Warning: Violence.
CHAPTER 12
Starscream awoke with a strangled scream as lines of code rebooted his processor. He on-lined his optical sensors to see that he was laying on a recharge berth three, no…four times his size. The young mech took in his alien surroundings and was quite startled to see that he was in an unfamiliar berth-room.
Sitting beside him, peering at him with furious intensity, was a set of crimson optics that shone forth like hellfire, piercing the darkness with eerie light.
"Starscream…" A deep, dark, demonic voice growled with disdain into his right audial receptor.
The sleek young mech cringed, instinctively shrinking away from the intimidating behemoth.
"M-Megatron! I uhh–s-ssorry for what happened earlier! It was a big m-mistake, you see I–"
"-Starscream?"
"Yes?"
"Shut up!"
Starscream nodded his head so vigorously, he thought it might fall off. He had a feeling he was in big trouble…
"You will be punished severely for your betrayal…but first, I want to offer you a small shining chance at redemption."
Starscream felt a shudder ripple through his frame at what clearly sounded like a promised threat. His intelligent mind however was piqued at this so-called offer of 'redemption'. He still didn't like Megatron but at that moment he began to realize that he just might have to pretend too in order to survive…
"I want you to go down to interrogate a prisoner. A small yellow mechling who calls himself Bumblebee. I want you to find out all you can about him and report back to me immediately. Fail this simple task and you will beg me for mercy before the end," Megatron hissed with narrowed optics.
"Y-yes….M-Megatron…" It took all of Starscream's willpower to prevent his shaking frame from rattling. He knew without a doubt that the Decepticon leader would kill him and was being HONEST for once. He yelped in pain when a clawed servo struck his helm with a swift 'SLAP'.
"You will address me as–LORD–Megatron. I will accept nothing less from you."
Starscream felt his anger rising to the surface as he rubbed his abused helm. He snapped back with dark venom in his own growling voice.
"As you wish… LORD Megatron."
Instead of a reprimand the Decepticon leader chilled the young mech's spark with an unwanted compliment.
"You have the makings of a true Decepticon, Starscream. I know you won't disappoint me."
The young mech turned his back on the Decepticon leader, red optics burning with rage as he grit his denta. Internally he screamed as he left Megatron's personal quarters and walked down to the prison block. Oh, the audacity! How dare Lord Megatron pretend to know his true character! That monster was stupid if he thought that he knew anything about him!
Starscream's steps faltered as a sobering thought struck him like lightning. His brothers…what kind of twisted lies did they spin for the Decepticon leader? What did they whisper into the silver demon's audios? While it was true that the young bot was infamous for his short temper back at the youth center, did his brothers really–?
Yes.
They did.
They must have.
He was tempted to turn around, march back to Lord Megatron's personal chambers, and tell the sterling warlord that whatever his brothers told him were nothing short of lies! Yet perhaps it was their lies that saved his spark from a swift termination back there when Lord Megatron had him trapped and alone.
Or was he deluding himself?
Another involuntary shudder ripped through Starscream's frame at yet another sobering thought. What if Megatron was actually right. What if Starscream did have the makings of a true Decepticon? The raging, emotional side of himself screamed in outrage. The intelligent, intellectual side of himself grinned. Let them think, what they wanted about him. In the end he would prove all of them wrong!
Starscream finally reached the prison cell where the small mechling was being held. He crossed his arms over his chest with a frown. He recognized quite a few of the younglings being held prisoner as some of the ones he helped escape last time. He internally scoffed. How stupid were the Autobots to allow these precious little ones to be captured a second time? He felt incredible annoyance surging within his spark as he appraised the bright yellow mechling from helm to heel strut. This young one he'd never seen before. A mystery to be sure…
"What is your name?"
"Bumblebee. What's yours?"
Starscream expressed his surprise at the question and regained his composure.
"Starscream. Now Bumblebee…I need to ask you a few questions. It's really important, okay?"
The little one nodded his helm with innocent blue optics. Before Starscream could truly begin, the youngling cut him off.
"I want OPI!"
Starscream raised an optic ridge with mild curiosity.
"And just who is Opi?"
"My daddy!"
Starscream turned around to face the cell directly behind him to see an unconscious Autobot leader imprisoned within.
"You mean Optimus? That's his name, right?"
"Yes! I want OPI! Daddy, daddy! Can you hear me?!" Bumblebee started screaming at the top of his vocal capacitor.
"SHHHHHHH!" Starscream hissed with a finger to his lip components. "BE QUIET! Who knows who might be listening!"
