Showdown: Broken Spark

Soundwave wasn't the only one who had all of the computer access codes. Starscream being Air Commander had access privileges too. He decided he'd do a little research of his own. He finally came across something interesting, the electronic journals kept by the Constructicons. Mostly it was a lot about their lives, which was kind a boring, until finally, he skipped to the May and June 1987 entries. There were a lot of comments about him, but that was no surprise, the interesting part when he found the entries talking about Aviator. Starscream smiled, he knew a certain someone who might want to see these.

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Aviator was sitting in his room, the one that had been all but forgotten except by Scavenger who had stored his collection there until he suggested clearing it out for Aviator. Hook and Scrapper had helped him install a recharge bed and a computer, but other than that he was left to fix it on his own. Aviator loved it, being a Constructicon in was in his programming. When he wasn't sparring, helping the others or learning building skills from each of the other Constructicons, he was working on his room. He was currently welding some cracks in one of the metal walls.

'Temperature and timing,' Aviator repeated some words of advice Scavenger had given him.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in." Aviator's voice chimed, as he switched off the welder.

Then the last person he ever expected to walk in, walked in.

"Go out!" Aviator growled at Starscream.

"Now, now don't be so rude." Starscream managed to keep his voice calm, when all he really wanted to do was beat the boy to pulp and hear him beg for mercy. "I merely came to explain some of my actions."

"There's no need to spend your time doing that it would be a waste. No explanation will change my opinion of you." Aviator said coldly.

Starscream's fists clenched, but his face did not reflect this action.

"So you're really secure of yourself in this little group."

"Yes."

"Are sure?"

"Of course." Aviator narrowed his optics.

"So you're part of Devastator then?" Starscream raised and optic brow.

"N-no, but---"

"But? Are they planning to?" Starscream smirked.

"Well, they're very busy so it hasn't been talked about that's all." Aviator said quickly.

'He's being defensive. I've got him.' Starscream was laughing inside. His plan was working like a charm. "Can you truly be sure of what they think of you?"

"Are you implying that the Constructicons would lie to me?!" Aviator growled storming up to the Air Commander.

"Not at all, I was merely asking you a question, one you should probably ask yourself like are you sure you weren't created as a tool to get at me?" Starscream put on a false look of concern. He had to be careful with his words, if he out and out insulted the Constructicons, Aviator wouldn't take the words to core. However if he were subtle, he could easily slip dangerous questions and doubts into the boys mind. Which was all Starscream needed. "Mere tools don't get to be part of Devastator, you know?"

The last question seemed to hit the boy's core hard, for he could not seem to bring out an answer. Starscream had him, now to plant one more thing so he could leave before one of the Constructicons walked in.

"You know, being a Constructicon you do have access to the Constructicons' electrical journals, you could look at the entries around the time of your creation, and find out what they really think."

"They're......They're....journals." Aviator paused, Starscream smiled. He knew the kid was thinking about it. He had him. "No. No I can't do that, I couldn't. Not to them. Maybe to someone else, but not them."

"Well, I've said all I came to say. Primus knows how you are going survive in this world Aviator." Starscream sighed, opened the door and stepped out. Once the door had closed behind him, Starscream smiled. "Hook, line and sinker, as the humans say. Fitting expression for the young twerp. He took the bait, now it's only a matter of time........."

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Aviator stood there in silence. The words of Starscream echoed in his mind.

What do they really think of you?

Aviator shivered. The Constructicons wouldn't lie to him, would they? Not Mixmaster. Not Scavenger. They wouldn't do that to him right?

So you are a part of Devastator then?

No. No he wasn't. Oh he wanted to so much. To feel the mental bond the others felt, to belong with them, to not be rejected and abandoned, to not be a.....a.....

Are you sure you weren't created as a tool to get at me?

A tool.

Mere tools don't get to be part of Devastator, you know?

He wasn't just a tool, he couldn't be. Was that all he meant to them? No. No. It could not be, he couldn't bare that thought.

Tools don't get to be part of Devastator.

He felt a sudden emptiness. It was as if someone had ripped out his very core, but left him alive to wander lost and abandoned forever.

What do they really think of you?

Aviator shook his head.

The Constructicons' electrical journals.

The Journals. Aviator looked over at his computer. No he couldn't do that, he couldn't betray their trust. But then again, had not they possibly betrayed his? There was only one way to know.

Within minutes he was reading the May entries.

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Soundwave was walking out of his room when Starscream passed by with a very smug smile on his face.

"What have you done?" Soundwave demanded coldly.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Starscream stopped and looked over his shoulder at Soundwave.

"I would," Soundwave replied.

"Well, it's none of your business, though no doubt you'll find out anyway, you're very good at that." Starscream sneered and continued walking.

To the untrained optic Soundwave would have appeared as stoic as ever, but to those who knew him well, they could see if looks could kill, Starscream wouldn't know what hit him. Unfortunately, looks couldn't kill, and Starscream's mental barriers were near impenetrable. He instead pressed the eject button on his shoulder and called out, "Ravage; eject. Operation; location. Target; Aviator."

The cassette panzer transformed, landed elegantly on its feet, and took off down the hallway.

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May 20, 1987

Bonecrusher

No new members! No way! No how!

May 20, 1987

Hook

I think Scrapper should just forget about "Aviator."

