I do not own Transformers Prime, but this story is all mine!
Chapter 16
Starscream angrily strode through the cargo hold walking past all the Vehicons who made it through that days battle. All the energon cubes were quickly taken to the engine room and the Vehicons who were damaged during battle were forced to the med bay. Starscream made for his quarters but was stopped by one of the Vehicons who was keeping surveillance on the whole operation.
"Commander Starscream where are you going? The med bay is the other direction," the soldier said.
"I do not require medical attention," Starscream said walking away.
"The open charred circuitry on your chest says otherwise," the Vehicon said.
"Are you going against my authority?" Starscream said threateningly.
"No but lord Megatron commanded all wounded to head to the med bay," The con informed.
"Great," Starscream grumbled.
And that's how we find are favorite seeker being poked and prodded roughly by a very smug looking Knockout who despite has to look after a room full of wounded is quite happy with these turn of events. Knockout purposefully made Starscream's experience painful and irritating, the procedure was eventually completed but Starscream was forced to spend the day in the med bay. He spent his day watching Knockout repair the other wounded who surprisingly had less severe wounds then himself, he soon found himself alone with Knockout.
Knockout sat in a chair across from the seeker arms crossed with a smirk, Starscream growled just wanting to rip that smirk right off his smug face.
"So thought about my offer?" Knockout asked.
"No," was Starscream's swift reply.
The fast answer caused Knockout's smirk to falter.
"Not even a little?" Knockout inquired.
Starscream growled and closed his eyes, "Leave me be Knockout."
Knockout got up in frustration, "I'll be going on my break."
Starscream watched as Knockout stormed out grumbling to himself. When the bay doors slid closed Starscream prepared for a long recharge. An hour passed and nothing eventful occurred, Starscream went out a while ago. The doors suddenly slid open.
"Starscream?"
Starscream eyes shot open, "What do you want Knock-"
Starscream looked around and found himself to be alone. Starscream found this odd but he soon paid no mind and went back to his recharge.
"Starscream?"
Starscream opened his eyes angrily but found he was still alone in the med bay. Starscream narrowed his eyes and laid back closing his eyes once more.
"Starscream!"
Starscream thrust his fist and clocked the unsuspecting Knockout who just recently entered the med bay. The medic clutched his face in pain yelling obscenities.
"Augh what the slag? What was that for!" Knockout yelled in rage.
"You uhh startled me," Starscream answered dumbly.
"I startled you?! Look at what you did to my face! My beautiful face," Knockout looked like he was about to cry seeing the small scratch on his face, which could easily be buffed out. "You can head back to your room now," Knockout said grinding his teeth.
Starscream instantly got up and made for the exit fully aware of Knockout glaring daggers at him, once he was out he sighed and began an even pace back to his room.
The halls were strangely empty which was obviously not a good sign, he kept his guard up as he trekked through the dim corridor. It was way too quiet for Starscream's taste, he preferred peace but this was ominous. Starscream heard what sounded like a pin drop, he turned abruptly but found he was still alone in the halls. He began walking again at a much faster pace, he entered his quarters and quickly locked the door. He slumped to the floor releasing a long sigh.
"Okay calm down Starscream, you're just hearing things. You're tired, yeah that's it and you need a nice recharge," Starscream got up and laid down in his berth.
Seconds past, it was deathly quiet in Starscream's room. A sudden crashing sound awoke the tired seeker yet again, he got up and walked toward his work bench. One of his test tubes laid broken into a million pieces on the floor. Starscream was a little confused but paid no heed blaming it on the wind, the nonexistent wind in his room. He cleaned it and made way for his berth.
"Starscream."
That familiar voice came again and startled the seeker, he frantically pointed his missiles around his room.
"Who's there? You dare sneak up me? Starscream! Show yourself coward!" Starscream said hysterically.
There was a knock at his door, Starscream opened it to find a Vehicon soldier.
"What!" Starscream yelled with a twitch.
"Uhh I heard yelling. Is everything alright in there?" the con said dumbfounded.
"Yes why wouldn't it be? I'm perfectly fine, I commemorate you for a job well done. Now leave I have some work to do!" Starscream said shutting the door in his face.
Starscream placed his audio receptors to the door.
"First he collapses through the ground bridge missing an arm and now this! I need a vacation," Starscream listened as the Vehicon walked away until he was finally out of range.
