Author's note
This chapter would've been uploaded sooner, but I was helping my dad stack wood. It's twenty degrees outside!
Again, this is four chapters together.
Chapter twelve
Megatron addressed his assembled troops. "Starscream has betrayed us once again. I want you to thoroughly search any area be has been known to frequent. When you find him, alert me of his position and engage immediately. If you haven't offlined him by the time I arrive, I'll finish him myself." Megatron's voice grew louder as he finished his speech. "I want him exterminated as painfully as possible. I want him to suffer. Understand?"
A chorus of, "yes, sir!" rang out as every Decepticon received their orders.
"Please let me fight, sir." Starscream asked Optimus. "I know I'm more useful on the field than here."
"That may be true, but I am sure that the Decepticons are under orders to kill you on sight. It would be safer for you to remain hidden here until things quiet down again." Optimus paused. "And please don't call me 'sir' like that. I don't crave authority like Megatron does."
"Yes, sir. Er… um…" Starscream laughed at himself. "I guess old habits die hard…"
Optimus smiled. The bot that Starscream was meant to was slowly surfacing. And he was surprisingly likeable.
Bulkhead laughed. "They sure do, Starscream, they sure do."
Knock Out idled in his sports car alt-form on the crest of a hill overlooking an emerald green forest. He would probably get in trouble for sneaking out and street racing, even if this time he was thinking, not racing.
He didn't understand what Starscream had done to make Megatron so mad. He had tried to ask Megatron himself, but he had expertly dodged the question. Knock Out wasn't surprised at this reaction. The threat, though, seemed unnecessary. Megatron knew he was too cowardly to leave. He sighed and pulled down the dirt road, disappearing into the shadows.
Jack was in college now, and wouldn't back for summer vacation for another month. But the Autobots decided to tell Raf and Miko about Starscream.
"He's a bit of an enigma, isn't he?" Raf said to Miko.
"A what?" Miko asked.
"You know, like a paradox?"
"Nope. No idea."
"Unexplainable, confusing. "
"Oh, why didn't you say so before?"
"I can explain him, Raf," Arcee said. "He's an evil spy. Plain and simple."
Miko laughed. "I don't think spies or Decepticons are plain or simple."
"Just give him a chance," Optimus said. "I believe he truly wants to change."
"I so. And I'll prove myself," Starscream said.
Author's note
I don't know why I wrote that Knock Out was on a dirt road. It's not really like him, is it? But it is one of the rare moments of description in this story. I like him, but unfortunately he's a coward and a narcissist…
Miko always struck me as the kind of girl who wouldn't understand what all of those uncommon words like 'enigma' meant, and Raf always seemed like the kind of person to use them, thus this conversation was born. Mostly as comic relief.
More to come!