Your Memory Lives On

His Own Mech

Amidst the darkness, Starscream's optics were filled with colors. One image after the next swirled in his mind as he was witness to things he couldn't even begin to understand. There were whiteboards in rooms that reached sky high, their faces filled with calculations of calculations, glass vials of colors that Starscream hadn't even known existed inside of his mind's eye, and miles of city that he was now hovering above.

He was flying, Starscream realized. His shadow reflected off of the sides of buildings that were constructed from blueprints the filthy humans could only dream of mastering. Below him, mechs of every size and color entered in and out of the buildings. Most noticeable to the seeker was the warmth budding in his chest. He was so happy. So content. Everything—the sights, the sounds, the smells—was all so... Familiar.

Starscream closed his nonexistent optics. For a brief moment, the mech in his vision did the same in alt mode, cutting off his vision of the world. The darkness was a comforting blanket made up of familiar sensations as he flew through imaginary skies.

As quickly as the vision came, it was just as quickly replaced with more images. Starscream's helm spun with pictures and memories that he didn't even know he had. Images repeatedly appeared in his mind, the same images of science laboratories and of lecture halls and of scientific studies and of that tall, beautiful white mech holding a vial of energon across the room from him. To Starscream's pleasure and joy, somewhere deep in the back of his processor a small voice spoke.

Sky.

***

Starscream opened his optics as slowly as possible. He had only experienced a few of those dreamlike states so far, but after the way his last one had ended, Starscream was desperate for this one to last as long as possible. He reveled in the feelings the vision gave him as he rolled over onto his side, his wings flaring out behind him, and lazily allowed his processor to come back online.

As soon as he had fully opened his optics, however, Starscream wished he could have stayed in stasis for the rest of his life.

"Hello, Starscream." Megatron's faceplates twisted into a comforting smile, but Starscream could tell by the look in the warlord's optics that he felt no empathy for the seeker. "How are you feeling?"

Starscream held his helm in his servos and flopped back onto his berth with a groan. He should have known this might happen.

"Why, I feel wonderful. Thank you for asking, my Lord," Starscream said, taking care to put as much disgust into the words as he could.

It must have worked, because he had barely blinked before Megatron had trapped Starscream against the berth, his eyes alight with anger and faceplates contorted into an enraged snarl.

"After I've gone out of my way to preserve your health, that is the way you thank me?" Megatron snarled, his claws hovering just above Starscream's chest. "It would be nice if you showed your loving commander a little appreciation now and then."

"You, preserving my health?" The seeker laughed. "Bah! I bet you had Soundwave drag me back to my berthroom, didn't you? Always at your every beck and call, is he?"

This earned him another irritated scowl. Privately, Starscream took pleasure in pushing Megatron's buttons. It was easy, so who could blame him for taking the opportunity?

"I believe it would be in your best interests to avoid mocking me any further, Starscream," the warlord said, lowering his claws to rest against Starscream's chest plate. "You are at my mercy in this state, after all. Or have you already forgotten your place in my army since your last punishment?"