AN: So, as I mentioned in the description, this story was inspired by an idea Mae Catt, a writer for Transformers: Cyberverse, had for a redemption arc for Starscream. In it, he would've emerged from the remains of his Quintesson judge body with amnesia and carried with him a psychic shard of Windblade, which would've only said five phrases, and Bumblebee would've befriended him. If you ask me, this was too good of a concept to waste, so I decided that I would write it to see what it would look like. But the road doesn't stop here. I'm thinking of writing other Transformers: Cyberverse stories featuring characters and concepts that Catt wanted to include in the series, but wasn't able to. But for now, I hope you all enjoy this story.
The battle to retake Cybertron from the Quintessons had concluded, with Starscream, who the Quintessons had made into their new judge, being defeated by the combined power of Optimus Prime's Matrix of Leadership and another Matrix found by Megatron, and the Autobots and Decepticons having declared an tentative truce, but as both sides left the battlefield, something moved inside the remains of Judge Starscream's body.
"Hello", a voice asked, "where am I?"
Then, emerging from the body, came Starscream, who was now a regular Cybertronian again, but something was not right about him.
"What is this place", Starscream asked.
"This is upsetting", a voice asked.
Starscream reacted in surprise.
"Who said that", Starscream asked.
"I agree completely", the voice said.
Starscream opened up his hand, and discovered that he was holding a projection of Windblade's head, which was really one of five psychic shards separated from her body when she freed the Titan Croaton from being controlled by the Quintessons.
"Who are you", Starscream asked.
"I am Windblade of Caminus", the shard said.
"Oh", Starscream said, "it's very nice to meet you, Windblade of Caminus."
"That sounds great", the shard said.
"Now then, I'm a bit confused here", Starscream said, "can you tell me where I am?"
"I don't understand", the shard said.
"What do you mean you don't understand", Starscream asked.
"I don't understand", the shard said.
Unfortunately, the shard only had five sayings, so it was unable to provide Starscream with the information he was wanting to know.
"How will I know where I am or why I'm here", Starscream asked, "I don't even know who I am."
"This is upsetting", the shard said.
Starscream walked away into the distance carrying the shard with him.
One Week Later
Bumblebee was walking through the woods looking for Windblade's fourth psychic shard, having already found the first one in Crystal City, the second one inside an alien on Luna 3, and the third one inside the shock tower of the Energon Masters' city underneath the surface of Cybertron.
"I'm so close to restoring Windblade", Bumblebee said, "just two more shards, and she's back to her regular old self."
Then, he noticed his Camien psychic tracker going off.
"The shard must be close", Bumblebee said, "I'm coming, Windblade!"
Deeper in the woods, Starscream was talking to Windblade's shard.
"It sure is lonely out here", Starscream said, "don't you think so?"
"I agree completely", the shard said.
Then, Starscream heard footsteps.
"Who's there", Starscream asked.
Bumblebee jumped out of the bushes, and when he saw Starscream, a look of disbelief fell on his face.
"No", Bumblebee said, "it can't be."
"What can't be", Starscream asked.
"You were one of those Quintesson things", Bumblebee said, "and you were destroyed."
"I was destroyed", Starscream asked.
"Yes", Bumblebee said, "are you a ghost?"
Bumblebee touched Starscream to see if he was a ghost, but he soon discovered that he wasn't.
"How is this possible", Bumblebee asked.
"What are you talking about", Starscream asked.
Then, Bumblebee realized something.
"Wait a second", Bumblebee said, "why haven't you attacked me?"
"Attack you", Starscream asked, "why would I do that?"
"Because you're Starscream", Bumblebee said, "you know, treacherous Seeker leader, Megatron's least favorite underling, the biggest traitor in Cybertronian history?"
"Me", Starscream asked, "all those things."
Bumblebee then realized something else.
"You don't know anything about yourself, do you", Bumblebee asked.
"No", Starscream said, "the last thing I remember, I crawled out of some kind of wreckage, and then I met Windblade of Caminus."
Bumblebee was very surprised to hear Starscream mention his best friend.
"Did you say Windblade", Bumblebee asked.
"Yes", Starscream said, "here she is."
Starscream showed Bumblebee the shard.
"The fourth shard", Bumblebee said.
"I am Windblade of Caminus", the shard said.
Bumblebee took out his tracker to suck up the shard, and Starscream quickly held it away.
"What's that for", Starscream said.
"Listen", Bumblebee said, "I appreciate you keeping that shard safe, but I need it so that I can re-unite it with my friend's body."
"You want to take her from me", Starscream asked.
"Yes", Bumblebee said, "without it, Windblade will be stuck in a deathless slumber forever."
"No", Starscream said, "I won't let you!"
Starscream blasted Bumblebee with his null-rays, and quickly transformed into his jet mode and flew away.
"No", Bumblebee shouted.
Bumblebee transformed into his Cybertronian hover car mode and gave chase to Starscream.
"Come back here, Starscream", Bumblebee said, "you have no idea how big of a mistake you're making!"
"No", Starscream said, "I won't let her go!"
