Darksteel was the first Predacon he saw. He was carrying a large sheet of metal, walking along high up on a platform. The most perfect place for an accident.

Starscream landed in front of him, and his claws flexed in anticipation for what he was going to do. The figure knew what was going to happen, but was too far away to interject. Starscream, testing his abilities, swiped at Darksteel's arm.

The reaction was satisfying. Darksteel yelped because of the sudden attack, dropping the metal on his foot. Darksteel shouted again, then began muttering swears under his breath. A few vehicons turned their heads, wondering what had happened.

Darksteel coughed and quickly grabbed a good hold of the metal, trying to regain his composure. Everyone went back to work, none seeing the streams of energon leaking from Darksteel's arm.

What might of happened if Starscream hadn't been interrupted, one could say it would have been much more cruel. Maybe he would have lived a horrible, dark and beast-filled afterlife, never satisfying his rage if someone had allowed him to attack Darksteel even more viciously. He was preparing the leap that would have enabled him to claw Darksteel's eyes, when suddenly a whining engine caught his attention.

Its familiarity shocked him, so he stood up and whirled around. Is that… it is.

He transformed and rose up, tall and straight. Then walked silently toward Darksteel, or so Starscream had thought at first. He stopped in front of Starscream, and breezed his digits over his arm. The touch was there, and that was all he needed to do to pass the message.

"By Primus," he breathed. "Soundwave, you…"

The mech nodded slowly, but even if his visor covered his face Starscream could tell his emotion by the way he performed the action. It was sadness.

"No one knew what happened to you," Starscream murmured, his attention now fully on Soundwave. "You disappeared."

His screen flickered to life, and Soundwave began playing a video taken from his perspective to show him what had happened to him the day the Autobots stormed the warship.

He was being pulled by two ground bridges, then suddenly, they closed. Through Soundwave's point of view, he saw fingers sliding through the form of the human in armor. Starscream thought then he was dead, but the human left, saying words that he didn't understand at first.

"Enjoy the shadowzone dude!"

Then he saw Soundwave turning around confusedly. He felt the objects and walls, and they were solid. Then Starscream's optics widened as he realized that Soundwave hadn't died then, but he had been trapped in another dimension.

A time lapse occurred, and on the screen Soundwave popped up two bars representing the energon reserves left in both him and Laserbeak. As videos fast-forwarded, he watched Soundwave pacing around the warship, with the bars decreasing all the while. Starscream felt a pulling in his core as he watched how the time kept going forward until the levels reached a low point in which they began flashing dangerously. The video was still going, but the visual stayed the same. Soundwave was now sitting, too weak to stand.

Suddenly there was a beep as the energon meter as Laserbeak's was finally empty. The visual showed Soundwave sit up quickly and catch Laserbeak when he fell off his chest. Approximately another cycle passed, the whole time Soundwave held Laserbeak's dead body in his hands, occasionally stroking the metal of his wings. Then Soundwave's movements slowed, and then ceased so that his hand was left resting on the minicon. The bar beeped, then the recording cut to blackness.

"I had no idea," Starscream whispered. "No one did. The humans, I don't think they told anyone…"

Starscream then realized that Laserbeak was not in Soundwave's torso. He blinked slowly, then said to Soundwave sincerely, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Soundwave did not respond. It was because he made no movement that his sorrow was signaled.

Starscream forgot his desire to harm. Now that he heard, or rather saw what happened to Soundwave, it was hard to feel angry for himself. Maybe he had changed somewhat, he thought to himself, for he truly felt saddened and sorry for him. The way he died took too long, and it was painful to think about.

Soundwave knew that there was nothing he could have done, there was no way he could have refuelled. There was no way out for him either. Those fraggin' humans had no idea what happened to him after; how much he suffered.

He might have committed suicide, and Starscream knew he would have if Laserbeak hadn't been there. He wouldn't have allowed himself to kill Laserbeak and himself as well. Even if it would have ended their suffering, the silent mech couldn't follow through with the idea.

"You've been here longer than I have," Starscream said. "No one has seen you."

To that, Soundwave cocked his head quizzically. Then Starscream realized.

"We aren't the only ones," he said. "I can tell you that I have already met Cliffjumper."

Soundwave nodded. Starscream knew how to interpret this.

