Clipped Chapter 16

Starscream readied his blasters as he saw Megatron lit upon earth, the decepticon unfolding into robot form and sending him a smile. Out of habit, Starscream quickly began running all the past offences he'd committed against Megatron in the last while, the largest by far being his leaving the decepticons and sharing knowledge with both MECH and Autobots. He quailed as the leader of the decepticons approached.

Firing at Megatron, he wasn't at all surprised when the other didn't flinch and merely raised his cannon and shot at his old Second In Command. Dodging, Starscream prepared to launch a missile but Megatron's laugh stopped him.

"I shall not mince my words, Starscream. Having been allied with the Autobots has made you an invaluable asset," Megatron said, his war torn voice giving his words a sense of complete truth. The gravity of his sentence came off as sincere; he wasn't proclaiming to want Starscream to return to his side out of favor, or because he was unwilling to give up on a comrade. Letting Starscream remain aligned with the autobots could be dangerous. He just wanted Starscream for the autobot intelligence he had, and Megatron didn't bother hiding it.

"How touching, I missed you too," Starscream spat back, letting his gaze slip only for a moment to Arcee.

"With the knowledge of the enemy that you possess-"

"They're your enemies, my allies," Starscream retorted.

"Your fit for Second in Command," Megatron finished, his words dangerously truthful.

As that remark fell upon Starscream's audio receptors, he winced and muttered," You're lying." He was an autobot now; he had the shield to prove it. He was loyal to Optimus Prime. He was.

Despite his frantic protests running through his processors, Starscream let himself think of what Megatron had said. Fit to become Second in Command? His old master would grant him power again? He would return to a position of control rather than be a mere foot soldier of the autobots?

"Are you so certain I'm lying?" Drawing out his question, he requested," Think about it."

Starscream swore quietly; he was thinking about it. Why was Megatron offering him his old post again? Why did it sound so appealing? He was happy with the autobots, happy to finally be getting somewhere with Arcee. He was happy... If he was so happy, why did he always feel that despite their progressive trust of him, they would never truly trust him enough to give him an ounce of power?

Here Megatron was offering him to become his right hand mech again. Sure it was only because he had knowledge of the autobots, and they would never actually trust each other, but he didn't need trust if he was already with authoritative strength. He would have respect, mass numbers of mechs bowing at his request, mechs going out of their way to please him!

Taking a tentative step towards Megatron, he lowered his guns and asked," My lord, when you say fit for Second in Command..."

"I mean it, Lieutenant Commander Starscream," Megatron said with a heinous purr.

"It does sound good; the title is rather fitting," Starscream admitted with a sheepish laugh. A little information for his old post? He could easily manage that. Who would it hurt? Not him, and that was all that should ever matter.

The shock of blue he knew to be Arcee kept grabbing his attention as she flipped through her battle with some vehicons.

He had to keep his own welfare at the center of his focus, he knew. Self preservation and letting himself gain every advantage offered to him overruled a... simple crush. Starscream scowled. Why was he even wasting his time? Megatron was not a patient mech! He had to act quickly before the deal expired. "I know all of the autobot security codes," He said as he continued his approach of his master, feeling the need to prove his usefulness. "And I know their base's location."

"Good," Megatron whispered in contentment.

Arcee blocked an incoming strike and grumbled. Starscream should be back already! All he was sent to do was find the energon deposit they came for. She gasped as her optics caught him walking towards Megatron. A quick slice to her abdomen sent her dropping to the ground; she was in a battle, she couldn't afford to lose her focus! The physical pain didn't even match the fear coursing through her though. Why was Starscream willfully walking to Megatron's side? From the quick glance she had gotten, he hadn't had any weapons drawn at all!

With an angered growl, she swung her leg around into a forward sweep, and took the vehicon's balance. As the purple mech fell to the ground, she assisted in bringing him faster, and slicing his throat when he reached the destination. Sparking electricity crawled across her arm, but she didn't waste any time in turning to gut the other vehicon. If Starscream was doing what she thought he was, then she had no time to spare.

Once the vehicons were taken care of, she transformed and raced for Starscream. Calling his name loudly, she screamed," What are you doing?!"

