While Optimus was distracting Megatron with their fight, Starscream and the rest of the autobots succeeded with rigging the spacebridge to explode.
The groundbridge to send them back to Earth appeared.
One by one the autobots jumped through the portal.
Soon it was Starscream's turn, but then large, sharp and familiar claws grabbed his wings.
The seeker cried out in pain as he heard a dark laugh.
"Ever since I found you on Earth, you never stopped surprising me Starscream. First, you've been transformed by the blood of Unicron, then you have gained a powerful and dangerous form that you can't control and now you joined Optimus' side so the matrix will prevent me from sensing you! But do tell me Starscream…"
Starscream felt the warlord's mouth get near his audio hole and his spark froze at the next whispered words.
"...Does Optimus know that you killed Cliffju-?"
Megatron was interrupted with an angry punch from Optimus.
"Megatron, let him go!" Optimus growled with a glare.
Megatron growled, but then he grinned.
"Never…"
Megatron then shot a blast from his cannon towards his nemesis.
Optimus wasn't able to dodge in time and the blast send him straight through the groundbridge.
Starscream tried to reach the portal in vain as it closed.
He didn't resist Megatron's hold after that.
They were both going to die anyway.
So why even fight it?
Starscream could hear someone shouting in Megatron's com to leave, which his captor ignored.
Of course.
The leader of the decepticons only listens to himself.
As Megatron flew towards the entrance of the malfunctioning spacebridge, the last thing the seeker saw was Megatron reaching out to his undead army with one hand while the warlord was using another to hold the former commander.
Then there was light and pain, followed by darkness and silence...
… and for a moment, peace.
1010101010
On the Nemesis, Commander Dreadwing watched in horror as the explosion destroyed everything in it.
"Lord Megatron! NO!"
1010101010
Optimus ran outside of the base and watched in horror at explosion so powerful that he could see it on Earth.
"No…" the prime whispered in despair.
He failed Starscream...
Just like he had failed Cliffjumper...
And Cybtertron too...
Ratchet slowly walked towards the prime. "Optimus… I'm sorry. I wanted to keep the groundbridge up for Starscream, but there was no time. The explosion would have happened at any moment and I had to close it…"
Optimus took a deep breathe and sighed. "… I know, Ratchet. I don't blame you for this. I blame myself. If I had only dodged Megatron's attack… I might have been able to save Starscream…"
Neither said anything for a few moments.
The medic looked up at the sky sadly. "…At least Starscream can't feel pain anymore…"
1010101010
The next day…
…
PAIN
HEALING
CHANGING
FLOATING
DARKNESS
HUNGRY
SEARCHING
GREY AND PURPLE THING
ENERGON
ENERGON
ENERGON!
…
Full
1010101010
Megatron could only watch helplessly as Starscream looked at him with violent, chaotic purple eyes and an insane, evil grin filled with sharp, dangerous teeth.
Starscream was taller and bigger now, but despite his bigger armor he still looked slender and graceful. He also had dark energon crystals sticking out from all over his body. His shoulders, his knees, his claws seemed to be replaced by the dark god's blood and the crystals pointing out of his head almost looked like a crown.
The mutated seeker was hungry again and the unlucky warlord was his next meal.
The last thing Megatron saw was Starscream unnatural jaw opening, that tube sliding out and deadly, purple claws pulling out the shard of dark energon keeping him alive.
However, Megatron still refused to let his life end.
1010101010
Dreadwing desperately searched though the remains of the giant spacebridge with Soundwave beside him.
He lost his twin brother on Earth before he arrived here and was never able to find Skyquake's body.
But if some part of Megatron's body didn't get vaporized, then the commander could at least still give his leader a proper funeral.
When they found Megatron, Dreadwing was horrified and angered at the state it was in.
It was a similar state to the vehicons that were… attacked by Starscream whenever he got… hungry.
Did Starscream do this?
Why has Megatron kept that monster around?!
The anger turned to shock when Soundwave showed on his visor that the warlord is still alive.
They had to take their leader to Knockout's medbay immediately!
1010101010
When Starscream returned to the autobot base fully healed, he did not expect the prime to hug him.
He expected shock from the autobots, but not a hug from their leader.
"Starscream…" Optimus said softly. "We thought you went offline…"
Starscream blinked. Did Optimus really… mourn him?
The seeker felt uncomfortable and awkward. "Well, I'm not… So you can let go now please."
When Optimus released him form the hug, the larger mech held him by the shoulders and looked him in the optics. "Did Megatron survive as well?"
Starscream looked to the wall and shook his head. "No… he didn't."
There's no way he could after what Starscream's hunger did to the warlord.
Once Optimus lets go, Bumblebee walked up to him, buzzing in joy.
"I can't believe that I'm happy to see you, Scream!" laughed Bulkhead.
"Good job." Arcee nodded to him with a small smile.
However, Ratchet gazed at him suspiciously. "How do you have no injuries?"
Starscream glared back. "...I fixed myself. Isn't that obvious?"
"Oh, please." Ratchet scoffed. "There's no way you fixed yourself that fast, even if you did have professional medic skills."
"Ratchet, Starscream has been through enough." Optimus frowned.
On the inside, Starscream felt nervous about anyone finding out the truth.
On the outside, Starscream growled. "Believe or not, it's the truth! I had to learn these skills during my time alone on this planet! It's not like you autobots would have welcomed me with open arms if I didn't save those humans you valued so much!"
Ratchet sighed and decided to calm things down. "You're both right…Starscream, I apologize. It's just that these past few days have been overwhelming, with Cliffjumper's death and you being our ally now. But I shouldn't scoffed at your recovery like that… And I also apologize for closing the groundbridge before you got through."
At this point, Starscream no longer needed to act defensive. The seeker nodded in understanding. "It's alright. I know you did that to prevent the destructive blast from reaching the base. I would have done the same thing."
Ratchet nodded back. "I might not show it, but I'm glad you're alive too."
Arcee then smirked. "But not as glad as the kids are gonna be.
Bulkhead grinned with her. "And we're making sure you're not leaving the base until they're all here."
Starscream growled to himself and crossed his arms.
"…Fine."
1010101010
Exhausted from everything, the seeker decided reward himself with a nap in his new room, which didn't last long when it reached, 3:30 p.m.
"Starscream! You're alive!" shrieked a familiar female voice.
He woke up with a jolt to the tearful, smiling faces of Miko and Raf, with Jack watching them from the side of the seeker's head.
And poor Starscream could only freeze in horror at all the emotion before him...