Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers Prime, Hasbro does. I wish Marvell still had the rights though or at least partial rights.

So I got this idea into my head somehow and just had to write it down. My story takes a different turn in the beginning, but I'll mostly stick to the episodes we've seen so far. There will be some tweaks here and there, but I don't want to diverge too much from the originals.

This is my second story written around Jack and that's because he's awesome! The main relationship in this story is going to be between Jack and Starscream. Also, this going to be a Jack x Arcee pairing as well.

In my other Prime story, After the Fall, I kept Jack as close to his personality as possible. In this story, Jack will drastically change, but keep the fundamentals that make up who he is.

Now please enjoy the chapter!

~Energon is Thicker than Blood~

Chapter 1: A Gift from Primus

Thundercracker blasted the Autobot that stood in his way as he moved with his brothers to the core of Cybertron. He looked to his younger brother Starscream and couldn't help, but worry for the Seeker's wellbeing. Starscream had recently been chosen to become the second in command of the Decepticons by Megatron and not for the reasons everyone thought.

Starscream was a good fighter, if a little cowardly at times, but his true strength laid in his mind. Thundercracker was proud that his younger brother was more than just muscle; Starscream was by far one of the smartest Decepticon in the ranks. His brother was also extremely arrogant and that was his major flaw. While his brother was a valuable warrior, it wasn't because of his own merits that he'd been picked as Megatron's second in command.

Megatron had picked Starscream so that he could keep Thundercracker in check. With his little brother always with Megatron, Thundercracker didn't dare rise up against the Decepticon overlord. Thundercracker had only joined the Decepticons because of his brothers. Why Skywarp had joined, he had no idea, but Starscream had joined because he honestly believed in the Decepticon cause.

Out of the Seeker brothers, only Thundercracker had been able to see through Megatron's façade. He had seen their leader at his worst and he knew that the once gladiator would be the ruin of Cybertron. Yet, his brothers did not listen to his words.

They had become corrupted by Megatron's evil and there was nothing Thundercracker could do about it. His only hope now was for Megatron to slip up and show his true colors. Once he did, Thundercracker would take his brothers to safety, be that the Autobot base or hiding in the huge expanse of space.

He could do nothing about the situation now though. He was only able to take care of his brothers from a distance as he continued to bow at Megatron's feet. He turned towards his youngest brother, Skywarp, and saw him weaving in and out of the enemies' shots like it was a game. He dodged another shot and pretended to yawn.

"You Autobots done yet? Cause we sort of need to keep going or else Screamer is gonna get it!" Skywarp said as he dodged another shot with ease.

"Don't call me THAT!" Thundercracker heard Starscream yell from somewhere nearby.

They quickly dispatched the Autobots and made their way further into Cybertron. While all of them had their flaws, Skywarp and Starscream's were more obvious. Skywarp was too carefree and treated everything like a joke. Starscream was too proud and always underestimated his opponents. His own flaw was that he would do anything to protect his brothers and it was a weakness that Megatron exploited to no end.

"You need to take this more seriously Skywarp. Starscream and I won't always be here to watch your back." Thundercracker said as they plowed through another rank of Autobots.

"What do you mean T.C.? We're a Trine; we're always going to be together." Skywarp said easily as he shot down the enemy.

Thundercracker simply shook his head at his youngest brothers' naivety. He had a bad feeling about today and he didn't doubt that something awful was going to happen. He would just have to keep a close eye on his brothers and pray to Primus that they would all survive to see tomorrow.

The three Seekers finally arrived at the core of Cybertron and Thundercracker took a moment to show respect to their God who essentially was the core of Cybertron. Primus was by far the most stunning thing he'd ever seen. Primus was, or rather was contained in, a giant black metallic sphere that shimmered with lights coming from his Spark that shown like thousands of stars. It made Thundercracker's Spark break to desecrate this sacred place simply to gain more strength to destroy the Autobots.

"Come on, Lord Megatron is over there and he needs aerial support." Starscream said as he transformed with Skywarp and flew to Megatron's position.

Hesitantly, Thundercracker followed his brothers and sent out a silent apology to Primus for the lives he was about to take while in front of the God. He opened fire with his brothers and slowly, but surely, pushed the Autobot lines back. They regrouped to Megatron's position to receive more orders.

