Transformers Prime: Eclipse

Chapter 8: Creature Double Feature

Typing away at my console as always, searching for more energon signatures that might indicate a large deposit, scanning comm frequencies for Decepticon chatter, looking in vain for any indication on where the Nemesis warship might be, I felt my optics grow heavy.

The war had taken its toll on all Autobots, young and old. Though, none except Optimus were quite as old as me. I'd patched up more wounds than I could count given an entire vorn. Yet now our ranks were rendered to but a handful of Autobots still able to fight back. And now, even our human companions have come into mortal peril, as I long feared they would.

If asked my opinion on Miko, all one would receive is a grunt of dissatisfaction and a clear dismissal of the question. Truth be told, however, it felt nice to see that rebellious spark of fire in the young human's eyes. It reminded me of a better time, when sparklings could actually live to see a brighter tomorrow, where Cybertronians weren't murdering one another in cold blood. 

I'd come to learn a human saying recently, one that I felt applied to our current situation all too well: You never truly know what you have, until it's gone. We had dismissed Miko, and although our concerns were legitimate, our actions and examples were far too damaging. 

Thus, I resigned myself to my search. The weight on my frame and in my spark would not be released until I could see the girl with my own optics, to know she was finally safe. Several Solar Cycles passed at a time without me entering into recharge once, only resting when forced to by Optimus. I knew my old friend shared in my pain, so I slumbered, if for no other reason but to stop it from becoming more abundant.

A loud beeping caught my attention, as well as the attention of Bulkhead. The rest of the team was currently resting, each of them having decided to stay awake in shifts to conserve as much energon as possible in the unlikely event that a rescue operation was ready to be mounted.

"What is it?"

"A high-frequency signal with an embedded message."

"Again?"

My optics narrowed upon seeing the designation of the individual responsible for sending the transmission.

"Starscream. {"I have obtained information of extreme interest to you. Bring medical kit."}."

A glance towards Bulkhead confirmed that the green mech was just as suspicious of Starscream's message as I was. Regardless, we were running low on options. The risk was worth it. Booting up the groundbridge, the two of us stepped out into the dark forest, Bulkhead with his blasters drawn.

"Clear!"

As we approached Starscream who was laying against a rock wall, looking significantly injured, I set my faceplate into a scowl. Though my inner doctor was begging to patch up the wounds simply to remove the foreign contamination, I held no sympathy for this particular Decepticon. There were a select few who had gained my respect over the vorns, but I could count them on a single servo. Starscream was certainly not among them.

"Make it fast."

"It would appear that like myself, Airachnid has gone rogue."

"What's it to us?!"

Starscream looked confused for a moment, as if not comprehending that his 'vital intel' may not have been as valuable as he'd hoped.

"She is planning to retaliate against Me- err. . . mankind. I can provide you with her current location." 

My optics narrowed on Starscream's groveling frame, my servo clenching tightly around the handle of my medical kit. It was all that I could do in order to restrain myself from pummeling the pathetic rogue into the ground.