JMJ

RED HAZE

Fiona Fargazer

NOTE: Non TFP characters will include: Quickshift (OC), Jetfire (based loosely on his appearance RoF), Skywarp (based off of his Prime toy), Lockdown (based loosely on his appearance in AoE), Dead End and Swindle (based on their appearance in the movie comics), Flare Up.

NOTE2: Later there will be a couple major character deaths, but they aren't Knock Out or Starscream

NOTE3: This whole fic is also co-created by my sis (who can be found on DA as Starscout-lost) and another person who doesn't have an active social account right now, but I wanted to give him credit too.

Note4: I also got a lot of ideas about Cybertronian anatomy and such (people get hurt a lot in this and talk about their insides) from praxcrown5 on Deviant art. She has an awesome anatomy guide called "Visible Cybertronian"

ONE: FOLLOWING THE LEADER

The vote was cast for who would be the leader. Knock Out did not get to vote, and he did slightly resent it, especially at first. Optimus Prime had included him, after all. Not that it was any surprise to him or anyone else for that matter, who nearly unanimously won the vote—the only one who voted for someone different: Bumblebee. Although Knock Out may have resented that he had not been given a vote, he certainly did not envy the position. He had seen and dealt with leaders in plenty both good and bad, and it was a position only fools wanted.

For the first second or so, Bumblebee looked quite upset and he did not withhold his stoop; for evidently he had been surprised, or at least getting his hopes up about not being the leader.

"Aww, man," he said.

Now that was a big surprise, Knock Out thought with some sarcasm despite the solemnity of the event (that had already been broken up by Bumblebee's disappointment anyway), but hey, at least the fact that he doesn't want to be one is a good sign for his future as leader.

And he said something like it out loud without much thought of how it would be received, but like much of what he said it was not really what he said but how he said it that gave him the queer glances or people trying not to give them. But no one verbally responded to him at the moment, and Knock Out only shrugged with a broadening smile.

After recovering from the outcome of the tally, Bumblebee straightened seriously again and went on to say that he accepted the position. Although again Knock Out felt somewhat sorry for him, his trying to hide his disappointment was still funnier. The new leader apologized too in advance for the fact that he knew he would not be as good of a leader as Optimus Prime, but he also promised from his spark that he would try to be the best leader that he was capable of.

"Don't worry," said Arcee kindly, "you'll be a great leader."

Everyone else agreed, and said many encouraging things mostly summed up in the phrase, "We knew exactly what we were doing when we voted you in."

"But if you're not a Prime then what should we call you as a title?" teased Smokescreen.

"I was voted in," said Bumblebee, "I think that the position should be called 'president' like on Earth when they have elections, and my first act as president is to propose making the term last four years."

"Well, Mr. President," said Knock Out suddenly stepping forward a little, for he had been further to the back before this point inside the incomplete "Capital Hall", "With all due respect, four years is a short time, and I'd think it would just save everyone the trouble of voting you in a second term to make it longer to begin with."

Ratchet grimaced, and looked about to say something that he changed his mind about. Again it was more the tone than what Knock Out said, but Bumblebee did not take offense in the least, and said with just a touch of a sigh, "Then how long does everyone think the term should last?"

"Make it an even ten years," said Bulkhead.

That pleased everyone well enough, and crossing his arms Knock Out felt good about himself and still more amused and still more sympathetic toward Bumblebee; though he admittedly started to lose interest when they moved their meeting to other matters now that the question of leader had been solved. They spoke of what job everyone should continue having, and now, especially with new sparks ready to be found, they needed a good hatchery to keep them safe until reaching a point of physical maturity. There was also a question of how to reach out to any surviving Autobots and hopefully making peace with any surviving Decepticon out there unaware of their leader's withdrawal and the dissolution of the Decepticon cause.

"I'll volunteer for that job," Wheeljack offered in reference to going off-world to find others.

"Of course, he does," said Knock Out. "How predictable we're all being."

There was the uncertainty of the whereabouts of Starscream and Shockwave. It was doubtful that especially Starscream would be willing to give up. He and possibly Shockwave could cause trouble if the people of the renewed Cybertron were not careful, so everyone had to be on the lookout even if so far neither one could be picked up on any scanning device.

"And what about Mr. Hilarity here and the few remaining vehicons?" asked Arcee.

"I haven't forgotten them," said Bumblebee. "All past enmity is to be forgotten. Optimus would have wanted it that way, especially with those that are willing to give it up, but I do think that the vehicons and you, Knock Out, should still do some community service."

"Seems a little contradictory, if you ask me," said Knock Out crossing his arms. "If I'm on your side I should be treated like everyone else, and to count me with the vehicons I find fairly insulting."

"It's not like you're exactly in a position to complain," Arcee could not help but point out with a shrug.

"We wouldn't have to be giving you as much pardon as we are," agreed Ratchet, though a little less lightly. "We still don't even know if you really intend to be part of the group or if this is all just more about yourself. You still haven't exactly proven yourself."

"Well," remarked Knock Out rather haughtily. "I don't know how much more I have to do to prove to you my sincerity. Would cutting off my own limb for your cause help?"

