Just to discuss this since the last chapter began with a sort of prologue- This story is meant to create a possible life for Starscream before the War, using everything I know about the lore and information from the books. The information could fit in with the Marred Pariah since I also made that story follow all the lore.
Starscream's processor ached so much that he could barely pay attention to his teacher. The science and technology classes had ended, but the young Cybertronian had been held back for an extra lesson. With a stylus in hand, Starscream was meant to write his first letters over and over again. The more time that passed, the more antsy he became. The writing would pause as the Seeker stared longingly out the window.
Thundercracker had promised that they would wait for him, but Starscream had not meant to be stuck here for so long. Was he still there, or had he given up on waiting for tonight? Starscream's concept of time was not strong enough yet either to know how much time was in the evening before he was supposed to do something called "recharging". He desperately did not want to miss out on game time.
"Starscream, you would be done faster, you know, if you didn't keep stopping," Instructor L. laughed.
Starscream began to write frantically.
"Alright, alright, I'll let you go, poor thing," he sighed with a smile. "You can go play as long as you swear to do some homework before resting."
"Homework?" Starscream blinked. "What do you mean?"
"It means you have to do something for me at home, finishing it before morning."
"Ah…"
"There is DataNet connection in your dorm room. Ask your new friend to take you to the residence, and someone there will show you to your place."
That was a little exciting to get a place designated for himself. Starscream hopped out from the desk, anxious to zip outside, but he was halted for a moment.
"And"- The teacher waggled a finger- "I know you just want to play, but you need to install a cockpit into yourself so that you can carry things while flying. Don't forget. Try to do that tonight as well."
Starscream took off for the door.
""Scream!"
He skidded to a stop.
"Starscream," groaned the teacher. "I didn't say I was done. Before you go outside- hey, look at me, not out the window!"
Starscream shifted his gaze.
"This is very important." When the teacher set his hands down onto Starscream's shoulders, the student was surprised enough to listen attentively. "There is one rule that elementary-level Seekers must follow. Never, never leave our city unless a fully trained Seeker is with you. You can go anywhere you wish within the city. You are completely safe here, but outside of Vos, there are bad bots who will try to hurt you. Do you understand?"
The grave tone made Starscream's spark thud heavily and quickly.
"Y-yes," he gulped.
His energy died, and now instead of dashing outside, he let Instructor L. lead him to the front. There, Thundercracker, Sunstorm, and a few young Seekers that Starscream had never seen before were standing and chatting. When Thundercracker waved at him, he jogged over but could not erase the gloomy look on his face.
"What is it?" Thundercracker asked.
"He told me of a rule," Starscream admitted quietly. "It was a bit frightening, and it made me wonder if it had to do with the empty school."
"You mean the 'Stay in Vos at all times' rule?"
"Yes…"
"I don't think so," Thundercracker said. "That's because there are nasty criminals out there, and we don't know how to fight yet."
Starscream blinked in soft confusion.
"Dirty grounders who rob and gut bots," he elaborated. "I mean if we encountered them, they would kill us probably."
The other Seekers itched to get going, but once Starscream was confused, he hated being left in that state. He sensed that the information was important and could not stop asking questions.
"Thundercracker," he murmured. "What happens when we are killed?"
Starscream had a vague sense of the answer already, knowledge he was forged with, but he did not know for certain.
"Killing is when a bot forces another to go back to the Allspark," Thundercracker answered.
Sunstorm stammered, "Thundercracker, don't tell him this stuff. He's too young."
"Go back?" Starscream tilted his head.
"It isn't hurting him-"
Sunstorm gasped, "Shhht!"
"But-"
"Shh!"
Thundercracker muttered, "Quit it."
Starscream interrupted, "What? What are you trying to hide from me?"
"Nothing..." Thundercracker made a face at Sunstorm. "Because I don't like keeping secrets like L. does." He looked back to Starscream. "Going back to the Allspark means you lose your body forever and don't get to enjoy this world anymore."
Starscream yelped and his wings shot up. "What? That can happen? And bots would do that to each other? Th-that is terrible!"
He began to quiver in fear of the idea of losing everything. After less than a day of life, Starscream wanted so much more. His ignorant mind put together Predacons and the automobile bipeds into images of evil bots who might be lingering outside the city, waiting to snatch up young Seekers like him.
One of the new Seekers punched Thundercracker in the arm and growled, "Nice going. You scared him."
"B-but that won't happen to you!" Sunstorm cried.
The yellow Seeker leapt forward and hugged Starscream. When the arms closed around him, the feeling of terror vanished almost magically. Starscream's first hug felt better than flying had, but since this would be one of his last, he would eventually forget that.
