Where it all Begins
Author's Note: This is essentially a G1 story based around a original character I created when I was very young. One day I decided to give her a bit of a rewrite, though the original elements are still all the same.
Transformers belong to the wonderful people at Hasbro.
The Decepticon underwater base was never the best of places, it had it's ups and downs depending on what kind of mood Megatron was in at the moment, but over all it was still home. A home for a rather temperamental and dysfunctional family, but still home nevertheless. Nighthawk sighed as she walked down one of the main highways. She had been thinking about it a lot lately – the war, why they were fighting, and what exactly would happen once it was all over. Most of the time she tried not to put too much thought into it, after all, she liked who she was, a fierce Decepticon warrior! ... Even if she was disregarded by Megatron and some of her comrades at times. She figured she still needed time to just generally fit in, she was new to it all. Someday she'd have a chance to prove herself.
She turned the corner, her mind still lost in thought, and ran right smack into Thundercracker. "Hey wa-Oh... Hi." Nighthawk caught herself before she said anything that might get herself into trouble. Behind Thundercracker, Skywarp snickered. Starscream stood off to the side and was just kind of staring at her, she hated when he did that.
"And just where are you off to?" Starscream spoke rather coolly.
She still wasn't quite sure what to think of Starscream. She knew what others thought of him, that was no secret. He wasn't the most liked due to his manipulative and traitorous nature, not to mention his blatant disrespect for Megatron. After her initial activation, she had been assigned to him for training. Despite what she had heard about him, he actually seemed pleased at that fact, like it had been his idea in the first place. Though he never seemed to show any outward hostility to her, she always felt like she was being tested by him, like he was always watching and trying to judge her actions.
"I didn't know you were my keeper," Nighthawk shot back and then instantly regretted it. She heard Skywarp snicker even louder, only to quiet down after receiving a glare from the gray and red mech.
"No, but I am your superior-" He was cut off when the black and purple Seeker jumped into the middle of the group.
"Aaw, lighten up Screamer," Skywarp seemed to grin before looking at Nighthawk. "Don't worry about him, he just got into another spat with ol' Megatron again and is in a bad mood."
"I wouldn't be if our 'fearless' leader would finally see the error of his ways and realize we are going about this entire war wrong!"
She looked between the trio. From the moment she met him, Skywarp never seemed to have a problem with her – of course he was also always trying to talk her into doing stuff with him and was very, very strange. She also didn't understand his constant use of Earth lingo. Thundercracker on the other hand seemed indifferent towards her, but he also didn't seem to look down at her, which was a lot better than what some of the others did. She did hear him sigh when Skywarp moved closer and suddenly threw his arm around her shoulder.
"We're heading to my room to watch something I found. Want to come? Huh? Huh? Huh?"
"I ... well ..." Nighthawk wasn't quite sure how to respond. Skywarp's expression almost changed to that of a pout.
"Just agree, if you don't he'll drag you there and make you watch it anyway." Thundercracker spoke up before moving past the group. "Lets go get this over with. This better not be another one of those human movies."Skywarp let go and tredded after the other Seeker.
Nighthawk just shrugged and started to follow the two, but not before looking back at Starscream who was being uncharacteristically quiet. She may not have known him for very long, but what she had noticed was that he seemed to love to listen to himself talk. To be silent meant he was upto something, or at least that was what everyone else told her. She found it odd that very few had anything, well, good to say about him. During one of her training missions she brought up some of the stuff she had heard. He had made quick to embarrass her then, stating that she should learn to form her own opinions instead of just listening to others. But he was right, but that lead her right back to where she started – confused.
It wasn't long before they reached Skywarp's quarters, which right away she noticed to be, while rather messy, a much larger room than what she was provided with. She could only imagine how big Starscream's and especially Megatron's were. Skywarp rushed over to the main computer in the room. "Okay, so everyone ready? This'll be great, I swear!"
"Just get on with it, idiot." Starscream seemed rather irritated and just folded his arms across his chest.
"Sheesh, someone should take a chill pill," Skywarp spoke, and would probably have been shot if not for Thundercracker making an attempt to calm the airspace commander down.
"Okay, here it is!" The purple and black Seeker pressed a key. A human animated movie came up showing a bunch of animals gathering around a large rock with some strange singing in the background. Skywarp quickly pressed another button before anyone could really say anything. "Whoops, wrong one. This should be it." Another movie came up that looked to have been recorded from some sort of security system. Nighthawk could make out some of the Decepticons getting ready to engage a group of Autobots at a human construction cite.
Her face dropped a bit watching the battle, it was another one of those missions she hadn't been allowed to go on. Megatron never really explicitly stated why, but she had this lingering feeling that he didn't believe she was strong enough to be of any use. Thundercracker seemed to notice her expression, because he leaned over and whispered. "You didn't miss much, well except for Starscream getting yelled at again, but what else is new?"
"Wait wait," Skywarp interrupted again, "the best part is coming up."
The image showed what looked like Frenzy, though she could have been wrong, she still got him and Rumble confused at times and it was hard to tell with the picture. He was running towards one of the Autobots when a stack of energon exploded nearby and sent him flying completely off screen. Skywarp laughed and rewinded the movie to show the part again. "BOOM! And there he goes."
"You bought us back here for THAT?" Thundercracker let out another sigh. He seemed to be doing that a lot tonight.
