She had never expected to see him again. She thought him one of the dead, like so many of her brothers and sisters. Forceblock had told her he had sent the little one to be killed, to pay the blood price she had wracked up. It had broken her spark, her spirit, to hear that news after all she had been through.

Yet there he was. He stalked through the mountains surrounding the base, the Decepticon symbol glinting brightly on his furry forehead. Terra pushed past Cable and Driveby, not caring that the earlier gave a little grumble, and stopped in front of the screen. Her spark nearly leapt from her chest.

"Oh my gods and goddesses..."

Driveby glanced over at her, concern half-hidden in her optics. She turned her head back to the screen, and Terra just knew their leader was frowning behind her facemask.

"Can we determine if he's a threat yet, Beacon?"

"He can't be..."

Beacon ignored Terra's whispered statement, shaking his head. "Aside from his Decepticon symbol, there is certaintly nothing threatening about him..." He glanced up at the wolf cub that continued to circle the hidden base. "Not to mention that he apparently knows we're here."

Driveby's frown deepened. She opened her mouth to say something, but Terra interupted her.

"Of course he knows we're here. He's the best tracker Forceblock ever made..."

The room went so silent you could hear a pin drop, or Cap's jaw. Terra reached forwards, ran her claws lightly down the wolf's back. She sighed softly, knowing that her petting the screen would do nothing but cause her sanity to be questioned.

"Are you saying he's...?"

Terra glanced over at Cable. She nodded once. "Yes; he's like me. Forceblock created him as well. I believe he was... Number Eight." Her wings gave an uncomfortable flutter as all optics turned from the screen to her. "I thought him dead."

Not even Cable dared to make a comment. They all heard the pain in her voice as that last statement was uttered. Terra glanced over her shoulder at Cap, her optics scanning him for something.

"He's just a sparkling..." Ty commented softly. Terra glanced at her.

"He'll always be a sparkling. It was the quirk Forceblock gave him. He gave us all quirks. Mine you all know well..." She gave Cable a tender look; he nodded. "He can't grow. We techno-organically age as the humans do. We require no upgrades to age, to change from sparkling to adult. But Forceblock changed him. His quirk is forever he will be a sparkling. An adorable, deadly tracker."

The room got quiet for a long moment. Finally, Gunlock spoke.

"So, what do we do?"

Terra looked up at Driveby, her optics pleading as she asked, "He's my kin. Let me go talk to him..." She spared the screen a brief glance. "Decepticon or not, he's still part of me, as I am him. I have to... I can try..."

Driveby lowered her head, placed a hand on Terra's shoulder. "Permission granted, so long as Cap can accompany you." Driveby looked above Terra's shoulder to the tank, who nodded. She knew he would have followed his mate anywhere.

Driveby didn't expect Terra to hesitate. She didn't expect the look of worry that came over her face, or the way she looked doubtful upon seeing Cap so willing to follow her. But still, Terra agreed.

"So long as he stays out of sight."