Chapter Text
Starscream was never very lucky, he knew it… But he didn’t think he was that bad lucky! He didn’t think that going to the Arctic to look for a relic would cause him so many problems…
He had already had to make sure to avoid being destroyed by Dreadwing, and now he found himself prisoner by Optimus… Really, it was pure bad luck…
Besides, because of his inability to fly, through the fault of that damn MECH, he was more than helpless… This day could hardly be worse…
He and Optimus continued to walk in the freezing cold of the Arctic, in search of this missing relic. The cold was becoming really unbearable… Bringing back only bad memories…
The cold hit him like thousands of pikes… The wind blowing harder and harder… Starscream kept calling him, kept looking for him, but there was nothing… Nothing more than a large expanse of white snow…
He couldn’t find him… His radars couldn’t find him… He kept looking, not wanting to admit he disappeared … Not wanting to admit Skyfire disappeared, forever…
“Starscream?“ Prime snapped the Seeker out of his thoughts, and the latter turned to him, scowling.
- What ?!
- …Are you sure you can find the relic?
- Well, yes of course! This relic has energon that my radar can detect! It’s not far from here, in this direction!“
The jet pointed in a northerly direction, Optimus began to walk with it, in the direction indicated, and said:
"Thanks.
- … I’m your prisoner, it’s not like I really have a choice… Starscream breathed.
- … Indeed…
- Afterwards, it would be enough for you to remove these magnetic handcuffs so that this is no longer the case.
- Nice try, but no.
- But why ?!
- Because I don’t trust you, Starscream.
- Hey! I’ve proven many times that I can help the Autobots! As far as I know, it’s partly thanks to me that you’re Optimus Prime again!
- It is true that you often helped us, but you always asked for something in return.
- At the same time, you would have to be really stupid to do all that, just out of Spark’s kindness…
- … You won’t get far with this mentality.
- Until now it is this mentality which allowed me to live, Prime.
- … Maybe, but I don’t think it’s the best…
- Oh, you know what, shut up, you’re tiring me! Sometimes you really can be worse than Sky-” Starscream fell silent immediately, not wanting the Autobot leader to know more about him than he should.
Unfortunately for the Seeker, Optimus had audio-receivers that worked very well… Again that damn bad luck, and sheer clumsiness on his part, too…
“Who is this Sky? Prime asked curiously.
- Nobody…
-…?
- Well then, we’ve arrived.“
The two Cybertronians visualized a human military base. They overlooked it from the top of a great hill of ice, five kilometers must have separated them from the base. Starscream chuckled:
"My, my, humans do not know how to stay in their place, they have the nerve to allow themselves to steal what belongs to us. Well, at least the relic will be easy to recover.
- What do you mean ? the Autobot leader asked, fearful of the answer.
- Well, we go back to the base, and we recover the relic. If these humans show resistance, well, too bad for them. Explained, nonchalantly, the aviator.
- No ! We are not putting any human in danger! growled Optimus, glaring sternly at the Seeker.”
Stascream backed up a bit, wings down, fearing Prime might hit him… He stammered:
“O-OK…OK…”
Optimus wanted to say something, to reassure him of his intentions. But he ends up resigning himself, feeling that it would be weird for both of them…
He decided to call Agent Fowler, who was still at the Autobot base, using his communicator.
“What are you doing ? Asked the flyer.
- I’m calling Agent Fowler, so he can help us get the humans out of the base. Explained the leader of the Autobots.
- What ?! But just go there, and ask them to give us the relic! The difference with what I proposed before, is that we don’t do it by force!
- Sorry, but no. We must be discreet.
- Hm… You should tell the Decepticons, I don’t think they got the memo. »
Optimus smiled, slightly amused by that remark. Fowler eventually answers his call:
"Agent Fowler here, I’m listening.
- Agent Fowler, this is Optimus Prime, I’m calling you because I need your help. We found the relic, but it’s on a human military base…
- Hm… I see what you mean… But, wait, how does "we” come about? I thought you were alone on this mission.
- …“
There was a long silence, Prime made an embarrassed little face, not really knowing what to say, except:
"Uh…”
Starscream chuckled quietly, as the Autobot leader tried to come up with an explanation. Fowler sighed:
“Never mind, you can explain to me later. I’ll fix the problem, just be patient.“
The agent ended the call, and Optimus said:
“We just have to wait now.
- Eh ?! Isn’t it fixed already?! The Seeker was indignant.
- No, Fowler has to manage all the administrative procedures.
- Ah! Humans are slow!
- We haven’t even been waiting a minute…
- But it’s already too much!
- How impatient you are…
- … N-Not at all!
