"Few things of value come without a price. So tell me, Starscream, what is it that you wish in return?" Megatron asked. "Only to be a Decepticon once again." Starscream said and kneeled. "Dreadwing is my first lieutenant now." Megatron said.
"And I accept that much has changed during my absence, I only wish to serve you, my one, true master. In any way that you deem fit." Starscream said. "I am deeply impressed by your accomplishment, Starscream. And know that I will put your offerings to good use, whatever the outcome." Megatron said.
"Uh, outcome of what?" Starscream asked. "See to it that Knockout is extracted from the wall." Megatron ordered Dreadwing.
"It's good to be back." Knockout said as he stretched his parts. "Now what will we be fishing for today, my liege?" He asked as he attached a cord to Megatron. "Starscream's true motives." Megatron said. Starscream realized that they were going to perform a Cortical Psychic Patch.
Knockout attached the cord to his back. Memories of the original Space-Bridge exploding in front of Megatron were seen. "Decepticons, it is with deep sorrow that I note for the log. Megatron's Spark has been extinguished. All hail Starscream!" A memory of Starscream said.
"All hail Starscream!" The Vehicons chanted. "Well, well. You certainly didn't waste any time." Megatron said as he appeared in front of Starscream. "What?! I just watched you perish!" Starscream said. "I did not perish then, and I'm very much with you now. The present you, as well as the past." Megatron said.
"All hail Starscream!" The Vehicons chanted. Past Starscream said, "I can't hear you!"
"All hail Starscream!" The Vehicons chanted. "One more time!" Past Starscream said. "All hail Starscream! All hail Starscream!" The Vehicons chanted as Knockout observed everything from the monitor. "This is going to be JUICY." Knockout said to the reader.
"All hail Starscream!" The Vehicons chanted as past Starscream did an awkward dance. The real Starscream turned around and gasped. "You're inside my head, aren't you?" He asked. "The Cortical Psychic Patch. You see, there are no secrets in here. Only your memories. You cannot manipulate their content or modify their outcome. What we see is how it happened." Megatron said as the memory around them faded.
"If you want to be a true leader, Starscream, then stray from Megatron's path and lead the Decepticons toward peace." A memory of Optimus said. "I would be willing to consider a truce if you would be willing to bow before me, Optimus Prime." A memory of Starscream said.
"You have defied my orders yet again!" Past Starscream yelled at past Knockout. "My mistake, Commander Starscream." Past Knockout said. "It is Lord!" Past Starscream bellowed at Knockout. "Haven't you heard? I lead the Decepticons now." Past Starscream said to Wheeljack.
"Where did we leave off? Oh, yes. 'All hail Starscream'? A rather obvious motif, Starscream. You deem yourself more able to lead the Decepticons than myself?" Megatron asked. "No, not anymore. I have learned from my many failures, Master." Starscream said.
"Esteemed members of my armada, you now stand upon the very precipice of glory to meet the destiny which I have so tenaciously worked toward. Dynamic -" Past Starscream started. "Leadership of the Decepticons!" One of the past clones said.
"That clone said it, not me!" Present Starscream said. "It seems you would stop at nothing to disrupt rule, including assassination." Megatron said. "It was their idea, not mine!" Present Starscream said.
"With this creature under your control and at our disposal, we might employ it to terminate Megatron. Allowing us to rule the Decepticons." Past Starscream said to Airachnid.
"I see no clones here. Was this their idea, too?" Megatron asked. "I don't remember any of this. I must have been half crazed at the time. A victim of Energon deficiency." Present Starscream lied. "Tell me why I should welcome back someone whose every waking impulse has been to thwart me, undercut me, overthrow me?!" Megatron yelled at Starscream.
"Not true! I have always put your well-being before my own!" Starscream lied.
Past Starscream yanked out the Dark Energon shard from Megatron's Spark-Chamber. "How does this revolting chapter constitute attending to my well-being?" Megatron asked. "I was simply trying to help by ridding you of the dark matter polluting your body." Present Starscream lied.
"Seems I possess the only thing that would allow you to rise off that slab and walk again, my dearest Megatron." Past Starscream said. "I even risked being buried alive for you." Present Starscream said.
"I did not abandon you, Master. I returned to save you! Look into my Spark, Lord Megatron. My intentions were true." Past Starscream said as he struggled to hold the rock up.
"We're they, Starscream? Were they ever?" Megatron asked.
"Well, now who has hit rock bottom? What's that? I'm sorry, I can't hear you beneath all that rubble!" Past Starscream laughed. "Farewell, Lord Megatron. May you rust in peace!" He said.
