Ch. 37
Ratchet sighed happily when he saw one, two, three, four Autobots walk through the bridge. Everyone else seemed happy too until Miko piped up.
"Wait, where's our new jet? Where's Starscream?"
Raf's eyes widened, "He didn't die, did he?"
Optimus looked away, "I am not certain what is being done to him now. What I do know is that Megatron has captured Starscream and has most likely taken him back to the Nemesis for tests."
Ratchet scoffed, "Tests?! On Starscream? For what, it's not like Megatron knew about his visions!"
The Prime shook his helm, "I do not think Starscream ever had a vision as he so claimed. I believe it was something else entirely. What brings me great worry and concern for him is that Megatron will try to harness whatever it is he possesses to inflict the worst possible harm to this planet."
Arcee looked up at Optimus, "What do you think it is?"
Optimus looked down at his Autobots, "I do not know. But it was something that even Unicron the Chaos Bringer himself considered a threat. As indeed, it was," he held out the device Starscream had thrown, "The Spark Extractor. An Iacon relic and Decepticon weapon thought to have been lost eons ago. Starscream had found it and somehow knew to use it against Unicron."
Ratchet cautiously reached out to take the device, speechless.
"So that's it then?" Jack asked worriedly, "Unicron's gone forever?"
Optimus nodded, "And it is interesting that you say that, Jack, for before Starscream stopped me from using the Matrix of Leadership, he said that it would not end if I went through with stopping Unicron myself."
June blinked, "So he knew? He knew if you used your Matrix-thing, Unicron would just come back?"
Arcee crossed her arms, "We need to find the Nemesis. We need to find Starscream before Megatron starts trying to open him up."
Optimus couldn't agree more. The problem was, he didn't even know where to start.
Starscream groaned as he sat up. It was dark. It was a little cold. He was laying on the floor of the Nemesis' brig. The seeker held his helm tightly. He should have stayed unconscious; he felt like his helm was splitting.
A soft noise caught his audials and he looked up, his bright red optics scanning the room; he thought he was alone, but clearly he wasn't, "... Hello?"
In the dark, he could finally make out the form of the hulking menace who had brought him here. His back was turned to him, his servos folded neatly behind him.
Starscream shrunk away and backed himself into a corner, flinching when the warlord spoke, "I thought I would be ready to address you once you had awoken," Megatron huffed, turning to face him, "but I find myself at a loss for words, even now."
The seeker stayed still, tormented by the look in the red optics across the room.
Megatron laughed loudly, "Aren't you going to gloat, Starscream? Finally! You have robbed your master of his words! One of the most powerful tools he has in his arsenal!"
Starscream was terrified. Not only was he not supposed to be here, but he had never seen the warlord act this way. He didn't know whether to submit or fight back. Which would be safer? Which would keep him alive? So he didn't say anything, he just watched.
Megatron stepped out into the middle of the room, looking down at him, "Even if I had the words to address you with, where do I even begin? Down at the center of this world? The volcano? The cave? And what would I even begin to ask you? Because I am at a loss, Starscream. I find myself confused when it comes to your behavior and actions as of late. The final straw was Unicron's reaction to you; Starscream, second-in-command of the Decepticons and Megatron's loyal subject! He feared you," the warlord took a step closer, "That irritated me."
Starscream couldn't back up anymore, he was trapped. But still he said nothing, his wings low and flat against his back and his chassis refusing to obey the command he kept repeating in his helm: 'stop trembling'.
Megatron was right in front of him now. The warlord loomed over him, a scowl illuminated on his faceplates by his burning red optics. He knelt down close to the seeker, sneering when he saw the smaller mech try to flinch away.
"Do you think I'm going to hurt you, Starscream?"
The question echoed in Starscream's mind.
Megatron chuckled, "Do you think I'm going to beat you into confessing what you know? What you've done?"
The seeker kept his mouth sealed shut. He felt his whole frame shaking. No matter how tightly he clenched his servos or how hard he dug his peds into the floor, he just couldn't stop.
The warlord smirked, "Do you think I'm going to kill you?"
Starscream still didn't say a word. Megatron sneered and reached out as though to touch the seeker, making the smaller mech whimper quietly. The warlord leaned in close, watching the fear grow in the seeker's optics. He grabbed the seeker's shoulder and pinned him to the wall roughly, chuckling again as he hissed quietly.
"Not yet, my dear Starscream. Not yet..."
Megatron stood and lifted the seeker to his peds by his arm, startling Starscream, and led him out of the brig, walking him through the halls of the Nemesis slowly. The seeker felt his fears slowly fading as he was escorted by the warlord into the lift and up a few levels. He was sure where they were headed now. The oversized dent in his arm and the very possible damage to his back meant one thing: med bay.
And Starscream had to hold in a cry of joy as the med bay doors opened and Knockout looked up, a med berth already prepared for him. Breakdown was off to the side, prepping tools. Soundwave was in the corner, watching.
Megatron led the seeker to the berth, addressing Knockout, "Have him looked over and his repairs completed. I will check in via Soundwave unless you find something interesting to report."
The warlord turned and left, leaving the four mechs in the med bay. Starscream caught the berth as he finally collapsed and the medic ran to his side, helping him sit. The seeker let out a shaky sigh as Knockout quietly prepped him and Soundwave slowly moved to the side of the berth, watching Starscream.
"Soundwave: preparing escape plan. Operation: Starscream."