20- Partners.
"I have been a fool. Made mistakes, monumental ones. I now realize that I was never destined to be a leader, or even an equal partner. And I'm in peace with that. I have gained a clear understanding of my place in this universe. Of who I am. Of who I was always meant to be: Starscream, second-in-command. Humble servant to Lord Megatron. Thank you for listening, Soundwave."
Starscream made an entire confession giving what he witnessed during his experience with Megatron at the abandoned energon mine. But when he entered the Nemesis' bridge, he found Megatron talking with Airachnid.
"Is this true?!" Megatron asked in disbelief.
"Starscream never mentioned it." Airachnid answered.
"If he's up to his old tricks I shall grind him into powder." Megatron swore.
Starscream coughed to signal them that he was already present.
Megatron turned at him. "Starscream."
"Lord Megatron, please excuse Airachnid's impertinence. Now, what was it that I allegedly failed to mention?"
"The Harbinger." Megatron answered.
"What about it?" Starscream asked nervous.
"Eons ago a Decepticon transport crash-landed on one of this galaxy's planets." Airachnid explained as she showed an image of the ship on the bridge's screen.
"Oh please, common knowledge. I scouted the crash site when we first arrived on the planet." Starscream reassured.
"Then I presume you recovered the experimental weapon prototype the Harbinger had been transporting?" Airachnid asked, catching Starscream off guard.
"Where is the crash site?" Megatron demanded.
"It was never logged into your ship's database." Airachnid pointed.
"You failed to record the coordinates of a Decepticon transport?!" Megatron asked mad.
"An oversight, master. But I noted its exact location." Starscream defended.
"Then you can lead Airachnid there, so that she may retrieve the prototype for me." Megatron declared before returning back to his business.
"My personal native guide. How delightful." Airachnid expressed.
But Starscream wasn't exactly glad to have to show her the way, because he gritted his teeth. Meanwhile, on top of the Autobot base, Arcee was looking at the sunset sitting at the edge.
"I had the feeling that I would find you here."
Arcee turned back to see her partner coming. "Oh, hey Cliff."
"Heck of a view you got up here." Cliff said before he looked at the bunch of rocks next to them. "Do you think there's even a small chance the sparks of our long-gone friends are out there listening?"
"Who knows? Well, in that case, we could really use them. Seems like every day another Decepticon arrives on the scene. We're outnumbered and outgunned."
"Ha, sounds like a fair fight to me." Cliff said, making Arcee laugh.
"I knew you would say that." Arcee said before she looked down again. "But if that's the world we live in, so be it."
"There is something up your mind, right?" Cliff deduced.
"I just want you to know I haven't given up. I'm gonna find the Con who almost took you from us."
"Arcee, that's not the Autobot way, and you know it. We fight to protect others, not to settle old scores. That's one of the worse aptitudes we should not learn from the Decepticons, never. I'm sure not even Tailgate would want you to think that way. And I'm sure that includes Sky." Cliff told her before leaving.
Arcee sighed. "I know."
Barkhesh
Starscream hovered near the ground before changing to robot form. He waited for Airachnid, who came in vehicle form, transformed, and landed too.
"For being an interceptor as your alternative form, you're not very fast." Starscream criticized.
"Are you going to preen or are you going to guide?" Airachnid defended.
"I will reveal the exact location of the Harbinger when you tell me exactly what we're looking for." Starscream retorted.
"That information is need-to-know, and right now you don't."
"Oh, you would do well to respect me, Airachnid. Before I joined Megatron I was air commander of a squadron of energon seekers."
"On Cybertron. And how many eons ago was that?"
"Just recently I personally almost vanquished one of Optimus Prime's fiercest warriors: Cliffjumper." Starscream said, trying to impress.
"Almost. Which means you didn't actually manage to snuff off his spark."
"Maybe. But I faced him personally, something that not many officers do."
"Well, that's a point, I have to admit it."
"Yes, I did. And without mercy."
"Oh, even Megatron showed you mercy when he planned to terminate you at the mine infested with dangerous native creatures."
"What? He told you about that?"
"We talked."
"Bah. The wreckage lies just beneath where we stand. I will need to find a point of entry." Starscream said while Airachnid started to dig a hole to enter the ship. "Showoff."