Starscream was only meters away from Megatron as he heard Arcee, and guiltily looked back to her. He had failed her, but he had benefited himself, Starscream reminded himself; though, doubt further seeded into his spark. This shouldn't be a hard decision. Join Megatron, gain power.

Megatron raised his arm cannon as Arcee flipped into robot mode, aiming it right for her spark.

"W-wait, don't fire at her," Starscream quickly urged, holding up his claws and sidestepping so he was in between the two.

"You have feelings for an autobot?" Megatron taunted with a hint of amusement.

"O-of course not, my lord, b-but..."

My lord... The simple words constricted Arcee's spark in torturous contortions. Raising a servo to her helm, she quickly hailed the base and said," Optimus, send full backup. Megatron present."

"Acknowledged," her comm crackled back.

As she finished her statement, Megatron sighed and said," Sparing the weak only lets them plead for help." Contacting base and requesting a ground bridge, he shoved Starscream out of his way and fired his cannon, hitting Arcee square in the chest.

"Arcee!" Starscream shrieked, reaching out to her. He saw the green portal swirl into existence and Megatron beckoning him to follow, to follow and reclaim his rightful rank of Lieutenant Commander of the decepticons.

"Starscream, let us return to the Nemesis!"

Megatron was already heading into the bridge as Starscream whipped his head to look at the portal and his master. No, his previous master. He couldn't join them after Arcee had just been severely wounded; the cons would just scrap him after they got what they wanted anyways. Who was he kidding?

Arcee's frame fell to the ground, sharp metal slicing through the soft ground and mud sliding into her joints and open wound. Gritting her dental plates, she raised her upper body with one arm, supporting herself on her elbow. She wasn't letting Starscream get away. Shakily raising her free arm, she aimed her blaster for his side where the chest plate hung over the rest of the body. If she could get the right angle, she knew she'd hit a weak spot, a sensitive spot.

Arcee's vision was degrading in quality at an alarming rate, but the femme managed to fire two full power shots before slinking back the ground and curling up in pain. It was strange. As she aimed at Starscream, he had seemed to be standing still compared to Megatron's slow stalk to the ground bridge and her falling gaze. With shuttering eyes gaining tears, she realized why. He had been turning back to return to my side.

Megatron didn't waste any further time on his prior right hand mech; the information was valuable, but not worth extensive effort. Starscream was too incompetent anyways, he assured himself; any information he received would be wrong. The leader of the decepticons disappeared into his green portal, leaving behind a rattling laugh to echo back at the autobots.

As Bumblebee came running through the autobot portal that had just spiralled open seconds later, he was in time to witness Starscream dropping to his knees, clutching his side, and staring disbelievingly. The wound under his servo was severe enough, melted metal mixed with flowing energon stuck to the seeker's encasing claws.

Bumblebee was haunted by the expression Starscream wore as he looked straight at the scout before slumping forwards and faceplanting into the ground. Energon chilled, the spooked scout uneasily assessed the situation and worriedly called out both of their names. He ran to Arcee and saw the large hole in her chest plate as he turned her over. Bumblebee looked back and forth between the two and asked what happened.

"I... I shot him. Twice... I didn't want to lose him," Arcee mumbled, dazed and confused as she stared up at the scout.

Alarm rang through the bot, but he didn't allow himself the time to think over it. He needed to get them to Ratchet. Seeing Bulkhead entering the scene, he called out for Bulkhead to get Starscream and that both of their teammates needed emergency medical care.

"Woah, what happened," Bulkhead asked, quickly running to Starscream's side. The seeker was writhing and too overwhelmed with pain to give an answer and merely groaned.

The silver seeker cried out in agony as Bulkhead picked him up, and began clawing blindly at the autobot. His side. His side! His side was on fire!

"Starscream, I'm just trying to get you back to base," Bulkhead assured the other, wincing as Starscream's frantic tearing cut right through his paint job and to the metal and beneath. He tried to readjust the seeker in his arms so as to lessen the pain in Starscream's side, but found no matter what he did, he was going to be clawed at. Sighing and making a quick dash for it, he headed back through their ground bridge.

"I couldn't get an answer, I don't know what went down, but both him and 'Cee are hurt pretty badly."

Bumblebee was coming through the portal as he finished his sentence, backing up exactly what his partner had just relayed.

