XXIV - Valor II
On the crest of a sand dune opposite me, the Autobots' optics widened after I had loosed that mad laugh. I'd even unnerved myself, it had come so easily, felt too real.
They all assumed defensive stances and Optimus readied the Star Saber. Arcee sank into a half-crouch, the blade on her left arm slid out and a blaster for her right. Next to her, Bumblebee had a single blaster out but it was already raised, but pointing at Megatron next to me. However, his blue optics were locked onto my crimson ones that matched the color of Valor down to their cores. Opposite the Prime, Bulkhead was on the tips of his pedes, glowering at me and Megatron alternately with both of his wrecking balls out and at the ready.
The warlord beside me said nothing, allowing his large, glowing purple sword to do the talking. But I wasn't about to be outshone by it. I stepped forward, flaring my wings up to appear larger than I actually was. My stiletto pedes certainly helped.
"Shall we dance?" I said tauntingly, twirling my sword. The length of its scarlet blade flashed gruesomely in the light.
Arcee hissed, "Sorry, but Cliff was my partner."
My optics widened slightly and then my mouth plates curled down into a snarl, "Oh, I wouldn't know."
"After so-and-so took a dive?" Bulkhead butted in.
My helm snapped over to him and I stabbed the point of Valor into the sand beside my right pede, but still felt like I was the one who'd been impaled. "Pardon me, but did I ask you?"
He snorted, "Like you needed to."
Optimus took the reins from there, clearly not liking where the conversation was going. "Megatron, Seven, we outnumber you two to one. Please, end this cycle, for the good of Cybertron and Earth and its inhabitants." His tone became firm enough for me to hesitate, thinking about Oliver and Will. If Megatron shared any similar feelings, he didn't show them.
Instead, the warlord put on an apologetic smile, "Ah, pretty words shall be met with pretty blades, Optimus. Are you not familiar with the nature of our battles?"
The Prime's confidence didn't waver in the slightest, "That I am, Megatron. But what hope have we for restoring Cybertron when you refuse to mend our broken race?" He planted his sword into the sand and rested his left servo on it, gesturing with his right as he spoke, optics glowing. "So many lives have been lost in this war―this needless fighting which I cannot condone―and that is why I oppose you and your treachery, Megatron." His optics fell onto me, locking my joints and boring right into my spark. I felt pinned beneath their azure glow, and my grip loosened on Valor. The others noticed this and stood up a bit straighter as if hoping for something. Prime continued, "And I must believe that everyone, no matter what side they are aligned with, is capable of change." His gaze turned to the warlord beside me once again, lifting his chin ever so slightly and his battle mask was still not out. "And I refuse to take part in the extermination of our race just to further your own twisted delusions of conquest, so I shall say this once: stand down."
Megatron grinned and I thought he would have awarded the red mech a slow clap had he not been holding the Dark Star Saber. "Bravo, Optimus, most eloquent. But we both know that I take orders from none," he pointed his jagged blade at the Prime, "least of all, you."
"Enough prattle!" I snapped, annoyed, and sprang at Arcee.
The others just watched, startled that I, for once had been the first to initiate a battle, and then they too joined. My field of vision narrowed as I focused on executing each clean, sweep of Valor. I, or Starscream, had never been a mech that was infatuated with swords, elegant as they may be.
The line became blurrier the harder I looked at it.
I relished the feel of speed as the blue femme feinted left, trying to get under my guard. I saw it coming a mile away and sidestepped, swinging my sword down towards her unprotected back. She was completely at my mercy and I could have severed her spinal struts, effectively paralyzing her. But I refrained and instead twisted my sword away, grabbing her arm that was a blaster—keeping my servo well away from its muzzle after making sure no one was looking.
"Follow me!" I hissed.
Her optics widened in slow motion. "What?!"
"Trust me!" I snapped back, jerking her arm so her faceplates came closer to mine. Her optics were narrowed but I could see that she was warring over who to trust: me, or her instincts.
She tore her arm out of my grip and indicated another dune with a thrust of her helm, "Over there."
I kept Valor's blade well away from my legs as we hurried over to the dune and fell flat behind it, watching the fray side by side though wide optics and quick pants. Then she looked at me with a glare so full of malice my grip tightened on Valor to prevent her from grabbing it and stabbing me with my own sword.
"You never struck me as the type," she nodded at its red blade.
I laughed, the question felt that absurd. "Nor did I."
