A/N: Warning: this chapter contains suspense and unerring mayhem! Also contains content that could drastically change the outcome of the lives of the seekers. Apart from that, enjoy and review!
CHAPTER 12. THE PRICE OF FRIENDSHIP.
Thundercracker looked about himself with ever mounting uncertainty. His spark pulsed so hard inside his chassis that it was painful, as he took in the situation. Why had Megatron called me out here? Did I do something wrong? He wondered nervously, his wings trembling slightly. Indeed Megatron had demanded to meet Thundercracker outside the base to discuss some urgent matters. The Decepticon leader's voice sounded viciously infuriated over the comm. Link, which only added to Thundercracker's growing anxiety, but he honestly had no clue as to what he could have done to enrage him to that extent.
Suddenly, Thundercracker's spark froze over at the sound of crunching metal behind him. Here we go…he thought in dismay.
"I think you know why I summoned you out here seeker." Megatron's voice was tinted with a burning resentment.
Thundercracker gulped and turned around to face his commander. "No, Megatron sir. What seems to be the problem sir?"
"Don't play games with me seeker, I'm not in the mood. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Sunstar lives, I've witnessed your little 'conversation' personally."
Thundercracker's spark went into overdrive again and his vibrant blue armour turned pale at the mention of this. Deep down he knew the day would come, when Megatron caught him talking to Sunstar. He was living on borrowed time and this realisation alone, made him feel sick to his core. For the moment being, he was utterly speechless.
Megatron took a menacing step forward and continued, "You knew about this all along didn't you? You thought you could hide your little visits with that incompetent Sunstar from me, Megatron? Well I must say I'm quite impressed that you've kept it secret from me for so long Thundercracker. I suppose congratulations are an order. But now you realise you must pay the price for your insubordination!"
Thundercracker backed up against a wall as the outraged Decepticon advanced on him. The outcome was inevitable…
XXX
"Don't touch that!" Starscream screeched frantically.
BANG!
"Oops, sorry!" Skywarp cooed sincerely, looking guiltily at the shards of broken flask and mysterious fluorescent liquid all over the floor of Starscream's room.
Starscream slapped a hand over his face in dismay. "What did I just tell you?"
"Umm…hey! What's this!" Skywarp exclaimed excitedly, seizing a bizarre sparkly black cube from a nearby shelf.
Starscream froze in dread. "Be careful with that! It's a Dark Matter Cube! Extremely dangerous, extremely explosive! Put it down with the uttermost care…!" but he might as well have been talking to a brick (Skywarp certainly carried the intelligence and logic capacity of one) for the sparkling was paying no attention whatsoever and began recklessly squeezing and poking the said object in his hands. Suddenly, the cube began to vibrate violently and emit alarming beeping sounds.
This was enough to bring the sparkling to his senses. "Uh, oh. I think I did something wrong!" he announced in panic, holding the cube as far away from his body as he could.
"Primus! It's going to explode!" Starscream began panicking wildly for a moment, before he realised he had to find a way of discarding the device…fast! So pulling himself together, he instructed as calmly as he could, "Listen very carefully young seeker. Whatever you do, don't drop the cube under any circumstances understand? Okay, now just hand it over nice and slowly…"
But before Starscream could finish, the sparkling had eagerly shoved the cube into his arms. Starscream just stared blankly at it for what seemed like jorns, he hadn't really thought about what he was going to do with the cube once he'd received it! To make matters all the worse, the beeping had become more urgent and alarming by now, and the cube was glowing like a mini super-nova!
"Take cover!" Starscream shrieked and raced as fast as he could towards the flight deck. But just as he reached the second floor, the cube had become so erratic he realised that he'd never get to the deck in time. He had to discard the cube right now!
Looking around desperately, Starscream located the closest room in the vicinity, and not hesitating, threw the cube in and slammed the door shut behind it.
BOOM!
The red seeker stood motionless in the hall for several moments, then let out a huge sigh of relief and leaned heavily against the door. He almost bought it that time! That was too close!
Gathering himself together, he turned to inspect the damage done to the unfortunate room. As he eased open the door, he was struck with a deep sinking feeling in the core of his tank; the 'unfortunate room' turned out to be Megatron's personal quarters! What once looked like a palace, now resembled a war zone!
The explosion generated from the Dark Matter Cube had succeeded in sending energon, files, contraptions, and a host of other personal belongings all over the floor, walls and ceiling. The computer monitor was destroyed and the only window in the room was smashed. Even the recharge platform had been snapped off its suspension and lay mangled in the centre of the scene.
Poor Starscream could just gape wide-mouthed at the expanse of the devastation, his proud wings drooping limply at his sides. "I am going to be slaughtered!" he muttered sadly.
"You're in big trouble mister!" a small juvenile voice announced in an adorably authoritive manner. Starscream felt a few of his circuits blow out of sheer rage as he slowly turned and looked down. There was Skywarp, staring up at him and folding his arms in mock anger.
Starscream's body began spasming uncontrollably and without warning, his hand shot out and wrapped firmly around Skywarp's neck.
"Ike! Ouch, that hurts!" the sparkling expressed in shock, his voice came out all scratchy and distorted from the excess pressure crushing his vocaliser.
"This time you have gone too far you runt!" Starscream hissed through gritted teeth, shaking the frightened sparkling in front of his face.
"Oh, no. Here we go again…" Skywarp whimpered miserably.
XXX
"Please lord Megatron! No more!" Thundercracker begged mercifully. Megatron ignored him and punched him squarely in the face again. Thundercracker collapsed to the ground in a heap. When he tried vainly to get up, Megatron kicked him hard in the stomach and sent him down again.
"Tell me everything you know and I might spare your miserable life." Megatron bellowed in fury.
Thundercracker got to his knees, all covered in muck and one arm clutching his stomach where Megatron had hit him and pleaded in a weak voice, "I'm telling you the truth Megatron! Sunstar is dead but he exists in spirit form. You have to believe me!"
Megatron went silent for a moment, contemplating. "How can this be?"
"I don't know the answer to that sir, but its all true." Thundercracker had somehow managed to get to his feet by now.
Megatron was still pondering the situation but didn't appear overly satisfied with Thundercracker's explanation. How is it possible for Sunstar's spirit to exist when he is physically dead? The logic was simply too farfetched but he had witnessed it all with his own optics. Could it be possible that Sunstar's spark was immortal in some way and so complex, that it could have preserved his image in spirit form?
"I want you to stay away from that seeker, you hear me? If I ever catch you with Sunstar again, I will dismantle you and that sparkling into scrap! Do you understand?"
Thundercracker hadn't felt so miserable and torn since Sunstar's death. "Yes sir. I promise I will never see him again." It was the hardest and most hurtful thing he ever had to say.
"Good." With that, Megatron turned and headed to the base, never throwing a glimpse back.
Thundercracker watched him depart, and once he felt he was alone, he collapsed to the ground in a sobbing mess. He had never felt so much pain in his entire life. The most important thing in the universe to him had been taken away from him for a second time, and this time it hurt a million times as much because he knew Sunstar was still out there and possibly witnessed this whole ordeal. His insides ached with sadness and the spot where Megatron had kicked him was becoming worryingly painful. But it was his heart that hurt the most and as memories of all that Sunstar had sacrificed for him throughout his life played over in his mind, it seemed to cry out for guidance.
"Sunstar, my lord and faithful friend, I have betrayed you…"