Once inside, Airachnid crawled on the ceiling while Starscream followed her calm.
"Suit yourself. I conducted a thorough search of this husk years ago." Starscream said.
Airachnid turned on the ship's terminals.
"What are you doing?" Starscream asked.
"Accessing the cargo manifest. Or didn't you think to do that during your thorough search?" Airachnid answered as she typed on the terminal.
"Idiot. The ship's systems haven't been activated for eons. The Autobots could detect its energy signature."
"Ah, here it is. Section 23."
But Starscream was right, because the ship's signal appeared on the screen of the Autobot base.
"Optimus, our scanners have detected a Decepticon energy profile. But it's ancient." Ratchet reported.
"The past has a way of catching up with the present, Ratchet." Optimus said.
Back in the Harbinger, Airachnid was heading to her destination with Starscream behind her.
"Section 23 should be right about…here?" She observed that she reached to a dead end. "The ship just ends. It must have broken in half during the crash."
"Hum, or in the air. If you performed actual research you would have learned than an Autobot battalion shot the Harbinger out of the sky." Starscream revealed.
"How far away is the other half?" Airachnid demanded turning at him.
"I'm afraid that information is need-to-know." Starscream simply said.
Mad, Airachnid immobilized Starscream with her webs.
"What are you…?!"
"You're trying to make me look like a fool before Megatron: have me return empty-handed while you locate that weapon yourself."
"How dare you accuse me?! You are nothing but a scavenger, an opportunist!" Starscream insulted.
"Aren't you one to talk."
"Perhaps, but I've changed. Seen the error of my ways, I live to serve Megatron now."
"You won't live to serve anyone if you don't tell me where to find the rest of this ship. Now." Airachnid menaced.
"Arg, a few clicks north of here through a stone arch. Now release me." Starscream demanded.
"When I have the weapon in hand. That is if I can find my way back without my guide." Airachnid replied as she walked away.
"This is not funny, Airachnid! Come back here right now and cut me loose! Airachnid, that is an order! I am your commanding officer!"
Airachnid chuckled, but her fun ended when she saw the Autobots right in front of her when she turned at the next corridor. And they spotted her too.
"Airachnid." Arcee saw.
"Surrender." Optimus ordered.
She responded changing to her spider mode and crawling away, followed by Arcee.
"Airachnid, you traitor!" Starscream called as he saw her walking above him before she made a hole to get out before he saw the Autobots arrive.
"Arcee, wait!" Optimus said.
Arcee followed Airachnid through the hole back to the surface. Once there she looked for Airachnid with her gun ready, but she wasn't there. Suddenly, she came from below her, pushing her aside.
"Arcee, huh."
"I didn't peg you for re-signing with the Decepticons." Arcee said before she charged at her rival with her blades ready.
"A temporary arrangement, Arcee. You know I prefer working alone."
Arcee tried to hit her, but Airachnid managed to dodge and grab her by the foot with one of her spider legs. Next, she threw her, but landed perfectly before charging again. She tried to strike again, but Airachnid grabbed her from behind.
"Speaking of, add any more decease partners to your growing list?" Airachnid provoked.
"Airachnid, release her!" Optimus ordered running at them.
Airachnid pushed Arcee aside before changing to her vehicle form and fly away. Optimus tried to shot her down, but she was already far away.
"Arcee, you know better than to engage the enemy alone." Optimus remembered.
"Not her. Not after what she did to Tailgate." Arcee swore, remembering the flashback of how she ended him. "She will pay."
"Revenge will not bring back those we have lost. Is that understood?" Optimus asked.
"Move it!" Bulkhead shouted as he and the other Autobots were forcing Starscream to walk beside them as their prisoner.
"No need to use force." Starscream said before he felt to his knees. "I'll tell you anything you want to know."
"Hehe, is that right?" Cliff laughed. "And what do you want in return?"
"I want to be on your side." Starscream answered, looking at Optimus.
"On our side?" Bulkhead asked before starting to laugh. "Yeah right, and I've lobbying with The Fallen."
"He wouldn't betray the Decepticons." Arcee said.
