Archive of Our Own ^beta

August 1985. 9pm. Colorado.

The reissued school bus brought the twenty-five men to the site. Their secondary home, they joked. Smoke filled the air from the cigarettes hanging loosely between their lips. Some of the men read to pass the time. Others closed their eyes to avoid needless conversation, using their backpacks as a makeshift pillow. For the next ten days, they'll work in the mountains mining for uranium thirty minutes away from their home. At night, they could see the streetlights below, and that gave them a source of comfort as they dug through the maze-like tunnels.

As the miners piled out of the bus and into the rain for the accommodation cabin, no one noticed the silent figure hiding between the trees, with one large yellow optic watching...

 

 

He heard a name. A distant name. It echoed through his mind. He stood in a blurred landscape of the planet he once called home. It was dawn. He felt light. It was peaceful. It made him happy. A figure stood in the distance. The sun exposed their silhouette. They waved to him with a joyus laugh.

'...Ulchtar...'

 

'...Ulchtar...'

 

'...Ulchtar...'

 

'Ch...tar...'

 

'Star...'

 

'...Starscream...'

 

'Starscream.'

 

Red optics shot open, only to close when energon poured over his face and into his mouth. Starscream coughed and momentarily turned away, raising his arm to fire a missile at whoever dared to disturb his nap, only to stop when he saw Soundwave. Ravage, like the loyal pet he was, sat beside him. How annoying.

'You better have a good reason for that,' the seeker groaned, not moving from his spot.

'Lord Megatron will not approve of your status if he saw you like this,' Soundwave answered in his usual stoic manner. But, he did have a point. Starscream, for whatever reason, laid on his back in a random corridor of the Nemesis, with his legs propped up against a column break between two large windows.

'That is not a good reason, Soundwave. Do you have anything to report?'

'Shockwave has finally returned-'

'Isn't that a shame.'

'He's debriefing with Lord Megatron, who expects you to begin patrol shortly.'

'Ah, yes,' Starscream sarcastically chuckled. He placed his servos on the metal floor and used his body to flip himself over and back onto his pedals to slowly stand up straight. 'Let me guess, for the Autobots? The Autobots that no one's seen in, how long? Four stellar cycles? Eight? I lost track after two.'

'You will join me to the cockpit.' Soundwave went to turn, ignoring the seeker's annoying pitch, but quickly stopped himself to look back at his fellow lieutenant. 'And it's been ten stellar cycles.'

'And how many of those years have we spent on this planet searching for them?'

Soundwave didn't answer. He walked away with Ravage by the side. With a huff through his vents, Starscream begrudgingly followed. Of course, he knew the answer to his question. The Decepticons have only been scouting Earth and silently consuming its energy for several months. And Starscream knew when they would predictably find nothing, they'll just hop to the next planet and start over again. For ten stellar cycles that's been their lives, and all for a group of Autobots, Starscream couldn't put a face to a name anymore.

Megatron sat on his throne, concealed by shadows of the rising sun. Shockwave stood proud as he recounted his latest outing. Starscream and Soundwave arrived and stood quietly beside the entrance. Tarn leaned against the window. Either Megatron didn't notice his disrespectful stance, or Tarn knew he could get away with it. As usual, he had a small smile across his face. In comparison, Nickel awkwardly rang her servos behind her back, unable to look anyone in the optic, trying to stand to attention. Whether it was out of anxiety or genuine fear was anyone's guess. Maybe both. Yet, she somehow found comfort standing besides her superior.

'I have scouted the regions and discovered a small human community nearby,' Shockwave began. 'From what I have gathered, mining is their main field of work. They could lead us to any discoveries of Autobot activity.'

'Yes, yes. Autobot this. Autobot that,' Starscream scoffed. He approached with a spring in his step to ease his boredom. 'But what about Barricade? I thought your little quest was to retrieve him.'

'I have been unable to locate him.'

'So, this was a failure?'

'That's not for you to decide.'

'Enough,' Megatron's low voice echoed through the cold room. Everyone fell silent. 'Continue, Shockwave.'

'Thank you, my Lord. But, as some of us need reminding, Barricade willingly went into hiding for us. His alt form provides much better cover than our own.' Starscream rolled his optics. 'The best course of action would be to leave him to continue his work. As for us, we should-'

A beeping echoed through the Nemesis. Everyone halted and turned. Megatron stood and walked to the control panel. He towered over his fleet. A giant who made them look like sparklings. A push of the button brought a large screen to the forefront, where a foreign signal called to them. The energy reading was massive. Bigger than a Prime. For a moment, a look of annoyance crossed Megatron's face. It wasn't Prime, but it was something. Something they couldn't ignore. 'Starscream,' he hummed.

'Yes, my Lord?'

'You seem to be getting bored cooped up in here, like a bird in a cage. Go and fetch me this signal.'

'Of course.' That was something they could agree on. The longer Starscream was kept inside or grounded, the more he wanted to rip his own spark out. 'But, if it is an Autobot, what should I do?'

'Only bring Prime to me. What you do with the others is none of my concern.'

Perfect. With a small bow and a smirk, memorising the signal's location, Starscream moved for the ship's docking bay. He felt the spring in his step travel and grow across his frame. His spark pulsed in excitement. It was about time for the seeker to stretch his wings. The door slowly opened, allowing the cool August breeze to hit his face. It felt nice to finally feel the crisp air in his vent. Out of all the planets he's been forced to search, this one wasn't as bad as he thought. It just wasn't home.

