Archive of Our Own

The biting chill of the wind howled and gnashed around him, battering against the steel-colored plating of his frame. The wind brought snow and ice with it, small patterings of it crashing against him, inadvertently slipping into the many cuts and dents he'd suffered earlier at the hands of his supposed "leader".

The jet growled as a trickle of blue-colored energon ran down over one of his optic ridges and dripped onto his red-colored optic. With a hurried motion, he quickly swiped at the offending substance, slightly smearing it across his face plate as he did so. He was going to leak out at this rate! Either that, or the cold was going to get him first.

Starscream huffed out a vent, unable to see the warm exhaust due to the fury of the storm he was facing. Despite the frigid conditions, he'd pick this flurry of a blizzard over being in Megatron's presence for another minute. Another failed mission, another Autobot escaping capture...when these conditions were met, no bot or con in their right mind wanted to be around him. Starscream had been the object of his frustration this time, unable to escape the fury of his lord once the larger con began his tirade.

"Frag him," Starscream cursed under the rage of the wind as he continued to trudge through the snow. He'd have flown if flying was even in the realm of possibility. If he had tried to fly in this, he likely would have crashed soon after take off. Besides, where he was going, he wanted to make sure he was under the radar, quite literally.

He recalled the cave from his earlier trek to this frigid wasteland, back when he'd been without his t-cog and on the hunt for one of the relics. While he'd walked away in the Apex Armor, the Prime and Dreadwing had still managed to knock him down through the ice and permafrost ground into a small cavern. The cavern filled quickly with water, a result of the melted snow from the explosion, and he had walked on until he'd been able to escape.

The jet had marked this place for later use, just in case he ever needed a place to go for various reasons. He certainly wasn't hiding, he was quite used to Megatron's physical outbursts, but he'd rather spend his recovery in solitude.

The Nemesis's medibay wasn't exactly the coziest place to be right now either. He could tolerate the medic, but Knock Out wasn't exactly someone he could call an ally. No, no one quite fit that bill anymore. Both Soundwave and Shockwave would forever be loyal to that fool of a leader of theirs, and Knock Out very much stuck to his own interests. Breakdown had been dismantled, Dreadwing had been disposed of, and Airachnid had gone missing. That didn't exactly leave a lot of options in his corner.

Before long, Starscream spied the opening he'd created some time ago with the Apex Armor. It was a literal hole blasted in through a shelf of ice, and despite conditions, it had neither collapsed nor been sealed back up with snow. For once, it seemed as if luck were on his side. Without the use of the Apex Armor, he would undoubtedly be stuck digging in the snow like a mere Vehicon otherwise.

Given his condition, that did seem a bit out of the question. Besides, right now, all he wanted to do was rest.

Starscream wasted no time in entering the open mouth of the cave, ducking inside just as another chilling gust of wind nipped at his wingtips. He gave a small shudder as his frame tried to regulate his temperature, quickly fluttering his wings as he attempted to toss the snow off. The white powder mixed with his blue energon, clumping it into turquoise-colored piles along the ground.

He walked further in, never once fearing that the cave would contain enemies or hazards; no human creature could survive in these temperatures, much less one of their animals, and if another con or Autobot had been lying in wait to attack him then surely they would have done it by now. The snowstorm alone would have provided all the cover necessary for a surprise attack.

When he felt he'd walked long enough, the jet crumpled to his knee joints before settling further back on his aft, his wings flush against the cave's icy walls. His internal temperature read-out reminded him of the cold, as if he could possibly be ignorant of that fact while sitting right in it. In fact, he was almost certain the snow underneath him was beginning to melt and the water was close to seeping into his frame.

The jet tried to shift his weight to keep the offending liquid out, then hissed as his frame retaliated in pain. That hadn't come from the snow, but his injuries.

"Curse him," Starscream growled out with a low rumble, his engine and turbines almost flaring in response to his anger. Curse him, curse Megatron for doing this to him yet again.

Now, here, in the soft blue light of the cave, seated in melting snow with nothing but the roar of the wind to keep him company, did the jet take full stock of his situation. Megatron had hurt him...badly. He had scratches all up and down his plating (those terrible gray claws were to thank for that), and there were numerous open lines emerging from his frame, all leaking the same cerulean-tinged energon. How much had he lost exactly? Barely any? Enough to offline him? Considering the ache he felt, the con was willing to bet on the latter.

And for once, the jet wondered if he cared.

He was tired of this. Tired of losing, tired of failing, tired of suffering beatings while mechs like Soundwave and Knock Out got praise and prestige...he should have been leader. He could have led the Decpeticons to victory by now, and been reveling in the glory of it all. But each time he'd come close, someone or something had metaphorically clipped his wings and sent him crashing back to reality.

Starscream looked up and over, catching sight of a face in the ice wall. The faceplate, not unlike his own, was curled into a goofy, mocking grin while the red optics mirrored amusement back into his tired ones.

"Why you!" Starscream quickly curled his digits into the snow off to his right, carefully molding and packing the once offending substance into a ball. He'd seen this on a human transmission; they would sculpt the snow into the shape of a sphere and throw it as one would a grenade.

He reared back slightly and threw with all his might, watching as the snowball collided with the wall, hitting the smiling con in the face plate dead on.

"That'll teach you to laugh at me, Skywarp!" The jet grunted, watching as the slush dripped down the wall into a clumpy puddle. It wasn't until the wall cleared did he realize that the mocking face hadn't belonged to Skywarp at all, but instead his own face plate, warped by the rippled block of ice. Starscream watched as the black and purple con's face faded and was replaced with his own steel gray and red accents.

Wonderful, now he was starting to hallucinate! He could thank being low on energon for that, too! And of all the things to hallucinate...Starscream hadn't thought about Skywarp in who knows how long. The same went for their other trine member, Thundercracker. How long had it been since they'd crossed his mind?

Too long, he could picture Skywarp saying while Thundercracker agreed.