"We're protected here!" Sunstorm assured him. "There are thousands of Seekers stationed here, and no one is better than the aerial military-police force of Cybertron! They would scrap anyone who even looked at us wrong. And by the time we are old enough to go out on our own, we will be just as scary and awesome!"
Starscream then pictured himself as an unstoppable blur of a jet, twirling and making those shadowy criminals run and hide. He melted back into his usual chippy self, but stayed in the hug until Sunstorm let go.
"Can we go now?" someone groaned.
"Oh calm your cone-head, Dirge," Thundercracker sighed. "He was having a moment. We've all had those before."
"I am ready," Starscream perked up. "Where are we going?"
All the Seekers transformed after a second, and Starscream followed behind at the back. He noticed that they were flying in a V-shape, so he shoved himself to the side to copy what the Seeker in front of him was doing. Back out in the streets, they had to navigate around others, and they generally stuck close to the ground. It seemed that the higher airs were dedicated to the trained Seekers, those who needed the space to rush across Vos.
They headed to a district of the city dedicated to training the young. There were several, wide-open spaces with obstacles and sheds of equipment, as well as some giant indoor gyms. The sheer size of it excited Starscream so much that he could not imagine wanting to leave Vos to break the rule. This place looked infinitely more fun than the city of Kalis.
Starscream followed the group to a field full of Seekers chasing each other around. They landed at the sidelines, waiting to join the next round. As they did, Thundercracker explained to Starscream the rules.
"It's really simple," he said. "Wing-hunt is a chasing game. Someone starts off 'it', and they have to touch someone on the wing with their hands to make them join them. Last one flying untouched wins."
Starscream watched, stunned to see Seekers transforming in the air to try and touch others. Many times, they missed their target and plunged, transforming back before they could hit the ground. It felt like too long before Starscream finally got to join in his first game of the evening. Right away, Starscream was tagged and was quickly disappointed to find that he was not automatically the best of everyone. Not the worst, but caught every following round in the middle. He did not know how to get away from others when he was cornered, and he only succeeded a few times in tagging others.
The disappointment did not ruin the experience. Just to be able to fly out in the open this warm evening was relaxing enough. Hours easily passed before Thundercracker's group headed inside an obstacle gym. The place was full of hoops, blocks, poles, and cords, all sorts of things to zip through and dodge.
As a newcomer, Starscream had to be cautioned by a working Seeker about the risks. Pain and death was off his agenda, so Starscream obediently flew at slow speeds, getting used to passing through and around objects. Without the pressure of being chased or chasing, he found that he could focus much more on how his body was moving and improve.
Apparently, they changed the course every few days. He would get the chance to come back and get more practice in, but he got much today with a few more hours here.
By then, Starscream was wiped. So fatigued, he had taken many breaks and was not sure he could fly much longer. Then, he remembered he was supposed to get a cockpit, and he asked Thundercracker to lead him to the right place. It was no difficult matter, since cockpits shattered easily and Seekers were always getting replacements. There was a shop close by, and within that hour, Starscream picked a yellow one and had it welded into him.
He could not yet open it on command until his cells had taken over the new metal parts. Though intrigued, Starscream poked at the glass and bent forward and back, testing it out.
"Quintessons made these, you know," Thundercracker said. "I mean, they designed them so that Cybertronians could carry them around. But even after they left, we kept wearing them because they were useful."
"Whoever they were, they sound awful," Starscream said, although he did like the cockpit. The bright colour was a great choice, popping out against his other colours, and it was so light that he hardly felt it.
Only Sunstorm had waited with Thundercracker while the others went home. The three now headed to a cluster of buildings, landed before one, and walked inside. Starscream was surprised when the employee was ready for him, taking the newest Seeker to his designated room on the fourth floor. The view from the window was the opposite of grand, but the room was cozy with a berth, desk, chair, and storage shelves. Thundercracker and Sunstorm slipped inside as Starscream opened his cockpit and slid his room key into it.
"It's all dark now," Thundercracker commented. "We should get going soon."
The desk was an interactive electronic one, essentially one large screen. There was a red blip flashing on it that Starscream clicked, which brought up his assignment.
"I need to finish this first," Starscream said.
Thundercracker glanced over, "That? It will take you no time. Do your homework after we get back. We probably won't be long, just taking a look outside tonight is all."
"But…"
"We don't want to keep everyone else waiting."
"I thought we weren't breaking in tonight."
"Well…" Thundercracker shrugged. "That depends how hard it looks to get in without being caught."
