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There once was a planet far far away called ‘Cybertron’. A planet filled with cybernetic organisms roaming and building their homes and standing side by side together.
It was said that the 13 primes, the first few cybernetic organics who were created by the god of all Cybertronians; Primus, were to be the next ruler of Cybertron.
Years have passed and Cybertron demands a new prime. A miner turned gladiator rose from the pits of Kaon and raised his head up high, determined to be the next prime, to rule Cybertron with a new system where both low and high caste were the same.
He made allies with both the high caste and the low, creating a group of men and women, seekers and miners alike as a symbol of hope. A hope that when he becomes prime, he will make Cybertron a better place for all.
This miner, D-16, had given them all hope, causing enough of a stir in the caste system to get the attention of a man named Orion Pax.
Orion Pax was intrigued with D-16’s little project. He offered to help him and with the hope of a naive miner, D-16 accepted his offer.
Suddenly, everything went horribly wrong. There was a bombing in Vos, a shooting at a casino that killed Sentinel Prime, multiple attacks on Iacon and the Crystal City.
The public all knew that this was D-16’s doing and proceeded to call the symbol that once meant hope to a symbol that meant fear. They named the symbol a ‘Decepticon’.
D-16’s hope in trying to make Cybertron better was slipping but thanks to his friends and loved ones, he managed to keep looking forward.
That was until Orion Pax rose against him.
His most trusted friend, one might even say he saw him as a brother, had taken the matrix of leadership and forcefully made it his, calling himself the ‘oh mighty Optimus Prime’.
D-16 had lost. His hopes and dreams were shattered right in front of him as the man he considered a brother took what he most desired. All was lost as the council room filled with the chorus of Optimus Prime.
And yet when everything seemed to be lost, he heard it. His fellow ‘Decepticons’ calling a name he never thought would be used for a simple miner like him.
“Megatronus Prime!”
They all shouted in union.
“Megatronus Prime!”
It was like a call. A symbol that they all still had faith in him.
His two closest friends, Starscream and Soundwave stood right beside him, staring down at the fake prime.
Starscream looked up at the gladiator and smiled.
“What is your command, Megatron?”
And that was only the beginning of the war…
Starscream closed the journal and smiled softly.
“What did you think?”
The Seeker asked, looking up into the eyes of his leader.
“I, myself think it’s quite dramatic but what can you do? Skywarp was always one for the dramatics”
There was no response but he didn’t expect one.
“You know, I would’ve added a few things here and there but Skywarp would get mad if I wrote something in his journal without his permission. He is very proud of it, if you couldn’t tell”
Starscream chuckled, smiling softly again but this time it was filled with sorrow.
“...But if I did have permission...I would’ve written down the time before the peace treaty. When you promised me that you’d rule Cybertron and fix every wrong and make it a right. When you promised me that you would rule Cybertron...with me by your side.”
The man felt tears gather up in his eyes as he continued, his voice breaking as he spoke.
“..You promised me everything that day...and then Prime—he...he killed...”
Starscream shook his head and wiped his tears
“N-No, I know that you don’t want me to feel this way. I know—I just-I just miss you..”
Now Starscream, being the Second in Command, is now leader of the Decepticons.
But he had messed up so badly...So many soldiers were killed, family, friends. So many.
And now there’s just a few of them.
Starscream took a deep breath and looked at the sword his leader wielded that was now stabbed through the ground. Decorated with flowers all around the hilt, the blade and the area surrounding it. It was a beautiful yet painful sight to see.
“I miss you”
The Seeker repeated, wiping his tears away.
He needed to go back soon, the others are probably wondering where he is.
Starscream stood, turning his back on the burial he secretly made for his fallen leader, and left.
He headed back to the Decepticon base, a hidden tunnel in the mountains that lead to a hatch to the Nemesis at the bottom of the ocean.
He climbed through and closed the hatch. He checked the clock, he still had enough time. He walked down the hall of fallen soldiers, passing through the portraits of each and every fallen comrade they had lost throughout the war, and made it to the end of the hall.
Starscream looked up at the portrait of his leader and friend, Megatron. Soft blue eyes and gentle smile on his face. His bright light of hope never seemed to die even when he himself lay in a casket 6 feet under.
If only that man knew what Prime was planning that day.
If only any of them knew.
He kept staring up at the portrait, coming closer to the display case containing a simple book. Small enough to fit in your front chest pocket. No one had ever seen what was inside and they all wanted to keep it that way.
Starscream kept staring at his leader’s portrait, the promise Megatron had made him that day before he died kept repeating in his head.
The soft warm smile, the feeling of hope, the gentle touch in his shoulder.
It was all getting mixed in with the still fresh memory of Megatron laying there, smoking hole in his chest where that gruesome thick red liquid came gushing out, creating a puddle underneath him. Being pulled away from him by his brothers as he cried and begged for his leader to get up, watching that sick Autobot leader pick up his dead friend by the head like he was nothing but a ragdoll and raising him up for all the other Autobots to see, and that horrible sound of all of them cheering for their despair.
