Chapter Text
The warlord’s optics stared in bewilderment at the maniacal cyclops’ new appearance.
Rumors had circulated that his time on Cybertron had set in motion a new mutation project at the CNA, but what no one expected was that the test subject for that experiment was Shockwave himself.
And it was a resounding success.
The scientist’s chassis had grown in size; he was much taller than Megatron himself. The cannon that was supposed to be his left arm had disappeared; now he had two servos—or rather, two enormous claws—which appeared to be quite lethal; one blow to the spark and it would be extinguished.
He didn’t seem to be a Cybertronian; he was something else.
“It’s good to see you again, Shockwave, but...”
“I know, it makes sense that you have a lot of questions about my transformation, but let's put that aside. I've come with a request, and I assure you that my new experiment will give you a huge advantage in the war.”
Megatron raised an eyebrow at that. It wasn't the first time Shockwave had said something like that to him, but this time, it was different; his tone of voice sounded somewhat... Excited—very different from his usual voice.
“What is this new experiment about?”
“Have you heard of the Predacons?”
“That’s just a myth, Shockwave. I never thought a scientist like you would believe in such things.”
“In fact, I’ve discovered Predacon DNA, which helped me improve my own DNA.”
“What?”
“I admit I made this decision without thinking about the possible consequences, like losing my mind and becoming a mindless creature, but when I introduced that CNA into my chassis, the result was better than expected—my body underwent changes. Changes that made my chassis far superior, which led me to take the next step in this experiment: creating hybrids.”
“So, are you asking me to replicate that unconventional method in my army?”
“No,” replied the cyclops. "I used some test subjects, and the results weren't good—I wouldn't even say they came close to the results I achieved. It was disappointing; they didn’t get past the size change. Several died during these changes, and cloning didn’t yield positive results either—many of them died as soon as they began to take shape. So I’ll move on to the next step: fertilization.”
Silence fell between the two Decepticons, but it was broken by Shockwave, who voiced his request.
“I need Starscream; he would be excellent for this project.”
Megatron didn’t respond. Had he heard correctly? Starscream?
Noticing the lack of response, Shockwave continued.
“The Seekers are different from the rest of the Cybertronians; they can have between ten and thirty sparklings. They are natural at raising their sparklings, not to mention that Starscream possesses qualities that could be beneficial for the future Predacons.”
“Why Starscream? There are other Seekers among the Decepticons,” asked the old gladiator.
“That's true, but according to reports from Knockout and the other doctors on the Nemesis, the other Seekers are infertile. There's no explanation for how this happened, but we only know that Starscream is the only one who can have Sparklings, since he's the only fertile Seeker.”
Megatron was still processing Shockwave’s words; the vast majority of his air force was infertile, which made him reconsider the possibility that the rest of his army might also be infertile. Perhaps he was infertile too and didn’t even know it.
What would become of Cybertron’s future in light of this?
The Seekers might be the first to disappear due to the decline in Sparklings; this could be the beginning of the end if things continue this way.
He hated to admit it, but Starscream might be one of the few who could save Cybertron from possible extinction.
“So, you only need Starscream?”
“Affirmative.”
“Well, if this gives us a potential advantage in the future and, incidentally, saves the Cybertronian race from possible extinction, I accept your request. Starscream will be sent immediately to your lab on Cybertron—just let me know when you need him.”
“Don’t trouble yourself, Lord Megatron. I’ll take him to my lab myself, right now.”