Author's Note: Okay, so the .docx documents are chill. I was a bit worried—but things are going to be fine. XD Thanks for all of your awesome reviews! You guys are fantastic!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.
Chapter 11: Hate is Power
The strongest song.
The strongest song I know…well, that would be Implements of Destruction by Chimera, but that's all instrumental, Starscream pondered to himself, staring at the weaved metal cords of the microphone's bud in frustration, and that would probably blow up the mountain anyways, as long as Skywarp is doing it by himself…and then the second strongest is 'Ghost Love Score' by Nightwish, which wouldn't be much better…hmm…'1stp Klosr' by Linkin Park…oh, what should I do? They gave me way too many choices. Okay, next best choice is 'Giving In' by Adema. It's pretty strong, but not that strong. He regarded Wheeljack for a moment, knowing his 'I-think-I-know-but-not-really' personality could sometimes bring him conclusions which, really…weren't conclusions. Best thing to stay safe than sorry.
"But what if it's a song you don't like?" the mini-seeker asked in a worried voice after staring at Jazz, Sunstreaker and Wheeljack whom stood at the edge of the rec room for a moment.
His guardian sighed with exasperation, shaking his head as he said, this time a bit more urgently, "It'll be fine, little buddy. We're not gonna get angry at you if anything gets broken."
Well, that's good, Starscream mused, scratching the side of his head with a single finger. "Okay…do you think—"
"Just sing, Starscream," murmured Sunstreaker, obviously getting annoyed.
The ivory seeker gulped. It was never good when Sunstreaker got angry.
Then he sighed, straightening before gazing at the microphone again. "Okay…here's goes nothing…"
--
"Well, we've exhausted all of our options, Skyfire," Optimus Prime stated evenly at his head science officer, but not without some disappointment. "There's only one thing left."
"Well, I hope you got some ideas, because I'm all out. From what Wheeljack and I have found, there are no leads to take on…not even any clues to perceive, unless Thundercracker gave you any helpful hints," replied the larger one, his expression clearly sad and tired of the project he was put on.
Prime shook his head, but didn't seem as daunted as Skyfire thought he should be. "He's in the dark as much as we are, I'm afraid. However, a lot of things have gone over in my core processor about the entirety of the situation. We've been making terrible progress in attempting to find out what's might be affecting the kids from the outside, but we haven't even fathomed what might come from within."
The seeker glanced up at him, cocking his head in confusion. "Within, Optimus?"
"Think about it—how many times have we asked of Starscream what's wrong, or are you okay?" Prime asked, glancing at Ironhide and Sideswipe to join the conversation. The crimson and white mechs exchanged glances between them before glancing back at the bearer of the Matrix and shaking their heads. "It's because Starscream is so quiet and conservative, he never wants to worry anybody with his problems. Insecurity, if you will, that makes him want to hide and shield himself because he's afraid he'll get hurt in turn for showing his emotions. Blackbird no doubt was a cause of this—above all, it's a part of his personality. If you think of him as a Decepticon adult, he was always sensitive and took insults very personally, even if they weren't that bad. In this, he did everything in his power to refrain from getting emotionally hurt, even causing himself physical pain."
"True," Ironhide rumbled, crossing his arms. From the movement, a chunk of old armor crumbled from his upper arm and clattered to the floor, surprising the other mechs as they stood back. Four pairs of optics became trained on the piece of crimson, weak armor before they glanced up to seek out the place it had left—and, to their surprise, a flourish of ebony met their stunned orbs.
"Black?" Sideswipe asked, wondering why his own body hadn't changed colors.
"Black," Ironhide replied, flicking off more of the crumbling outer shell. Suddenly, and to the room's horror, there's was an ominous crack before the entire red armor composing the bodyguard's left arm broke off and fell to the silver tiles of the floor below. "Sweet Primus…!" the weapons specialist cursed, startled as he took a quick step back.
