I have been working my butt off of this story! So here's another chapter for everyone! Happy April everyone by the way remember April showers bring May flowers!
I don't own Transformers Prime as the show is owned by Hasbro.
Ch. 12: Out with the Old, In with the New
Needless to say Phoenix was no pleased with her new found confinement. Elisa didn't mind at all, but she didn't like sharing the same space with the spider. Elisa knew she was trouble as her energy felt far too foreign for her liking. However, things turned slightly better for Phoenix when Megatron took her and Starscream to a mine.
"Lord Megatron, far be it from me to question your intentions, but I do not understand why we have returned here after all this time…alone." Starscream said confused. Megtron didn't respond as he and Phoenix kept walking. "Every last trace of energon was extracted from this mine. There's nothing left." He added.
"Indulge me Starscream won't you." Megatron said with slight elegance that made Phoenix grin as the seeker was extremely hesitant. Phoenix could barely contain her laughter as they entered an open chamber that had mining equipment. "How intriguing." Megatron said quietly. Starscream quickly panicked before he tried to cover it with anger.
"Incompetent fools. This mining equipment should have been relocated. Why is it still here?" He asked in his fake fury.
"A most valid question." Megatron commented.
"My apologies master. I believe Soundwave was in charge of coordinating transport." Starscream said quickly earning a growl from both Megatron and Phoenix. "But in fairness during your interstellar travels we all had to assume additional responsabilites, clearly mistakes were made."
"Yes clearly." Megatron said darkly before he slammed his fist into the closest wall and pulled out a chunk of energon that made even Phoenix surprised that he had found it so quickly. "Every last trace of energon extracted?" Megatron repeated with sarcasm.
"Lord Megatron I can explain." Starscream said quickly frightened.
"Explain what? That you've been hoarding a supply of energon for your personal use?" Megatron snapped before he dropped the energon.
"No not exactly you see I…" Starscream tried to explain, but was quickly shut off when Megatron stomped the energon with his pede.
"Do not take me for a fool Starscream!" Megatron shouted. Starscream started to back away and he shivered at the fang filled grin Phoenix gave him. "I have been wise to your transgressions for the beginning. Not only did you pluck the dark energon from my chest in a failed attempt to snuff my spark, but you tried to raise your own undead warrior with it. It's no secret that you've lost an arm in the process, which you've since had replaced."
"You know about that?" Starscream shouted in surprise. He didn't notice Phoenix hunch over at her Carrier's side as she stalked towards him like prey.
"Soundwave is quite competent in surveillance I can assure you. The fact is Starscream, despite your treachery, I've allowed you to carry on this long because I took a certain delight in following your string of failures, but you've finally become tiresome, predictable. You've hit rock bottom." Megatron finished before he pointed his cannon right at Starscream.
"Master please give me one more chance! I beg of you!" He cried as he fell to his knees. Phoenix remained hunched over behind him as Megatron glared down at the seeker. "What would Elisa say?" Starscream added quickly earning a strong hit to the back of the head from Phoenix.
"Shut up about her!" Phoenix snapped.
"She will recover in time." Megatron said quietly. "You have ceased to be of use to me Starscream, so you shall simply cease to be." Megatron stated louder. The seeker flinched before he blinked in surprise as he spotted a human, quickly followed by Arcee, who jumped as well.
"Phoenix is it?" She asked out loud and Megatron fired. She grabbed the human and hid behind a rock column as Megatron continued to fire. "Stay down!" Phoenix heard her shout before Starscream scattered.
"Starscream you dare abandon me!" Megatron shouted before Phoenix ran after him. Megatron watched her chase after him on foot before they both flew off down the tunnel. He stumbled back when he was hit by the autobot so he turned and tried to fire at her, but she hit his arm, which sent his cannon firing at the ceiling of rock above. The rock instantly crumbled before it fell on him and started a cave in. Phoenix felt rocks hit her before she landed and wrapped her arms around her head so her wings wouldn't get damaged before she was buried. Starscream didn't get too far either as he was hit by a large rock and sent spinning before he transformed back into his bi-pede mode.
