BRAINWASHED || BATTLE CRY (Transformers Prime)

Chapter Fourteen || Misrule You

MISRULE YOU

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Warning: Physical violence

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"Nobody can save me now,
It's do or die."

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There was quiet as Starscream stood over Optimus' body, his condition stable but far from improving. He was stagnant, and the former Decepticon could not help but recall when he saw Megatron in a very similar predicament. Oh, how the strong the temptation was to just unplug the tyrant's life support and declare himself the leader of the Decepticons.

Now, it would truly be a mercy to just let Optimus go. The Prime had been fighting for a very long time, and he was long overdue to be laid to rest. His spark had already been labored with the Matrix of Leadership for millions of years . . . he was sure the lifting of such of a weight would bring the upmost relief.

Yet they needed him. While Megatron still lived, only Optimus Prime could truly oppose him. The dictator himself was not even a Prime, yet he bore almost as much power as his namesake, which in itself a respectable accomplishment.

But no matter how much respect he deserved, Megatron was a menace to the universe. He would never, ever just stop at Cybertron; his takeover of Earth was proof enough of that. He needed to be cut off, and there was only one mech who had ever come close to destroying him - aside from Starscream's own treachery, of course. Optimus Prime.

The mech that was currently lying on a table, almost on full life support.

So hopeless.

"He hasn't changed since we brought him in," Wheeljack grunted at him from across the room, the restless Wrecker tinkering with various equipment as he continued to monitor Optimus' status. "So if you're worried . . . you're still in charge."

The Seeker's wings twitched slightly in annoyance.

"I would most gladly relinquish command to Optimus Prime," he replied to Wheeljack sourly. "As he is our only chance to defeat Megatron once and for all."

"I wouldn't put so much weight on that," the Wrecker warned. "As much as I want him to come back, if Optimus dies . . . we have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to keep this planet safe, and Cybertron."

Starscream frowned, however he knew Wheeljack was right. If Optimus could not fix their problems, they would have to find another way.

Already, things were mirroring the past. Optimus was out of commission, and they lost two valuable officers to the Decepticons: Mirage, and once again Jack.

He could only imagine the human's psyche state. With Mirage, he was confident the saboteur was more than capable of handling whatever interrogative tactics Megatron planned to use. But Jack . . . he already struggled with the past. For it to be brought back so violently, with more destruction at the hands of the mech he hated most . . . he would break. He will break.

Starscream knew how to get into a person's headspace; it was why he was so good at manipulating and scheming. Jack's mind was going to fracture into hundreds of pieces, driven insane by the pressure of his situation.

He wondered what Megatron would do then. Would he discard Jack, either killing him or sending him back to the Autobots as an example? Or would he palm him off to his pet, the former Autobot medic, leaving the insane pair to themselves?