"Your cannons…" Skyfire said in awe, taking under his sparked gaze the enormity of the silver bulks that practically ate up his forearm. Swiftly walking over to him before the other could protest, the ivory mech took hold of the fresh parts and in his curiosity began to examine, poking and prodding every detail that he could suck in. "This is nothing like I have ever seen before…regenerating…meaning you'll never have to recharge your weaponry again. Lest this, you don't even need to carry around your pistol again. This is well over five times the firepower that was contained by your previous firing methods…on this cannon alone!" he exclaimed, glancing up at the elder 'bot, "Think if you have it on both!"
Ironhide stood straight in awed amazement, hope making his sapphire optics shine like they hadn't done in thousands of years. Prime watched in pleased shocked as he watched the older style of Transformer fall prey to a new, more complex, more powerful type of body that held promise of a protected, happy future. As he considered this with an accompanied smile, a bit of his own armor cooled on his faceplates and started—as it always did—to itch. Being used to it, he thought nothing of it as he began to scratch before an entire slab of his face broke off. "Oh dear," he gasped while gaping at the plate, optics wide.
"Hehe, Primus givin' you a facelift, Prime?" Sideswipe snickered, right before his front thigh crumbled, making him cry out before the process continued. "Oh, by the Matrix! We're like mummies!"
"Wait a minute—" Optimus abruptly gasped, glancing at the twin before taking him by the shoulders—inducing more crumbling armor—before demanding, "Sideswipe, what did you say?"
The crimson Lamborghini cocked his head, confusion in his optics before he asked, "What, mummies? Well, I was think that instead of nasty toilet paper being wrapped around us, our armor—"
"No, no, no," the leader interrupted, "Before that."
"Primus giving you a facelift?"
"Yes! Why didn't I think of it before?!"
"What? Getting a facelift?"
"No, Primus! C'mon, we need to find Starscream and Skywarp!"
His crew was thoroughly confused as they all walked briskly behind him, all of their armor breaking off like dried mud from skin. Clearly something was happening that was making the process of their newer bodies come far quicker than before—including Prime himself. He could feel a piece of sapphire armor on the back of his thigh crack and release; he took a single hand and snapped it off—inducing a sharp twinge of pain that didn't last long—before looking at it. His optics grew wide: the piece was huge! He took a quick glance at Ironhide, who was busy attempting to keep all his scraps together, before regarding Skyfire. The large mech was gnawing at his forearm, the itchy syndrome again, before there was a soft click and a sheet of ivory came apart from the limb. Replaced with a gleaming, pearly paintjob of thicker, sleeker armor. More alien. More beautiful.
"I need to get samples of all our old armor," the scientist said, drifting away from his depression that had been dominant some ten breems beforehand. "This might have some alien radiation that shows who might be creating this change. This is incredible Optimus—I never imagined this ever happening."
"Hopefully for the better," the leader replied steadily, coming up the rec room.
That was before a huge explosion sent all four mechs crashing back against the ship's walls.
--
"Erm, Hook," Barricade muttered, walking into the bright, often too bright, hospital wing of the Decepticon fortress. "Are you there?"
"What do you want, Barricade?" sighed the perfectionist Constructicon, regarding the other with impatience as he appeared from a separate room.
"A piece of my armor fell off," replied the Race Track Patrol leader, lifting his arm to prove he was speaking the truth.
Hook, now more inquiring than angry, walked up to the small 'bot and took the limb under his inspection, obviously just as baffled as the host. "You diet lately?"
"Energon feeds twice a day," Barricade stated evenly, "there's nothing I've been doing as of late that should've changed the context of my armor. I've thought about it, checked over my daily routines. It's all been the same."
"But the environment changed on you," Hook countered, pulling him further into the room before seating him on a medical bench.
"Why didn't it come sooner, then? I've been here about two weeks Earth time and I haven't received any reports that this is a bad thing…I'm not sure if I should be worried my CPU is failing or happy that this might result in…good…or something. I just don't know. It didn't even hurt when I pulled it off," the crimson and sapphire mech replied, taking the piece of stale armor under his gaze.
"Did it have any sensation before that?"
"It was extremely itchy. That's how it came off; I scratched so hard that it ended up breaking off."
"Itchy?"
"Yes. Need I spell it out for you?"
"Shut up. Let me see it," growled the other, taking his limb again without consent. Examining it deeply, he went as far to take the liberty to stick his finger in the gaping hole and earned a hard smack on the head.