May 20, 1987

Longhaul

I don't feel like adjusting to someone new. Plain and simple.

May 20, 1987

Scavenger

Longhaul and Bonecrusher may be right on that point. 

May 20, 1987

Scrapper

Apparently they don't like the idea a seventh member.

Aviator felt his core turn cold as he read the entries. They confirmed everything Starscream said.

"The "Aviator Project" is complete……."

"I hate the idea of a new guy, but I hate backing down to Starscream a lot more."

"……The perfect rival to that egotistical flying jerk off in the sky, Starscream."

"I gotta admit the new guy looks pretty cool……"

"Oh Primus he's beautiful! That will show the mean Starscream what for……"

"……at least we don't have to say we backed down on a bet from that flyboy Starscream……"

"………Starscream!"

"………Starscream!!"

"………Starscream!!"

Just a tool.

Aviator tried so hard to hold  oily optic fluid from spilling down the sides of his face, but it was no use.

Suddenly his screen beeped. He was receiving a message from Cybertron, and the sender was Mixmaster no less.

There was a ray of hope warming Aviator's core. Mixmaster was the only one who didn't advocate his creation because of Starscream. Maybe this was all a mistake, Mixmaster would tell him.

Aviator just finished wiping the optic fluid from his face when Mixmaster's image came on the screen.

"Greetings Star traveller!" Mixmaster's cheerful greeting greatly lifted Aviator's spirits. "I am a genius! We figured out the formula, ran tests and everything went like clockwork, yes clockwork. Now that we've got the synthesized version, we won't have to even mine the stuff anymore, which, I might add, means Scavenger, Longhaul and I are coming home!"

"That's wonderful news." Aviator managed to smile, but his voice lacked his face's luster.

"What's the matter? You're all right, yes?" Concern immediately crossed Mixmaster's face. "Those nasty Stunticons haven't been bothering you again have they?"

'Come Aviator, just spit it out. Why are you so afraid of the answer?' Aviator thought hurriedly himself.

"Um, Mixmaster, was I originally created just so you guys could out do Starscream? Is that why I'm here?"  Aviator's voice quavered out.

"What?!" Mixmaster was clearly taken aback by Aviator's question and he equally stumbled for an answer. This told aviator that the answer was the one he most feared.

"Please, just answer. I don't want to suffer like this." Aviator was on the verge tearing up again.

Mixmaster opened his mouth to say something besides the answer he was going to give, but nothing came out, except, "yes, it's true."

The sorrow that came across Aviator's face cut through Mixmaster more painful than any laser shot he had ever suffered.

"Aviator, wait don't----" was all Mixmaster got out before Aviator severed the communication link. He looked around, for some reason he just couldn't stay in his room. It hurt too much.

The young jet trudged slowly down the side hallway until he came to an intersection where you could go into the workshop, go back down the hall to the Constructicons' quarters or take the third hallway that lead to the main Decepticon base. He stopped just before the doorway of the workshop. When he heard the voices of Scrapper, Hook and Bonecrusher.

"So are we agreed then?" Scrapper's voice spoke up.

"Yes, Aviator should not become part of Devastator." Hook's business like voice chimed in.

"Yeah, guess you're right." Bonecrusher huffed. " I agree."

Crushed........

That's what Aviator felt like. He felt like they were stomping out his very spark.

He ran. He ran down the hallway that connected to the Decepticon base. He didn't know where he was running, or why. He just knew he had to get away, away from those he loved most.......

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Picked up the trail of the target quite quickly. The Aviator had been down this hallway recently. Soundwave was following closely behind.

Ravage sniffed at a door to one of the storage rooms.

Target located!

Soundwave opened the door followed Ravage in. Sure enough, there was Aviator sitting against the wall, knees pulled almost up to his chest with his head resting on them. The jet was mumbling some incoherent babble, but not inaudible.

"Hate. Hate. no. rejection. tool. abandon. no gestalt. trust. break. hurts. so much pain. it hurts. it hurts. it hurts."

"Aviator?" Soundwave's voice seemed to wake the jet out of his babbling stupor.

"What do you want?" Aviator growled, looking up at Soundwave with pain, anger, sorrow and an optic fluid written on his face.

"What happened?"

"They rejected me. I'm just a tool, that's all I am to them! I'm nothing." Aviator laid his head back down onto his knees.

"Can you prove otherwise?"

"I don't know, there isn't anything that I can----" Aviator stopped and looked up again, but he was looking at Soundwave. His visor didn't seem to focus on anything at all. Then his face pulled into a cold, determined, seriousness. He wiped the optic fluid from his face and stood up.

"I'm going to do what I was built to do. I'm going to challenge Starscream."

"That is unadvisable."

"I know."

"His talents are such you could never overpower. His experience is beyond which you can touch." Soundwave managed to keep the surprise and irritation at the youth's foolishness from his voice

"Then I'm dead!" Aviator yelled back, but the cold serious expression remained. "Either way it will rid me of this pain in my spark."

Soundwave remained silent. He could not fight that reasoning.....

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A chapter with plenty of Aviator angst. Poor Aviator.

See the journal entries at the beginning, tie in at the end. And there will be more later.

Next chapter:

Showdown: Duel

Till Next Time

-Vega Sailor