Ratchet evaluated both patients as they were rushed to med bay, and headed for Starscream first.

"Ratchet, Arcee's got a hole through her chest," Bulkhead protested as he saw the doctor start to treat Starscream.

"Yes, she does," He agreed," But her injury was a broad shot and meant to inflict a wide surface area of pain, it's not as threatening as Starscream's." Maneuvering the now unconscious seeker's arm and examining the deep wound, Ratchet continued," His attacker knew exactly where to hit, and did a precise shot. Not only did it pierce a cluster of nodes, which while painful is relatively harmless medically, they pierced several..." He continued in medical terms that Bulkhead didn't understand, but the mech did get the gist. It was very serious. "It should be easily taken care of though, if I just..." He stopped explaining in favor of doing.

"You said his attacker. You mean Megs, right?" Bulkhead said, confused as to why the medic was avoiding using his name.

With a pause, Ratchet shook his head and gave a negative hum. The energon residue in the injury was pure; it didn't have a trace of dark energon in it.

Bumblebee gazed down and quietly repeated what Arcee had said.

"Shot him? She shot him?" Bulkhead asked. "Why?"

"We'll have to wait to ask," Ratchet said as he prepared himself to treat Arcee.

Compared to other surgeries he had done lately, both of their injuries were rather low key, and within an hour, he had both of them fixed up. Recuperation would take a bit longer though, and Ratchet left them after hooking them both up to an energon line and a few cords that would take stress off their bodily functions.

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As Arcee came to, she knew exactly where she was and the condition she was in. She didn't care if she needed time to heal though. There was something a lot more pressing than her beauty sleep, and she quickly disengaged spark support and the fuel line. Springing to her feet, she stormed over to the inert body healing on the other side of the room.

"Starscream!" She grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly. "Starscream! Wake up, now!" She slid her fingers in between the seeker's neck and chest cavity. Wrenching him up close to her faceplate and holding him there, she growled his name once more.

Red optics unshuttered and stared in panic at her.

"You aft! You fragging jerkaft! You promised me never again! You promised me!" Fear shivered through her sniveling victim. With a vitriolic tone, she angrily accused," You were going to divulge everything about us! And for what? Megatron was going to throw you a bone and let you be his lap dog again?!" She drove her servos down and slammed Starscream back into the berth.

His whimpering only heightened as she kept him pinned there and asked," Well? What do you have to say?"

Grabbing her servo that pressed unyieldingly with both of his own, he protested," But I was turning back to you! I- I could never stay loyal to that sordid and amoral beast- Augh!" He wailed as she thrashed him against the table again. "P-p-please! Forgive me! I know what I've done wrong. I wish to-"

His futile begging was cut short with only her glare. In a dangerous whisper, she said," Not only did you destroy my trust of you by going back on your word, you betrayed me. You betrayed all the autobots! We took you in, and slaggit! Some of us were, no, all of us, we were even starting to like you! And then you betray us? Frag you!"

He fell silent as he stared up to her, coolant gathering in his optics.

"Why?" She asked softly, her harsh, angry stance relaxing into one of melancholy. She still held him at the cusp of his chest plate and neck, but her hold had loosened. "Why would you abandon me... us?"

"U-us? No! I never abandoned us! I was confused, but I never abandoned us. As soon as he shot you, I couldn't follow him!" As soon as Megatron had injured Arcee, Starscream had found his position as Lieutenant Commander not worth it.

"Who cares about us if I can't trust you'll be a faithful autobot? Our team comes first! They're my family, I can't let them down, not for anyone!"

"Arcee, I love you!"

"Yeah? Well, it's not requitted anymore."

The broken expression was coupled with his body going numb, his servos fell loosely back by his side and he stared up in emotional agony.

"Arcee, what are you doing?" Optimus Prime called as he and Ratchet came running into the med bay.

"Arcee, please, unhand him," Ratchet requested, surprise striking him as he found both bots in solemn tears.

"I don't want to hold onto a traitor any longer anyways," She said as released him. "He was going to go back to Megatron's side! He was going to sell us out." She quickly wiped away her tears in embarrassment, and stormed out of the room.

Starscream shuttered his eyes and grimaced. How was he going to ever win back anyone's trust?