Basically, she was grounded.

Megatron didn't use those exact words, but he did yell at her long enough for her flight capabilities to fail and then tell her not to leave the base unless Unicron was waking up.

So... grounded.

Which is exactly why she was flying to the temporary Autobot base right now.

Megatron was busy interrogating Starscream with Soundwave as his witness, and Temptest could only imagine that Knockout and Airachnid were sitting awkwardly in a room somewhere, so she was pretty much free to run off.

Optimus was the bot who proposed they use their combined knowledge to help rehabilitate the less friendly bots in their respective dimensions. Admittedly, she wasn't very fond of the idea, but there was no way she'd pass up an opportunity to get Starscream back—any version of him.

Now that her thoughts went to it, Temptest realized there was probably a Breakdown on that ship. Knockout would be ecstatic to find out that there was a chance to get his sparkmate back. Then she would have him on her side too.

But first, Optimus.

Temptest landed outside the base and transformed. She pushed through the hole where a hangar door should have been and walked inside.

Immediately, someone pointed a blaster at her face, but it didn't take long for Arcee to realize who the intruder was.

"Oh, hi," Arcee put the blaster down. "You screwed up with Starscream."

"Everything is relative."

Arcee looked like she disagreed. "He killed my best friend and brought him back to life with dark energon to use against us."

"Oh," Temptest grimaced. "Sorry, I know how that feels."

"Yeah?"

"Skyquake and Wheeljack."

Arcee crossed her arms. "Then you know why I don't like him."

"Yeah." Temptest kept walking. "Well, I'm still going to try to fix him anyway. Do you know where I can find Optimus?"

"He's probably bothering Ratchet," Arcee said as they walked into the center of the factory. "Yep."

Temptest walked up to Optimus. "Hey."

"Hello," Optimus looked behind her. "You ran away?"

"Uh—" Temptest did a double-take. "Nooo. Megatron sent me here."

"He did?" Optimus didn't look convinced. "Alone?"

Temptest frowned. "I'm an adult."

"Right," Optimus shook his helm. "Is this about Starscream?"

"Yeah," Temptest scratched her neck. "You told me you were wanting to help all the... misguided bots learn to be better and—"

"You did what!?" Ratchet whirled around. "Optimus, I thought you were over this!"

Optimus flinched, but quickly regained his dignity. "There are new factors to take into consideration now and I believe that with the help of bots from this dimension, we can turn our Autobot and Decepticon comrades back to the light."

"And I agree with you," Temptest told him. "Now that I've thought about it thoroughly."

Ratchet glared. "You mean after about three minutes of consideration after you met Starscream."

"No," Temptest was slightly bothered that the Autobots kept figuring her out. "I was thinking about it before that too."

"Great," Ratchet fixed his attention back onto the computer. "Another bot to indulge Optimus's well-intentioned delusions."

Optimus cleared his throat. "Temptest, I'm glad you've accepted the proposal. I hope we can do great things together."

Temptest grinned.

"Has Megatron agreed as well?"

Slag.

"Not yet," Temptest bit her derma. "But you could convince him! You're very inspiring."

Optimus frowned. "Thank you, but I don't believe Megatron... trusts me."

Temptest huffed. "Well, at least we both have that problem. We'll have to work on that together too."

"Give it a few days and that'll be your only problem," Ratchet grumbled.

Optimus looked at the medic, almost glaring through his stoicism, and then he gestured to the door. "Temptest, perhaps we should discuss Starscream outside."

Temptest narrowed her optics and looked between the two of them. "You guys aren't planning on killing him, are you?"

"No," Optimus pursed his derma. "We have no plans."

"Yet," Ratchet added.

"You aren't helping," Optimus sighed.

"I'm not trying to."

Optimus walked to the door and Temptest hesitantly followed him outside. The Prime turned to face her with a disturbed expression.

"Ratchet has explained to us that major events are commonly synced throughout dimensions. The details, the exact times, they are not always spot on, and there are always a few holes, but for the most part, dimensions are always very similar in some manner," Optimus explained. "Recently, Starscream died here. We're not sure if he would have lived should the dimensional swap never occurred, but otherwise, the Starscream from my dimension is likely to perish soon as well."