And not a second later I found myself pinned against the dune with one of her blades at my neck cables. "You're too easily distracted, Seven." The femme remarked.
All of Megatron's swings were delayed just enough to throw off the precise timing that was always paramount in battle. Enough for Optimus to gain the upper hand. But why? His "new" arm was slow to respond and moved in an unpredictable, jerky way. The silver mech scowled.
The Autobots opposite the warlord did little more than watch, their chassis rigid with anticipation and fear of the outcome. Megatron swung the Dark Star Saber with the ferocity of a rabid wolf, but Optimus hooked one of the purple sword's spikes on the inside hole of the Star Saber's blade and pulled for all he was worth.
Megatron found himself kneeling before the Prime a second later, the Dark Star Saber a foot out of his reach. Arcee stood next to Optimus, whispering something the warlord couldn't quite hear before stepping back. The Prime nodded grimly in understanding and turned his attention back to the silver mech at his pedes.
The leader of the Decepticons wasn't stupid. He recognized when he had lost, unfortunate as that may be. So he took an intake and smirked knowingly, making no move to rise. "It seems I am unarmed and at your mercy."
Optimus didn't hesitate, the tip of the Star Saber trembling in a way that was barely perceptible due to his tense form. But he frowned at the warlord, "So be it, Megatron." The warlord bowed his helm, waiting.
But then it froze and Optimus' arm fell to his side, a small gasp escaping his mouth. Annoyed, Megatron knew he should have been dead. He looked up, and with shock saw the front half of an unmistakable, scarlet blade tinged with the bright blue of energon on its left edge having sprouted from the Prime's right side.
Bulkhead and Bumblebee were absent, but Arcee stood in their place several paces away, her mouth agape as Seven triumphantly unsheathed Valor from the red mech's side. Optimus fell to his knees, this time in front of Megatron who now stood above him, a grin on his faceplates. The Star Saber slipped out of his grasp and landed with a silent poof of dust on the sand, its blue glow dimming to nothing.
"Ah, how quickly the tables turn!" The large silver mech exclaimed as Seven tried to wipe the energon off his sword's edge in vain. Optimus shakily glared up at the warlord, clutching his side and shooting him daggers of hatred with his optics. Megatron slowly stooped over, as if calculating the best way to retrieve his sword, and straightened again, keeping vigil over the Prime all the while. On the other hand, the Seeker said nothing, watching the exchange with a bemused air about him.
By then, Arcee had both her blasters out and trained on the warlord. "One more word…"
Megatron pointed the Dark Star Saber's tip at Optimus' helm, "I wouldn't." A sneer split his faceplates.
But then, fast as lightning, the tip of Valor was at Megatron's exposed throat and Optimus was on his pedes, the Star Saber clutched in his grasp.
"Indeed, they do, Megatron." The Prime growled, his wound forgotten.
Seven smirked, "You taught me well, Master." The warlord's crimson optics widened and his mouth opened slightly, but he regained his composure almost instantly, his mouth falling into a snarl.
"Ah, Starscream, mark my words, there always is room for improvement." Then Megatron's new, burgundy arm seemed to twist and transformed into a blaster which loosely resembled Optimus', but was blockier and more rough-around-the-edges. But the key difference was that inside the muzzle had an amber glow, rather than the classic blue or red.
It crackled with energy and they all remained motionless for a moment before it flashed brightly in Seven's optics and the Seeker staggered. Valor fell out of his grasp and its curved tip scratched a bit of paint off of his right shin. Bumblebee stood at the Wrecker's left, holding something in his right servo, but it was shrouded in shadows and none of them could see what it was. The green brute had both his blasters out and began firing at Megatron, and Optimus and Arcee soon joined in, adding their blue blaster fire to the mix. Seven, having more-or-less recovered from the shot, leapt back into battle once again.
Minutes ago…
"Wait! I can explain!" I gasped, struggling backward into the dune in a futile attempt to distance myself from the femme's sharp blade.
"Talk, but know that these could be your last words, traitor!" She growled, pressing it against my neck cables. I felt a couple beads of energon spring up.
"All right, all right!" I conceded. "But get that away from me!"
"No."
I reluctantly threw Valor aside, and only then did she transform her arm's blade away and let up on me. I reflexively curled up, trying to get air to flow into my intakes once again and rubbed my throat, all the while glaring at Arcee.
"Talk," she repeated, folding her arms across her chest plate.