Bumblebee stopped his yelling with wide, frightened optics. He hugged a small yellow blanket tightly against his chest.
Starscream frowned as he made an immediate connection.
Optimus couldn't be Bumblebee's REAL father…the kid looked nothing like him!
"Bumblebee…who was your spark father? What was his name?"
"Opi."
"NO!" Starscream growled, growing increasingly frustrated. "Not your daddy Optimus…who was your other daddy?"
The child was looking more confused by the second. It did nothing to improve Starscream's impatient mood.
"Oh, for Primus's sake…youngling. Your mommy and daddy….do you remember their names?"
"Don't answer him, Bumblebee!" A strong, deep, rumbling baritone voice interjected.
Starscream rolled his optics and turned around to face Optimus Prime, the elder mech peering through his energy bars.
"No one asked you! I'm trying to help here! I need to know what I need to know. My own spark depends on it."
"Starscream…I promise that if you free me now, I can get you out of here."
"No. You can't," Starscream sneered as he turned his back on the Prime.
"What do you mean, youngling?"
Starscream stared stonily at the floor and growled with clenched fists.
"Haven't you heard? Lord Megatron has implanted tracking chips within us. If we go beyond Decepticon controlled boundaries, our locators trip a failsafe. It shocked me unconscious earlier, remember that?!"
"I'm truly sorry Starscream but I am true to my word. Come with me…I can save you."
Starscream shook his head sadly.
"No, you can't. No one can," he mumbled dejectedly as he began to realize his fate. He belonged to Lord Megatron now. There was no escape. Starscream was clever and could most likely find a way to disable the tracker himself but what hell would he reap upon himself if he continued to defy the Decepticon leader?
"I will let you go but I must have my answers. Tell me, Optimus. Who were Bumblebee's parents?"
"If you tell Megatron what I know…he will seek to eliminate the child."
"I will take that information to the grave before I ever tell that cretin."
"Very well. Unlock my cell and I will tell you."
Starscream thought it was odd that there were no guards currently watching the prisoners…was this a test? A test of loyalty?
Hmph.
Starscream glanced down the halls to see if there were security cameras focused on him.
Hmm…no security cameras in the prison level? After we escaped out of here once already? Really Megatron? Really?
Unable to believe his good fortune, he set Prime loose, glaring at the mech with a stony frown.
"You are free. Now I expect you to uphold your end of the bargain!"
Optimus whispered one name into his audio receptor.
"Brightflame."
"And the youngling's father?"
"I'm sorry."
Before Starscream could say or do anything, everything went dark, and he knew no more.
Optimus felt a pang of guilt as he stepped over the unconscious form of Starscream. He quickly unlocked the cells holding the younglings, scooping his Bee into his arms without a word. As much as he wanted to save Starscream…the little ones were his first priority. The hatch that led to the lower tunnels had been locked and sealed. That wasn't going to stop a Prime…
He made quick work of the locking mechanisms, retracting his arm blade as he gestured for the younglings to follow him. As soon as they dropped down into the dark tunnels below, they were greeted by the relieved faces of Jazz, Mirage, Prowl, and Ironhide.
"Prime! How did you escape on your own?!"
"No time. Autobots, retreat!"
Starscream released a pained groan as he on-lined his optics for the second time that day. He was in a dark cell with no lighting, chained to a wall. What the frag was going on?!
"My dear Starscream," a familiar voice purred from out of the gloom. Two small pinpricks of crimson light peered at him through a viewing screen in the door. "Tell me what Optimus told you."
"W-what?! You SAW?!"
A dark, grating chuckle was his only response.
"Soundwave is quite adept at surveillance, I can assure you…"
"B-but h-how?!" Starscream stuttered in disbelief.
"What did the Prime reveal to you?"
Starscream snapped his mouth shut and glared.
"I'll never tell you."
Fear seized his spark when the cell door opened, and the towering behemoth entered. A sharply, clawed hand seized his chin and forced his head up at an uncomfortable angle.
"TELL ME! I order you!"
"G-get fragged…" Starscream sneered shakily, unable to hide his fear.
The grip on his chin tightened almost painfully. He was surprised when the crushing weight vanished.
A harsh, grating laugh echoed out from the darkness.
"Oh my dear…why do you continue to resist? Your brothers have accepted their rightful place. Why can't you?"
"I'm nothing like you!" Starscream spat angrily as he strained against his chains.
"We are more alike than you might think," Megatron softly growled.
"N-no." Starscream denied, shaking his helm.