Starscream lifted a pedal, hovering it over the edge, before allowing himself to drop through the sky in a swan-dive. The T-Cog activated, shifting and transforming his body into the F-15 jet he took as his disguise. Engines roared. Starscream levelled out and soared across the trees and into the sky above the Nemesis, following the signal into the unknown.

Finally, free from that prison as he flew above the little town tucked away between the mountains. Ashington Creek.

'Will the FBI get involved?' Asked the young barista.

'Not unless we can confirm they've vanished over state lines,' Officer Todd replied. 'But, I doubt that.'

The pair stared at the newspaper, where in bold text, it read:

MINERS LOST

A picture of the mining facility plastered the front page. The article continued inside, listing all the names of the employees and statements from loved ones begging for their safe return. Compared to everything that has happened in this sleepy town, you couldn't find on a map, this was a living nightmare.

How can twenty-five men just vanish? Why would twenty-five miners vanish?

'State police will be here soon, though,' Todd continued as she took her morning coffee and headed for the door. 'So no funny business, Michael.' Everyone knew what he put in his brownies. The real mystery is where he gets it.

'Yes, mam.'

Officer Athena Todd stepped out onto the empty main road that was the spine to Ashington Creek. The autumn chill had crept its way into the air, and the leaves turned red. The rain from the night before left the ground muddy underfoot. The last of the mist could be seen climbing the mountains, and a warm glow from the sun pierced the trees. Compared to her old life back in Los Angeles, it was night and day. No loud noises. Just peace, but that wasn't going to last long.

Todd stepped up to her cruiser and instantly heard the loud clicking of heels striding up the road, with a voice that belonged to only one very vocal individual. 'Ms. Todd.'

'Oh God Dammit,' Todd exhaustedly muttered under her breath before pulling herself together and turning to face the self-employed town gossip. 'Morning, Mrs. Hitchens.'

'Don't you have anything better to do?'

'Than getting my coffee, Mrs. Hitchens?'

'We're in the state of emergency right now, and you're out here drinking coffee and stuffing your face with pancakes.'

'I don't have any-' But Todd knew it was pointless to point out the obvious and stopped herself. It was well known, Mrs. Hitchens was a bored, firey woman who always wanted to kick up a fuss. 'I understand your concerns, but I'm not a robot, Mrs. Hitchens.' The elderly women huffed in disbelief. 'But we have radios to tell us where to go, and we're doing everything we can for the families.'

'Well, whatever you're doing, it isn't enough.'

'Then, by all means, come and collect a uniform. We are currently hiring at the station. I'm sure your keen eye for detail would be a great help.'

'What if there's another emergency now?' Mrs. Hitchens asked, dancing around the sarcasm that oozed in the officer's words.

'Are you having an emergency?'

'Well,' Mrs. Hitchens leaned in close. 'Did you not see that unregistered semi-truck passing through town a few weeks ago? Red with two smoke stacks but wasn't dragging anything.'

'Can't say that I have, but semi-trucks are normal around here.'

'I swear Arnold,' her husband. 'Said it didn't have a driver. It drove down this street, into the mountains, and never came back.' If you wanted to leave this area, passing through Ashington Creek was the only way.

'No driver? Did it have a company logo?'

'No.'

'I'll make a note of it, and we'll get back to you.' And with a tip of the hat, Todd put on a fake smile and opened her cruiser. 'Good day, Mrs. Hitchens.' She climbed into the drivers seat and tossed her hat onto the passenger seat. Right on cue, her radio crackled to life.

'You there, Athena?'

'Go ahead, Ray.'

'Guess who didn't show up for school?'

Todd sighed, closed her eyes, and muttered another 'God dammit' under her breath. Thankfully, Mrs. Hitchens got the message and was already walking away.

'How many guesses do I get?'

'How many do you want?'

'...None...'

'You know where she'd be?'

'Yep.' Todd ran a hand through her short tapered hair, then scratched the nape of her neck. 'Did the school call the office?'

'They say they tried your home, but no one answered.'

'I think you mean my second home,' she chuckled, Ray joining in.

'Does this mean the skating rink isn't happening?'

'Yep.'

'Oh no.'

'Her fault.'

'Does that mean pizza is off tonight?'

'No, but only because you're coming.'

Todd paused to start the engine. 'Can you call the school back for me? Let them know she'll be in after lunch?'

'Sure. Good luck.'

'Thanks.'

'That was for Ebony.'

Todd took a sip of her coffee and watched Mrs. Hitchens disappear around the corner. A finger tapped the radio, her lips curled as she began to think, eyes narrowing. A semi-truck with no driver going through town, into the mountains yet not coming back. Todd clicked her radio. 'Ray?'

'Yeah?'

'Can I ask one more favour?'

Straying from the road yet keeping it in sight, moving between the pines, Ebony ducked and weaved as she made her way towards the mining facility. She pulled the microcassette recorder and tape from her coat pocket, only to be wacked by a tree branch, causing her to tumble into a bush.

'Ow,' she groaned before sighing and chuckling to herself. 'Ow. Ow. Ow.' Those were genuine. Back on her feet, Ebony continued forward, pulling some leafs from her afro and patting down her jumper. The roof of the accommodation came into view over the hill, followed by all the infrastructure that Ebony didn't know the name of, but it dwarfed her. All she knew was that it had the elevator shaft into the mines beneath her feet.

Lifting the recorder to her face, Ebony clicked the button.

