but managed to remain silent. Beside him, a shivering Dirge raised his hand.

"What is it, Dirge?"

"Huh… Lord Megatron, sir… with all the respect I would like to ask what is the purpose of this… new strategy… sir…"

"You will be notified when the time comes. As for now, Soundwave will inform you the conformation of the pairs and your new assignations."

"What? Are you going to change our assignations too?" Starscream asked, unable to remain silent for an astro second more, but trying to keep his voice tone in a respectful range.

Megatron shot a dirty look at him but didn't say anything in response. He addressed Soundwave instead.

"Soundwave, procceed."

Soundwave nodded and stepped in front of his six companions in arms. For the first time the Seekers fully aknowledged his presence and more than one felt a cold chill when they suspected the mocking smirk hidden behind that stoic face mask.

But there was no time to carefully annalyze the probable emotions of their Communications Officer. Soundwave's monotonic voice began to speak with the same usual coldness.

"Starscream and Ramjet, Thundercracker and Dirge, Thrust and Skywarp, step forward and align yourselves beside your new wingmates."

The Seekers glanced at each other, confusion growing bigger.

"W-what...? But… do we have to separate?" Dirge stammered, already suffering the absence of Thrust and Ramjet.

Megatron grimaced with contempt. "It's precisely because of this kind of cheap sentimentalism that you must separate. You have been together for millenias and your affinities and differences have turned into a vicious circle of conformism, restraining your potential."

The new pairs alligned awkwardly. The uneasy looks on their faces proved just how much they didn't trust in their new companions.

"This is insane, Megatron!" Starscream finally exploded. "Even though they are nothing more than two disgusting junk morons, I'm used to flying with Skywarp and Thundercracker. What the slag am I suppose to do with Ramjet?!"

"You can try crashing against him. He likes that," suggested Thrust.

"Hey, who did you just call junk moron, Starscream?" bellowed Thundercracker, shoving Dirge aside.

"The feeling is mutual, Screamer. Come and let my fist give you some love," Skywarp threatened.

"Everything, Starscream," Megatron replied, ignoring the rant. "I expect you to do everything with your new wingmate, and I expect the same from the rest of you."

Starscream folded his arms across his chest. "Define everything."

Megatron evilly smirked. "From now on, you won't separate from your new companion under any circumstance. That means you will recharge together, energize together, check your systems together, train together, get into combat together, and do whatever you do in your free time together, is that understood?"

Six astonished Seekers stared at their leader with the same disbelief, wondering if their audios had heard correctly.

"Recharge together?" Thrust asked. "As in… recharging in the same berth?"

Megatron rolled his optics. "You will move your personal belongings, including your recharge berths, to the personal quarters of your new companions. The distribution of the quarters, however, will be entirely your decision. Does anybody else has a question that is not a complete stupidity?"

"Can we stay in touch with our former wingmates?"

"Not for the moment, Skywarp. Occasional encounters can't be helped but you won't engage in conversation by any means. By the way, I want to leave very clear that I will consider as high treason any visit to the Repair Bay caused by disagreements with your new wingmates. And I don't need to tell you how I handle high treason situations."

"This is absurd, Megatron! I insist, what is the purpose of all this nonsense?!"

"You will know when the time is right, Starscream."

Without saying another word and leaving a universe of doubts behind, Megatron turned around and walked out of the Command Center.

Despite their confusion, the Seekers didn't repress the chill that assaulted their cores when they noticed the bizarre image of Soundwave cackling, the most absolute mockery exposed in his perfect harmonics.

Such a demoniac sound could only mean one thing: big trouble.

To be continued.

Please leave me your comments and suggestions. Thanks for reading :o)