Past

Cybertron-Crystal City

Starscream cycled air, and leaned back. The time machine was finished. He looked at Ratchet, Thundercracker, Skywarp, and himself who were watching intently, "It's done," he said with a smile. Ratchet looked ready to hug him. He was actually smiling, "All I need is energon to make it run."

"You need something stronger than energon," Young Starscream said, "Dark energon would work better," Thundercracker and Skywarp nodded in agreement with him, "And I know where to get some. Trypticon has a large supply. I can get you some," Young Starscream left the room, and they heard him take off.

"I'm honestly surprised that Megatron hasn't found out about this," Thundercracker said, looking through data pads, "Considering Starscream hasn't answered him back yet," Ratchet and Starscream exchanged a look. Something was not right. Starscream felt something cold in his spark, and he stood up.

"I'm just going to put the time machine away, and me and Ratchet are going to get some air," Starscream said, and placed the machine carefully in the storage case. Ratchet helped him lock up, and they left the lab.

"Something doesn't feel right," Starscream said, once Thundercracker and Skywarp were out of range, "I can't shake this feeling that something bad is going to happen," Ratchet nodded as they made their way to a small energon cafe.

"I know what you're saying," Ratchet said, as they took their cubes and sat down, "Someth..." He stopped, and looked over Starscream's shoulder, "Impossible. How is he here?" he hissed, and Starscream turned around.

Standing in the crowd, his red optics looking around, was Megatron.

Not the Megatron from this time, but the Megatron from their time.

Starscream turned back to Ratchet, "The time machine broke. His blast from the cannon hit it, unless..." He trailed off, "They built another one," He turned back around, "But...why is he in Crystal City? Optimus is in Iacon," Ratchet frowned.

"I don't think he's seen us," Ratchet said, but Starscream wasn't listening. He looked to where Megatron was and saw Thundercracker and Skywarp walking down the street, "What is he looking at?" Starscream felt his spark speed up. Megatron was here to kill Thundercracker and Skywarp.

Starscream turned back to Ratchet, "This is the day that Thundercracker and Skywarp die," he whispered. Ratchet felt his spark get heavy.

"Which means that... Red Alert dies today too," he said sadly. Starscream turned to look at Megatron, and saw Lockdown walking towards his trine mates. His optics narrowed.

Lockdown killed his trine.

Ratchet grabbed Stasrcream's wrist, "Don't...even...think about it," he hissed, "You know what will happen if you do," Ratchet stood up, and pulled Starscream away from the square. The Seeker didn't resist against him.

Once they were away, Ratchet let him go and turned to face him, "Why would you even think that? You know what would happen. You would loose Arcee and your sparklings."

"And how do you know that?" Starscream snapped.

"Did Arcee come see you on her own or did you go find her after Thundercracker and Skywarp were killed?" Ratchet asked, crossing his arms. They heard an explosion and screams. Starscream shut his optics, "Answer the question Starscream," Starscream turned away, his hands in fists, the talons cutting the metal.

"I went and found her. She had heard the explosion though, and was worried it was me," he said quietly. He turned around, "Ratchet I just can't stand around and let them die again! There has to be some way that I can have both!"

Ratchet looked at Starscream with sympathy, "You can't have both Starscream. Sometimes, we have to chose what we want, even if we want both. There was no way for you to save your trine and be with Arcee. It is one or the other," He turned to face the square, and saw smoke rising, "We can't change the past it will mess up the future," Starscream looked at the smoke, and saw the smoke was disappearing. He looked at Ratchet, and a smile spread across his facial plating.

Ratchet sighed, and turned to look at Starscream, but he was gone. Ratchet frowned, and looked around, "Starscream?" he called, and felt something hit the back of his helm. With a groan, he fell on the ground, unconscious. Starscream chuckled.

"Sorry Ratchet, but I can have both," He transformed, and took off towards the smoke.

Thundercracker was leaking energon from his chassis, and he was lying on the ground, holding his side. Lockdown chuckled, and kicked him in the side, sending him over a pile of rubble. Thundercracker groaned, and spat energon from his mouth, "You should have kept your noisy helm out of Megatron's business," he sneered, his hook gleaming against the fire. Thundercracker looked up at him.

"Please don't do this," he begged. Skywarp was lying a few feet away, unconscious. Megatron was watching from a distance, a smile across his facial plating. Once Lockdown had killed Thundercracker and Skywarp, he would have a little chat with Young Starscream to get his original goal completed.

And when he went forward in time, Cybertron would be under Decepticon control. And no one could stop him.

Lockdown bent down, and lifted Thundercracker's chin up, "I want to see the light leave your optics when I drive my hook through your spark," he said softly.

"Funny. I want to see the light leave your optics when my missile goes through your chassis," Lockdown slowly turned around and saw Starscream standing there. His optics went wide.

"You..you're supposed to be on Trypticon!" he yelled, standing up.

Megatron looked down, and his optics went wide as well. He growled, and transformed, flying towards them.

Starscream was not going to ruining his plan.

Lockdown looked down at Thundercracker, then back at Starscream, "Wait. You... you look different."

"Of course he does!" Megatron roared, and Starscream turned around. Megatron had his cannon pointed at Skywarp's helm, "He's from the future. The other Starscream is on Trypticon," Starscream glared at him, "Surprised to see me Starscream?"