There had been other Seekers during the Great War but none had been as close to him as those two were. They could be irritating at times, and they didn't always agree with him, but he'd valued their...camaraderie, their...friendship. Yes...they had been friends. He'd never have admitted it to anyone, naturally, not even under great duress, but that didn't stop it from being the truth.

Back then, all of them had looked quite different than the frame he sported now. This frame was sleeker, more aerodynamic, compared to his old bulkier frame. Starscream had convinced himself that moving to this frame would be better, more...appropriate. He'd only done this after both of them had perished. Perhaps he'd also done this as a way of leaving the past behind.

As for the rest of the Seekers, Starscream didn't know nor did he care. Seekers like Slipstream were probably still online somewhere out there in the galaxy, but had always failed to answer their call to battle. In fact, in recent times, the only cons who did actually respond were Knock Out and that giant, brute Breakdown. What a pitiful, meager pool their side was pulling from if that's all they had to offer.

Starscream hissed again as another wound flared up. It had to be this blasted cold, he decided, turning to look at the open door to the cave. The storm was still whipping and churning, wind and snow in a furious shuffle that promised an impossible flight if he dared.

Dejected, the jet looked around the immediate area of the cave and found nothing of use to block the opening, nothing he could use as a temporary doorway. Right now the temperatures were low, but not low enough to affect his circuitry. If he stayed though...his story may have a different end…

"Offlined by the snow or by Megatron...what difference does it make?" Starscream asked, wondering for whose benefit he'd posed the question. Using his right hand as a prop, he forced his body into an upright position. It was a job and a half just getting on to his knee joints, but a thought had struck him.

If he was doomed to be offlined here...why be alone?

Seeing the phantom Seeker's face had suddenly given him an idea. Whether it was genius or insanity he couldn't exactly say, but the jet supposed that didn't much matter when he was alone. Instead of moving to the other side of the cave wall, using the ground below him as a brace, Starscream turned until he was face to face with the icy wall he'd been up against. The rippled surface hadn't changed at all despite the heat of his frame, giving testament to just how cold and sturdy this block was.

Reaching his right hand up, the jet took his index digit and carved a circle into the icy texture. There was no loud scraping or screeching; any sound was promptly swallowed up by the storm outside. He stared at the circle, almost perfect in its design, before he continued, scratching a few accents into it. A small shape, hexagonal in nature, inside the larger circle, a chin, rounded compartments for audials, a helm crest, and finally, a smile. He'd hesitated at adding this final detail, but ultimately decided it belonged.

"As long as we're reminiscing..." Starscream mumbled to himself with a sardonic chuckle.

Using both hands now, a fire burning low inside of him, the jet set about completing the drawing of the much larger jet, adding on his wing tips as well as the large red carrier compartment on his back. For good measure, Starscream carved the outline of the jet's body, going down all the way into the snow, only stopping when he ran out of icy canvas.

Settling back on to his knee joints, Starscream stared up at his masterpiece -- Skyfire.

This was how he remembered him, wanted to remember him...with that same ridiculous soft, caring smile on his derma.

There was a brief moment of silence as the Seeker relaxed back on his legs, staring up at the carving as though it were a monument meant for worship. He sat, as though in reverence, as he vented out a long stream of air.

"Being here, in a place like this...it makes me remember." The jet began, his voice sad, dejected, "...I looked for you, you know? After that day? It seems pointless to say it now but you have to believe me, I did try!" His voice had begun escalating halfway through his last sentence until the last syllable had been uttered in near desperation. The carving of the larger jet said nothing of course, merely remained stagnant, frozen with that smile on his face...

Starscream folded his hands before curling them into fists. The long, claw-like digits coiled inward, like a snake into a ball, ready to lash and strike out at a moment's notice.

He thought about that day often, but he dared not speak a word of it to anyone. The only ones who hadn't been there that day were Knock Out and Shockwave, and the jet was almost certain that the flashy carbot and the cyclopian scientist would inevitably find a way to use it against him if they did know. Despite this, he often replayed the memories of it, the good parts, and all the good times before it, on loop from his memories. Sometimes it brought him peace, other times it made him listless and depressed, but it was the only way he could potentially keep Skyfire alive.

It had started during one of their many attempts to contact their allies traveling amongst the stars. An encrypted frequency, undetected so far by the Autobots, that went planet-wide and stretched some billions of lightyears out into the galaxy. It was the same type of signal that had brought Knock Out and Breakdown to them along with Makeshift and countless others over the many stellar-cycles of their war.

One not so special day, a large jet had been spied flying overhead while the Nemesis had landed near an energon quarry. Fearful that the jet could be an Autobot spy of some kind, Megatron had ordered him and other flight-mode Vehicons to chase after it and shoot it down. Starscream had begrudgingly agreed, remarking to himself that even an Earth life form called a 'primate' could give that order; his only knowledge of them entailed them dancing and wearing ridiculous hats so it fit the bill.

Starscream had transformed and sped off as though he'd been shot out of a cannon. He may not have had the special talents of Skywarp, who could teleport, or Thundercracker, who could create sonic booms, but he didn't need them. His speed and intelligent brain module were all he would need. He allowed the Vehicons to flank him (the lower workers knew their place when concerned with their second in command and soon to be leader) as they moved into formation.

It was clear that the large jet had taken notice of them instantly, and when he realized he was in firing range, took off in the opposite direction.

Starscream had laughed, taunted the presumed Autobot about turning tailpipes and flying away. He quickly commanded the two Vehicons to perform a pincer maneuver. The two purple colored Vehicons wordlessly obeyed, flying out for the first time ahead of him as they sped up for their prey. Halfway to their destination, the large jet produced two cannons, and angled them backwards, aiming them at either Vehicon before pulling the trigger.

A beam of blue light shot from the cannons and struck their targets true, perhaps a little too well as the Vehicons frames instantly crumpled and exploded in a small blast. The flak from the explosion had immediately flown in his direction ringing a yelp from the Seeker as he took his own evasive maneuvers, spiraling in a circular format as chunks of purple metal bounced off his wings and frame.

