Part 4
The Decepticons were on holiday, so to speak. Megatron had told them that while a group of them were out on a raid, the rest of them were getting ready for a week long rest from all the drama the last month or so held.
And so, when the coneheads plus a few others returned on a successful raid, they all kicked back in the lounge area and relaxed. The equivalent of a TV was blaring stories of war missiles and other amazing weaponry and their tech specs on them, whilst over the other side of the room there was an area to sit and have a drink, much like a bar. Then there were a heap of old, mismatched couches and chairs scattered over a modestly large area. This was where most of the group were as they chattered of things past, present and the ever dark and mysterious future. They had a laugh about the idiotic Autobots, and more when Brawl and Bonecrusher got into a fight and started to wrestle about on the floor. The others cheered them on.
Meanwhile, Megatron was recharging. He too had had a stressful week, and by giving the others a holiday it meant that he could at least have a half decent rest instead of having to chase down people. Soundwave was put in charge of the ‘party’, as he merely phrased it, and he passed into the land of sleeping.
But, someone was not at rest …
***
Shout! Shout!
Let it all out
These are the things I could do without
Come on
I’m-a talking to you
So come on
Starscream was reading a document on his screen. He had a new PC installed since his other one had a rather large fist mark in it from when he had blasted it previously, and he was rather keen to have a new one back in his room. Besides, it would get rid of the evil viruses and Primus knows what else on the hard drive that he REALLY didn’t want to deal with at present.
At the moment, he was thinking about a few things. His spark was a constant thing on his mind, and the video that made him blow up his old PC, and Megatron. His spark was his primary concern at the moment, as he was looking up on the legend to hopefully get some information as to what he was to do, and how it had come to him of all mechs.
His optics widened as he came across a relevant document on the screen. It was not incredibly long, but it contained a fair amount of detail.
“Let’s see …” He muttered to himself as he read the text:
‘Sector 238
Following account of AcidBomb, renowned scientist on
Spark Creation
Project ‘Immortality’
Document 1
Recent accounts of what has been sought as a
legend may at last be true. At last, I have found what could be the answer to
the mystery on the Immortal spark of the Legends. In an ancient inscription
found at this sector, there it was written the coming of the ‘One’’
Starscream saw the pictures of the hieroglyphs painted on the walls, and instantly translated it in his mind. It read like a song:
'Shadows of old,
Beings come nigh,
The One with the power,
Shall be born this night.
Days of darkness,
One Seeker shall soar,
Red optics agleam,
Will it be my own?
White shall the traitor be,
Flashes of crimson,
Highlights of blue,
A face like the night.
He will be alluring,
In frame and mind
Friends will be true
And gladly so.
But his days shall grow dark,
Evil shall consume him,
Yet his spark will endure,
Bound by his immortal fate,
The last laugh, no matter when
Shall always be his.'
‘It means me … it has to be me …’ Starscream thought with a jolt. He began to read the rest of the document:
‘More information has been found about the
spark itself, instead of the One that will have it. It is said that Primus, in
a desperate attempt to build a being in his image; immortal, powerful, and
strong, could only manage the very shell of the spark and not the essence.
Being angry with his failure, he cast the shell away, to be lost forever more
it seemed. But it found its way into Cybertron, and from then on is unknown.
The shell of the spark is what has made it immortal, being composed of an
unknown material as of late. The bearer has not been found, but we do know it
is a seeker. All seekers have been searched after programming, but such a case
has not been found. Other sources to show the final markings of this individual
are that he will be incredible at all he goes into. The spark, unfortunately,
cannot be duplicated should the being be found. It is unclear as to whether
this is true or not.
Account never continued.
End document.
See also ‘Immortal particles’, ‘Spark’ and
‘Immortality – will it ever be?’
Starscream finished reading, and sighed. It was very clear that he was the one in the legend; all the evidence and defining features led to it. He was not sure whether this made him happy or sad … of a combination of both. On one side of the argument, he would outlast any battle ever fought, and never die at the hands of the enemy, but on the down side …
He would never be able to have a normal life … to live forever; it would be a tiring existence … Especially since his ‘true friend’ had gone now. It was a sad fate, and yet … it did not make him feel totally lost.
Was this a sign that maybe his true friend was not who he thought it was?
Just then, his PC beeped and his head darted to the popup. There was a video transmission trying to get though, yet he didn’t recognise the address. He clicked on it, and the very person who he had been thinking about came up on the screen.
Skyfire.
I
watched you change and never knew
That
you would be like all the rest
You
were so true too good to be true
I
trusted you and fell apart again
“S-Skyfire!”
Starscream gasped out, startled.
“I come
to you on behalf of one whom I love.” He whispered.
This was
not normal Skyfire behaviour … Starscream stared at him, and he then continued;
”I know Megatron has returned …” His voice was tinted with slight anger. “Why
are you still there? He will treat you like slag again Starscream! You know it!”
Starscream
shut his optics and turned his head away. He was as confused as Skyfire was,
but he would not go back to those Autobots. He had been treated badly enough by
them as it was, and he had no desire to repeat the experience. He was sick of
being the traitor, and now it felt like he had a purpose … and yet, nothing was
set in stone …
“I have
my reasons for staying.” Starscream said with a tint of frostiness, “And they
don’t need to be known by anyone else but Megatron and myself.”
