Chapter Text
Skywarp and Thundercracker disappeared with a whoosh of air. Starscream let kaz sag slightly in relief. They weren't in the epicenter of this anymore. But anxiety quickly returned—they were leaving one storm only to fly straight into another. Still, there was only so much ka could do. Ka turned toward the rest of the group.
Ironhide stared back with a grimace. Optimus frowned. Knock Out and Breakdown exchanged glances. Behind all of them, Silverbolt pulled the other seekerlings closer. Their fear drifted on the air, so strong that it consumed all other emotions. First priority: getting the seekerlings to safety.
Starscream forced kaz to stare into Knock Out's optics. It would be a direct threat, and Starscream had to force kaz not to lower kas wings because of that, but Autobots liked doing that when they talked because everything Autobots liked was backwards.
"Where is that exit?" Starscream said.
Thundercracker always tried to get kan to replace kas language packets. Ka knew why. The words were difficult to form. Ka had to pick them individually, and was never quite sure they actually meant what ka intended. But Knock Out and Breakdown stepped ahead with a nod, so they must've understood.
Starscream had never talked to Optimus, but he was across from Starscream's cell, so they spent plenty of time trading glances until they were moved to the farce that the Autobots called an enclosure. All of the guards but Ironhide refused to let them speak, and Starscream never had anything to say, anyway. Seemed Optimus didn't, either, as the only noise that consumed the air was the blasterfire that echoed down the halls. Starscream slowed kas pace so ka would end up beside the seekerlings. They were the most important thing right now.
Silverbolt stared ahead, the other seekerlings at vas side. Vas wings trembled—enough to be seen, but not heard. Scared Seekers were irrational Seekers. Starscream would need to keep an optic on vam. Not that ka wasn't already.
They were similar in some ways. Neither of then held much trust in others. Both of them had been mistreated—even in the same chilling way. No. Starscream's plating crawled. Not in the same way. Kas spark threatened to spin faster. Ka flexed kas claws. It was different. That… hadn't happened. It was a bad dream and nothing more.
Silverbolt had been hurt, and it made vam scared. Scared Seekers were irrational Seekers. So, the best thing to do was to lessen Silverbolt's fear. But, being in the middle of an active battle zone, there was little ka could do. So, ka settled for a distraction.
"You were born here," Starscream said.
Silverbolt's wings twitched. "Um, yes. We all were."
"Have you ever been outside?"
Silverbolt's optics flitted across the room. "We're outside right now, aren't we?"
Starscream tutted.
"Outside the building," ka said.
Silverbolt's optics wandered again. Va turned away completely, vas wings twitching.
"You know there's an outside, don't you?" Starscream asked. "That the screens and plants are just an imitation of it?"
"I do," Silverbolt said weakly.
Starscream wasn't the kind that pitied others. Ka thought little about the situations of others, focusing on kas own goals above all else. But something in kas spark twinged. Silverbolt and the other seekerlings were born in this wretched place. They didn't know plants were living things. They didn't know the ground could be more than a couple of scoops of dirt. They didn't know the warmth of basking in the sun. Thundercracker had been pathetic when ka first joined the flock, but even ka knew those things.
The group stopped abruptly. Before them was a collapsed wall. The rubble completely covered whatever entrance may have laid there. Ironhide stood at the front, continuing to stare.
"Slag!" Knock Out spat, turning back toward the group.
"There is another way out," Starscream said, the Common refusing to exit smoothly from kas vocalizer. "You know it."
Ironhide finally turned around. Optics wide and and mouth agape, he shook his helm. "This is the only one that wouldn't be locked."
Starscream scoffed. What kind of facility only had one usable exit? Burrows only had one, but that was because they were small! This place was massive!
"There's a viewing area on the roof," Knock Out said. "You can fly out that way."
The group began to move. Starscream paused as Silverbolt remained in place. Ka nudged vam. Va stayed in place.
"What about you?" Silverbolt said in Common, voice barely audible above the muffled noise of combat. Starscream didn't know va had enough of a vocabulary in Common to even ask that.
Knock Out and Breakdown exchanged glances. Optimus frowned.
"We'll figure it out," Knock Out said.
