Measure of a man
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, they are the property of Hasbro. Any other copyrighted material found in this story is the property of its respected owner. Good Reading.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort or convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Martin Luther King, Jr.
A trio of F-15s raced just above the surface of the river as they attempted to make their desperate escape. Their mission was going well and success was within reach, that was until one of them refused an order to collapse a bridge that would've distracted the defending Autobots from their prize. The new sionic weapon the humans have created with cooperation with the Autobots would have made an excellent addition to the Decepticons' armoury, once it has been retrofitted with Cybertronian upgrades though. The weapon was fitted to the turret of a heavily modified American M1A2 Abrams battletank, and once fired, it sent out a powerful sound wave that disoriented whole crowds, or if concentrated into a narrow point it literally shook its target apart. However, thanks to the disastrous failure on the part of the Seeker brothers, this fine machine will remain in America's inventory.
"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" Yelled out Starscream over the comm link as he lead the escape. "Thundercracker, you really screwed up this time!"
"Why didn't you collapse the bridge bro?" Calmly asked Skywarp who was in the middle of the formation.
"I just couldn't do such a thing. There was no point to kill those hu..." Replied Thundercracker, but got cut off by his younger sibling.
"I do not give a sh*t about your sympathies to the insects! I gave you an order, and YOU refused to obey it! Costing us the sionic weapon, and the mission!" Interrupted the screechy voiced Air Commander with an angered tone.
"Man, Megatron is gonna be pissed about this one. I wonder how hard of a booting we're gonna get." Queried TC, hoping to change the subject.
"We? What do you mean we?" Rebutted the harsh sounding Starscream. "I am NOT taking the fall or the blame for YOUR f*ckup! If anyone is getting a booting because of this it's YOU Thundercracker!"
"Hey brother." Said Skywarp with still a clam voice. "You gotta watch what you say. If others were to hear you saying stuff like that, you'll be in huge trouble."
"I won't kill those who can't protect themselves. I won't do it, no matter what." Admitted TC over the airwaves.
"Not even for your brothers?" Inquired Starscream who finally seemed to have calmed down.
For the rest of the flight, nothing was said, just an awkward silence the whole way home. Thundercracker though of the mission and began to wonder if what he did was right thing to do. Second guessing was always a part of his psyche, especially when it came to harming of defenseless beings, and even the whole Decepticon war effort, those who knew him best nicknamed him; Shadow Of Doubt. Unlike many of his fellow Decepticons, including his brothers, Thundercracker doesn't have the same willingness or enjoyment in tormenting or even killing humans, especially those that don't pose any threat to him. He has killed human before though, but these were soldiers, police, and mercenaries, people trained and armed to kill him and his brothers.
Once at the Decepticon base, the brothers made their way to the briefing room to give Megatron a most unwelcome mission debrief. Inside the operations center, Megatron analyzed various holoscreens along with Soundwave. The Decepticon master turned around to face the Seekers, once they announced themselves, and eagerly awaited the mission report.
"Well Starscream. Where is the sionic weapon?" Asked Megatron.
Starscream crossed his arms, and gave his report. "The sionic weapon is safely still in the hands of the humans, and the Autobots."
A flood of rage came over the giant silver mech, clenching his fist he angrily approached Starscream. "What do you mean its still in the custody of the humans!? It was a simple snatch and grab operation! How could you possibly fuck this up!?"
"Relax Megatron, it wasn't my fault this time, much to your disappointment." Sarcastically replied the Air Commander. "We had the weapon in our grasp, then the Autobots showed up and attacked us. I ordered a distraction be made to get the Autobots off our backs, but my order wasn't carried out."
"What do you mean your order wasn't carried out?" Queried Megatron with an angered tone.
"I'll let Thundercracker explain that." Rebutted Starscream with an arrogant smirk.
Glaring over to the blue/white Seeker, the imposing mech calmed his demeanor. "Go on Thundercracker."
Stress began to rise in him. TC toke a deep breath and prayed that Lord Megatron pulls his punches. "Well, Lord Megatron. We know that the Autobots have broken combat before to aid the distressed humans, so we figured they would do it again. Starscream saw that a nearby bridge was choked with vehicles, and he ordered me to blow it. It would cause the Autobots to break combat, so that we can get the sionic weapon back here."
