Nightstreak's P.O.V.
I silently watched as Starscream turned to face Soundwave, seeming to have a strange of guilt. No, not quite guilt, but rather acceptance.
"I have been a fool, made mistakes......monumental ones. I now realize that I was never destined to be a leader, or even an equal partner." he slowly turned away from the silent Soundwave.
"And I'm at peace with that. I have gained a clear understanding of my place in this universe. Of who I am.....of who I was always meant to be." Starscream explained. He turned back to face Soundwave, a determined expression on his face.
"Starscream, second in command, humble servant to Lord Megatron." he stated. A small smile started to spread upon his face.
"Thank you for listening, Soundwave." he said, before turning to leave the room. I followed him out of the room, my spark feeling brighter than ever. Does he truly mean it? Has he really come to be loyal to Lord Megatron? Will he stop his path of betrayal? Knowing Starscream, I knew it could be a horrible error to make any bold assumptions, but I couldn't help but get my hopes up.
"Did you mean all that Starscream? What you said to Soundwave." I asked. Starscream glanced over at me, looking almost hesitant to answer, but soon nodded.
"I did." he replied. I nodded. However, something else was reminded to me.
"By the way, I never did get to thank you...." I said quietly. Starscream raised a brow, looking puzzled. "For what?" he asked.
"For saving me in the mine. I was surprised that you would put yourself at risk to protect me." I replied. Starscream's optics widened, as if realizing what he had just did that day. He didn't reply to me for a good minute or two until he finally cleared his throat.
"Yes, well, just do better at not getting yourself scrapped. You are a valuable ally to the Decepticons, that's all." I stated. None the less, I felt grateful. I nodded to him. Eventually we got to the command bridge to visit our lord.
"Is this true?" Megatron asked Airachnid, who stood beside him. They were by a computer, looking at a image of a familiar ship I read about. However, I didn't like the angry tone in Megatron's voice.
"Starscream never mentioned it?" Airachnid asked, almost innocently.
"If he's up to his old tricks, I shall grind him into powder." Megatron stated in a low threatening tone. Starscream, looking slightly awkward, cleared his throat to indirectly announce his presence in the room. Megatron slowly turned to face him, narrowing his red optics.
"Starscream." the way he spoke his name was almost like venom. Starscream slowly started to approach the warlord and the spider Cybertronian, with me right beside him.
"Lord Megatron, please excuse Airachnid's impertinence. Now what was it that I allegedly failed to mention?" Starscream asked.
"The Harbinger." Megatron stated. Starscream blinked, seeming puzzled.
"What about it?"
Eons ago a Decepticon trasport crash landed on this planet." Airachnid stated, bringing up the image of said ship. Starscream smiled almost with pride.
"Oh please, common knowledge. I scouted the crash site when we first arrived on Earth." Starscream stated boldly. Airachnid turned to face him, a brow raised. "Then I presume you recovered the experimental weapon prototype the Harbinger had been transporting?" Airachnid asked. Starscream's optics widened, realizing his blunder.
"Where is the crash site?" Megatron asked.
"It was never logged into your ship's database." Airachnid replied. It was obvious she was trying to make Starscream look bad, just pushing him slowly closer into the dangerous flames of Megatron's anger. Speaking of, Megatron did indeed send a death glare to his second in command.
"You failed to record the coordinates of a Decepticon transport?!" he snapped. Starscream smiled nervously.
"An oversight Master, but I noted its exact location." he stated.
"Then you can lead Airachnid there, so that she may retrieve the prototype for me." Megatron stated, slowly turning away from us. Airachnid smirked, looking at Starscream.
"My personal native guide. How delightful~" she purred. Starscream sneered at her in anger, seeming fully aware of her intentions. However, he seemed to have decided not to lash out right then and there, and instead nodded.
"Understood my liege." he replied. Starscream and Airachnid started to leave, to which I started to follow them both. I assumed that I could accompany them. However....
"Not you Nightstreak. I wish to speak to you alone." Megatron stated, making me freeze in my tracks. Starscream glanced back at me, then continued to lead Airachnid out of the room. Evem she caught a small glance to me on her way out, When the doors had closed, I slowly turned to face Megatron, who kept his back turned towards me. An audience with Megatron alone.....I have a dreadful feeling I knew what this was about.
"My liege?" I asked.
"Nightstreak.....I am sure you are aware that I have not forgotten your actions in the mine." Megatron said.
"I have not forgotten, my Lord." I replied.