Nothing had made him so hurt, so broken, so lost until that moment.
And he never wanted to kill a man so badly until now.
“Starscream?”
Starscream flinched, causing the tears of anger and sorrow to finally fall, he quickly wiped them away before he turned to look behind him.
Coming down the hallway toward him was his new Third in Command, Skywarp.
“Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you! Don’t tell me you went out into the city again?”
Starscream sighed at the concern but understood why he was so, it wasn’t safe to go anywhere. Humans or Cybertronians, they’re not safe to deal with either way. Though they still have to make sure Earth is safe, no planet deserves the same fate as Cybertron.
“No, I haven’t”
He answered and handed his brother the borrowed journal.
“I just went on a small walk outside to read your little history recap, very dramatic I must say”
Skywarp blushed in embarrassment and snatched the journal away from him with unnecessary speed, clearing his throat.
“It’s—It’s just a draft”
He spluttered and pushed his glasses up.
“Why are you even here, shouldn’t you be doing your reports and making sure that you’ve caught up on what’s going on in the battleplans before the meeting starts?”
Starscream smiled sadly but softly, looking back at Megatron’s portrait.
“Just wanted to see an old friend”
Skywarp blinked and followed his gaze, he went silent. They both did.
After five minutes or so Skywarp finally spoke again.
“...We should head back. The meeting is going to start and you know how annoying Soundwave gets”
Starscream nodded, eyes staying on his leader for a little longer before he walked away.
He was a few steps away from leaving the hall of the fallen when he realised Skywarp wasn’t following. He looked back to see his brother staring at a portrait they both regretted hanging up.
The portrait of their fallen brother, Thundercracker. White hair, blue eyes and a smile that never stopped bringing joy to all of them. Making everyone laugh, supporting everyone when they were at their lowest. He always seemed to be uplifting no matter what. And now...he’s...gone.
Starscream looked at Skywarp, his eyes were filled with remorse and guilt and so much more that the list could just go on forever.
Starscream slowly made his way back to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in comfort. Their eyes slowly tracked down to the display case. The only thing they had of him in his room was just his old glasses, the words ‘In loving Memory’ carved right below the display case.
They stared for what felt like eternity until they both felt their sparks grow heavy with emotions. They left, not looking back at the people they failed to save.
All the way back on Cybertron, in a ruined laboratory in the deepest parts of Kaon, a pained groan came from beneath the rubble.
A figure came out from the ruins and pushed the debris off of themselves and coughed from the dust.
“H-How long have I been here…?”
The man questioned, his voice hoarse as he looked around at the ruins and dried blood stains.
As soon as he moved his head, his entire body stung. He collapsed immediately and hugged himself. The pain was so severe, what happened? Why did it feel like all his bones were broken when he could clearly move? Why was it so hard to breathe, like his lungs were trapped?
His eyes started to water from the pain. He cracked an eye open to look down at himself to see if there was something wrong, his throat went dry.
His clothes were torn and burnt but what really mattered was that he was blue. His skin was blue, there were only a few patches of his real skin colour but he was-he was blue.
His breathing was quickening, it was getting harder and harder to breathe, the pain was increasing.
Don’t panic, he told himself but he soon caught sight of what he looked like in a piece of shattered glass.
His hair was yellow—or was it gold? He couldn’t tell but-but why did he—he-
He tripped on himself as he tried to get up, he stumbled as he made his way to the nearest computer monitor, the pain was getting too extreme , he had to call for help.
He hoped that the monitor still worked and to his surprise, it did.
He was about to send an SOS message when he stopped.
He remembered something.
He remembered the sound of the lab door getting repeatedly rammed against while he was trying to send and delete the information of-of... synthetic energon. Yes, he remembered now.
He was ordered to find out the side effects and risks and how to make synthetic energon and he managed to send all of what he discovered before the enemy barged in.
He...he remembered calling for help, for backup, for a saviour…and he remembered getting denied.
He was denied a backup team, for someone to save him. He was left behind to deal with the enemy alone.
And in an act of desperation he blew up the lab.
The chemicals and the synthetic energon must’ve done this to him.
But...but why was he still here? Why…
Did..
Did they really just leave him for dead..?
His own...siblings..?
The man stood there, hands gripping onto the monitor, fingers digging into the seams and breaking the already broken tech.
He was left behind.
He was left for dead.
The pain was getting unbearable.
The physical and the emotional pain. It was getting to him.
Skywarp saw his call for help and he chose to ignore it.
He knew he was in danger and he decided not to bother.
Why was he suffering from this?
What did he do wrong?
Why was he always the one suffering?
It wasn’t fair-he didn’t deserve this he—why was he-
Thundercracker slammed his fists against the monitor and let out a frustrated shout.
“SKYWARP!”