Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Super speed lightning punch attack!”

Tonk tonk tonk tonk tonk tonk tonk-

“It’s not just that he’s slacking off,” Starscream was saying as Skywarp hammered light punches into his shoulder. “It’s like he’s completely given up on trying to get anything done.”

“Maybe he’s struggling with something,” said Thundercracker. “I heard he was having problems with his trine. Would you like a drink?”

“Oh, sure.” Starscream swatted absently at Skywarp, who hopped away. 

Thundercracker handed him a cube and turned to the vending machine to get another. The machine was tucked away at the end of the corridor, right by a little table with stacks of cube shaped cups. The offices down the corridor were firmly closed, filled with officers busily working through the day. 

“Well, his trine members defected, so I’d say that constitutes a problem.” Starscream cracked open his cube. “Megatron wanted to keep it under the covers, but news got out.”

Skywarp crouched down, his wings wiggling as he got ready to pounce. 

“More defectors?” Thundercracker sighed, shaking his cube. “But he stayed behind?”

A loud clang echoed through the corridor as Skywarp launched himself onto Starscream’s back. 

“Yeah, and now Megatron thinks he might still be in contact with them. You know, as a spy. And I’d imagine that would grate on him after he chose to let them go.”

He swung his wings lazily, sandwiching Skywarp between them. 

“Headlock,” Skywarp announced in his audial. “Gotcha.”

His arms were wrapped around his neck in what seemed to be more of a hug than a headlock.

“Poor guy,” said Thundercracker. “He’s probably going through a lot of questioning, too. Cut him some slack.”

Starscream set down his drink to wrangle off a very delighted Skywarp and tossed him on the ground with a crash. It was his own fault for trying to challenge someone twice his weight.

A passing officer gave a concerned glance as Skywarp giggled from the floor. Admittedly, it wasn’t the kind of behaviour one would expect from the second in command’s trine member. 

But it’s good for his enrichment, Thundercracker said often. He’s only a couple decades old.

Starscream wasn’t particularly concerned about enrichment. He just enjoyed Skywarp’s little games, although he’d never admit it. 

“He’s slowing us all down, TC.” He picked up his drink. “Really, if he’s going to act like this, he may as well have defected too.”

“What?” came Skywarp’s voice from the floor. He got up and shook himself with a slight rattle. “You shouldn’t say that. It was brave of him to stay instead of leaving with those traitors.”

“He didn’t stay out of any particularly noble cause,” Starscream scoffed. “He was just scared.”

“Still, that’s not something he should be condemned for.”

“Tell that to Megatron, then. He’s the one getting paranoid and breathing down his neck.”

“Oh, well…” Skywarp fumbled with his words as Thundercracker handed him a cube. “Well, he probably has his reasons. He’s just trying to protect the rest of us.”

Starscream huffed exasperatedly into his cup. 

Skywarp opened his mouth to say something else, but then paused and raised his hand to his helm. 

“You’ve reached Skywarp.” He tilted his head. “Alright, be there in four seconds.”

He turned back to them. “Gotta go. Thanks for the cube.”

“Bye.”

He vanished in a flash of light. 

“Sometimes I forget he actually has a job,” Thundercracker admitted. 

“His skills are better suited to the battlefield,” Starscream muttered. He tossed his cup to the disposal chute, then hissed a curse as it bounced off the edge and clattered to the ground. 

“I certainly hope his comment hasn’t soured your mood for the rest of the day,” Thundercracker said dryly as Starscream picked up the cup and slammed it into the disposal chute.

“I try not to say anything, TC, but the way he switched up for his precious leader was just absurd.”

“I know,” he said soothingly. “But remember what you said? The more he wants to keep Megatron happy, the safer he’ll be.”

Starscream was shaking his head. “I don’t even know about that anymore. You know how Megatron’s been…”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “I mean, he blew his lid off at Soundwave the other day. At this point, the only way for anyone to keep themselves safe is to just stay as far out of his sight as possible.”

Thundercracker smiled, a glint in his optic. “Yeah. What a great point. Is that why you’ve been delaying his promotion?”

“...what?”

“You’ve been pushing Skywarp away from our duties. You’ve basically been ignoring him at work.”

“I… I have not. He was literally right here just now. Hanging out. Talking.”

“You know what I mean, Star. You refuse to let him attend meetings and councils that he has the right - or the responsibility - to attend as our trine member. Any time he gets a task close to the high command circle, you reassign him. And now you’ve been delaying his promotion for how long?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, shuffling away. “I have to get back to work.” 

“Nuh uh, I don’t think so.”

Thundercracker came around in front of him, flaring up his massive wings to cage him in. Starscream gave him a sulky look.

“You know what your problem is, TC?”

“What?”

“You never let me run my schemes in peace.”

Thundercracker grinned. “You know what your problem is, Star?”

He only received a glare in response. 

“You’re always trying to run schemes instead of talking to me.”

“Ugh.” Starscream pushed him back as he lowered his wings. “Fine. I just want him out of Megatron’s sight, okay? You know how catalytic he can be, and- why are you laughing at me!?”

“Oh, Star.” Thundercracker placed a hand on his helm. “You’re so… you’re so bad at this.”

“ What?”

“He’s spent so much time beating himself up over that stuff. You’re telling me this whole time you were just trying to help?”

“I- well, he’s… How do you know that?”

“He told me, obviously. It’s been a pretty big hit to his self-esteem.”

Starscream narrowed his optics. 

“I find it hard to believe Skywarp cares so much about a promotion.”

“He’s upset about you. You’re like, his idol, and you’ve been brushing him off. Haven’t you noticed how wildly he’s been performing in physical? He’s overcompensating.”

“I’m not his idol,” he sneered. “It’s Megatron .”

A look of genuine irritation flashed across Thundercracker’s face.

“Turn on your optics, Starscream. He looks up to us. Especially to you. This is important for him.”

“Well, if he cares so much, why did he tell you and not me?”

He flattened his mouth into a thin line. 

“I don’t mean to be rude, but one of us is better emotionally equipped to handle his troubles than the other.”

“Well, the next time he comes to cry on your shoulder, maybe you should tell him to take up his concerns with the person they’re actually about.”

“This is why he never goes to you,” Thundercracker snarled. “It’s always about you and your damn ego.”

Starscream shut his mouth, taken aback. The harsh lines in Thundercracker’s expression faded as the silence settled between them. 

“You should talk to him,” he said at last. “Just tell him the truth.”

“He’ll never understand,” Starscream said wearily. “He thinks Megatron is the greatest thing ever.” 

“Then tell him how he treated you.”

“That's not something he needs to know about,” Starscream snapped, his gaze flicking away. “And it's not something you need to be bringing up right now!”

“Okay, fine. But you could still tell him something.”

“He won't get it. He'll think I'm crazy.” 

“Then let him think you’re crazy. At least don’t let him think you don’t care.”

He placed a hand on Starscream’s shoulder. “We have to take care of each other. Don't forget our promise.”

And with that, Thundercracker swept past him and left. 

Starscream rubbed his face, shuttering his optics. Then he knocked on his helm a few times. He’d think about this later. Right now, he had things to do, and-

A distant boom resounded through the air, rattling the ship. Instantly, his comm was flooded with alerts and alarms. 

Sirens wailed. Red lights flashed, reflecting off Starscream’s armor as he sprinted through the building. 

All decepticons dispatch immediately. 

We’re under attack!

Sir, they’re behind the west wing. 

The autobots have struck-

“Send me their locations.” Starscream skidded around a corner as his comm pinged again. He only needed a split second to process the information sent to him. 

He switched to a broadcast. 

“They’re targeting our energon stores,” he yelled over the sirens. 

“Mobilize.” Megatron’s voice thundered through the broadcast. “Stealth platoon: inside the stores. The rest of the artillery: defend the outside. Starscream, take your company and cover them from the skies. Soundwave-”

Starscream switched the communication channel. “You heard him. 18-84, 85: launch from the west wing deck. The rest of you, secure the perimeter. Shoot on sight and report anything you see.”

He checked the locators of his trine. Thundercracker was still nearby, closing in on him.

“Thundercracker, Skywarp: meet me at the deck.”

The response was immediate. 