They turned around. Starscream readied kaz to dodge the fighting in the halls once again, sticking close to Silverbolt and the seekerlings in order to shield them if necessary. A loud bang sounded before them, then a clatter a something rolled across the floor. A shout rang out as the sound of splattering assaulted their audials. Breakdown jerked, dropping Knock Out. Energeon pooled on the floor. Starscream shoved Silverbolt back, ignoring vas sharp cry.
A long, thin blade jutted from Breakdown's abdomen. The blade slowly receded. With a clang, Breakdown fell to the floor. Standing before him was a blue and yellow Autobot. His lips were drawn into a snarl.
"Traitors!" He spat. "You'll suffer for this."
Starscream growled. This was the same scrapheap that attacked their home, and chased them down, and captured them! Of course he would be here. Stepping in front of Silverbolt, Starscream unsheathed kas swords.
Oh, how ka missed slashing idiots in the face. Ka moved quickly, deflecting the Autobot's sword with one of kas and striking around it with the other. The Autobot's sword rattled on the ground as the Autobot's hand wrist sliced through, hand falling with it. With a yelp, the Autobot backed away. Starscream snickered. Pathetic as all the others in the end!
With a quick leap, Starscream landed in front of the sword before the Autobot could take it again. Ka kicked it away. Ka swung kas swords again, but the scrapheap pulled out a shield, blocking the attack. Shaking kaz out, Starscream sheathed kas swords and charged, leaping to aim a kick at the shield.
The Autobot fell to the ground with a cry, the shield now serving as a way to hold him down. Starscream raised a pede to stomp on his helm, but as ka lowered it, kas leg was yanked from beneath. Kas plating vibrated painfully as ka hit the floor wings-first, their edges jamming into something that felt suspiciously similar to a frame. The Autobot rose, dragging Starscream with a screeching scrape. He brought up the shield and slammed it into Starscream's helm.
Kas vision glitched. The shield rose and fell again. Stupidly, Starscream raised kas hands to defend against it, pain searing kas arm as kas old injury was strained. Kas useless frame never healed it quite right, and now ka was paying the price. But a third strike didn't come.
Silver plating wrestled with the Autobot in a blur. The Autobot bashed Silverbolt with the shield and va cried out. Starscream's claws flexed. Not the seekerling. Ka took the briefest moment to calculate kas trajectory, then pounced.
Ka sank kas fangs into the Autobot's neck. Energeon welled in kas mouth. Ka dug kas claws into the Autobot's plating as deeply as ka could manage, then wrenched kas claws and teeth in different directions, pulling at the Autobot's frame. Something in his neck tore. Energeon splattered on the floor.
Starscream pulled the Autobot upward, exposing his abdomen. Then, ka jammed kas claws into the soft mesh and pushed downward. It gave easily, even as Starscream suppressed a hiss of pain at the straining of kas injury. Maintaining kas hold with kas teeth, ka shoved kas claws into the Autobot's now-opened abdomen, pulling out as many of his internals as ka could grab. Ka didn't stop pulling until the Autobot's struggles ceased entirely.
The Autobot's lifeless frame landed on the floor with a wet clank. His optics were dark. Strewn in an almost artistic fashion were his internals, lying in pieces like broken branches.
"A waste in life and a waste in death," Starscream hissed, kicking the Autobot's helm. There would be no honoring of the dead for either side today, but at least Starscream could leave this one intentionally. He spat an energeon-saturated glob of oral solvent onto the corpse. "Not even your energeon will nourish me."
A whimper drew kan out of kas reverie. Right. They weren't just here to kill. Silverbolt stared up at him, optics wide as fear cooled the air. Ka laid a hand on Silverbolt's shoulder, quickly withdrawing it at the sight of kas energeon-soaked claws. Ka scrutinized Silverbolt's plating, relieved to find the seekerling hadn't suffered a single injury. Va was just rattled.
"We need to go," Starscream said, stepping over the corpse.
"What about Breakdown? A-and Ironhide?" Silverbolt asked quietly.
Starscream turned around. Ironhide's helm was at the edge of the hall, separated from its frame. He hadn't had time to even shout before Sentinel struck. Breakdown laid on the ground, energeon congealing beneath him. His optics were still lit, albeit very dimly. He was probably alive. He wouldn't be for much longer. Knock Out was a short distance from him, optics wide with a hand on his mouth. He released it, looking up at Starscream.
"Ironhide is dead. We need to go," Starscream said, grabbing Silverbolt's arm to pull vam along.