"Hey! I thought it was funny! He was all 'I'm going to show you Autobots' and then BOOM. Ahahaha. The little twerp got what was coming to him. Stupid tattle tale. Aw, come on it was funny! Don't you think so, Nighthawk?"
The question had caught her off guard as she had only been half paying attention to the whole thing. "Huh, what?"
"I think your rambling caused her to zone out." Thundercracker added. "Besides, it was your fault he told on you anyway. You should know better than to mess with anything of Soundwave's."
Skywarp was about to protest when Starscream waved them all off. "While I find this whole cinematic, though pointless, amusing I do believe it's time we all split. We wouldn't want our 'Great' leader to come by and question why we are goofing off."
"We could just blame it on Skywarp," Thundercracker grinned slightly.
"True, but I'd rather not chance it."
"I really should go anyway." Nighthawk finally spoke, why she felt nervous around them, she didn't know. She moved to exit the room, but stopped right before and turned back to Skywarp. "I'll see you all later, and it was funny." As she left she heard a 'ha, told you!.' She let out a sigh of relief when she made it into the hallway. Why the hell was she being so formal around them? They were higher ranking, but still, she had been invited to go along anyway. That had to stand for something. Her thoughts of self-pity were interrupted when Starscream brushed past.
"Come with me." He didn't even bother to so much as look back at her.
She briefly considered shooting him in the back of the head, but decided against it and just followed after him. He lead her into an area she really hadn't been to before and into a room that looked much like a computer lab. She wondered if this was a place where he worked on things. Some of the other Decepticons said he had been a scientist before the war. He sure didn't seem much like one now, but there was still a lot about all of them she still didn't know.
He typed a few things into one of the computers and brought up a data file of the one thing she truly despised: Nightbird. Nighthawk stared at the screen with a sort of burning hatred. If she could have made the computer just blow up with her thoughts, she would have. This seemed to have the effective result Starscream was looking for. His voice was the only thing that took her attention away from the screen. "So tell me, how does it feel to have been created after a mindless human puppet?"
Nighthawk clenched her fists. So this was it. He brought her hear to humiliate her. She knew all about Nightbird, the human robot that had practically bested the Autobots. She was constantly reminded of her, and how it was too bad she wasn't as good, or as strong, or skilled, or whatever else they could come up with. Now she was going to have to deal with it from Starscream. How dare he, how dare anyone.
She turned to him, red optics blazing. "You know what? I'm tired of this. It's bad enough to know I was designed after that blasted robot, but to keep having it pointed out to me? I've had enough! You want to know how I feel? I feel you can all go to hell, that's how. I'm not that stupid robot and I never will be and I don't need to be told how inferior I am to that... that... THING!" She turned to leave, stopping only briefly. "Go ahead, shoot me or whatever. I don't care anymore." She was in for it, she knew it, she probably wouldn't even make it to the door. It wasn't like she would be missed anyway.
"I'm not going to shoot you." He was eerily calm when he spoke, causing her to hesitate right before she made it to the door. "Why would I do that? I'm not Megatron. I just asked a simple question, but I can see it is a touchy subject. I understand why."
Nighthawk turned back to him, for some reason she felt as if she being baited, but his words were enough to keep her from leaving for the moment. He noticed this and so continued. "I would be upset too if I were compared to a human drone. Megatron judges you, not by your abilities, but because you are not a mindless follower." He slowly approached where she was standing.
"I am loyal to the Dece-"
"Yes, I know. If Megatron had his way, yes, you would be just like that creature, Nightbird. Skilled, maybe, but with no thought process of its own. I have trained you myself, Nighthawk, you have the potential of being a much greator warrior than that despicable human device, it will just take time because you actually learn and grow."
Nighthawk was not sure how to take all of this. She took her gaze off of him. He was complimenting her? He never did that before, well, he never said much that was negative about her, but to give her praise? No, they never really talked much at all. She stayed unmoving as he came in closer.
"I've been watching you for sometime. I see how you react when Megatron gives out his next 'full proof' plan. You don't instantly believe what he says, you show signs of doubt or criticism maybe."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"No? He may not notice, but I have. I'm far more observant than those fools of the Decepticon forces would give me credit for. You see, I do understand you. They doubt me as much as they doubt you."
"From what I know, your attempts at leadership haven't gone too well."
"Tsk, tsk, Nighthawk. Haven't we had this conversation before? I told you to form your own opinions. Don't tell me I was wrong about you? Are you not the free thinker I thought you to be?"
"I... am not Nightbird, and I never want to be. Megatron... He..."
"He would have you do nothing but swear undying loyalty to him, you would be his lap dog, so to speak."
"And you?" If Starscream was taken aback by the question, he did not show it. He did give hints of some amusement.
"I am merely glad to have finally met someone who isn't blinded by Megatron's ways."
"You're lying."
"That remains to be seen. However, as you do know my reputation, you do know this conversation stays between us. I am not the fool those idiots make me out to be. We'll continue this discussion later. I'm sure you can make it back to your own quarter's by yourself?"
"I have one question first."
"Which is?"
"Why?" This time, Nighthawk moved forward towards Starscream. "Why are you coming to me now? I thought you didn't like me."
Starscream, at this point, seemed highly amused. "I don't do anything without knowing what reaction will come. I've observed you enough to know of your own dislike for our great leader. Deny it all you want, but I still know the truth, and I believe you and I can come to some sort of understanding. But that topic will wait for another day. If I were you, I'd take this time to go recharge and think about what I said."
He left leaving Nighthawk alone in the room and alone to her thoughts.