CHAPTER 17

Starscream could not describe himself as being anything but relieved.

After his arrival back on the Nemesis, bringing the Omega Keys as an "I'm-home"-gift, Megatron – among other Decepticons such as Dreadwing – still had his doubts about letting Starscream back into his fold, giving his far too bad reputation and criminal record, most of all his attempts at the warlord's life. Although Megatron would indeed accept the keys, he had considered vaporizing Starscream anyway.

But Starscream put that consideration in dilemma, listing several – although poorly executed – reasons to take him back. Most of all, the Seeker just wanted to have shelter, food and company again, tired of living in the wild. But he did sometimes come up with some sneaky, rather deceitful plans, being truly worthy of the name Decepticon, purely because of his nature. And Megatron knew this.

To decide what to do with the prodigal Decepticon, Knock Out linked the Seeker and Megatron to the cortical psychic patch, to learn about Starscream's true intentions.

Starscream was naturally embarrassed by the very first memory they looked into – the moment after Megatron's 'demise' at the space bridge, after which Starscream had proclaimed himself leader of the Decepticons…followed by a victory dance, with the surrounding Vehicons shouting "All hail Starscream!"

Starscream himself was highly embarrassed, Megatron was amused, and Knock Out found it 'juicy'.

They then looked at the other memories of Starscream, particularly the ones where he was being treacherous, pathetic and struggling in the wild as a rogue. It was such that Megatron learned he was unable to transform, but Starscream (in his subconscious) assured him that he would be more valuable with wings, and that he transformed with a certain sense of style…which was followed by the Seeker wincing embarrassed yet again.

For some reason, Starscream managed to avoid showing memories of the Heralds of Unicron, Nightbird and in particular Creop Trivem. He had the intention of simply forgetting about them, as he most likely would not see them again, now that he was back aboard the Nemesis, safe and sound…and if that wouldn't happen, at least he would go out, knowing he still wouldn't meet another one of those annoying Heralds. Not that they would stop trying to keep him safe, that is, he remembered later on.

Another few memories Megatron got to witness was Starscream and Knock Out planning their betrayal towards Megatron once more (which made Knock Out almost cut the cord on Megatron, but was stopped by Dreadwing and excused it as the wire being loose), Starscream summoning Skyquake, Dreadwing's late brother, and finally, how Starscream lost his arm after injecting dark energon into himself to raise Skyquake from the dead.

Then finally, Megatron announced to the anxious Seeker that he had decided to keep him around and alive, in return that he obeyed his every command and remembered his place. He also mentioned that the Seeker was more valuable to him as an ally than as an enemy, which he was rather glad to hear.

Starscream promised; he didn't even care about not being the first lieutenant anymore – he was just joyful to have finally returned to the Decepticons again.

After returning to the real world, Megatron ordered Knock Out to patch up Starscream and to replace his T-cog. The warlord left the two of them alone to do it – Dreadwing had disappeared before the cortical psychic patch was disconnected, but no one cared to ask where or why.

"So, are we ready to begin?" Knock Out asked with delight, turning his arm into a circular saw, his favorite operation tool.

"Yes," Starscream replied, looking a bit concerned at the saw. "Just make sure to put me in stasis before you touch me with that thing. Ugh," he said as another well-known cramp pained his chest, making him crouch a little on the surgery table.

"Is something the matter?" Knock Out changed his saw back into a servo and looked a bit concerned at the Seeker. "Has the life of a rogue been hard on you?"

"You go and see for yourself," Starscream snapped. "I've been having this intolerable pain in my chest area for months, and something is depleting me of energon faster than I can refuel. I think I might have some kind of energon worm."

"Ooh, those are nasty," the doctor replied.

"Yes, very. Now, since you're fixing me up and replacing my T-cog and everything, perhaps you could also take a look at my chest? If you find anything unusual in there, get it out! I want to get back to my normal, pain-free self again! I want to fly again!"

"Alright, alright, calm your thrusters," Knock Out said. "I'll take a look. I'll put you in stasis now, so I can begin my work."

"Finally! I hope to see good end results…doctor."

Knock Out set the machine to stasis mode and watched as the Seeker grew dopy and slowly closed his red optics.

"See you on the other side."

As Starscream had slipped into stasis, Knock Out was eager to get on with cutting open his body to work. However, giving the Seeker's request about the chest, and his apparent pain – plus the fact that energon worms could easily spread their eggs to other hosts – made him first take his scanner and analyze the condition of the former Air Commander.