In the end, he had tailed the jet, taking his own potshots for a while before finally appealing to the presumed Autobot to give up.

Then, almost as if the other had recognized his voice, the larger jet came to a near stop, causing Starscream to blow right past him. Seeing nothing but an opportunity, Starscream had transformed back to his root mode, using the thrusters in his heeled pedes to stay aloft, as he aimed his right arm at the motionless jet.

He had said something to the effect of, "This is the end for you." or some other such line, but the other didn't seem to care as he transformed too. The large frame, white with accents of red and blue, unfolded carefully, as if in slow motion, as the once large jet became an all too familiar mech.

Starscream relaxed his aim, his extended right arm sinking, optical ridges raising, as his face plate softened. It couldn't be who he thought it was...could it? No, that had been so many stellar-cycles ago, and the way they'd parted...that mech perished back on Cybertron!

"Skyfire...?"

"Starscream...is that you? Why do you attack me?"

The silver-colored con stared in disbelief at the figure floating before him, his color and manner of floating all too similar to that of a ghost. ...Was this a ghost? A ghost of his former partner from so many stellar-cycles ago?

"I...I..." the jet fumbled his words as his optics jumped around the cloudy sky, as if the correct response were hidden somewhere among the clouds. What should he say? What did one say to another mech they had believed to be offlined? Nevermind that, this was Skyfire...he knew what his frame wanted, to fly over, to embrace him, to ask him where he had been. But, he couldn't let his emotions win out. If Soundwave were listening, and he always was, he couldn't let anything slip.

Quickly, the con straightened his stance, "It is I, Starscream. I attack you on orders from Lord Megatron, leader of the Decepticons."

"The Decepticons? So you did stay with them...take me to Megatron, Starscream. I need to speak with him."

That had been the beginning of the end. If he had just spoken to Skyfire, treated him like he should have instead of acting out of fear, then maybe...maybe things wouldn't have gone so horribly.

Starscream had led the two of them back to where the Nemesis had docked, situated near one of their energon mining operations. As the site came into view, the jet could see the outlines of multiple Vehicons shuffling about along with the larger, gray figure of Megatron. As they neared, Megatron naturally turned his optics to them, narrowing them into angry, red slits.

The two jets landed, transforming to their root modes before touching the ground.

"Starscream, you dare to disobey me again? Did I not order you to shoot that Autobot down?"

"An Autobot, yes, but a former ally? Lord Megatron, this is Skyfire, a former partner of mine from Cybertron."

"Unaffiliated still? Perhaps you seek to join our ranks, Skyfire?" The giant gray frame stalked forward, but his intimidating form was diminished by Skyfire's more impressive stature. Starscream had to hold his glossa for fear of laughing, but the amusement was clear to see in his optics. Could Skyfire defeat Megatron in combat? Perhaps not, Skyfire had always been a scientist, more of an intellectual than a fighter, but the jet sincerely hoped that Skyfire's impressive build put their lord to shame even the tiniest bit.

"I wish to speak with you about Dark Energon."

And speak they did, only, not on the ground at the excavation site. Megatron bade him wait until the Nemesis was back in the air and the warship cloaked until it could be discussed in private. Naturally, his role as second in command should have allowed him entrance into that conversation but Megatron had ordered him out.

Although the jet had tried his best to convince his master otherwise, he was ultimately forced out of the bridge as his master and former comrade spoke.

It was an order he should have obeyed, and honestly, Soundwave probably knew that he had gone against orders, but Starscream had gone to the communications hub and patched his own comms into the room.

Skyfire had pleaded with Megatron, ultimately tried to warn him against the dangers of using Dark Energon. An ultimately pointless request as even Starscream had tried to hold that conversation with his fool leader once before, especially considering that he and Skyfire had once researched it back on Cybertron. As usual, Megatron had spurned his warnings and ignored his reservations, merely pushing forward with more research and experimentation. Considering what they knew of the substance now...Skyfire had tried to save them from themselves, even though he had no obligation.

After the meeting had ended, Skyfire had stormed off and Starscream had followed after. If he wanted to speak with Skyfire, now was the time. The smaller jet had caught up to his larger ally, and once they were a safe enough distance away, the two had begun to talk. Starscream had easily played the fool, years of practice to avoid potential physical harm from Megatron, as Skyfire reiterated their conversation and how Megatron had rebuffed his warnings.

Skyfire was frustrated then, it was clear to see, but Starscream was admittedly...giddy. As the larger jet aired his grievances, detailing what Dark Energon truly was and all the dangers he had discovered back on Cybertron and in the time since then, Starscream had merely watched him with joy, flitting his wing tips and flexing his digits in delight as he cupped his servos.

"Skyfire..."

His voice had been very quiet, an almost unrecognizable sound from his own intake. For a moment, this unknown voice startled him until he realized thet it had indeed been him...not the him of this very moment, the second in command of the Decepticons, the punching bag Megatron favored when it was convenient, but instead, it was the mech who'd been partnered with Skyfire before the war, the one who'd been more interested in scientific endeavors and potential discoveries more so than assured conquests.

"I'm...I am glad you're alright."

The larger jet's tirade ceased, his arms and shoulders slumping as the fury left his frame. It was quickly replaced with a familiar calmness, and a caring smile.

"I'm glad to see you again, too."

"When we parted, I thought..."

"I'm fine. But you...you look different."

Starscream remembered how he'd cut his optics up in confusion as a hand was laid on his shoulder.

"You look...nice."

Even now the comment brought energon rushing to his faceplate and tinged it blue. Others had mocked him for his change of frame, especially for the design of his pedes. He'd tried to silence them with facts and eloquent displays of flight, but Skyfire had known right away...or, rather, he had been complementary right away. Either way, Starscream had appreciated it.

They talked for quite some time, catching up on what they'd been doing and where they'd been until the sun sank low in the distance and the dark shadow of the night had fallen over them.