"Don't do that!" Barricade snarled, snatching his arm back. "It felt too weird!"
"Felt weird? What do you mean by that?" Hook muttered, holding his sore helm as he glared in spite at the other.
The cruiser twitched from the question, looking just embarrassed enough for the green and purple mech across from him to notice. "It just felt weird," he said before Hook could speak any conclusions.
The Constructicon snorted before taking back the arm again and, suddenly and to his horror, the entire piece of thick metal surrounding the forearm simply slipped off—making the doctor stumble back and Barricade screech in terror. "It—it just came off!" he cried, leaping to his feet to stare at it in utter shock. "S-sweet Primus!"
"Calm down, you glitch!" Hook snarled, shoving the other onto the bed once again and urging him to relax. "Your arm is still intact—it looks like fresh armor is coming in, so just chill out. Now, where's my scalpel?"
"What're you going to do with that?" Barricade demanded, not liking the sound of something so sharp and ill-intent to the new, sensitive ebony armor that had appeared. It almost looked like all that was left was his metal skeleton—something that he didn't take too kindly. Just the idea of being bear right down to his own metal bones was something frightening indeed; and like he didn't get enough attention from being the smallest in the squadron anyways. Now this had to come along?
"Just going to check some things. Quit your complaining," the other growled in return, holding up something that looked quite akin to a torture device.
"Don't get near me with that! Leave me be!" barked the cruiser, already attempting to get on his feet and attain his escape.
A brawl let out between the two as Hook tried to keep him down and Barricade tried to escape. Loud Cybertronian curses floated through the room, filling up its dim silence that usually blanketed it. They halted all at once, however, when the door slid open to reveal a rather perplexed Blackout, whose arms were placed behind him and making an odd up and down movement. He noticed the two tangled in a frozen fight and seemed to not really care as he entered the room, muttering, "Hook, I've got a problem."
"What is it now?" snarled the perfectionist, gripping Barricade around the waist to ensure his captivity.
"I just got really itchy."
CRACK.
"…Oh slag."
--
Optimus Prime lifted himself from the dented sliver walls of the Ark, biting back a groan as he did so. He had not felt such a powerful force in such a long time—perhaps in his younger years in Cybertron, when the war had just begun and the most powerful of weapons were being introduced. Albiet the loss of energon led to less powerful weapons, but nevertheless, his fear for the children was imperative above all else, and he recognized that they might be endangered. Sideswipe and Ironhide on his right, Skyfire on his left, Prime managed to get to his feet and shake off some of the lasting effects of the blast before finally straightening and easing his comrades up as well.
He noticed that he had been hit in the leg and the pain was abruptly excruciating, as the vibrant, fresh armor was also as sensitive as it was new. Ignoring it for now, the leader regarded his other companions and noticed that most of them were somewhat unscathed. Of course, they hadn't been hit directly by the blast. If they had been, surely they would've offlined otherwise.
"What was that?" Sideswipe gasped, holding his arm that had the newer armor. It had been punctured and bright, neon blue liquid was seeping from the wound.
"Listen," Ironhide snapped, lifting his head. "Singing. Starscream!"
Optimus twitched before rushing past them, dragging them along behind his wake to reach the rec room once more. The last corridor to the hall was long and appeared almost brooding—right before another enormous blast shot through the metal some fifty feet in front of them as if it were no more than tissue paper. As the power screamed past, a distinct voice could be heard; small, young and beautiful, but entirely depressed and full of misery. Why was Starscream singing such a song? Why wasn't Skywarp harnessing the energy?
The sapphire and crimson mech could think about it another time—what was most important right now was getting to the recreational room. Resuming his path, he also noticed a huge shadow pass through the intersection the hallways as well, realizing that it was Grimlock going to face the problem. Some five Autobots followed behind him, including Prowl, Ratchet (who had a trail of broken armor crumbling at his feet), Trailbreaker, Arcee, and Raindance. Ratchet halted at seeing his leader, his expression desperate.
