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It was unusually quiet at the Decepticon headquarters. Megatron returned to Cybertron to follow up on some information given to him by Shockwave. Megatron left with standing orders not to launch any kind of offensive until returned. Of course Megatron gave them permission to defend themselves and retaliate if the Autobots attacked first. It was fine for an orbital cycle or two but after a deca-cycle boredom was beginning to set in. The seekers wanted action. Thundercracker could only come up with so many jokes and besides the sky was calling to the trine. Starscream finally had enough. He was tired of waiting for Megatron and he decided that he would use the fact Megatron was gone to take initiative and by destroying the Autobots, prove he was the one who should be leader. "Thundercracker, Skywarp are you ready to actually do something? I don't know about you two but my wings are itching. Let's go kick some autobot tail pipe. When we do it will prove that I am the rightful leader of the Decepticons. I can't lead androids to tea, my afterburners." The trine, eager to fly, headed toward the autobot base without even an objection from Skywarp.
Meanwhile at Autobot headquarters things were equally quiet. Wheeljack was bored so he began working on another project. This project he hoped would make better use of their energy reserves and have it double when they returned to Cybertron by combining two sources into one. However, this time Wheeljack doubted himself. Their doubt was not unfounded as Wheeljack had a history of having his inventions blow up in his face landing him in the med bay. Ratchet didn't argue with him this time. Wheeljack was his best friend and he didn't want to see him hurt by his own hand but if he did hurt himself at least it would give Ratchet something to do. He did insist that Wheeljack take his invention outside to work. With the energy that it was projected to be able to produce they decided that an explosion might tear the base apart.
Jazz rolled in after finishing a recon mission to see what was going on. "Wuzzup Jackie?' He asked. What is that thing supposed to do actually?" "It will double our resources by combining power sources and output leading to more energon from one source… in theory anyway." Wheeljack answered. "I haven't had time to test it. I don't want this one to backfire and blow us all to scrap."
As it turned out he wouldn't have time to test it. The Trine had made their way to the Autobot base "Cons!" Jazz shouted as the seekers opened fire. The three Autobots took cover. Thundercracker left the other two and flew behind the Autobots and fired again. His blast went wide and hit the device Wheeljack was working on. Beams that looked like lasers came from it. Thundercracker got out of the way but he noticed that Skywarp and Starscream weren't so lucky. Starscream appeared okay, but Skywarp just disappeared. Thundercracker didn't have much time to wonder about where his Trine mate went because the Autobots thinking it was a full scale attack brought reinforcements. "Let's get out of here" Starscream shouted.
Thundercracker heard Starscream arguing with none other than Skywarp. He went to check on them after minor repairs only to see Starscream standing there seemingly arguing with himself. "It was that fragged Autobot weapon that did this to us, and I want to know how to get you outta my head!" "Not any more than I want to get my body back" answered Skywarp's voice. Megatron commed from Cybertron, "Starscream, the information I found is useful I will be back in two orbital cycles. We will win this war once and for all!" Great, Starscream thought. 48 hours to fix this mess that Thundercracker got us in to with his bad aim. "Yes, Lord Megatron. We look forward to your return." Starscream lied. This was going to be a long couple of days.
Things started to settle back down at Autobot headquarters. "Is everyone alright?" Wheeljack asked. There were several walking wounded who headed toward the med bay for repairs. Wheeljack was among them. He helped Ratchet with some of the minor repairs and then took a seat for his turn. Ratchet mutter something under his breath about slowly ripping off the cons wings and let them live grounded. Wheel jack just laughed.
"And just what is so funny? Those fraggers just cause pain and chaos for no reason. What purpose did that serve? "Ratchet growled. "Don't know maybe they were bored too. And you didn't want to repair me because I damaged myself, right. Now you got your wish." Wheeljack couldn't stop laughing and It annoyed Ratchet to the point of finally hitting Wheeljack with his welder. "Still not funny" Ratchet said.