"That's not what I mean and you know it," said Ratchet.

"Sorry, Ratchet," remarked Knock Out, "I didn't mean to fluster you."

The cock and ambiguity of his tone made poor Ratchet only feel more flustered, but Ultra Magnus was the one who motioned for them both to stop.

Bumblebee, pleased with Ultra Magnus' support, turned to the X-con.

"You'll be treated the same as the rest of us, Knock Out," he promised. "If one of us had to make up for something we would have to do it. It's just how a society works, but you are part of the family now, and the rest of us are going to be working just as hard anyway."

Here he smiled so sincerely that Knock Out had to relent.

"Okay, fine," he said with his usual mild humor again. "Since you put it like that I accept my community service as humbly as you accept yours. You know, in the spirit of family, after all. You still might have the worse service anyway."

Bumblebee's smile turned just a touch wry.

"At least I can see no one wants to depose me," he teased, and then he said in a more dutiful tone, "So, if it's alright with you, Ratchet, since Knock Out's expertise is in a similar field as yours would it be alright if he takes orders from you for a while?"

"Maybe for the sake of keeping away personality clashes for just a bit," said Arcee, "it would be better if he worked with Bulkhead for a while."

"No, I—" Ratchet started to say.

"Construction? Don't I get a say in this?" asked Knock Out holding up a finger. "I mean I would be more useful finding young ones than in construction, after all. Maybe I could go with Wheeljack here instead."

"Can't handle manual labor?" asked Smokescreen with a grin.

"It's not that!" retorted Knock Out. "I just can offer much more than carrying around I-beams all day."

"He can come with me," muttered Ratchet with a roll of his optics.

"Thank you, Ratchet," said Knock Out graciously.

Ratchet sighed, the reference to another time was not lost upon him and he said with a nod, "You're welcome."

"Okay, and Arcee can go with you both," said Bumblebee.

"Yes, sir, Mr. President," said Arcee.

"We'll start rebuilding the hatchery here like we said before," Bumblebee went on, "and finishing the palace slash Capital Hall, and the vehicons are under the command of Bulkhead to work on that. Wheeljack's taking the Jackhammer out with the message to any stragglers out there. I think someone should go with him. Would you do that Ultra Magnus?"

"I would," said Ultra Magnus.

"What should I do?" asked Smokescreen.

"Smokescreen," said Bumblebee smiling again, "for now, you and I are going to help with the construction work."

"Sounds good, Mr. President," said Smokescreen with a salute.

"So!" said Bumblebee, "I'd say the meeting's adjourned. Everyone roll out!"

And they all lived happily ever after, thought Knock Out chuckling without a thought either way of whether it was true or not. So far, although he still thought it all could have gone better, he knew that he could not complain. He was very pleased as well as quite confident that he would prove even to the doubters that he was one-hundred percent Autobot now in his convictions.

#

Upon a lordly throne sat the mighty king. Although long black shadows cast about most of his features, a pair of glowing eyes burned a crimson haze. It glinted upon a sharp and deadly crown studded in the rarest of crystal ever to be known in the universe and shone differently with every flicker of movement in colors that sometimes outshone the red of the piercing eyes.

It was not that a Cybertronian needed or cared for precious stone. They were, of course, beyond such things. Only primitive races fought over sparkles. Usually Cybertronians saw little use in wearing anything, but it did help to prove the power of his personage to find the rarest of all things in the universe.

And the scarlet and black robe?

Yes, perhaps it was a little much. Admittedly it was only for a bit of flare. After all, he was not lord but king. No. Not king, emperor. Supreme ruler of the universe!

A laugh escaped the mighty ruler upon his gleaming lofty throne. A scepter like deadly ice he held in his claws, and he grinned most vilely as he admired the new symbol of his reign. The Decepticon cause was deactivated. The Autobot cause was offline. What remained was Cybertronian under the banner of the black star of Starscream! The sound of a screaming star, he was named for. The sound of a super nova—if space had sound, naturally, but it did in the imagination, and it was the mind that was the domination of Starscream.

The broken wills of his subjects below building a world more magnificent than the glory days of Cybertron, willingly they worked for him. Willingly they kissed his feet. Starscream would look upon them with benevolence because of their love for him. Technically no one possessed the privilege of laying one appendage to the hem of his robe, but he had a soft spot for those paying homage and would only smile knowingly.

And yet, with the greatest benevolence did come greatest of wrath, and to anyone that was not grateful for all he had done for the universe and that wanted to overthrow him, the severest of punishments was bestowed. The knowledge of punishments was long and wise in the head of Starscream, and so few could dare to cross him without their due reward, and traitors were the worst punished.

Take those two statues on the far end of his great hall on either side of the door. Completely immobilized stood Megatron and Optimus Prime, online but unable to partake in the world any longer. After torments unceasing, he allowed them to live in this state.

"Always had they been fighting one facing the other," Starscream mocked. "It's only befitting that they remain for eternity as they always have been, wouldn't you agree, Soundwave?"

"It's only befitting," repeated Soundwave with the recorded voice of his new lord and master.