"If I recall, not only did you follow us when not permitted, but you also fired upon me. Not to mention you attempted to rescue Starscream, who I had decided to be executed at the time." he slowly turned to face me. I did not enjoy that fact that he again wore his cold, blank expression. Unreadable.
"With all of this to my knowledge....I begin to question your loyalty to me. So Nightstreak, tell me.....how do you plead? And I only want the truth, nothing more." Megatron stated. There was a moment of silence. The atmosphere felt tense, and I felt uneasy inside. However, I will not lie to my liege. If he wants the full truth, then that is all he shall receive. I slowly knelt down on one knee, head hung low.
"The full truth, Lord Megatron?" I asked.
"Indeed." Megatron stated.
"Very well. Then the truth you shall have. It is simply that I care deeply for both of you, my liege. I swear to you that you are my only leader that I will follow, the very Decepticon that I look up to. However, I also care very much Starscream. While you were on your travels in space, I had learned to admire his cleverness and his pride. I wish for no harm to come upon either of you, and I felt that something was not correct when you stated you and Starscream would have an audience alone." I looked up at Megatron, who's expression did not change.
"So, I made the bold move to rescue the second in command. I knew from the start that you would find the knowledge of my actions sooner or later, but that did not matter to me," I placed a hand on my chasis, over my spark, "I was willing to suffer any punishment you gave upon me, as long as both of you would remain unharmed. That, my liege, is the full hearted truth that I give upon you. If it does not satisfy you, or you believe it to be false, then I apologize. However, that is the only explanation I have. So if you still wish to punish me....then do so in any way you deem fit. I will not revolt." I stated.
There was a long pause for a moment, silence hanging over the both of us. Neither of us spoke for quite some time, not even a single breath was drawn in. I waited patiently for my master's reply. Finally, his words made their way to my audio receptors.
"Rise Nightstreak." I looked up at him, not completely convinced. However Megatron gestured a hand for me to rise, to which I was convinced I had his permission. I rose to my two feet, looking at my master, waiting for his further reply.
"I will not punish you Nightstreak. Not yet. For it would seem that you do hold at the least some loyalty to me....and, for some reason I do not understand, you you hold loyalty to Starscream as well. Instead, however....I shall offer you the chance to redeem yourself." Megatron stated. I perked up.
"Redeem myself?! O-Of course! I shall do whatever you wish, Lord Megatron." I replied.
"I would not be so quick to accept if I was you. For I believe you will not exactly enjoy the task I assign you." Megatron stated. I tilted my head, but he continued.
"Your task....would be to put your skills of a spy to good use. If you accept this task, you will follow Starscream and Airachnid on their mission. I do not believe they hold the same loyalty as you, so I want you to follow them from the shadows. Keep yourself hidden from those two, and do not show yourself under any circumstances." Megatron explained. My wings drooped a little.
"Under any circumstances?" I asked.
"Correct. For example, if the Autobots were to ambush them..." Megatron said. I perked up.
"Wouldn't they need help though?! They could get hurt, or-"
"That is precisely the kind of thinking I want you to push aside!" Megatron snapped, making me flinch. When he seemed to think he got the point across to me, then he continued.
"Whether they both return....or they don't, for whatever reason, you shall report to me. You will tell me every detail of the mission. Every battle that might take place, every life that was taken, every treacherous act they may do, every word they speak, you shall report to me." Megatron stated. I looked away, feeling less confident now. Could I really do this? If those two got in danger somehow....
"And you should know Nightstreak, that if you do act out on your own or try to hide anything from me....you will be punished." Megatron stated. I clenched my fists, conflicted. I don't want to do this....but I want to prove myself to Megatron somehow. Besides, this won't be so bad. Maybe everything will go fine for once. It's only spying right? How hard can that be?
"So, Nightstreak....do you accept the mission?" Megatron asked. I took a deep breath, then nodded.
"I shall not fail you, Lord Megatron." I stated, making him smile.
Starscream's P.O.V.
I led Airachnid into a forest clearing, transforming out of my alternate mode, and watching her transform out of her pathetic alternate mode. I believe humans call it a helicopter. Whatever the name, it was distasteful to me.
"Your chosen vehicle mode lacks thrust." I stated, causing her to give me an annoyed look.
"Are you going to preen or are you going to guide?" she asked.
"I will reveal the exact location of the Harbinger when you tell me exactly what we're looking for." I stated, hated being kept in the dark. Thanks to her Megatron failed to reveal what the weapon was, which frustrated me as a second in command. However she simply turned her back to me.