"Starscream, lead the Aerial Vehicons and Insecticons to continue to keep the pressure on the Autobots. Skywarp, I want you to help the others take the Energon we've collected back to base. Thundercracker, you're with me." Thundercracker's brothers nodded as soon as the orders were given and took off to complete their missions, leaving him alone with Megatron.

That ominous feeling from earlier had now returned with a vengeance and Thundercracker knew that it was not warning him about his brothers, but about himself. There was something suspicious about this whole situation. Megatron had always made sure that he was never alone with him. Usually, Soundwave or his brothers were nearby and it was those situations that stopped Thundercracker from attacking Megatron.

It was a well-known fact that he was one of the best fighters in the Decepticon ranks. If fact, the only two bots whom Thundercracker did not know he could defeat was Soundwave and Megatron. Thundercracker had never seen Soundwave fight, but he had a sneaky suspicion that the silent Con was far more dangerous then he appeared.

Thundercracker had never truly fought Megatron though; he'd only ever seen the ex-gladiator fight others. One reason for why he'd never challenged the Warlord was because Thundercracker didn't dare risk his Trines' safety and the other reason was simply because he could never work up the nerve to challenge the Decepticon leader. His survival to protect his brothers ran deeper than his hatred for Megatron and he had little doubt that Decepticon overlord knew this.

He did make his hatred known to the Megatron though, not in public, but when he was only in the company of Soundwave and his Lord. Megatron seemed to be amused by it more often than not, but there had been a few occasions where Megatron looked at him with worry. He had good reasons to be worried too.

Thundercracker knew more about the Decepticons than anyone beside Megatron and maybe Soundwave. If he were to betray the Decepticon cause, not only would he be taking his brothers with him, but he would be able to give information to the Autobots that would lead to the Decepticons' downfall.

"I want to take a closer look at Primus, Thundercracker. There may be a way for me to harness his energy to defeat Optimus Prime and his Autobots." Megatron said and they both flew closer to Primus. Once they landed, Megatron ordered Thundercracker to scan for an entryway into Primus.

"I don't think that we should tamper with the power of a God, Megatron. We shouldn't even be here. I understand that Cybertron's Energon supplies are running low, but we should search other planets for Energon instead of raiding our own planets' core!" Thundercracker said as he stared up at Primus.

He could feel the God radiate power as well as anger and despair for the events that were taking place around it. They had done this, this unforgivable defilement. Primus, have mercy on him and his foolish brothers.

"Your concerns are meaningless Thundercracker. I can easily control whatever power you believe Primus to possess and I'll use that power to destroy my enemies. I have to get control over Primus before the Autobots do and if I can't control Primus, I'll just have to destroy him." Megatron said as he pointed his gun at Thundercracker's back. Thundercracker turned around, dodged Megatron's shot and brought up his own weapon.

He shot off a rocket and charged into the debris and smoke his missile had made. "Only a fool like you would think that you could control the power of a God. If you destroy Primus, you destroy Cybertron!"

"Then so be it! My victory would be assured!" Megatron shouted as he dodged a slash from Thundercracker. He growled out loud as he felt pain in his left side and Megatron knew that he hadn't dodged the attack completely.

"I won't let your madness carry on anymore Megatron! You'll destroy Cybertron if you keep up this pointless war." Thundercracker yelled as he pushed Megatron back with sheer force.

Their battle waged for several minutes before Thundercracker pierced through the armor in Megatron's right shoulder and stood over his fallen foe. Megatron stared up at him in disbelief and fear as Thundercracker raised his left servo, prepared to stab it through Megatron's Spark. A sudden blast hit nearby and Thundercracker brought up his hands to cover his face out of reflex.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp stab of pain in his chest.

Thundercracker stared down at the sword that was protruding through his chassis with disbelief. He looked back at Megatron and saw the Decepticon smiling at him. Slowly, Megatron pulled out his blade in hopes of causing Thundercracker more pain.

Thundercracker tried to inhale, but coughed up Energon instead. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt, he just felt numb. He stumbled back until he hit something hard and used it to support himself.

"I can't have you interfere with my plans Thundercracker. I will not be denied my victory because of your cowardliness." Megatron growled as he grabbed hold of Thundercracker's chin.

