Part 1 – prologue – pre-war
Hey everyone! With part one, I know that it's long before Autobots and Decepticons existed, but I just call their ancestors that for simplicity's sake, well the Autobots anyway. The 'Cons' ancestors are called Koancons, or 'Cons for short, because of where they live. Ok? You cool with that? I hope you like Holy CA-shizzle! It's crazy...
Prologue – pre-war
Feel Like Home
By Fort Minor
Your first breath in and the clock starts ticking.
No-one's POV
71 million stellar cycles before the Great War began...
His name was to be Echo. Of course, he wasn't named yet, as he was less than 5,000 stellar cycles.
He didn't come into this world like sparklings normally do. A Kaoncon general, named Firestorm for his short fuse, forcefully interfaced with the sparkmate of the king Cybertron at the time, named Andoah. No-one except for her dead creators knew what her name means.
For the first three stellar cycles of his life, Echo lived with his mother and 'father' Nova Prime. They tried to be the best parents they could, but they were constantly needed on duty, being the two highest ranked Autobots on Cybertron. They treasured they got with their only son.
They were both at a meeting with the High Counsel when the Kaoncons attacked.
They were running out of troops. They needed everyone they could get. The new plan was to get sparklings so they could be raised as 'Cons, even though they were all 'Bots. It was a sick and desperate plan. The 'Cons were dying because they couldn't get enough supplies. The 'Bots were slowly killing them off.
Firestorm and his small group blasted through the ceiling of Echo's room. Autobots rushed in and tried to defend the sparkling, but Firestrom's mechs held them off. Firestorm himself walked casually over to Echo's cradle, snatched up the crying sparkling and called for retreat. The 'Cons took off.
Mission accomplished.
oOo
16,000 stellar cycles later...
A huge white mech sat beside a three room building. It was night time, so the mech was gazing at the stars. His oddly shaped wings glinted in the faint light as he lay down for a better view of the stars.
He was different. He had been constructed uniquely when he became a youngling and got his armour. He had the ability to transform, something which had been just a legend several thousand stellar cycles before he was created. It was just a start, still in its experimental stages, but so far it was working. No-one apart from Black River, the one who had made him like this, knew about it. For everyone's sake, it had to stay that way.
Echo heaved a sigh. He was exhausted, as usual, but he couldn't recharge, as always. Every day, he flew a total of half the way around the planet, at least. He worked hard and gave everything his best shot, always. When he got home, he practiced combat until he collapsed, every single day. And yet, he could rarely recharge.
Perhaps it was because he was always on alert, always ready to fight. He wasn't even sure why he was permanently on high alert. Perhaps it was because he was always fearful that Autobots would destroy everything. He knew it was unhealthy, but he couldn't help it.
And even that didn't make sense; he flew so far so he could secretly go to a small 'Bot high school, he wanted to understand the ones of the same side who made all the 'Cons' lives miserable, he wanted to try and change that and make it better for the 'Cons, he wanted a better life. For example, when he collapsed in the middle of training and was totally spent, whoever he was training with would kick him until he struggled to his feet... only to fall right back down again.
Nothing made sense anymore.
Echo lay there, gazing at the stars, peace slowly relaxing his overworked systems. Eventually, he slipped into a shallow recharge. He did that most nights.
oOo
Echo was jolted awake by a Seeker flying noisily overhead.
He sat bolt up and stayed in that position for a minute while he slowed down his pulse rate. He woke up like that most mornings.
Echo got up and grabbed some energon from his secret stash on the roof. His retractable visor covered his optics, concealing his Pit fire-like optics, a dead giveaway that he was a 'Con. He transformed, always making sure no-one saw him when he did, and took off towards school.
Thanks to his stealth alt mode design, he slipped past the radar easily. Thanks to his stellar cycles of experience, he slipped past everyone with a lifetime of practice. Thanks to his speed, he got to school early.
He was greeted by almost everyone who saw him, being one of the most popular students in his high school. He went over to his two best friends, a silver mech named Nightspot and an azure mech named Firmament.
"Hey, Echo, what's shakin'?" Nightspot smiled.
"Nothing much," Echo replied, "how's it going, Firmament?"
"It's all good," he answered.
They didn't get much of a chance to talk when the bell went. The first lesson, which wasn't really a lesson, was PC, or Pastoral Care. Echo said bye to his friends and made his way to the classroom.
He had chats with the other members of his PC, as usual. The PC teacher came in, late as always, and called the role. The announcements were called out and everyone paid all their attention to the last announcement in particular:
"All:" the teacher read out, "the end of millennia dance is coming up! We're looking for volunteers to help set it up and organise it. As for the rest of you, start looking for someone to go with."
There was a buzz of excitement from everyone. Echo asked if he could be DJ and got the job. He was asked several times who he was going with, and each time he said he didn't know yet. He asked everyone who asked him who they were going with, and they all already knew.
Echo thought that it was be a bad idea to ask anyone to go with him, because he was being the DJ and that meant that he wouldn't get a chance to dance at all. It would suck for whoever he might ask, so he decided not to ask at all.
oOo
The last day of school...
Echo got to school very early so he could help set up. That meant he had to get up in the middle of the night, but he was used to it so he didn't mind. When he arrived, there were only a few others, bringing in stuff. He joined in automatically. They were holding the dance in the gym, so that was where they were taking all the stuff. More students and teachers arrived and soon it was done and ready to go.
Soon enough, students began to come in small groups or pairs. No-one except for Echo was alone. Echo got up to the DJ booth and began playing music. His choices were wise, so it wasn't long before everyone was on the dance floor.
A little while after he began playing the music, the students poured in and so did the requests.
The night passed too quickly for him. Before he knew it, it was all over and he helped packing up. When he left, almost everyone had already gone home. He walked down a deserted street, burned and smashed, old Kaoncon territory but destroyed by Autobots. He knew he was alone, so he transformed.
But he couldn't.
His other worldly screams ripped through the dead place, echoing faintly in the audio receptors of mechs and femmes roaming the streets late at night.