In that time, Starscream had convinced Skyfire to stay with the Decepticons on the Nemesis. He had simply come to warn them about Dark Energon, but Starscream had told him he could stay and study the substance further, see firsthand what it looked like when put to use. The larger jet had been against this but his scientific mind was hard to dissuade. Perhaps if there was some beneficial use to it, then he and Skyfire could find it together...like old times.

Starscream folded his hands in his lap as he looked away from the carving, ashamed. He had merely told Skyfire what he wanted to hear back then. He would have said anything to make the jet stay with him even for a little longer.

Their reunion had been nice but their time together was short. It took only a few cycles of Skyfire trying to work Megatron before the two had an eventual falling out. One encounter with the Autobots, one failed battle over an energon source, and the two had practically been at each other's throat cables.

At some point, Starscream had wondered if Skyfire could best Megatron in combat, and now, he regretted ever letting that thought cross his processor. He'd had front row seats as Skyfire tried to leave and Soundwave had blocked his exit, Megatron blocking the way he'd come, demanding that the scientist hand over all of his research on Dark Energon so far. Naturally, Skyfire had refused, deemed the information too dangerous to fall into the hands of someone like Megatron.

His leader had roared in anger as he charged the larger jet, knocking him into the wall of a corridor. Starscream had thought to cry out his companion's name but with both Megatron and Soundwave so close, it was a dangerous action indeed. Because of this, he dared not interfere either.

The two had wrestled and rolled around on the Nemesis's floor, either trying to gain the upper hand in the fight until Skyfire had placed his pede underneath Megatron's frame and kicked him off. The larger jet beat a hasty retreat, transforming and flying to and out of the nearest airlock.

Megatron regained his composure and stumbled to his pedes, quickly ordering Starscream to go after him.

Starscream had tried to speak, fumbled his words as he tried to come up with a viable reason to not obey, but as he stood there stuttering, Megatron had stomped forward, and placing his clawed hand over Starscream's face plate, flung him aside as if he were a mere toy. The jet had flown into the closest wall, still mumbling, only now his excuses had become small pleas to stop.

"I shall deal with this myself. Soundwave, I want that traitor tracked down and shot out of the sky!"

It had taken only a short time for the other cons to locate Skyfire. He had undoubtedly been on his way to where he believed the Autobots to be located in some hopeful attempt to join them. Starscream knew. The jet had mentioned many times before that he had considered joining up with them but had never quite taken the plunge.

Before he could regain his own equilibrium, two Vehicons had hauled him to his pedes and drug him to the bridge. Megatron's strength had left his processor spinning, and the sudden blow to his helm had put him off balance. He couldn't have fought them then even though he wanted to do so. How dare they grab him and drag him around like some kind of prisoner? He was still second-in-command!

The truth had been made clear when he'd arrived at the bridge, Megatron turning to look over his shoulder, arms folded behind his back,

"Ah Starscream, you're just in time to watch this traitor meet his deserved end."

The statement had immediately snapped him out of his stupor, his red optics hurriedly going to the many screens before them that clearly showed a large, white carrier jet flying just out of reach. It dipped and dove and spiraled sideways to avoid laser blasts and heavy cannon fire but there was no way he could avoid all of it for long.

"Lord Megatron, please! Allow me to reason with Skyfire!"

"Reason with him?" Megatron asked, low, dangerous.

With slow, heavy steps, he stomped towards the jet who'd been forced down lower on to his knee joints. One of those large clawed hands reached out and grabbed him by his helm, forcing the jet to look at him.

"I do not negotiate with traitors, Starscream. Assist him, and be shot down with him."

The threat had rang true, and the jet had winced for fear of being struck. When no blow came, and the claws released him, he watched as Megatron returned to the console next to Soundwave.

The sound of the targeting lock-on was deafening in the room.

All his audials could hear was that awful sound.

The artillery locked on, giving a final beep as the weapons fired their lasers and the shots found their mark. There was an explosion, a resounding boom of a target being struck, and the inevitable, horrible whine of an aerial target falling into a spiraling nosedive.

Starscream had watched until Skyfire disappeared from his vision.

Megatron had given a deep laugh, Soundwave said nothing. The Vehicons were also silent as they released him, allowing him to stand.

Soundlessly, the jet climbed to his pedes, his helm hung low. His hands began to curl into fists, his denta gritted behind snarled derma.

"An..." The jet had trailed off, trying his best to find the right words, "...excellent shot, my lord."

"...It took me some time," Starscream began, once again addressing the carving in the icy wall, pushing the memory away, "I had to wait a few cycles but I found the Nemesis's flight coordinates from that day. Soundwave had encrypted and hidden them but not even he can hide things from me." The jet announced proudly, placing a hand on his chassis as he motioned to himself. The hand quickly dropped as he realized the pointlessness of the motion.

"It was over a snowy landscape, just like this one. I spent cycles searching for you. I had no choice but to go on pede and dig with my hands...if Megatron knew then he'd..." The jet paused here and gave a sarcastic laugh.

"Oh, what does it matter now? I should have just stolen equipment...even asked those Autobums to help look for you. They would have helped. All I would have had to do is put on the waterworks and they'd come running." Starscream laughed again, as he wrapped his arms around himself, before it quickly died out. He was definitely getting colder, starting to feel the effects of the biting chill inside his frame. The storm showed no sign of stopping, leaving him effectively stranded.

"Is it my fault you ended up this way? Buried somewhere under a bunch of ice and snow...? ...If you'd gotten away that day, you'd have become an Autobot and we would have been destined to fight. I wasn't exactly fond of that outcome either, Skyfire."

Suddenly, something caught his audials over the sound of the wind. Had someone found him? Come to track him down? In a flash he was on his pedes, full attention on the cave entrance, arm extended outward as he tried to prepare a missile for launch, when just as quickly a wave of dizziness overtook him and the jet went back down. He was too weak to stand, not enough energon to power his frame...

The sound was deafening now, a loud cracking sound that seemed to reach around the entirety of the cave, popping and splintering. His red optics could make out a hairline crack traveling, tracing it back to the entrance. Primus...was the cave about to collapse? Was it snow, the wind, his scratching the wall...what had caused it? He had to get out.

