Order in the Court
Abby stared at the heavy wooden doors of the courtroom and swallowed. The trial was due to begin in less than five minutes, and she was on the verge of a panic attack. Sure, saving the world was a lot harder than testifying in court, but Abby absolutely hated public speaking. Heck, even the thought of an oral presentation for class made her nervous. In a few minutes, she would have to tell a jury, which included Ultra Magnus, about how she stabbed Dreadwing with her lightsaber. She would never admit it, but Ultra Magnus low key scared her. No, scared wasn't the right word. Intimidated. That was the word she was looking for. There was always a look in his optics that made her feel like he was constantly judging her. And that made her uncomfortable. Angela looked just as nervous as Abby felt.
"We've got to try to relax," Abby said, both to herself and to her friend.
"You're right. But I keep thinking that I might condemn my partner," said Angela, looking down at the shining marble floor. Abby's stomach pinched. Dreadwing's fate depended on how the jury reacted to her story. If they reacted badly, she would never forgive herself for condemning her best friend's partner. And she knew that Angela wouldn't forgive herself for condemning him, either. Some of the lawyers stepped behind them, briefcases in hand. They looked like they would run you down with a coffee in hand, especially the women. Abby knew that it was nearly time to go in. She practiced her slow breathing. She knew that she needed to look calm when she arrived in the courtroom. Angela reached over and squeezed Abby's hand. All of her nervousness was released in that one tense squeeze. Abby squeezed her hand back, trying to reassure her friend. The doors opened, and the two walked in side-by side, flanked by the lawyers. Abby stared straight ahead, trying not to look at the jury too closely. Dreadwing was already there, seated below the judge. His shoulders were scrunched, but his optics darted across the courtroom. His gaze met Abby's. She stared back, hoping that he could read the emotion in her eyes and the words that she wanted to say: I'm sorry. Dreadwing nodded ever so slightly, and a bit of the weight left Abby's shoulders. He understood. Then, he shifted his gaze to Angela. She mouthed something to him, something along the lines of "Please forgive me if this goes wrong." Abby placed her hand on Angela's shoulder and gently guided her to the witness stand. Angela stared at Dreadwing for a few seconds more, and then followed her to their seats. There were many, many faces in the spectator section, but Abby recognized half of them. The Autobots were there, seated near their respective humans and/or sparkmates. Arcee sat next to Bumblebee, gently bouncing Jaclyn in her lap. In front of Bee sat Raf, who was turned around in his seat playing peek-a-boo with Jaclyn. Optimus and Elita were seated to the left of Arcee, with Arielle and Orion on the right. On Arielle's left sat Smokescreen, followed by Bulkhead, Ratchet, Knockout, Neron, Megatron, and Starscream. Megatron and Starscream?! Why were they there? And who let them come? Abby's gaze fell to the handcuffs that bound both of their hands. That was probably the only reason why they were even allowed to spectate. Jack, June, Fowler, Tess, and Miko were seated in a row side by side, with Jack in front of Arcee and Miko in front of Bulkhead. The Donersons and her parents were on the opposite side of Miko, talking quietly amongst themselves.
Abby blinked. Where was Will? He was supposed to be watching! She swallowed her panic and kept looking, this time in the bot section. Will was sitting on Knockout's shoulder, talking to Neron and gesticulating wildly. Abby smirked. Looks like he was adjusting well to the presence of the bots.
"All rise! The honorable Judge Stone is presiding!" announced one of the lawyers. The entire court stood up, including Dreadwing. It sure was a lucky thing that the witness stand was elevated, because if it wasn't, Abby would be too short to see everyone in the courtroom.
"Order!" commanded Judge Stone. Everyone sat down.
"Dreadwing how do you plead in this case?" asked Stone.
Dreadwing's expression remained neutral. "I plead that I will be given whatever punishment they see fit," he replied, in a serious but civil tone.
"Very well," nodded Judge Stone.
One of the lawyers stood up. "I would like to cross-examine Miss Abigail Sharber," he said. Abby swallowed and stood up. Everyone in the courtroom was watching her every move now. Praying that she wouldn't trip on anything, she made her way to the stand.
"What are your past encounters with Dreadwing?" asked the lawyer. Abby squared her shoulders and looked the lawyer dead in the eye, trying to ignore the stares of the court. She must not lose her nerve. "Well, my first encounter was when Angela and I were trying to escape the Decepticon mine with Arielle and Orion. We were running, fighting off the veicons as best as we could, when suddenly Dreadwing lands in front of us. I was pretty sure he was gonna attack us, so I pull out my lightsaber," she started, trying to be as clear and honest as she could.