"It worked, Ratch! My invention actually worked. However, not in the way I was expecting. It makes a handy weapon too!" Wheel jack's faceplates were lit up with excitement. "What are you talking about?" Ratchet asked. "Didn't you see it? Did you notice that Skywarp just disappeared? Where do you think he went?"
"No, I didn't see it. I was too busy making sure no one got seriously injured not watching fragging cons. Where did he go? To the Pit maybe? That would be ideal. Now would you hold still long enough for me to make this quick repair or I'm going to damage you further."
"No but I'm sure Starscream thinks he just went to the pit. Wheeljack commented. "Ratchet, It was designed to combine Cybertronian forms of energy, specifically energon, from two sources into one making doubling resources. Well, spark energy is Cybertronian too." You mean…" Ratchet interrupted. "Yes! It essentially converted Skywarp to pure energy and placed him inside of Starscream so they are two sparks sharing a body. I'm sure they are aware of each other. It is a weapon in that we can combine 'cons and have fewer targets!" Wheeljack jumped off the berth. "I'm going to speak with Optimus and Prowl."
Starscream was still livid. He and Skywarp had been arguing for the past hour about what to do. Thundercracker struggled to keep from laughing. However, he started referring to them as Skyscream. That may have been a contributing factor to Starscream's anger. "Perhaps Starwarp would be better. You do like to be first." Skywarp joked. "Quiet. You realize the only reason I don't hurt you now is that it would hurt me too. I'm actually trying to figure out what to do. Thundercracker, you should be focusing on that. You got us into this slag." Starscream complained. "I think we should steal the device. You were a scientist before the war Starscream. Perhaps you could figure it out, or we could just contact the Autobots and ask them." Thundercracker suggested. "Yes, but it has been vorns since I've been a scientist. I sure cant do anything without it though so we need to go back and get it because I'll be in the pit before I ask the autobot for help."
They devised a plan and took off for the autobot base.
"This is annoying. If we had to be stuck like this why couldn't you be in my body. Then at least we could teleport there grab it and teleport out without anyone knowing." Skywarp muttered.
"Without anyone knowing? Really Skywarp? I'm sure the Autobots would never have missed their cruel weapon, and if they did they never would have suspected us!" Starscream answered. " Our plan will work anyway. And we still may take out several Autobots in the process. At the very least we will have a few more cubes of energon to bring back. Thundercracker and the constructicons can cause enough of a distraction for us…me to grab it and get out of here. Come on time is running out. "
Back at Autobot base
"…and then when two are one we take them down. We cease to be outnumbered and we end this war quickly without any more damage to this planet or ourselves. I think we should act quickly" Wheeljack was explaining to Prowl and Optimus.
"I am not sure. If I understand correctly it combined their laser cores. You didn't see the body so how do we know they are not currently one unstable weapon themselves? Remember the Heart of Cybertron. If that is the case we definitely don't need to use it as a weapon and we need to find them before they blow themselves and the planet up." Prowl pointed out.
"Agreed" Optimus said. "I cannot allow us to blindly try it. I am not sure it is a good Idea to continue with this Wheeljack. I cannot allow you to injure yourself with this one, or anyone else "
"Understood" Wheeljack said as he headed back to get his devise and make sure it was properly destroyed. He was disappointed but Prime did have a point. He was hoping he could convince Prowl but of course his logic would get in the way. He would take the idea back to the drawing board later though and be more specific with the energy it would absorb. He was sure Ratchet would cheer him up and he would throw ideas off of him for a better device. He had not made it out the door when the proximity alarms went off. "Cons!" Prowl informed them.
The autobots rolled out to engage the cons. Devastator was waiting for them. They attacked. WheelJack ran for his invention. He hoped it would cause Devastator to be unable to maintain his form and then he would combine the constructicons in a way he could destroy. That was when he noticed the two seekers coming in overhead. He and the twins fired. Thundercracker flew off but Starscream's wing was hit.
"We are losing altitude fast! Thundercracker Help" Skywarp screamed. Starscrem tried to compensate but then his thruster was hit. "Decepticons retreat. Save yourselves." The constructicons and Thundercracker left.