I pushed myself into a crouch, and only turned to her after making sure we hadn't been spotted by the others. Especially Megatron. I shuddered at the thought and furtively watched for a moment as Bumblebee and Bulkhead broke off from the fight and transformed, leaving Optimus and Megatron to their own devices as they drove off towards the closest of the three pyramids. They cast dark, angular shadows by the light of the full moon, despite that it was night.
"A-hem," The femme frowned at me.
I started. "Ah, yes. I have been trying in vain to contact you Autobots, and haven't received a single word in reply! Why have you all abandoned Knock Out and I?!" I snapped.
"You made it plenty clear which side you're really on," the femme spat back.
"Have I?" I answered cooly. "You're the one who shot me… twice, even!"
Arcee hesitated. "If we have any chance of saving our planet, we need everyone on board with this. Get it? This isn't about you or your self preservation," she jabbed a finger at my chest plate at that and was about to continue but I cut her off.
My optics narrowed skeptically, "Ha! Cybertron is dead, there's nothing left to save!"
She glared at me, "If you tell Megatron or anyone this, I swear by the Allspark that I will hunt you down and terminate you in the slowest way possible."
I gulped, knowing she would remain good on her word. "So be it."
Arcee began to explain in a hurried manner, as if afraid of being interrupted. She talked about the last four Iacon relics: the Omega Keys and their function. By the time the femme had finished, my mouth hung open from the shock of it.
"B-but it's just too good to be true," I reasoned, my voice shakier than I would've liked, "Cybertron is little more than a graveyard now. Can four relics really revive an entire p-planet?"
She offered a wry smile, "That's what we've been trying to find out."
Silence settled over us like a shroud again, but this time I wasn't afraid of it. I finally found my voice again after watching Optimus and Megatron exchanging words and deft blows with their massive swords. And then an idea hit me.
"I can get you the coordinates." I offered spontaneously. "The three others are still encrypted, but I can get them." I breathed.
Her optics widened a little, "Are you certain?"
I grimaced, "It will cost me, but yes, I am."
The femme's expression became thoughtful, "Then we need to make sure he takes you back aboard his warship."
"So if I pretend to attack Optimus…"
"And then turn on Megatron," she added, "he would perceive you as more formidable–"
I huffed, "Or a true threat."
"Or that," she conceded, giving me a slight roll of her optics.
"And take me back to the Nemesis." I finished, retrieving Valor from where it laid.
We then watched and waited for a lull in the battle in silence, searching for the perfect moment to strike. Then Arcee noticed one and vaulted over the lip of the dune hiding us, rushing towards Optimus, ready to tell him of our plan. While she did that, I pricked the tip of my thumb on the curved point of Valor. A small bead of bright, azure energon sprang up and I gingerly ran it down the one of the edges of my sword's crimson blade, tinging it blue. The last thing I wanted to do was slice my finger off on accident.
"This is a terrible plan," I spat at Valor. It only glinted innocently in the grim light of the planet's moon as if teasing me.
I shook my helm at my sword and stuck my thumb in my mouth, sucking the energon off it before letting my arm fall back. And then I stood and went to join Arcee. Valor seemed to hum in my grasp and the world's speed hitched and then slowed, a sensation I had grown to love.
The present…
Megatron had shot me in the faceplates. And that was no normal blaster he had either. By the state of that arm, I was mildly surprised that it was even capable of transformation. A streak of bright red suddenly appeared next to me, cutting into Megatron's side. A rope of blue energon spilled down in slow motion and I scurried out of its way, not wanting to get splashed. I watched as Megatron immediately unsheathed the Dark Star Saber from its place on his back and swung it at Optimus. The Prime held the Star Saber, in all its glory. Megatron's movements were halting and lopsided, and he had noticed this too judging by the silent snarl sinking deeper and deeper into his expression. But on the other hand, Optimus was busy using it to his advantage. Thank you, Knock Out. I thought.
The Prime unlocked their blades for a moment and tried to undercut the tyrant, but Megatron had anticipated it and was already bringing his sword down as if to slice open Optimus' right shoulder plate. I saw that the silver mech was favoring his left side and his hip was streaked with the unmistakable blue of energon, which I could make out even in the dim lighting of the moon. The red mech saw the warlord's move at the last second and blocked it on the flat of his blade but was driven to his knees by the force of the impact.