'So, it's 16th September 1985. Time is-' Ebony shuffled, trying to roll her sleeve up to see her watch. '-shit-' She caught a quick glance. '11:22 am, and I'm at the mining facility where, fifteen days ago, twenty-five miners vanished. No footprints. No signs of a struggle.' At least from what she could see. 'True, some rain might have washed some evidence away, but something is not adding up. It's like a UFO just swooped down and flew off with them.' But, Ebony knew that was bullshit. Aliens weren't real.

The fourteen year old made her way for the accommodation. The metal door swung lightly in the breeze. Dried leafs had found their way inside. Ebony walked up the two steps and pushed the door open with her shoulder. A small canteen area greeted her. The smell of cigarettes still lingered in the air, their butts piling on the floor and holders on the wooden table. Several cups had half drunk coffee, which now had mould growing over the skin. Flies made their home on the leftover food. It made Ebony shudder and gag. She clicked the recorder back to life. 'I'm in accommodation. It's really filthy in here.'

She closed the door, revealing coats and several rucksacks. 'Seems a few men didn't have time to unpack.' She looked at the label and saw the name Glover. Of course, she knew the name. A good man whose wife worked for the post office. Their twin boys were only six years old. Ebony held her breath for a moment and counted her lucky stars her dad wasn't one of the twenty-five. At least she knew he was back in Los Angeles, and she got to see him at Christmas and talk to him every night over the phone.

A rattling pulled Ebony from her thoughts. She turned and jumped at a fox racing past her, unable to find any food to scavenge, and vanish into the undergrowth. 'That was a fox,' she spoke into the microphone after realising she was still recording. The kitchen area looked relatively normal. Apart from the dust collecting on the surfaces, there didn't seem to be any signs of a struggle. The facility didn't have a full-time chef, but whoever wanted to cook would. 'In the kitchen. Nothing out of the ordinary, so gonna head up to the cabins and see-' Something caught Ebony from the corner of her eye. She turned and was greeted by Todd's face at the window. 'Holy shit-' She jerked and juggled her microcassette in her hands before groaning like she had the right to be annoyed. 'Mom!'

Todd didn't say anything. She, with a look that said, 'Are you serious?' And. 'You'll be the twenty-sixth person who will go missing,' just pointed at her daughter, then to the ground. With a small sigh of defeat, Ebony left.

'You know,' Todd said with her hand on her hips, posture strong. 'Last time I checked, math class does not include going into the mountains. Alone.' She really emphasised the alone. 'What are you doing here?'

'Just trying to help.'

'And making your grades drop?'

'They're not dropping.'

And Ebony was right. True, she had been skipping school for her nature walks, but she always did her homework and never got anything below a B. Her exam results reflected that, too. Checkmate. Todd paused, clicked her tongue before sighing.

'Grab you stuff. I'm taking you to school.'

'But I have biology today.'

'So?'

'I hate biology.'

'And I hated French, but I still had to do it.'

'Yeah, but Miss. Bailey has me sit in the back of the class because my hair blocks the view.'

'Oh, does she now?'

'Yeah...'

Sadly. This was nothing new for the family. It wasn't as bad as LA, but the shadow was always there. The locals were more ignorant with their words, especially the older generation who didn't like change. The Todds, to them, were different. Outsiders who have only been in Ashington Creek for three years.

'Yeah, well,' Todd nudged Ebony with a small smile. 'Her head looks like a boiled egg.' That got Ebony to laugh. Together, they made their way for the cruiser. 'Don't worry. I'll talk to her. Enjoying the cassette?' A good way to change the subject.

'Yeah. Got several minutes' worth of tape left.'

'Remind me, are you trying to be a police officer or a journalist?'

'Police has better pay. Journalism is more freedom.'

'Neither are a nine to five.'

'Wow, what gave that away?'

Back in the car, Todd drove down the mountain and back for town. Ebony rolled down the window and rested her elbow on the frame.

'Oh, but the skating rink is off.'

'Yeah, that's fair.'

'Pizzas still on, though.'

'Because you'll never pass up time with Ray.'

'Oh, don't start.'

'Just tell him already!'

'Tell him what?'

'I dunno just-' Ebony stuttered as she juggled her thoughts. 'What do a pair of divorced adults do on dates?'

Todd kept her eyes on the road, fully knowing Ebony was correct in her assumption, and she'd start to blush. 'Just think about what you're gonna say to Mr. Roberts.' The headmaster. 'Like I am.'

The peaceful silence that followed for several minutes was cut with the roaring of enginees above. 'You hear that?' Ebony muttered. She didn't like her mum time to answer, as she leaned her upper body out of the window and looked above the trees, where an F-15 flew. 'Did you see that?'

'That I did.' Ebony climbed back in.

'Is that normal?'

'It's a military craft. They can do what they want.'

'Could they be here to help us?'

Todd scoffed. 'No. No, they'll be training up there somewhere. Don't think too much about it.'

Starscream landed on the rocky walls that protected the grasslands and alpine beauty below. The animals around him vanished, seeing the bigger threat stomping through their territory. Even the birds fell silent. The seven meter Decepticon followed the signal. It wasn't coming from behind a wall, but below. A cave. With a smirk and taking several steps back, Starscream aimed a missile and fired at the ground, opening an undiscovered entrance. Much to his disappointment, however, the signal was deep within the earth. Of course, he had to go deeper.

He shuddered, shaking his servos to mentally prepare himself, and jumped in.