Yes, commander.

~~~~~

The sky above him was red. 

Blooming clouds ripped through it, shifting color as the sun crept up over the horizon. Slowly, bit by bit, it illuminated the battlefield. 

The ground below him was blue. 

The soil was wet and muddy with energon. Broken, shredded, and sliced bodies lay still, half sunken into the mud. Metal glinted under the early sunlight in a multitude of colors. A pink helm. A green arm. Darkened optics. The autobot insignia on a shoulder. The decepticon insignia on a wing. 

Starscream tapped into the private connection he had with his trine to order them to report their status. 

“TC?” was the feeble plea that tumbled from his lips. “Warp?”

It felt like the harder he tried to keep his trine by his side in battle, the more likely they were to be split up. Thundercracker had to lead a platoon around to the other side when the seekers on the perimeter called for backup, while Starscream stayed to command his forces. And Skywarp…

Well, Skywarp’s ability forced him to spend more time on the ground, teleporting straight to his target with a sword in their spark. He could usually be traced by the screams of terror announcing his arrival. 

Starscream had seen it in action. He’d seen it develop over time. That blank, hazy look in his optics. The flash of his swords. The snapping noise of a body cracking around the blade. The smell of scorched energon as he teleported to the next target before the last one had even hit the ground. 

He killed. He killed until the path was empty. He killed until he was so soaked in energon that his body stuttered. Expressionless. Empty. No words on his lips. Only smoke. 

Starscream had asked him once, after a battle. Did he know how many people he had killed that day?

Four or five, he’d said. 

Starscream himself had watched him cut down twenty three. 

There was a crackle in the comm line. 

“Star.” Thundercracker’s voice was saturated with relief. “Safe?”

“Yeah. You?”

“I’m fine.”

They paused, waiting, but only static filled the comm line. 

“Skywarp?”

His locator was offline. 

“Skywarp!”

“Infirmary,” Thundercracker said immediately. “He must have overexerted himself again. I’ll go check.”

“Did you receive the summons?”

“What summons?”

“Megatron wants a council.”

“Go. I’ll find Skywarp and update you.”

And then he was gone. 

From the silence came a weak gasping, sobbing sound. Starscream turned to see that a small seeker had landed nearby. 

She seemed to be one of the young ones: Skywarp’s cohort. They had the same frame. She was scrabbling against the mud, trying to retrieve a body. One hand grasped a wing, the other pulled frantically at an arm. Her frame made stuttering noises as the mud seeped into the cheap, poorly protected machinations that all of her cohort came with. She didn’t seem to notice, though. She just kept pulling hopelessly at the body. 

It was only when Starscream trudged over that she stopped, shrinking back. He reached down, grasping the arm, and started to pull. Out of the mud emerged the helm, the cockpit, and…

Well, 

That was about it, actually. 

The rest was just a trailing mess of wires.

He placed the body back down and walked away. 

As the little seeker started to wail, he returned to the ship for the meeting. 

Megatron had only called in a small circle. Soundwave was there, of course, along with a few other generals and confidants. Shockwave’s spot was noticeably empty. At another time, Starscream may have taken the opportunity to revel in the possibility of his terrible demise. Today, however, his attention was diverted elsewhere. 

For the fifth time, he sent an inquiring ping to Thundercracker. 

For the fifth time, he received a negative. 

ask knockout. red car. he knows sqrp by face, he sent.

I know what I’m doing, came the short reply. 

Starscream bit his tongue. Hard. Thundercracker was good at keeping his cool, but if Starscream didn’t keep a lid on it, he’d start to panic as well. It wasn’t the first time Skywarp had ended up in the infirmary after a battle. He’d be fine. 

Still, he fidgeted, wishing he could go look for him instead of sitting in this stupid council…

“We let ourselves get lulled into a false sense of security,” the head of logistics was saying agitatedly. He was a spindly, silly looking being, with a spindlier, sillier looking headpiece. “Just because we have not encountered a battle in a long time. We cannot forget! That we are still in the midst of a war.”

The seats in the council room were arranged in concentric rings, greatly outnumbering the current number of attendees. There was generally an order to the seating, but everyone was beaten and exhausted, and most of them had just collapsed wherever they could. 

At the innermost ring stood Megatron. He’d planted his fists on the table and leaned heavily on them, head lowered, jaw set.

“‘S’ardly fair,” a general with a wide, dented nose protested. “Our boys responded quickly. We fucked up them ‘bots real good. Right, Screamer?”

Starscream made a dismissive noise. 

“That! Is beside the point, general Miter. We need to address the issue of how and why they were able to target our energon stores with such accuracy.”

“Tha’s obvious. The defectors must’ve told ‘em.”

“Precisely! The loyalties of our troops are wavering. They are forgetting about the importance of our war. Our noble cause. We have to crack down on traitors. Make an example out of them! Those… those seekers that defected. That ‘trine member’ of theirs. We should-”

Megatron raised a hand. The general fell silent. 

“Tha’s right,” Miter sneered. “And watch what you say about the seekers, fancy boy. We’d all been crisped up if we didn’ave aerial fighters.”

Thundercracker pinged his comm. 

Skywarp was here. Overexertion and a shot to the optic. Shockwave took him away before he could get treated.

Wh…

What?

Starscream’s clenched fist started to shake. What right did Shockwave have to not only interrupt Skywarp’s treatment, but- but kidnap, essentially-

The rumble of Megatron’s voice dragged him back to the proceedings in the council room. 

“Their attempts were not focused singularly on destroying our supply,” he was saying. “They were also trying to retrieve as much of it as possible for themselves. This was an attempt of desperation, and it showed in their battle strategy. Their reserves are running low.”

“Well then! By all means, we should be baiting them! Lure them out again and again until they bleed themselves dry.”

What did Shockwave want with him anyway? Now, when he was injured?

“We bleed too, fusehead,” Miter growled. “Our supply’s bust. Soldiers are injured. Part’s ain’t been coming in for how long now? Soldiers been askin’ questions, you know. ‘Specially the little ones. They break easy, and now they’re not gettin’ the repairs they need. Maybe focus on your job ‘n leave battle strategy to us.”

Did he plan on using Skywarp for experimentation in his compromised state?

“Oh, please! Those ones were built specifically for the war. They will be fine.”

“You’re sendin’ ‘em out with missin’ and damaged parts! At this point you’ve turned ‘em into walkin’ targets.”

Fuck it. He had to throw all caution to the wind and demand to know where Shockwave was. 

“War requires sacrifice! To protect what is important!”

A fist slammed on the table.

A hush fell over the council. They all turned as the source of the noise rose. 

“All soldiers. Are important,” Soundwave thundered. 

But before anyone could find a reply to that, the doors hissed open, and in walked…

Skywarp?

And bringing up the rear with a clawed hand clamped firmly on Skywarp’s shoulder was Shockwave. 

Starscream leapt up, wings flaring out in incredulity. 

Skywarp definitely looked worse for wear after the battle he’d just endured. He was covered in dried mud and energon, and the left side of his face was scorched and streaked with soot. His optic looked intact, but it was darkened and dim. Clearly Shockwave hadn't deigned to patch him up. He was limping, and he stumbled as he was propelled forward. 

Right in front of Megatron. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Starscream demanded, and Skywarp flinched as his voice rang out through the hall. “Why is he here!?”

Megatron flashed him an irritated look, but Shockwave just ignored him. 

“I hope you have a valid reason for bringing an unauthorized underling into a private council, Shockwave,” Megatron said, sounding weary. 

Skywarp was looking at Starscream. His optics were wide, filled with a silent plea. 

Rage flooded through Starscream. 

“I come with an update regarding the transplant proposal.” 

“With the dead body parts?”

“Yes.”

Megatron sighed. “Shockwave, I do not mean to underestimate your skills, but a dead part is a dead part. Unless you mean to tell me you found a way to revive them-”

“Yes,” Shockwave repeated. 

Miter let out a derisive snort, but Megatron straightened up, folding his arms. 

“...very well then. Let me hear it.” 

“We know that when the spark of a body dies, the parts become nonfunctional. Up until now, I have been trying to reactivate them by using the same strategies we used to make bodies for cold constructs: activating them with specialized energon until the spark is placed. However, I found a way to tap into an existing spark, which can reactivate a part just long enough for it to be transplanted into a frame. Once it is attached, the host spark will take over and reactivate it permanently.” 

“Great,” Miter muttered. “Now they wanna reinvent scroungers.”

Starscream’s lip curled in disgust. He slid off his seat and started to descend down the rings, circling the party in the center. 

Skywarp let out a panicked squeak as Shockwave grasped his jaw and angled his head upwards. 

“This is one of the testable subjects I found. As you can see, his optic got damaged. I also retrieved an optic belonging to a forged artillery soldier that was right for the situation. Second generation cold constructs like this one here are perfect for the transplants. They are, of course, the ones who need them the most.”

A sharp, pointed finger traced a circle around Skywarp’s optic, leaving trails in the soot.

“The socket is large, specifically designed for convenient replacement of the optic. It can fit optics of various sizes. A different type of optic may cause issues with the visual field, but that is a simple fix in the drivers.” He tapped the side of the helm. 

“Parts from nearly any dead body can fit in this frame.”

Megatron frowned as Skywarp started to squirm against Shockwave’s grip. 

“With your permission, Lord Megatron, I could continue and conduct further testing.”

“If I may, Lord Megatron ,” Starscream cut in. His mind raced as he stepped around Shockwave, trying to think of a way to extract Skywarp from the situation. 

“How do you think soldiers would react if news got out that the second generation is being repaired using dead parts? I hope you haven’t forgotten what our people used to think of that type of practice back on Cybertron. These soldiers are already looked down upon for their poor make and quality, and I know the last thing you want right now is further instability among the ranks.”

“Your point is taken, Starscream,” said Megatron, although he couldn’t hide the irritation from his voice. “But these are revived parts, not stolen, dead ones. And times are difficult. The soldiers will be pleased to be repaired after waiting so long.”

“I doubt the taboos of our past have been forgotten so quickly.”

“They will understand.”

The fear in Skywarp’s expression suggested otherwise. For a moment, Starscream considered snatching him out of Shockwave’s grasp and getting him to warp them away. 

“Then at the very least choose someone who- who isn’t such a valuable asset on the battlefield.” He held up his hands. “This is one of our best soldiers, and with the way we have been thrust into a combative situation, we need all of our best fighters available. We can’t afford to get him involved in an experiment like this.”

Megatron was watching him with a suspicious glint in his optics. 

“This is your trine member, is it not?” he asked, turning to look at the trine badge Skywarp wore: an exact match to Starscream’s.

“That’s the teleporter, yes. And I’m sure everyone here can testify to how efficient he is on the battlefield, and how many people he’s saved.” He turned to the onlookers. “ Right?”

They nodded hastily, muttering in agreement. 

“Well then, if anything, we should all be very pleased that he is the first to receive treatment.”

“I don't need it,” Skywarp blurted out suddenly. 

Starscream gritted his teeth as Megatron looked down at him. 

“Quiet,” he rumbled, but Skywarp was shaking his head frantically.

“I- I don't want a dead part. My optic is working fine. I can see perfectly.” 

“I know you can,” Shockwave replied, unfazed. “I have already performed the transplant on you.” 

Fury and repulsion washed over Starscream as Skywarp looked to him, stricken. 

“You have no right-”

“This is absurd,” Miter cut in with a snarl. “You didn't even tell the soldier you turned ‘im into a scrounger!”

A disturbance rippled through the council at his words, and Skywarp's hand flew to his face. 

A scrounger? someone hissed. 

“Shut up, Miter,” Starscream growled. He reached out to grab Skywarp, but he flinched away. A flash of light surrounded him, and he reappeared on the edge of the inner ring.

His darkened optic was covered by a shaking hand, the digits digging into his face. The other optic was wide with horror. 

“No.” His voice broke with distress. “No, I don't want to be a scrounger, please-”

“Look at ‘im!” Miter exclaimed. “I won’t be lettin’ you do that to my soldiers!"

“Don’t be ungrateful, general,” said a cold voice. 

“This is cruelty!”

Starscream tried to run to Skywarp.

“It is an opportunity!”

Megatron slammed his fist on the wall. “ Silence! ”

Starscream flinched, stopping in his tracks. The room fell quiet. 

“I have had enough of this,” Megatron thundered. “And you.” He pointed at Starscream. “Sit back down.”

Starscream stepped back, but he didn't return to any seat. His frame trembled with anger. Things had gotten out of control too quickly.

“We could have avoided a lot of argumentation if you had made that clear from the start, Shockwave,” said Megatron. 

“My apologies,” Shockwave replied dryly. 

“If I cannot rely on my council to maintain their civility under controversial circumstances, then it is clear I cannot expect any such thing from the rest of my soldiers. And, you…”

Fear surged through Starscream as Megatron stalked over to Skywarp, whose face was buried in his hands, his wings quivering. But Skywarp’s expression didn’t match that fear as he looked up. He didn’t see the way Megatron’s arm tensed, his fingers curling. His mismatched optics gazed up at their leader with desperate hope.

“The cowardice you showed just now spoke more about you than any acclaim you may have received,” Megatron growled. “You will speak about this procedure to no one. Do you understand?”

The agony on Skywarp’s face was plain to see. 

“But I didn’t ask for-”

“ Do you understand?”

He shrank back. 

“Yes, sir,” he whispered. 

“Leave.”

Skywarp stumbled backwards, wincing as his weight fell on his injured leg. There was a flash of light, an electric hiss, and he was gone. 

Chapter Text

Whirlchaser [Seeker, 2nd Generation]

Stormcloud [Stealth, 2nd Generation]

Starwalker [Seeker, 1st Generation]

Shardstreak [Artillery, 2nd Generation]

Boltshadow [Artillery, Forged]

Skywarp scanned the last name and scrolled to the next set.  The room was dark, illuminated only by the screen in front of him. It threw a pallid light on his face, revealing a blank expression, hazy with exhaustion. He wasn’t even fully processing what he was seeing on the screen anymore. He couldn’t forget the way Starscream had looked at him in the council room. Enraged. Repulsed. 

They’d called him a scrounger.

His optic throbbed as he remembered that. It was as though he could feel the damn thing, large and foreign and dead. 

They’d placed a piece of a corpse in him. 

Skywarp shook his head, as if he was trying to physically dismantle the thoughts. He was overreacting. His leader knew what he was doing. Skywarp had disappointed not just him, but also his commander.  He was a coward. He’d been put to the test, and he had failed. The optic made an unpleasant click as he looked up at the screen. 

“Skywarp?”

He flinched violently. A burst of light flashed through the room, briefly revealing a startled Starscream, and Skywarp was gone. 

“Wait!”

Starscream groaned, hissing a curse into the air. 

Skywarp's spark flickered wildly as he crouched behind a set of screens. It was just Starscream. Why had he jumped like that?

He stood up slowly, and relief washed over Starscream’s face. 

“Oh, thank Primus. You're still here.”

“How… how did you find me?” 

He'd turned his locator off. How had Starscream been able to…

Why-

Why was it on?

“I had your locator switched back on, Skywarp. I needed to find you.”

“Oh,” he whispered. “I didn't know you could do that.”

“I am your commander. I should be able to track you if I want.”

He came over, but Skywarp scrambled back, turning his face away. 

“I’m sorry,” he said frantically, a hand covering his optic. “I didn't mean to cause a scene. I didn't understand what was happening.”

“Does it work fine?”

“I- I can still fight. I'll make it up to you. I'll prove myself to Lord Megatron. I'll fight well, I promise-”

“Skywarp.” Starscream took his wrists and pulled them away from his face. “Does your optic work? Does it hurt? Skywarp, look at me.”

He didn't want to. He just wanted to crawl away and hide. He didn't want to face his disgust again.  But the grip on his wrists was tight, and slowly, fearfully, he looked up at Starscream. His face was taught, tension reflecting in the lines around his optics.

“I don't want to be a scrounger,” Skywarp whispered. 

“You're not one. Just… relax, alright? Stop panicking.” 

He finally let him go, and Skywarp stretched out his hands to him hesitantly, silently asking for a hug, a scrap of comfort.

Starscream didn’t reach out for him. 

“Listen, scroungers weren't even… they weren't that big of a deal. Okay? Do you even know what they were?”

Of course he knew. The poor and the suffering, those who’d lost parts or limbs and couldn’t afford replacements. They used dead parts - scavenged from corpses, or from their victims - as prosthetics, doing whatever they could to survive. He remembered reading about the way they were shunned and feared, ostracized even further from society. They were considered freaks and monsters, branded as worse than killers. 

They were just people who needed help.

“Where did you hear about them?”

“The ideals.”

“What?”

“They were in the ideals,” he said hazily. “Number sixteen. All Cybertronians deserve the right to be repaired and restored as functioning members of society, lest they be forced to resort to drastic, violent measures-”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Starscream interrupted hastily. “Have you memorized the ideals?”

The optic clicked as Skywarp looked up at him.  He nodded. 

Starscream sighed. “Look, Warp…”

He hesitated, running a hand over his helm. “I know you idolize Megatron, and his… Well, ideals. I don't blame you. It's all you know. But…”

The words seemed to stick in his throat as he struggled to get them out. 

“Sometimes he can be cruel,” he said finally. “Not just to the enemy. I’ve… witnessed it. Sometimes he makes choices that we simply can't accept.”

“I understand,” Skywarp said quietly. 

“Right.” A flicker of hope passed over his face. “And-”

“He has to protect us, after all.”

“What? No, not like that. It’s not for our protection, it’s to scare us. He threatens to hurt us, and he’ll follow up on it more often than not. And when that doesn’t work, he’ll go for the people we care about.”

“But…  He has to keep control of the army, doesn’t he? Sometimes we don't know what's best for us. And besides, we don’t have to worry about that, the traitors do.” 

The monitor in the back powered down, and whatever Starscream had wanted to say vanished into the darkness. The light from his optics fanned over his faceplate, highlighting a scratch – no, a scar – on his cheek that Skywarp hadn’t noticed before. 

“Yeah,” he said finally. “Yeah. We should get you patched up. Let's go.”

“I don’t understand-”

“It’s nothing,” he said abruptly. 

“Should I apologize to Lord-”

“No. You will not see him again. I’ll be keeping you out of his sight.” 

“...can I know-”

“You don’t need to know anything.” Starscream’s tone was harsh, and Skywarp quietened down. “Let’s go.” 

He took Skywarp's wrist and pulled him to the door. 

“St- commander?” he asked, limping after him. 

“What?”

“What did they decide about the transplants?”

Starscream's grip tightened. 

“They will be going forward with them,” he said, his tone betraying no emotion. “Effective immediately. Megatron isn't allowing time to study any potential long term effects. But the source of the parts remains strictly confidential. No one is allowed to know where they come from. The soldiers will be led to believe they're brand new, and that any odd pieces were unused parts found in old factories.”

“We’re… lying to everyone?”

“The reaction scared Megatron. He doesn't want to lose any more control over his troops.”

He was walking too quickly. Skywarp stumbled, struggling to keep up. 

“Commander?”

“Yeah?”

“You won't tell anyone about… me, right?”

“I just told you, I'm not allowed to.”

“Yes, but… you won't tell TC either, right?” 

The thought of Thundercracker looking at him with the same disgust as Starscream was too much to bear.

“No,” Starscream sighed. “Not worth the risk.”

“Skywarp!”

They turned to see Thundercracker hurrying toward them. 

“There you are!” he exclaimed, holding out his arms. “I was so worried about you.”

Skywarp ran past Starscream straight to Thundercracker. He drew Skywarp close and hugged him tightly, gentle and warm. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” He cupped his face in his hands. “Are you hurt? What happened to your optic? And why are you limping?”

Skywarp didn’t respond. He just slumped against Thundercracker, the last remnants of his energy draining away. 

“His optic is fine, it just looks busted,” Starscream filled in for him. “We need to get his leg patched up.”

“Should we take him to the infirmary?” Thundercracker asked, hoisting him up. 

“Infirmary’s overflowing. I think we can handle it ourselves.”

“Okay.” Thundercracker started walking away as Skywarp leaned over his shoulder. “Let’s go get you fixed. You too, Star. You look pretty scraped up.”

“Coming,” he said distantly, but he still hadn’t moved when Skywarp shuttered his optics. 

~~~~~

Skywarp squirmed as Thundercracker prised open his greaves. 

“Stop it,” he mumbled blearily. 

“You’re caked in gunk, Warp. It’s all up in your systems.”

“Just leave it. You’ll never get it all out.”

“I have to get as much of it as possible, though. Look at this: mud and energon and Primus knows what. It's bad for you.”

Skywarp slumped back in the recharge pod, defeated. 

Starscream paid them no mind as he finished cleaning himself off. Skywarp was terrible at maintaining himself, they all knew that. His unpolished armour was nearly matte, and he never even bothered buffing out any patches. 

“I know resources were scarce,” Thundercracker muttered to no one in particular as he tossed clumps of mud into a bucket. “But they could have at least built him with some insulation.”

“I’d suppose they weren’t expecting a seeker to be traipsing around in the mud.” Starscream rubbed absently at a small scratch on his arm. “And they definitely didn’t expect like… Earth rain.”

“And winter,” Skywarp mumbled miserably. They all knew he couldn’t stand winter.

“It’s a lack of care, Star. That's all there is to it.”

Skywarp was wiping the soot off his face. He wasn’t doing a very good job of it, though. Indeed, under the haze of exhaustion, he appeared to be spreading it around more than anything. 

“What was the meeting about?” Thundercracker asked, closing the right leg. 

“Mostly just everyone throwing a tantrum.”

“And?”

“Stricter energon rations. There’s gonna be a meeting with the captains tomorrow. And then a public address. The autobots have been getting bold. Megatron wants to push them back.”

He paused. 

“We’re going on the offensive again.”

His words hung in the air: sharp and brittle. 

Skywarp pulled his leg out of Thundercracker’s grasp, snapped the panels shut, and rolled over in the pod, turning away from them. 

Thundercracker lowered his head. 

“We have a strategy,” Starscream said, trying to sound confident. “It’s solid. It could… it could be over soon.”

Thundercracker pressed his lips together as he picked up the bucket and brushed past him. 

He’d heard it all before. 

A ping on Starscream’s comm caught his attention. It was a request to meet. 

From… Soundwave. 

“I’ll be back in a moment,” he said, stepping out of the dorm. 

Soundwave was waiting for him at the end of the corridor. There was an awkward hunch in his posture, and he looked entirely out of place in the seekers’ area. 

“What is it?” Starscream asked as he approached. “Why are you here?”

“Skywarp,” he said plainly. 

“He’s unavailable,” Starscream snapped before he could continue. “I’m not letting you near him.”

“I do not want to see him. I want to ask after him.”

He narrowed his optics. “...why?”

“Concerned.”

He scoffed, but Soundwave had nothing else to say. 

“Well, he’s doing bad, thanks for asking. Turns out being experimented on against your will and then getting humiliated by your idol isn’t so great for you.”

Soundwave just stared at him. The inscrutability of his visor was pissing Starscream off. 

“We’re taking care of him, okay? Now… shoo, or something.”

He inclined his head in farewell and strode away. 