The jet tried again to get to his pedes but found no purchase.

With a loud snap, the entryway collapsed in on itself, sending rubble and debris towards him. The rocks fell down on him like raindrops, bouncing off his frame with hard 'tings' as he brought his arm up to shield his face plate. It was an involuntary reaction more so than anything else. It certainly wouldn't protect him from the entire cave falling in on his helm.

When the noise ceased and the air grew still, the jet hazarded a look at his former exit. It was now, as predicted, a large pile of rubble stacked high in a tower that reached from the ground to the cave's ceiling.

"Oh, this is just perfect!" Starscream lamented, turning himself over until he could stand, this time using the wall as a balance. With uneasy steps, he made his way over. The rocks were mixed with ice and snow, and they had somehow fallen together in a perfect combination that would make removing them a monumental task. Even if he had been in top form, this task would still have proven too great.

The missile...he could shoot his way out!

No...it was too dangerous, he quickly corrected himself. If he did fire, he risked bringing the rest of the cave down on his head.

Besides...the jet took a look at both of his arms. He didn't have any more missiles. He'd forgotten until now but he'd fired off the last of his ammo in an attempt to escape Megatron's rampage. It had worked, but now...

Starscream placed his face plate against the rubble. Why was he worrying about his survival again? He wasn't going to make it anyways, and it seemed as though this planet was determined to see the job done now.

Pulling away from the rubble, the jet looked down the opposite way. It was possible a way out lied back down the tunnel, back from when he had fallen through that hole. But it would take time to reach it, and of course energy he didn't have. That was also dependent on whether or not that way had become blocked with snow and debris also.

He was trapped, like it or not.

If there was a silver lining to this, at least he no longer had to worry about being found by Megatron or otherwise.

Starscream looked at Skyfire. Sharing his fate...? It was a bleak thought. It reminded him of how worried he'd been, how he'd constantly stayed awake, wondering if Skyfire had perished on impact or whether he was trapped in some hole in the ground somewhere.

Had he waited like this, just sitting here waiting for the inevitable...alone?

As he began to move back towards Skyfire, the front of his pede bumped against a large piece of rubble.

Alone...not him.

It would take the very last bit of energy he had to do this but it would be worth it.

This stone wasn't a part of the rubble wall, but instead had hit the ground and fell away from it. With a stamp of his heeled pede, he broke off an odd shaped piece, leaving it a long, oblong shape. The rock had crumbled easily under his weight; that was the easy part. Now, he had to drag it along the cavern's floor and back towards Skyfire.

With some difficulty, the jet managed to complete his task, propping the fairly rectangular shape up against Skyfire. When he was certain the rock piece would stay, the jet limped back to the rubble pile still blocking his exit, looking for a match. This one too small, this one too short...he'd have to break a larger piece to get his desired target. He took only a moment to steel himself, then crushed the rock in the same shape as before, using only his pedes and weight to do so.

The rock managed not to split or break down the middle, and Starscream claimed his prize quickly, once again dragging it back to Skyfire. Just like before, he propped the long, oblong shape up against the wall, parallel with its twin, before standing back a ways to admire his work.

It was perfect. Now, to test out his theory.

There was an opening between the two rocks, just large enough to fit his slim frame through if he folded his wings. The jet folded his wings in, gingerly twisting his frame inward towards the opening as he tried not to disturb the rocks. Regardless of his efforts, the two rocks slipped downward until they were nearly lying flat against the ground. Starscream couldn't be sure if he had accidentally moved them or if they'd slipped of their own accord due to the icy ground, but either way, it was done. He was too weak to try and rearrange them.

The rocks had served their purpose though. Skyfire had arms now, of a sort, and this was as close to an embrace as he could manage.

Unlike a true embrace, it brought no warmth. The stones were cold, icy, and the jet couldn't exactly wrap the rock around his frame, at least not without damaging himself.

Still...this was nice...safe...

Leaning his head backward on to Skyfire, situating his legs as he tried to get comfortable on the cave floor again, the jet released his wings and vented out deeply.

"I won't leave you this time, Skyfire..." Starscream whispered, registering the clear message on his HUD that his frame was beginning to power down to reserve energy, "This time, I won't leave..."

Starscream's blue hands quickly flowed over the keypad, entering the data that he and Skyfire had collected from their earlier field expedition. Despite the importance of this excursion, now horribly exaggerated, the two jets had found ultimately nothing of value.

The two had circled the planet, giving it a good once over, before finally landing without issue. They scanned plant matter, rocks, the soil, even some of the fauna, but it was nothing that they, nor the Cybertronian race, hadn't seen before. It would probably be of no benefit, as there was no energon to be found here either. What it had been was a colossal waste of time and energon on their part.

Starscream mumbled a string of curses under a vent. This wasn't good. He was overdue for a breakthrough but the waiting game was irritating.

The jet, so lost in his thoughts of possible grandeur via discovery, barely noticed when Skyfire entered.

The larger jet was fairly happy, an almost goofy looking smile on his derma. Starscream couldn't help but scowl a bit...exactly what had been so good about that fruitless expedition?

"Got our new assignment, Starscream. We set off for these coordinates in a chord."

Skyfire handed him a datapad, the information bright and clear as day on the screen.

"Hmph," the smaller jet sneered, handing it back in a huff, "perhaps this planet will be worth our while."

"Oh come on, the last one wasn't a total loss. It was...nice to be out on such a...quiet planet, wouldn't you say?"

Starscream looked over his shoulder, red optics glaring at the larger white frame who sat opposite him at another table. Their lab doubled as an office, containing two desks each, both covered with data pads and other tech. There were also countertops in the back filled with beakers and test tubes full of solutions, many of which hadn't been touched since they'd returned.

"I would not." Starscream replied, "I, for one, think-"

The Seeker stopped abruptly, as if deciding on his words, before speaking again. He hadn't totally missed the way Skyfire was talking, what he could possibly be hinting about.