Starscream's spark felt heavy with reluctance. He just wanted to be well-behaved and praised by his teacher, staying home and doing his homework. He truly did not think there was any great secret, so his motivation to solve the mystery was low. Yet he wanted to be close to the other Seekers and have friends, so he wordlessly followed them outside.
They flew back to the school, transforming and quietly walking closer to it. The buildings were strewn in deep shadows during the night, and Sunstorm murmured, "The place looks creepy at night."
In the main building where everyone took their classes, a light remained on and poured out the windows. Starscream noticed though, that the classrooms were dark, and he murmured, "I think they leave some of the lights on all the time. Just the ones in the hall."
"That makes sense," Thundercracker nodded at him, which made Starscream feel useful and more optimistic about his choice to come.
They crept around the school from a distance, peering through the dark classroom windows into the halls, checking for signs of movement. Then, they saw the other winged shadows of their classmates, and they grouped together.
"You think the janitor is still there?" Thundercracker whispered.
"I don't think so," Shadewing whispered back. "I don't think it takes that many joors to clean the school."
They dared creep up to the wall of the building, sneaking single-file around it into the courtyard. They darted through the benches and play equipment, approaching the pitch-black, abandoned buildings.
"I hate how quiet it is," the grey Seeker, whose name Starscream still did not know, said.
They strolled around one of the buildings, pressing their faces against the glass. Starscream cupped his hands and peered into a classroom, at still rows of desks and chairs. All seemed normal on the outside. Everyone tried the windows, tugging, but nothing gave. They circled this building, even pulled on the doors, but they were locked by combination keypads.
From Starscream's limited experience, he knew that things that glowed were using energy. He mused, "This is still on, probably so that they can get inside and power on everything whenever they would like."
Shadewing tapped a string of random numbers on the keypad until it beeped and flashed an angry purple.
"No use," he sighed.
"Let's check the other buildings," Thundercracker replied. "There has to be something, a vent, a loose panel…"
They snuck off while Starscream crept closer to the keypad. Excited by their adventure, the others were hardly paying the youngest Seeker attention. Yet Starscream had been wondering how often the keypad was even used. He had seen ones for the main building, although the school was open during the day. He assumed that even their building was locked up tight at night. Could all the codes be the same?
"Too many possible combinations to figure it out, 'Scream," Thundercracker whisper-called.
Starscream scampered after them, but his mind was churning, sensing that the keypad was going to be their ticket inside.
The Seekers strolled all around the school grounds, but they could not find a way in without breaking anything and leaving evidence of their snooping. As they debated whether they should break a window frame, hoping no one would notice, Starscream formed a plan. At once, he knew how to manage the keypad, but then he wondered if he should share the idea.
We could still get caught…
Suddenly Thundercracker grabbed Starscream and they hit the ground behind a bench. All the Seekers froze and watched a silhouette pass by in the halls of the lit school.
"Scrap, he was there the whole time!" someone groaned.
"Then we are very lucky he did not see us," Sunstorm admitted. "We weren't very careful."
The classmates scampered away once the custodian left, and once far enough, transformed and headed back to the residence. At last, Starscream dragged himself home, instincts telling him to collapse on the berth and lie still for a while. Once he entered his room, he saw the alert of his unfinished homework and groaned. But it had to be done. Starscream crashed into his chair and pulled up the worksheets, and painstakingly forced himself to memorize letters and rewrite them.
His first sleep was very deep and satisfying, but if only he could have had more time. Before dawn, an automatic alarm from his desk sent him jumping out of the berth. Blurry-eyed, he slapped buttons until it stopped, then shuffled out the door to get to school.
His body ached so much from yesterday that morning training was dreadful. They flew their special laps and practiced flipping, and while Starscream thought he was lousy in comparison to others, his teacher was still praising him.
"You are a very fast learner, Starscream," he had said.
How the words of kindness made Starscream want to be the best, most obedient Seeker he could be. Then later, he was praised again for doing everything he had been asked to, getting his cockpit and doing his homework. Starscream felt a wave of guilt for having had tried getting into the closed areas last night.
They had their history and math lessons, and Starscream learned today what money was. Essentials were free for Seekers in Vos, but things like toys could be obtained with gold coins called shanix, which could also be stored and counted electronically. It was simple to understand, but his allowance was said to be low as just an elementary student.
Still, this only made Starscream's plan more feasible, and he felt bad for knowing that.
At midday break, Starscream hung back to speak with the instructor. He asked timidly, afraid to seem suspicious, "Are the other buildings closed off to everyone?"
Instructor L. answered, "Well, they are. After all, no one is using them and it is best to lock all our supplies up so that no one takes them."
"Do you think we could look inside them someday?"
The teacher laughed. "Goodness, what for? They look exactly the same inside as this school."