Va dug vas heels in. "But Breakdown—"
"Won't survive the next few kliks," Starscream hissed. "And neither will we if we stay here."
"You can't just leave me!" Knock Out yelled, pushing himself onto his pedes. Without Breakdown to support him, his mangled pede crumpled against the floor, sending him back onto it.
Starscream pulled Silverbolt again, who stubbornly remained in place. From behind the seekerlings, Optimus glared.
"I know where the roof exit is!" Knock Out said. "You don't. Please! I helped you!"
Starscream pointed upwards. "The roof is up."
Knock Out would only slow them down. Besides, hadn't he admitted he wouldn't be able to leave through the roof exit? What would be the point of taking him along except to endanger them further? Silverbolt's optics stared straight into Starscream's—a silent challenge. Ka fought not to rattle kas wings.
Optimus walked past the seekerlings. Flexing kas claws, Starscream counted the nanokliks as Optimus helped Knock Out to his pedes.
"Fine," ka hissed. "But if you fall behind, I won't wait."
The moment Knock Out was up, Starscream walked down the hall. The younger seekerlings drew closer to kan. Airazor came right up to kas side, tiny claws reaching for his energeon-soaked ones. Va examined them. Starscream did kas best to ignore it.
[{ID:STSC} Status?]
No response, but Starscream didn't expect an immediate one. This was the middle of battle, after all. Hopefully, Thundercracker had found Prowl by now.
!!!
Anxiety hummed beneath Skywarp's plating, making wa itch. Waz fans kicked on in an attempt to combat the heat that waz systems produced as they overclocked. Wa didn't teleport long distances frequently, nor did wa teleport with others and in short succession. But that wasn't the cause.
Before them stretched the outer walls of the arena, casting an impossibly large shadow. Within was Thundercracker and the newsparks within nas chest. And now Thundercracker was alone. With twitching wings, Skywarp turned toward Prowl.
The Autobot stared at wan. Skywarp huffed. Where were they supposed to go next? The Autobots on the walls prevented escape from the city. If they flew, they would be shot down. If they walked, they would be found. However…
Skywarp calculated the distance, grabbed Prowl's hand, and warped. Unfortunately, they weren't quite far enough. The city's walls stared back at them—the interior rather than the exterior. Skywarp released Prowl's hand and stumbled away, waz vision fuzzing for a moment. Wa didn't warp often. It took a lot of energy. And now, waz fuel gauge was dangerously low.
A large shape appeared at the top of the walls. With a yell, an Autobot came sailing down, landing on the ground with a sickening grind of metal. The large shape leaped down from the wall, landing on the Autobot with a crunch.
Well, that Autobot definitely wasn't alive anymore. The shape became clearer—aged, near-black plating framed by broad wings. Skywarp searched the air, brushing up against something familiar.
"Blast?" Wa asked.
Blast smiled, looking between Skywarp and Prowl.
"You found the Autobot," na said.
"We need to get kan out of here," Skywarp said. "The other Autobots were going to kill kan."
Blast's wings flickered. Nas optics lingered on the area around them, as if searching for something.
"Where's Thundercracker?" Na asked.
Anxiety hummed in Skywarp's spark again.
"Thundercracker is fighting the Autobot Winglord," Skywarp said. "Na told me to take Prowl away. I can't get back there now. I'm too low on fuel."
Blast hummed. Na whistled in a low tone. Over the top of the wall, an Autobot appeared. Wheeljack.
"We have Prowl now," Blast said. "Take him with you."
Wheeljack nodded and ducked back behind the wall. A few moments later, they reappeared at the base of the all. They led Prowl into it. Blast watched them leave before turning toward Skywarp.
Na opened nas wrist panel and dug into the thin plating beneath. A small stream of energeon wept from the wound. With a swift yank, na ripped a fuel line free. Na held it to Skywarp in nas other palm.
"Drink," na said.
Skywarp swallowed, spark growing numb. "I can't. I'm not…"
"You helped raise my seekerling," Blast said. "You and your trinemates gave me hope. You're kin. Drink."
Skywarp took the offered fuel line and sipped. It tasted just like any other energeon. Wa didn't know why wan expected anything different. Metal was metal. Energeon was energeon. But knowing its source…
Blast didn't pull away. Skywarp forced waz to drink waz fill, knowing this was the only way wa would get energeon in the middle of battle. Finally, wa withdrew. After a few moments, waz fuel gauge climbed as it processed the quick and easy energy. Blast's optics were as bright as they were before na broke that panel. With a stuttering click, na brought the protective panel back into place as if it never happened.
