A Change of Spark (Starscream X Reader)

Chapter Five: Airachnid and the Insecticon

Starscream would seem to forget multiple times that he can't fly anymore. I guess he's not used to being grounded, so to speak. From stories he's told me from the past, he seems to enjoy flying. An expert, even. But now he has to walk everywhere with me. We would always be walking. The only time we weren't walking was when I needed to sleep or needed to have something to eat or drink. Which I'm actually running low on supplies. I can get food easily but water is a different story.

But I still have enough to last me a while so I'm not worried about that at the moment. It's currently nighttime and I was sleeping again. Or at least I was. I was soon woken by Starscream who had apparently been carrying me while I was asleep. He was holding me like a parent would hold a baby. He had woken me because he had found a mine that he thought might have more Energon in it. That got my attention and he put me down. Starscream let me have a small sample of his own Energon so I could search for more.

I had a sniff of it and started to look for more. We would search for hours until I managed to find a small shard of it at the very top of the cave walls. Not really wanting him to climb while in the state he was in, I offered to climb up and get it. Starscream let me but told me to be careful. I'm always careful. I started to climb up while Starscream watched. Probably to make sure he caught me if I fell. I got to the top and tried to take the shard off the wall. Maybe I didn't think this through.

Using the handle of my knife, which was an awful idea on my part, I started to hit the rock to see if it would come loose. But I dropped my knife when I accidentally cut myself. Still holding onto the Energon, I looked at my hand which was now bleeding. Great. That was stupid. But I think my idea also worked because, the next thing I knew, I was falling. Starscream caught me and the Energon shard. It's really not a lot. 

"Are you alright?" Starscream asked seeming more worried about me than the Energon.

"I'm fine. I just cut my hand," I said showing him what I had done.

Starscream sighed, "I told you to be careful. We'll find something for that hand once we find-"

Starscream cut himself off when something big walked past us. I looked over to where the shadow of it went past. Alright then, my hand can come later. Starscream gave me back my knife before getting up to investigate what the creature was. Starscream kept me in his hand the whole time. Starscream found the creature tearing apart the walls to reveal more Energon. Starscream revealed it to be called an Insecticon. I asked what it was having no idea what it was.

Starscream explained that it was a kind of Cybertonion that used to live underground back when Cybertron was peaceful. They would feed on Energon that was under Cybertron, near the core of the planet. But they had to come up when the core was infected with Dark Energon. Basically a bad version of Energon. But that was my quick Cybertronion history lesson. Starscream approached it, ordering the Insecticon to hand over the large bit of Energon to him. It ignored Starscream.

He didn't really like that and tried to tell it his rank back with the Decepticons to try and make the Insecticon to hand over the Energon. In the process, Starscream smacked it which made it angry! Well done, Starscream! The Insecticon tried to attack us with one of its extra limbs so Starscream started to back away. He put me down and told me to hide in a little spot that was ahead of us. Starscream just barely managed to crawl in with me as the Insecticon tried to reach for us!

Starscream told the beast to keep the Energon and hoped that it would choke on it. It screeched at us but backed off when it heard something. I only know that because I heard it too. Almost like another insect was calling for it. Strange. It left and I went to have a closer look. I saw what looked to be a female bot with extra legs like a spider. The Insecticon was obeying her. Who is this?

I described the new bot to Starscream who didn't seem happy at the description. It was indeed a Spider bot named Airachnid. According to Starscream, she's one of many reasons Starscream left the Decepticons. I think I remember him telling me that. We crawled out of the hole as the Insecticon offered Airachnid the Energon.

"What?! You reject a commander but grovel at the feet of that wretch?" Starscream asked the Insecticon

"Starscream. Don't get your turbines in a twist," Airachnid told him, "After all, the beast and I are somewhat related. You might even say we are of... one mind. And it would seem that you have a pet of your own. A very pretty one at that."

"Why are you here?" Starscream asked, ignoring Airachnid's last comment, "Decepticons never return to stripped mines."

"You are not the only rogue Decepticon in need of Energon," Airachnid showed that one of her spider legs had been cut off at the end

"Was it a run-in with the Autobots? Or did Megatron invite you on one of his field trips?"

"Megatron was otherwise engaged. But you should see his lackey."

"You know, Airachnid, as fellow outcasts, we should consider putting aside our differences. With this creature under your control and at our disposal, we might employ it to terminate Megatron, allowing us to rule the Decepticons."

"Together?"

"We would simply need to lure Megatron here, away from his support systems, so that we might catch him..."

"With his guard down? An intriguing proposal... If ruling Decepticons or spending any length of time with you and your pretty little pet were of the slightest interest to me."

Starscream seemed rather offended at that last part.

"Of course, you had me at 'terminate Megatron'," Airachnid continued, "Payback would be sweet."

"However you wish to spin it," I said just wanting to say something

"I would need to ensure my assassin is up to the task. Perhaps a test run is in order."

"What? I thought we were partners," Starscream said

"Eviscerate him and give me his pet," Airachnid told the Insecticon

Oh, we're dead.