"I know what you secretly desire, young one. Power…power beyond reckoning. The power to save yourself. To save those you care for. I can give you that power but only if you join me."
"I'll never join you. NEVER."
"Oh, but I'm not giving you a choice. You WILL join me."
Before Starscream could work up the courage to do or say something rebellious, he screamed in agony when he felt the delicate wiring, mesh, and other vital components comprising his wings get ripped clean off. He bled out energon profusely from the wounds, shuddering in pained terror as he heard Megatron drop his shorn wings to the floor with a heavy clatter.
"You set Prime free! You allowed MY new recruits to depart with the accursed Autobots a second time! You will not leave this cell until you submit to my authority. Think on that."
With those final parting words, Megatron left Starscream alone in the sheer black darkness of his claustrophobic prison cell.
The young mech sobbed piteously.
In the darkness he cursed Megatron, his misfortune, his future fate, everything.
Abandoned and discarded by Autobots and Decepticons alike.
He was truly and utterly ALONE.
Optimus didn't dare relax until they'd arrived safely back at Iacon. Bumblebee was fast in recharge, still hanging limply from Prime's arm. He tucked the youngling in their shared recharge berth and submitted his report on everything that transpired.
"You just left the kid there?!" Mirage shouted in fury, daring to challenge his leader.
"There was nothing I could do, Mirage."
"You should have told me the kid was still in there! I could have gotten him out!"
"As I said before, there was no time to go back. The Decepticons were immediately alerted to our absence in the prison block."
"You must have tripped a sensor when you destroyed the locking mechanism on that tunnel hatch…" Prowl wisely and thoughtfully intoned.
Mirage began to pace back and forth in mild aggravation.
"I still can't believe you just gave up on Starscream! That kid wants out…I know he does!"
"Optimus, can't we do something?" Jazz questioned as he looked at a very anxious Mirage from the corner of his optic.
"We are out of options, all but one," Prime replied gravely.
"Deep cover. You know what that job entails Optimus…" Prowl said hesitantly.
"Indeed. Mirage? Are you up for the task?"
"Yes. I'll do anything to save that kid."
"Prowl will brief you on your assignment. Best of luck, soldier."
He wasn't sure how long he remained in prison. He'd been there for many cycles at least. Pain was his only companion in that dark, desolate, sunless place. His wounds had long stopped bleeding as repair protocols healed the worst of the damage, stemming the energon flow. Not a soul had come to visit him during his confinement. His spark began to fade, as his systems began to shut down one by one, from energon deprivation.
This was it.
He was going to die here.
And for what?
Nothing.
His death would be in vain. Oh, how he wished he could wrap his claws around Megatron's wretched throat!
He daydreamed constantly…most involved Megatron's untimely termination. Some were of an attempted rescue. His recharge cycles were anything but restful. His body and spark continued to ache for energon as he grew weaker with each passing day.
Being confined alone in the darkness began to spark something within the young mech. A glint of madness began to eat away at his processor.
He lived up to his name and screamed incessantly to the heavens, raging at everyone and no one. He began to cackle madly and soon found himself monologuing his grievances, uncaring who might be listening.
It was only when he grew too weak to even speak that he received a visitor. At first the young mech wasn't sure if his guest was a hallucination or a figment of his imagination.
"I am Lord Megatron! WORSHIP ME! Or else I'll kill you in a thousand despicable ways!"
Starscream began to cackle insanely and sneered up at his tormentor.
"DO YOUR WORST AFT HOLE! HA HA HA!"
Yep.
Definitely a hallucination.
He received a second visitor not long after that one.
When HE spoke in his gravelly, growly voice…Starscream's frayed processor began to piece together that this hallucination might be the real article.
"I believe I've given you adequate time to process your rightful place."
Starscream was too weak to speak. He wasn't even sure he'd verbally spoken to the Megatron hallucination from earlier…
He couldn't protest or even MOVE when Megatron freed him from his bonds. Unable to hold his own weight, Starscream collapsed, strong hands reaching out to stop his fall. He couldn't even open his mouth or get his vocalizer working as the silver warlord gently cradled him in his massive arms like a sparkling. He saw a bright light and thought for sure that he was dead…
Then came fresh waves of pain as his wings were slowly reattached by a medic. Then came the energon infusion. Then for the first time in what felt like eons…there was blissful nothingness.
Author's Note: I know I focused on Starscream again and less on Bumblebee but I had too. I feel for poor Screamy. Please review and thank you for reading! :D