"Anyways, I just hope this next planet will contain something worthwhile." Something that will make me famous. Something that will get me noticed, that will get me the praise and recognition I deserve. He couldn't exactly say these thoughts aloud, Skyfire would disapprove like he always had before, but that didn't stop Starscream from thinking it.

He could have been a politician. Primus knows, he had the disposition for it. He'd always been a good talker, an even better liar. On the other hand, he could have been a warrior. Warriors did not always rely on strength to win their battles. In fact, most great battles were won with superior strategy and techniques, advanced weaponry and the like. And if that didn't work, underhanded tactics could always be utilized. He certainly wouldn't be held back by ideals such as fair play. He would do whatever it took to win. It seemed so interesting.

But, that simply hadn't been his lot in life. Instead, he had chosen to be a scientist, a field researcher, an explorer. It was an honest profession, a noble endeavor to discover what lay beyond their home world of Cybertron. At first, he had merely enjoyed the prospect of flying and exploring, but as time passed, those noble intentions had darkened a bit.

On one expedition, they had come across a planet many lightyears from Cybertron. He held no love for the organics there, tiny defenseless creatures he could end with a simple stomp, but what really caught his optics was a small orb-like artifact. The organics claimed they had conquered the planet eons prior with the use of that orb.

Before he'd even learned of the specifics, Starscream had immediately thought of retrieving it for Cybertronian use. Surely the orb was one of destruction and fearsome power; how else could such a small thing command surrender? However, Skyfire had stopped him, shut him down cold as he refused to take the orb from the living organics. They were researchers, meant to only catalog and record their findings, not robbers.

Starscream had begrudgingly agreed and left with his partner, but that didn't mean he didn't mark the coordinates down for later use. They were going to be recorded anyways, but who knows? Perhaps they would need to go to other planets in the future for various resources anyways.

Starscream pushed back his stool, a preferred seat by many fliers due to their turbines or carrier compartments, and headed over to the laboratory portion of the room.

"I'm sure it will, but don't be too hard on yourself if we don't find anything. You're a great scientist, Starscream, and intelligent besides."

Starscream hummed as he nodded along with Skyfire's praise. No reason to refute the larger jet, he was right.

"Still," Starscream began, quickly checking the various test tubes and notes they had left behind previously, "I feel there is something greater out there, something right under our nasal vents that we're simply missing." In a flash, he turned on a Bunsen burner. He might as well test some of the components they'd brought back to see if they could safely be converted into energon. Even though he already knew the answer, it was a requirement. There had been talks of an energon shortage lately and although he didn't put any stock in those rumors, how great would it be to find a new source of energon for their race? Even if it was on a different planet, it could still be harvested, and perhaps they could convert the planet into an offshoot of Cybertron.

Starscream moved around to the other side of the table, his back now towards Skyfire.

The larger jet gave a small laugh as he began to add components to the mixture.

"I think you should focus on something else."

Pursing his derma, Starscream gave a small scowl, "And what would that be?"

"Well, for starters..." Skyfire began, finally standing up to his full height and walking closer, "That mixture you're cooking up. You forgot to add that."

Starscream looked over his shoulder, spied the larger jet's outstretched digit, and followed its trail back to the table before him. There sat the mixture in question...and the stabilizing unit that would keep a volatile reaction from occurring!

Without warning, the solution turned from a bright rainbow of colors to a soured, muddy gray as the smoke from the tube's opening turned from white to black. Before he could react, the tube expanded before shattering into multiple pieces, a small blast from the ensuing explosion sending him backward. It wasn't enough to harm him, the glass simply bounced off his frame, but the sudden explosion had surprised him.

With an ungraceful hop, the jet flew backward, unfortunately losing his balance as the thrusters on his pedes found no purchase on the floor.

Luckily, Skyfire was there to catch him.

Large white and red accented arms curled underneath his own arms, easily supporting his weight as he lay almost completely flat. His blue pedes were pointed skyward with only his thrusters still somewhat on the floor. Opening his optics,  shuttering them an involuntary action from the blast, he stared in disbelief before looking upward at the larger jet. Skyfire's frame completely blocked out the overhead fluorescent light, casting him slightly in shadow. Even in the semi-darkness, his smile was warm and bright.

For a moment, it seemed as if time had frozen. Skyfire said nothing, and neither did he. He could feel energon rushing to his face plate, his spark chamber practically thumping in his chassis. The embarrassment was one thing, but this was something else, something...

Suddenly, reality hit him and he scrambled out of Skyfire's grip, struggling to stand upright again.

"A minor setback." Starscream announced, turning away as he crossed his arms, "All I have to do is reset and add the stabilizer this time, so simple even a protoform could do it." He was babbling mostly, trying to get the heat under control. It wasn't like he needed Skyfire to know...for him to see...it just wasn't the right time. Yes, perhaps that was the best reason he could give.

Starscream had seen the looks, caught the glances, picked up on the hints. He wasn't ignorant. Skyfire had all but said the words to him. They were close, of course, they were friends and partners. They spoke often, spent quite a lot of time together, and Starscream had even told the other jet things that he wouldn't dare tell the other Seekers. Skyfire was special to him, but...Starscream grimaced as he began to clear away the shattered glass and sop up the solution with a nearby rag.

Why was this so hard to put into words? Why couldn't he just say it?

"Yes, it's so simple...easy as anything...when you think about it..." he murmured without realizing, optics trained on the countertop before him. Blue hands flew over the equipment as he reset the experiment, making extra sure the stabilizer was added this time.

"I see..." Skyfire said finally, his voice noticeably dejected. He was silent for what felt like an entirety, and Starscream could feel optics staring a hole into his back. If Skyfire was expecting him to say something, he was out of luck. What did Skyfire want him to say anyways?

"I understand. I...wouldn't want to get in your way." Skyfire said, voice cutting through the silence like a blade through cloth. That same blade-like nature felt like a cut through his spark, but Starscream tried to ignore it. He was busy, he needed to get this done before their next expedition anyways. They couldn't exactly afford any distractions.