"Prime!" the doctor cried, just as another slab of white parted from his shoulder and clattered from the floor, but he didn't falter. "The energy is increasing our spark strength! The new armor is feeding off the receptors in our skeletal bones," he said, resuming to walk with the other as they finally saw the door to the rec room. It looked boding. "With so much power, it has no need to take its time and all of our old armor is weakening. Everyone is getting it—it only makes me wonder if Jazz, Sunstreaker and Wheeljack have received the same. I hope nothing serious has happened."
"The song is full of despair," Optimus whispered, noticing as Grimlock ripped through the offending barrier without reservation, "so full of…agony."
The doctor regarded him silently, unsure of what to say. The leader was obviously in pain—he feared Starscream, who was like a son to him, to be in any kind of misery. As they got into the room, the scene was finally revealed to him: and he could help but gasp in horror at the sight.
The room was completely destroyed. What would've been the walls were now gaping open with that looked like a massive creature of sorts used its talons to completely shred the concrete, metal and other fixtures of the room. More shocking was the fact that, with Starscream standing in the middle and singing his little spark out, the machines next to him appeared completely unscathed. The little 'bot was hunched over, seemingly in torture, his hysterical voice wreaking even more havoc in the room. Even as Grimlock made his way over the sparkling, he was thrown back by something bright blue, energy perhaps, before being slammed against the wall like a rag doll.
"Pain…" Optimus gasped, realizing what he most feared: the song determined the type of energy. And, being what it was, definitely was not a happy song.
"Where's Sunstreaker?" Sideswipe cried over the noise, frantic optics searching the vicinity. "And Jazz and Wheeljack?! Sweet Primus, where's Skywarp?!"
Before Prime could even make his way to respond, the ship suddenly shuddered and knocked him off balance, making his large stature stumble forward just as another shockwave of energy was released. Fear enveloped him at the realized he was going to receive a direct hit. Squeezing his optics shut, he meekly prepared himself…when nothing came.
A soft cry made his optics shutter open again, before an ebony flash zoomed in front of his optic view. In all the chaos, Optimus couldn't help but be relieved at the sight of the other sparkling, noticing that he wasn't even scratched, but, to his surprise, having attained a completely new body. Skywarp slid to the ground from his jump, leaping once more with strong, fresh legs as he whirled about in a frantic, if not erratic, dance to control the agonized energy. "OPT!" he cried, leaping in front of the leader once more as he whirled about, catching the glimmer of brilliant energy on his dark, thin armor. The energy bent, reveling for a moment before dispersing in a harmless explosion of fizzing sapphire. "Opt, stop Swar!"
Prime immediately caught the intention of the request and leapt closer into the pandemonium, feeling the burning sensations of his new armor from the spike in energy around him. The ship trembled again—another surge flowed throughout and this time the leader was prepared, jumping just right when the moment counted. It passed underneath him and the bearer of the Matrix gave a silent thanks to Primus before making his journey again. Surrounding Starscream was a huge amount of energy, not at all ordered, conducting an insane dance of fury and power. Optimus almost couldn't believe it—such a small creature, how could he possibly have so much strength? Nevertheless, the leader continued onward with each wayward step, trying to get Starscream's attention, break the trance that he had somehow flowed into.
Just a little further…he whispered to himself, reaching out a hand to physically touch the smaller. He was answered by a huge wash of pain that scorched his arm, making him cry out and fall back. Clutching the offended limb, he realized that there must've been a barrier and he certainly would not be able to gain the attention of the other through touch…but he had to get to him somehow…
And he knew just the way.
Sighing, allowing his body to relax despite the damage reports piling up, Prime focused mentally as he pushed through the deep despair Starscream had surrounded himself in, creeping through the cracks of doubt in his resolve to end everything around him. His little spark, as Optimus realized once seeing it, was absolutely terrified.
Little one, the uncle murmured softly, reaching out to mentally gain his attention. Do not be afraid.
Optimus? Starscream reciprocated, voice trembling. Wh-what're you doing here?
You're scared, the other replied gently, allowing the power of his own spark to warm that of the little 'bot's, drawing Starscream back into reality.