"And then what happened?" prompted the lawyer.
"Well, Dreadwing says something like 'It is unwise for you to challenge me, but nevertheless, I must oblige' and pulls out his own sword. Before we can fight, however, I try to persuade him to let us go free. I told him that if he kills us, he'll have nothing to give to Megatron. Dreadwing then gave us an ultimatum: He would let three of us go, in exchange for one of us. I step forward and ask him if he's serious about his offer. Angela tries to talk me out of it, but I tell her that it's the only way. Dreadwing and the other veicons stand down, thinking that I surrendered. But then Ratchet shows up and starts fighting off the Veicons. I stabbed Dreadwing in the abdomen and left..." Abby trailed off, her voice failing her. For what felt like the millionth time, shame washed over her. Even after all this time, she still felt guilty about maiming Dreadwing like that, despite it being entirely self-defense. Abby risked a quick glance at her family. Her parents' eyes were widened in shock, and their mouths hung open. She hadn't told them the gory details of her adventures with them, telling herself and everyone that they would find out during the trial. But it was worse to tell them during the trial than to tell them privately, without prying eyes evaluating her testimony.
The lawyer seemed to sense her unease and moved on to the next question. "What about the second time?" he asked.
"My second encounter with Dreadwing was several hours later on the same day. I was in the Nemesis with Angela, Neron and a shrunken Starscream. We had just grabbed the reducer and ran into him. He was about to shoot at Starscream when Angela stood in front of him and convinced Dreadwing not to.
Well, I don't know if she completely convinced him, but it was enough to make him hesitate. We managed to escape, but we were being chased by Veicons. We piled in the back of Neron and he tried to drive away and dodge the shots," she began. In the corner of her eye, she could see Starscream try to stand up and leave, but Megatron shot him a glare. He hissed some sort of threat at Starscream. The seeker sat back down faster than you could say 'Jedi'. Arcee leaned over and gave Starscream a smug smirk.
"We had almost made it to safety when Neron got hit hard and we were sent flying. Angela was left dangling from a cliff, and I was trying to pull her back up. I yelled for Starscream to help me, but he ignored me and kept looking for the reducer."
Starscream was now staring at the floor of the courtroom, optics averted in shame.
"Angela let go, knowing I would be pulled down with her if she kept holding onto me. I thought she was gone..." Abby trailed off, her throat starting to constrict. The emotions that she had felt in that horrible minute when she thought Angela was gone forever came flooding back to her. She swallowed the pain and panic back down. She couldn't afford to lose her cool in front of the entire courtroom.
"Dreadwing must've seen her fall, and he caught her before she hit the ground and brought her back to safety. I owe him my friend's life and my happiness," Abby finished. The courtroom erupted into chatter, their voices sounding surprised. Angela's parents, Tess, and Ember were all glowering at Starscream, who's hands were planted on both sides of his head.
"Order!" shouted Judge Stone. The courtroom quieted down immediately. "You may proceed," said Stone, nodding to the lawyer.
"Miss Sharber, what is your current opinion of Dreadwing?" asked the lawyer.
"I think he is an honorable bot. He saved my friend's life, and I will always be grateful for that. In my humble opinion, I believe that he should be given a second chance," Abby said. A mutter rose from the jury section. She ignored it. She stood by what she said, every word of it. The lawyer nodded. "You may return to your seat, Miss Sharber. I would now like to cross examine Miss Angela Donerson," he said. Abby straightened her shoulders and walked back to the witness stand. As she passed Angela, she gave her friend's hand a little squeeze of encouragement.
"Be strong," Abby muttered, barely audibly. Angela gave her one tiny, almost imperceptible nod. All of this happened in less than three seconds. Abby sat back into her seat, relieved that her part was over with, and nervous for her friend. She looked down at her knees. Her legs were shaking uncontrollably. It was probably all that leftover adrenaline.
"Is what Miss Sharber said the truth?" asked the lawyer. Abby saw Ultra Magnus narrow his eyes a little. No doubt he was doing that during her testimony, too. Maybe it was a concentration habit. But Angela stayed cool, calm, and collected, at least on the outside.
"Yes, what Abby said is true. Dreadwing DID save me," she said.
"What did you say to him when you confronted him on the warship?" He asked.
