No Mercy For Old Friends
(Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers universe. Bluewind is my character but every other character mentioned here is the property of Hasbro. I make no claim to the wonderful Transformers universe and all honor to those who actually own it and have developed it.)
Starscream walked the try dusty desert road. Back and forth the huge machine walked, wearing the dust road down with his weight. Normally Starscream would not be walking, such primitive methods of transport was for use inside a building and for lesser beings. Not for a proud Seeker Decepticon. But he needed to work off some steam, and he found that out here, deep in the Nevada desert, far away from the object of his ire he could get some of his rage out, and hopefully manage to get some control back over his emotions.
The object of Starscream's anger this day, like so many other times was Megatron, the Decepticon leader. Starscream had gotten an opening today, and greedily he had taken it. For but a few seconds Megatron had stood with his back to his second, the huge, gray robot's attention had been on something Soundwave was saying. It was perfect! With a scream of triumph Starscream had lunged for his leaders back, intending to get a hold of the wires which ran just below Megatron's neck plates, ripping those wires would leave the older robot helpless and easy to dispose of, and Starscream would finally be able to call himself the leader of the Decepticons.
Starscream's triumphant scream soon turned into a yelp however as Megatron grabbed him by one of his wings and simply threw the smaller robot off him like one of the flesh bag humans would toss away an aggressive puppy. Now that was annoying enough, but Starscream was not stupid, he knew his attack was a long shot, he could never match Megatron's physical strength, for while he stood almost as tall, Starscream was far more sleek and slender and his wight was several tons less than that of his leader. The only chance his plan had to work was if he had managed to incapacitate the other robot before Megatron had the chance to react. Starscream could hardly feel such anger that his once in a million chance had failed, it was to be expected. No what really rankled Starscream was that he stood here in this desert now, he was not on a table needing repairs, and except for a long, ugly scrape in the blue paint on his left leg, he was fine. Megatron had just tossed him aside, and then gone back to discussing some plans with Soundwave.
Starscream had prepared for the worst, stumbling to his feet, but Megatron had not shot him, hit him or done anything to him. Megatron had simply ignored Starscream as if the younger robot had not just tried to kill him! Lest week Skywarp had dared to quite politely question one of Megatron's orders, that had resulted in Megatron giving the blueish black Decepticon such a beating that Starscream had spent three days trying to put the other Seeker back together again. And even with Starscream's best efforts Skywarp could not transform until spare parts came from Cybertron, he was just limping around headquarters with his pain receptors turned to minimum. Even Starscream halfway felt sorry for Skywarp when he was called in to do repairs and saw his fellow Seeker's condition after Megatron was done with him.
Now Starscream did not particularly desire to be shot or beaten, but Megatron's complete lack to reaction showed that he believed Starscream to be no danger to his person, a foolish creature to be regarded with no more concern than a small dog snapping at ones heels. Any other Decepticon would be half way killed for the defiance the second had showed his leader, and yet Megatron had not even bothered to punish his wayward second. Starscream did not enjoy being taken so lightly, he did not like it one bit, so as soon as he could he had left headquarters and had gone to someplace he could be alone and scream his anger over the injustice of it all to the skies.
It was then the audio sensors of the raging robot noticed a sound, the low hum of a well tuned engine. Turning to look in the direction of the sound Starscream saw a small, light blue pickup truck heading down another dust road which ran parallel to the one he himself stood on. Starscream was about to ignore the truck, he was in no mood to worry about human beings right now. But then a small red symbol on the hood covering the pickup's engines caught Starscream's attention. Focusing his optical sensors Starscream noted that there was no human flesh bag driving the little blue car. Starscream grinned, the Nevada desert was Autobot territory. Perhaps this day would not be a total loss, the killing of some lone Autobot would definitely make Starscream's mood better.
After a quick check with the sensors he normally only used in his jet form to confirm that the blue truck was in fact the only Autobot around, Starscream did after all not want to end up in a fight he could not win, The Decepticon second took aim with one of his arm guns, Starscream was one of the best marksmen in the Decepticon army, and he was pretty sure he would not miss. With a sharp hiss the energy weapon discharged and smashed a beam of bright destruction right into the blue Autobot's side. Starscream smirked, bullseye. The Autobot lost control and skidded across the road, soon there came a very satisfying bang and the scream of bending metal as the other robot hit a nearby mountainside.