"Optimus, we have a prisoner." Wheeljack informed his leader.
Pain was all Starscream could focus on during those last few nanokliks. He remembered ordering the Decepticons with him to retreat, a searing pain in his left wing, losing altitude and now he and Skywarp were prisoners in the autobot base. He was outraged. It didn't help that Skywarp was unusually quiet and offering no ideas.
"You very well may get your wish." Starscream told Skywarp. "You want me out of the way don't you. Too bad you are coming with me. Even if we get past the Autobots now we don't have time before Lord Megatron returns. He will destroy us both. "
Skywarp simply refused to acknowledge. He was trying to think around the pain. Starscream was always so negative, things were never hopeless and that was the main reason he always believed he was the better mech to lead the Trine and eventually the rest of the Decepticons. "Simply reversing the device should remedy the situation, assuming we could get it. Between the two of us that won't be hard to figure out."
"My wing, thrusters, and leg are damaged. Besides if you haven't noticed the energon restraints are there to prevent movement anyway genius." Starscream argued the pain subsiding. Arguing took his processor of the situation.
Wheeljack was holding his invention when he, Ratchet, and Optimus entered, interrupting the seekers' thoughts. "…So one of them will be lost. Not that I am complaining. They have been problems from the beginning but I would be better if it…" Ratchet noticed they were conscious and stopped talking. Wheeljack 's optics widened. Still not believing what happened he fought back laughter. Prime was stoic.
Ratchet scanned them. "Seekers do heal quickly, no doubt you are still in pain." He walked closer.
"Don't touch me. I, we, are fine." Starscream grunted.
"Speak for yourself! I want my undamaged body back!"Skywarp screamed. "Give me that pit spawned device."
"Let us go. I refuse to be your lab rat" Starscream demanded.
At that Wheeljack could no longer hold back his amusement. "Someone is about to 'go bananas'" he laughed face plates lighting up with amusement. He knew he was about to be asked to leave and thought it better for his own sake. He turned to go.
"Bananas? I am not becoming an organic fruit" Starscream said.
"It is an Earth expression meaning losing your sanity. You shouldn't complain though. You compared yourself to a furry disease carrying organic creature. Ok I am leaving to go reverse this device" Wheeljack looked at Optimus. "…or destroy it"
"You are hardly in a position to make demands." Optimus calmly told them. "We are trying to help you, despite the fact that your initial attack and later the attempt to steal the device got you into this situation." He turned to Ratchet. "Have you determined if separation is possible?"
"Possible, yes, but I am still uncertain that the second laser core, Skywarp's, would still function. Especially considering we are not certain exactly what happened to his body. If his core functioned long enough of course one could be rebuilt" Ratchet couldn't believe he was actually having this conversation. Part of him wanted to just blow them both up but the medic, the scientist, in him wouldn't allow it.
Skywarp felt his anxieties grow. He tried to hide the feelings from Starscream. He was decepticon after all. Even termination meant being freedom he told himself.
"I think I may have found the reverse switch if you will, but I need to test it on something before I try it on a living transformer. Even if it is a con" Wheeljack radioed Ratchet and Optimus. "With permission of course, Optimus"
"Granted," Optimus relunctly told him. "If you get it to work bring it here. Then I will destroy it."
Meanwhile on Cybertron…
"Shockwave, I must admit when you summoned me back this was not what I was expecting, however it looks promising. Double Cybertron's limited resources and what we harvest from that primitive planet and well will have enough energy to rule forever terminate the Autobots and anyone who stands against use and rule Cybertron forever! I want to see this device!" Megatron told his scientist. "I commend you for your loyalty and devotion to the cause. "
"It is still in the preliminary stages but my prototype is finished and successful. With your permission I will begin construction of a larger device that will do as you requested." Shockwave informed him.
Shockwave showed Megatron the cube shaped device. It was small and unassuming. Shockwave loaded a cube of energon into it. There was a hum and the readings showed the usable energy in the cube had doubled while still retaining its size.