"Think about him, and then you will be there."

When Soundwave disappeared, Starscream followed suit. However, when he opened his optics, Soundwave and Cliffjumper were nowhere to be seen. He must of sidetracked himself, as suddenly he was in another city, where new construction was just commencing.

There was Predaking. Well, isn't that something. Even when Starscream thought he was concerned for Soundwave, his subconsciousness was still focused on revenge. Surely his emotions were too jumbled to be able to form enough energy to pick something up…?

His hand went through the wall he touched, so he felt frustrated that he was correct. Frag, and the brute is right there! He was welding materials to a wall with a torch, so Starscream seethed that he had missed the perfect opportunity to inflict some serious pain.

As he was trying to build up a feeling, he heard the dreadful clicking that continued to haunt him. He jetted away before he even saw the predators, hoping that he could leave them to that fraggin' Predacon. If he couldn't do anything, he sure as well hoped that they would do something.

When he tried teleporting, he was absolutely amazed that it worked. As it turned out, his thoughts returned to that of Soundwave and Cliffjumper. He saw the red mech ahead down a destroyed street, but Soundwave was not there beside him.

Starscream called out to him, "You've seen Soundwave already, I presume?"

Cliffjumper stood silently with his back to him. Starscream, confused, walked up to him.

"I asked you a question, you know," Starscream pressed.

"I heard. Yes, I've met him," he said.

"Then he showed you what happened, I presume?" Starscream asked.

"Among other things," he said bluntly. "With Darksteel."

"An incredible feat, I must admit, "Starscream grinned openly. " I've managed to-"

"You hurt him."

"Of course I did!"

Starscream was behind Cliffjumper, who still had not turned to face him. Cliffjumper's voice went suddenly low and quiet.

"You know nothing about revenge, Scream."

It was so random that Starscream felt the fist collide with his face before he saw it. He stumbled backwards, but caught his balance before falling.

"What the-"

Cliffjumper was already charging at him with optics alight with ferocity. A blow connected to his stomach and Starscream barely dodged another to his head. He leapt back to get distance from the flury of blows. Cliffjumper glared and transformed his arms into blasters. Starscream gawked before he moved with the necessary swiftness that saved him from being injured from the blasts that scorched the spot where he just was. The gun followed his path, so Starscream leapt into the air, transformed, and sped at Cliffjumper. They collided and Cliffjumper went flying and fell hard on his back.

Unfortunately Starscream crashed near him, so Cliffjumper grabbed his ankle after he had transformed. The guns were away, so Cliffjumper dragged him into a violent tussle on the ground. Cliffjumper hit him hard and Starscream coughed in mid-gasp. Then quick as a flash he slashed his claws across Cliffjumper's chest, who in response grunted in pain. The fists kept coming, and Starscream used his arms to shield himself, succeeding in having them beaten into a numbness. When he got the chance though, he struck upwards and created a deep gash across Cliffjumper's face.

Starscream went to jump up, but even with energon leaking into his optics Cliffjumper drove forward and wrapped his arms around his legs. Starscream fell again and Cliffjumper leapt on top of him, barring a gun once again. When Cliffjumper tried to pin his arms and to jam the gun against his head, Starscream jerked upwards and collided helms with Cliffjumper.

This surprised and hurt both of them, but it made Cliffjumper loosen his grip for just a second. Starscream's arm flew upwards and ripped a crooked wound across Cliffjumper's chest. Before he could do it again, Cliffjumper transformed both his servos back to interlock his digits with him. Now they were pushing against each other, Cliffjumper pushing down and Starscream struggling to get him off him. Both were clenching their teeth and using all their strength against each other. Joints popped, then one of Starscream's arms moved to the side and so Cliffjumper fell on top of him.

He slammed some hits on his chest, but Starscream saw his chance and rammed his leg upward so that his spiked knee nailing him in the back. Cliffjumper groaned and straightened himself. Starscream nailed him again and again until Cliffjumper stood up then dealt out a brutal kick into Starscream's gut. catching him as he was lunging for him. His body wrapped around it, and he flew back before scrambling to his feet.

They were both standing in an expectant fighting stance, both dripping blood and locking eyes with each other.