Starscream just stared at him, thrown thoroughly off kilter by his appearance. 

“You’re weird!” he called after him.

And then he spent some time wondering why he was being so callous. 

When he returned to the dorm, Thundercracker’s pod was closed and Skywarp was nowhere to be seen. It took him a while to hear the soft voices coming from the pod.  He shuffled closer, straining his audials. He could hear Skywarp speaking, his words muffled.

“...so endless, TC.” His voice rose with distress. “I just want it to be over .”

Thundercracker’s low, deep voice was indiscernible.  Starscream crawled into his pod and flopped over on his back, splaying out his wings. He stayed like that for a long time, watching the weak outside light travel over the ceiling while the murmur of their voices slowly died down. 

Thundercracker was humming.  It was an old tune, one that Starscream hardly remembered. The war didn’t leave much room for lullabies, after all. 

And as the light faded out, so too did the humming. They’d powered down, and he knew he should too, but he rolled out of the pod and went over to Thundercracker’s.  He crouched down, carefully lifting the top, and the tip of a black wing poked out. He peered inside to see Skywarp and Thundercracker curled up, plugged in, and recharging. 

Thundercracker hadn’t been there at the meeting. He wasn’t the one who’d spoken up for Skywarp. He wasn’t the one who had found him afterwards, scared and hiding. 

But Skywarp had still chosen to come here. 

Starscream reached out, letting his knuckles brush against Skywarp’s helm. It felt cold to the touch, and he gently nudged it closer to Thundercracker’s cockpit, hoping the heat from his body would keep him warm.  He tucked the wing back inside and closed the top before going to his own pod and curling up alone. 

~~~~~

Bleed.

They had to bleed. 

Our noble struggle, our relentless pursuit – it all ends soon.  

Skywarp's blades were a beautiful, iridescent blue.

The enemy is weakened. Everything we fight for is within our grasp. 

They shone in the twilight as they slashed through the air. 

My people, I implore you. Stand as one. Stand with me, and we will watch the curtains fall on this war together. 

A chilling shriek vanished into the air as the blades tore through a spark chamber. 

Everything we suffered will be worth it. 

Energon splattered everywhere. Screams and gunfire resounded through his head. Chaff rained from the sky. Skywarp lifted his blades and swung again, tearing through another body. He heard a spatter of gunfire to his left and immediately warped. 

He landed by his attacker, his sword buried just beneath the gunner’s spark. Her body cracked around the sword and her optics widened as energon started to seep out.

“Please,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

As the light died from her optics, Skywarp slashed upwards, tearing her frame in half. 

Bleed them dry, was the command.

So he killed. And killed. 

It was only when he stumbled over a body that he halted.  It was one of their artillery, white and cornflower blue. He was soaked in mud, curled up in agony. He reached out as he saw Skywarp, with a bleeding stump where his hand should have been. His mouth opened in a silent plea. 

He was the teleporter, after all. 

Skywarp sheathed a blade, grasped his arm, and warped. 

The soldiers knew the teleporter would always take them to safety. 

They landed behind the front lines, right by a medic. Skywarp didn't wait for any response or gratitude. He didn't wait for his frame to recover from the strain he'd just placed on it. He let go of the soldier and warped back to the front, his blades raised again. 

The sun rose. Bodies fell. The battle ravaged on. 

Skywarp continued to fight. He continued to drag injured soldiers back. His frame burned from the strain, begging him to leave them behind. But he kept going, blind to the alerts popping up in his vision. 

As one more victim dropped to the ground, Skywarp saw someone move in the corner of his peripherals. He slashed to his left, staggering sideways. 

No one was there. His optic throbbed. He turned around slowly, scanning the field, but there wasn’t a single bot near him. He realized he had travelled away from the main conflict. He was about to turn and warp back, but his legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground. Skywarp gritted his teeth, knuckles digging into the blue tinged mud. His systems stuttered and whined. Smoke spilled out of his mouth.  He slumped against the ground, defeated, as his body forced him to take the respite he'd been denying it. His vision went hazy. The rising sun gazed down at him, peering over a rolling mound on the battlefield. In the distance, an earth shaking boom resounded through the air. 

Thundercracker. It was a familiar sound. 

He had to get back up. He had to help the rest. They were so close. 

Megatron had promised it. They were so close. 

Skywarp's frame groaned as he pushed himself up. He stumbled over the bodies, heels digging into the ground. He could hear conflict nearby, just over the mound. It took him a few agonizing moments to get over to the top, scrabbling and sliding. Skywarp looked down at the battlefield below him. 

He gasped. 

A ring of dead soldiers littered the ground. In the centre was the great leader, silver armour shining under the sunrise. His face was contorted with rage, his cannon raised. 

And in front of him was Optimus Prime, his blue axe arcing through the air.  Metal clashed and sparks flew as the two luminaries exchanged blows.  Skywarp raised his blades, preparing to strike, when he remembered their leader's orders: 

No one was to kill Optimus Prime. 

That was a threat only the leader would face. By himself. 

He hissed in frustration, stepping back. He trusted in his leader's abilities, but not being allowed to help was agonizing. 

Their leader roared, firing a shot and striking Prime in the shoulder. He stumbled back, the swing of his axe interrupted. 

Their leader had been doing well. 

He would have won. 

Certainly, he would have. 

If it hadn't been for the autobots’ dirty tricks.

Skywarp cried out in horror as an unnoticed autobot raised his gun and fired, the bullet going straight into the leader's optic. He snarled in pain, staggering back. Prime took the opportunity and lunged forward, his axe raised. 

Blue streaks of light painted the sky as it swung down, aiming for their leader's spark. 

Skywarp's blades hadn't hit the ground before he was gone. 

Light blossomed between the prime and the leader as Skywarp appeared before the axe, hands outstretched. The prime's optics widened. As the axe descended, he twisted his wrist, and the flat side of its head smashed into Skywarp's arm. The frail metal crumpled instantly. Skywarp screamed, his vision glitching out. Their leader raised his cannon, but Skywarp dug his digits into the silver armour and warped one last time.  As light exploded onto the battlefield, Skywarp's spark wavered, his frame pushed far beyond its limits. The warp terminated early, flinging him back to the real plane. He bounced and skidded off the ground. Metal crunched and twisted. 

An alert filled his vision, blocking out the red sky. 

Forcing system stasis. Shutting down in 3,

2,

1.

Chapter Text

Starscream's vision blurred as he stared, hypnotized, at the pulsing light in front of him. It was weak but steady, spilling out of a partially opened segment of Skywarp's frame. He was still in stasis, and multiple panels had been opened up and plugged with wires and transfusion tubes. His arm had been almost completely taken apart. 

Starscream sat by him, holding his limp hand, running his thumb over his knuckles. He was resting his head on his palm, slumped over in exhaustion. He knew he couldn't do anything. He knew Skywarp wouldn't wake up for a long time. But he didn't leave. He couldn't. Not now. 

A lopsided curtain had been strung up around them, partially pulled back. Beyond it, medics bustled around: patching up soldiers, calling out orders, carrying stretchers. 

Starscream blinked as the doctor slid Skywarp's spark chamber closed and the light disappeared from view. 

“He’s probably going to be alright,” said Knockout, and he snapped down the ribbed metal under the cockpit. “I don't know when he'll wake up. You can leave.”

“I want to stay a little longer,” he said, his voicebox fuzzy. 

“Sure, whatever.” Knockout’s optics were dim and his head was tilted to the side, as though he were too tired to hold it up. “You need any treatment? You got it? Okay, great. Make sure his arm doesn’t get moved.”

The curtain fluttered as he left without another word. 

Starscream squeezed Skywarp's hand. It was so cold. He rubbed it between his palms, warming it up. 

“Skywar-?”

The curtain was ripped to the side and Thundercracker stumbled in. There was a dazed look in his optics, and the cover of one of his hearing aids was dangling off the side. 

A harried looking medic was holding his arm. 

“He wanted to see the purple seeker,” she told Starscream. “We got him patched up after the crash, but he needs to power down or he’ll collapse, and we need to run a check. Can you tell him? He doesn't hear most of what I say.”

“Why don't you have-” Starscream started, then cut himself off, exasperated, as he got up. 

“TC.” He grasped Thundercracker's shoulder, catching his attention. 

“Are you alright?” Thundercracker mumbled weakly. 

“I’m fine.” Starscream signed out the words to him as he spoke. “He’s fine. You have to power down.”

“Skywarp-”

“Quiet. I'm with him. Go.”

He hesitated, but Starscream gently propelled him back to the medic. 

“I'm right here. Everything will be okay. Ping me if you have trouble.”

The tense lines in Thundercracker's face eased. He stepped forward, giving Starscream a big hug. 

“Take care of him,” said Thundercracker, and the medic was pulling him away. 

Starscream collapsed back in the chair. He stared at Skywarp's face, empty and still. He was normally so expressive that he looked odd as a blank slate. 

He looked like how he did on the battlefield.

Starscream leaned his helm back and shut his optics. His mind started to drift, tired out from the day’s events. 

“Commander?”

“Yeah?”

“What are petrorabbits?”

“Weird little creatures from Alpha 9.”

Starscream hadn't paid much attention as Skywarp scampered away, seemingly satisfied by his answer. He kept his attention on the device in his hand as he followed it. They were on a scouting mission, although it wasn't the type of task the commander was meant to be doing. Still, he needed something simple to get his mind off things, and a junior like Skywarp had to be accompanied by someone . 

And it was a nice day out. At least, it was as nice as things got on Cybertron nowadays. They walked through a vast, barren expanse of red rock shimmering under the lavender sky. The sky here used to shine pink with blushing yellow tinges once upon a time, but that had been before all the smoke and ash. Still, it was much clearer out here than the cities.

“Commander?”

Skywarp was back. 

“Yeah?”

“Do you think about death often?”

A startled laugh sputtered out of him. 

“I, uh, I suppose we all would, Warper. We're in the middle of a war.”

“I know, but do you think about your death often?”

“Not that often. Not a very good thing to dwell on.”

He expected a follow-up question, but Skywarp had spotted another shiny rock. 

It didn't take long for him to hear the ground crunch as Skywarp hopped back with an addition to his collection. 

“Commander?”

“You can call me Starscream, you know. We're a team now.”

“Okay.”

Skywarp rattled his rocks happily. 

“Commander?”

He sighed. “Yeah?”

“What do you think comes after death?”

“Do you ask these kinds of questions from everyone?”

“No.” He gave him a grin. “But you’re like, my only friend.”

“Oh, I am?”

“Well, I'd hope so. You chose to spend the rest of your life with me.”

“Doesn't TC count too, then?”

“Oh, yeah, well…”

He shook the rocks in his hands again. 

“I mean, he’s really nice. I just don’t know him that well.”

“Are you… feeling shy?”

“Maybe.”

Starscream chuckled to himself. “You don’t need to worry about TC. He just takes a little bit to open up. He’s pretty shy, too.”

“I don’t know, it doesn’t feel that way.”

“He’s gotten good at hiding it.”

“What if he thinks I’m weird?”

“You are weird. He thinks it’s endearing.”

“Do you think it’s endearing?”

“No,” he lied. 

They trudged on in silence for a while. 

“Well, until I get used to him, can I still talk to you about stuff?”

Starscream paused at the top of a slope and placed a hand on Skywarp’s helm. “Yeah, I’ll put up with you a little longer.”

He lowered his hand before slowly and carefully treading down the slope. He checked his device once he was at the bottom. 

“Right, now-”

The skidding and slithering noise of tumbling rocks and metal filled the air, and Starscream sighed as a cloud of dust rose up from behind him. 

Skywarp hopped into view beside him, sparkling with dust.

“I found a blue rock,” he announced.

“That’s glass. What are you doing?”

“Hold out your hand.”

He held it out reluctantly. “If it’s another wriggly thing I’m killing you.”

Skywarp placed a smooth black rock in his palm. Then he put down a little white one, and a purplish one. Next to this cluster he made another set of white, red, and the blue glass he’d just picked up. 

“It’s us,” he said, flapping his wings. “Best friends.”

Starscream stared at the little rocks in silence, feeling like his spark was about to start spilling out of his frame. 

“That one’s maroon,” was all he said, pointing at the not-really-that-purple rock. 

Skywarp’s wings drooped. 

“Yeah,” he mumbled, fumbling with the remaining rocks in his hand. “Yeah, it’s too, uh… here.” 

He picked out a greyish rock that was closer to his coloring, but knocked around the ones in Starscream’s palm, losing the red one in the process.

“Aw,” said Starscream. “You’ve turned us into Warpsky and Scream.”

Skywarp started laughing, and Starscream couldn’t help but grin. He had that damningly infectious laughter, the kind that bubbled up through his frame and burst out in a hysterical giggle. 

He shook with laughter, the stupid dust on his frame glittering under the lilac sky. 

I miss you.

Starscream opened his optics to stare at the infirmary ceiling. 

…what an odd thought to have. 

Skywarp was right next to him, after all. 

The chaos outside had died down. Most patients were resting and the medics moving around were quiet. The moon was out, and Earth’s nightly winter chill was seeping through the air. 

He sat up straight as Knockout returned. 

The doctor cocked his head. “You’re still here?”

“Nothing better to do.”

“You’re a commander?”

“My trine’s all here, I'm not leaving them.”

Knockout sighed, going over to Skywarp. He tinkered with his arm a little bit more, then deftly put it back together, snapping the panels and fastening the screws with practiced ease. 

“It's fine,” he said, testing the joints. “Just got a little crumpled. No replacement needed. He should try to take it easy for a while, though. And tell him to stop burning himself out every week, for Primus' sake.”

Starscream didn't reply to that. He knew he couldn't stop Skywarp. He was convinced that giving his all to the war brought them closer to victory every time. 

And maybe he was right. Skywarp was a monster on the battlefield. Vicious. Deadly. His body and mind alike suffered from his own skill. 

A skill that Starscream had honed. 

“Sorry,” was all he said. 

Knockout pulled out some of the wires, tossing them to the side. 

“How's Breakdown?”

He gave Starscream a sideways glance.

“Damaged,” he said quietly. “But not irreparable. Hopefully he won't need any replacements.” 

He lowered his voice even further. “The new parts don't get hosted very well by forged bodies.” 

“Would you want them to?”

“I don't know, Screamer. We all want to survive, but at what cost? In the end, it would have to be his decision. It would be best for him to choose what he wants.”

Starscream watched as he took a salve and rubbed it into a gash by Skywarp's cockpit. His self repair would take care of the wound, but the salve helped protect it and ease the pain until then.

“Hopefully, it won't come to that,” he continued.

“Mm.” Starscream held out his hand for the salve, and Knockout handed it over. 

He took a small bit, warming it in his hands before applying it to the small scratches on Skywarp's wings. 

“Oh, Screamer, are you seriously using this up for little scratches?”

“Seeker wings are sensitive, okay? Those are gonna sting.” 

“Let him build up his pain tolerance, then. Give that back.”

“No.”

Knockout muttered under his breath as he left to go check on someone else. 

Starscream continued in silence, eventually putting aside the precious salve. 

“You seekers,” Knockout said as he returned. “Always wearing your hearts on your sleeves.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I spend enough time worrying about Breakdown, and we keep ourselves a secret . You have two trine members. Public knowledge.”

“Most trines don't really care about each other all that much.”

“Still. You guys are close. I don't know how close, but it's enough to be a liability.”

“...I’m taking care of them.”

Knockout gave him a look, but he didn't press it. 

“Things have quietened down now,” he said. “I think I’ll try to get some rest.”

“Thanks for the help.”

“Try to keep your little menace out of my infirmary next time.”

The corners of his mouth curled into a smile. 

Starscream stayed long after he left. He closed his optics, letting his systems idle as he drank in the soft rustles of noise around himself. 

So he wasn’t really sure how he’d failed to notice the approaching footsteps. When Starscream opened his optics, he nearly jumped out of his armor. 

Standing over Skywarp, staring down at him in silence, was Soundwave. 

“What are you doing here?” he hissed furiously, standing up. “What do you want?”

“Skywarp-”
“Why are you stalking him, you freak?”

“Danger.”

Starscream fell silent, staring at him suspiciously. Soundwave angled his head, knowing he’d gotten his attention. 

“Lord Megatron is enraged with Skywarp. He wants to see him as soon as possible.”

“What?” Starscream’s spark faltered. “Why? He didn’t do anything.”

“He made a mistake on the battlefield.”

“Wh- That’s not possible. He wasn’t- He didn’t even- He answers to me…”

Soundwave had nothing to say. 

“When? When does he have to go?”

“As soon as possible,” he repeated.

“Tomorrow morning!?”

“Most likely.”

“Tell him he can’t come. Not for a few days. He’s injured.”

But Soundwave just shook his head. 

“I am not the messenger,” he said quietly. “I came to warn you. Without him knowing.”

Starscream just stared, aghast, as Soundwave inclined his head in farewell and left. 

He collapsed back into his seat, fists clenched. What did Megatron want? What had Skywarp done ? 

Enraged?

Skywarp was one of his most loyal. How could he be enraged?

He hadn’t forgotten the way Megatron had looked at Skywarp the last time they met. The way his arm had tensed in warning. A flood of anger washed over him. Not just at Megatron, but at Skywarp as well. Why did he keep stirring up trouble? Why couldn’t he just stay out of the way?

He took a moment to steady himself. 

Soundwave had given him a chance to do something. He couldn’t waste it away in panic. He’d have to talk to Megatron before Skywarp got there. Maybe he could take Thundercracker, too. Megatron always heard him out, at least. 

No, no. He could handle this himself. He would talk to Skywarp, and tell him exactly what to do. 

But Soundwave had said Megatron was enraged . Reasoning may not be an option anymore. He would just have to try anything that could help. 

Starscream glanced at Skywarp, his optics flitting over his damaged frame. He got up, drawing the curtains and blocking the two of them from the view of anyone outside. 

Then he drew out a small, sharp blade sheathed at his hip. 

When he drew back the curtain and stepped out a little while later, no one paid him any mind. He brushed past a few medics, making his way to Thundercracker. 

Thundercracker was, unfortunately, still powered down. Someone had removed his damaged hearing aids and placed them to the side. Starscream picked them up, fiddling with them for a little bit. They were completely busted, but they could be fixed easily enough, he thought. He could probably get Knockout to take a look at them. 

He spent a little longer hovering around him, wishing he would wake up. Eventually one of the medics came over to assure him that yes, Thundercracker was fine, he could leave whenever he woke up, and then he made his way back to Skywarp. 

The curtain, he noticed as he approached, was lopsided, and he frowned as he pushed it to the side. 

Starscream froze. 

The wires and tubes that had been connected to Skywarp had been ripped out and flung to the side with careless abandon. The salve lay on the ground, leaking onto the floor. And the berth was empty. 

Skywarp was gone. 

Chapter Text

Skywarp's systems whirred sluggishly. As his systems booted up, he vaguely registered that he was lying on a cold, hard floor. His optics flickered on and were immediately flooded with light, sending a throbbing ache into the left side of his head. 

He pushed himself up, belatedly wondering where he was. He didn't have much time to linger on that, though. 

In front of him stood their great leader, his optics narrowed down at Skywarp. 

He immediately scrambled up, nearly toppling over again as his body struggled to register the sudden movement. 

“My- My Lord,” he stammered. “I- it's such…”

His words trailed off as he noticed the concentric rings of seats circling the brilliantly lit hall, and the solemn faces of their occupants. 

Skywarp glanced around, frightened. He couldn't see Starscream or Thundercracker anywhere. All he could see was the sealed door behind himself. 

He remembered the events of the battle, and his spark wavered. Had his trine… survived?

Their leader, thankfully, looked fine. The side of his face was blackened, but his optic was intact. Of course it was. He was of excellent make, after all. 

And Skywarp had saved him. Yes, he remembered now. He'd stopped that axe from cleaving him in half. 

Then why…

Why did he look so…

“Skywarp.” His voice was gravelly and full of contempt. “The teleporter.”

“Yes, my Lord. Um, sir,” Skywarp mumbled against his better judgement. “My… trine-”

The leader's optics flashed with anger. 

“Silence,” he snarled. “Do you know why you are here right now?”

He did not. Or rather, perhaps he did, but he didn't understand why the leader was so displeased about it.

“...no, my Lord.”

“Impudent,” he hissed. “ And foolish.”

His wings twitched apprehensively. “I’m… sorry.”

“Tell me, teleporter. What command did I give out regarding facing the prime in battle?”

“That… that we shouldn't fight him, sir.”

“And tell me, where was the unclarity in that statement?”

“Nowhere, sir.”

“Then why.” He towered over Skywarp as he glared down at him. “Why did you make the choice to stand between us?”

Skywarp blinked at him, scared and confused.

“The- the axe, my Lord. It was- it was about to strike, and- strike you , right in the spark, and I thought-”

“And you thought you were some hero?” He stepped forward, forcing Skywarp to shrink back. “That I needed saving ?”

“I didn't want you to-”

“You were brought here for insubordination on the highest level, teleporter. That fight could have killed Prime. It could have ended this war.”

“But it couldn't! You would have died!”

Skywarp didn't think to brace himself as the back of his leader's hand came down upon him hard, his sharp knuckles striking him across the cheek. The force of it flung him to the ground and he lay there, stunned. 

The sting didn't register immediately. It was only when he numbly touched his face and felt the wetness, the burn, that he realized what had happened.

He heard a crashing noise against the sealed doors and a distant scream of frustration. 

But Megatron wasn't done. He raised his arm, his massive cannon extending outwards. 

Skywarp flung his arms over his head as it swung down, striking against the side of his torso. He let out a strangled gasp, his frame nearly crumpling under the force of it. 

Megatron rained down blow after blow, and Skywarp didn't know how many he'd taken, how many there were. He didn't dare cry out, or plead. He didn't dare try to teleport away. He just curled up on the ground and took it, shaking under the force of every blistering strike. 

The room was silent when he finally stopped. No one had stepped up to stop him. No one had stepped up to help. 

Skywarp's head pounded. He could hear something whining, rattling inside him. Half of his frame was wracked with pain. The other half was numb. 

He blinked away the alerts obscuring his vision and lowered his arms. Smudges of energon streaked the polished white floor. 

“Let this be a lesson to you,” Megatron thundered. “A lesson to you all. Do not question my orders. Do not question my choices. And do not think, even for a moment, that you know better than I.”

He turned back to Skywarp. “Do you understand?”

Skywarp's optics were blank. 

“Do you understand, teleporter?” 

He let out a weak, trembling noise of affirmation. 

“Good. At least you don't wail and cry. Now stand up, soldier.” 

He stirred, shuddering as pain shot through his body, and sagged back to the ground. 

“Stand. Up.”

Skywarp trembled as he tried to push himself back up. Impatient, Megatron stepped forward and seized him, starting to pull him up. 

But then he paused. 

He was holding Skywarp by the wing, his hands digging into it and twisting it at an angle. Skywarp was so thoroughly shaken that he didn’t even register the pain. He tried his best to get his legs underneath himself, but Megatron let go, dropping him back down with a dull thunk.

“Teleporter,” he growled, his voice chillingly cold. “What have you done?”

He didn’t know. He didn’t know. He didn’t understand why this was happening to him. 

“‘M sorry,” he slurred. “I’m… sorry.”

He felt Megatron grasp his wing again and he flinched, but when there was a screech of metal and a shower of sparks, he felt no pain. 

“You wretch,” Megatron snarled. “Do you take me for a fool?”

Skywarp stared up at him, petrified. “What-?”

“ You clipped your wings’ pain receptors!?”

“No!” he cried. He tried to scramble away, but Megatron dragged him back by the wing. “No, I- I didn’t-”

“You sowed dissent in my council, you disobeyed my command, you stopped me from killing Prime, and now you mock me in front of the high command?”

“No, no, no-”

“What is this? A joke? A rebellion? You think you can saunter back to your peers and tell them you made a fool of their leader? That I cannot control my own troops?”

“I didn't, I didn’t-”

“What is it that drives this audacity? Do you think your trine's authority will protect you? Or your ability?”

Skywarp's face was buried in his hands. He just shook his head, frantically mumbling “I didn't, I promise I didn't,” over and over again. 

“You may be right in considering your worth,” Megatron continued. He was pulling, twisting at his wing. “I have killed soldiers for less.”

“ No!” he shrieked. “No, please, my trine-”

“Quiet. Tell me, why do you think I'm keeping you alive?”

Alive. 

Oh, Primus. Megatron was having mercy on him. 

Skywarp's shaking hands pressed together as he looked up at his leader imploringly. 

“I'm your seeker,” he whispered. 

“Wrong.”

The sound of tearing metal filled the air, and Skywarp screamed. He tried to pull away, but was forced down against the ground. He scrabbled helplessly against it as metal screeched and wires snapped. He could hear the council gasping in horror. 

There was one final wrench, and the pain, lightning sharp and red-hot, struck his back. He was screaming, clawing at his helm. 

And then Megatron let him go, stepping back. 

“You have no worth as a seeker, so you do not need to fly,” he said flatly. “You have no worth at all, save for your ability. It is unfortunate that it was given to someone like you. Learn to use it right. You will not be given another chance.”

Something clattered to the floor next to him. 

And Megatron walked away. 

Skywarp stayed where he was. He kept his arms over his head, pressed tightly against his throbbing optic. His whole frame was shaking. He could hear a slight clattering where one of his wings twitched against the floor. 

People were leaving. They stepped around him, voices hushed, until the room was completely silent. 

He was losing energon. It pooled under him. It ran down his back, warm and slick. 

And then someone came to him. He heard them approach. He heard them stop. 

Skywarp’s arm slid off his head.

Oh. 

Starscream. 

Skywarp didn't dare look up at his face. He couldn't. He was such a fool. He was so stupid. 

He didn't understand. 

Starscream's hand was on his cheek. It slipped under his helm, raising it. His other arm went around Skywarp's waist. He was lifting him up, drawing him into an embrace. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered against Skywarp's helm. “I’m so sorry.”

Skywarp didn’t hear him.

He was already slipping into stasis. 