Skyfire blanched,
and recoiled a little from the screen.
“You
cannot be serious.” He said quietly. “I thought my video would make you see sense
…”
“YOU
sent that horrible video?!” Starscream snarled, jumping up out of his chair and
knocking it to the floor.
I
cannot change the fact
That
you're not coming back
So
depressed I'm your slave
Skyfire
looked suddenly weary. “I don’t know what happened to you, Starscream. Its like
you’ve become a different person from the seeker I knew.”
“That’s because
I AM a different person!” Starscream growled, anger pulsing though every part
of his body. How could Skyfire do this to him?!
The
seeker stood up to his full height and turned away from the screen. He could
not look at his ex-teacher anymore.
“Why are
you begging me to return to the Autobots for?” Starscream finally said after a
moment of heavy silence. “Why not you come to the Decepticons?” He then added
with a bitter laugh. “You were one once.”
“I could
not come back …” Skyfire replied quietly.
I
had to leave so I could breathe
I
hate to fight that's not what I want
You
were so true too good to be true
I
trusted you and fell apart again
“Then
maybe you should’ve thought of me before you changed to the Autobots then.” Starscream
said coldly. He knew he was being unfair, but at the moment he was too annoyed
to really care about Skyfire’s problems. If he had fur it would be on end like
a porcupine.
“And be
treated like a dog? I’ll pass.” Skyfire replied equally sarcastic in the wake
of the seeker’s coldness.
Starscream
turned his head to give him a sidewards glance. “I would’ve protected you …” he
said quietly. “Just like I said I would’ve made you my second in command once I
was leader.”
Skyfire made
a move akin to rolling eyes. “I don’t fight, Starscream. I’m a scientist.”
“Of for
Primus sa- Times have changed Skyfire!” Starscream had spun around to fix him
with a glare. “I changed to fit it, and so should you.”
“You had
a lot more time to change than I did.” Skyfire retorted. “Far more.”
“I
wouldn’t have needed to change if ….” He stoped, and then turned away. Skyfire
knew he was about to mention the snow incident on Earth.
The
seeker heard the other sigh. “I guess this is the end …”
Starscream
shut off his optics; his face held sorrow. “Maybe when this war ends it could
change … I …”
Skyfire
waited, knowing Starscream wanted to say something, but it never came out.
“Just
go, Skyfire.”
And so
he did.
Starscream
opened his optics. His screen was blank, with only the wallpaper of the
Decepticon logo on screen. He gave a tiny sigh, and then left to find
Soundwave.
***
Skyfire
sat on his bed, his head in his hands. He had tried, and he realised that
nothing was going to change. There were too many hurts in their relationship
now to mend, he realised, and the seeker he loved was gone.
Maybe
he isn’t … but for now, he was just another Decepticon he had to defeat. It
hurt him, but he knew, as any teacher would, that sometimes duty is the hardest
thing to want to follow.
Betray
me
You're
not the one
To
be trusted with my love
Betray
me
You're
not the one
Who
should be trusted with my love
***
The seeker found the Cassette deck in his quarters, working as would be expected. His cassettes were all out except Ravage, who was sleeping on his master’s recharge berth. Just like his earthen counterpart of a panther, he slept mostly during the day. He was a creature of the night, after all.
“I need you to explain something to me.” Starscream announced by way of welcome.
Soundwave turned. As it was, he was used to the seeker’s boldness and rudeness, to the point where it was as customary as saying hello. The navy blue con regarded the red seeker with his usual observance, taking in the differences of his mind that had made many changes to his body, to one who was looking close enough. He walked differently now, compared to his usual aloofness. Of course, it was still present, but it was now shrouded by something more. He could not describe it, but it gave the seeker the impression of someone who was much, much stronger but still incredibly unstable inside. It was if the seeker was trying to figure everything out. So, Soundwave waited for the seeker to continue.
“When I was fighting Megatron in that cavern ….” He started, trying not to let the emotional side get to him. “Why was it that I got so many flashbacks of my past? It seemed Megatron was as well …”
Soundwave turned in his chair to face him. “It happened because your memories needed to come out.”
“Huh?”
Soundwave stood, and then walked over to one of his many monitors in his room, seeming not to focus on anything in particular.
“Sometimes … in a state of extreme emotion, things that were meant to stay buried come back to you, in the most unexpected way.” He continued, and there was even the tiniest trace of emotion in his voice that was rarely heard by anyone. It was if the Elusive Soundwave had experienced things of this sort himself.
“It happened because you both needed to stop the fight. There is a reason for it … that may or may not have been found yet, but will come to the both of you, when the time is right.”
Starscream pondered his words. It made some kind of theoretic sense, even though his scientistic side said that such nonsense was absurd. Hey, what else did he have to explain it?
“Well …” He murmured, “I just hope that whatever this reason is, that I find it soon.”
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Songs –
Disturbed - Shout 2000
Adema – Betray Me