The cave was unusually wide. Starscream had no trouble waltzing through the tunnels, nor did he have any trouble seeing in the dark. The beeping in his tracker grew louder and more rapid. By now, it was clear what was calling for him wasn't an Autobot running out of time, nor was it Barricade. A weapon? Or a trap? No. No. Couldn't be a trap. The Autobots don't know they're here.

The seeker turned a corner. He shuffled sideways through a tunnel. Stalactites lined the chamber, dripping water onto his frame. The beeping was deafening, yet his own curiosity pushed him forward. And there, in a large chamber, sitting central on a rock like some ancient treasure, with its containment vessel open, was something Starscream never thought he'd see. The AllSpark.

'What?' It was odd. 'Did the Autobots have you this entire time?' That explains why they went into hiding. Starscream approached and had to wonder, if this was the Allspark, the reason cybertronians had life to begin with, then why did it look diseased?

Legends told it was a crystal that could burn the every star in the universe and replace the sun, but here it looked grey. Only a small twinkle of light remained. Was it dying? Could the AllSpark die? Starscream switched off his tracker before reaching out and touching the artifact. He heard that laugh again. It echoed in his mind and brought him an odd sense of comfort. A humming soon followed that he felt pulse across his servos and up his arm. He lifted the AllSpark and quickly noted how light it was. Rather anticlimactic. But, it was better than nothing.

Suddenly, the humming got louder and coursed through his entire being. Starscream felt his own spark pulse, almost growing in size, making him flinch and drop the artifact from his palm. But then it began to float high above him. The grey turned a bright cyan blue. Starscream covered his optics with an arm, squinting to see what was going to happen. The humming rattled the cave walls. Dust floating upwards. A crack formed at its centre.

It blew up.

The force sent the seeker flying. The AllSpark shattered itself into hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny pieces, that all flew in Starscream's direction. They were drawn to him like a magnet, twisting and manoeuvring themselves towards the Decepticon. Within miliseconds, as the explosion reached its crushendo, where all the seeker would do was let out a small yelp, the shards buried themselves into his frame.

Then it went dark...

 

 

'Ulchtar. Ulchtar. Hey. Ulchtar.'

Ulchtar gasped awake. Jetfire's face hovered over him with his signature smile that could make anyone's worries disappear. 'You'll get in trouble one day for this.' He moved and sat beside his friend who clumsily stirred from his sleep.

'Sorry, I-' Ulchtar rubbed the back of his head. 'I needed some time to think.'

'You do that a lot.'

'Well, commanding new recruits will do that.'

'Just don't let Sentinel see you hibernating on the job.'

'That's why I come here. No one knows about this place.' The place being the roof of a long abandoned building tilting to one side as a substance resembling water flooded the lower floors. 'Except you.'

'If memory serves, I showed this place first.'

'Hmm, I can't remember,' Ulchtar teased. 'Sorry.'

'No, you're not.' The pair sat quietly together, looking over the neverending body of water and seeing the stars against the purple-gray sky. Jetfire crossed his legs and rested his servos behind him. Ulchtar hugged his knees to his chest plate. 'Have you heard stories about a revolution lately?'

'Somethings. I've heard the Energon reserves are running low, though. It's starting to cause riots in the south. Several of my recruits have gone now that our own supply is being cut.'

'I heard a name,' Jetfire's tone turned stern. His optics sharpened, and his cables tightened. 'A gladiator called Megatron has been talking. Making speeches, promising a better Cybertron. A seat at the table for everyone who joins is command.'

'And bots are listening?'

'Yeah. Mostly his fellow fighters. It's best to keep an eye on him.'

'What will you do?'

Jetfire sighed. 'Megatron is good with his words. He's promising things the Primes aren't. Free Energon for all. Technological advancements. We can travel the stars without restriction. I went to one of his speeches. Everything he said was what I wanted to hear. It was like a song...'

Ulchtar placed a servos on Jetfire's shoulder pad.

'Let's do it then.'

'What?'

'Let's go and join Megatron and his forces.' The seeker got to his pedals and pointed to the horizon. 'We can finally be heroes. The ones we always wanted to be since we were sparklings.' Ulchtar stood proudly. 'Become Primes for the next generation of Cybertronians.' Jetfire snickered, then laughed.

'And what would your Prime name be?'

'That's a working progress. You can't rush perfection like myself.' He offered a servos. 'So?'

Jetfire accepted and pulled himself up.

'Yeah. Let's go be heroes, Ulchtar.'

 

 

A ringing brought Starscream back online. He blinked his optics open. Small specks of cyan blue dust floated beside him. Everything ached. The Decepticon slowly rolled himself onto his mid-section and used the cave wall to help him slowly stand. His hissed through gritted teeth. It felt like an entire building was crushing him. Or Astrotrain decided to run him over. Wouldn't be the first time.

He checked himself and noticed, somehow, he wasn't bleeding. In fact, there wasn't even a dent. It's impossible, but he had to count his lucky stars for that.

There was nothing left of the AllSpark. Just marks lining the explosion. Great. Just what he needed. No, he didn't question how he was still alive if his entire species reason for life was gone. Starscream groaned in annoyance, but if he was going to take anything back to Megatron, then the containment vessel will do, thankfully still sitting in its place. He tucked it under his arm, noting how much heavier it was than the AllSpark, and made his way for the exit, shifting into his jet mode and flying back for the Nemesis. He had no idea several hours had passed.

A figure watched from the treeline. Their scope tracking the Decepticon until they became a blip vanishing into the clouds. They were too late to retrieve the signal themselves and could only hide in the treeline. They lowered their sniper with an annoyed look on their face. One blue optic and a blue viewfinder stared at the cave Starscream carved.