~~~~~

Thundercracker’s digits were digging painfully into Starscream’s arm.

He didn’t have the energy to ask him to stop. He just rubbed absently at Thundercracker’s wing, staring at the curtain strung up around one of the berths. The infirmary was a lot emptier than it had been just a little while ago. Decepticon medics were efficient, if nothing else. And besides, they didn’t waste time on anyone who wasn’t expected to survive.

Those poor things were handed over to Shockwave.

“I don’t understand,” Thundercracker mumbled thickly against Starscream’s shoulder. “Why him?”

Starscream didn’t reply. Thundercracker wouldn’t have heard him anyway. 

“He’s always worshipped Megatron,” he continued. “He couldn't have done anything that bad.”

The curtain drew back and the medic stepped out, his expression grim. He gestured to the berth in silence, as if to say, here, look for yourself. 

Skywarp was lying on his front, powered down. One of his wings was carefully flattened against his back. 

The other…

Well, the medic had done an excellent job at removing the shredded stump of his other wing. There was nothing but a clean slit in his back where it had once been attached. Bands of metal were wrapped around his torso, temporarily bolted into place. The force of ripping off his wing had nearly dislodged it all. 

It was jarring, actually, seeing how tidily the mutilation had been cleaned away. If he tried, he could easily imagine he was curled up in his recharge pod and getting some rest, safe and happy…

Starscream turned away. He tapped Thundercracker’s helm, prompting him to raise his head and finally take notice. The painful grip on his arm vanished as Thundercracker hurried to Skywarp’s side. 

“Do you want me to seal the slit?” the medic asked him. 

“Seal?” he repeated, looking a little lost. “Oh, seal the slit? Maybe you should.”

“No,” said Starscream. “We'll get a replacement.”

He'd have to pull a lot of strings to get a new seeker wing. Especially for a second generation construct. Losing a wing usually meant a crash and instant death: there was hardly ever any need for replacements. 

They wouldn't be able to fly together, he realized. Not for a while, at least.

“I'm going to step out for a bit,” he said quietly, backing away. “TC, you stay with him.” 

Thundercracker didn't seem to hear him as he bent over Skywarp. 

Starscream pressed his palms to his optics as he stepped out of the infirmary. 

He was tired. 

He was so tired. 

He lowered his hands, walking forward. He didn't know where he was going, he just had to go, somewhere, anywhere he didn't have to look at Skywarp. At what he'd failed to protect, again and again. 

He had gotten careless. He had panicked. He had let his guard down. He had made a thousand mistakes. 

He had been scared. 

Starscream stumbled as his shoulder knocked into the corner of a corridor. He kept walking, refusing to slow down. 

Because now he was scared again. 

What would happen to Skywarp? What would happen to them? Was Thundercracker next? Was he next? 

Was true safety possible in this demented place?

He was at the flight deck. 

Starscream slowed to a stop. The sun was setting, and the sky was awash with streaks of pinks and reds. Skywarp loved the sunsets on Earth. He would always linger behind after a flight, snatching every possible moment to watch them a little longer. 

I like to think that the sunsets on Cybertron looked like this back then, he'd say.

They were prettier, Starscream would say. 

And Skywarp would watch with rare silence, completely entranced.

What I would give to see it just one time, he had once murmured in a chilly autumn evening. 

We will, Thundercracker had said immediately, always quick to console him. 

No, he'd replied distantly. Not in this lifetime. 

Starscream gripped the railing tightly. 

He would fix this. He would get Skywarp a new wing. He would conceal him from Megatron's attention. He would demote him if he had to. He would do the same for Thundercracker. They wouldn’t like it, he knew. Thundercracker would be furious. But he couldn't take any chances. 

They were going to be safe. They were going to make it through this damned war. 

All three of them.

He blinked as he received a call on his comm. 

“Commander Starscream?” said an unfamiliar voice. 

“What?” he hissed. 

“Lord Megatron wishes to speak with you.”

Starscream's spark faltered. 

“Why?” he demanded, but the caller was gone. 

The railing squeaked as he pressed down on it.

It was fine. This was fine. Megatron summoned him often. He was the second in command, after all. This was just a standard meeting. 

Starscream took a moment to brace himself, then headed back inside. 

Megatron was waiting for him in the throne room. It was a bleak, bare place, with dark steel walls and a ceiling arching high above him. The throne was hewn out of the same dark steel and shaped into coarse blocks. It wasn't meant to be comfortable: Megatron insisted that their resources would not be squandered on luxuries, and his throne was meant to reflect that first and foremost. 

Starscream couldn't help but think, though, that he had no qualms spending resources to make the throne far taller and more imposing than it needed to be. 

He stopped in front of the throne, folding his arms. 

“You called?” he said loftily, his words echoing through the cavernous room. 

Megatron did not acknowledge him immediately. He was sitting back, one leg crossed over the other. He just stroked his chin, staring him down. Starscream's wings puffed up stiffly as the moments passed. 

“Well?” he demanded. “Did you just call me here to scowl at me?”

“How is your trine member doing?” 

Starscream's fingers twitched. 

“Badly,” he said. “He hasn't woken up yet.”

“It is most unfortunate, what happened to him.”

His lip curled. “Are you going to act like this was all some sort of accident? You may have locked me out, but I heard it all.”