"Not at all," Starscream said, and took a step towards him. Megatron tightened his grip on Skywarp, "Let him go."

"Or what?" he sneered, "You'll fight me?" Lockdown pulled Thundercracker off the ground, and held his hook at his chassis, "You can't win Starscream. You should have let them die like they're supposed to."

"You knew?" Thundercracker asked, shocked, "You knew and didn't tell us?" Starscream turned to him.

"I couldn't risk changing the future," he said, "But I'm not going to let you slip away from me again."

Ratchet groaned, and rubbed his helm. He looked up, and saw that Starscream was gone. He got up, and ran back to the square. In the middle of the square, Starscream was there with Megatron, Lockdown, Thundercracker and Skywarp, "Starscream! What are you doing?"

Megatron turned his helm, and saw Ratchet, "Well, well. You aren't alone," Ratchet glared at Starscream, then turned to Megatron, "Oh well. Prime won't miss you medic. You won't stop me."

"That's what you think," Starscream snarled. Ratchet grabbed his wrist again.

"You need to stop right now before you do something stupid," Ratchet said low. Starscream pulled his wrist free and turned around to face him.

"If you're not going to help me, then I suggest you get out of the way," he snarled. Ratchet took a step back. Starscream turned to face Megatron and Lockdown punched him in the facial plating, sending him backwards. Ratchet moved out of the way as he tried to slice his metal with the hook, and began firing at Lockdown.

Megatron walked over to Thundercracker who was on the ground, and threw Skywarp down next to him, "You won't get away with this," Thundercracker said, "Stasrcream will return from Trypticon, and he will stop you," Megatron chuckled, and pointed his cannon at them.

"I don't think so."

Starscream kicked Lockdown, and saw Megatron pointing the cannon. He got up, and ran over to them, leaving Ratchet to fight Lockdown himself. Starscream grabbed the cannon, and pulled it, along with Megatron, away from them. Megatron growled, and grabbed Starscream's wing. He closed his hand on it, puncturing the wing. Starscream shut his optics and bit his lip to stop from screaming in pain. Megatron kicked him in the chassis, and the Seeker slammed into the side of a building. Megatron walked over to him, and pointed the cannon at his chassis.

"You should have listened to Ratchet," he said softly, the cannon warming up. Starscream looked over at Ratchet, and saw him still fighting with Lockdown, "But, then again, you were always very stubborn."

"NO!"

Thundercracker and Skywarp jumped on Megatron's back, sending the tyrant down to the ground. They shoved him to the ground, and kept him pinned down while Starscream looked up at Lockdown and Ratchet.

"Ratchet! Move!" he yelled, and fired his missile at Lockdown.

Ratchet moved out of the way and felt the heat of the missile by his facial plating. He turned his helm as the missile struck Lockdown right in the spark chamber.

The bounty hunter was blown up.

Ratchet turned and looked at Starscream. The Seeker leaned back against the wall, and closed his optics, obviously from pain. Ratchet rushed over, and bent down by him, "Starscream, talk to me. Say something."

"It...fragging hurts," he hissed, and Ratchet looked at his wing. Thundercracker and Skywarp got up, and rushed over as well. Megatron rolled over, and stood up. He looked up at the sky, and saw the form of a Seeker coming. His optics shifted to the remains of Lockdown, and he smiled. Quietly, he walked over to an alley and hide in the shadows.

"We need to get you out of here," Ratchet said, and Thundercracker and Skywarp picked him off the ground. They carried him out of the wreckage, leaving Megatron behind.

Moments later, the other Starscream landed on the ground, and looked around, his optics wide, "TC? Skywarp?" he called, and began walking over the rubble. Megatron appeared out of the alley behind him, and waited.

Starscream's foot kicked something, and he looked down. He saw an arm, and his spark stopped, "No," he whispered, and collapsed to his knees. He heard footsteps behind him, and turned around. Megatron stood behind him, his arms crossed and a smile on his facial plating, "You."

Starscream jumped up and ran at Megatron. The Decepticon Lord swung his arm and caught the Seeker in the stomach panel. He flung him backwards, but Starscream landed on his feet. His optics burned with hatred. Starscream ran towards Megatron once again, and attempted to puncture his armor with his fingers but Megatron grabbed his wrist, and forced him to the ground, twisting his arm, "Always so weak Starscream," he said softly, twisting the Seeker's arm even more. Starscream bit his lip, trying to hold back his screams, "Yet, you seem to enjoy the pain I deliver to you," He released Starscream's arm, and turned away from him. Megatron stopped when he felt something sharp cut his side. He looked down, and saw energon dripping from Starscream's fingertips. He growled, and kicked the Seeker in his side.

Starscream skidded across the ground, Megatron following him, "And you never learn," he said, bending down. He lifted Starscream's chin with his talon, "Now, you're going to help me with something," Starscream glared at him, energon running down the corner of his mouth, "I need you to get Orion Pax here as soon as possible."

"I'm not goin..." Megatron wrapped his hand around Starscream's throat, cutting him off.

"You're not going to what, my dear Starscream?" Starscream coughed, and Megatron let him go. The Seeker brought himself onto one knee, bowing before Megatron.

"It will be done, Lord Megatron," Megatron smiled at him.

"Excellent."

Uh oh... That is all I have to say.