Angela smirked.
"I told him: 'Dreadwing, killing Starscream isn't the answer. I have a sibling too, you know. A sister. I could only imagine the pain of losing her, but getting revenge won't change anything it would just lead to more grieving for others. I know you're upset about Skyquake's death, but believe me when I say...revenge won't bring him back' and he listened. Later when he had saved me from the cliff, he told me that my sister didn't the deserve the pain of losing a sibling," Angela concluded. Tess was leaning forward in her chair, eyes wide. She probably had no idea about Dreadwing's motivations for saving Angela.
"And your opinion of Dreadwing-" started the lawyer.
"Is the same as Abby's," interrupted Angela.
"You may be seated," nodded the lawyer. Angela plopped down in the seat next to Abby and let out a sigh of relief.
"You did awesome," encouraged Abby.
"Thanks," smiled Angela, a tinge of worry in her voice. Another one of the lawyers stepped up to the stand, a red bot. Abby shifted uneasily in her seat. It was time for the prosecutors to have their say. She heard Angela gulp loudly next to her. This was the part where they couldn't do a thing to help. It all depended on the jury. The bot cleared his throat. "I would like to cross-examine Wheeljack," he stated. Abby nearly choked. Angela gripped the sides of her seat so hard, her knuckles started to go pale. Abby knew what she was thinking. They both had the same horrible thought on their minds: What if one of their partners condemns the other's partner? Abby's stomach pinched at the very thought. She would feel absolutely horrible for the rest of her days if that happened. Wheeljack marched determinately to the stand.
"Wheeljack, what are your past experiences with Dreadwing?" asked the bot.
"Well, we fought a couple of times during the war, but that was pretty much it," shrugged Wheeljack.
"Elaborate, please,"said the bot, his voice stiff, "Did he commit any atrocities?"
"Not on the scale of Megatron. But, I saw many die because of him, including a comrade of mine named Seaspray," said Wheeljack. The court erupted into whispers once again.
"Order!" rapped Judge Stone. The court fell silent.
"Did he seem to have remorse for those he killed?" asked the bot.
"Not that I saw. But Dreadwing's a pretty quiet mech," Wheeljack added. Abby stole a glance at Dreadwing. He was staring straight ahead, optics focused. He didn't look nervous in the slightest; as always, he was calm and collected. But, like Wheeljack said, Dreadwing was not one to wear his spark on his sleeve.
"What is your opinion of Dreadwing?" asked the prosecutor.
"I think he's a cunning fighter, first of all. His speciality is explosives. I never thought he could change from being a cold-sparked seeker, but I think-" Wheeljack stated.
"That will do, Wheeljack, thank you," interrupted the bot. Wheeljack opened his mouth to speak, but none came out. Maybe he was thinking of a decent roast.
Abby stood up. "Your honor? I believe the beginning of your sentence interrupted the middle of his," she called at the bot. She heard someone, probably Will, snap in a Z formation.
The bot narrowed his optics at her. "That is not the proper way to-"
"Yeah, let Wheeljack finish," added Angela defiantly, standing up next to Abby. A shadow of a smirk passed on Dreadwing's face, but it was so fast that she wasn't sure if it actually happened.
"I am sorry, but we need to move on," said the bot, not sounding sorry in the slightest. Abby sat down quickly, her cheeks flushed in anger. Angela's hands were clenched into fists next to her skirt. Her eyes were practically burning a hole in the wood. Abby blinked. That look would make Starscream run for the hills. But then again, it wouldn't take much. Wheeljack sat back down.
"It was worth a shot, partner," he comforted.
Judge Stone gave the bot a sharp stare. "Lawyers, do you have any final statements before the jury meets?" she asked. The lawyer that cross-examined Abby and Angela nodded, along with the passive-aggressive bot lawyer. Stone nodded to the bot. "Blazestone, you may proceed," she said.
Blazestone turned to the jury. "You have heard the words of the witnesses. We know that Dreadwing is known to be a trickster. He may well be pulling another one right now. Countless cybertronian lives were ended under his crosshairs. Do you want it to happen again with humans? The choice is yours," he said. Angela lunged forward, but Abby pulled her back into her chair.
"Not now," she muttered to her friend.
"Right." muttered Angela, through gritted teeth.