“Yes,” Megatron mused. “You did, didn't you? And you must have heard him calling your name.”

Starscream's bravado faltered. 

“No?” Megatron pressed, catching his expression. “Well, I suppose not. He was mumbling it almost, between sobs. He was pleading for your help. He was looking around for you. Indeed, it seems like he trusts you to protect him.”

Starscream couldn't dislodge any words from his throat. 

“Well, trusted,” he continued. “He realized quickly enough that you wouldn't be there for him.” 

“You locked me out,” he repeated weakly. “You took him away from me behind my back.”

“Ah, but you were the one who chose to leave him alone in the infirmary, did you not? You couldn't even care to sit with him for a while.”

“Don't try to pin this on me,” he hissed. “You ripped his wing off.”

“I did,” Megatron admitted. “And it really was an unfortunate… how did you put it? An accident.”

“I’m not taking any of your-”

“It was an accident on your part, wasn't it?” 

Megatron smiled chillingly. 

“Yes, you thought you could be clever with me. I did think the situation was strange. It had traces of your miserable little schemes written all over it.” 

“You don't know what you're talking about,” he mumbled. 

“Maybe not, but the medic in charge of him did. Oh yes, he gave me the full report. Clipped pain receptors in Skywarp's wings, by his engines, and his cockpit. The most sensitive parts of a seeker frame. Not dislodged or ripped during battle, but carefully and precisely sliced. And it wasn't done by any of the medics, either.”

Megatron drummed his fingers on the armrest. 

“But Skywarp had been in stasis the whole time. He couldn't have clipped them himself. What a curious case. Don't you think, Starscream?”

He didn't dare reply. 

“According to the medic, you were the only one with Skywarp during that time. He wasn't eager to divulge that information, I will say. Regardless, he remembered where his loyalties lie when his… conjunx was threatened.”

Starscream's head snapped up. “How did you-”

“I have my ways of finding out useful information. You would do well to remember that. You clipped Skywarp's pain receptors. You framed him as a scheming, lying, coward in front of me. You incited my rage against him. And for what? The hope for a secret, smug success against me? The chance to make a fool out of me?”

“I was trying to help him,” he growled. “I was- I was trying to protect him. And I wouldn't have had to do it if you-”

“The only thing he needed protection from was your treachery. Tell me, Starscream. How easy was it? There's not a lot protecting those wires, is there? If you know what you're looking for, it's a simple matter of reaching through his plating and cutting them. How many times have you done it before?”

“Don't- don't try to invent- to make up charges against me. I've never done that before.”

Megatron scoffed. 

“Perhaps I could be inclined to believe you. Maybe you really did mean to help him. And yet, all you achieved was more suffering. His body, mutilated. His reputation, shattered. Everyone now knows him as a coward. He spent his whole life building up a reputation of bravery and loyalty, and you took it away from him.” 

He uncrossed his legs and rose from his throne.

“And yet, after all that, you didn't think to confess. You didn't tell anyone, not even him, that it was your fault, not his. That you clipped his wires and made him look like a coward. You still choose to hide behind him and let him take the brunt of it.”

“I just found out what happened to him,” he mumbled dizzily. “I haven't had time, I just- he's still- I was with him…”

“More sorry excuses. Do you truly believe you would ever have said anything?”

Did he?

He didn't know.

“How cruel. How monstrous. You didn’t care about him. You just wanted a victory over me.”

Megatron stepped down from his throne, and the ground trembled as he approached Starscream. 

“I do not tolerate trickery and cowardice in my ranks. Do not delude yourself into thinking you can outsmart me.” 

He stepped past Starscream, stopping just behind him. 

He raised his chin and continued to stare forward, poised stiffly. 

“Do not give me reason to doubt you again. If I ever feel, even for a moment, that you are slipping out of my control…”

Megatron’s hand touched his wing, and Starscream flinched violently. 

“I will rip his other wing off,” Megatron said. His touch was light, almost gentle.  “And I will make sure he feels every bit of it.”

Every circuit in his frame was screaming at him to run. Yet he stayed still, frozen, too scared to turn around and have to face him. 

He was trapped. 

“Don't worry too much about it, though,” Megatron’s voice took on a softer, mirthful tone. “You still have Thundercracker. That's another two chances.”

He let go, and Starscream's wing twitched as he strolled away. 