"I was just curious."
"Of course, young one."
"So you have gone inside them? When was the last time?"
That pause changed the atmosphere, and Starscream saw the sadness strike the Seeker's face once again.
"Oh, I don't know anymore," he murmured. "Over a century ago. More. I used to teach there."
"Until the students were… killed?" Starscream tested.
"Killed! Primus, no!" the instructor whirled on him. "No one was killed. And who on Cybertron told you such dark things? Was it Thundercracker?"
Starscream bowed his head.
"I ought to give him detention for that," he sighed. "Spreading such rumors… Go send him to me, Starscream."
He quietly left and stopped at the canteen, then he met his classmates in the yard. It was hard to believe in the daytime that they had been here last night. That seemed like another world now than when it had been dark, silent, and empty, when his spark had beat so fast it shook him. In retrospect, it had been exhilarating to be so close to the others. Thundercracker had thought he was clever, and that had made Starscream feel better after a day of not being the best.
"Er, our teacher would like to speak with you," Starscream told him. "I am sorry."
"Ah no, does he know?"
"Not about… last night," Starscream murmured.
"Alright, good. Because we think we can get in tonight. We can bust one of the windowsills, then weld it back shut after."
"... I have a better idea," Starscream said.
"You do?"
If I tell him after, it can make up for him possibly being mad at me for giving him… 'detention'... And maybe they will be more impressed if I surprise them.
"I can get us inside," Starscream swore. "Just leave it to me, and meet me back here at midnight."
One of the Seekers, whose name he had heard to be Greysky, guffawed.
"How are you so confident? You're not even two whole cycles old!"
Starscream smiled, eager to wipe that smug expression away later that night.
No one could understand why Starscream left then, flying into the city. He asked for directions and went to the "bank" he had been told of, and took out his entire savings of a few coins. With that, Starscream found a games and toy store and bought what he could with the coins, something that was also cute enough to keep: a wire plushie of an animal. He stuffed that into his cockpit, returned to school in time, and hid the toy in the back of the class.
He had concentrated so hard on the plan that he forgot to be excited about the evening games. Starscream sat obediently for his extra, after-school reading lesson, then he was hit with joy when he realized the coming hours of games.
Now with a cockpit, he was able to play fetching games, then they all ended up in the obstacle courses again. One time while sitting and resting, Thundercracker whispered to him, "So, what is your plan?"
"Half done, that's what," Starscream replied.
"What? How? You've been here the whole time!"
"Time passing is a factor."
"What did you do during midday break?"
Starscream chuckled.
"It better work," Thundercracker growled playfully. "You owe me. I have to do a joor of math work tomorrow during game time."
The passage of time had intend been crucial. Once it was dark, it seemed certain that the main building too would be locked up. Starscream flew to the school on his own, trotted up to the silent main building, and knocked and called out as loudly as he could.
After many long minutes, the sour-faced custodian opened the door.
"There is a buzzer, you know," he muttered.
"A what?"
He sighed heavily. "What do you want?"
Starscream had been aware that older Seekers found the younger ones cute. Now he played it, lowering his wings a bit and widening his eyes, becoming a pure picture of innocence.
"I left my toy inside and didn't realize it until now. Could I go get it before I recharge tonight?"
He expected the wingless bot to soften up, but he did not. Starscream wondered if perhaps all groundless bots lacked such emotions, but the custodian backed inside and beckoned him.
"Fine, make it fast," he grumbled.
Starscream was escorted to the classroom to retrieve the toy, but the entire time he felt the hard, red eyes on him. Now he knew what Shadewing had meant when he had said that the janitor would not stop watching him. It was disturbing, as though his body was under study. Thus far Starscream had only been stared at with kind eyes, so he believed perhaps this was what angry eyes looked like.
Does he hate Seekers? Is he jealous of us? Why work here then?
Starscream collected the plushie, clutching it as they headed back out.
"You know…" The custodian's voice was like rolling gravel. "Even in Vos, night is not always safe when you are young and out all alone..."
Starscream felt a chill.
"...because not everything can be seen in the dark," he finished.
Starscream steadily increased his pace without it being obvious, anxious to at last get away from this frightening, wingless bot. Then he remembered, he had to stay near him for the sake of the plan.
I am safe. He is creepy, but I am safe in Vos. Everyone said.
They reached the front entrance. The custodian slowed near the door, but Starscream let the toy slip from his grasp and land just outside the threshold. The moment of truth, where the plan could have gone wrong, and it seemed like it would. Then, the custodian stepped out and picked it up for Starscream, and the door closed behind him.
It had worked.