'Frag.'

'Open the landing bay.'

The irritation dripped from Starscream's words. One part because of the events that had just unfolded in front of his optics. Another was because he was going back into his cage. He swirled and hovered around the Nemesis until he could land with an echoing thud. He held the containment vessel under his arm and, momentarily, didn't notice Nickel standing beside him. Compared to him, she might as well be a mini-con, but she just passed the height requirement. And, as much as he won't admit it, Nickel was the most tolerable being on board. But that didn't mean much.

'So?' Nickel asked.

'So?' Starscream asked back.

'Do you need my assistance with anything?'

'Do you see a single scratch on me?'

'You've flown off into unknown territory in an unknown planet, Starscream. I need to keep track of all your vitals.'

'I don't have time for this, Nickel-'

'Doctor,' she corrected.

'Doctor.' He grimaced. 'Where's Megatron?'

'Waiting for you where he always is.'

'Good.'

Starscream didn't take a step before he suddenly felt a thud against his chest plate. He recoiled at the sight of Nickel suddenly jumping onto him and reaching towards his face with the tyres that made up for her lack of pedals. He froze. His entire frame tightened whilst his optics squinted when her servos reached up. She plucked a stone from the vents in his helm, inspected it for a moment, and then crushed it between her digits.

'Careful. They'll clog up your helm and get into the audio receptors.'

'Yes. Th-' Nickel grabbed the seeker's face and leaned in close with a hum. Starscream was both insulted as he was confused.

'Somethings different about you. I can tell, but what?'

'Hardly,' he scoffed. 'Now, get out.' Starscream pushed Nickel back with such force she lost her grip and fell to the metal floor, unable to land on her tyres. 'Of my way.' Starscream didn't notice and briskly wandered off.

A panic rose under his stern exterior. Nickel was right, and he knew it. Something was off. His spark felt different, yet he couldn't describe it. It felt like it was trying to escape, as if his body was too small. The energon inside him raced and burned. Was he sick? Nervous? Both? Was this planet doing something to him?

Megatron continued to sit at his throne, a cup of energon in hand. He seemed lost in thought about something. Everyone had noticed how quiet he was. Everyone had also noticed the lack of a signal that should be coming from the control panel. The leader's eyes sharpened.

'My Lord,' Soundwave said, breaking the silence. Megatron returned his lieutenants words by tightening his grip on the cup. Soundwave knew to keep quiet.

The door opening broke the silence as Starscream entered. Everyone turned. Nickel followed behind, making no effort to be noticed by the giants around her.

'My-'

'Where have you been, Starscream?' Megatron's asked, unable to hide his feelings. A mix of annoyance and anger. He rose from his throne and slowly made his way towards his seeker.

'I followed the signal, as you requested, My Lord,' Starscream hummed. 'And I bring you a gift.' He held up the containment vessel with pride. Megatron wasn't impressed. Starscream didn't seem to care. After all, nothing seemed to impress their leader. 'It contained the AllSpark. Might be,' Megatron took the vessel. 'Why the Autobots have been in hiding for all these years.'

Without hesitation, Megatron crushed the container with ease, practically turning it to dust in his palm. The seeker froze, more confused than scared.

'I don't care for its vessel. Where is it?'

'Gone, my Lord. Something happened. The thing blew up in my face. I'm lucky to have made it out alive-'

Suddenly, a giant servos grabbed the seeker by his lower jaw and held him up high with little effort. Megatron had his first lieutenant hanging at least three feet off the metal floor.

'Out of all the lies I've had to bear witness to, Starscream, this is perhaps your most pathetic attempt.'

'B-but, I'm not lying,' the seeker strained. 'The Autobots must be close if the AllSpark was here.'

'And now, by your own logic, it's gone.' Megatron pulled Starscream close. He could see the fear in his optics. No one was coming to his rescue. 'You took something from me.' A cruel smile crossed his face. 'So, now, I'll take something from you.' With his other servos, Megatron slowly leaned a digit towards Starscream's right optic. 'You once told me you could fly blind. I'd like to see how true that is.'

A look of pure terror crossed Starscream's face. His breathing became rapid, and his his optics widened. His frame tensed.

...Stop it...

A hazy image entered his mind.

...Stop it...

He couldn't make out the features, but he knew who it was.

...Stop it...

They smiled. They mouthed a name. Ulchtar.

'GET OFF OF ME!' Starscream roared.

He swung. Megatron stopped the punch. Starscream felt his spark sink. No one noticed the cyan sparks between his digits. Not until the blast. It was as if lightning landed between them, sending the Decepticon leader flying across the room, smashing his back into the glass, cracking it on impact. Starscream dropped to the floor. Shock spread across the crew.

Megatron groaned and lay helplessly. His entire arm and partcial chest plate were completely gone. His breathing glitched. His eyes flickered in and out of their shocking red.

'My Lord!' Soundwave raced to his side. Nickel followed, fawning over him and making sure he stayed online as she tried to stop the bleeding.

Starscream trembled. He looked at his servos and saw the faint sparks slowly die at the tip of his sharpened digits.

'Did I just do that?'

It felt good. A sense coursed through his body. Protection. Warmth. Like a warm blanket wrapped over his shoulders, telling him everything will be alright. But, reality soon came back when he noticed Tarn. He turned and saw.