"Wonderful, Shockwave! Continue your experiments and inform me when you are ready to launch the final test."
"As you command. Lord Megatron, there has been some minor conflicts with certain autobts remaining here. There have been a few skirmishes and attempts to steal our reserves. It has slowed and continues to slow progress I am dealing with it however."
Acknowledged. You may use whatever means necessary Shockwave. I will return to Earth shortly."
A string of Cybertronian curses could be heard coming from Wheeljack's lab. This was not as easy as he anticipated. It worked in theory but so did most of his ideas. Practical application was another animal entirely. Things were combining just fine but they were dividing as multiple weaker copies of the original sources. Doing that with energy reserves was one thing. They could still be used. He hated the idea of multiple miniature Skywarps, or worse Starscreams.
"Are you making progress Wheeljack? The sooner we can get rid of these two the better" Ratchet radioed.
"It works but not like I want it to. It divides the energy sources into multiple weaker copies of the originals."
"Keep working on it. Prime's orders to the pit, if there were more than one of either of them I would kill them all. Fragging cons already out number us. Tell you what they just off-lined their primary systems in an attempt to avoid me as well as avoid Optimus's interrogation. I'll be over to help you in a nanoclik."
A few breems later the duo managed to make fewer stronger copies, but it would be another joor before they were confident to test it on a living cybertronian.
"It works, Wheeljack. We did it. I am sure you could manage to get away without having Optimus destroy it with just one minor modification." Ratchet concluded. "It can easily be programed to filter out core signatures and therefore have no effect on us."
"Do it. Once we prove that to Optimus we will have one small advantage on the cons! He will listen to you before he does me. When we finish, YOU tell him."
"Fine, let's head back to the med bay. We have a test to run."
"As much as he hates it, I think Starscream is about to become a lab rat" Wheeljack laughed as he radioed Optimus to inform him of their success.
The three Autobots met in the med bay to discover their prisoners alert and just about free.
"Going somewhere so soon? Are you sure you don't want to stick around and be separated?" Ratchet asked smirking.
"We have that ability now" Optimus patiently confirmed.
"Lier!" Starscream screamed.
"In case you ever wondered where he got his designation," Wheeljack said "now it is obvious. We are serious screamer. You cons lie. But fine if you want to stay that way and finish your own repairs that is fine too. Megatron will be wondering where you are and if you fly back to him like that well I'd be more afraid of that."
The decepticons stood there. The argument between them was obvious by Starscream's body language. The autobots were sure one wanted to try and the other wanted to flee. They had their own guesses.
"They may kill us but one thing is sure. Lord Megatron will kill us. Personally if we offline I want it to be at our enemy's servo." Skywarp reasoned. Starscream couldn't help but agree.
"A wise decision you two" Optimus told them as he escorted them back.
Wheeljack turned on the device and Starscream off lined his optics as the hum filled their audios.
"Get off of me you fool" Starscream said as he threw the Purple and grey seeker off of him and onto the floor.
"I am me again." Skywarp said trying to hide his gratitude from the autobots.
"We are out numbered. Let's get out of here" Starscream said as he transformed slowly. "I'll repair myself" he informed anyone who was listening as he flew off with Skywarp right behind him.
A Breem later Jazz and Brawn rolled in from Recon. "Optimus" jazz reported "intel from cybertron has informed me that Shockwave has created a device similar to Wheeljacks. If they knew what it could potentilally do…"
"Understood" Optimus replied. "Wheeljack we won't be destroying your latest invention after all. Good job!"
Back on the Decepticon Base
"I am pleased to discover nothing unusual went on in my absence." Megatron growled looking Starscream. "Shockwave has completed a prototype for a device that will quadruple our resources by combining energon reserves. I shall have more than enough to finish this war and rule cybertron!'
"Lord Megatron. NO!" Skywarp and Starscream said as they slowly backed up and transformed.
"Thundercracker! Explain" Megatron roared.
I don't know about these two Lord Megatron. Sounds like a wonderful plan to me" Thundercracker answered grinning.