Temptest frowned. "But you don't know that for sure?"

"I do not," Optimus shook his helm. "However, I believe Starscream might be aware. He was there when Megatron's memories were spilled over the cortical psychic patch. He may have come here solely to avoid his fate."

"Well... we can still work with that," Temptest said slowly. "Does... does that mean... You don't have Breakdown among your Decepticons?"

Optimus blinked, surprised. "No... I'm sorry. He was lost to Decepticon infighting and his frame was taken by MECH."

"Ah," Temptest bit her derma. "I see."

The two of them were quiet for a moment. Optimus felt his spark aching painfully and tried to push it down.

He cleared his throat. "Additionally, we need to focus efforts on Mega— my Megatron. If Starscream was telling the truth, then Megatron is here and he is not good news for your planet."

"Yeah, sure," Temptest agreed half-heartedly. "I guess you guys can beat him up and take the relic to go home."

"Yes," Optimus sighed. "I do not, however, think this issue will be so easily remedied."

Temptest huffed. "What could one bot do to beat all of us?"

Optimus frowned. "One should never underestimated their opponent. Especially Megatron."

"Sure," Temptest shrugged and turned around. "Well, I guess that's all. I should get back before Megatron realizes I left."

The femme transformed, but didn't take off. Optimus stepped forward and placed his servo on her wing softly.

"Temptest," the Prime started, "I know we are fighting a war and some believe the best way to move forward is to never look back, but sometimes the past holds memories that can never be replaced. You and your team have lost many friends since arriving on Earth... There is no shame in mourning."

She transformed again and turned, glaring at him sharply. "Says you, the Prime who refuses to show his emotions."

Optimus blinked and took a step back. "I- I am who my team looks up to for stability."

"Keep telling yourself that," Temptest snapped. "You're just as fragging depressed as everyone else and they all know it. You think walking around, never laughing, never crying, gives your team stability? No. It reminds them of the war that's killed all of our friends. What kind of scrap coping mechanism is that?"

Optimus frowned down at her, and then his chassis, where she'd angrily jabbed her digit at him. The femme snarled up at him, her optics burning.

"We are all flawed," Optimus murmured. "Myself included."

The light in Temptest's optics dimmed and she dropped her servo in defeat. "Yeah."

The two of them stood silently once again, their helms bowed. Temptest took a deep breath and dug at the ground with her pede.

"I've been looking at this new Starscream hoping to find a piece of my old Starscream... but he's never going to replace him," Temptest told Optimus softly. "I should have listened to Megatron."

"Starscream may never be the bot you want him to be, but like everyone else, he still deserves a chance at redemption," Optimus replied. "Sometimes, I think, the Decepticons are afraid to defect only because they think their sparks are too corrupted to be accepted outside the realm of evil. They don't think they can ever be good enough. Your team is proof that that's not true."

Temptest chuckled a little. "There's that crazy delusional side of you that Ratchet was talking about."

Optimus, slightly offended, took a step back. "Given our shared hist—"

"I was kidding," Temptest smiled and rolled her optics.

"This is a serious moment."

"Maybe," Temptest shrugged. "That's probably why it's so easy to make fun of. You should try it some time, Optimus."

"I find that very unlikely."

Temptest snorted. "No shame in a poorly thought-out knock-knock joke in the middle of an intense conversation."

Optimus sighed. "You are very difficult."

"So they say," Temptest grinned. "I try to keep everyone on their toes. It is lovely to know you're afraid of comedy. Maybe I should try it out on your doppleganger."

"It is best that you steer away from him," Optimus suggested. "Something is very wrong with him."

Temptest laughed. "I would have never guessed!"

"Oh," Temptest paused and looked at Optimus's chassis. "Has your matrix ever forced you to do something?"

The Prime suddenly looked very concerned. "Why do you ask?"

"Just something Optimus told me," Temptest answered vaguely. "It's probably nothing."

Optimus shifted uncomfortably. "Do you think Megatron has noticed your absence yet?"

Temptest gaped. "Frag, I completely forgot!"

Immediately, the femme transformed and took off, leaving a relieved Optimus in her dust.