The tall, spindly bot collected the plush petrorabbit and placed it into Starscream's hands without a word. Then, he slowly turned to the locked door and lifted a finger to type in the keypad combo. Starscream hopped up to his side just as he quickly typed it in, catching the numbers. The custodian jolted at his appearance, the door unlocked, and Starscream quickly covered himself.
"What is your name?" he asked.
The black and green bot gazed around, then back at the innocent-looking student before answering.
"Lockdown," he uttered.
"Thank you," Starscream chimed.
"Mm."
He disappeared back inside, then Starscream transformed and flew away.
He had done it. He had the code.
It could still be the wrong one, but I doubt it, he thought.
Here was hoping tonight he could prove his worth to the group.
Starscream could not help but arrive early, anxious to know if he could unlock the door. There was no sign of Lockdown's shadow roaming the halls of the lit building, so he felt safe to punch in the code.
The keypad flashed blue in acceptance, and the abandoned building unlocked. Starscream gasped in delight, but he let the door close again and went off to hide. He waited until the others arrived before going inside, then he pranced up to the door and flashed them all a grin.
"You are welcome," he purred, punching in the numbers.
The door cracked open, and all four classmates ooo'd quietly. A gaping, cold hall awaited them, and they all slid inside and out of sight. Then, after the door had clicked shut, they bombarded Starscream with questions.
"How did you figure that out?" Shadewing cried.
Greysky exclaimed, "Did you stand there for joors until you guessed it?"
"You have to tell us now," Thundercracker said.
Starscream gladly explained all he had done, as inspired by Shadewing's story.
"I thought if I could return with an excuse, I could catch a glimpse of the code," Starscream concluded.
"That could have not worked," Greysky huffed. "You got lucky."
"I think it was genius," Sunstorm purred. "Starscream is so creative!"
"Let's get exploring," Shadewing murmured. "This place is giving me the creeps."
He clicked on a flashlight, passing it to Thundercracker so that he would not have to take the lead. The burly Seeker put on a brave face and padded on ahead. Starscream was not as afraid as Shadewing, but a fear of the darkness was settling into him. It was both a combination of instinctual Seeker fear and from the words Lockdown had said to him. The closed spaces, the unknown, and the restriction of flight made the Seekers begin to shiver, but Starscream also thought, Not everything can be seen in the dark…
Did that mean that things were hiding in the dark, or that no one would see what would happen to him and save him if something were to happen in darkness?
Thundercracker waved the flashlight around, muttering, "I would turn on the lights, but that would be a bit too obvious."
The Seekers wandered from classroom-to-classroom, passing through stale air. Whenever the building gave an old creak, they jumped, then pretended that no one had because no one wanted to admit they wanted to go home.
Starscream said, "I don't think there is anything exceptional to find here. It looks the same as the other building."
"But why was it closed?" Thundercracker asked.
"Th-this place won't tell us anything," Shadewing said. "Why didn't we just search it online?"
"Where's the fun in that?" Thundercracker raised his voice, trying to boost their morale. "We are Seekers. We explore the world and find answers! This is nothing compared to what we will do in the future. Consider this as practice!"
They carried on slowly and deeper into the school. The unmaintained building croaked in a breeze, and Thundercracker paused to gather his courage. Then there was a skittering sound, and everyone shrieked before the flashlight revealed a huge, wire-haired rat.
"Oh, a frizz-rat," Thundercracker exhaled.
"This place is really turning into scrap," Greysky sniffed. "You'd never see those in any respectful building."
There were a few more rats they encountered, but they got used to their skittering and began to calm down the longer nothing happened. They poked around the classrooms, careful not to shine the light directly out the windows. Starscream stood closest to the hallway, never interested in the thorough exploration of the others. He liked to stand guard, listening and watching just in case the darkness did have its secrets.
Starscream watched Thundercracker tug at the handle of a non electrical door within the room. It was meant to lead into a little storage room, the same kind that existed in their own classroom. He grunted, fighting a rusty hinge, then he passed the light to Sunstorm so he could pull with both hands.
The door snapped open from his excessive force, then the old shelves rattled and spilled their contents. Deafening bangs and rumbles filled the classroom before Thundercracker and Sunstorm shrieked hysterically. All Seekers sprinted to the door before understanding what was happening, eyes wide in terror in the relentless noises and spinning light. Starscream saw a flash of a white face with black, bottomless eyes and mouth, before Thundercracker shoved him into the hall.
There was no sound of pursuit heard over their screams and thundering footsteps. They slapped desperately at the button for the outer door, then they tumbled out into a heap on the metal lawn. No one stopped there. The flashlight spun circles on the ground, abandoned as the five Seekers tore off into the night, still screaming.