The human lawyer stepped forward. "The words of the witnesses say there is another side to Dreadwing. A softer, more merciful side. Yes, he did end lives, but he also saved lives, both directly and indirectly. All of these bots want peace and a fresh start. Why not give it to Dreadwing?" he addressed. It took all of Abby's willpower to not stand up and start applauding. Judge Stone stood up. "Jury, you may deliberate," she said. The jury members, both bot and human, stood up and filed out of the room.
"We shall adjourn, until they return," finished Stone. The spectators stood up to stretch, along with the witnesses. Angela grabbed Abby's wrist and marched her out of the side door, all but dragging her. As soon as they were outside, Angela let out a yell of pure rage.
"Um, do you need something to punch?" asked Abby, massaging her wrist. Her friend's grip was tighter than a boa constrictor.
Angela turned. "Yes, PLEASE!" she shouted, her voice cracking.
Abby held her arm out to the side. "Do your worst," she said.
Angela balled her fist and punched Abby's purse with the force of a tsunami, nearly knocking Abby off her feet.
"Blazestone is a no good dirt bag!" Angela growled.
Abby nodded. "Tell me about it," she agreed. Angela glowered at the ground. "Did you see how he was looking at Dreadwing? He was looking at him like he was scum on the sidewalk!" she cried. Abby spat on the sidewalk. "It was despicable," she said.
Another door opened. Out came Elita, concern in her optics. "Angela, I know how you feel," she said, kneeling down to their level.
Angela looked up. "I know. But I'm not sure if the jury will have mercy on Dreadwing. In fact, the odds of that happening are low," she muttered glumly.
Elita cupped Angela's chin with her finger. "Have a little faith, Angela. The odds may be somewhat low, but don't let that stop you from hoping," she said softly.
That was almost the exact same thing that they said to Elita when they were in prison. Abby smirked. Looks like things had come full circle. Angela smiled, and hugged Elita. Elita hugged her back gently, muttering soothing-sounding words. Abby discreetly took a picture.
Angela let go. "So, what do we do now?" she asked.
"We wait," stated Abby.
A few hours later, the jury was back in the court. As Abby sat back in her seat, she began to wonder: Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Oh, please, for Angela's sake, please let Dreadwing have a second chance. Angela was like a sister to Abby, and whenever she suffered, Abby suffered with her in spirit. If anyone so much as touched her honorary sister, they would pay the price. She was quite the Mama Bear, for someone who was only a month older and six inches shorter. But that was probably because she was so protective of her brother. Ultra Magnus stepped forward to deliver the verdict. The courtroom fell dead silent. Abby reached over and gripped Angela's hand. Angela squeezed back.
"Dreadwing, after due consideration, you will be on probation for a month. After your probation period is finished, you will work as a police officer for Cybertron, since you seem to be willing to help civilians in danger. Case dismissed," Magnus announced. Angela let go of Abby's hand and hurdled over the other chairs, running over towards Dreadwing. She hugged him as tight as she could, laughing joyfully. Abby smiled and watched from afar. She didn't want to ruin their moment.
"I'm glad you're not behind bars," Angela said. Dreadwing smiled. "And I'm glad that I can still be your partner," he replied. It was weird seeing Dreadwing smile. She'd seen him smirk before, but this was a genuine smile of happiness. Abby liked to think that there would be more of them. But she knew that the coming days were gonna be tense. Megatron's trial was the next day, and then there was Starscream's. Yep, it sure wasn't going to be easy.
"I still can't believe you killed a man," said Will, leaning back on his chair. Abby glowered. "For the last time, I didn't kill Dreadwing, I stabbed him," she explained, for what felt like the millionth time. She swore he was doing it to be annoying, now. Abby scanned the courtroom again. The witnesses and Megatron still hadn't arrived yet, and she was getting anxious. Sure, she and Angela weren't witnesses this time, but Neron was. Abby knew that Neron might not bode well with the pressure. Hopefully, the lawyers wouldn't cross-examine him too harshly.
"I'm glad Blazestone won't be here," muttered Angela under her breath, "Can you imagine what would happen if he cross-examined Neron? It would not go well," she said.
"Yeah. But it would be nice to see Megatron snap him into a slim Jim," laughed Abby.
"Boy, I wish he would," agreed Angela. The middle doors opened, and the lawyers, a judge, Megatron, Neron, Optimus, and Knockout walked in.
"The honorable judge York is presiding, all rise!" announced one of the lawyers. Abby and Angela stood up along with everyone else. She felt a little sealed off, since the IGL were the only humans at the trial, save for one of the lawyers.