"That information is need to know, and right now you don't." Airachnid replied. I gave her an annoyed look of my own.
"Who you would do well to respect me Airachnid. Before I joined Megatron, I was a commander of a squadron of energon seekers." I stated.
"On Cybertron," she corrected, "and how many eons ago was that?"
"Just recently, I personally vanquished one of Optimus Prime's fiercest warriors, Cliffjumper." I stated with pride. She turned to face me with a surprised smile.
"You snuffed an Autobot?" she asked.
"Yes I did, without mercy." I stated, feeling more prideful of my accomplishment.
"Oh, even Megatron showed you mercy when he planned to terminate you at the mine." Airachnid said. My optics widened.
"What?! He told you about that?!" I said, surprised she knew of my most humiliating moments of my entire life.
"We talk~" Airachnid said simply, a playful smile upon her lips. I growled, annoyed of this conversation, and decided to quickly move on.
"The wreckage just lies beneath where we stand, I will need to find a point of entry-" however I was interrupted by drilling noises, seeing that Airachnid was using her legs to drill into the ground. When she was out of sight, I growled.
"Show off." I muttered, climbing inside.
Nightstreak's P.O.V.
"Aw scrap!" I muttered, watching as Starscream and Airachnid went under ground. It's really difficult to follow those two under ground, in a place so narrow. Then again, I guess that's its good that I'm small. I crept up upon the tunnel, silently going down into the darkness....
Airachnid's P.O.V.
I crawled on the ceiling of the hallways of the destroyed ship, looking around carefully. Starscream, who was much farther behind, rolled his optics.
"Suit yourself. I conducted a thorough search of this husk years ago." Starscream stated. I ignored him, going to one of the computers of the ship, turning it on. Starscream looked at me confused.
"What are you doing?" he said, stepping closer.
"Accessing the cargo manifest, or didn't you think to do that during your thorough search?" I asked.
"Idiot," he said coldly, "The ship's systems haven't been activated for eons. The Autobots could detect it's energy signature." he stated. I perked up as I found what I was looking for on the screen.
"Ah, here it is, section 23." I said. I quickly took off down one of the halls, again crawling on the ceiling. Starscream just rolled his optics and followed me. Taking a few turns here and there, I made sure to remember the location of section 23. When I believed I was coming close, I hopped off the ceiling and continued around the next turn.
"Section 23 should be right about...." I trailed off, seeing nothing but dirt and stone blocking my path, "Here?" I sighed.
"The ship just ends. It must've broken in half during the crash." I muttered.
"Or in the air," Starscream replied behind me, "If you performed actual research you would have learned that an Autobot battalion shot the Harbinger out of the sky." he stated. I whirled around and glared at him. He knew this information, and kept it secret from me. He's trying to make me look foolish.
"How far away is the other half?" I demanded. Starscream smirked.
"I'm afraid that information is need to know." he replied, his tone mocking. I hissed, shooting webbing at him. He yelped in surprise as he fell, the webbing wrapping around his arms close to his body, so he wouldn't be able to move them. He looked back at me.
"What are you-"
"You're trying to make me look like a fool before Megatron, have me return empty handed while you locate that weapon yourself." I stated. Starscream shot me a glare of his own.
"How dare you accuse me?! You are nothing but a scavenger! An opportunist!" he snapped. I leaned in closer to his face, glaring into his red optics. I was surprised they weren't full of fear.
"Aren't you one to talk." I replied.
"Perhaps, but I've changed, seen the error of my ways. I live to serve Megatron now." the Seeker replied.
"You won't live to serve anyone if you don't tell me where to find the rest of this ship. Now." I stated harshly. Starscream's expression became a bit more nervous, and he sighed in defeat.
"A few clicks north of here through a stone arch. Now release me." Starscream stated. I chuckled as I stood up more, slowly walking away. Then I again turned to face him.
"When I the weapon in hand," I couldn't help but smile, "That is, if I can find my way back without my guide~" I replied, turning and walking away.
"This is not funny Airachnid! Come back here right now and cut me loose!" I ignored him, tempted to stick my tongue out at him, "Airachnid! That is an order!" he snapped.
"I am your commanding officer!" I chuckled as his words echoed in the old hallway. However I suddenly gasped, freezing. Four Autobots stood ahead of me, even the Prime himself. Arcee was the first to spot me.
"Airachnid!"
"Surrender." Optimus stated.