"And did you do it?" Questioned the tyrant.
TC looked down slightly, somewhat shamed. "No my Lord....I didn't blow the bridge. If I carried out Starscream's order, every person on that brigde wouldn't of survived the fall."
A hush came over the operations room, shock was more like it. The admition of one of the Decepticons' elite troops purposely spared the lives of humans was something nobody expected, not even Megatron. The Decepticon Lord stepped forward to the Seeker, and noticed the ever increased discomfort in his face and posture.
"You...sparred their lives, and caused the mission to utterly fail?" Interrogated the oddly calm mech.
"Yes, Lord Megatron. The bridge spanned over a very wide and deep ravine, they would've been killed. Besides...they posed no threat to the mission...or us. So I saw no need to....just kill them all." Explained the shaky voiced Seeker.
Turning his back to TC, the Decepticon leader grasped his chin in deep thought. He slowly turned back to the worried Seeker, he got a sudden burst of speed, grabbed TC by the throat and slammed him up on the wall.
"You stupid idiot! Do you have any idea what you just did!?" Yelled out the ferocious mech. "It took months to plan the operation and you pissed it away with your sympathy for a group of insects!"
Choking under the force of Megatron's grip, TC tried to explain his actions. "Please, Lord...Megatron. I'm sorry...I just...couldn't kill...the humans like that."
The tyrant released his grip on the blue Seeker, then with full force punched TC in the cockpit, shattered the glass and destroyed the interior. TC coughed heavily as he fell to the floor, and slowly looked up at the silver mech standing before him.
"You call yourself a Decepticon?" Said the sligthly less enraged leader. "Get the hell out of my sight until I decide what to do with you!"
An hour after the incident, TC drank from an energon cube in the mess hall. He sat alone, softly ran one hand over his wrecked cockpit area, and pondered what would happen next. He knew the mission failed because of his decision, and its careful planning has been all for nothing. However, his moment of doubt has saved many lives in which he didn't see the point of extinguishing. Just another shadow of doubt for the blue Seeker to think over in his processors.
He heard footsteps nearing his table, and braved a look. Once TC realised it was just his brothers, he released a breath of relief.
"Megatron wants to see you, brother." Declared Starscream.
After a slow nod, he followed Skywarp and Starscream to the operations room. The Decepticon master looked him over with a neutral expression, and ordered the Seeker brothers to follow him. Looking at each other, with a somewhat confused look, the triplets obeyed without saying a word.
The quartet of Decepticons landed in the mist of a coastal town's park. Their arrival lead people to scream and run in all directions in an attempt to escape the known villains. Megatron scanned about at the scattering insects and snatched one up from the crowd. The woman screamed and kicked wildly in a vain effort to break free.
He grabbed TC's hand and dropped the human female in it. Thundercracker got a firm grip on the human, then stared at Megatron in confusion.
"Who are you Thundercracker?" Questioned the imposing dictator.
"I don't understand my Lord." Admitted the Seeker.
"It's a simple question. Who are you?" Continued Megatron.
"I'm Thundercracker. Member of the Decepticons and the Elite Air Guard." He replied with some confusion at the odd line of questioning.
"Do you value the lives of your brothers and those you serve alongside?" Again questioned Megatron.
After a quick glance at his brothers, TC gave the expected answer. "I value the lives of my brothers and my fellow Decepticons."
"A decepticon huh. Value your brothers." Said the Decepticon master as he paced about. He Stopped, and gave the blue Seeker a cynical look. "Prove it."
Megatron brought up his fusion cannon and aimed square at Skywarp's chest. At this close range, the shot will tear right through his body and spark chamber, killing the Seeker. TC and Starscream looked on in shock, horrified at this very un-expected move.
The Decepticon Lord gave his ultimatum."You want your brother to live? Kill the human."
Still in shock, Thundercracker glared at his frightened brother, who's life now depended on his decision.
Skywarp looked at his older sibling, and beckoned the blue Seeker."Kill the human." He said with panic in his voice.
Glaring down at his hand, TC saw the horror on the human's face. "Please don't. I beg you." Pleaded the female.
"Well Thundercracker? What's it going to be?" Queried the smiling Megatron.