“You are dismissed.”

~~~~~

Starscream wasn’t with Skywarp when he woke up. 

Of course he wasn’t. He never was. He was the commander, after all. He was busy. It was always Thundercracker who waited by his side. He was the one who put off his duties and held him, massaged around his wounds, told him how glad he was to see him safe and sound. 

Skywarp’s gait was unsteady as he made his way through the corridors. He kept angling off to the side and startling as his wing scraped against the wall. He had the vague idea that he was supposed to be heading back to his dorm – Thundercracker had said something about meeting him there after he got back his hearing aids – but he wasn’t sure if he was going the right way. 

He wasn’t sure if he cared. 

Skywarp had veered off to the side again, and he collided into a corner as he tried to round it. He pressed a hand to his side, wincing. Every inch of his frame ached. His left optic was pulsating uncontrollably. 

He was a wreck. 

He staggered onward. He kept walking mindlessly, a haze blanketing his thoughts, until a chilly gust of wind washed over him.

He had reached the flight deck. 

Skywarp stared out at it for a while, taking in the glittering nighttime sky. The clouds were rolling in, slowly covering the stars. It seemed like a storm was approaching. 

He trudged to the edge of the deck, took hold of the railing, and used it to slowly lower himself to the ground. He grasped the bars of the railing and rested his helm against them. 

It wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to him. 

He’d been trapped in a fire once. He’d been shot out of the sky. He'd felt fear, pain, and even helplessness. 

But this…

This was the realization that nothing he said mattered. The realization that everything he had done for his cause – all his hard work, all of his struggles – held no value. 

That all of it was… worthless. 

What was it for? All the ruin he'd put his body through? That they'd put his body through? In that hall, they didn't see any of his achievements or sacrifices. Just his mistakes. They didn't even let him speak for himself. 

He didn't understand. 

He knew Megatron punished his soldiers when he had to. Disobedience, insubordination. These things had no place in an army that fought for the future. 

But those were… bad people. Those were the traitors. The ones who wanted to cause harm to their cause. 

Weren't they?

Hadn't he just made a mistake? And the wires? Was that even his fault? The medics must have cut them during treatment. Why hadn't his leader listened to him?

Another gust of wind blew over him, blowing icy daggers into the slit in his back. Skywarp shivered, gritting his teeth. He wished he had been able to get that damn thing sealed. 

But none of that mattered, did it? It didn't matter what he wanted. He didn't get to choose if he wanted the accursed optic. He didn't get to choose if he wanted his wires clipped. He got a cheap, flimsy frame, made to be mutilated and mauled, repaired endlessly so he could be sent out and broken again. 

He didn't get to choose if he wanted to join this war. 

Skywarp's grip on the bars tightened. 

No, he was being absurd. He was starting to sound like a traitor. 

Megatron had his reasons. He had to keep order over his troops. He had to maintain control. That was how he was going to save them from the war. 

Yes. He was going to save them. He was their protector. He was going to take them back to Cybertron.

Skywarp had made an undeniable mistake. He deserved his punishment. 

The railings creaked. 

He… deserved it. 

The icy wind stung against the gash on his cheek. That was going to scar, there was no doubt about it. 

Good.

He wasn’t going to buff it out. It would serve as a reminder. 

He stayed still for a long time, until the wind made him shudder. He shifted, letting out a small groan as his stiff frame protested. 

If a human had suffered the way he had, they would have died a long time ago. Skywarp had always held disdain toward them for this: they were so difficult to put back together, and they died so quickly. 

He was starting to wonder if that was such a bad thing. 

There was a reason why the forged ones, the ones crafted lovingly by Primus, couldn't handle such endless and careless replacements, after all. The cold constructs, the second generation, were built to push the limits of survival and frugality. They weren't “made to last”. They were made to endure. Not for a long time, just… for enough time. 

He just…

Well, Skywarp just hoped his trine wouldn't miss him too much. When his time inevitably ran out, he wouldn’t have been around for that long, after all. 

He couldn't have made that much of an impact on their lives. 

A ping on his comm alerted him to a call. 

“You've reached Skywarp,” he said weakly. 

“Good day, sir. Lord Megatron wishes to speak with you.”

The words didn't register immediately. 

“What?” he whispered finally. “Why?”

But the caller was gone. 

Skywarp was moving to get up before he even realized it. His hands were shaking. His spark was twisting, writhing in its chamber. His optic, oh Primus, he could feel every throbbing wire connected to it. Was someone there, to his left? No, he was being paranoid. He didn’t have time for this. He was moving. 

He couldn't create any more reasons to be punished. 

Megatron was waiting for him in his office. It was a large, spacious area with a heavy desk and multiple monitors lining the walls. In front of the desk was a three dimensional hologram of their ship, sunk into the ground, and the surrounding area. Megatron himself was sitting behind a desk, a tablet in his hand and a set of monitors in front of him. Other tablets were stacked neatly across the table, and small hologram pop ups littered the place. 

Megatron looked up as Skywarp was admitted into the office by a guard. He bowed deeply and stiffly, his hands clasped together to hide their shaking. 

“You requested my presence, my lord,” he rasped. 

“Skywarp,” Megatron rumbled, placing down the tablet. “At ease, my boy. I'm relieved to see your injuries were treated swiftly.”

Skywarp stared at him, bewildered. He felt like he was seeing a completely different person. Megatron rose, coming around the desk to place a hand on his shoulder. 

“I wanted to speak with you,” he said. “Come. Walk with me, won't you?”

The door slid open, and Megatron gestured for him to leave first. 

There was an exit to a narrow terrace just nearby. It wrapped around the ship, giving a beautiful view of the surrounding area. Skywarp trailed behind Megatron as he strolled down the terrace. 

“I was beyond furious when I thought you were trying to trick me earlier,” Megatron said at long last. “You are one of my best soldiers, after all. One of my most loyal, most brave. I'm well aware of your feats on the battlefield. You can imagine my rage when I thought you, of all people, had chosen to display such insolence to me.”

He stopped, turning to face the view. Skywarp couldn't hide behind him anymore: he had no option but to stand by his side. 

“After you left, I found I simply had to look deeper. There must have been something I had missed. And there was: Someone had clipped your wires without your knowledge.”

Skywarp closed his optics, the twisted knots in his spark dissipating. 

“You had been set up. We were both deceived. And you had to suffer the consequences.”

Yes. 

Yes, his leader understood. His leader had listened to him. 

“What a terrible situation. Trickery and lies have started running rampant among our ranks. You didn't deserve to be caught up in someone else's scheme. And yet, you were so brave about it. The perfect example of a soldier. Yes, I am even willing to overlook your previous mistakes. Everyone has their faults, after all.”

He looked down at Skywarp, his optics shining with a warm light. 

“I never had any reason to doubt your loyalty, did I, Skywarp?”

He gazed up at his leader, his lips parted. 

“No, sir,” he whispered reverently. “Never.”

“And,” he continued, his voice suddenly icy. “You will not give me reason to punish you again, will you?”

A shudder ran through Skywarp's frame. 

“No, my lord. Anything you want, I will do everything in my power to serve.”

“And you will not forget,” he continued. “What will happen to you if you displease me?”

He felt an ache, a distant twinge of pain, where his wing used to be. “No, my lord.”

“Very good. It will be an honor to end this war with you by my side. We will return to Cybertron as kings. We will fulfill our dream: a beautiful, unified Cybertron. A land of peace and safety.”

Skywarp’s gaze was fixated on Megatron. He saw beautiful cities and lively crowds. He saw gushing springs of energon and fields of blooming flora. He saw himself, soaring through clear skies with his trine. Free. Happy. United, not just because of military duties. 

He looked at his leader and he saw his dream. 

Yes,” his leader mused. “You may be young, but I see great potential in you. Very much unlike the traitorous wretches who scheme against us. The ones who framed you. Who smeared mud on your name. Word of your punishment has spread to the whole army. It is terrible, what they did to you.”

He placed his hand on Skywarp's shoulder. 

“I understand, of course, if you wish to take revenge. I will be willing to turn a blind eye to it. Just don't get too extreme. I do care deeply about my people.”

“Maybe it was just a mistake,” he said quietly. “The medics must have done it during treatment.”

His leader was silent. 

The weight of his hand started to feel oppressive. 

“I see,” he murmured. “I suppose then, that he still did not tell you. He did not care to repent.”

“...what?”

“My apologies. I was under the impression that… Well, I had hoped that he may still have some semblance of a conscience. That he would feel some kind of guilt for what he did to you.” He turned away, lifting his hand. “It seems I was mistaken. Perhaps he does not care about you the way I thought he did. In the end, you were just another pawn to serve his selfish interests. He had no reason to tell you anything once you served your purpose.”

“Who?” Skywarp pressed. “Who are you talking about?”

“Perhaps I… perhaps I shouldn’t mention it,” he said. “Being betrayed by someone you trust… It is a terrible feeling.”

Dread was choking his spark. It couldn’t be who he was thinking of. 

Not one of them. Anyone but them.

He stepped forward, trying to get his leader to look at him. 

“I need you to tell me.” There was a mad glint in his optics. “I have to know. Who did it? Why?”

“I…” He sighed. “Yes, of course. I understand.” 

He looked down at Skywarp. “You deserve to know the truth. You are not a youngling, after all. You are not meant to be coddled.”

Raindrops were starting to fall. Clouds swept over the moon. His leader placed his hand under Skywarp’s chin, raising it up, making him stand taller.

“The one who violated you… The one who tried to turn you against me… Well, it was none other than your commander, of course.”

The grief hit him first.

It went straight through his spark, cold and heavy. But then came the rage. It was burning, roiling. It washed over him in waves. 

“Yes,” his leader murmured, a smile on his face. “That’s right.”

“ Starscream.”

Chapter Text

“Uhm, and that’s the general gist of it,” the captain said, wringing his hands as he hurried to keep up with Starscream’s brisk pace. “Um, after that he just started ripping off the wing. He twisted it first, until it was mostly torn, um, and then he pinned him down and pulled-”

“Alright,” Starscream cut in. “That’s enough. Leave.”

“You’re welcome,” he muttered as he walked away. 

Starscream ignored the comment. He strode into the mess hall, passing the milling soldiers and heading straight for the energon cubes. He picked up three: one for Thundercracker, one for Skywarp, and one for himself. He had to get them together and have a talk with them.

He was just about to leave when he noticed a cluster of bots staring at him. 

One of them, white and cornflower blue, was pushed forward. 

“Um,” he stammered, shooting his companions a plaintive look. “Um, commander-”

“What is it?” he demanded.

“We uh, we heard about what happened to Skywarp, and we um, wanted to know if he was…”

He quailed under Starscream’s look. 

“We wanted to ask after him,” said another soldier, pulling back the useless blue one. She had green and black leaves painted on her pearly white wings, and he realized with a jolt that he remembered her. Skywarp had painted those leaves when her trine members, green and black seekers, had been killed in battle. He remembered the way Skywarp and his friends had held her as she wept. 

But she held her head high now, and there was a challenging note in her tone. “We were told he was punished for insubordination, but having a wing ripped off after saving our leader’s life hardly feels justifiable.”

Murmurs flitted through the hall. It was then that he realized most of them were second generation constructs, and that the small cluster he was speaking to was actually part of a much, much larger one. 

It seemed like he’d just walked into an ongoing debate. 

He turned to face them properly, tilting his head. 

“I would be inclined to agree,” he said. 

The bots exchanged glances. 

“His wing was removed, and his injuries were treated. That’s all I can say for him.” 

“Will he continue to fight?” piped up a yellow soldier from the crowd. 

Starscream scoffed. “They’d try to make him fight even if he lost his head.”

“Has he… has he been told to stop warping people to safety?”

“No,” he said. “And I doubt this would stop him.”

Relieved rippled through the crowd. Of course. Skywarp was…

Well, for soldiers like them, he was one of their only sources of protection.

“Sir?” The blue soldier raised his hand. “We would appreciate it if… you could tell him that we want him to recover well.”

There was something off about the hand. The fingers were too long, the paint didn’t quite match the rest of his frame. Starscream’s gaze passed over all of them. He saw limbs that were too big, optics that didn’t glow with the right shade of light, and welded patches that hadn’t been buffed out. He saw slumped postures, drooping helms, and muddy plating. 

“I’ll tell him,” he said. “You all try to rest up as well. You fought well.”

And he could have sworn the room lit up as their optics brightened. 

He turned away, about to leave, when a hiss sounded through the room. 

The space in front of him exploded into purple light and cries rang out as Skywarp lunged at him. He crashed into Starscream, sending him to the ground. The energon cubes were flung from his hands and they skittered across the floor. 

Skywarp was on top of him, hands digging into the vents on his shoulders. His face was twisted into a wild snarl. 

“ You!” he shrieked. “ It was you!”

Starscream gaped at him. 

“Wait-”

“You framed me! You made him think I was trying to trick him!”

“ Skywarp.” He dragged himself up, pulling Skywarp with him. “ Calm down . Listen-”

He warped away, reappearing a few feet away from him. “I lost my wing because of you!”

“We’ll get you a replacement,” he said, desperately trying to placate him. “You’ll get fixed, I promise-”

“ NO! I don’t want another dead part transplanted into me!”

Gasps filled the air. 

What did he say?

Dead parts-

“Skywarp,” he hissed. “Watch it-”

“I don’t want to be a walking pile of mangled corpses!”

The soldiers exchanged horrified looks. They looked at their mismatched limbs. Their hands flew to their optics, their voiceboxes. 

“ Why did you do it!?”

“Enough,” Starscream thundered. “This is a private conversation. I’m not doing this here.”

Skywarp’s lip curled. He warped again, and Starscream flung out his arms to catch him right as he reappeared in front of him. 

But Skywarp wasn’t attacking. His hands closed around Starscream’s wrists, and the world collapsed around him. 

He gasped as the space around him unfolded. He was standing on top of their ship, far above the ground. He placed a hand against the bulkhead on the roof, dizzied by the abrupt change. The clouds roiled in the dark sky and the torrential rain lashed against him. 

The storm was here.

“Here’s your privacy,” Skywarp called over the howling wind. “So? Are you going to talk to me now? Or will you find another excuse to keep up your lies?”

A chill ran through his frame. 

“Those are Megatron’s words,” he said. “Aren’t they? What did he tell you?”

“The truth,” he hissed. “He told me what you didn’t.”

“I was going to tell you.” Starscream raised his hands as he stepped forward. “I didn’t want you to get hurt. I was trying to protect you.”

“Protect me? Protect me? By making me look like a liar? By breaking down everything I ever worked for?”

“I knew he was going to hurt you, Skywarp. I just wanted to save you from that. Things didn't work out the way I had planned.”

“Maybe you shouldn't have been planning schemes about me behind my back!”

“Look, you don't understand-”

“Yeah, I don't fucking understand! Because you never told me anything! It's just you and your duties and your secrets and your plans, and I'm too stupid to be told about any of it!”

“No! You were in stasis, I was going to tell you as soon as you woke up. Trust me, I was only trying to help.”

“Really? Because you were in no rush to tell anyone it wasn’t my fault. ”

“You're lashing out at the wrong person.” Starscream kept his hand on the wall as he walked forward. “I'm not the one who beat you down and tore off your wing.”

“Don't bring him into this-”

“How can I not bring him into this? Look at what he did to you!”

“He’s the one who told me the truth! You were just fine with letting things unfold the way they were.”

“I wouldn't have had to take any drastic measures if he wasn't a threat to you.”

“All you did was take the coward's way out. I would have been fine by myself.”

“Just f- He beat you like a dog! And I'm in the wrong?”

“Yes,” he hissed. “Because I would have taken it silently and walked it off. Because I know I made a mistake and I deserved my punishment.”

Starscream could only stare at him, aghast. 

“You’re letting yourself get brainwashed, Skywarp. He didn't punish you because you did anything wrong, he did it because you damaged his ego. It was never about discipline, it was about control.”

“You really-” Skywarp let out a hysterical laugh. “He was right about you. He was always right. You… you claim you cared so much, but you could never even bother to be there with me in the medbay? You couldn't even give me a shoulder to lean on when I got this?” He gestured to his darkened optic. 

“I was there, wasn't I? I said I'd find a way to keep you out of Megatron's sight, and I did everything in my power-”

“I don't care! I don't care! I didn't want your elaborate plans, I just wanted you to be there with me . I just wanted to know that you still care .”

“I've always cared.”

“You stopped.” His voice broke. “You stopped caring. I wasn't good enough for you. I gave everything I had, and you pushed me away. At least he acknowledged my efforts. He hurt me because he… because he needed me to remember what was important. Because he cares.”

“No, Skywarp, I'm sorry-”

“I don't want your fucking apology anymore. It's-”

He broke off abruptly, his head snapping to the side. He whipped out his swords, poised to attack. 

“Who's there?” he snarled. 

Starscream looked around, bewildered. He hasn't seen anyone. 

“Who are you?” 

He whirled around, slicing his blade through the thin air. 

“I can see you, you sick fuck!”

“Skywarp, no one's there-”

He let out a frustrated yell, hurling one sword to the ground. He pressed a hand to his dimmed optic, shaking. 

“Skywarp-”

“I can't take this anymore !”

He raised his sword and slammed the pommel into his helm. 

“Stop!” Starscream cried out, horrified. But Skywarp was stumbling back, reeling from the blow. He struck himself again, hard enough to dent the metal. His optic flickered, and relief washed over his face for a brief moment. 

He swayed, putting up his sword again, but Starscream raised his arm and fired a shot at the blade. It was blasted out of his hand, flung over the edge of the roof and into the darkness. 

Skywarp turned to him, furious.

“What is your problem!?”

“I'm not letting you hurt yourself! You’ve lost your mind, Skywarp. You can’t trust your judgement right now. Just listen to me. I know what’s best for you, and it’s not him.”

“You’re a traitor! You betrayed me, and you’re betraying him !”

“ Enough !” Starscream slammed his fist into the wall with a resounding crash.

And Skywarp flinched. His hands went up, his gaze fixated on Starscream's fist. 

“Enough,” he repeated. “Be reasonable. I'm not letting him poison your mind into thinking you deserved what you got.”

“I'm not listening to a damn thing-”

“ Skywarp!” He seized his wrist, dragging him closer. “I am your commander. You will listen to me. Or else. ”

Skywarp's face twisted with loathing. 

“You think you're so much better than him,” he whispered. “You're not. You're worse. It’s not about his control, it's about yours.”

Starscream's grip went slack. Skywarp wrenched away his wrist, staggering back. 

“I'm sick,” he snapped. “Sick of your control. And your lies. You don’t care about me, you were using me. Don’t come near me again. Don’t touch me again. I’m- I’m glad he took my wing.”

He let out a weak sob. “At least I won’t have to fly with you anymore. At least I’ll be alone.”

He snatched up his sword and vanished in a flash of purple light, leaving Starscream in the rain.

One hand was outstretched toward the space where he had been. 

He let his arm drop to his side. The ground seemed to tilt under him. 

What had he done? Why?

He’d just wanted to keep Skywarp safe… right?

It was his fault. It had always been. From the moment he had decided to take in Skywarp as a trainee, he had doomed him to this fate: an elite soldier, forced to be Megatron’s pawn.

But he thought of Skywarp’s cohort. He remembered the way they had looked at him when he’d spoken to them earlier.

Weren’t they all doomed from the start?

His comm crackled.

“Star!” came Thundercracker’s voice. “ Starscream! Where are you!?”

Starscream blinked blearily.

“What?” he replied. “What do you want?”

“We need you down here! It’s complete chaos: the younger ones are furious, they’re about to start rioting.”

Panic shot through every circuit in his frame. He’d forgotten about the commotion they’d caused in the mess hall. 

“What?” he demanded. “ Why?”

“I don’t know! They’re talking about replacements and dead parts, I don’t know but they’ve gone ballistic and the captains have been called in and they’re trying to beat them down and we need you here, Star, they listen to you, we need them to calm down-”

“Okay!” he interrupted hastily. “Okay, I- I’m coming.”

“Upper eastern wing, they're trying to storm high command offices, hurry-”

Starscream was already sprinting to the edge. He skidded off with a flare of his wings to coast around the side of the ship and landed on the flight deck.  

Starscream's optics widened as he looked at the virulent crowd in front of him. 

He saw the same battered, scraped, poorly fitted soldiers from before, pushing forward and yelling, demanding answers. A line of captains and generals had formed in front of them, and they pushed back with armored shields. 

“Stand down , you insolent idiots,” growled one of the generals. “Have you all lost your minds!?”

“Tell us where they're from!” the pearly white seeker yelled back. “Tell us what you've been putting in us!”

“I’m not saying anything! Get back!” He tried to shove the seeker, but she latched onto his shield. 

“Then let us talk to someone who will!”

The general raised his fist, ready to strike. 

His fist came down on Thundercracker's hand, who stopped him mid-swing. He used his other hand to grab the seeker by the collar and pull her off, then positioned himself between the two. 

Starscream hurried forward as the seeker pointed at the general. 

“Coward!” she yelled. “What, are you gonna rip my wing off, too!?”

Starscream halted in his tracks as a resounding cry of support rose from the crowd. 

“Go on, take our wings!” someone shouted. “We're not worth anything to you anyway!”

The flyers flared up their wings, rallying around him. The general, furious, shoved Thundercracker aside and made a grab for the brazen seeker, but an artillery soldier – a bigger construct from the first generation – grabbed her and pulled her behind himself. The other small seekers were drawn back too, and the bigger bots came to the forefront. In the center of the crowd, shielded by their comrades, were the stealth constructs: the ones with the smallest and most delicate frames. 

The soldiers were protecting each other.

Of course. Who else would do it?

And now there was another cry echoing through the crowd:

Where is Skywarp?

Did you punish him for telling the truth?

“We don't know what you're talking about!” a panicked captain called over them. “Just calm down and we'll try to-”

“It's the commander!”

Starscream, who had been pulling Thundercracker out of the conflict, froze. People were pointing at him, calling out to him. 

“ We need answers!”

“Where are these parts coming from!?”

“Commander,” panted one of the exhausted captains. “Please, just tell them anything to calm them down.”

He could stop this right now. He could silence them if he wanted. He could have them beaten down into submission if he wanted. 

He had been ordered to keep the secret, after all. He knew he would be in danger if he told the truth. His trine would be in danger. He had to do what he always had to keep them safe: he had to lie. Manipulate. He had to keep them under control.

But he stared out at the crowd. He looked at their faces: angry, hurt, scared. He looked at the seekers, their wings raised in support of their missing comrade. He looked at their trine badges. 

Was there a single complete set in the crowd?

Starscream pulled Thundercracker behind himself. 

“You deserve to know the truth,” he said, his voice ringing clearly through the hallway. “Yes, the new parts we've been receiving aren't new at all. They've been retrieved from dead soldiers-”

“Starscream!” one of the generals bellowed as shock and horror rippled through the crowd. He dropped his shield and seized his arm. 

“Decepticons and Autobots alike,” Starscream continued desperately, trying to push him off. “It was kept a secret. Skywarp was the first, they forced him-”

“Silence him!”

It was too late. 

Screams of disgust and fury filled the air. The line of defence broke as the stunned captains were shoved to the side. 

“That's why you haven't been receiving their bodies! I'm sorr-”

The general's fist slammed into the side of his helm. He staggered back, hitting the wall. 

Instinctively, blindly, he raised his fists, but the general didn't get the chance to strike again. 

A whistling sound hurtled through the air and Starscream just barely ducked out of the way as someone's missile erupted at the general's throat. 

Smoke clouded his vision. His audials were ringing. He felt someone pulling his arm. 

Thundercracker. 

The two of them stumbled out of the chaos together, and Thundercracker pushed him out onto the flight deck. 

He was staring at Starscream in shock. 

“TC,” Starscream rasped. “Are you alright?”

“ Dead parts?” he demanded. “Star, dead parts? Is this some kind of plot?”

Starscream shook his head, defeated. 

“No plot, TC,” he said weakly. “Just the truth.”

Thundercracker was looking down at himself, optics wide with dread. 

“How long?” he whispered. “How long has this been going on? How many of us-”

“Since the energon raid. Not you, but… a lot of the small ones.”

“Oh, Primus, Skywarp-”

“His optic.”

Thundercracker pressed his hands to his face. 

“No,” he whispered. “Of course, how did I not realize? Star, oh no, Starscream, why didn't you tell me!?”

There was a lot he could have said. There was a lot, he realized just now, that he desperately wanted to confide in him. 

“I'm sorry,” was all he said. 

“I have to find him. His comm is off. His locator-” Thundercracker rapped on his comm frantically. “Star, his locator is gone!”

“I'll have it turned on.”

“No! It's gone! He's broken it!”

The two of them stared at each other. Skywarp was completely out of their reach. 

Starscream stood up straight, his mind already racing. 

“Alright,” he said. “Stay calm. I can figure something out. I'll get him back here, and I'll- I'll make up a lie for Megatron, he'll never know it was Skywarp. We'll use the soldiers' chaos to our advantage.”

Yes, he could get things back under control. He didn't know why he'd blurted out all that information to the soldiers, but he'd clean up the mess. He'd convince Skywarp to listen to him again. He would use Thundercracker to appeal to him. 

For a moment, it seemed like he might actually be able to fix things. 

And then the sirens started. 

“What’s going o-”

Starscream’s comm burst into chaos.

“It’s an attack!”

“Patrol found them approaching from the northern side-”

“Another raid!?”

“ An invasion!”

Starscream and Thundercracker exchanged horrified looks.

“They’ve brought their entire army!”

“ They’re going on the offensive!?” Starscream demanded. He turned on his heels and ran back inside, Thundercracker following close behind. “What are they playing at?”

“They’re disadvantaged-”

“I know they’re disadvantaged! That makes them desperate and dangerous !”

The chaos inside had finally stopped. The gathered captains had started firing off orders, mobilizing their units. In the face of the new threat, the soldiers’ protests had been put on hold. 

Starscream ran past them, shouting orders into his comm. 

“Thundercracker,” he called over his shoulder. “Get your unit and meet me at the northern deck.”

“What about Skywarp!? We don’t know where he-”

“I know where he is.” He skidded to a halt, turning to face Thundercracker. 

“On the battlefield.”

Chapter Text

“Target locked, sir!”

“Start firing.”

The flying unit started firing in unison, sweeping up over the rapidly falling soldiers. An explosion rang out down below. Screams of agony and shouts of rage erupted from the battlefield. 

Starscream’s radar pinged frantically. 

“Missile incoming!”

“Deploying chaff.”

Starscream twisted out of the way, leaving a glittering cloud in his wake. His fliers pulled up ahead of him, having neutralized a whole group of enemy soldiers. 

“18-84, are you-”

A shriek cut through his comm.

