Part 1

Megatron laughed as his second in command smashed into the wall of the base. It was just he and the jet in the room at the moment, and even if anyone were to walk in, they wouldn’t want to get involved. Who cared for the fate of the Lieutenant except maybe Thundercracker or Skywarp? No one.
“Get up, Starscream.”
The seeker trembled. They had fought for half an hour now over what had started as a minor issue (A debate of where to set up the solar panels on Earth) and it quickly grew into a brawl. Starscream had taken the beating well so far, but now it was starting to wear at him like corrosion.
But what did it matter? He deserved this pain anyway.
Megatron smirked at him. “I know you can take much more than this, Starscream. You took it for two hours the last time, and you barely seemed to have a scratch.”
Starscream looked up at him, the fear, the hunger for power, and the hatred, all showing in his optics like a window to his soul. Megatron knew how much pain he caused the seeker, and he enjoyed every minute of it.

You're too important for anyone
You play the role of all you ought to be
But I, I know who you really are
You're the one who cries when you're alone

But the one thing Megatron knew about him, is that he would never leave. As much as he wanted to be Leader, as much as he appeared to be so stable and in control, inside he was weeping and yearning to leave. But he had no one.
Starscream managed to get up and face Megatron across the room. He could never escape from the tyrant, he needed him.
But for such pain? The pain ... Oh the pain of all the punishment. But for what he had done in the past, to Skyfire, to his friends, oh he deserved it.
Didn’t he?
He looked over at his tormenter, “I only survived last time because I had that shield.”
Megatron snarled, “You worthless piece of slag!! How dare you trick me like that!”
Starscream was lying. He didn’t know how he had survived last time at all.

***

But where will you go?
With no one left to save you from yourself
You can't escape
You can't escape

In his quarters, Starscream was curled up on his recharge berth; optics wide and a petrified look on his face. He hated Megatron, but he needed his leader. His leader … The leader that treated him like shit, yet praised him on occasions. He lived for the praise … the oh so sweet words. The bad part about it all, is that Megatron knew that he had no self-esteem. He hated what he was … just a worthless seeker …
He slammed his optics shut, but the tears still flowed down his face.

Thundercracker stood outside his commander’s door. Starscream didn’t know it, but the blue seeker knew everything about what happened to the red seeker every day. He couldn’t go in there and comfort him, but he couldn’t help but wonder when he was going to crack. And when the day came that Starscream finally figured out that he didn’t need Megatron, Thundercracker would smile.

You think that I can't see right through your eyes
Scared to death to face reality
No one seems to hear your hidden cries
You will have to face yourself alone

Starscream then remembered something. Just then, in the midst of all his misery, he remembered something that Skyfire had once said: Believe in yourself. He knew that poor Skyfire was not to blame for his actions against Megatron and himself; Starscream had never stopped to think about the scientist and how he had not lived though the changes Starscream had.
But the truth was, Starscream was alone … so alone …

But where will you go?
With no one left to save you from yourself
You can't escape the truth

Just then, Thundercracker opened the door. Starscream looked around and then tried to hide the tears on his face, but he knew it was too late. Thundercracker would have seen them now, so he didn’t even bother to wipe them off.
“You cant take much more of this, Starscream.” TC said, sitting down beside the seeker, who glared at him.
“I can take it.” He muttered. “I can take anything.”
Lie.
Thundercracker remained silent. Starscream looked at the floor, wondering if the fight had hurt Megatron …
As if reading his mind, the blue jet said, “Megatron wasn’t even scratched.”
Starscream looked up, looking hurt. He then lowered his head, and Thundercracker saw a fresh wave of tears make their appearance. It wasn’t so much the situation that had made Starscream cry, but the fact that he had not caused any kind of pain to Megatron when Megatron did so much to him …
Thundercracker grabbed his shoulder. “You should leave. Get out of here.”

I realize you're afraid
But you can't abandon everyone
You can't escape
You don't want to escape

Starscream mumbled, “I cant.”
“Why not?”
Starscream said nothing for a moment, before saying, “The seekers need me. I need Megatron. I need him …”
Thundercracker felt a twinge of hate, “You don’t need him!”
Starscream struggled within himself. He needed Mega …wait …
Did he need him?
But … where would he go if he did leave?
“You can leave.” Thundercracker insisted. “Go to the Autobots! Go back to Cybertron! Starscream, you know you cant put up with this much longer.”

I'm so sick of speaking words that no one understands
Is it clear enough that you can't live your whole life all alone
I can hear you in a whisper, but you can't even hear me screaming

Believe in yourself ... Starscream thought of the words, and then decided. Enough. Enough punishment. Enough emotional conflict. Enough getting beaten around. He would leave. Now.
Suddenly, Starscream stood up, and ran out of the room without a word. Thundercracker then smiled, and followed, calling Skywarp over his com.

Where will you go?
With no one left to save you from yourself
You can't escape the truth
I realize you're afraid

“I’m leaving.”
Megatron looked up, startled. The red seeker stood before him, determined to put himself right. Thundercracker was right. Skyfire was right. It was time to put things right, once and for all.
“Leaving?” Megatron said, surprised. “No you’re not.”
Starscream looked up at him, and their optics met. As they did, Megatron was shocked. They did not hold the usual fear, resentment and torture, but they looked calm, and determined. He was serious … he was really serious!
The red seeker closed his optics. “Enough is enough. I’m sick of your torture. I am going.”

But you can't reject the whole world
You can't escape
You won't escape
You can't escape
You don't want to escape

Wrong.
And with those final words, the seeker turned on his heal, and walked away.
“Where will you go?!”
He continued his path.
Megatron stood, “You have no one you worthless piece of slag!”
Your words mean nothing to me now. He continued.
Megatron lifted his cannon at his second’s retreating back, but Thundercracker ran out and shot him, making the warlord fall back. Starscream smiled as he continued. The decepticon army came out slowly, watching him walk past.
“You will never escape ME!”
“NO!” Starscream ran. “I will!!!”
His voice echoed though the tunnel, and Megatron heard. He sat back in shock and disbelief. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Starscream … the unstable, insecure weak seeker had finally cracked.
It was then the Seeker reached the end of the tunnel, and was bathed in light. He spread his arms out wide, and breathed again.
He transformed, and took off. He never looked back.