A moment of silence came to Thundercracker, he thought about the current situation. Kill the human, Skywarp lives. Spare the human, Skywarp dies. Just what was Megatron trying to do?
"Are you actually considering this!?" Cried out Skywarp. "Do away with the insect!"
"You said you'd do anything for us, brother." Added Starscream.
A small voice yelled out. "No! Please don't kill my mommy!"
Down to the ground, the Decepticons noticed a small female child running to them. The captive woman saw her offspring coming and cried out to her.
"Katie! Get away from here! Run to daddy!"
TC considered about creating a sonic boom, it would disorient everybody in the area, allowing him time to escape with the human and possibly save his brother, but his turbine engines require a few seconds to spool up. Megatron would surely kill Skywarp before the sonic boom even goes off. It was too risky, he can't do it. The small girl ran off as ordered by her mother, relieving what little tension would be considered beneficial.
"Time is running out Thundercracker! Choose!" Commanded the increasingly impatient Megatron.
"Let me take the shot Lord Megatron." Asked the blue Seeker. "If I spare the human, you can shoot me instead. Skywarp has nothing to do with this."
"Nope. That's the easy way out." Rejected the Decepticon master. "Time's up."
TC looked back and forth, from the human in his hand to his brother Skywarp. The dark clouds of doubt hung over his every thought. No matter what he decides, a life will be lost...needlessly.
"Fine Thundercracker." Said Megatron in a stern tone. "If you can't make a decision, then I will!"
The Decepticon master targeted his fusion cannon ever closer to Skywarp's chest, the ominous hum of the cannon charging can clearly be heard. TC closed his optics, took a deep breath and made the difficult decision.
"I'm so sorry." He softly whispered.
Slowly, he opened his optics and witnessed Megatron has lowered his fusion cannon, with much relief to Skywarp. TC looked down at his fist where the frightened woman no longer moved or made sound. She was just slumped over, crushed by the force of his mechanical grasp.
"Well done Thundercracker." Congradulated the Decepticon Lord.
He then recieved a strong compassionate hug from his ever thankful brother. "Thanks bro" Said a relieved Skywarp. "I knew you'd do the right thing."
"You did what you promised. Good show brother." Added a smiling Starscream.
Lord Megatron, Starscream and Skywarp leaped into the air and flew away. TC stayed behind and continued to look in disbelief at the slumped body in his grip, his logical and emotional circuits trying to come to grasps with what has happened. He knelt down and gently layed the lifeless woman on the ground. She coughed which caught the Seeker by surprise. Her head lazily rose, and her half opened eyes looked at the sadden expression on her killer's face. TC knelt down more to come face to face with the woman.
"I..." He tried to speak, but struggled with the words. "I'm...so sorry. I didn't mean...for this to happen."
The woman, her life almost slipped away, gave a slight compassionate smile. "I...*cough*..." Blood escaped from her as she tried to speak. Tears broke from her eyes as she struggled with her last words. "I...I...I forgive you."
TC looked away and shut his optics upon hearing her words. Forgiveness was something he truly never expected to hear from a victim of his. Thundercracker opened his optics and saw someone running to his position. It was the same female child the woman yelled at, Katie. The teary eyed little girl threw herself next to her fallen mother, and gently cupped her stricken mother's head.
"Please mommy." She pleaded sadly. "Don't die. Please don't die."
Thundercracker slowly stood and merely looked at the child, not saying a word. The girl glared at the hulking Decepticon, her face, filled with sadness and rage.
"Why?!" She yelled. "Why did you kill my mommy!?" She continued to cry out at the massive Seeker. "You're a monster! A no good MONSTER!" The little child yelled again as she held her lifeless mother's head.
Without a rebuttal, Thundercracker turned around and calmly walked away from the crying girl. A discomfort in one of his finger joints, caused the mech to glare at his blood stained hand. He pulled an object from his hand, and zoomed in on it. It's a gold necklace, with a locket. He carefully opened it and saw a picture inside. The image is of the woman holding her little girl, both smiling, obviously a memory of a happier time. He gently closed the locket and brought it to his face. Thundercracker gently clenched his fist and closed his optics, a small tear out and ran down his cheek. Primus forgive me.