With a roar, Megatron raised the Dark Star Saber above his helm to strike and I lunged forward just as his blade came down. I caught one of the spikes of his sword on the scarlet edge of Valor and it was wrenched from my grasp with a painful tug. But the warlord was off-balance and—without thinking first—I grabbed the purple blade with both servos. The sword cut into them and energon began to ooze out onto my wrists, but I ignored it, straining to stop the blade's descent with gritted denta. And stop it I did, just above the Prime's neck cables, arms quaking from the strain.
"Move!" I screeched. He didn't need to be told twice. Optimus sprang out of the way and sliced the Star Saber at the warlord, it shot a wave of blue energy at him but he cleaved it in two with a single strike. Megatron pulled his sword away and I held the palms of my servos up, dumbly watching energon seep out of deep incisions in the centers of them. But I darted over and grabbed Valor, nowhere near finished yet.
In my peripherals, I saw a ground bridge appear. Bumblebee rushed into it with that mysterious object still in his servo, Bulkhead at his pedes. "Optimus!" Arcee shouted, waving him over. The Prime saw this and glanced at me, looking torn.
"Get on with it." I said to him.
"Are you certain—"
"Yes! GO!" I snapped back, my wings flaring up in frustration.
Optimus didn't argue further and loped off to join the femme, casting a backward look at me before vanishing through the bridge, Star Saber and all. I now was alone with Megatron in a semi-remote area of the globe. And what I meant by "semi" was that the pyramids of Giza were only a short flight away, a massive tourist trap. I almost stood in the shadow of the closest one, a behemoth of a structure cutting into the sky.
I turned my attention to Megatron as he lifted the Dark Star Saber. "So tell me, Starscream, why side with the Autobots?"
I played dumb. "I did no such thing, my Lord."
His façade of pleasantry evaporated like mist on a hot day. "Are you, or are you not familiar with the punishment for treason?"
I swallowed, "I-I am."
He raised his purple sword, "Then take pride in the fact that I'm giving you a fighting chance."
I felt my optics widen; that was the thing I least expected. I stepped back, raising Valor above my helm and fell into a half-crouch, pretending as though I was going to be on the defensive. He took my bait and I clutched the hilt of my blade for dear life. This was no practice round now. Megatron swung forward with what would have been a crippling blow, but I rolled beneath his guard and stabbed at his chest plate. He elbowed me in the faceplates with his silver arm and I fell back, dazed. I got to my pedes a second later, scrutinizing his chassis. There's no way I can win other than outsmarting him, I realized.
I managed to come up with three weaknesses of his as we circled each other, blades at the ready. It felt like hours thanks to my sword, time seemed to move like syrup. The first, his left hip where Optimus cut him. I couldn't see well from my vantage point, but it didn't look deep, albeit clearly was paining him. Hence, he favored his left side, which would make his attacks lopsided. Optimus had already worn him down somewhat with their battle not even mere minutes before. Exhaustion claimed more lives than the bite of steel or burst of plasma in battle, as I had noticed over the years. And lastly, "his" burgundy arm, which would be slower than his left. Megatron appeared to be examining me likewise, from what felt like a dent in my helm I couldn't remember getting to the deep cuts in my servos and a few scrapes I had picked up in the fight. I felt my wings twitch with impatience and Megatron lunged forward as if looking for a signal.
I immediately dropped back out of instinct, but then remembered that wouldn't help me here. It was just the two of us, and fleeing was not an option. So I tried to flank him on his left side, the one with his weak leg, but he knew what I was trying to do and cut me off. I was on the defensive now, trying to parry his furious strikes.
The warlord slipped under my guard and almost twisted my blade out of my grasp, but I tightened my grip and the tip of his blade made a shallow rent in my chest plate. I sprang backwards and brought Valor whistling down towards his silver arm. He sidestepped and my blade lodged in the sand. I tugged on it and it slipped out, but then I twisted to the side and rolled as the Dark Star Saber nearly cleaved one of my wings off at its base, hearing it whistling through the air. I ran in towards Valor, slightly disoriented by how everything was sped up again, and managed to snatch it up, earning what felt like a deep gash on my left leg from his sword. I stood a short distance away, and the warlord and I charged at each other.
Our blades clashed near the hilts, faceplates inches away from each other and snarls plastered to both, of that I was certain. But then Valor slipped up slightly and time seemed to hiccup again, but the world didn't speed back up as I thought it might. Instead, there was a searing heat and a blinding flash of red light.