Starscream was gently being woken.

"'Warp?" he said groggily. He rubbed the heel of his servo into his optic. "I didn't sleep past the alarm, did I?"

"Hey, sweetspark, no, you're good. We gotta move you," Skywarp said lowly. There was a small amount of tension in his voice prompting Starscream to come awake faster.

"I'm up," he said quickly. "What's happening?"

"Autobots," he heard Thundercracker say quietly from across the room. He was at the doorway, listening to his comms. His null-rays were primed and Starscream could hear the small pings of metal as they heated up and expanded. "They managed to get down the elevator, but they are held up on the first level. Still far away yet."

"Is this… a normal occurrence?" Starscream asked, getting himself out of the berth.

"Not exactly," Skywarp said, begrudgingly.

"They don't usually invade us," Thundercracker added. "Our base is at the bottom of the ocean and pretty defensible. They are either desperate or stupid." TC's optics dimmed as he received more comms. "You should get going, 'Warp."

"I'm going to take you to the Constructicons, okay?" Skywarp said.

Starscream nodded, looking to Thundercracker with concern. He opened his mouth to say something, but Skywarp had already grabbed him and warped away in a flash of purple light.

They were transported to the medbay and Starscream saw the Constructicons fortifying the entrance.

"Good, you're here," Hook said walking up to them. "Been a while since we had an invading force, huh?"

Skywarp grinned. "There's a reason for that, isn't there?" He patted Starscream on the arm. "Keep your comms on and stay here. Please stay here and listen to the Constructicons."

Starscream gave a mock salute, but his expression softened. "Please be careful."

Skywarp cupped his check and pinched it with affection. He winked and then was gone. Starscream felt his spark lurch at his absence.

Hook smiled at him. "It's good to see you getting along with them. Like a real trine again."

Starscream gave him a small smile. "Do we know why they are invading?"

"Well, don't know if you have heard but there is a war going on," Mixmaster said, sliding in next to Hook. "They could have any reason to be here."

But Starscream knew he was avoiding saying the distinct possibility they were here for him. He didn't want to be so conceited in thinking that everything was about him and his condition, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow responsible. Mixmaster went back to prepping his weapons and helping Bonecrusher and Long Haul barricade the hallway.

Starscream tried to stay out of the way when he noticed Hook's side glance. "Did you… want me to remove those?" he asked.

Starscream was confused for a moment until he followed his gaze to his null-rays. "Oh… these?"

"Kinda useless to you now. Might be worth getting rid of the extra weight?"

Starscream considered this. He had apparently been outfitted with these null-rays for a long time according to that holocube he had seen; it seemed a shame to just "get rid of them." All of the seekers had them, he had noticed. Maybe they were some kind of status symbol or other important piece of seeker culture he was unaware of?

Getting rid of them without knowing the full details of them seemed… rash.

He ran his digits over them, noticing that they had no sensation for him; as in, they weren't actually part of his frame, per se. They seemed well-made; white metal formed into a barrel tapered at the end. He had noticed that not many of their kind had visible weapons always displayed, but seekers did. Did that mean something? Why didn't seekers throw them into subspace when they weren't being used?

There were still so many things he didn't know.

"Thank you for the offer, Hook. Though I think it is likely the Autobots all know my condition, maybe keeping up the appearance that I can defend myself might be useful."

Hook tilted his helm as if considering his words. "You have a point. There are still humans and neutrals to consider."

There were a few explosions that sounded distantly in the base, and the walls shook with their power. Hook smiled. "Particularly animated today, aren't they?"

Starscream tried not to let his unease show. He hadn't been around battling and fighting yet that wasn't scripted from a training room or an observed from a battle monitor. Hearing it and feeling the tremors of the base shake were a different matter. Dust shook from the ceiling panels, and the sound of fighting got louder above their helms.

He wondered idly how his former self would have reacted to this situation. Would he have been a coward? Brazenly brave? Angry? Starscream supposed it didn't really matter at all. He didn't know why he kept trying to compare himself to his former life. He didn't have any of the same resources at his disposal, and none of the same experiences. His personality might even have been altered if everyone's reaction to him was any indication.

Hook patted his arm. "How are you doing?"

Starscream startled out of his thoughts. "I'm fine," he said probably too quickly. "It's just all really… new."

"New. New and probably slag," Hook laughed. "I know it likely feels awful to not know anything. But it really was a kindness taking your memories. Knowing you and who you were, I doubt your former self would have survived knowing how you are now changed."

Starscream froze, his intakes held. "I thought the memory loss was tied to the accident?"