"What? No!" He shouted in protest before he was buried.
Megatron blinked his optics open and found he was on his stomach in the dark. He panicked for brief moment, thinking back to that night on Cybertron, but then he remembered he was in the mine trying to get rid of Starscream. He tried moving in every which way he could until something was drilled into the pile next to him. He bared his denta ready for a fight, but was surprised to see the human boy Arcee had been protecting.
"I suppose helping those less fortunate would be completely out of the question." Megatron stated as the boy backed away. "If that is the case you might as well use your drill to finish me. I guarantee you will never have a better opportunity then right now." Megatron said darkly, already knowing the human wouldn't do it being on the autobot side. "Well what are you waiting for? Think of the glory. Cease the day. Optimus would." He added, trying to shift his servo so he could grab the drill before it did any damage.
"No he wouldn't not like this." The human stated before he drove off on the drill.
"I will be sure to share the little details of our conversation with Optimus the day I rip out his spark!" Megatron shouted as he left. He grunted when he finally got his servo free and he started to move some more. He heard footsteps and went still before he saw familiar red eyes staring at him.
"You look stuck Carrier." Phoenix laughed before she started to swipe at the rock with her fire claws. "Who used the drill?" She asked curiously as she worked.
"The human that came with Arcee." Megatron answered.
"You know if you had let me kill her the first time I asked you wouldn't be stuck here." She huffed.
"You were a youngling and you still are." Megatron snapped. She huffed in annoyance before she made a nice dent for him.
"You can get yourself out I bet." She said smugly before he did just that.
"Thank you for the help." Megatron said sincerely.
"I can't find Starscream." She added quickly.
"Follow the open paths." Megatron said pointing forward. They soon found some loose rubble as the sun started to come up. Phoenix frowned at Starscream that was holding up a large piece of rock, but started to fail miserably as Megatron ignored him.
"Master! You're alive. Praise the allspark." He said happily as Megatron just continued to glare at him with a stare that would make even Magma shiver. "I did not abandon you master. I returned to save you!" He pleaded.
"Save me?" Megatron growled as he contined to struggle with the weight and Phoenix was snickering behind him.
"Look into my spark Lord Megatron. My intentions were true. Please have mercy!" He shrieked. Megatron only grinned as he knew he won the game.
"You have him." Phoenix whispered with delight behind him. Megatron started to fire way at the large boulder above the seekers head, but Phoenix didn't join in. It was several minutes before the rock was finally in smaller pieces and Starscream was free of his burden. Phoenix growled before she knocked him down with her tail and he cried out in pain before she pounced on him, snarling with fangs right in front of his face.
"You are now forever in my debt Starscream." Megatron said with a sly grin a few feet away. If you try in any way, shape, or form to attack me or my family again I will rip out your spark and shove it down your throat." Meagtron finished before he walked away. Phoenix sneered at him again before she finally got off of him and they left the mine in silence.
Xxxxxxxxx
Phoenix gloated about Starscream's punishment and it displeased Meagatron as it made Elisa go into a quiet mood. She did her best not to let her sister's word get to her emotions and she knew better than to talk to him as he hadn't been too kind with her rescue for Breakdown. To make up for it Megatron gave her a view of the stars as she tried to ignore Arachnid talking to him of the past. Elisa didn't pay much attention to this talk about a ship called the Harbinger and a weapon that could make someone immobile with a single hit.
"Is this true?" Megatron asked amazed.
"Starscream never mentioned it?" Arachnid asked curiously.
"If he's up to his old trick, I shall grind him into power." Megatron said with a clenched fist. A cough announced the arrival of that mech. "Starscream." Megatron said unamused.
"Lord Megatron, please excuse Arachnid's impertinence. Now what was it that I allegedly failed to mention?" Starscream asked nicely.
