The Good, the Bad and Starscream

Chapter 11: Armada

The following week after the demise of Nemesis Prime, the Autobots had to lay low while Agent Fowler was busy convincing General Bryce to not frag the Autobots on sight. It started immediately the next day after neutralizing MECH. Agent Fowler was summoned to Bryce's office to give an explanation, at the same time with being recorded by a private called Daley.

Agent Fowler explained that the deceased bot at the MECH base was not Optimus Prime, but something called Nemesis Prime, created by MECH, a special unit with Silas in the lead. Fowler then went on to do a headcount of the Autobots and included Starscream in it. He explained to the general how the Autobots had successfully captured and converted the Decepticon sub-commander to their cause. But this information simply made Bryce question the Autobots' trustworthiness even more, even went on to accuse them of working with the Decepticons!

Agent Fowler made sure to inform Bryce that Starscream was definitely not a Decepticon anymore. He wasn't completely trusted by the 'Bots yet, but he was behaving very well, and it would only be a matter of time before he would become additional firepower and very much needed air support.

Afterwards they went on to talk about Optimus' recent defection to the Decepticons, in which Fowler explained that Prime had had amnesia back then and Megatron had taken advantage of that. He also explained that the Autobots were very careful around humans, in which he accidentally told the general about the kids - although he managed to leave out the fact that they were minors. He then explained that while they were civilians, they were working with the Autobots and were a valuable part of the team.

Everything seemed to go well until Fowler mentioned Unicron. General Bryce requested him to have a psychological evaluation, since he mentioned that Megatron 'helped defeat a unicorn', in which Fowler promptly corrected him, thus avoiding a counselling.

Circling back to Starscream, Agent Fowler explained that the Decepticon had given them valuable intel and was on the verge of becoming one of the good guys. He also informed that Airachnid had gone rogue and that there were more Decepticons roaming the Earth than they knew about. Hereamong Swindle and the Combaticons, the Stunticons and Starscream's 'Trine Mates', Thundercracker and Skywarp. The Autobots had recently been in contact with Swindle, but for now it seemed the Decepticon didn't pose a threat. They were still looking for the other missing Decepticons. And needed every bit of help they could get, even from a former Decepticon.

Fowler also mentioned that Optimus believed the current Decepticon sub-commander Dreadwing could be converted to their side, but Fowler didn't agree with him. After another questioning about Optimus' trustworthiness, Fowler decided to call the big bot himself. Merely a minute later, Optimus Prime himself peeked in from the window to the office, spooking Private Daley, almost making him drop the camera. General Bryce asked Prime how he was doing, which Optimus replied he was doing well and returned the question, receiving the same answer.

As General Bryce got confirmed that Optimus Prime was indeed alive and well, and certainly on their side, the camera battery ran out, and they decided to end the meeting.

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In the following week, the Autobots decided to lay low until things had calmed down in the military, only going outside the base to patrol or if Decepticons were causing trouble. No trouble seemed to be caused though, nothing aside from mining some more Energon, which the Autobots for the most part ignored. They would probably need to go on another raid soon though - their Energon supplies were beginning to get low again.

They knew one reason why they were already beginning to run out of Energon despite the large supply gained almost two months ago. Starscream's sessions were still in motion, though now they had gone from once every two days to once every three days. It had been a strange and hard change for the Seeker, but he managed to push through the week.