This story is based on RID #16 and you probably need to have read the comic in order to understand what is going on.
This is not a Metalhawk/Starscream story.
Heavy is the head.
Scenes of chaos amidst the wreckage of an already shattered world...
Hidden among the debris, silent and immobile, an unnoticed being observed it all through the red lens of its single optic...
And took delight in the desperate beauty that surrounded it.
These people would never learn, it thought, they'd never change, they were so predictable in their actions. And it suited the entity's purpose entirely.
They were dozens of them, Autobots, Decepticons and Neutrals, fighting, fending, running, cowering in fear or standing up to their enemies bravely. They ran past the creature, unsuspecting of its presence.
But most of those had nothing to fear from the entity; no, it was only interested in a few of their number, three of them more precisely.
Three mechs whose fates were intimately interlinked.
The first one was a little Autobot named Bumblebee. Certainly his paint job had earned him the designation, for he didn't buzz. He wasn't exactly old, but his youth was a thing of the past already: the war had made him grow up too quickly.
He was a brave mech who knew he'd never be the hero his leader and mentor, Optimus Prime, had been. But he sure did try, and he'd probably die trying if he had to.
He had a good spark, was once a friendly and cheerful little mech, but that goodness had been buried under a tick layer of bitterness and resentment. The war had hardened his too soft spark, making it lose its ability to be flexible, and this would unavoidably cause his undoing.
Bumblebee was fighting the enemy. He wasn't alone and his friends meant a lot to him, more so when they supported him, more so when he was fighting Megatron, that 'monster' who had always terrorized him.
Bumblebee was waiting for a genial idea that would get them out of this hell and allow them to defeat the Decepticon leader. He also hoped for his hopes to return.
He wouldn't be disappointed, the entity knew.
The second one was more ancient, but he was still far too naïve. He had once fled this world and the war, only to return when peace had been declared. And of course, he had been very disappointed to find out that the proclamation of peace had been a false alarm.
His name was Metalhawk, he was an altruistic pacifist without allegiance who positively believed that there was goodness in every spark. He also thought he was objective in his opinions and that only he was able to understand a conflict he hadn't even been part of. Metalhawk had a noble spark, but he was an idealist, and he had all the requited qualities to become a martyr.
While Bumblebee and his friends were fighting, he remained at a distance. Abiding to his own rules and convictions, Metalhawk refused to fight.
Wounded, terrified, he was waiting for a victory, for his hopes to return and for a friend to change their way.
He wouldn't be disappointed, the entity knew.
Finally, there was the third one, the last one. He was even more ancient than the second, and he too had beliefs he wouldn't give up on. His designation was Starscream, he had a great potential and many talents, most of which were largely underestimated, especially his skills as an actor.
But he overrated himself and was single-minded in his aspirations. His impulsive nature had often caused his downfall, but he was resilient, and this time he had decided to play the game of patience, hoping he'd be rewarded in the end.
Starscream had a dark spark and nothing in the Universe mattered to him more than his eternal pursuit of glory. He was vain, selfish, ruthless, he'd never had feelings for anyone beside himself.
While Bumblebee was fighting Megatron, Starscream's ex-leader and mentor, the seeker remained in the shadows with his newly acquired friend, Metalhawk, who hoped he'd change for the better.
Unarmed, he was playing the game of pacifism, politics and democracy. But even without a weapon, he could still kill.
Starscream was waiting for a victory, for his hopes to return, but more importantly, Starscream was waiting for an opportunity.
He wouldn't be disappointed, the entity knew.
It all happened very fast, the creature had guessed well. These people were entirely predictable, so the creature had foreseen their actions and now the plot was unfolding as per its predictions.
Bumblebee found a genial idea and Megatron was defeated. Following the quick victory, Metalhawk felt like he was allowed to hope again. And then, in the shadows where no one could see him, Starscream found the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
They were not disappointed, the entity rejoiced.
While Bumblebee would never become a Prime, Metalhawk met his unfortunate fate at the wrong end of Starscream's ambitions. He was murdered, then presented as a martyr to better serve Starscream's ascension to glory.
The seeker gave a sparkfelt speech on how the war killed his dear 'friend' and demanded that factions be banned. The neutrals backed him up and, thus, Starscream became the leader they'd been waiting for.
As for those who didn't accept to give up on their faction, they were 'kindly prompted' to leave the city.
Bumblebee and his friends were on the road of exile, Starscream watched them leave, immensely proud of himself. The disgusting nature of his act didn't weight on his conscious, he had what he'd always wanted and it was all that mattered to him.
Crouching down, he briefly rummaged through the debris of his house to retrieve one of his most prized possession: A golden crown, the symbol of his ambitions.
He brushed the dust away from its polished surface and admired himself in its shine. A big ruby stone, like a sightless optic, seemed to appraise his image. His lips stretched into a malevolent smirk.
Ceremoniously, the new king picked the lustrous headgear and proceeded to crown himself. This was his ultimate moment of glory, the apogee of his entire life. "Bow to me for I am your new leader!" he claimed to the mass of his assembled subjects.
And the creature obliged.
Doing what it has been ordered, the golden ornament on his head suddenly bent in a graceful bow. Its metal shifted and twisted downward, until the sharp end of its branches penetrated the king's cranium.
Rendered mute, paralysed by the sheer horror of his predicament, Starscream didn't understand what was happening to him, he couldn't even scream. But as the crown suddenly spoke inside of his fading conscious, he knew that the one word the entity uttered would remain forever carved in his mind: "Nevermore"
The people cheered the new monarch, unaware he'd just been overthrown, and the entity secretly enjoyed the irony.
From then on, it was the crown that would rule the king.
The End.
Note: Thank you for reading, please share your thoughts!
Here's a pool ( you know I like those) please answer it in the comments:
You have read IDW's Robots in Disguise, what do you think about its ending?
It was expected and done poorly.
It was expected but well done.
It was unexpected and you liked it.
It was unexpected and you didn't like it.