“ They’re not dying!” 

What-

A volley of bullets fired up from the soldiers they’d just shot down. 

“ Scatter!” he yelled, and his fliers veered wildly. Not all of them were able to save themselves: he watched in horror as some of them were struck, spinning out of control. 

His comm exploded with panicked voices. He swooped down, trying to gauge how the fallen autobots were still firing. 

Their limbs had been blown off. There were holes in their chassis’. Even if they hadn’t been killed instantly, the pain alone would have been enough to immobilize them until they bled out.

Then why was he looking down at a mangled autobot raising his gun at him, a frenzied grin on his face?

Starscream let out a repulsed snarl, firing at him with everything he had. The autobot shuddered under the impact of his bullets before finally collapsing in a limp heap, his optics going dark. 

Around him, mutilated bodies continued to move, crawling forward, raising their weapons.

Starscream pulled away, fear coursing through his frame as their hysterical laughter followed after him. 

“They can’t feel pain!” someone yelled into the comm. “I repeat: they cannot feel pain anymore. They won’t stop fighting until they’ve been shredded to pieces.”

“We can’t fight them off!” someone else called over the line. “We can’t keep these monsters down!”

“Stand your ground!” Megatron’s voice cut through. “They can still be killed.”

“We’re falling faster than they are!”

“Keep fighting! Defend the ship at all costs! ”

“Stay in the air, no matter what,” Starscream ordered his fliers. “Stay as far from them as possible. Shoot on sight, aim for the spark, and empty your clips into them.”

In the distance, he saw the Prime swinging his blazing axe. He staggered as a stream of bullets struck him, clutching his arm in pain. Behind him, a pink soldier fell to her knees, doubled over. A few of the soldiers around them seemed to be suffering similarly. It seemed like not everyone had agreed with the desperate idea. 

He switched to a private connection. “Captain!”

“Commander!” Thundercracker levelled with him, flanking him closely. “I’ve located Skywarp.”

Relief flooded through his frame. “Where is he?”

“He’s guarding Megatron.”

Starscream banked to the left, and Thundercracker followed with an almost imperceptible delay. 

“Where are you going!?”

“I’m not leaving him down there! You stay back-”

“Well, I’m not leaving you two down there!”

Megatron was fighting from the ground. His fusion cannon fired frequently and swiftly, blasting straight through the spark chamber of every enemy that stepped close. Soundwave was by his side, standing firm in front of his casseticons, shooting endlessly. Purple light flashed around them, leaving behind nothing but smoke and shredded bodies.

Skywarp appeared in front of Megatron, his swords buried in a soldier’s spark. Megatron fired straight at him, and he phased out, letting the shot obliterate a pair of autobots. He reappeared behind his leader, tearing his blade through a legless soldier who had been aiming at his head. 

All around them, mutilated autobots staggered closer. Energon poured from their wounds and wires dangled where their limbs should have been. Their optics were blown out and their voiceboxes were hissing with static. They were laughing, jeering at the terrified decepticons as they scrambled back. 

Starscream shifted back to root mode and landed heavily, letting the shock absorbers in his legs snap back into place. Thundercracker landed by him and snatched up a shield. Megatron gave them a startled look, but said nothing as he continued to fire. 

A flash of light exploded in front of Thundercracker and Skywarp appeared, his swords slashing blindly. 

“ Skywarp!” Thundercracker screamed. Skywarp’s optics widened and he twisted his wrist, narrowly missing his head. 

“Thundercracker?” His gaze fell on Starscream. “You! What are you two doing here!?”

“We’re here to help!” Starscream blasted a hole through the spark of a mauled soldier stumbling toward him.

“Get out of here, I don’t need you!”

He staggered as an autobot on the ground seized his leg. He phased out, reappearing a few feet above him and using his entire weight to drive his sword into his spark. 

Starscream ignored him. A wave of lurching soldiers was swarming them on every side. He fired wildly, backing away until he felt his wings brush against Thundercracker's. 

“ Please,” a voice cried over the comm line. “We can't hold them back!” 

Starscream shot at a soldier, narrowly missing the spark and hitting just below. As the soldier fell back, he raised his gun, firing a single shot into the air. 

Starscream watched in horror as the bullet arced up into the sky, striking a pearly white seeker above him. She spun out of control, and smoking trails chased her to the ground. 

She didn't stand a chance as she slammed into the ground. Her frame crumpled instantly, metal and debris flying everywhere. 

“We have to retreat,” Starscream shouted over the chaos. “Megatron! We have to retreat!”

“I said stand your ground!” Megatron roared. 

Skywarp warped in next to Megatron. Energon flowed down his bracers in rivulets and smoke poured out of his mouth. He stuck his sword in the ground and leaned on it, exhausted. Behind him, Thundercracker let out a cry as he was struck by the cockpit. 

“ Call a retreat!” Starscream shouted desperately. “We can't fight them off!”

Megatron spun around, a furious snarl on his face. 

“Hold steady!” he broadcasted to his soldiers. “Retreat is not an option! We cannot lose everything we fought for!”

One of the cassetticons, Rumble, yelled out as he was dragged down. 

Soundwave didn't even bother to shoot. He closed his fist and smashed the autobot’s faceplate. 

Thundercracker fell to his knees. Skywarp was shaking, trying to push himself up. 

Starscream clenched his fists. 

He cut into the broadcast. 

“This is commander Starscream,” he announced, his voice steely. “I order you now: Retreat. If there is a single thing worth fighting for in your life, you will not find it at the end of this battle. Your lives matter too much for this mindless slaughter. Retreat now. Run. Take flight. Save yourselves.”

“Starscream!” Megatron raised his cannon, firing instantly. 

Thundercracker tackled him, sending them to the ground right before it blew off his head. Starscream gritted his teeth, pushing himself back up. 

“You can die here if you want,” he shouted. “I'm not letting my soldiers get massacred by these monsters!”

Skywarp was staring at him with wide optics. 

“ You heard him,” Thundercracker shouted into his comm. “Leave!”

Seekers started to take flight. They fired down as they left, clearing a path for the ground based vehicles. They pulled out after the flyers, tyres skidding in the mud. 

Starscream pushed Thundercracker. “Go! Get them to safety.”

“Not without-”

“We'll be right behind you. Go.”

Thundercracker set his jaw. He nodded, taking flight with a flare of his wings. 

Starscream turned, stretching out a hand to Skywarp. He shuddered, his optics flickering. But he pushed himself upright, taking a step toward Starscream. 

Megatron seized his wing, and Skywarp let out a cry of terror. 

“What do you think you're doing!?” Megatron demanded. “Losing this battle will cost everything you have ever sacrificed! Your entire life will be rendered worthless! Your dream of Cybertron will be lost!”

He raised his cannon at Starscream. 

His finger pointed straight at him. 

“Silence the traitor,” he commanded. 

Skywarp's face twisted with rage. Megatron let him go, and he vanished with a flash of light. 

“Soundwave!” Megatron ordered, blasting a hole through a row of autobots. “Rally the soldiers! Get the captains to retrieve the ones who fled!”

Soundwave seized Rumble's arm and dragged him up into the air. Rumble barely had time to transform before he pushed him into the cassette panel and snapped it shut. 

“Soundwave! Stop standing around!”

Soundwave didn't reply. He pulled something out of the mud and hurled it at the ground in front of Megatron. A wing. 

Pearly white, with green and black leaves. 

He transformed and took flight, Lazerbeak following close behind. 

Seeing Soundwave leave was enough. The rest of the soldiers started to follow after him, leaving in droves. Starscream flared his wings and leapt away from the swarm of autobots, but he didn’t leave the battlefield. He couldn't see Skywarp, and he knew he wasn't going to leave him behind, no matter what.

A hiss sounded behind him. He whirled around, putting up his arms. 

No one was there. 

Something slammed into his right shoulder. He cried out, stumbling forward. He raised his cannon, but-

The cannon was gone. 

Skywarp appeared in front of him, using the cannon to blast off an autobot’s head before tossing it into the mud. He warped again, and Starscream swung blindly at his left, trying to stop Skywarp from taking the null ray on his arm. 

He materialized in front of him, striking him in the helm before warping to his left and vanishing with the null ray. 

“Skywarp!” he pleaded desperately. “Stop!”

The null ray was hurled into the air. Skywarp was laughing, the sound tearing through his voice box. 

“It doesn't feel good, does it?”

He vanished, and Starscream felt something collide into his back. 

“Not having any control,” Skywarp hissed in his audial. “Not having any choice in the matter.”

The weight on his back disappeared, and Skywarp reemerged several feet away to stick a gleaming white broadsword into the ground. Starscream let out a strangled gasp as he saw the gap in his wing. 

“Skywarp!” he cried. “I can't fly!”

Skywarp's laughter was hysterical. “Imagine that!”

“Listen to me, please-”

“Traitor! Why won’t you let us finish this war!?”

“Because you can’t! We can’t win this battle!”

Skywarp’s dimmed optic was flickering wildly. “Yes we can! If you had listened to him-!”

“You’re being delusional. Megatron is lying to you!”

Skywarp let out a furious growl. He kicked off the ground and covered the distance between them in a split second warp, ramming his knee just beside Starscream’s cockpit. He reeled back as Skywarp vanished. 

Starscream put up his fists, shaking. He was completely unarmed. How could he fight an enemy who simply wasn’t there?

This is not your enemy, he told himself. This is Skywarp. 

His trine member. His trainee. He was the one who had taught Skywarp how to fight. 

He could take him down if he had to. 

Starscream tensed, poising himself carefully and paying attention to his peripherals. Just as the space behind him flickered with light, he ducked. There was a scrape of metal as Skywarp passed over him and disappeared. Starscream swung to his left, leaving his right side open to attack. 

Within a split second, he drove back his right elbow, as hard as he could. There was a flash of light, a crunch of metal, and an agonized shriek. 

Skywarp phased a few meters away from him, clutching his head. He screamed in pain as his dimmed optic sputtered with light. 

“No!” he shrieked, swinging to his left, even though no one was there. “Go away!”

He unsheathed his sword and Starscream braced himself, getting ready to dodge. But Skywarp didn’t attack. 

He raised his sword and drove the hilt into his optic, shattering the lens.

“Skywarp, no !”

Skywarp doubled over in pain as energon poured down his face. He rammed the hilt again, letting out a wail. He buried it deep in the socket, twisting it and grinding it down, crushing everything inside. 

He pulled the hilt, swaying. A dazed smile passed over his face. Energon spurted out of the socket, coating his face and spilling into his mouth. 

“I’ll remove… anything that stands in the way of my dream,” he slurred, raising his sword. “Including you.”

Behind him, Soundwave swooped down, landing silently. 

“I’m not your enemy, Skywarp. Your dream isn’t-”

“Quiet!” he screamed. “You had your life on Cybertron! You had your paradise! You threw it away! You all did! You made your choice!”

“We just wanted a better life, we didn’t know-”

“What choice did we have? Why were we forced into this? Why are you prolonging it!?”

Soundwave had picked up the null ray. He aimed it at Skywarp.

Waiting. 

“Why won’t you let it end!?”

“I’m sorry. I’m doing this to keep you safe.” Starscream lowered his arms. “Fire.”

Skywarp didn’t even have time to turn around as the shot struck him. His optic widened as his frame went limp and collapsed. Soundwave threw aside the null ray, grabbed Skywarp, and took flight. 

“Starscream!” 

Thundercracker swooped down and Starscream stretched out his arms. He grabbed him and pulled up, carrying him away from the battlefield. The last of the decepticons followed after them. Down below, the invading army had surrounded Megatron, who stood by himself.

Starscream looked away, clutching Thundercracker tightly.

The dark clouds were finally clearing out, and the rising sun's rays were starting to break through. Most of the fleeing decepticons had taken refuge in a small canyon, which was where Thundercracker took him. He placed him gently on top of one of the surrounding clifftops, crouching down beside him. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, optics wide. “What happened to your wing?”

“I’m fine,” he groaned. “Skywarp-”

Soundwave placed Skywarp nearby as Lazerbeak came to sit on his shoulder. 

“Ravage,” he squawked. “Trouble.”

Soundwave gave Starscream a nod and leapt off the edge of the cliff. 

He pushed himself up and hurried over to Skywarp, dropping to his knees beside him. 

“Warp. Can you hear me?” He grasped his helm between his hands. Thundercracker came to stand by him. “His optic- We have to stop the bleeding.”

Skywarp’s fingers twitched and his lip trembled. 

“Trai…tor,” he hissed weakly. “I’ll… kill you.”

His spark ached. “I’m sorry,” he said once again. “I don’t want to prolong your suffering, Warp, I just want to protect you.”

Thundercracker crouched down next to him. He reached into the broken socket and Skywarp whimpered helplessly as he pinched the energon tube closed. 

A thundering crash echoed out from behind them and the ground trembled. Their heads whipped around and Starscream froze, clutching Skywarp tighter. 

Megatron. 

He was covered in gashes and scorch marks, coated in energon. Smoke rose from the muzzle of his cannon. His face was disfigured with pure rage and loathing.

“You,” he thundered. “You traitor. What have you done!?”

Starscream stared up at him, paralyzed with fear. Thundercracker scrambled in front of him and puffed up his wings. 

“He was trying to save our troops-”

“We lost our ship!” he roared. “We lost everything we fought for!”

“We would have lost it anyway!” Thundercracker was shaking, but he stayed in front of his trine. “We only tried to cut our losses, that’s all. We’ll reconvene, we’ll fight back-”

“Stand down, captain. My fight is not with you. Step aside from the traitor and let me finish his treachery once and for all.”

“TC,” Starscream whispered. “Go.”

“ No.” Thundercracker stood up, fists clenched. “You’re not touching my trine. All they ever did was offer your army the protection that you never did.”

“Fine. Die with him, then.”

He stepped forward and his fusion cannon whined, charging up as he raised it. 

Starscream grabbed Thundercracker’s arm, trying to pull him out of the way, but he slapped his hand away and fired at Megatron. 

No, not at Megatron. At his cannon: straight into the barrel. An inferno erupted from the cannon and Thundercracker ducked as shrapnel flew everywhere. Megatron yelled in pain, clutching his arm. 

“You insolent- ” He lunged forward, striking Thundercracker across the helm. He seized him by the throat as he staggered, dragging him closer and lifting him into the air. Starscream scrambled to get up as Thundercracker kicked weakly, desperate to do something – anything – to help. 

“I should have killed you both a long time ago!” He hurled Thundercracker at Starscream, sending them both crashing to the ground. 

He stalked over to them and kicked Thundercracker in the cockpit. He was  flung off Starscream and he cried out as it cracked, curling up around it. 

Behind Megatron, Skywarp was starting to stir. He raised his head, his optic burning with venom.

“Stop,” Starscream gasped. “Please. Leave him alone.”

“He made his decision. As did you .”

Megatron punctuated his statement with a kick to Starscream’s helm, knocking him back against Thundercracker. Pain exploded through his head. He clutched Thundercracker’s wrist and scrabbled back to get away from Megatron. 

The ground gave way under his palm and he gasped as he realized they were at the cliff’s edge. There was nowhere to go.

Megatron gave him a cold smile as his arm converted into a cannon. 

“Any last words?”

Starscream opened his mouth to plead, to explain, anything, but he was too terrified to speak.

Thundercracker stirred with a groan.

“Monster,” he hissed. “You beast. You never cared about us. You never cared about Cybertron. It was just you and your pride.”

“Everything I ever did was for Cybertron, captain. You are the ones who stopped me from killing Prime and ending this war.”

“Killing Prime would only have ended your war!” Thundercracker winced, putting a hand against his cockpit, but pressed on. “Do you think the autobots would have stopped after he was gone? What would you have done then? Abandoned us? After you used us to settle your personal scores?” 

“Don’t be stupid-”

“You promised a dream to us! You told us we would live peacefully, as equals. Where has all that been this whole time? Where has it gone? We lost our ideals. The possibility of that dream ended a long time ago, and you know it. We all do. It’s gone. Anyone who still believes it is just feeding off your lies. It’s not about us against the autobots anymore. It’s about us against them and you.”

He glared up at Megatron. “And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your soldiers have started to realize what side they want to be on.”

Megatron stared down at him, his face dark. 

“Impressive words,” he said quietly. “You would have made a fine writer.”

He raised his cannon, and purple light washed over them as it charged up. 

“Oh, well,” he continued. “Maybe in another life.”

Thundercracker grasped Starscream’s arm. He pulled him into an embrace and they held each other tightly, refusing to look into the barrel of the gun. 

There was a flash of purple light, a crack ripped through the air, and-

And…

Nothing. 

Slowly, fearfully, Starscream raised his head. 

Megatron had gone still, a stunned expression on his face. A massive crack split the front of his breastplate.

And from the crack protruded the tip of a sword. 

A single drop of energon spilled out of the crack. Megatron's optics went dark. He dropped to his knees and collapsed to the ground. Skywarp went down with him, slumping over his body with the hilt still grasped tightly in his hands. 

The leaves rustled gently in the wind. The clouds had given way completely, revealing a pink sky. Somewhere above them, the birds sang their little melodies. 

It was a beautiful day. 

And then there was the quiet sobbing. 

Skywarp's shoulders shook as he slowly let go of the hilt to clasp his hands together. He knelt by the body, his head hanging low. 

Thundercracker’s hold on Starscream finally loosened. 

…gone?

Megatron was… gone?

“No,” Skywarp wept. “No, please. Why? How?”

“...Warp?”

“Why didn't you deny it? Why? Weren’t they lying? How could you die so easily?”

Starscream crawled forward. 

“Our dream,” Skywarp moaned. “My dream. You lied to me? Please, how could it die so easily?” 

Starscream wrapped his arms around him and held him tightly. And Skywarp didn't push him away. 

“I’m sorry,” Starscream whispered. “Sky, I'm so sorry.”

Thundercracker dragged himself over, draping his arms around the two and slumping against them. 

“Gone,” Skywarp sobbed. “It’s all gone. It was never real. And he knew it.”

He stretched out his arms, wrapping one around Starscream and one around Thundercracker. 

“I'm sorry,” Skywarp whispered. “All I ever wanted… I just… wanted to be free. I wanted to go home.” 

The body was turning a dull gray. 

“I thought… it could still be real,” he continued wearily. “But even if it was…”

He sighed, closing his optic. 

“Not without you two,” he murmured. “I made my choice. I didn't want him to control us anymore.”

And his frame went slack in Starscream's arms.

Chapter Text

...due to the shocking and unanticipated death of our leader, we now find ourselves at a crossroads…

Skywarp stared down at the tablet in his lap in silence, chewing on his knuckles. 

… are backed into a corner, now required to make the most important decision for our future and our cause…

The words were starting to crawl over themselves in his head. 

…should choose the wise and strategic path that will ensure our preservation and survival, and look over our differences for the greater good…

“You got all that?” Starscream asked. He was leaning over Skywarp’s shoulder, shuffling his wings. 

“Um, yeah.”

“Will you remember it?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“M... maybe you should give the speech instead.” He looked up at him. “You’re like… the main guy now.”

“No,” Starscream said fretfully. “It has to be you.”

“Why?”

“Just trust me.”

“ Starscream.”

Starscream’s wings flopped. “Okay,” he muttered. “Yes. I should tell you.”

The sun was out, and it was another warm day. A gentle breeze wafted through the canyon, playfully nudging their wings. They were sitting behind a cluster of rocks, away from everyone else. Thundercracker was on a boulder nearby. He’d taken off his hearing aids and was now peacefully sunning himself. 

Once the ship had been taken, the decepticons had realized that their best option was to surrender the battle. The autobots had gathered them up into the canyon, blocking off the exits and standing guard on the steep clifftops. Some time later, once Starscream had managed to get the situation under control, he went to see the Prime. 

And he took his trine with him. 

Optimus Prime had a weary but gentle voice. He was kind enough to return Starscream's broadsword to him so that he may complete his wing, and explained that the autobots didn’t want to harm the surrendering decepticons. 

“Convince them to stop fighting once and for all,” he said. “I can see that you don’t have the same mindless rage that Megatron had, commander. Er, Lord? Regardless, if you want peace, we can achieve it now, but I will not agree to a treaty until I know you have the support of your people.”

His blue optics were stern over the mask. 

“I will give you three more days. During that time, we will continue to provide you with the energon and medical supplies you need. Remember, no one is to leave the canyon until then. We will attack on sight.”

But his expression softened after that. 

“It has been a harrowing war,” he said. “My people were forced to make many decisions that I did not want them to take, and I am certain that you can say the same for yours.”

His gaze lingered on Skywarp’s patched optic and battered frame.

“Please rest assured, the terms we agree to will be fair. Everyone who wants a second chance will be given one. We can start to change things for the better now.”

Skywarp had left the meeting feeling deeply awed. Unfortunately, Starscream picked up on this immediately. 

“He’s not a saint, you know,” he’d said irritably. “You’ll obsess over anyone who talks nicely enough.”

But Thundercracker flicked at his wing. “ You could barely get a word out in front of him, Star. Your optics may not be as big as Warp’s, but I saw-”

“Oh, shut up, you looked like you were going to start crying.”

Skywarp let out a weak laugh at this, and the argument fizzled out after that. 

Now, as a gust of wind tossed some dust over them, Starscream wiped down Skywarp’s wing for the umpteenth time. 

“I’m their leader now,” he explained. “Before that, I was their commander. I stopped seeing things from their level. But you’re one of them. They trust you completely. They're going to rally around you. I know that.”

“But the generals and captains-”

“I don’t care about the generals and captains. I care about the rest of you.”

“Then… shouldn’t we tell them what really happened to Megatron?”

“No,” he said sharply. “I don’t want anyone turning against you.”

Skywarp nodded, looking down at the speech. “I understand.”

Starscream wiped his wing again, although there was nothing there. 

“But then why didn’t you let me write the speech myself?”

Starscream crouched down next to him, worry etched on his face. “You’re not going to do it?”

The light in his optics was dimmer than usual. His plating was dull and covered in scratches. He must have been exhausted, trying to handle everything that was going on.

“I’ll do it,” he promised. “Sorry. Just nervous.”

Starscream nodded, looking relieved. 

“Yeah,” he said, standing up. “Yeah, of course. I’ll… I should leave you to it.”

Skywarp lowered his head as Starscream left. There was still an air of apprehension between the two of them whenever they spoke.

“Do you feel better?” Starscream was asking Thundercracker distantly. “It’ll take some time to heal.”

Thundercracker was looking down at him with an inquiring smile on his face. Starscream spent a little longer fussing over him before he was waved away. 

“You should start gathering the soldiers,” Thundercracker told him. “It’s almost time.”

Starscream left in a huff, upset about being dismissed like that. Skywarp got up and went to Thundercracker.

“I’m nervous,” he said, as Thundercracker put his hearing aids back on. 

“Anyone would be, I think. But I know you’ll do fine.”

“What if they don’t listen?” He held up the tablet. “I mean, I’m sure it’s a convincing speech. We’ve laid out our options. But… what if they don’t understand why we're ending it here? What if they still want to follow Megatron’s goals?”

Thundercracker considered this in silence. Before he could respond, though, they heard Starscream calling them.

“You should get going,” said Thundercracker, sliding off the boulder. “You’ll do great. Don't worry. Trust yourself.”

“Trust myself,” Skywarp repeated quietly as Starscream took his wrist and pulled him in front of the crowd. 

“Get up there,” Starscream told him, nudging him toward a large, flat rock. He handed him a voice amplifier. “Good luck. We’re with you.”

The crowd had settled themselves down onto the ground, and they watched as he took an uncomfortably long time to clamber up on top of the rock. He belatedly realized, as he stood on top, that he was not as sprightly as he had been a while ago and he should have just warped up there instead. 

“Um,” he said, and grimaced when the voice amplifier picked it up. Some of the audience members were exchanging unimpressed glances. 

“You, um, all have been gathered today, uh, here, because we wanted to address our current situation and our, uh, plan going forward.”

Starscream was in the front of the crowd, his knuckles between his teeth. Thundercracker was next to him, and he gave Skywarp a reassuring smile. 

“As we all know, due to the shocking and unanticipated death of our leader, we are now, um, we find ourselves…”

He glanced down at the tablet in his hand. Crossroads. Right. The choice.

He looked back up to see something stir in the back of the crowd. It was Optimus Prime, his arms folded, his head tilted with curiosity. He was alone.

Skywarp switched off the tablet, pressing it tightly against himself. 

The choice.

“I killed Megatron.”

Maybe time had slowed down in that moment. Maybe it just took that long for his words to register. Shock crept over their faces. Whispers floated. Voices rose. All of Starscream’s plating had puffed up. Skywarp didn’t dare meet his gaze.

“I killed Megatron,” he repeated firmly. “And I… I adored him. I idolized him. I gave him everything I had. I let him ruin me, and I still adored him. And- and his ideals, and the dreams he promised us. But I killed him. I had to.”

Skywarp clutched the tablet tightly between his shaking hands. 

“The dreams he promised to us were not real. The possibility of them being real ended a long time ago. And he knew that. And he continued to lie to us. And we believed him because…”

He stared down at his comrades, damaged and weary. 

“Because we had nothing else,” he said. “We had no other choice. We never had a choice in any of it. Joining this war, losing our planet. All we could do was hope there was a light at the end of the tunnel. But most of us didn’t even know what that light could look like. And most of us… didn’t survive long enough to find out. And if we continued fighting mindlessly, following what he told us, the rest of us would never have found out, either.

“In that battle, when we were defending our ship, I saw madness and desperation beyond anything I’ve ever encountered before. Us, built out of corpses, and them, mutilated and mauled beyond recognition. We lost our way. Every Cybertronian.”

He raised his gaze to the sky. 

“I’m tired,” he said quietly. “I’m tired of it all. I’m broken, I’m damaged, I’m in pain. I don’t want to fight anymore. I know you don’t either. And we don’t have to. We can have peace now. We can sign a treaty. We can be safe. We can recover, and try to rebuild. Maybe we could even go back to Cybertron someday. But that can’t happen if we don’t start here. We have to make peace. We have to stop fighting.”

He remembered listening to Megatron’s speeches. It had always been so majestic, so inspiring, the way he could rouse a crowd with his thundering voice and impassioned words. He remembered the way he used to cheer for him. His words had been like a life force for them.

His spark ached. 

“Are… are you going to stand with me?” he asked.

The crowd was silent. No cheering. No chants. Nothing to say that they were with him. 

But then a small seeker stood up. She stumbled over her companions and ran to him, reaching up and grasping his hand. 

She didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. 

Her friends got up after her. They came to him, putting their hands on his bracers, clutching his wrists. The tablet tumbled out of his hands as he reached out for them all. The other soldiers gathered around them: stealth and artillery, all the flyers and the gunmen, and some of the captains, too. 

He looked into their optics, shining with hope as they looked up at him, no words to be exchanged between them.

Well, except two: 

“Thank you,” he whispered. 