"Do you have enough fuel now?" Na asked.
"Y-yes," Skywarp stammered. "I do."
Blast laid a gentle claw on Skywarp's shoulder. "Can you take me with you?"
Skywarp nodded. Wa activated waz ability, power humming in waz chest, and selected the coordinates for The Arena.
The first thing that came to Skywarp was the shouting of the crowd. Endless, innumerable voices, screaming. Wa caught a few scattered words, but not enough to piece anything together. The sight before them spoke enough.
Thundercracker backed away from the Autobot Winglord—The Magnus, na called him. A close-lipped smile contorted The Magnus's face. It split into a grin. He walked past Thundercracker, reclaiming the massive axe that laid a short distance away. He raised it, its metal gleaming in the sky.
"Afraid, are you?" He said.
!!!
Thundercracker took a step back, wings broad as he ensured he always faced The Magnus. He came closer, hoisting the massive axe as if it weighed nothing. The crowd jeered. Without a vocalizer to explain himself, there was nothing Thundercracker could do.
"You have two options," The Magnus said. "One—I kill you. The crowd sees their beloved leader defeat a monster. Two—you kill me, sparking the strongest fervor you'll ever know, and die regardless."
What if neither of us have to die? Thundercracker wanted to ask, but he couldn't speak. But would it have made a difference either way? The Magnus didn't want to hear him. He wanted a propaganda piece.
Thundercracker jumped backward as The Magnus swung, his Axe embedding itself in the dirt. But it didn't raise. The Magnus stumbled backward, tackled by a dark shape. Claws curled around Thundercracker's hand as the shape became more defined. Skywarp was beside him. There was only one Seeker the dark shape could be.
The Magnus whirled, pulling his Axe from the dirt, and swung it. Blast screeched as it slammed into nas chest, shattering nas cockpit and digging into the plating beneath. Another swing split the plating apart, a bright light shining as nas spark was exposed.
"Beast!" The Magnus spat, pulling his axe from Blast's plating.
"You made us," Blast said in perfect Common. "What does that make you?"
"I didn't make you," The Magnus said. "Some scientists did, in some distant lab—"
"Under the orders of the system you lead!" Blast said. Na staggered sideways, the light from nas chest fading in and out. "You made us, then discarded us. And now you've lied about us to everyone."
"You were made as tools, and you will die as tools," The Magnus said.
Blast hissed and rattled nas wings, then winced. Nas spark dimmed. Horror froze Thundercracker in place. Blast staggered again, this time toward Thundercracker.
"Thundercracker," na said. "There are a thousand Autobots out there. Hundreds of Seekers, with more coming. They believe in you. Remember—what do you do with a bad Winglord?"
The Magnus yelled and swung his axe. It tore through the thin plating of Blast's neck with ease. Nas helm rolled across the ground as nas frame collapsed with a thud.
"I'm tired of your rambling," The Magnus said. He turned toward Thundercracker, raising his energeon-stained axe. "You lied to me. Can this one speak as well?"
What do you do with a bad Winglord?
"We could always speak," Skywarp said, waz voice trembling.
The Magnus stepped closer. "Is that so?"
What do you do with a bad Winglord?
The flock, swarming. Flashes of plating in every color imaginable, with gray at the center of it all.
What do you do?
The Magnus kicked Blast's helm away as his pede landed on it. The three sparks in Thundercracker's chest hummed angrily along with his own.
Megatron didn't care about the harm ka caused, seeing only the end result: freedom. Ka didn't know—or didn't care—that kas definition of freedom would lead them into ruin. There was a true, if misguided, motivation behind Megatron's actions. Still, ka was dismantled and devoured by kas own flock.
The Magnus sat upon a throne while his Autobots fought for their lives. He sacrificed them just to find more Seekers. And when presented with the opportunity for peace, he rejected it. For what?
'Something needs to keep the public in line. Something needs to keep the factory workers employed.'
Power. The Magnus needed the Autobots to believe in some grand enemy so they'd never look up and see that the mech sitting on the throne was selfish and uncaring. As long as they were fighting against the Seekers, they couldn't fight against him.