The sound of heavy pede steps behind him trailed away, heading for the door. The hydraulic door hissed opened with an audible whoosh, and Skyfire left.

So, that was that then.

It was the first time something like this had happened, rather, it was the first time he had felt like that. He and Skyfire had joked and laughed before, and had this been like the other times, he would have gotten embarrassed like usual but they would end up laughing it off or throwing themselves back into their work.

Maybe he should have said something to Skyfire, acknowledged what he had felt but...

With a huff, Starscream slammed his tools back down on the countertop. If he hurried, he could catch up with Skyfire.

He turned and headed for the door, not running but a fast paced walk. If Skyfire had gotten far enough away, Starscream could catch up to him in jet mode but he had to hurry. He quickly hit the release for the door and barely waited for it to open before he tried to go through, immediately bumping into something as he did so.

With his faceplate buried into the chassis of the other mech, he sighed, "You are insufferable sometimes, you know that?"

Skyfire smirked as he peeled Starscream from his frame, hands on his shoulders, "So you've told me before."

"Skyfire, I...I just wanted to..." Just wanted to say how much you mean to me. How you're the only one who ever believes in me. How you're the only one I'd ever want by my side, in good or bad times. How I'd go to the ends of the earth for you.

"I know. I'll be here when you're ready. In the meantime, what say you and I take a look at this file? It's about the next planet we're heading to. I have a good feeling we're going to find something extraordinary."

"Status report?"

Soundwave's digit glided effortlessly over the control panel, pressing a single button as various different images quickly appeared on the large viewing screen before them. Most of them were read outs, scrolling imagery of notes and coordinates. The most noticeable of them all was an image of Starscream's frame, front and back. It was transparent, slowly changing back and forth between opaque and transparent as it detailed various information regarding his frame.

The scrolling coordinates were rapidly shifting, a new one replacing the old one every few seconds as it appeared to be searching for a signal.

Megatron's optics narrowed as he glanced over the screen, not exactly pleased with what he had read. His second-in-command was missing, and his location had yet to be discerned. It had been some mega-kliks since he'd last seen the jet; he had rightfully punished his errant commander after a failed operation to offline one of the Autobots. It had become a common occurrence between them, seeing as Starscream never seemed to learn from his failures.

"Find him, Soundwave. I want him returned before this cycle is up." The Decepticon leader ordered, "...You know I don't suffer traitors lightly. If he's dared to defect-"

"Don't worry, Lord Megatron, if I know Screamer, and I do, he's probably off licking his wounds somewhere. Give him time and he'll come crawling back to the medibay, ordering me to fix him." The tired voice of the medic came from behind him, where he'd been standing ever since Megatron had ordered him to the bridge. Shockwave had been allowed to continue working with the Predacon down in the lab, and seeing as how his warriors were either disappearing or being dismantled, the medic was his only choice at the moment.

"I see. Can I take that as your offer to retrieve him?"

"Uh...well, I...wouldn't know where he goes, my liege, just that..." The red framed doctor mumbled sheepishly as he turned his optics anywhere but forward.

"Then I suggest you keep your remarks to yourself."

Suddenly, a loud buzzer resounded overhead, the screen turning a red color in response. The transparent image of Starscream turned opaque, turning around until it faced forward, and zoomed in on the red colored Decepticon brand he wore on his chassis. It became highlighted, standing out from the rest of his frame. A text window appeared over it with the words 'SIGNAL LOCATED'.

"Ah, it seems I won't have need of you after all, Knock Out. Return to Shockwave. Soundwave, take us to these coordinates immediately." Megatron commanded as Knock Out quickly made his way from the control room.

He had planted a tracker in Starscream's badge, without the jet's knowledge of course, for just such a time as this. His efforts had paid off handsomely it seemed even if it had taken some time. Perhaps Starscream was trying to hide from him, possibly underground. Perhaps the Autobots had hidden him away. Whatever the reason, he had been found.

Although, if the Autobots had been involved, it would be a laughable sight. Starscream had always been a treacherous snake, and he'd pulled this trick with the Autobots before. He'd made them believe he had "changed", that he had "seen the error of ways", after which he'd almost immediately ruined relations by shooting his intake off with some ill placed brag about slaughtering their comrades or something similar. It would be amusing if it weren't so pathetic.

The Nemesis was quickly rerouted and put on the right path. They had been heading in the opposite direction, but they ultimately weren't too far away from where the tracker had been picked up.

It took some time to arrive, a few mega-kliks at most, but they immediately touched down in a snowy region upon arrival.

This place didn't immediately seem familiar but if he recalled correctly, Starscream had initially retrieved the Apex Armor from a similar location. Could it be that he had returned to this place for some reason?

Megatron could envision a multitude of different scenarios, but Starscream knew better. Even if he'd made a secret base here, it would have done him no good. Like his last excursion, where he'd taken up residence in the remnants of the Harbinger ship. His endeavors had amounted to nothing and he'd come crawling back like always.

Truth be told, that had been the longest Starscream had been away since he'd become a Decepticon. This time shouldn't have been different, but call it a hunch -- the Decepticon leader felt that something wasn't right.

As they disembarked the ship, Megatron bade Soundwave to lead on as he followed, two Vehicons silently flanking them. The communications officer had utilized the same technology from the Nemesis on his personal HUD, and the tracker beeping ominously on his visored faceplate. They walked towards a mountain-like structure not too far off from the ship.

Finally, Soundwave stopped and pointed a single digit.

Megatron came around the other con, staring at the rock wall, covered heavily with snow. Raising an optic ridge, he turned back to Soundwave. Rarely did he doubt his most loyal warrior, but there didn't seem to be anything here beyond the wall. There wasn't even an opening the jet could have gone through.

"Starscream just inside."

A variety of different voices, including that of his own, resounded from the tall, lanky con as he continued to point not unlike an ominous specter.