But I thought…oh no! I lost control! The mini-bot gasped, immediately awakening himself from the trance. All at once the misery broke around him, shattering the spell that some other force had placed him in. There was an ominous presence behind all of this—Optimus felt overwhelmed by it right before it shut itself completely from Prime's mind receptors, but he had still felt it. He knew it was there.
Nevertheless, he allowed himself to return to a physical world, opening his optics and noticing that everything had finally stopped. All energy that had been there before was now dispersed, the rumbling had stopped, only the soft groans of startled Autobots getting back on their feet could be heard now. That and rubble time to time falling from where it used to be positioned on the walls or the ceilings. Then, suddenly, a new sound was bred and it pulled at Prime's sparkstrings more than anything else: Starscream began to cry.
His new, beige body was awkward for him as he rested on the ground below, curling up as if the floor might come up and swallow him. Optimus quietly walked over to him and rested on his knees, taking off the tiny headphones from the smaller's helm before tenderly picking him up and holding him close to his spark.
"I'm…I'm sorry!" he exclaimed through sobs, "I didn't mean to…to hurt anybody!"
"It's okay, little one, shsh…" cooed the leader, rising to his feet again while gently rubbing the panels of Starscream's first armor to get him to calm down. "Relax, everyone's all right…"
Unable to say anything through hiccups and coughs alike, Starscream merely burrowed his head into the larger one's broad, warm chassis. Painful guilt, raw and cold, was prominent in his little spark as Optimus mentally, as well as physically, reassured the tiny 'bot into going into recharge. Arcee walked up to her commander with some sense of her own guilt, glancing down at Starscream and murmuring, "He's not hurt, is he?"
"No, he's perfectly fine," responded the other, allowing her to see the upset sparkling before enclosing him in protection again. "I don't think he realized what was going on when producing such power. They probably—"
"Can we get some help over here?" a wonderfully recognizable voice said from behind a pile of rubble, catching everyone's attention.
"Grimlock," Optimus requested, glancing at the Dinobot.
"Me going, me going…" rumbled the other, another large chunk of his own armor cascading to the floor as a fresh wave of black met everyone's astonished gazes. Grimlock seemed oblivious to the fact, however, as he walked across the room and, upon arriving at the rubble, began parting it and throwing large pieces away. Arcee and a few others went to aid him, making the process go quicker before, eventually, it was cleared. What was shown was two large and one small tangled in with one another, Grimlock taking the liberty to gain the smallest before proceeding to Wheeljack and Sunny.
"Another mini-bot?" he asked as he raised Jazz for all to see by the ankle, "Very pretty."
"If you don't put me down, I will personally sick my little buddy on you!!" snarled the other, struggling to be released.
He was dropped immediately with a loud clang on the floor, shocked mechs around the room staring at him as they were staring at an immortal spark. Jazz wearily got to his feet and, in noticing that many were simply gaping at him, asked innocently, "What?"
"You're…silver," noted Trailbreaker, coming up to him with awe and reaching out to him. "And so small!"
"Yeah, well, the best presents come in the smallest packages!" exclaimed the other as he rounded the emerald 'bot, not wanting to be touched. His entirely body felt like it had just been submersed in a pool of energon (which, in all honesty, wasn't far from the truth) as he made his way over to Prime.
"How do you feel?" asked the commander once his OPS agent arrived.
"Weird," replied the other, having to go on his tip-toes to see how his charge was doing. Still tearful, but the pain in his spark had died away from the warmth of forgiveness Optimus had surrounded him in. "How's my little guy doin'?"
The miniature seeker sniffed before reaching out and taking one of the three claws that consisted of Jazz's new hand. "Okay…" whispered Starscream, hugging the silver one's hand to him. "I'm sorry I got so out of control…"
"Hey, we're the ones who told ya to do it," Jazz replied sternly, noting that Starscream was beginning to put the blame on himself, "I'm not angry at ya at all. As a matter of fact, you blew us outta the water (literally)! That's why everything went so haywire, 'kay buddy?"
Starscream appeared to be a bit surprised that his guardian would defend him, but smiled nonetheless and nodded. "'Kay…"
"Where's Skywarp?" Sunstreaker demanded as he got untangled from the ivory inventor who looked shaken from the scene around him.