Starscream lowered his arm and begun to run towards where he had heard the bang to see if the Autobot was still alive. Starscream kind of hoped that he was, he was still angry and eager for a fight. After he had taken a few steps the Decepticon heard the sound of metal turning and snapping into new positions. The Autobot was transforming. Starscream willed his legs to move faster, he was looking forward to this. Soon the Decepticon was upon the wounded Autobot. The robot was far smaller and more stocky than the sleek Starscream. His coloring was light gray and blue with red decorations here and there. Starscream had not recognized the Autobot's vehicle form, but now that he could see the other transformer's face sparks of recognitions flew across his processor.
Starscream remembered this robot, he had once been his friend. Long ago before the start of the war. Starscream had not been a soldier then like he was now, he had been one of Cybertron's most promising scientists. Bluewind as the robot lying broken before him was named had been one of the many eager young lab assistants swarming the research center Starscream had worked in back then. For some reason Starscream had taken a shine to the energetic young robot and the two had slowly formed a friendship, a friendship which was torn apart as the two ended up on opposite sides of the Decepticon/Autobot war.
"I see you have traded in wings for wheels Bluewind."
Starscream said as he remembered the small jet like vehicle which earlier had been Bluewind's second form. The Autobot looked up at his attacker and with a voice sparking and popping with disturbance created by his wounds he muttered.
"Starscream, by the stars, is that you? Are you here on Earth?"
Starscream shrugged.
"I could ask you the same Bluewind, I have not seen you among Prime's band of merry men before."
The Autobot grinned slightly and gasped in pain before he answered.
"I have just arrived, yesterday in fact from Cybertron. Now I expected many things coming to this strange planet, but not to see you my old friend. Are you still fighting for the Decepticons."
Starscream nodded, he had lost a bit of his normal bravado, he felt a bit conflicted about what to do next. But after all this machine before him was an enemy, he had to destroy him, to leave an enemy alive was weakness, and Starscream could not afford weakness. But as things turned out, he expected he would enjoy this murder far less than he had hoped.
"Yes...Yes I am Bluewind. And that do leave me in a bit of an unfortunate situation. We are on opposite sides of a war old friend, and you are my enemy, I have no choice but to destroy you."
Bluewind looked up at Starscream, shock and surprise evident in his glowing blue eyes. Slowly, desperately he tried to lift one of his arms into a defensive position, not that that such a gesture would help much, but his last transformation had taken allot out of him, and wounded as he was Bluewind could not do much other than sit there, completely at Starscream's mercy.
"Starscream, come on, yes there is a war, and I am not saying we will not end up meeting one another on the battle field, but there is no battle now. We where friends once, do that not account for something? You can not just murder me!"
Starscream let out a sigh, the sound was strange and metallic and sounded out of place coming from the giant robot.
"I have no choice. You have thrown your lot in with the Autobots, I can not let you go. Every one of your kind have to be destroyed! If you have a Deity you wish to make your peace with, do it now."
Bluewind looked on in horror as Starscream raised his white arm again and pointed his arm grun directly at him. The little, blue Autobot knew he would not survive a hit from that gun at close black range.
"But...Starscream..."
The Autobot begun, but he could see from the look in Starscream's red eyes that no protests or pleas would work. Realizing his hour of death was upon him Bluewind strained to sit up straighter. If he was going to die, he would die with some dignity. Starscream sigh again, at least he could give his old friend that much. Bending down the Decepticon grabbed a hold of the smaller robot's upper arms and hoisted him up to his feet. His old friend would die standing as a warrior should.
"I will give you a few minutes to say your prayers and turn off your pain sensors Bluewind."
Starscream said as he again aimed his weapon at the small Autobot.
The Decepticon's weapon hummed and then exploded into a ray of death. Bluewind screamed as he was blown apart. Starscream stood there silently as warped metal which used to be his friend rained down around him. Bending down over the destroyed robot Starscream ripped the small Autobot's head open and ripped out his central processor. The Decepticon straighten and looks down at the small round object in his hand. This small bauble was Bluewind. Starscream had one just like it in his own head, all his kind did. Their bodies was just tools, this processor contained their consciousness, as long as the central processor was intact a transformer could be rebuilt. Starscream looked at what was effectively speaking Bluewind's soul, then in one smooth movement he closed his hard, there was a crunching sound and Bluewind was no more.
Starscream's anger had cooled, so had his lust for a fight. Just for now all he wanted to do was go to his chambers in the headquarters and recharge his batteries and just forget this bleak day. Starscream leaped into the air, metal turned, joints twisted, latches clicked into new configurations and soon a red and white jet speed across the skies in the direction of the Decepticon's underwater headquarters, leaving behind the Nevada desert and the broken pieces of scrap which once had been a proud , leaving behind the Nevada desert and the broken pieces of scrap which once had been a proud Autobot.