The hunter had a sickening grin of his face. An excitement glowed in his optics. His boredom was eased with his new target. A Decepticon traitor. Starscream turned and saw Shockwave, who raised his hand canon in his general direction. The humming grew, kicking the seeker into fight or flight mode. Starscream jumped, turned, and ran. Shockwave missed, hitting the edge of the control panel. Starscream transformed and flew down the neverending Nemesis corridor. Soundwave turned and fired his assault rifle. Bullets struck, but Starscream still kept going. Tarn and Shockwave fired their weapons from the doorway. Nickel yelled over the vibrating sounds of gunfire and explosions. Starscream returned fire, shifting out of his alt-mode and firing a missile from an outstretched arm. It grazed past Soundwave's bullets and Shockwave's cannon. The blast sent all parties flying, but Starscream still kept going.

He ran for the landing bay doors, pushing through the pain, trying not to slip on his own energon. He punched the manual release button. Freedom was inches away. He heard them approaching. He jumped. Transformed. Tarn fired. A missile struck the wing and air break. But Starscream still kept going. Fire burned through the wing spars. Soundwave reached the landing bay, ready to shift into his alt - a Reaper Drone - to begin a dog fight, but Tarn grabbed his shoulder.

'What are you doing?' Soundwave demanded in, to the unknown, a calm manner. In reality, his anger was reaching a boiling point.

'Leave him for now. Help Nickel with our Lord,' Tarn hummed. 'And let me handle the rest.'

'Excuse me, but what's going on?'

Beachcomber quickly took the opportunity to defuse the tension, pushing between Starscream and his autobot companions. That seemed to snap them back to reality. Their frames relaxed, but the tension was still in the air. He knelt in front of the pair to not scare them by his size. True, Beachcomber was small for a Cybertronian but still big in the eyes of a human.

'Sorry you had to see that,' Beachcomber began. 'But, what you heard from Rachet,' he nodded to the medic. 'Is correct. We're from a very different planet to yours.'

'Okay...' Even with all the talk of UFO sightings, Todd was still having a hard time seeing a group of giant robots hiding in a ship that had, somehow, wedged itself perfectly in a mountain. 'And you're all here because of a war?'

'Unfortunately.'

'And I'm guessing by your emblems you're not on the same side.'

Beachcomber seemed impressed with how observant Todd is. His face lit up like a Christmas tree.

'Yes,' he said a little too excitedly. Starscream crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, mindlessly crewing his lower lip to play with his piercing that ran from his lip to the vent on the side of his helm as a beaded chain. 'We're Autobots. Starscream here is a Decepticon.'

'Who started the war?'

'Who started the war.'

'Hardly,' Starscream boasted. 'If anything, it was Sentinel Prime who backed us all into a corner by keeping Energon all to himself. And last time I checked, he was an Autobot.' The Cybertronians didn't need a history lesson. They were all there to witness the birth of the war. Starscream was trying to get Todd and Ray on his side.

'Yes, he was,' the red Autobot stepped in. 'But he only did that to get a lighter sentence. He was our prisoner. You killed him.'

'Megatron killed him.'

'Isn't that a war crime?' Ray asked.

'And who's Megatron? No - wait - who are you?' Todd asked the red Autobot because she was now just getting confused with all the interruptions.

'My name's Perceptor.' Finally introduced themselves. 'And Megatron is the leader of the Decepticons. Optimus Prime is our leader. Until he gets back, I'm in charge.' Not that Perceptor sounded happy or honoured to be given the title. His face was a mix of annoyance and boredom. He clearly didn't want to be here. Bee hummed to get Todd and Ray's attention. 'And this is Bumblebee. Our scout.' Ray waved, causing Bee to hum louder and for Todd to slowly wave with her companion. 'He's saying hello.' At least that's what Perceptor thought he was doing.

'Well, isn't this charming?' Starscream mocked. 'A scientist. A doctor. A scout. And, a passifist. Optimus really knows how to choose his warriors, doesn't he?' Everyone ignored him. Trying to defend Prime's actions was just more ammunition for the seeker, but Perceptor still glared. Starscream just smirked.

'I've driven through your town with Prime before,' Rachet said. 'Why are you all the way out here?'

'Because we saw a jet with its wing of fire,' Ray answered. He turned to Starscream. 'And that was you. What happened?'

'Let's just say I had a small spat with Lord Megatron. The others didn't take too kindly to that. Still,' he stretched. 'I managed to make him look much worse than I did. ' The Autobots gave a look. They weren't convinced. No one, not even Optimus, has been able to leave a scratch on Megatron for years, yet his noodle-built seeker somehow left him looking worse. 'What? For once, I'm being honest.' They turned their attention away, except for Rachet, who had a quizzical look on his face. Starscream noticed. The pair stared at each other until Rachet broke away first. They both knew what that was about.

'So, why did you leave your planet?' Todd asked. 'And why come to Earth?'

'See,' Beachcomber began. 'Cybertron has something known as the AllSpark. It's our heart. We all live and breathe because of the AllSpark, and when we die, we return to it. It's an ancient and powerful relic born from the very foundation of our planet. Optimus feared what would happen if Megatron found it. Thankfully, we did first. Completely by accident in an old shaft out in the deserts. So, we fled with the AllSpark, making sure Megatron saw us leave. It was Optimus' idea of getting Megatron away, so he couldn't harm more innocent lives. The problem is, we brought the war here, and for a little while, in every other planet we crossed.'

'Wait... ' Starscream muttered. 'Megatron never told us we were going after the AllSpark. Just that Optimus fled with a small fleet.'