Starscream flew into Iaconus' city mode and transformed into robot mode, and quickly ran away to hide.
"Phew", Starscream said, "safe at last."
But he was wrong, because Whirl was flying over the city in his helicopter mode, when he saw Starscream.
"Sweet Vector Prime", Whirl said, "it can't be him."
Whirl transformed into robot mode and landed on the ground, and soon realized that he was indeed looking at Starscream.
"It is him", Whirl said, "Starscream!"
Whirl quickly communicated Optimus Prime using his wrist communicator, and the Autobot commander answered him.
"What is it, Whirl", Optimus Prime asked.
"It's Starscream", Whirl said, "he's alive, and here in our city!"
Optimus didn't believe this.
"That's impossible", Optimus said, "Starscream was destroyed when Megatron and I combined the power of our Matrices."
"Tell that to him", Whirl said.
Whirl showed Starscream standing around to Optimus, who was in a state of disbelief.
"I don't understand", Optimus said, "how is Starscream alive and also a normal transformer again?"
"I don't know", Whirl said, "but I say we take care of this traitor."
"Normally, I would not approve of such a thing", Optimus said, "but for attempting to bring extinction to us all using the Allspark and selling his own race out to the Quintessons, he must be destroyed."
"I couldn't have said it better myself", Whirl said.
Back in Iaconus' city mode, Bumblebee was looking around for Starscream.
"Starscream", Bumblebee said, "I know you're here, I just wanna talk to you."
Then, he bumped into Starscream.
"There you are", Bumblebee said.
"You again", Starscream said.
"Listen", Bumblebee said, "you need to listen to me."
"No", Starscream said, "Windblade of Caminus is my only friend, I won't let you take her away from me!"
"This is only a fraction of Winblade", Bumblebee said.
Starscream was puzzled.
"What", Starscream asked.
"During the time when you were a Quintesson Judge, you took control of a Titan named Croaton", Bumblebee said, "Windblade used all her power to free him from your control, and her consciousness split up into five seperate components."
"Really", Starscream asked.
"Yes", Bumblebee said, "I've already found three of them, but I need the other two to wake her up, so if you give me the fragment you have, then you can meet her when she's restored and become friends with her."
Starscream looked at the shard, and then looked at Bumblebee.
"That sounds great", the shard said.
Starscream thought for another moment, and came to a decision.
"Very well", Starscream said, "if it's for your friend."
Starscream held out the shard, and Bumblebee sucked it up with his tracker.
"Thank you, Starscream", Bumblebee said.
Then, the two heard transformation noises, and turned around to see Optimus, Grimlock, Hot Rod, Whirl, Arcee, and many Autobot soldiers aiming their blasters at Starscream.
"What's this", Starscream asked.
"Sayonara, traitor", Hot Rod said.
"Autobots, open fire", Optimus said.
The Autobots began firing at Starscream, who was very confused.
"What is happening", Starscream asked.
Bumblebee tried to stop them.
"No, stop", Bumblebee shouted, "you don't understand!"
"I understand that he had this coming", Grimlock said.
Starscream quickly transformed into jet mode and flew away.
"Whirl, after him", Optimus said.
"You got it", Whirl said.
Whirl transformed into his helicopter mode and flew after Starscream, and used his machine gun to shoot the seeker down.
"Bullseye", Whirl said.
Starscream transformed into robot mode and crashed onto the ground, and Optimus walked over and aimed his gun at his head.
"End of the line, Starscream", Optimus said.
But Bumblebee quickly rushed up and stood in front of Starscream.
"No", Bumblebee said, "I won't let you do this."
"Why do you want to spare Starscream after what he did", Optimus asked.
Bumblebee told Optimus all about Starscream not remembering anything about himself.
"I see", Optimus said.
"He can't hurt anyone now", Bumblebee said, "he deserves a chance to change."
"You're right, Bumblebee", Optimus said, "and as Autobots, we must be willing to give him that chance."
Optimus walked over to Starscream, who cowered in fear.
"Don't hurt me", Starscream said, "please."
But Optimus just extended his hand out to Starscream, and the latter took it, and Optimus helped him up, much to the confusion of the other Autobots.
"What is he doing", Hot Rod asked.
"I don't know", Arcee said, "but I'm gonna slag him."
Arcee was preparing to fire her blaster, but Bumblebee lowered it.
"Hey, what gives", Arcee asked.
"He's harmless", Bumblebee said.
Optimus walked over to the other Autobots with his hand on Starscream's shoulder.
"Autobots", Optimus said, "let's give a warm welcome to the newest member in our ranks: Starscream."
The others were dumbfounded by this.
"You're making him an Autobot", Grimlock asked, "after all he's done?"
"Starscream is not the Decepticon he once was anymore", Optimus said, "fate has given him a second chance."
"Based on what I've heard about myself, I'm sure you all probably hate me", Starscream said, "but if you can ever forgive me, please, I want to be one of you."
The others looked at each other, and then looked at Starscream.
"Welcome to the Autobots", Grimlock said.
And with that, Starscream found himself in the center of a big group hug.
"It feels good to be loved by others", Starscream said.