"Very well. Allow me to knock." The gray colored jet remarked, raising his fusion cannon to attack. The barrel of the fusion cannon began to glow a bright purple as it gathered energy before firing off a single shot into the rock wall. The energy blast hit the rock, decimating it with ease, practically obliterating the stony structure as most of the rocks disintegrated in the blast.

When the dust had cleared, Megatron stepped forward to enter first, using a dull gray claw to swipe away any remaining smoke. The remaining rocks, practically pebbles at this point, crunched under his pointed pedes as he stepped through the created entryway.

Some feet down the cavernous tunnel was Starscream.

The tunnel was wide enough to fit even a mech of his size, and the icy walls seemed to stretch on into oblivion. The jet sat far enough away from the entry that the blast hadn't affected him, however, he remained motionless as if he hadn't heard a thing. Something of that magnitude could have woken the dead, and Megatron found it odd. Starscream could be an excellent actor when he tried, but to ignore that?

"Starscream." The con ordered, loud, firm. Normally, the con would jump to frenzied attention when he heard his designation said like that.

The steel-colored jet remained motionless as he continued to sit on the snowy ground, seemingly trapped between two large rocks. Had the blast trapped him beneath those rocks? It didn't appear so at first glance.

"Starscream, I order you to stand at attention this instant." Megatron commanded, slamming a fist into the wall for good measure. Still, the jet did not move. If he refused to acknowledge his leader's orders, then he would have to be forced it seemed.

Megatron continued the short walk down the cavern, stopping when he noticed the blue puddles along the ground. These were fresh but cold to the touch, he noted internally as he shifted his pede away from the substance. It seemed as if Starscream was more badly injured than he had anticipated...perhaps he had been too harsh in his punishment this time?

"Shut up...Skywarp...who cares if...Skyfire kissed me..." The smaller jet whispered suddenly, a mere mumble as he remained like a statue on the snowy ground.

So, he was still online then. His earlier guilt had been for nothing, and Megatron pushed it away. From what he could see, the jet had come here to hide, to nurse his wounds like the medic had said earlier, and appeared to have fallen in to recharge. Starscream was dreaming, mumbling something to an unseen figment that plagued him...Skywarp, yes, he knew that designation. He had been a Seeker like the jet before him before he had met his untimely end. As for the other one, Skyfire, it didn't ring any immediate bells.

Megatron grit his denta, leaned forward to grab one of those oblong rocks near Starscream when a thought struck him. Skyfire...he did know that name. Red optics scanned over the jet briefly before rising to the wall behind him. In the icy surface, a visage had been carved, one of a Cybertronian.

Quickly connecting the pieces, Megatron growled before continuing his earlier action and, grabbing the rock, tossed it aside as though it were nothing.

Starscream stirred peacefully, something finally waking him from his slumber, "Thundercracker, must you be so loud? I'm trying to-...Lord Megatron!"

The silver colored jet's red optics snapped open as the fog cleared from his processor. The figure before him was not Thundercracker, and they certainly weren't in a bunk room back on Cybertron. No, this was Megatron standing over him, venting angrily as his entire frame shook with anger.

"You would dare...?" Megatron asked, trailing off dangerously as Starscream scrambled his way up on to his pedes, clawed digits grasping for purchase on the wall behind him. Where this strength came from, the Seeker did not know. Perhaps it was adrenaline, perhaps it was fear, but whatever the reason, move he did. He only had a short window of opportunity to talk his leader down or else get out of the line of fire, there was no other option.

"No, Lord Megatron, this isn't what it looks like!" he cried, using his thin frame to try and cover the carving of Skyfire.

"Isn't it? It seems to me that you've dared to keep the memory of a traitor alive. A traitorous act in and of itself."

"No, no! You see, this was already here, I just happened upon it and-"

"Get out of my way!" The larger jet roared, pushing Starscream behind and away from him as he moved backward a short ways back towards the entrance before firing his cannon at Skyfire's likeness.

Despite Starscream's protests, the shot hit the carving square on, instantly destroying not only the carving but the remaining piece of rock Starscream had used for a makeshift arm. The icy wall exploded in a glimmer of ice and rock, sending pebbles and ice shards raining down upon them both.

Starscream feared for only a second that the tunnel would collapse, then decided that it didn't matter; if it did, it would catch them both up in it.

Megatron glared at where the effigy of Skyfire had once been, now nothing but a smoking crater filled with water. It was bad enough the image had been of a traitor, one that he had personally put down, but to know that Starscream had found even the tiniest comfort in it at his weakest hour...this had sparked an entirely different type of rage within him. Besides, a punishment was just that, not something he should take comfort away from.

"Starscream, you will return to the ship post-haste and see the medic."

"Ye...yes, my lord." Starscream muttered, still laying haphazardly from where Megatron had thrown him against the cave floor. He winced as those large, grey pedes stomped past, fearing more injury. When nothing happened, he relaxed as much as he could. This still was not an ideal situation.

Looking back at where Skyfire had been, Starscream saw only a circular hole, blackened all the way around, dripping melted, watery snow onto the ground. It had just been a carving, not the real thing, but he'd be lying if he said it didn't cause him pain to see it happen again.

Perhaps he couldn't have taken it with him, had circumstances been different, but it wouldn’t have lasted long on the Nemesis without a temperature controlled area. If left behind, it would at least be preserved here for some time. This region wasn’t likely to melt any time soon. 

He just...hadn't expected Megatron to find him, and so soon at that. He’d been prepared to perish here at the mercy of this planet’s weather, dreaming of Skyfire and the former members of his trine.

With some effort, he made it on to his pedes and exited the cave. Shrugging off the two Vehicons who tried to help him, Starscream ended up down in the snow once more. He could see that Megatron and Soundwave had already left him behind, their figures vanishing into the doorway at the top of the ship's gangplank.

He knew what awaited him in there. He'd seemingly made peace with death, but that had been because he was with Skyfire, in spirit if nothing else. This, he hadn't made peace with, and probably never would.

He would never forgive Megatron for this.