He paused. "But you have survived far worse. If you managed to free yourself, you would blame me for your setback! And there is nowhere that I could possibly escape from your wrath. Or worse yet, your mindless followers will come looking for you and take credit for your rescue. Credit that could rightfully be mine! MEGATRON!" Past Starscream screamed.
"A word of advice: Stop thinking aloud." Megatron advised. "I don't want to play this game anymore! Take the keys. We'll pretend I was never here." Starscream said. "No, Starscream. There are only two possible outcomes based upon what I find here in your twisted little mind. If I do not deem that you are worthy of rejoining the Decepticons, you will be buried under a glacier on this very day." Megatron said.
"Isn't termination rather extreme? I mean, a really good trouncing usually straightens me out, doesn't it?" Starscream asked.
Past Megatron bashed Starscream across the Nemesis. Starscream tried to transform and run away, but Megatron grabbed him and threw him onto another wing. "No, Master! NO!" Past Starscream begged as Megatron dragged him into the Nemesis.
"Why wouldn't you wish to harness my talents for the Decepticon cause? You and I have so much deviousness to offer." Starscream said.
"Consider it a welcome home present." Past Starscream said as the corpse of Cliffjumperwas brought to the mine from the Nemesis. "See how generous I can be, my liege?" Present Starscream asked. "Only when it suits you." Megatron said.
"That's your plan?! Bring Autobots back from the dead to attack us?!" Past Starscream asked as Terrorcon Cliffjumper attacked Vehicons. "And other times, you can be quite insolent." Megatron said.
"Apologies. It's just that I've gone to so much trouble terminate the Autobot in the first place." Starscream said. "Trouble would have been facing him as a gladiator." Megatron said. "I've always considered my wits to be my sharpest weapon." Present Starscream said. "Wait, you two are up to something." Past Starscream said to Optimus and Dreadwing.
Past Dreadwing held a detonator and blew up multiple bombs. Past Starscream screamed as he fell into the watery abyss. "You never learn, Starscream. Your arrogance will trump your wits every time." Megatron said.
"You cannot harm me while Dark Energon flows through my veins! I am invincible!" Past Starscream said. Past Optimus fired his cannon and took Starscream's arm off. "You're a big one. This could take a while." He said as he started sucking Energon out of Bulkhead.
Bulkhead smashed Starscream into the wall. "What?! She's taking credit for scrapping him now, too?! That was my doing!" Past Starscream said to Arcee. Arcee aimed her cannons, and Starscream groveled.
"Any last words, Smokescreen?" Past Starscream asked. Smokescreen phased through the Apex Armor, kicking Starscream out in the process. "My T-Cog." Silas said. "A temporary setback. Other Autobots, other T-Cogs. We shall find a replacement soon enough." Past Starscream said.
"Not 'soon enough'. Now." Silas said as his soldiers appeared from behind trees and electrified Starscream. Past Starscream woke up. "What?" He asked. A Ground-Bridge opened, and the Autobots came through. "Autobots!" Starscream said. He tried to transform but failed.
He tried again but got the same result. "My T-Cog!" He gasped. He ran off. "You no longer possess the ability to take flight?!" Megatron asked impatiently. "Yes, I-I was going to bring that up. And as you might imagine, my predicament pains me to no end." Starscream sputtered.
"Fortunately, the Harbinger's tracking systems have remained synced with Megatron's warship. Of course, we shall require a means of reaching them." Past Starscream said, and his clones transformed behind them. "You can transform? Of course you can. How else would you fly to the ship? That was a test, which you all passed." Past Starscream said.
"I hope that you might see fit to express your gratitude for the Omega Keys by restoring my jet mode. After all, would I not be more valuable to you with wings?" Present Starscream asked.
Memories of past Starscream transforming were seen. "Oh, I do transform with an exceptional sense of style." Present Starscream said. A memory of Starscream blew up the wall to escape the Nemesis. "I said that aloud, didn't I?" Present Starscream asked.
"Megatron tried to extinguish my Spark in cold blood. Then all but replaced me with that traitorous wretch Airachnid. She abandoned me! Left me for scrap! So why not rat them out?" Starscream asked. "No one asked you to leave the Decepticon fold." Megatron said.
"I wasn't exactly made to feel welcome at the time." Present Starscream said. "Master, please! Give me one more chance! I beg of you!" Past Starscream begged. "Despite the fact that I had seen the error of my ways and dedicated my Spark to you." Present Starscream said. "I have gained a clear understanding of my place in this universe, of who I am, of who I was always meant to be. Starscream. Second in Command. Humble servant to Lord Megatron." Past Starscream said to Soundwave.