Hook paused, some shock coming over his features. His mouth tried to move to say something, but he couldn't find the words. "No…" he finally said after a few moments. "No. Your memory loss was intentional."

Starscream drew back from Hook. A swirl of uncertainty and confusion clouded his processor and made it difficult to think.

It was quiet now.

The absence of explosions was enough to unnerve all of them. They looked around at each other, and Starscream thought he could see a small creep of panic on some of their faces.

A loud explosion came from the barricade in the hallway. Debris exploded in all directions, ricocheting off the medical equipment and consoles into the medbay. The sound was deafening, and Starscream covered his audials. Hook upended a medical berth and hid behind it, throwing a beckoning servo to Starscream to get down as well. Starscream followed him, his optics wide. Another, smaller explosion came from the barricade again.

There was shouting and now blaster fire. Hook was rapidly talking into his comms, trying to contact reinforcements, but it seemed everyone was already engaged. "How did they get down here?" Scrapper bellowed, jumping up to start firing a volley of blaster fire from behind his own upended berth. Scavenger joined him, yelling for Mixmaster and Long Haul. They were trying to drag Bonecrusher back into the medbay, but fire from the Aubobots was making it difficult.

Hook snarled and jumped up to provide cover fire. Starscream peaked around the side of the berth to look at what was happening, but a stray blast of laser fire made him recoil and just sit there quietly, knowing there was nothing he could do.

Hook got shot in the arm and was down with a pained yell. He swore colorfully, and Starscream scrambled closer to him to hold him steady. Starscream looked around and grabbed a medkit from under the berth's storage and offered it to Hook. "If you tell me what to do, I can help?"

Hook, his face paler than usual just nodded. "Get me a pain patch so I can think clearly, then we can move from there."

Starscream opened the kit and quickly found the patches, opening one with his denta and then applying it to Hook's arm. Hook visibly relaxed with a sigh. "Slagging Autobot blasters burn," he said offhandedly.

His comm crackled to life. "Yeah, we're about two kliks from being overrun," he said to the comm with a sigh. "Slag, does it have to be-" he grimaced. "Okay fine, fine, yes send them."

Hook grabbed Starscream by the neck and pushed him gently to the ground. "Incoming welcome wagon, 'Cons!" he yelled over his shoulder as he too went to the ground.

Scrapper and the rest of the Constructicons also fell down, covering the backs of their helms.

Hook smiled at Starscream's confusion.

Another loud set of explosions erupted around them and a new set of mechs appeared. Starscream only recognized Vortex and maybe Blast Off.

"Oh."

"Oh, is right," Hook drawled. "The Combaticons."

The fighting was intense. The Autobot force was clearly not prepared for the ferocity and might of the Combaticons who came in with punches, blaster fire, and a certain kind of sadistic glee. They were laughing, delighted as they brawled, and the disturbed Autobots were pushed back.

A yellow mech came around the corner to look on the other side of the berth. "There you are, Starscream. We've been sent as your saviors." He held out a servo.

Starscream looked up at him and took the servo as he was hauled to his pedes.

"Weird," the mech said. "You don't look any different," he said tapping his chin with a digit.

Hook pulled himself up, holding his arm. "We don't have time for this Swindle. Get him out of here, okay?"

Swindle smiled a toothy grin. "Sure, sure, no problem. Come on, 'Screamer, let's get you somewhere safer," he said with a helm tilt.

Starscream distantly thought there was something wrong.

Hook pushed past them. "Get moving! I gotta look at Bonecrusher," he said, his attention already diverted.

Swindle bowed a little and gave a flourish of his servo, indicating Starscream should lead the way. Starscream went in the direction of the door to where the other Combaticons were waiting.

"Ah. Starscream," said one of them clearly in charge. "How the mighty have fallen, hm?"

Starscream paused a little at his tone. Swindle pushed him forward so that he kept moving. "Don't be shy now, Commander."

"I'm not-"

"Hmm, we should get moving," the in-charge blue mech said. Starscream noticed that all of them had faceplates on except for Swindle. It made them more intimidating.

Starscream felt crowded as Blastoff and Vortex pushed him forward through the hallway with Swindle, the leader, and another mech led them.

"We've got to keep you safe, Commander," Swindle winked over his shoulder. "What with you being so debilitated and all."

Starscream had learned very quickly since he had woken up in the medbay to his new life that he needed every scrap of information he could gather. These mechs around him lived for millions of years and had an insane amount of history, politics, and grudges that added up over time. He had learned to hone his observation skills as one of the only tools he had that was left intact after his accident.

He was… definitely picking up on something dangerous here. He started looking for an escape.