He did indeed seem to be badly depleted of energon, and the depletion continued at an alarming rate. It could very well be an energon worm.

"Scrap, what if he is infected?" Knock Out mumbled to himself. "I'd have to terminate him to spare the rest of the ship, not to mention myself. But however much fun that would be, I have to be sure. Now, where's my x-ray…"

He grabbed his x-ray device – the same one he had just recently used on the Autobot named Smokescreen to find the last Omega Key inside him – and held it over the Seeker's chest. What he saw made his energon freeze like ice.

"Well, this is interesting…"

Everything was covered in darkness. Starscream did not know if he was wary or unconscious, but all he could see was blackness. He didn't know who he was or where he was. He couldn't even remember if he was alive or dead. He was blind, deaf, silent. He was just a helpless spark, lost in the darkness.

"Wakie-wakie," a blurry voice said, out of the blue – or rather, black. It sounded familiar somehow, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Then, suddenly, the darkness disappeared; memories returned to him, his senses came back, and he opened his optics, to find himself back upon the warship. He felt different than before. Better, stronger, faster. Whole.

"Rise and shine," Knock Out croaked. "Your T-cog transplant was a success. Yes, I am just that good."

Starscream sat up, feeling around on himself. He held out his arms. The next second, his servos had turned into blasters. He rejoiced. He could transform again! Finally!

"Ahh, I cannot wait to fly again!" he said cheerfully and got up on his peds.

"Uh, yeah, hey, Starscream," Knock Out stumbled a bit over the words. "There is something you should know first…"

"And? What is it?" the Seeker snarled impatiently with his servos on his hips. "Speak up!"

"Uh…well…how to explain this…"

Before Starscream could complain about Knock Out's delayed explanation, he suddenly felt an extraordinary painful cramp in his chest, the most painful one to date. He crouched together and glared at Knock Out in disbelief.

"I…I thought you had removed that pesky energon worm! Why in the name of Primus would you leave it be?!"

"Yeah, no, that's not an energon worm," Knock Out said and picked up his x-ray device. "This may come as a shock to you…it came as a shock to me, anyways…"

He showed a recorded image on the x-ray to Starscream. The pain in his chest subsided, and he removed his servos from his chest and took the device to take a better look at the image.

The image displayed the Seeker's chest from the inside; all the internal organs, along with his spark and…six colorful lights surrounding his spark. Each light was in a different color of the rainbow: Red, blue, yellow, green, purple and pink. The colors triggered a memory from several months ago.

Creop Trivem. These are the 'energon pellets' he gave me, I'm sure of it. So they ARE the ones giving me such misery. But why? What are they? And why are they so big now? They've almost filled out my entire chest area...

"Yes, they are very pretty colors," Starscream snarled annoyed, "but I do not care about rainbows in my chest if it makes my life miserable! So I ask again: Why did you not remove it?!"

"Look, I thought they were energon worms too when I first looked at them," Knock Out explained. "But then I changed it to infrared, and…well, see for yourself."

Starscream rolled his optics in annoyance, but nonetheless switched the x-ray to infrared. The colorful lights disappeared, and instead, six small figures appeared where the lights had been. At first they just looked like yellow and red blobs, but then Knock Out pressed another button, and suddenly, one of them moved. Arms and legs were sticking out, servos and peds were kicking against what seemed to be a round wall surrounding them. At one point, a crack opened on one of the creatures, revealing what seemed to be…an optic.

Starscream stared breathless at the video. A long cycle passed, until Knock Out broke the ice and answered Starscream's unspoken question.

"You're carrying protoforms," he said.

Starscream stared from the video to Knock Out, back at the video and then back at Knock Out again.

"I'm…WHAT?!" he shouted, very abruptly, making the doctor wince.

"Well, uh," Knock Out said uncomfortably. "It seems you've somehow gained…uh…possession of some little sparklings. According to the scanner, you've been carrying for almost five months. You…" Knock Out didn't seem especially comfortable saying the next words. "Uh, during your time as a rogue, you didn't happen to stumble upon someone who…"

"No! Quiet!" Starscream yelled hysterically at the doctor – who winced back, having expected this reaction – aggravated by his assumption. "By Unicron, keep your mindless thoughts to yourself! I haven't interfaced with anyone, ever! Never have, never will!"

"Then how do you explain the protoforms?" Knock Out pointed out, while trying to ignore the yelling.