Starscream turned around to finally get some sleep. He screamed and fell back, he back away toward the door sputtering incoherent words. A transparent figure stood in front of him, he was mainly white with small red accents. Large wings sprout from his back, the figure easily toward over the seeker.
"I'm disappointed in you Starscream," the voice from before said.
"Wait. I know that voice," Starscream said to himself, eyes widening. "Skyfire?"
Starscream hastily stood up, pointing an accusing finger at the mech that stood in front of him.
"This can't be! You offlined stellar cycles ago!"
"Not everything is as it seems," was Skyfire's only reply.
"But why now? Why do you choose to revel yourself to me now?" Starscream asked.
Skyfire sighed, "I'm here to set you straight."
"What?"
"You've driven yourself down the wrong path and I'm trying to set you towards the right one. You've lost sight of who you are." Skyfire stated with little emotion.
"What?! I tried so hard to save you and this is what you have to say to me after stellar cycles of grief! I haven't lost sight of who I am!" Starscream said angrily.
"I know and I thank you old friend but you need to move on."
"Move on! The blasted council forced me to leave you for dead and you want me to move on!"
"Starscream I was too far gone and you know it."
"But it was my fault." Starscream looking down in anguish. "If I wasn't so arrogant you'd still be here."
"Starscream I've forgiven you a long time ago. Now you need to forgive yourself."
"But I-"
"I watched you grow from the kind adventurous mech that was like a brother to me to the greedy treacherous scum that everyone takes you for. My disappearance and the defiance of the council brought you on this path of self destruction, the death of your brothers only made it worse. I almost lost hope, you were all but gone. Until there was a sliver of hope, you finally quit the Decepticons and aimed for the side of good. But sadly that was short lived. After your battle with Megatron I too believed that this was the end, until a new sliver of hope came." Skyfire let out small smile, the first since his appearance. "You finally got a second chance, to start fresh with a clean slate. You gained peace of mind, you gained friends, you even gained a potential spark-mate."
Starscream could feel his cheek plates begin to heat up, he mentally kicked himself for being so weak.
"But it was too good to last, in the end you made the wrong decision. I've watched the world turn against you, now I'm intervening." Skyfire finished.
"Well I guess you came all this way for nothing," Starscream said crossing his arms. "I'm a Decepticon, always have been always will."
"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Skyfire questioned.
"I've had enough of this! You are merely an illusion. A figment of my imagination!" Starscream accused.
"That may be true but that doesn't make this or your situation any less real," Skyfire reasoned.
"I've had enough of these tricks. Begone Skyfire," Starscream said turning his back to Skyfire.
"Please make the right decision."
Starscream didn't respond, he waited a few seconds before turning seeing that he was alone in his room as if nothing happened. Starscream sighed and went back to his berth.
"Starscream!"
Starscream yelped and found himself collapsed on the floor yet again.
"Yes lord Megatron?" Starscream said grasping his comm still on the floor.
"I wish to speak with you," Megatron said.
"Yes my lord," Starscream said getting up.
Starscream severed the link and exited his quarters not even getting a wink of recharge.
Meanwhile...
Megatron ended the link with Starscream, he stood proudly in the main control room with both his intelligence officers standing right behind him. Megatron grew a malicious grin, he began to chuckle which became insane laughter. He raised his clenched fists into the air in hysteria laughing like a maniac. Shockwave stared in confusion whereas Soundwave just stared.
"What is so humorous my lord?" Shockwave asked.
"Why Starscream of course!" Megatron through fits of laughter.
"Normally I wouldn't object at laughing at Starscream but I fail to see what's so funny," Shockwave said.
Megatron's laughter began to die down until it was back to a chuckle, "You just have to see it in my perspective."
"Explain."
"Million's of stellar cycles of having him as my first lieutenant and he not once tried to hide the fact that he craved my position as leader. All this time of dealing with that backstabbing traitor and I never dealt with him until that moment after his defect. Yet now he's back on our side. He's strong, less of a coward and best of all loyal. He faced off against the Autobots who were recently his friends," Megatron said with a mocking tone on 'friends', " and brought in a frigate of energon."
Megatron began to laugh again but his crew were still confused as to what was funny.
"Thanks to the Autobots I've gained a second-in-command that I always deserved!" Megatron laughed. "With the use of the Destabalizer just think of the possibilities, the Autobots will be easily manipulated! My army will gain even more powerful soldiers just like Starscream! Once the war and Cybertron will be won over I'll finally finish the Autobots!" soon all his soldiers erupted in laughter joining their leader.
