Ch. 34

More regret! It was everywhere! The moment the seeker had stepped into the base, he heard Agent Fowler begin yelling.

Ratchet scowled, "We sent you reports on this weeks ago when this all started happening! Did you think we were joking?!"

Fowler glared at Starscream as he walked into the room, "I thought it was a misprint!"

"After we mentioned him almost five times as an aide?!" the medic huffed.

June looked confused, pointing at the seeker, "Agent Fowler, what are you talking about? This is the Autobot who saved me and my son," she smiled at him, "I never got to thank you..." she paused, her eyes widening when she saw the Decepticon symbol on his chest plate, "W... What...?"

The regret. It lingered.

Starscream groaned and covered his optics with a servo, "Jack will explain, Fowler will yell, and I'm wondering why I came here in the first place."

"You came here because you knew it was the right thing to do," Optimus smiled, setting a servo on his shoulder, "and I am grateful you made the decision."

Ratchet grumbled as he made his way over to the group, "So what you told us, it ended up being true."

Starscream shrugged, "I gave you what I knew. Did you plan for it?"

"We tried," Arcee admitted, "but we're having trouble with the ground bridge."

Ratchet growled deeply, "Ground bridging into space and into a moving train is difficult enough, but a blind jump into a sentient being?"

The seeker crossed his arms, "It can be done."

"Do we even need Megatron for this then?" Miko piped up, "If you have Screamer, he could lead you to Unicron's spark!"

Starscream let out an amused noise, "No, no, that's not how it works."

"Then explain," Fowler continued to glare, "and I better like the explanation."

The seeker frowned at him, "Megatron has infused himself with dark energon. With it, he can hear the thoughts and plans of Unicron, as though he's inside his very mind. When I used the dark energon, I didn't exactly have the same experience. It did nothing."

Ratchet sighed in relief, "Except your vision, thank Primus."

Starscream's optics widened slightly, "Ah, y-yes, except for that. Since I didn't have control over the dark energon, it would be foolish to have me lead you through Unicron's tunnels."

Bulkhead rumbled, "So... we would need Megatron."

Bumblebee frowned, beeping that only Megatron knew where to ground bridge, so they had to use him.

June spoke up this time, anger in her face, "You'd have to bring that monster here? Near the children? How can you even think of such a thing after what he did to Raf?"

Optimus gave her an understanding look, "He would only be here long enough to provide coordinates."

Fowler didn't look convinced, "How do you know he won't just call in a Decepticon air strike once he gets here?" he growled at Starscream, "Or team up with this clown to destroy the base himself?"

The seeker growled back, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

Optimus gently patted Starscream's shoulder, "I will vouch for Starscream's loyalty. As for Megatron, ground bridging him here will prevent him from getting a fix on our location."

Everyone looked uneasy, but Starscream could tell a reluctant decision had been made.

The Prime pulled away from the group to activate the communications system, "Megatron, we are sending you transportation."

The warlord responded with a laugh, "Optimus, you could always be relied upon."

Optimus waited to open the bridge as his team took a defensive position in front of the base. Ratchet scuttled the humans down at the back of the hall, Miko protesting the whole way.

"It's not fair!" she growled, "Why do we have to hide? I haven't even seen him before!"

Ratchet huffed, "Because I said so."

The medic and Prime switched places and Starscream watched as the red mech spoke to Jack, handing him something. The key to Vector Sigma. The seeker knew what Optimus was still planning for.

Starscream waited until he started to walk passed him before gently taking hold of his arm, just looking at him.

The Prime stared back, murmuring quietly, "Please..."

The seeker shook his helm, "I'm not going to say anything. But I'm going to try and... prevent that from being the only option. Just know I'll... I'll do what I can."

Optimus nodded and Starscream let him go to stand in front of his Autobots. The seeker stepped back as far as he could go as the bridge opened and took a soft intake. He didn't realize he was near the humans until Miko tapped on his ped.

Starscream looked down in surprise then knelt close, "Yes?"

The girl frowned, pointing at the Autobots, "You saved them and you saved us before. Promise you'll protect them. Promise."

The seeker's optics blinked. Jack and Raf were giving him a similar, pleading look. As was June. Fowler was reluctant, but Starscream could tell he felt the same way.

The silver mech stood and hesitated as he scratched a large 'X' over the center of his chest plate, cutting into the Decepticon symbol, "Cross my spark," he murmured.

Heavy pedfalls echoed into the room and Starscream's optics snapped up, watching as Megatron slowly walked into the base. The seeker felt the warlord's optics go from Optimus to him, boring into his form. Starscream slowly frowned and clenched his servos. He steeled himself, ready for anything.

Megatron finally looked away, "So, this is where the magic happens? Quaint."

Raf couldn't stand it, the child running out to see the warlord, "You-"

The rest of the humans followed and Starscream felt himself following them, if anything, to back them up.

Megatron chuckled, "Ah, you're looking much better than the last time we met, little one. Humans... resilient."

Jack pulled the boy back, "Come on, Raf, he isn't worth it."

The warlord sneered, "And you. I never forget a face, even that of a human."

Jack paused, then continued walking, but Miko erupted, shouting, "You double cross anyone, mine is the face you'll never forget! Never!"

Fowler scooped her up and pulled her back, Starscream moving out of the way to let them pass. Optimus directed Megatron to Ratchet for coordinates and the Autobots watched, waiting.

Arcee murmured quietly to Starscream, "You know how all this plays out?"

The seeker knew, but he didn't exactly feel obligated to say that; he shrugged, "I know enough."

Bulkhead frowned in worry, "He double cross us?"

Starscream just shook his helm then looked down into the bridge when it opened again with new coordinates.

Arcee glared down into the portal, then at Megatron, "You first."

The warlord smirked, "As you wish," but as the mech turned to go into the bridge, he roughly grabbed Starscream's forearm, dragging him alongside.

The 'Bots transformed their servos into blasters but the seeker scowled, waving them off as he struggled, "It's fine! We'll go in first!"

They disappeared through the portal and Starscream stared around in wonder as Megatron dragged him out onto a dark energon infused bridge, some sort of nerve ending within the cavernous dwelling that was Unicron.

The warlord wrenched the seeker close, growling into his faceplates, "Airachnid tells me you are deceased and then you show up out of nowhere! And on top of all that has transpired," he hissed, "you reappear again after the Autobots capture you to side with them in all this?! Why?!" he tightened his grip, "How?"

Starscream winced but growled back, "Whatever Unicron does effects me just as much as everyone else."

"That does not mean you would risk running into battle to save anyone. It's not in your nature."

The seeker started to shake, but it was with anger, "Well maybe this is me proving you wrong," he snarled, "Now let me go."

Megatron snorted, keeping his grip tight, "I don't think you'll be going anywhere. When this is over, you're coming back to the ship. Whether you like it or not."