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To say he was scared would be the understatement of the century. If Starscream was known for one thing, it was for doing whatever was necessary to save himself, no matter the cost.
Now, contrary to everything he had ever done, he was about to die, intentionally, for someone else.
His spark pulsed fast inside his chest plates like it was going to burst. With trembling servos he picked up the bomb and hugged it tightly. It was hot and he winced in pain, but he didn't let go.
Then he started working. He had to be quick, there would be about five minutes or so before the bomb went off, and any mistake would mean it blowing up early.
Steadying himself and doing his best to concentrate despite his racing processor, Starscream successfully connected the bomb to his spark. If his calculations were correct, it would mean that right before the bomb went off, the energy it would emit would meet the energy from his spark, and due to the difference in their wavelengths they would cancel each other out, in theory, deactivating the bomb.
And snuffing out his spark in the process.
There was no other way around this, he would know, he had built the bomb himself.
This whole mission had been a fiasco since its conception. It was, of course, another of Megatron’s very stupid plans, consisting of placing an extremely destructive bomb inside a government building in the middle of a human city. Once the Autobots were in the building, its security system would be activated, trapping them inside until the bomb exploded.
Starscream had tried to make sure Skyfire wouldn’t show up, but he hadn’t been able to come up with a good enough plan to make that happen. Then the battle had been displaced away from the building, and Skyfire had been the only one near it because he had insisted on helping the humans evacuate.
The bomb had already been activated, and if Skyfire wasn’t getting away from the bomb, then the bomb would have to get away from Skyfire. But as soon as Starscream entered the building to retrieve it, Skyfire followed, most likely trying to make sure he wasn’t up to anything else. Then the building’s security system had activated.
Starscream had told Skyfire a couple of times that his love of organics would eventually play against him, but Skyfire still insisted on caring for them. It was one of the things that puzzled Starscream about Skyfire, the way he cared for everyone, even those who did not deserve it…
Even Starscream.
There was pounding from the other side of the door. Starscream let out a shaky vent. Skyfire must have woken up. He had knocked him out a while ago so it was to be expected, now he regretted having spent so much time trying to muster the courage to do this.
Starscream had hoped to spare Skyfire from listening to his final moments. Mostly because he didn't want to be remembered as he was now, terrified and undignified. He wanted to go out as a hero or something, at least in Skyfire's optics.
Receiving no response from Starscream by pounding on the door, Skyfire resorted to calling him. Against his better judgment, Starscream accepted the call.
"Starscream, what did you do?!" Skyfire's voice sounded urgent, a faint smile formed on Starscream's lips, yes, Skyfire always cared for everyone so much.
"S-saving your sorry aft is what I'm doing!" Great, stuttering had made that sound less cool than what he intended.
"Don't do this, you don't need to- we'll find a way! There must be something we can do!"
Starscream considered it for a nanosecond, but he had run the statistics already, this was the only way one of them would get out alive. And he had decided that would be Skyfire.
"No, there's no time. And… I've already connected it, if I try to undo it, it'll most likely explode," The finality of saying it out loud made Starscream start shaking again.
There was a brief silence.
"Let me in, please, I'll help you disconnect it and we can think of something together," Skyfire sounded like he was crying now.
Starscream almost laughed, Skyfire was too hopeful. What came out of his vocalizer instead was a sob.
"Please, Starscream! I know you don't want to do this, let me in! Please!" Skyfire wailed.
"No, I've made up my mind," Starscream stated.
"No! Starscream! Why are you doing this?!" The banging started again, this time louder. Skyfire was trying to break down the door.
The bomb had no visible timer, it could go off at any moment and Starscream had no idea how much time he had left.
He might as well say it.
"Because it's you, idiot, that's why I'm doing this."
The banging stopped.
"Don't do this… please…" Skyfire sobbed.
"Promise me you'll be happy," Starscream demanded.
"No, Starscream, I can't-"
"Promise me you'll find someone, promise me you'll be happy, Skyfire," Starscream said, failing to keep his voice steady, he still tried, he didn't want Skyfire to know how scared he really was.
"You can't ask me to do that!" Skyfire cried.
The bomb started getting hotter, Starscream winced again.
Maybe he could be a little selfish, one last time.
"Then, at least promise you won't let them forget about me."
"Starscream, let me in, I'm begging you!" Skyfire screamed desperately.
"Promise me!"
"I promise, Starscream, I promise!"
"Good." Starscream exvented, "you better keep your word."
"Starscream, I can't do this without you."
"You'll get over it," Starscream chuckled, bitterly.
"I won't! Starscream, don't you get it?! I love you! I love you more than anything, please let me in!"
There was a second of silence.
For a brief moment a bright light shone through the seams of the door.
Then the call disconnected.
If Starscream had tried to respond, Skyfire didn't get to hear it.