Chapter Text
Chapter 1.
Starscream soared through the skies at breakneck speeds, trying to get all the recent events to settle in his helm. 'How could everything have gone wrong so fast?' Starscream thought to himself. First the entire Insecticon army got taken over by Ariachnid and Ground bridged too who knows where, and half the Vehicons were also killed during that little fiasco as well. Then, Soundwave got eliminated one way or the other, Megatron got impaled by that scout Bumblebee, Shockwave was torn to scraps by undead Predacons, and Knockout decided to grow a conscience and abandon him. Although Starscream would never admit it, that one had hurt deep. He had actually come to see the red mech as more than a comrade, but as a true friend. But then Knockout stabbed him in the back, and joined those wretched AutoBots. Then when Megatron got revived thanks to Optimus Prime purging Unicron from his chassis, he too turned his back on the seeker, leaving him alone. Now Starscream had nothing and no one. Not even a single Vehicon remained under his command, let alone an army required to fight the AutoBots and gain control over Cybertron.
Things were looking bleak, to say the least. Not a single ally on the planet remained. All he had left was the few scattered bases Shockwave had set up around the planet and whatever secrets laid in Darkmount, Starscream's current destination. Coming to the throne room at the top of the base, he landed and went transformed, stalking to the throne with an evil grin on his face, the only thing able to hide the anguish he was currently feeling. "Not exactly how I'd planned to become the leader of the Decepticon's." Starscream mused to himself to keep the silence at bay. "But since Lord Megatron basically handed it down to me..." His face contorted into a bigger evil grin, as memories of the warlo- former warlord abandoned him. "I declare myself, Starscream, leader of the Decepticons!" Starscream smiled, although this one was bittersweet, he was finally ruler, but of what? There was no one to command, no armies to carry out his will. "Well the Nemesis wasn't the only Decepticon ship out there in the cosmos... and seeing as how I'm at Darkmount, I can just call all Decepticon ships back to Cybertron, wait for my armies to arrive, and defeat those wretched Autobots once and for all!" Starscream exclaimed, fist raised in the air.
Suddenly, a loud shriek rang out in the air, causing Starscream's entire chassis to shake in fear. He whipped around, only to witness the three Predacons: Predaking, Skylynx, and Darksteel land and begin to encircle him. "O-on s-second thought, maybe a throne is more fit for a k-king...?" He said, offering the throne to Predaking, hoping for his life to be spared. Immediately battle plans and schemes of taking back Cybertron were replaced by how to escape this confrontation alive. Should he beg? Should he offer himself to Predaking's as a servant? Should he just take his chances and try to blast past them, and hope the Autobots will take him as a prisoner, therefore protecting him from the Predacons? "I come here not for thrones, Starscream. But to settle debts." "I- t-that wasn't my fault I swear! I was only trying to survive Megatron's wrath, same as you!" Predaking glowered. "You may have survived Megatron's wrath, but you won't survive ours." Skylynx and Darksteel chuckled in dark laughter, and turned into their beast forms at Predakings command. Shrieking, together they advanced to the trembling,whimpering seeker, who found himself pushed into the throne. Two thoughts plagued Starscream in his final moments, the first was that he found it ironic that the throne he had always wanted for himself, was the one he'd be dying on, and the second was that he wished he had never aligned himself and his seeker brethren with Megatron. 'If only I hadn't joined Megatron...' Starscream thought with dread. "Perhaps you will have that chance, dear Starscream."
Starscream looked around, as did the Predacons, wondering who had said that. Switching to mech mode, Predaking called out, "show yourself! You shall not steal my prize away from me!" "Look!" Skylynx exclaimed. "He's glowing!" Starscream wondered what the frag they were talking about and looked down at himself. Starscream's optics nearly bulged out of his helm, seeing that his entire chassis was beginning to be covered in white,golden light. "W-what's happening to me!?" Starscream exclaimed in terror. "Easy, young one, there is no need for concern. I am simply fulfilling your wish, or rather giving you the opportunity to fulfill it." "Who... are you...?" Starscream asked as he saw the light envelope more on him. "I have gone by many names over the eons, but you may call, me Primus." "PRIMUS?!?!" slag slag slag, he was in trouble. Ever since the war began, he hadn't exactly been the best mech out there. Certainly no Prime. "You need not fear Starscream, this is not punishment. Merely a second chance. As you have requested." "...I see..." Starscream uttered, as the ramifications and possibilities of what could happen flowed through his helm. Predaking, having snapped out of his momentary stupor, did not like the idea of giving Starscream a second chance. "No... NOOOOOO!!!! He's mine you will not take him from me!" Predaking switched into his beast mode, and shot fire out of his mouth at Starscream, as he charged the seeker in an attempt to kill him.
"Aaaaaahhhh!" Starscream shouted. Throwing his hands in front of him, and shutting his optics, he braced for the impact of fire and Predaking's frame to slam into him obliterating his frail body. Only neither of those things ever happened. When he opened his eyes, he was confused as to where exactly he was, not at Darkmount, that was for sure. "Wha- I'm alive?" Starscream asked in disbelief, suddenly he looked up and saw himself in the reflection on the monitor. Not his sleek silver chassis, however. His old body. Blue servos, arms and feet, red torso, guns along his arms, black helm, and a far more sturdy body. "I'm... alive." He said, with a little more certainty than before. He stood there frozen for a few moments before he exploded with joy. "I'm alive! I'm alive! He fell to his knees in worship. "Oh thank you mighty Primus for this!" Starscream laughed. Not a cruel laugh as he had become accustomed too, but a laugh full of genuine happiness and joy. "Uhh... Screamer?" Starscream's wings shot up. That voice... no... it couldn't be.... Hesitantly he turned around and stared in disbelief. He gazed upon two identical bodies, the exact same as his own, the only difference being their paintjobs. One black and purple, the other light blue and gray. Tears filled his optics as he gazed upon faces he thought he would only ever see in nightmares. Nightmares of suffering, self hatred and sorrow. After a few moments of shock, Starscream finally said in a broken whisper, "Thundercracker? Skywarp?"