"Wouldn't I? What have they done for me lately besides humiliate me, spy on me, demote me? Megatron tried to extinguish my spark in cold blood. Then all but replace me with that treacherous wretch Airachnid. She abandoned me, left me for scrap! So why not rat them out?"
Optimus, Arcee and Cliffjumper went alone to discuss it while Bee and Bulkhead stayed guarding Starscream.
"He's telling the truth about Megatron trying to scrap him. Sky and I saw it with our own eyes." Arcee reminded.
"You're not saying you actually trust Starscream." Cliff said.
"Trust him? Never. But this may be the one time our objectives align." Arcee clarified.
"You're right to be wary, Cliffjumper. But I agree with Arcee." Optimus said.
Airachnid flew through a canyon until she reached to the other part of the Harbinger. Once inside, the checked the inside until she opened a compartment and found what she was looking for.
"Be still, my beating spark." She said pulling out the weapon, some kind of staff that turned on and emanated a blue wave of energy from the tip.
Meanwhile, the Autobots were driving at the same location. Optimus was carrying a trailer hooked to his back. Once they reached the canyon's entrance, they changed back to robot form.
"What do you know?" Bulkhead observed.
"Could still be a trap." Cliff reminded.
"Starscream's loyalty to Megatron has always been questionable. If he has truly split from the Decepticons, our prisoner's knowledge of their agendas could make him a valuable ally." Optimus pronounced.
"You don't mean permanently. As in keys to the base and everything?" Bulkhead asked in disbelief.
"However, unlikely that scenario, every sentient being deserves an opportunity for redemption." Optimus said.
"Even Bot killers? Even Airachnid?" Arcee asked annoyed.
"Without that hope, we may never achieve lasting peace." Optimus ended.
"Maybe you're right. Don't forget Sky's father was once a Separatist." Cliff pointed.
Bulkhead opened the trailer's door, revealing that it was transporting Starscream, now with cuffs in both hands and wings.
"Rise and shine, Screamy." Bulkhead said before dragging him out.
"We're here. Where's the ship?" Cliff asked.
Starscream took a look around before responding. "It's through the arch, among the stones."
"Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, you're with me. Arcee, remain with our prisoner." Optimus instructed.
"Optimus, please." Arcee stopped him. "For Tailgate."
"Arcee." Cliff started approaching her. "Sky would not want you to do that."
That made Arcee look down.
"Cliffjumper's right. Your desire to avenge Tailgate will only continue to cloud your judgment." Optimus said before they entered the canyon.
Arcee stayed with Starscream, who found his cuffs a little uncomfortable.
"Is the clamp really necessary? I promise not to fly away. It's really giving me a crick." Starscream said.
"I can shove you back in the trailer." Arcee answered, making Starscream groan.
The rest of the Autobots started looking for the ship with their guns ready.
"Be alert. Airachnid is known to attack from below ground." Optimus warned.
"Right." Bulkhead said nervous.
After a little walk, they finally found the Harbinger. But Airachnid was hidden behind the structure. Optimus signaled them to advance, not aware that Airachnid was on top of the ship aiming them with the weapon active. Fortunately, Optimus dodged the beam it shot and fired at her, but she jumped every time, dodging the shots.
"I got her." Bulkhead said advancing and firing.
Airachnid took the advantage and fired the weapon again, and this time the energy beam hit Bulkhead. Once it finished, the green Autobot was completely frozen, like paralyzed.
"The Immobilizer. True to its name." Airachnid said before firing it again.
Back with Arcee, she was walking back and forth with frustration while Starscream looked.
"I'm not really so bad, you know? Megatron, he's the evil one." Starscream said, trying to make conversation.
"Tell it to someone who cares." Arcee responded dully.
"Like whom? Airachnid? What I wouldn't do to get my hands around her wretched throat." Starscream growled.
"So we can agree in one thing."
"Oh, you have no idea. She showed up one day and the next thing you know she's acting like she runs the place. She whispered lies into Megatron's ear, maneuver to rob me of my rightful place."
"Well, she terminated my partner." Arcee added.
"What? She's taking credit for trying to scrapping him now too? That was my doing!"
"What? You weren't there." Arcee stated.