"The Harbinger."
"What about it?"
"Eons ago a decepticon transport crash landed on this planet." Arachnid announced and Elisa looked up curiously at the monitor screen.
"Oh please common knowledge. I scouted the crash site when we first arrive on earth." Starscream replied quickly.
"Then I presume you recovered the experimental weapon prototype the Harbinger had been transporting?" Arachnid asked making Starscrema jump. Elisa tilted her head curiously at the conversation earning a glance from her Carrier before he looked up at Arachnid.
"Where is the crash site?"
"It was never logged into your ship's database." Arachnid teased looking at Starscream.
"You failed to record the coordinates of a decepticon transport!?" Megatron snapped.
"An oversight master, but I noted it's exact location." Starscream said quickly pointing to his helm.
"Then you can lead Arachnid there so that she may retrieve the prototype for me." Megatron said before turning away.
"My personal native guide, how delightful." She said in a too sweet voice that made Starscream grit his denta before he sulked off with her behind him. Elisa turned back to the stars before she felt something tap her tail. She looked and only saw her Carrier typing away. Another tap made her turn even faster, but again there was nothing so she moved her tail back and forth with one eye on it. When nothing happened she settled down again, but yet again the tapping on her tail happened for a third time.
"Is there a bug in here or something Carrier?" Elisa asked confused standing on all fours.
"None that I see." Megatron said calmly. She looked around for a moment before she settled back down in front of the monitor again, but she waited this time. The tap to her tail happened again and this time she saw the culprit.
"Carrier stop that!" She whined playfully as he chuckled.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out."
Xxxxxxxx
Elisa and Phoenix's eyes were wide when Arachnid returned empty handed and with no Starscream. Megatron was more than furious with her report.
"You left Starscream with the autobots! Do you have any notion of the consequences of your blunder?!" Megatron shouted.
"But my lordship, it was Starscream's incompetence that cost us the immobilizer." Arachnid tried to cover herself.
"I don't care about some trinket!" Megatron shouted right in her face. "My second in command is a prisoner of the enemy. Which means all decepticon intelligence could be at the fingertips of the autobots!" Megatron shouted making her flinch. "Get out of my sight right now!" Megatron snapped at her making her flee with Phoenix quickly following.
"Carrier?" Elisa spoke cautiously. He looked over at her and she could see some of his tension ease instantly. "May I help in a search for the Commander?" She asked cautiously.
"No Elisa. I need you to remain here where it is safe." He answered her calmly. "Get to recharge." He said gently and she started to walk away before she stopped.
"Carrier, may I speak with you plainly about Arachnid?" She asked. One thing he appreciated was that Elisa has such eloquent manners that he didn't know where she got from since he certainly didn't have any. He thought Soundwave have something to do with it and he made a mental note to ask him later.
"Go ahead." He answered.
"You already know I don't like her Carrier. I don't like her because she seems too sneaky to me and I don't like her energy." She explained.
"What do you mean?"
"It feels foreign to me. I can't get a good feel for it." She explained. He always marveled at her gift of sight as she took care of her gift more carefully than Phoenix. She took her energy sensations very seriously and if something was off than there was something bad in play.
"I shall keep an eye on her Elisa. She was never a team player to start with." Megatron explained. Elisa only nodded before she left the bridge. That night he didn't recharge as he sent out search parties for Starscream, but each returned with the same report of no sign of the seeker. He could tell Elisa was worried, but not as much as she could have been. It made him sad to see that Elisa was seeing the truth about things and that he wasn't very good at hiding them either. Phoenix didn't care in the slightest as she always hated the seeker and although he wouldn't admit it out-loud the warship was actually too quiet without Starscream to gossip through its hallways.
"I have been a fool, made mistakes, monumental ones, but I have gained a clear understanding of my place in this universe, of who I am, Starscream, aligned with no side, humble servant to no one."
Bye Bye Starscream see yah later! Oh don't worry he'll be back...eventually ;)