'You're surprised he wasn't honest with you?' Perceptor mocked, leaving the seeker to stand there and search his memory records for anything he might have missed.

'For ten stellar cycles, we lost all contact with the Decepticons after a battle nearly destroyed their ship. We came here to hide the AllSpark within the caves surrounding your home. But then, Optimus went out one day and never came back.'

The entire time Beachcomber explained, Todd began to piece the puzzle together. She didn't understand the timeline of events, but she was able to catch onto something. Starscream was a jet. Rachet mentioned he had driven through town. They could transform into vehicles. Then that must mean...

'It drove down this street, into the mountains, and never came back.'

'Holy shit.' That got everyone's attention. 'Prime.' She turned to Ray. 'He's the driverless semi-truck everyone's been seeing.' It clicked for Ray, who looked up to the Autobots.

'Do you know anything about the miners who went missing recently?'

'No,' Perceptor said plainly. They all looked either confused or taken aback. Even Starscream didn't know. 'Why, what happened?'

'They just went to work north from here and vanished. No sign of them anywhere.'

'I'm sorry, but-'

'Well,' the seeker rolled his shoulder pads. 'This has been fun, but I shall take my leave.'

'And go where? Back to Megatron?'

'Hardly,' Starscream scoffed. He began to skip towards the doorway, hopping over Todd and Ray as he did. 'Might take one of your emergency jets and-'

'Don't go,' a familiar voice whispered.

In an instant, Starscream fell to his knees and began to breathe heavily, yet a few small whimpers broke through. He held onto his chest plate. Again, his spark pulsed through his entire frame, trying to grow in size. In fact. This time, it did. Only by a centimeter, but it still happened. A few sparks flickered from his chest, where thankfully no one could see. He was scared, but he couldn't let anyone see that. He took several deep breaths and hit his chest once, which seemed to work. The odd feeling went away, and the sparks stopped flickering. Just in time, Beachcomber came to his side and wrapped his arm under Starscream's to act a support. Starscream flinched away and clumsily got to his pedals alone. He could tell everyone was looking at him, so he looked back in return and saw the confusion and worry on everyone's face.

'I'm fine.'

'No, you're not,' Rachet quickly retoreted. 'You're staying here until I have a medical record.'

'Helping the enemy, doctor?' Starscream weakly chuckled. 'How kind of you.' The voice in his helm was gone, and he'd rather keep it that way. 'Fine, but then I'm taking off in one of your emergency jets.'

'Transforming vehicles need jets?' Todd asked.

'Don't you have something better to do?!' Starscream snapped.

Bee began to hum and whir again, possibly defending Todd and telling Starscream not to talk to humans that way.

'It's okay, Bee,' Todd quickly stepped literally between the pair. She wasn't sure why. Reality quickly caught up to her and reminded her that she couldn't have been stepped on. Bee's hovering pedal near her head was a good indication. 'I need to get back to Ebony.' Bee straightened his posture and tilted his head. 'My daughter.'

'What's daughter?' Because, despite being on Earth for a few months, Starscream either didn't care to know or hadn't noticed human customs.

'My child.' Nope. He still didn't get it.

'I'll tell you about it later,' Beachcomber reassured, resting a servos on Starscream's shoulder, who didn't flinch away this time.

It took another half an hour for Todd and Ray to climb back down the mountain and make it for the car. The headlights still lit the darkened road, and there were no signs of anyone passing through. The officers sat awkwardly in the cruiser in silence. Their minds raced, and their hearts pounded from the small hike back. Their damp clothes from the lingering fog that had formed since they arrived in the Ark stuck to their skin, and their hair volumed from the moisture. Their muddy shoes stained the mats.

An ambulance drove up behind them, and a paramedic jumped out. They knocked on the window, snapping Todd out of her trance.

'Did you see where the jet went?' They asked.

'Negative,' Todd lied. 'Has anyone else found them?'

'No, mam.'

'Okay.' She cleared her throat. 'Best case scenario, they managed to level themselves out.'

'Maybe,' they shrugged. 'Thanks.'

'Okay.'

The paramedic returned to the driver's side and made a three-point turn back for town.

Ray broke out of his trance. 'What the fuck just happened?'

The Decepticons crowded their lord. He was strapped down on the operating table, wires entering his frame from the mess Starscream left behind. Screens that coated the wall behind him showed he was stable.

Nickel wriged her servos. Tarn tapped a pedal in worry. Soundwave and Shockwave stood to attention, desperate to hide their own rising anxiety, especially Soundwave, but everyone could feel the tension in the air.

A small gasp. Megatron opened his optics. A scowl across his face. Relief washed over his followers. Tarn didn't hold back in the joy he felt, leaning in close on his knees, taking one of Megatron's servos and, with genuine delight in his voice, began to fawn over him like a parent to child.

'Oh, my leige. Praise be, but please, don't move.'

If he could, Megatron would shove Tarn away, but he could only move his helm. His breathing was laboured. He felt the pain course through his body. 'Soundwave,' his voice rasped, deciding to ignore Tarn's worry. 'Report.'

'We tried to apprehend Starscream, my Lord, but he managed to escape into the mountains.'

'And you haven't tracked him down?!' Megatron snarled.

'Your safety and well-being were far more important.'