"Yeah, of course I wasn't. I don't know what I was thinking." Starscream corrected nervous.
"Who are you talking about?" Arcee demanded.
"No one. Who are you talking about?"
"Tailgate."
"Eh. Who's Tailgate?" Starscream asked.
Then Arcee widened her eyes as she realized what Starscream was referring to.
"You are the one. You tried to extinguish Cliffjumper."
"Cliffjumper?" Starscream asked alarmed as Arcee was about to strike him. "No! No no no, you misunderstand. It wasn't like you think. The troopers were about to make a huge explosion that could have mortally wounded him, I was trying to help Cliffjumper: warning him so he could get away as far as possible from the explosion."
But Arcee didn't believe him, so she kicked him back.
"Okay, okay, it was a mistake. I've made many, but I've changed. You wouldn't terminate a defenseless prisoner, would you?"
Arcee didn't say anything. Instead, she pulled out a small device and threw in front of him.
"What? What is that?" Starscream asked confused.
"The key to your cuffs." Arcee answered.
"What for?"
"If Cliff was here, I'm sure he would have given you a fighting chance."
"No, please. I don't want to! What's past is past. I'm one of you now."
She pulled out her weapons and aimed at him, scaring him a lot.
"No!"
"Take it!" Arcee shouted.
Starscream grabbed the key and was about to release his cuffs, but he dropped it by the fear.
"You're pathetic." Arcee said as she changed one of her guns for a hand and was about to take the key.
But in that moment, Starscream chuckled darkly as he prepared his claws and used them. Arcee immediately felt a huge pain coming from one side of her stomach, showing claw marks from which energon was leaking. The pain made her fall to her knees while Starscream used the key to free his hands.
"Something wrong, Arcee? I thought you wanted a fight." He said advancing at her with his claws ready.
Meanwhile, the other Autobots continued dodging the Immobilizer beams and trying to hit Airachnid with their guns. But she was too fast, jumping over the rocks with her spider legs. Optimus was about to try again when suddenly, she was gone. As Bee and Cliff went with him, Airachnid appeared from below the ground behind them.
Freeze." She said firing again.
Optimus tried to fired her back, but the Immobilizer paralyzed him first.
"Optimus! That was a huge mistake, Airachnid." Cliff said as he and Bumblebee continue firing at her.
But she continued jumping above the rocks.
"So, you are Cliffjumper. I wonder how Arcee will react when I finish with you too." Airachnid said before firing again.
Speaking of Arcee, she wasn't good either: with her injure, she only was able to block Starscream's claws with her blades. Until she had the chance to kick him back.
"You're tougher to scrap than I thought. Of course, I'm sure Cliffjumper would have been a better challenge. But what about Tailgate? Was he weaker than Cliffjumper?" Starscream provoked as they started to circle around. "It is really a shame that your little human pet is not here to see me turning you into scrap. I wonder how he would react when I finish with you."
"Don't put Sky in this. Just keep talking, Starscream." Arcee said before striking again.
Because Airachnid was too quick to shot her down, Bee and Cliff had no choice but to cover themselves behind a boulder.
"Tell me, guys. Do you think Megatron will enjoy his new trophies? He'll probably use the bulky one here for target practice." Airachnid deduced as she pushed down a paralyzed Bulkhead with one of her spider legs before climbing above Optimus. "Huh, Prime is the true prize. Perhaps he'll adorn the prow of Megatron's warship."
She laughed before firing at the boulder they were covering. Then, Bumblebee saw some of the shots hitting a hugger boulder in front of them, making a lot of dust.
"(Cliff, I have an idea.)"
"Right now, I'm open to any suggestion."
"(Just follow my lead.)" Bee said as he started to shot at the same boulder.
Cliffjumper did the same until the boulder was no more. That created a huge cloud of dust that didn't allow Airachnid to see a thing. Next, more shots came from the dust, so she fired the Immobilizer again. When the cloud cleared it revealed both Autobots still, making her chuckle.