"Tunny!" a small voice exclaimed, right below Ironhide's feet. The ebony seeker stood next to the weapon specialist, as the bulky old 'bot had saved him from a destructive energy wave, before Skywarp parted from the other to go to his guardian. Sunstreaker looked utterly relieved at the sight before rolling away from Wheeljack and Grimlock, released from his captivity. Standing up was relatively easy, just before a little ball of energy smacked him in the face and earned a rather childish yelp from the elder. Stumbling, he caught the little guy and patted him on the back as Skywarp affectionately rubbed his face panels against the other.
"Then we're all okay," Ratchet stated beside his commander, a brief smile brightening his features. "Good, good."
Optimus, a sudden voice called over the comm. link, Optimus, come in.
Yes, what is it? He asked in turn, immediately becoming in tune with his communication receptor.
We're in the hangar bay right now and Thunder is not doing well. All of his armor broke off and he's enormous…however, something else is going wrong. We need your assistance, as well as Ratchet's, replied Nightwind, her tone worried but held stone-still. She might as well been talking about a generator being broken.
We'll be there at once, Prime responded before turning to his doctor.
"Come," he ordered to the medic, pulling him along with a single hand as he brought along Starscream. Others naturally followed, and he didn't mind, but the idea of losing Thundercracker had brought a new fear to his mind. Starscream had gone unnaturally quiet and still, not even making a single peep as he curled deeper into the strength of Prime's chest.
"What is wrong?" Ratchet asked, his expression as hard as his will.
"Thundercracker," stated his commander simply, walking faster as he gave a wave of warmth to Starscream. There was no reaction.
--
"By the Matrix," Sideswipe gasped, staring at the quivering form of Thundercracker laying on the floor before their worried, yet wide, optics. "He's huge! He's gotta be bigger than Prime!"
"Still smaller than Skyfire, though," noted his twin, coming on the left of him as Skywarp clambered onto his cousin's hurt form.
"O…Optimus…" whispered the silver and beautiful seeker, reaching out a clawed hand to gain contact with the Autobot leader.
Prime immediately sat next to him, putting Starscream at his brother's neckline as the sparkling urged to be. Taking his hand, Optimus squeezed it gently as he observed the seeker's wounds, gaping gashes that were scattered about his frail form. Ratchet shoved the offending 'bots out of the way to get a better look, crouching down while using some of his tools to get better inspection. Nightwind was at the top, cradling Thundercracker's head on her bent legs while rubbing his shoulder plates gentle and rhythmically, attempting to ease some of the pain from his body.
"Primus…" Ironhide gasped beside him, taking hold of one of Thundercracker's trembling legs in his large palms. One particular gash was across his upper thigh, the new armor shredded from one side to the other as energon flowed like water over the gleaming silver.
"We're going to need four or five 'bots on this," Ratchet stated, rising to his feet, "the biggest ones we've got. Prime, Ironhide, Skyfire, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, all of you will need to work together to get him to the emergency room. C'mon, get to it!"
The others nodded stoutly as mechs and femmes alike cleared away to allow them space. Starscream, who absolutely refused to part from his brother, clung to Thundercracker as he was raised from the ground. Skyfire had him around the chest as Prime and Ironhide were across from one another while Sunstreaker and his twin got the bottom half. The silver one cried out softly as he was forced to move about, his body convulsing every time a wound was hit. Wheeljack and Bumblebee suddenly appeared in between the four other mechs and eased some of the weight up, helping the process go faster.
"O-Optimus," the seeker gasped, his head lolling back.
"Hold on, Thundercracker. Don't give into recharge. Don't go into stasis lock, either. That's an order," the leader demanded, unable to keep his voice from wavering.
"N…no…not that…I know what did this…AH!" he gasped, twitching as fingers brushed against the sensitive metal, bringing a heady rush of pain. "You have to listen before…it's too late..!"
"What do you mean?" the commander asked in turn, audio receptors from everyone in tune for every word that passed in between them.
"Unicron! He's…coming!"
--
A/N: This chapter was a bit shorter than the others. :) I wrote it pretty quickly, though, so I hope you enjoyed!
Read and review, please.