That seemed to calm him down. Megatron's face somewhat softened, but he was still annoyed. His optics shifted to Tarn, still holding his servos, then to the ceiling as the wheels began to turn in his helm. No one said anything. Megatron took his time. From his perspective, all he saw was a flash of light and then a constant state of going in and out of consciousness. Eventually, everything went dark. He couldn't remember what he had heard. He didn't feel any pain until now. It was honestly unbearable. Something changed in Starscream since that morning, and he wanted answers. The AllSpark. Was there a link?

Again, he shifted his optics to Tarn.

'Tarn.'

'Yes, my leige.'

'Find Starscream and bring him to me.'

'But, my Lord-'

'Is that a problem?'

'He's betrayed us,' Tarn explained, treading carefully to not anger his leader. Not out of his own safety, but for Megatron's health. 'Surely it would be best if I turned him to scrap?'

'I must know what happened to him. What happened to me. And for that, I need him alive. Do what you want with any Autobots you encounter, except,' he raised his voice. 'For Optimus Prime, but my orders are clear, Tarn. Do not kill Starscream.'

'Of course, my Lord.' A sting to Tarn's spark, but his Lord's word was final.

'Does anyone else have a problem with my leadership?' No one answered. 'Good.'

Megatron groaned. He smacked his helm against the hardened and cold slab of metal they called a bed. He arched his back as the pain grew. It was unbearable. Panic set in. Tarn went to hold his leader down by the shoulder pads. Soundwave's calm composure broke, and he also tried to hold him down when his entire frame began to twitch. Shockwave just watched. Nickel flipped a switch on the machine that linked the wires to Megatron, who slowly, but eventually, began to loosen up and go still. His breathing deepened, and he closed his optics. Their liege had gone into a medically induced coma.

'It's for the best,' Nickel said. 'Putting Lord Megatron back together will take time, and it would be too painful, even for our leader to stand, in an awakened state.'

'Logical,' Shockwave merely responded. 'Would you aquire assistance?'

'No. I can handle this. Most of his upper wiring is completely fried, so I'll change them first. Until then, everyone out.' The remaining Decepticons did what they were told.

The corridors of the Nemesis were bleak. The walls loomed above their helms. The once constant metallic thuds of their comrades that could deafen a human were nothing more than a whisper. The rooms that were once busy and vibrant, now cold and empty. Scars of their battles forever etched into the walls. Shockwave found himself touching the latest scorch marks in the cockpit doorway.

'I understand why Lord Megatron wants to question Starscream,' the scientist softly spoke. 'What happened was illogical. I, too, would like to understand.'

'Does that mean you'll be joining me?' Tarn asked.

'No. I have my orders. For all Starscream's faults, he was right about one thing. I must find Barricade.' A lie. Just an excuse to continue with Shockwave's personal projects.

'And what about you?' Tarn addressed Soundwave. 'Would Laserbeak like to stretch their wings?'

'You told me to leave this to you,' Soundwave answered bluntly. 'But, yes, Laserbeak will search and report back to me.'

'Fantastic. Please then let me know when our Lord wakes. Until then, gentlemen.'

Tarn turned away and made for his own quarters, humming to himself. The room that once housed his fellow Decepticon Justice Devision members now dwarfed one of their last, who wandered towards several shelves that housed T-cog after T-cog. Tarn's personal collection. His victims. Autobot and Decepticon alike. He eyed a single empty spot at the top shelf on the far right. A spot for Starscream. He made a finger-gun gesture, aimed and fired, making a small 'pew' noise. A chuckle. Excitement rose in Tarn. It's been so long since his last hunt. His digits made their way into his own T-Cog. A tank. With a grunt, he pulled it from his inner frame and examined its condition. Not bad. Could be worse. It had a few attempts left. It'll do as a backup.

Tarn reached for another sitting on the middle shelf. One that belonged to a Decepticon who had, in their words, become disillusioned of the war. How ridiculous. The war wasn't hard to comprehend. He inserted the cog into himself, sighing at the buzzing feeling from his chest and feeling minor details in his frame change to suit the new alt-mode. It was an addiction that made him feel powerful. Worthy.

'Do you have to leave now?' Nickel's voice echoed through the room. Tarn turned to her, his face soft.

'I always have time for you, if that's what you're asking.' He knelt down. 'Shouldn't you be with Lord Megatron?'

'He's stable. I just wanted to see you off.' Nickel's optics lingered to a box. Tarn turned and huffed.

'I suppose it's been a while.'

'Just some inspiration for the both of us.'

Inside the box, Tarn pulled out a stringer instrument taken from Cybertron before their voyage. It was their version of a violin. Nickel sat against the door with her head in her servos. Tarn took his time, making sure it was in tune, before taking the bow, resting the instrument under his chin and across his shoulder, and began to play.

The melody was sweet. A mix of elegance and harmony. This song was new to Nickel. It didn't originate from Cybertron, nor any of the planets they've visited on their journey across the galaxy. She swayed lightly and closed her eyes. Tarn remembered when he first heard this melody from Earth. Soundwave linked their connection to Barricade for weekly reports. The human he had to drive around to help with his disguise turned on the radio, catching Tarn's attention. He didn't know the meaning or themes, but that didn't matter. It was enchanting.

The song.

Johannes Brahms' Lullaby.

Tarn continued to play, only stopping when Soundwave called for him. Nickel followed him out to the landing bay, where He and Laserbeak stood at the edge. One final thing before departure. Tarn put on his mask, hiding the broken pieces of his face under his left eye. At last, complete.

Laserbeak flew into the air. Tarn looked back at Nickel, waved, and jumped. He transformed into a jet and disappeared into the night.