"Get your disgusting servos off me you Pit-spawned slagger!" Thundercracker shouted as he spat into his murderers face. Megatron took a step back, but didn't wipe off the Energon that marred his face and helmet. He smiled ruefully at the dying Seeker before he spoke.

"I'll be sure to take good care of your brothers Thundercracker. No doubt they'll be distraught to know that you died by taking a shot to the Spark chamber for me. With your demise, I will gain their undying loyalty."

"You may be able to fool them for a little while, but your lie won't last forever. Starscream will see through your deception." Thundercracker said as he coughed up more Energon and his sight began to fade.

"Hmm, then I'll just have to make him more submissive so that he fears to rise against me. A few good beatings and regular sessions of demoralization should do the job. Even if he does revolt against me, I will simply snuff out his Spark, just like I have yours. Farewell Thundercracker." Megatron said before he transformed and flew off over the remaining ranks of the two factions, ordering a retreat.

Thundercracker could feel his Spark starting to give and his systems unwillingly beginning to shut down as stasis lock set in as a useless attempt to save energy. He was losing too much Energon, had already lost too much Energon. As his processor began to fail, he felt the metal that had been supporting him open up, sucking him into a place that was warm and welcoming.

He felt his Spark disappear and he knew he was dead.

'I can't die now! I need to protect my brothers! Please Primus, give me another chance!' He thought to the endless darkness that seemed to be closing in around him.

"What would you do?" Thundercracker heard someone say and the voice seemed to echo in his head.

He opened his optics and gazed in shock at the white expanse that now surrounded him. Thundercracker turned his head to look for whoever had spoken to him, but found that he was alone in the barren plain.

"Hello? Who's there? Where am I?" He shouted back, but his voice didn't echo.

"You are here with me youngling and I am the being known as Primus. I ask again, what would you do if I gave you another chance? Why do you deserve a second life when others, who were far purer than you, did not?" Primus said and Thundercracker thought about his answer for what felt like hours before he answered.

"I…I am not a good being. I have killed many, but I have my honor. I have never harmed a civilian or unarmed opponent. I did what I had to do so that I could protect my brothers. I am not sorry for that."

"I followed a Mech that cares for nothing more than power and control. I turned a blind eye to the destruction my faction caused and never gave much thought to anyone beyond my brothers. I helped destroy most of my planet and I have little doubt that the end of Cybertron approaches. Those are the actions that I've taken and regret the most."

"I wish that I had not become who I am. I wish that I had not killed bots that I once considered as friends. I wish that my brothers had stayed innocent and untouched by the evils that Megatron's war has brought. I wish for the chance to make things right. To fight Megatron with the Autobots as well as protect my brothers from him."

"I'm sure I don't deserve a second chance, but if I did get that chance, I would use it to protect my home." Thundercracker proclaimed to Primus.

"Very well, I believe your words youngling. If I am to grant your wish, you must know that you will be reincarnated. Your memories will be locked away until they are needed once again."

"I understand." Thundercracker said with a heavy Spark. His brothers were going to be decimated by his supposed death, but a few years of separation was better than going to the Pit for all eternity.

"No you do not. You will not like what you will see in your next life and once you regain your memories, you will lose the serenity that your new existence offered you. You will have to deal with the decisions fate has made and put the past behind you. This second chance is a gift and a curse. Do you accept it?" Primus said and already Thundercracker could feel the warmth of Primus surround his body.

"I accept." Thundercracker said as he disappeared and waited for time to pass so that he could be reborn. 'Wait for me brothers, I'll return to you soon.'

~Energon is Thicker than Blood~

"Fellow Decepticons, I bring you grave news. Today one of my finest soldiers sacrificed his Spark for mine. Thundercracker was the greatest warrior I could ever ask for. He was strong, loyal, brave, and smart. His death will forever be a symbol of the costs we must make in order to protect our cause, to protect the Decepticon cause. I ask you all to give a moments silence in respect for our fallen comrade." Megatron said to his gathered forces as he bowed his head in silence. The other Decepticons followed his example except for two bots that were in the back of the room.