- Yes, a lot…”
Starscream pouted angrily, not having liked the remark. Prime decided to ignore him, and return his attention to the military base. The wind began to pick up, the cold becoming more and more intense…
“Ugh…Geez, I really hate this planet…This cold is really unbearable!” complained the jet.
- You’re exaggerating… Optimus sighed.
- Not at all !
- Yes clearly… Why do you hate the cold so much?
- What a silly question! It is simply unpleasant!
- That’s all ?
- Yes !“
No… It wasn’t the only reason… But, he couldn’t tell Prime… He couldn’t tell… no one… No one knew, everyone did. had forgotten… The arctic cold had completely engulfed him…
Starscream didn’t like this emptiness and this cold, it reminded him too much of the emptiness and the permanent cold that he had in himself, and that absolutely nothing could ever fill or warm…
He was brought out of his dark thoughts by the sound of helicopter blades. He raised the optics, and saw helicopters take off outside the military base. The leader of the Autobots stood up, and said:
"It’s okay, we can go.
- Finally !” Growled the Seeker.
The two descended from the ice hill, and walked towards the base. It didn’t take them long to get there, they entered the building, and saw in front of them a large block of ice. But, it was hard to see what was inside… Starscream approached curiously, but was interrupted by a voice outside the building:
“Don’t come any closer! This relic belongs to the Decepticons!“
The other two turned, to see Dreadwing pointing his sword at them.
"You ?! get surprised Optimus.
- You honestly thought that a simple small avalanche could stop me?! exclaimed the big Seeker.
- …
- Go away ! Last summons!
- Whatever relic is inside that ice, it doesn’t give off a Decepticon signal, and I don’t think it gives off an Autobot signal either. Starscream interjected. Conclusion, it does not belong to anyone, so it is a bit pretentious to make it directly the property of the Decepticons.
- Wait until I take you back to the Nemesis, Starscream, I think you won’t allow yourself the same insolence against Lord Megatron!”
The little Seeker wanted to slap himself, to punish himself for having opened his mouth… He was not really in a position to allow himself such insolence… He was playing a dangerous game…
Dreadwing began to approach him, but Optimus intervened by stepping between the two. He says calmly:
“Starscream is my prisoner, not yours.
- Let’s make a trade then. You give me the relic, and you can keep this traitor. Traded the Decepticon.
- Sorry, but that’s not possible. I can’t let you have access to a single relic.
- In that case, I’ll have to go by force. But, don’t worry Prime, you won’t come home empty-handed. Since you will come back with your own Spark in your hands!!“
Dreadwing immediately attacked, and drew his sword! Prime barely managed to dodge, and turned his hand into a weapon! He kicked his opponent in the stomach, and sent him out of the building. The leader of the Autobots started shooting at the large Seeker, who blocked the shots with his sword!
As the other two fought, Starscream moved closer to the large block of ice. He looked closely, almost leaning his head against the ice to see better. It was then that he realised:
"It’s not something inside the ice… But, somebody ?!”
- Starscream!!“ That voice was Optimus.
The flyer turned around just in time to see a bomb take off towards him! He narrowly dodged, and the explosive clung to the block of ice! Dreadwing smiled, and activated the bomb!
The little Seeker didn’t have time to get away from the bomb, which exploded within a second of its activation! The building shattered into a thousand pieces, the fire of the detonation rising in the freezing cold!
Starscream was thrown by the force of the blast, fire, ice chunks, and base metal chunks thrown around him! Prime was also tricked by the explosion, having tried to catch the rogue before he was tricked by the bomb!
Only the Decepticon had gotten away in time, flying away. He landed, and moved closer to the rubble, the flames consuming the remains of the base. He passed by Optimus, who had taken a metal fragment in his right arm… Dreadwing sneered:
“Your rescue attempt will have been simply in vain!”
He decided to leave Prime for now, the priority being the relic. But Optimus wouldn’t let him, he grabbed the big Seeker’s foot, and exclaimed:
“I won’t let you go any further!”
Starscream finally regained consciousness, and he noticed that his hands were free. A fragment of the base had embedded itself against the magnetic handcuffs, and had broken them.
Ironically, it was the handcuffs imprisoning him that had saved his life. If he hadn’t had these handcuffs, it was directly his Spark that the piece of metal would have hit…
He had two, three injuries from the explosion, but nothing he couldn’t repair himself.
He stood up, and moved closer to what had previously been the large block of ice. He then saw a large white robot, lying on the ground, motionless and with its eyes closed. His armor had shades of red, blue, and black, but white was the dominant color.
One end of his helmet was blue, and his large wings were dotted with red. He must have been taller than Megatron, by at least a head. The airman stopped, unable to believe what he was seeing… This great Cybertronian had no symbol, either Autobot or Decepticon…
“Skyfire…” Starscream whispered.