Starscream was about to yell again, but then his thoughts returned to Creop Trivem. It had been him who had given him the pre-developed embryos, but had the mech actually known what they really were? The way he had explained to him that they were merely power-inducing, super-refueling energon pellets made him seem sincere. Perhaps he was just an excellent actor. Yes, that was probably what it was. An act. He knew what he was giving the Seeker, and he knew what it would entail.

"So that is the reason for my constant hunger," Starscream mumbled to himself, as he began calming down. "These protoforms inside me are draining my energon for themselves. But what's with the cramping pain I occasionally get?"

"That would be the protoforms growing and kicking against their wombs and your chest," Knock Out explained, relieved he had finally stopped yelling. "I suspect they are also beginning to heat up, which is a sign that they are almost complete, and the heat damages your internal organs as well, so—"

"Wait wait," Starscream interrupted. "Did you say 'almost complete'? What do you mean by that? That they're…coming out?"

"Yes, more or less. Though I am a bit concerned on that point…"

Starscream snorted and pushed Knock Out away, returning the x-ray back to him.

"You know what? I don't want to know. I don't care even if I have a million Scraplets inside me. All I want to do right now is spread out my wings, take flight and soar among the clouds."

"Starscream," a deep voice sounded behind them, startling the Seeker. It was Dreadwing, and he did not look happy. "I regret to inform you that you will not live to spread your wings," he pulled out his blaster cannon, "ever again!"

Starscream winced, trembling in fear and ducked as Dreadwing fired his cannon, hitting the wall behind them. In a panic, Starscream ran towards a corner while Knock Out went for the door.

"Knock Out! Help me!" he exclaimed desperately.

The doctor escaped, leaving Starscream behind with Dreadwing. With his spark skipping a beat, the Seeker recalled Airachnid leaving him behind for the Autobots. Knock Out had betrayed him, just like she had. Only this time, the Seeker's fate was at the mercy of someone who seemed determined to kill him, rather than to simply take him prisoner.

Dreadwing dropped his cannon and instead drew his sword, while walking towards Starscream. The smaller Seeker felt his servo around the floor and grabbed a durabillium drill, which he held in front of him. It wasn't exactly the most effective weapon, but there was nothing else at his disposal at the moment. He hadn't considered his missiles or lasers, but they probably wouldn't be very effective against the huge Seeker anyway.

"Dreadwing!" he said exasperated. "What has gotten into you?"

Dreadwing responded by slicing the drill over in half. Starscream threw the useless handle away and crawled backwards, trying to think of a way out of this mess. A horrid realization came to his mind.

"Uh—We—Uh—This is about Skyquake, isn't it?" he stuttered and laughed nervously. "Eh, I thought we had put that behind us!"

"So had I!" Dreadwing shouted and swung his sword against the smaller Seeker. He just managed to duck in time with a scream to keep his head.

"Casualties – are an unfortunate consequence of war!" Starscream exclaimed, trying to reason with Dreadwing. "But I assure you your twin met his end with great honor!"

"Which you DISGRACED!" Dreadwing bellowed with anger. "By raising him from the DEAD!"

Starscream's fear had been confirmed. "Oh, you know about that," he said and looked around for something else to stop the bigger Seeker, then went on to wail desperately. "Please, have mercy with me! I—I'm expecting!"

"If you are expecting mercy, I must disappoint you. There is no mercy for what you have done!"

Starscream almost began to cry in despair. He really wished one of the Heralds of Unicron was here right now.

"There must be something I can do! Some form of reparation I can offer you to alleviate your anguish!"

"YOUR SPARK WILL SUFFICE!" Dreadwing lifted his sword and prepared to execute the Seeker.

"DREADWING!" a far-familiar voice sounded from the door.

It was Megatron. Dreadwing looked at the warlord but did not lower his sword. Starscream lay stiffly on the floor, never having been so happy and relieved to see the Decepticon leader as he was right now. Megatron would handle things.

"Stand down!" Megatron ordered.

"This…desecrater," Dreadwing bellowed while pointing at Starscream, who wasn't all so confident about Megatron's assistance anymore, "must pay for his actions!"

"YOU CALL THIS LOYALTY, MASTER?!" Starscream screamed in disbelief at Megatron.

"I said stand down," Megatron said to Dreadwing in a deadly serious tone. "That is an order."

To Starscream's horror, Dreadwing looked back at him with a determined look.

"One which I cannot follow," he said and lifted his sword. Starscream let out a scream and covered his head with an arm, waiting for the inevitable.

BAM!