"Until the next opportunity arises to subvert me." Megatron said. "And how is the patient doing today?" Past Starscream asked. "Same old." Knockout said. "An inglorious fate that he should remain in this vegetative state." Starscream said. "On the contrary, Megatron's body may be scrap metal, but his mind is still percolating." Knockout said.
"Keeo that to yourself. That blasted Soundwave sees and hears everything." Starscream said. "The eyes and ears of the Decepticons." Knockout said. "Well, as long as their master remains in limbo, so does their cause. The Decepticons deserve a strong, alert leader." Starscream said.
"One who would require a loyal Second in Command." Knockout added. Starscream snickered. "A candidate would need to earn that post by making a strong case to said eyes and ears." He said. "A case for showing mercy, Lord Starscream?" Past Knockout asked.
Present Knockout knew he was scrap. "Uh, oh. Does this thing have a fast forward button, or better yet, erase?!" He asked as he pressed multiple buttons.
"Knockout if you would be so kind as to provide your expert, medical opinion to Soundwave for the historical record." Past Starscream said. "Simply put, unaided, Megatron could remain in this deathless slumber forever." Knockout said. "Our master would not have wanted to be seen this way, to stand idly by while he remains captive in his own body is not just." Past Starscream said.
Soudnwave pointed at the monitor. "Brainwave activity, not evidence of consciousness. But merely from an endless dream from which Megatron may never wake." Knockout said. "Soundwave, we must face reality. Megatron is lost to us." Past Starscream said.
"The only honorable option would be to show him mercy." Knockout said. "A simple throw of the switch." Starscream said.
"When Megatron comes out of it, he'll do more than just stick me back in that wall or freeze me into a block of ice. He'll have Starscream's head and mine!" The real Knockout said. He looked at the unconscious Megatron. "But if I disconnect before a proper power down, the link is severed, and the big guy will never emerge from Starscream's head." He said.
He grabbed the cord, but a blue servo grabbed him. "Everything okay here?" Dreadwing asked. "Just checking cable integrity." Knockout lied. "Is it any wonder that I've come to value loyalty above all else?" Megatron asked. "Well, you know, we are Decepticons. I'm sure that even your beloved Dreadwing isn't perfect." Starscream asked.
"No one is perfect, Starscream. But like his departed twin, Dreadwing understands honor." Megatron said. "Awaken, warrior. Arise and serve your new master!" Past Starscream said as the Stasis chamber opened. Skyquake emerged and punched his servos together. "Skyquake serves only one master." He said.
"Excellent. Your loyalty and devotion will set a fine example for the troops. No need to be timid, Skyquake. You may bow." Past Starscream said. "You fail to grasp my meaning. I am here on a mission assigned to me by my one master, Megatron." Skyquake said. "Yes, him. Sadly, Megatron is no longer with us." Past Starscream said.
"Impossible!" Skyquake said. "Why is this so difficult for everyone to accept?" Past Starscream asked. Flashbacks of Skyquake transforming and Bee killing him were seen. Later, past Starscream appeared at his grave with the Dark Energon shard. "Ah, the gravesite of the mighty Skyquake. So quick to reject my authority while you lived. But as the first of my reanimated warriors, you shall bow to my command." Past Starscream said as he snapped the Blood of Unicron in half and threw a shard into the grave, which begun to glow.
Past Starscream stabbed himself with the other half of the shard, causing his optics to turn purple. "Ah, yes! Power of Dark Energon be mine!" Past Starscream declared as purple fire engulfed his body. "Symbiosis!" He laughed evilly. "I can feel it!" He yelled.
"I understand he perished that day." Megatron said. "Well, Skyquake is neither living nor dead, and no doubt continues to wander through some dimensional nether realm in search of his missing limb." Starscream said. "It would be wise to keep that to yourself around the warship." Megatron said.
Dreadwing heard and grew angry. "Awkward." Knockout said and placed a servo on his helm. "Does this mean?" Starscream asked. "Yes. I will allow you to return to our ranks. If only because you are more valuable beside me than against me." Megatron said. "Thank the Allspark!" Starscream cheered.
"Infighting has nearly destroyed the Decepticons during your absence. We must operate as a united front if we are to revive and conquer Cybertron. That means each and every one of us, Knockout." Megatron said and looked directly at Knockout through the screen.
The medic shuddered. "Megatron sure knows how to patch things up. Eh, Dreadwing?" He asked but saw that Dreadwing was gone. "Dreadwing?" He asked.
Dreadwing stood at the edge of the Nemesis. Rain pelted against his blue armor. The Second in Command let out a scream of unbridled rage.