"I would like to cross examine Neron Altair first," said the main lawyer. Neron nodded and walked over to the stand. Megatron's optics followed his son and lingered there.
"Neron, according to Cybertronian records it says that you lived with a single mother. We have reason to doubt that..." started the lawyer.
"Yes, I did live with my mother, Ivy, but my father is indeed Megatron," Neron confirmed. A ripple of muttering went through the crowd, mostly coming from the jury and spectators. Abby didn't blame them. The spectators were all Autobots that had fought in the war. She didn't recognize a single one of them, which made her feel a little wary. Megatron, however, kept a poker face.
"And, how did he treat you when he was around?" the lawyer asked. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Raf give Megatron a nervous glance. It wasn't easy being talked about when you aren't part of the conversation.
"He wasn't around much because he was a gladiator, but when he was, he was a great father. He watched over me, fed me, we played games, he would tell me stories, all kinds of things," Neron recalled, counting on his fingers.
"Was he ever harsh to your mother?" the lawyer asked.
Miko leaned into Jack's ear. "Whoa, this just got real," she whispered. Jack nodded in agreement.
"No, he never hurt her." Neron replied, an edge in his voice. Abby raised her eyebrows. Neron usually was a big sweetie. She'd never heard that tone in his voice since he charged Arachnid. The lawyer seemed to sense Neron's uncomfort, too.
"Thank you, Mr. Altair, that is enough," she said. Neron went back to his seat. Megatron's body relaxed a little. Abby smirked. They all were protective of Neron, even Will and Tess.
"I would like to call Optimus Prime to the stand," announced the lawyer. One of the bots behind her squealed, nearly falling out of his chair. His partner pulled him back up, her optics narrowed. Optimus walked confidently to the stand. All optics and eyes in the court were glued on him. Everyone in the room, both human and bot, knew who he was. Which was both a blessing and a curse.
"I knew Megatron long before he had became a Decepticon. Never did I imagine he would become the warlord that he was, never did I imagine he would commit the atrocities that he committed. I admit, I believed that the friend that I once had was gone forever. But, he has proved me wrong. He ended the spark of Unicron, the chaos bringer, to save a world that his enemies lived in. Megatron has changed, for the better," Optimus finished.
"Thank you for your statement, sir," said the lawyer.
Will narrowed his eyes. "The lawyer didn't even ask him any questions!" he whispered.
Abby frowned back at him. "He's Optimus Prime. He doesn't need no stinkin' questions," she muttered back. Angela laughed. Jack snorted.
"Knockout, how did Megatron behave while you were a Decepticon?" asked the lawyer. Abby blinked. She didn't hear her call Knockout to the stand. Probably because she was talking to Will.
"Oh, he was absolutely crazy. Half the time, he was messing around with dark energon, and the other half, he was trying to kill the Autobots and their allies and establish universal domination," said Knockout, rubbing a grease spot off of his finish.
"Did he harm you?" the lawyer asked.
"Not that I remember. Starscream was like his personal punching bag, though, but he deserved it. I mean, he's tried to kill Megatron a lot, and he messed up my paint job!" Knockout exclaimed. Abby and Will rolled their eyes simultaneously, along with probably half of the court.
"Thank you, Knockout, you may return to your seat," said the lawyer. Another lawyer stepped up and started talking, but Abby ignored him. She was already thinking about Megatron's verdict. Megatron had done horrible things, but he also did some good things too. The question was, did the good counterbalance the bad? It was gonna be close.
"How much longer do you think they're gonna be?" moaned Miko, her face in her hands. Abby was thinking the same thing. The jury had been out for six hours, and it was getting really tiring. Tess was curled up on two chairs, sound asleep, with Ember asleep next to her. Will was trying to stay awake, but Abby knew that he wouldn't last much longer. Raf's glasses were sliding down on his face, and he was too tired to push them back up.
"I guess that means that the debate is pretty heated," shrugged Jack.
Angela checked her phone. "It's 12:15 in the morning. How much longer should we stay?" she asked.
"1 am is my limit," yawned Abby.
"Same," mumbled Raf.
The court doors opened, and the jury walked in. Despite the noise they were making, Tess was still zonked. Abby took a deep breath to steady herself. Neron looked tense and anxious, arms folded around his abdomen. Optimus' arm was on his shoulder, probably as an attempt to comfort Neron. One of the jury members stood up.