Skywarp gave a slight whimper that only his brother heard. Discreetly, Starscream placed a servo unto his younger brothers' back in comfort. Starscream glared at the warriors in front of him and felt as if they were mocking his older brother. Thundercracker had been the best warrior the Decepticons would ever have and his memory deserved more than just a moment's silence. He looked up at Megatron with torn feelings.

In his mind he understood what his Master had said. He should feel more loyal to Megatron than ever before. His brother had given his life up for the Mech and he should honor his brothers' sacrifice by giving himself completely to the Megatron's cause.

His Spark however, disagreed. For whatever reason, it held a small amount of contempt towards the Decepticon leader. He was supposed to be the strongest, wasn't he? Didn't that mean that Megatron shouldn't need someone to die for him?

Why would Thundercracker sacrifice himself for Megatron anyways?

He knew his older brother held no love for the Mech. The only people Thundercracker would give his Spark up for was his Trine and no one else. Again Starscream felt the horrible echo of his brothers' Spark disappearing from their Trine bond and he held back the painful shudder that beat against his body. He felt Skywarp cringe at the icy feeling of the missing piece and sent reassurance through their bond.

Starscream turned his attention to the only other Decepticon that would truly care about Thundercracker's demise, Slipstream. She was his brothers' best friend and at one point, rumored love interest. Starscream didn't know if they really were lovers, his brother had always changed the subject when it came up.

She had become like an older sister to Skywarp, but Starscream knew his own feelings for her went deeper than a sibling relationship. He liked her, a lot, but had never acted on his feelings out of respect for his brother. He could see her wings pointed down a little and that was a telltale sign to any other Seeker that she was upset.

He looked around the room and saw that wretch Airachnid among the crowd. His brother had never liked her, though Starscream could only guess why. Skywarp was quite smitten with her though and that was probably the only reason for why his older brother had behaved himself whenever he had to deal with her. He was startled out of his musings by Skywarp nudging him.

"Megatron just called you up to the front to say a few words about… him." Skywarp mumbled as he looked at the floor. Starscream nodded and made his way to the front to stand next to Megatron.

"The loss of my brother will be… hard to bear, but he would not have wanted us to sulk in our memories. Thundercracker was a strong Cybertronian and he would have expected us to stay strong as well. I, personally, am looking forward to our next encounter with the Autobots. I vow to render any enemy I run into Sparkless in vengeance for my brother." He growled as he clenched his servos hard enough to produce sparks.

"We are Decepticons, we are strong, and we will show how powerful we can be. Under Lord Megatron's leadership, we will take Cybertron and free it of the Autobot plague. All hail Lord Megatron!" Starscream shouted to the roaring crowd.

He never noticed the concern looks Skywarp and Slipstream sent him, nor did he see Megatron smiling victoriously from the shadows.

~Energon is Thicker than Blood~

Okay so there's chapter one and all the events took place before the war got too bad. I'm not sure if Transformers Primes is a continuation of War for Cybertron, but I ignored the video game in this story anyway.

I redesigned Thundercracker to have an honor system and extreme loyalty to his brothers. In other series, Thundercracker would never defy Megatron and was loyal to the Decepticon cause. I don't know why, but I've always liked him and it was sad how he never got much screen time. Here he's the big brother who's serious and wise.

I also made Thundercracker into a total badass. He can take on Megatron in a one-on-one fight and he's the strongest seeker of the Decepticons. He would have killed Megatron if it hadn't been for that stray shot.

I had Starscream be the loyal Decepticon at the beginning, but the death of his brother and the continuous torture Megatron will put him through will eventually change him into the sneaky, power-hungry, schemer we've all come to love.

I've never really seen too much of Transformers G1, but from the Fan fiction stories I've read, Skywarp is usually depicted as a jokester.

I honestly don't know much about Slipstream. I know that she's a female seeker and that in Transformers Animated, she was Starscream's clone. In this story she isn't a clone and she's sort of a loner Decepticon. Megatron usually sends her out on Energon scouting missions throughout space. I won't say anything about her relationship with Thundercracker, but I will make it clearer by saying that Starscream likes her.

Now you're all probably wondering where I'm going with the whole 'Thundercracker being reborn' thing. I won't say what's going to happen, but I bet that some of you guys can figure out where this is going.

Next chapter will start during the episode Darkness Rising Part three.

~Hexalys~