"I think this is a good spot," the leader said, stopping at a console room. Starscream felt himself pushed in and the door closed behind him. Vortex and Blastoff stood outside.

"What do you think Onslaught? I definitely think you were on to something."

The leader mech apparently named "Onslaught" tilted his helm. "I agree, Brawl. The more I see of him, the more I'm convinced. Swindle?"

"No doubt in my mind," he said with a smirk. "Definitely faking."

Starscream narrowed his optics. "Faking."

"Yes. See, we know you, Starscream. You fragging created us after all," Swindle said.

"…what?"

"Yeah, without energy absorbers, so thanks for that," Brawl said, leaning forward menacingly.

"I'm not sure you realized what you were unleashing though." Swindle's smooth voice was chuckling. "Drop the charade, eh, Commander? It's getting tiresome."

Starscream slowly crossed his arms across his chassis. "I was demoted, first of all," he said with a slight edge to his voice. "I'm a Lieutenant, now."

"Yeah okay, sure, Megatron will have you back to being second-in-command in a few decacycles, guar-an-teed," Brawl said, putting his hands on his hips. "He's stupid like that about you."

Starscream watched them carefully. So far, he hadn't heard such blatant disrespect for Megatron, and he felt like that was more dangerous than any feeling he had so far. Megatron so far had seemed… interested in Starscream's welfare, even if he was just a pawn of some kind. If the Combaticons disregarded him, Starscream realized his situation was perilous.

They radiated confidence and surety; they had no doubt that he was acting. He wondered if anyone else in the base had thought the same thing? How could he prove them wrong?

Onslaught took a step forward. "I think it's time you stopped the act. It's unique what you came up with, I'll give you that. Really sparked some fear in everyone thinking about what would happen if the Autobots could do it to them. Seemed like we were actually united as a faction again. But it's you," he spat. "Everyone should remember how much of a manipulator you are."

Starscream took a step back, but Onslaught had reached out a servo and caught his wing so that he couldn't retreat anymore. Starscream swallowed down his panic and thought very carefully about his next move. What he said was true, he thought. He still had the ability to manipulate mechs to get them to do what he wanted just by observing them and learning what made them tick.

He just needed to calculate the situation to turn it in his favor.

"You seem to be pretty sure this is all a trick," he started carefully. He forced his wings to relax despite the rough servo on it, he rolled his neck, and he straightened his posture. "Let's say it is, an act," he drawled. He felt like he was laying it on too thick but based on the reactions from the mechs… yeah, this was right. "Are you saying you want to stop me, or you want in on it?" He was leaning on a part of his voice that sounded confident and arrogant.

Something like what he thought his old self might be like.

Swindle was grinning. "I knew he was faking. I knew it," he laughed. "There is no way you would have allowed this to happen." He held out his servo to Brawl who rolled his optics and gave him a bottle of high-grade. It seemed Swindle had won some kind of bet.

Onslaught released his wing, much to his relief.

"Clearly you thought I had some elaborate plan. What do you think it is?" Starscream kept the act up, folding his arms across his chassis.

Onslaught was watching him closely. "To take down Megatron, like it always is. Instill a false sense of security in everyone that you aren't a threat. If you're pacified, it doesn't become less threatening than that. And all it requires is you NOT shoot someone for 99% of the time, except the one time you need to do it."

Starscream nodded, as if this made complete sense and was totally what he had planned. "And how did I convince the Autobots to go along with the plan?"

Swindle spoke up this time. "Probably offered them some kind of deal to help you take Megatron off the board. They'd see you as the lesser of two stupid evils. Fooling your trinemates was quite the cold, but effective touch, I'd have to say."

Starscream shrugged. "You still haven't answered the question, though," he reminded them. "Do you want in on it or not?"

Onslaught narrowed his optics. "You haven't actually admitted to anything yet. Odd for you to not crow your victory."

"But there's no victory yet. I haven't won. Megatron is not destroyed. I would try to keep the act up as long as possible, right?"

"That… tracks," Swindle said. He too was now looking at Starscream somewhat suspiciously.

"Something is still not right. You're still hiding something," Onslaught said, crowding Starscream's space again. "I think I still want to see you break in public. It's be really satisfying to see everyone realize what a piece of slag you are."

Starscream had almost had them. He hardened his jaw and tried a different tactic. "I'm not faking," he said angrily. "I am truly pacified," he said with a touch of anxiety.

"Well, we'll know for sure soon. We'll use you as a shield against the Autobots. If you fire back so you don't get hit, well then, victory over the manipulator. If not… our mistake."

Starscream tried to take a step back again, but Onslaught grabbed him to spin him around and push him back though the door.

"Let's get moving."