~~~~~

The grass was soft and warm up here. 

Skywarp was stretched out on top of a grassy, rolling hill, soaking in the sun like he had seen Thundercracker do. Technically, they were still weren’t allowed to leave the canyon, but he had wanted some time to himself, and the autobots seemed to have forgotten that he could just warp out. 

He had left quickly after finishing his speech, still jittery from the whole experience. Prime had seen what he had come for, and so Skywarp’s job was done. 

He rolled over on his front, swinging his wing lazily. He opened his optic and suddenly froze. 

Starscream was crouched in the grass just a few meters away from him, coiled like a stalking predator, wings flattened. The two of them stared at each other, startled. 

“Were you… sneaking up on me?”
Starscream gave him a sheepish grin. “Maybe.”

Skywarp sat up, catching the smile like an infection. “You would have crushed me, you big- augh!”

He phased out as Starscream pounced. Skywarp reappeared on his back, seized his vents and wrenched him to the side before vanishing again. Starscream shrieked and tucked in his wings as he tumbled down the hill. 

He landed in a sprawling heap at the bottom. Skywarp phased in, standing over him with a triumphant grin. 

“You've lost your touch, commander.”

Starscream swept his leg under Skywarp's, and he squawked as he toppled to the ground. 

“Still got it.”

Skywarp giggled, crawling over to Starscream and settling down next to him. 

“You're not angry with me?” he asked. 

“Why would I be angry?”

“I didn't follow your script.” 

Starscream leaned back on his palms, shuffling his wings. 

“Yeah,” he said. “But it was a good speech. It was… honest. Raw. I think that's what they needed to hear.” 

He looked over at Skywarp. “I should have just trusted you, hm?”

He smiled shyly. “I did sound a little dumb.”

“Maybe that's why they listened.”

“So?” Skywarp traced lines in the grass. “What's gonna happen now?”

“Well, Optimus was very pleased. Almost everyone is happy to have a truce. The rest will come around to it eventually.” He shrugged. “I mean, anyone who was really furious about the situation had already escaped the canyon a while ago. We'll deal with them when it comes to it. We have… allies now.”

“And the treaty?”

“We spent some time drafting it. It'll be finalized soon. I do want you to be there when we do it.”

Skywarp’s wing twitched with excitement. “I’d be honored.”

“Yeah.” He reached out and gave his wing a gentle pinch. “Don't do that in the meeting.” 

“Okay,” he said eagerly. Starscream laid down, taking a moment to have a luxurious stretch. 

“It's nice up here,” he mumbled.

“How did you get out?”

“They relaxed the rules a bit. I told them I was going to look for you.”

“Are you going to take me back?”

“We can stay a little longer,” he replied lazily. 

Skywarp grinned, and Starscream stretched out an arm. 

“C’mere.”

He hastened to join him, lying down in the grass and snuggling up next to him. Starscream let out an amused huff as his engine purred happily. They stayed like that for a while, basking in the sun. Starscream was running his fingers over the patched slit on his back. 

“It's nice,” Starscream said eventually. 

“Mm?”

“You know, not living in constant fear anymore. I hadn't realized how… heavy it was, until it was finally gone.”

Skywarp looked up at him. The light from his optics mingled with the sunrays, leaving a warm, orange glow on his faceplate, and catching slightly on the scar on his cheek. His armour, scratched and dusty as it was, still glittered under the brilliant sky. 

He couldn't help but feel a little awed as he gazed at him. 

“We made it,” he said quietly. “All three of us.”

“Yeah.”

“I didn't think it was possible.” He tucked his face in against Starscream's shoulder. “I still… can't believe it.”

“Our struggle hasn't ended completely. We still have a long way to go.”

“I know,” he mumbled. “But at least we'll be together.”

“Of course.”

He closed his optic, listening to their engines humming together. The breeze caressed his frame gently as it flitted by. 

And Skywarp wasn't alone anymore. 

“BOO!”

“AAAUGH!”

Thundercracker started laughing. 

“I got you,” he wheezed, pressing a hand to his cockpit. “I got you guys good.”

“TC!”

Skywarp rolled out of the way as Starscream lunged at him. Thundercracker dodged narrowly, still giggling. He skittered around to the side, crouching behind Skywarp for protection. 

“How did you even get out here?” Starscream demanded. 

“I told them I was looking for you two!”

Skywarp squeaked as Starscream grabbed his leg and pulled him out of the way. 

“Argh! Skywarp, save me!” 

Thundercracker ran away with Starscream at his heels. Skywarp scrambled up and chased after them, his laughter mingling with theirs. 

And Skywarp was with his trine. 

And he would never have to be alone again. 

Thank you to the lovely brooks-real for the amazing fanart!