What do you do?
Thundercracker lunged.
!!!
"I haven't flown before."
Silverbolt's helm was downturned. Vas wings sagged. Va picked at vas wrist panel. Starscream shook out kas plating to ward away kas rising irritation.
"And you didn't think to say this until now?" Ka said.
They would already have to carry the seekerlings. Scrap, they would probably have to carry the dirtkissers as well. And now, and only now, was Starscream learning that ka was the only member of the group who actually knew how to fly.
Ka hissed in irritation and searched the sky. Seekers swirled above them. If ka could call one of them down, they could help. Familiar yellow plating soared close by.
"Sunstorm!" Starscream called as loudly as ka could.
Beside Sunstorm was Hotlink. Both of them looped before turning straight toward the group. Gracefully, they landed on the roof.
"Sibling!" Sunstorm said in the faux-cheery that always made Starscream's plating itch. "You're alive!"
There were burns littered across both Sunstorm's and Hotlink's bodies. One of Sunstorm's optics was cracked, the light behind it shining unevenly. Starscream hoped ka didn't look nearly as rough.
"I am," ka said.
Sunstorm smiled. Then, nas looked past Starscream. Nas wings twitched.
"Who is that?" Na said.
Silverbolt shrank further, if that were even possible.
"Silverbolt," Starscream said. "And vas kin. The Autobots imprisoned their creators."
Sunstorm bared nas dentae. "Of all the cruel things—"
"We need to get down from the roof," Starscream said, motioning toward Silverbolt and the Autobots. "All of us. Silverbolt hasn't flown before."
Sunstorm's optics widened. Nas wings flicked as nas smile fell. Then, na straightened up, plastering the smile back onto nas face.
"We would be delighted to help!" Sunstorm said.
"Good," Starscream said, fighting not to lift kas plating. "We—"
The ground shook. Everything rumbled. A crackling boom drowned out all other noise. It was as if Starscream was in the sky, thunder right beside kas audials.
"Thundercracker," ka whispered.
The sky split apart again. Starscream staggered backward.
"You should go," Sunstorm said. "We can handle this."
Silverbolt was trembling. The air was cold with fear in vas direction. Va had never been outside before, and now va was in the middle of a battlefield. If Starscream left, then Silverbolt would be alone with…
"We can handle this," Sunstorm said again. "Don't you trust me, sibling?"
Starscream's plating flared of its own accord. Ka bared kas dentae.
"Never," ka hissed.
Sunstorm's kindness always came with a backhand. Endless attempts to fix, fix, fix that only broke everything more. Because Sunstorm was responsible for Starscream, and Sunstorm couldn't leave things that were made wrong alone.
''Like you' isn't a bad thing to be.'
Starscream was done listening to lies.
"Silverbolt," ka said. Va perked up, vas wings twitching. "Have you transformed before?"
"Um, a couple times," va said.
Starscream moved behind Silverbolt, setting kaz up.
"Count to two," ka said. "Then transform and turn on your thrusters."
"Okay—"
Starscream kicked Silverbolt on the back, sending ka over the edge of the roof. Behind him, the Autobots gasped. Starscream readied himself to leap in case the seekerling was too disoriented to follow through, but there was no fear in kas spark. Flight was instinctual, even if skill could hone it.
A few moments later, a shuddering Silverbolt ascended. Finally, Starscream leaped and transformed, coming up beside vam.
"How does it feel?" Ka asked.
"We're so high up! What if—"
"As long as you don't do anything stupid, you won't fall," Starscream said. "I'll catch you if you do. Come on."
Ka turned in the direction the booms originated from. Or at least, kas best guess. Unlike Skywarp, ka didn't have the exact coordinates of The Arena. But as they came up on a large building and countless voices filled the air, Starscream knew ka was heading in the right direction.
Ka touched down with a flourish. The others—who Starscream knew would follow—landed behind kan with quiet thuds. Energeon soaked the ground. Frame components—internal and external littered the dirt. Further away was Skywarp, splattered in energeon with wide optics. The decapitated corpse of a black Seeker laid nearby.
Before them was a Seeker whose plating was stained so extensively with energeon that it took Starscream a few moments to search for a single patch of natural color. But once kas optics caught the flash of bright blue, and another of orange, ka knew.
Ka took a step closer. "Thundercracker?"