Dreadwing dropped his sword and fell to the floor with his spark chamber having been blasted completely to smithereens. Behind him stood Megatron with the dead first lieutenant's blaster cannon in his servos. Both the cannon and the mech's blown chest were smoking and seething from the blast. Starscream gasped in exasperation while staring at the dead Dreadwing lying right in front of him. He held a servo on his chest as another cramp had presented itself, but it was ignored by the scene he had just witnessed and been part of.

"I'm okay…I'M OKAY!" he exclaimed and laughed in relief. He spread out his arms and bowed when Megatron approached him. "Lord Megatron, you have my eternal thanks."

Megatron was not one bit happy about the situation.

"Do not ever make me regret which one of you I spared," he hissed, making Starscream's smile fade. The warlord went out the door and left the dead and alive Seekers, seething with anger.

Knock Out came in a little while afterwards, still appalled by the episode. Starscream stood up and scowled at the doctor; he had not forgotten how the red mech had left him behind at Dreadwing's mercy. As he approached Starscream, he took on a not-very-convincing casual behavior.

"Heeey, Starscream! How's it swinging, my man? I just want to tell you, you've always been my number one patient in all of—"

Starscream slapped Knock Out across the faceplate, shutting him up. Then he started scolding him.

"How dare you leave me behind for that psycho to extinguish my spark! You betrayed me! You're just like that wretch Airachnid!"

"Hey, I didn't betray you," Knock Out protested and nudged his face. "I went and got Lord Megatron, and he saved your chassis, didn't he?"

A sudden thought made Starscream flinch. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

"Well, of course I did. How else would he know you were in danger and—"

"I'm talking about the you-know-what!" he snapped. "Did you?"

"No. I was in a bit of a hurry, and as soon as I said Dreadwing was going to frag you, His Lordship stormed off to your rescue."

Starscream looked to each side to make sure Laserbeak wasn't nearby, then he pulled Knock Out close to him.

"We have to keep this between us, understand?" he whispered, even though they were alone. "Don't tell anyone, especially Lord Megatron."

"Why not?" Knock Out asked lowly, uncomfortable about the Seeker's grip. "Do you really think he will be mad? I mean, you've basically returned home with additional troops!"

"If anyone learns about this…delicate situation of mine, I will never hear the end of it. If you tell anyone…" He drew a claw close to the attentive doctor. "I will take it out on your precious finish."

Knock Out gulped and nodded. "Yes, of course! Nobody will hear a thing, promise!"

Satisfied with the answer and reaction, Starscream pulled away from Knock Out. "Well, you better get on with deciphering the Omega Keys then."

Knock Out brought forth the keys and laid them on the table, pulled forth a scanner and started examining the items.

"Honestly, Starscream, I did not expect Lord Megatron to kill his first lieutenant to save you. I mean, Dreadwing was possibly his most loyal and competent second-in-command to date, while you…well, you've tried the master's life more times than I can count."

"Thank you for the reminder, Knock Out," Starscream said sarcastically. "Well, to be honest, I didn't expect him to save me either. But, considering what I have been through these last four months, this was an acceptable surprise."

"Well, other than finding out you're carrying, I guess?" Knock Out said absentminded while scanning one of the keys.

"Yes, now let's please stop talking about that." Though as Knock Out had mentioned it, there was one other thing that bugged the Seeker.

"Actually, I do have a question about…that. You said before that the protoforms were almost complete," he said uncertain. "When are they going to come?"

"Well, judging by how big they are," Knock Out said absentminded while scanning one of the keys, "I'd say one or two weeks. Maybe even less."

Starscream frowned. That wasn't very long. He had to prepare for their arrival sooner than he'd like. Which put another uncomfortable question into mind.

"How…will they come out?"

Knock Out paused his scanning and crossed his arms, slightly in irritation.

"Yes, that's where I'm concerned. See, you know how protoforms normally hatch from eggs? Well, information regarding hatchlings won't really help here, since you're carrying them within your own body. And not only has hatchlings not existed for eons so much information has been lost on them, there isn't actually that much information on sparklings, so..." As he noticed Starscream's impatient expression, he decided to be more direct. "But, what I do know is, they're gonna come out with a bang. Like, a real bang."

Starscream gulped, not sure he actually had wanted to know that.

"But don't worry, when you feel those little suckers about to blow, come straight to me and we'll take care of it together," he said and smirked. Starscream snorted. Did he really think all this was funny?

"Just keep working on those keys, doctor."