"I think I will keep Cliffjumper for myself, for my personal entertainment, in order to see Arcee's reaction. You know what I'm referring to. But you, bug, I suspect Megatron will simply dismantle you for spare parts." Airachnid told them face-to-face before returning with Optimus. "As a rogue, a scavenger, I should disappear into the night with this treasure. But using it to worm my way into Megatron's favor is too good an opportunity to pass up. Wouldn't you say, Prime?" But Prime couldn't answer. "I mean, with results like this I could earn Megatron's eternal trust."
But Airachnid didn't realized that Bee and Cliff were not paralyzed, they only pretended to be it. And while Airachnid was distracted, they approached her without making a noise. Airachnid turned back and discovered them, but it was too late: Cliffjumper punched her hard, making her loss grip of the Immobilizer, and Bee fired at it, splicing it in many pieces. And of course, Airachnid saw it, making her loss her great opportunity.
"You fools!" She cursed before changing to her vehicle form.
She fired her vehicle's weapons at them. They fired back before she tried to charge against them, but they dodged as she flew away.
"Make sure Arcee is fine. I'll contact base and take the others." Cliff instructed.
Bee went immediately back with Arcee, who wasn't exactly well. She received continued hits from Starscream, who next kneed her on the wound, elbowed her on the back, and when she was on the floor he kicked her down a hill.
"Ugh." She groaned in pain.
"You should have finished me when I was helpless to fight, just like I intended to do with Cliffjumper. Maybe this is not the day I finish what I started with him, but I will make you take his place. Now, prepare to reunite with your fallen partner." Starscream said as he readied his claws.
"This…" Arcee tried to say hardly.
"What's that? I can't hear your last words." Starscream said interested.
"This…is for…Cliffjumper!" She yelled activating one of her blades.
She hit Starscream hard with her blade on his face, making him an ugly cut, before hitting him on the chest and the face again, and finishing pushing him against the floor, with her in top of him. She put her blade on his neck.
"Go on, do it. Megatron will only terminate me for treason if I dare return to the Decepticons. You may as well be the one to put me out of my misery."
"As if I needed convincing." Arcee said preparing her blade to finish him.
"What? Wait, no!" Starscream begged.
Arcee was about to do it, but before she could she looked up the hill and saw Bumblebee seeing her, with disappointed and sad eyes. At the end, she retrieved her weapons and walked away from Starscream. The pain made her collapse, so Bee went to help her, while Starscream walked away. Meanwhile, back in the Nemesis…
"You left Starscream with the Autobots? Do you have any notion of the consequences of your blunder?!" Megatron asked furious.
"But, my Lordship, it was Starscream's incompetence that cost us the Immobilizer." Airachnid defended.
"I don't care about some trinket!" Megatron yelled at her face. "My second-in-command is a prisoner of the enemy. Which means all Decepticon intelligence could be at the fingertips of the Autobots!"
But that wasn't exactly true. Instead, the Autobots returned back to base, where Ratchet still had to reverse the Immobilizer's effects. And he did it.
"The damage looked bad, but it was a snap to repair, allowing us to reverse its effect on you." Ratchet said, with a fully restored Immobilizer at hand while Bulkhead and Optimus checked that they were completely normal. "You should regain your full range of motion before long."
"And Arcee?" Cliffjumper asked.
"She's rather resilient, for a former two-wheeler." Ratchet said.
Everyone looked at her, who was sit on the medical berth, with her hand still covering her injure. But there was someone more alongside her: Sky, who knowing what happened decided to come to see her.
"Please Arcee, never look for revenge ever again. It never helps or brings anything good; it will only take you to the dark side." Sky asked.
"I…I will try."
"No Arcee. Promise me to never do that again."
"Alright. I will do it, for you. I promise." She said allowing Sky to reach her other hand.
"Sky's right. It is the external wounds which heal the quickest." Optimus added.
"I thought settling scores would allow me to move on. Instead, I chased away our hope of winning this war anytime soon." Arcee lamented.
"Wisdom cannot be granted, Arcee, it must be earned. Sometimes at a cost." Optimus said.
Meanwhile, all this time, Starscream had been trying to remove the cuff of his wings, hitting it against a rock, until he finally free his wings, allowing him to change to his starfighter form and leave the planet, without established destination.
"I have been a fool, made mistakes. Monumental ones. But I have gained a clear understanding of my place in this universe, of who I am: Starscream, aligned with no side, servant to no one."