With a simple hand gesture everyone in the room soon silenced their laughter, Starscream stood in the doorway confused.
"Am I interrupting?" Starscream asked.
"Not at all," Megatron said flashing that creepy smile. "Come tell me how the mission went."
Starscream nervously walked over, Megatron wrapped a single arm around Starscream's shoulder in a friendly manner which only caused Starscream to become more nervous.
"So how'd it go?"
"Well I'm sure you've already been informed. We gathered the required energon, we got into some 'resistance' but it was resolved," Starscream said.
"Yes the Autobots," Megatron growled, " well since they've been brought up let's discuss why I brought you here."
Starscream was becoming nervous again, "Yes?"
"You've been their captive then ally for a while so you must of learned their base's location, so I ask you if you are able to divulge it's location."
Starscream's eyes widened, he suspected that this would happen sooner or later. But now that it's actually happening he has no idea what to do. He thought he could easily betray them and give up their location, their base would be destroyed along with them and this blasted war would be finally over. But now that the opportunity has shone itself, Starscream can't do it.
'Why is this happening now! All I'll have to do is tell him and all this will be behind me! I'm a Decepticon, it's my very nature!' Starscream berated himself.
"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Skyfire's voice filled Starscream's mind.
'Silence! This doesn't concern you!' Starscream thought having a mental battle.
Flashes and images of the Autobots filled his head. Playing with the kids, pulling pranks with Bumblebee, lobbing with Bulkhead, talking with Optimus, working with Ratchet, sparring with Arcee. Talking with Arcee, laughing with Arcee, smiling with Arcee, looking at the stars with-
'What am I thinking!' Starscream mentally slapped himself.
"Well?" Megatron said getting impatient.
"Please make the right decision," came Skyfire's voice once again.
Starscream didn't know what to do, what to say, until: "I'm... sorry to tell you lord Megatron but the Autobots you see were uhh not very trusting you see and they uhm never revealed to me the bases location. They only allowed me to come to and from the base via ground bridge."
Megatron scowled, "Hmmm I see," Starscream was scared that Megatron saw through his rouse.
"Oh well, doesn't change a thing. Victory will still be ours soon enough," Megatron smiled strangely reasonable. "Alright that is all."
Starscream bowed and left thanking Primus above that that was over.
When Starscream left Megatron frowned glaring at the door.
"Looks like old habits die hard," Megatron hissed.
"What would you like me to do my lord," Shockwave stepped forward.
"I want you and Soundwave to keep surveillance on him, figure out what he's planning!" Megatron said.
"It looks like were going to have to go straight to part 2 of my plan, such a pity, I was planning to use it on Optimus and the rest of his merry band of mechs and fem. But Starscream has to learn his place, if I cant have the second-in-command I want then I'll have to make him myself!" Megatron took out the Destabalizer grinning maliciously.
Shockwave and Soundwave both exited ready to spy on the suspicious seeker, leaving their leader to his vicious pondering. Soundwave headed towards his quarters to plan out this mission of espionage.
"Soundwave, I wish to speak with you," Soundwave turned to see Shockwave walk up to him. "You know why I wish to talk."
Soundwave didn't respond.
"I believe you should just leave this to me if you know what's good for you," Shockwave said.
Again no response.
"You managed to stay as Megatron's top intelligence officer mainly because my services were required elsewhere, but now that I'm back you can step aside," Shockwave said.
Soundwave showed no evidence that he complied.
"You are obsolete! Your assistance is not required!" Shockwave became angry at Soundwave's unresponsiveness. "I think a change is in order. You managed to keep yourself on Megatron's pedestal this long but it ends here. I warned you back on Iacon and I'm warning you again."
Soundwave began to walk away.
"You know I'm better, and Megatron knows it too. Why else would he send for me to do something you couldn't do yourself."
Soundwave stopped in his tracks, if Shockwave could he would be smirking right now. Soundwave stood there silently before resuming his walk back to his quarters. Shockwave, still doing his version of a smirk, went do his own business.
Meanwhile...
Knockout was still in the med bay, he spent all day buffing out the scratch on his face. He buffed it out a while ago but he spent his time in front of a mirror double checking and triple checking.
"Everything seems to be in order. I'm as handsome as ever," Knockout said ogling himself.
The doors suddenly slid open.
Knockout growled, " What now! Can't you see I'm bus-"
"I'll take your offer."
Knockout looked stunned, his surprised visage began to change. He soon grew a devilish smile.