"You tricked me!" Starscream growled. "You made me trust you, and now you're finishing it!"

Starscream coughed and a spat out a mouthful of energon. Some of it trickled down his chin. Cliffjumper wiped off the excessive blood off his face and blinked it out of his optics.

"I learned from you."

Cliffjumper lunged at him and Starscream sidestepped. Cliffjumper was still fast enough to grab his wing as he passed. He swung out behind Starscream and tripped his legs. Now Starscream was pinned on his front, but he struggled wildly.

Starscream snarled, "You actually are trying to do it. To kill me, aren't you?"

"I'm only doing what's necessary."

Starscream went to transform, but Cliffjumper rammed his arm into his back and pulled back his left wing. The movement was meant to stop him, but he was already moving, so something much more painful occurred. There was a loud snap and Starscream shrieked in agony. He scrabbled forward out of Cliffjumper's grip, reared around and punched, kicked, and slashed wildly.

Now when he was on Cliffjumper, so many wounds opened up on the red mech's body. Clliffjumper then clung to him and they both rolled around the ground. The grip was lost and Starscream rolled a little ways from him. Both slowly got to their feet, the many wounds catching up with them. Starscream was on one knee, groaning in pain, but not looking back and regarding his wings. Cliffjumper could see though how one stood up while the other was pointed down and limp, hanging by wires.

Cliffjumper stood up and bared his blasters at the kneeling seeker once again. Starscream's optics widened at the action and he broke into a dash to dodge the blasts. So close they were to hitting him that he could feel the heat. He turned sharply and ran towards Cliffjumper, nimbly avoiding every shot. He was just a few meters in front of Cliffjumper when he tripped over a pile of rubble that had suddenly solidified for only him.

He gasped, falling flat on his front at the feet of Cliffjumper. The dust settled. The hot tip of the blaster was felt on the back of his head.

"Anything you'd like to get off your chest?" Cliffjumper asked.

Cliffjumper allowed Starscream to rise up on one arm. Starscream still didn't look up at him. He was silent for some long seconds before he sighed.

" I have nothing left to say… so just do it."

"Perfect."

The blaster left his body, and the sound of transformation has heard. Starscream looked upwards in surprise, and Cliffjumper has standing and holding out a hand for him. Unsure, he got up by himself, watching Cliffjumper as he leaned his body weight on one leg.

"Why didn't you end me?" Starscream asked.

"That wasn't my intention," he responded. " It was to teach you a lesson."

Starscream twitched the uninjured wing but said nothing. So Cliffjumper continued.

"You thought I wanted revenge, and for all you knew that was it. So what does that mean?" He grinned despite his pain. "Revenge doesn't just hurt the other person, but yourself as well. I started the fight, and look at me."

Deep gashes covered his body, dents, and punctures that drenched him in blue.

"I'm no better off then you are."

Starscream replied, "That's just as well, but now we are both wounded, and with this wing how do you expect me to be able to fly?"

"Hold still."

With hesitation, Starscream allowed Cliffjumper behind his back. Hands gripped the limp wing, then roughly jammed it back into the slot. He hissed in pain with the contact but then moaned when a click was heard and his wing automatically readjusted with the other. He moved both wings down and up, feeling the heavy stiffness in the one. He thought glumly how obscure it was that they could feel pain and bleed as if though they were living.

"What are we to do now?" Starscream said quietly. "After, well-"

From an alley Soundwave stepped out from the shadows at that moment. Without a sound he made his way beside the two bleeding mechs.

"Soundwave, you glitch. You set this up with him didn't you?" Starscream spoke, but not with malice.

Soundwave played a clip of Starscream swiping at Darksteel, then blurred it to a still shot of Cliffjumper thrusting a fist into Starscream's torso while Starscream desperately was trying to push away Cliffjumper. He was pinned at that point and assuming a face of pain after the impact.

"Of course you did," Starscream drawled to Soundwave.

He turned his head to spit out another mouthful of blood. Now he noticed how was he was shaking and how much he was swaying. He looked at the orange horizon. Starscream remarked, "We should go inside now."

He shivered as he felt a chill. Starscream decided to leave then without another word. Soundwave turned to Cliffjumper, proposing a question silently.

"Something about creatures in the dark," Cliffjumper said. "Let me fill you in."