Chapter 21 Skyfire
Starscream gave him a confused look. How could they have spotted something but be unable to identify it? They were supposed to have some of the best equipment known to Cybertronians, so how was the object in question unidentifiable? Megatron gave his shoulders a shrug in reply before responding to Shockwave and standing up.
"I'll be right there." He stated to the Communications Officer before he cut his com-link and sighed. "Shall we?" He asked.
Starscream nodded as he stood up beside him. Megatron smiled before he turned and exited the room. He led the way down the hallway towards the Command center, stopping every now and again to make sure Starscream was keeping up with him. When they walked into the cavern that served as the Command center, Shockwave was trying to bring the image on the computer screen into focus. Starscream came to a halt behind Megatron and gawked at the screen.
Megatron glanced back at his mate and frowned. "Something wrong, Starscream?" He asked.
"I know him." Starscream growled as he clutched his cockpit.
'How?' Megatron asked over their bond to keep some Starscream's dignity intact.
'An ex.' Starscream replied with an angry snarl.
'Which one?' Megatron growled. 'Wait until I get my servos on that good-for-nothing scrap heap!'
'His name was Skyfire before he joined the Autobots and changed his name.' Starscream replied.
'A turncoat as well? He's not getting very far in my good books with a record like that.' Megatron replied coldly.
Starscream leant his head on his mate's arm slightly before linking a clawed finger around Megatron's. 'We had been going steady since high school, then he went and pulled a stunt like that after I saved his life!' He snarled.
'I thought your first mate was a femme?' Megatron commented. 'But it doesn't matter; he will pay for hurting you.'
'I lied. I thought I could keep it from you. I didn't want you to think that I was pathetic at the time, like everyone else did.' Starscream sighed.
'Don't worry about it.' Megatron chuckled. 'Some things are best kept to yourself anyway.'
"Megatron sir," Shockwave's voice cut through their discussion. "We have identified the figure and they wish to establish communications with us."
"Allow them." Megatron replied coldly.
"Yes. I'd like to know what the slag he wants." Starscream hissed out loud.
'Easy Starscream.' Megatron warned.
"So, who is this guy anyways?" Bumblebee asked as the jet on the screen was brought into focus. "I don't think I've seen him anywhere."
"A worthless piece of slag!" Starscream snarled, earning a small chuckle from Megatron.
"Ok! Touchy subject! Sorry I asked!" Bumblebee yipped.
Starscream shot Bumblebee a glance before turning to Shockwave. "Put up the transmission." He growled.
Shockwave glared at Starscream, his single optic narrowing in pure hatred, but he did as he was told. The image of Skyfire came into sharper focus and the communication was firmly established. They could hear the sounds of Skyfire's jets as he soared across the sky some 100 feet above them. Starscream snorted as he tapped his heel against the ground in irritation as they waited for Skyfire to say something. Finally fed up of waiting, Megatron cleared his throat.
"What do we owe the transmission?" He asked calmly even as his insides were twisting from rage. Starscream flapped his wings to show his anger before growling slightly.
"My name is Skyfire," came the reply. "I wished to get in touch with my Decepticon counterparts." Starscream snarled quite loudly as Skyfire finished talking. There was a lengthy pause before Skyfire spoke again. "Well what do you know? Starscream, my old friend, how are you faring with the Decepticons?" He asked.
"You'd know if you hadn't betrayed our cause!" Starscream snarled, his wings hitching up in absolute rage.
"I hardly call it "betraying the cause", Starscream. I was never properly branded. Stupid sticker kept falling off so the Autobots figured I was a neutral just trying to get by. Better to let them believe what they like than to get one's aft fried." Skyfire replied with a chuckle. "Good to know that you haven't lost your...original sense of humor."
"I saved your life and you shot me in the back!" Starscream hissed.
"Shot you in the back?" Skyfire demanded. "I did nothing of the sort!"
Megatron bit back his growl quickly; he could sense his mate's hatred over their bond and it was slowly seeping into his systems. "Would one of you care to elaborate?" He asked coldly.
"We've been friends since the beginning of high school. We were both scientists, and Decepticons, or rather activists at the time. We were on a mission to Earth to explore the new planet, but we were caught in a blizzard. I lost him, I searched and I searched, but he'd disappeared from my radar. On
another mission, eons later, in the polar ice caps, we'd found something buried under the ice. It was him. I used all of our resources to revive him. And in turn, he betrayed us. He shot me in the back, paralyzing me. I didn't fully recuperate till seven earth years later." Starscream stated, glaring at the image of Skyfire that was hovering on the screen.
Skyfire chuckled nervously, the jet shifting slightly as he flew. "Well, that's one way to describe what happened." He replied.
Megatron growled. "So you expect me to allow a previous traitor back into the Decepticon ranks?" He asked.
"Get away from here, Jetfire." Starscream growled.
Skyfire seemed to tremble on the radar. "You're just angry because I left you." He snapped. Megatron opened his mouth to silence him, but he didn't get the chance. "But can you blame me? Who'd want to stay with a jerk, a loser, a crybaby, and a low-life like you?"
Starscream looked down at his heels, fangs bared in rage. Megatron went to go reply when Bumblebee, surprisingly, beat him to it. "Yah? Well at least he's got his priorities sorted out, you oversized trash can!" He snapped. "Never met a guy who defected TWICE! What does that mean, huh? That no one can trust you?"
'I'm starting to appreciate him.'
'As am I.'
"Why you little..." Skyfire started to say.
"HEY! NO CRACKS ABOUT MY HEIGHT!" Bumblebee snapped. "Or I'll start about your colour choices. White and red? Seriously."
"You made a huge mistake going with Bluestreak. What bot in their right mind would take him over me?" Starscream chuckled.
Skyfire was silent for a moment. "You're right, Starscream." He murmured. "I shouldn't have chosen him over you. Can you forgive me for my idiocy?"
"Sure. But I'm no longer your mate." Starscream sneered.
Skyfire was silent before a prolonged time. "WHAT?!" He demanded.
'This should be very entertaining.'
"I'm bonded to another." Starscream replied.
"What? But how? Why? Who?" Skyfire stuttered.
'I think his apology was only to convince you to allow him to return to being your mate.'
"Take a wild guess." Starscream sneered.
"But, I don't recall anyone who could put up with…I mean appreciate your…unique way of looking at things." Skyfire replied.
"Just come into the base. We'll have a little chat over some energon cubes." Starscream replied with a smirk.
"I'm spitting in his!" Bumblebee snickered.
Barely a minute went by before Skyfire landed in the base after Megatron gave him the co-ordinates. Bumblebee squeaked in fear when he saw the sheer size of the red and white Seeker. He hid behind the computer console and nobody blamed him; he barely came up much higher than Skyfire's knee. If the giant decided that Bumblebee was too much of a nuisance, he could very easily squash him flat. Starscream smirked as he looked up at his old "friend".
Skyfire looked past the other Decepticons and stared directly at Starscream. "So, is there a place where we can talk in private?" He asked.
Megatron chuckled. "If it's somewhere private you wish to talk, I'm only too happy to provide a room." He replied as he turned around and headed to the holding cells. "Bumblebee." He added.
"Yes sir?" Bumblebee asked as he poked his head out from behind the console.
"Divert all cameras away from the holding cells. And turn off all sound communications."
"Understood!" Bumblebee replied as he quickly set to work.
Author's note: Ooh! Skyfire is here! What will happen during the talk? Will Bumblebee get squashed? Is Starscream going to have a hissyfit on Skyfire's aft for leaving him all alone while he ran off with Bluestreak? Well, you'll just have to wait for the update to find out.