Incensed Starscream stares at the dull grey walls of the Autobot brig, the hideous orange color at least not carrying into these momentary quarters of his. Even if he wants to push his capture aside as pure luck on the Autobots' part he knows that it isn't so. He had been completely outmaneuvered when Megatron called retreat, the Decepticons' goal for the raid fulfilled, and while his comrades had retreated strategically he should have been there to guard their rear together with Skywarp.
But that was when it happened. When HE happened. The new Autobot Air Commander.
He hears the door to the brig swoosh open and footsteps coming closer. The echo in the large room tells him that they are three. Hiking his wings high on his back, keeping it turned to the outside world he narrows his optics at the dull grey wall.
When the footsteps stops and shadows are cast into his cell he scowls. He just wants to be left alone until Megatron has negotiated for his freedom.
"Starscream."
The voice is a soft rumble and even as guarded as he is about his defiant high held wings he can feel how they begin to tremble at the sound of that voice. It is almost as he remembers. It has been no more than a few months since he last heard Thundercracker speak, but this isn't his Thundercracker, that blue seeker is gone. Never did exist.
If he had known that sending the Aerialbots back in time would take Thundercracker from them he would never have accepted it and fought Megatron on the issue. Now he can only watch impotent as his trine no longer are a trine while the Autobots gains a strong and versatile ally in the blue seeker.
"Let me talk to him alone." He hears the blue seeker gently whisper the order and the affirmatives from the others informs Starscream that the ones flanking Thundercracker had been Silverbolt and Air Raid. When the footsteps die out and silence fills the brig again Starscream feels conflicted.
What does Thundercracker want?
"Starscream." The gentle murmur of his name finally breaks him, and he hesitates a bit before he turns around to face the blue seeker. Up this close he can see the intricate tattoos covering practically every surface of the blue plating, describing all the accomplishments the ancient seeker in front of him has accomplished in the service of the Winglord and before there even were one. He remembers them from his time at the Academy. Senior Flight Instructor Thundercracker, Seeker of First Degree, Warrior during the Quintesson War. And one of the oldest still living seekers.
No wonder Megatron had wanted the seeker on his team. But Thundercracker was and is one of the most righteous beings ever sparked and he would never have accepted Megatrons proposal back then. Pit, even after the planned ambush that killed his wingmates and the following reprogramming, reframing and retrining Thundercracker had still showed clear doubts in the Decepticon Cause. But even if he had had his doubts, his sparkbond with Skywarp had kept him in line and willing to fight, murder and kill.
But now…
Staring into the blue optics of the seeker Starscream feels like screaming, to let the world know his loss, sorrow and powerlessness.