And did Starscream feel remorse for those he dominated? Did he feel guilt? Sometimes, admittedly, but what good ruler did not have his hours of brooding? His hours of doubt? And no one brooded with as much splendor as Emperor Starscream, just as much as no one knew how to live life to its fullest as Emperor Starscream. The best of all formal and honorable events were bestowed upon his people from all over the universe. The best of everything for his reign just as the worst there was for everyone who opposed him.

But today, after his laugh, a queer chill fell upon him, that was not normal. Some prick of doubt that he would be revenged upon by someone. The darkness was darker than usual. The images were faint echoes, and all he could hear clearly were his own thoughts and some strange and sickly humming. He tried to focus on his world, but he felt ill. He felt weak. He felt that he was forgetting something.

There was another king that was still out there for him. Another king more powerful than he was.

"Blasphemy!" Starscream spat, but he knew in his spark that it was true.

All went utterly black, and a thought finally penetrated through all others: the Predaking.

"I should be offline!" he whispered in hollow terror, but he did not whisper it; he only thought it…

A bright light flickered, or at least it felt bright compared to the false light of his subconscious. His optics flickered to full function. The realm of his dark fancy was all but forgotten, but the chamber was still dark, and the lights still struck black shadows darker. A deep pain struck him too before he realized he was lying upon a table. A deep dull pain proved that he had been in this state for some time. The humming, he could now be sure, came from within himself as some of his inner workings struggled to keep him functioning as well as he was.

With a gasp and a moan he closed his eyes and gnashed his teeth. A chill and a draft seemed to be sweeping in across his body except at his head which felt hot and heavy.

"Starscream. So far you seem mentally functional."

He knew that voice. Had he ever been more relieved to hear it? He might have choked on a sob had Cybertronians been capable of tears. He was not captive of the Autobots, but then he should have known with the dark claustrophobic atmosphere of this crude lair.

"Whu—whu—what happened?" he rasped. "Where's the Predaking? How did you find me? Why aren't I offline? I—I remember being attacked! I remember being thrown clear through the wall and trying to escape! Trying to fly away even damaged as I was, and the flames and the ripping teeth…"

Right beside him, though not facing him, and standing emotionlessly, Shockwave did not appear to be listening, and Starscream glowered.

"Shockwave! Answer me!" Starscream squealed in rage; he did not have the strength or the will to sound commanding.

Shockwave looked up at him steadily with his single empty optic from a small screen.

"I do not think it logical to explain to you the details of your rescue until after you are able to hear them. You are known for having an acute lack of control over your emotional responses. There is a strong likelihood of your cranial cooling system malfunctioning again and of you returning to a state of delirium from overheating if you do not control yourself."

"Delirium?" Starscream demanded in alarm. "How long was I delirious?"

"I needed to test your mental status by bringing you out of stasis as I have done for the previous five attempts. I will return you to stasis so that I can complete my work."

Starscream winced. "Five attempts?" he growled. "Over how long a time? Can you at least tell me where we are? And for what reason you've taken so much interest in my…recovery…"

He lowered his optics miserably and aside from feeling in pain and cold, he felt a great deal forsaken in such a vulnerable state. Not that he cared about him, but it hurt somehow to know that Shockwave would never in a million years rescue Starscream out of the remotest essence of fondness for him.

"We are in a makeshift laboratorial facility that I have built in an underground storage chamber left over from the beginnings of the war," Shockwave explained. "What little power there is to be used in here I have salvaged from other sources. So far all of my precautions have saved us from detection. I have salvaged an energy cloak that should keep us hidden for some time, but I have also made preparations to leave at any given moment. As for why I have rescued you, it was illogical to continue as a fugitive alone."

"You'd think it would be illogical to continue as a fugitive at all with the war over and all," Starscream remarked.

But suddenly Starscream regretted what he said, for if Shockwave knew as much as he did about the results of everything that had just happened, he may not continue helping him. He may abandon him and turn logically to surrender to the Autobots or worse! He might suggest Starscream to do the same. The terror that had struck him made his steaming head feel hotter, and he felt rather dizzy after he lifted his head up to see more clearly Shockwave's reaction.

"Uh—uh," Starscream stammered and slurred, "that is I—I mean since we are at such a low, and Lord Megatron may not return for some time, and—!"

"I am not offended by the fact that you are suggesting that I would betray my loyalty to the Decepticon Cause or Lord Megaton even though you have a number of times questioned my competency and loyalty, because at this time you are not in full control of your mental faculties due to your emotional stress."

As Shockwave spoke, Starscream panted trying desperately to cool his burning head, and he barely comprehended Shockwave's words as more than high vocabulary nonsense.

"Oh, shut up!" he growled at last and panted some more involuntarily now as his body tried to cool his head in any way it could. "You're not trying to fix me, you're trying to murder me, you traitorous scrapheap of illogical scrap! I despise you and Megatron and Optimus Prime and Knock Out too, the traitor! You're all trying to kill me, and after everything I've ever done for this ungrateful race of mine! Curse Cybertronians!"

"You're overheating again and delirium is imminent," said Shockwave in the same tone as before. "I will return you to stasis and continue."

"No! Wait!" Starscream wailed, but the lights went out.