"Megatron...you have been granted a three month probation, during which you will work at a daycare center in THIS world. With supervision, of course," said the jury member. Neron let out a whoop, and started jumping up and down. Megatron smirked. Abby gave Angela a high five. Two victories. Could they make it three?
The IGL filed into the side room where they would decide Starscream's fate. Although all of the members were technically too young for jury duty, an exception had been made for this particular trial. Abby was glad that they were on the jury. She was curious to see why juries took so long to decide a verdict.
"Alright everyone, ready to decide Starscream's fate?" asked the judge. He glanced down at a sheet of paper. "According to this, he hasn't had the best reputation. The witnesses confirmed this," he continued. Abby gulped. There wasn't many comforting words from the witnesses. Especially because Arcee was a witness.
"Who votes that we send him to death row?!" shouted one of the jury members.
"Aye!" shouted at least half of the jury. Abby stared at the wall. Things weren't looking good for Starscream. Judging by the look on 'Screamer's face throughout the trial, he knew that he'd probably be condemned. And, despite everything, it made Abby pity him a little. But pity did not change what he'd done. She was torn. On one hand, Starscream had committed horrible crimes, and deserved punishment. But on the other hand, there was a little voice in the back of her head that just wanted to be merciful to her enemies.
Tess looked down at Ember. Ember gave her friend a tiny nod. What was she planning to do? "Um, I have something to say," muttered Tess. But Abby could barely hear her over the arguing of the jury. Miko was standing on a table, waving her fist in the air and yelling something unintelligible.
"EVERYONE, SHUT UP!" roared Predaking, seeing Tess' struggle. The room went dead silent.
"Can I say something?" asked Tess.
"Go ahead," said one of the jury members. Angela gave Abby an, "I have no idea what she is doing" look. Abby swallowed. Hopefully, Tess knew what she was doing.
Tess hopped onto the table, next to Miko, who jumped down hastily. She cleared her throat.
"I know Starscream has done some, questionable things in his past, and I for one know some can't be forgiven. But he got up and helped save my world, our world, for some of you. I didn't know what to think them...but I know what to think of that now. Starscream could have killed, or harmed us at anytime and he didn't make a move. Ember here is may partner and she was abandoned by Shockwave. Predaking however, gave her another chance and is gave Ember a family." Tess glanced at Predaking, who looked both surprised and impressed by her words.
"I would feel guilty if I didn't give Starscream another chance, it wouldn't feel right to me. I hope you will at least take this into consideration," Tess finished. She jumped off the table and walked back over to the rest of the IGL. Angela started applauding. Then, Abby started. Pretty soon the whole room, including the ones who were condemning Starscream, was applauding.
"Give her a cookie!" shouted Will.
Abby laughed. "So, we have our verdict?" she asked.
Angela grinned. "I think so," she said.
"Definitely," confirmed Jack.
Starscream's wings were dropping by the time the jury got back. He didn't even look up. He knew what they were going to say before they could even say it. What he did question was how long he'd be in prison for. Or whether or not that he'd live or not. Starscream sighed, his wings lowering, he now felt something he loathed.
Guilt.
He felt guilty for killing all those bots, especially Cliffjumper, ignoring Angela when she most needed him, and every single thing he'd done to invoke someone's wrath. He felt guilty for thinking little about the humans. Who knew that they would eventually have his life in their tiny hands? He never would have guessed that. If he could do it all again...oh, how things would be different.
Raf stepped up to the podium. "Starscream..." He started. The seeker held his breath. Never had he wanted to live more in his life.
"You are to receive a year and a half probation and house arrest, with some exceptions, and will be watched carefully by both the Autobots and the IGL," Raf concluded. Starscream choked. Was that really it?! By the allspark, he was free! He could make better decisions now! Almost as in a dream, his cuffs were off, and he could leave. Though, there was a tracking beacon on his ankle. He'd endured worse. This was nothing. Predaking stepped in front of him, with the youngest human, Tess, on his shoulder. She was glaring at him. Great, now she was gonna yell at him and tell him he didn't deserve to be free.
"Look, Starscream, I stood up for you in front of the jury, and let's just say that you owe your freedom to me," Tess said, leaning towards him.
"Um, thank you?" said Starscream, confused.
Tess glared even harder. "Don't thank me! Do something with your life! Don't make me regret standing up for you," she growled. And with that, Predaking flew away with her on his shoulder. Starscream stared at the place in the sky where she had disappeared.
"You won't regret it. I promise," he muttered. He transformed and flew off into the night sky, leaving the horror behind him.