Flicker in The Ashes🥀 [ TFOC X Starscream. ]

🍀|| Prologue : The Beginning

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The metallic world of Cybertron had long since fallen to ruin, and the war between the Autobots and Decepticons was a relentless cycle that devoured everything in its path. For centuries, the two factions had battled, leaving their once-great civilization in ruins. The planet itself seemed to groan beneath the weight of endless conflict. There were few places left untouched by the chaos—few sanctuaries where silence wasn’t accompanied by the distant roar of cannon fire or the piercing shriek of collapsing structures.

The landscape was shattered, cities that once gleamed with life and technology reduced to skeletal ruins. Smoke and ash clung to the skies, blotting out the distant stars. Yet, amid this destruction, the spark of life endured. Autobots and Decepticons continued to fight, their will unbroken by the devastation around them. Neither side seemed willing to surrender, no matter how high the cost.

Skydove had seen more of that cost than most. He was a scout—lean, quick, and resourceful. His alt-mode allowed him to fly high above the battlefields, his silver wings cutting through the sky with ease. As a scout, his job was to gather information, to relay enemy positions back to the Autobot command. He wasn’t built for direct combat, but that never stopped him from getting dangerously close to enemy lines. Skydove thrived in the tension between life and death, a silent observer moving through the chaos with the grace of a predator.

But there were moments, brief and fleeting, where the enormity of the war would weigh on him. He’d seen too many of his comrades fall, their sparks extinguished, their bodies left to rust in the barren wastelands. No matter how hard he fought, no matter how fast he moved, it never seemed to be enough. The war always found a way to take something from him.

Today was no different.

The battle had raged for hours. Autobots and Decepticons clashed in the remains of an abandoned city, its towering skyscrapers now little more than crumbling ruins. Explosions echoed through the streets, the ground shaking with every blast. Skydove swooped low, weaving between the debris, his optics scanning for any sign of danger. He wasn’t supposed to engage; his mission was simple—gather intel and retreat. But something felt off.

There was a strange energy in the air, something that made his spark pulse with unease. His sensors were picking up signals, but they were faint, almost distorted. A trap? He wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t one to ignore his instincts. Carefully, he moved toward the source of the disturbance, his wings retracting as he landed softly on the cracked pavement.

Smoke billowed around him, obscuring his vision, but through the haze, he caught a glimpse of movement. He crept closer, slipping into the shadows of a fallen building. His optics narrowed as he scanned the area, his systems on high alert.

And that’s when he saw him.

Starscream, the infamous second-in-command of the Decepticons, lay crumpled on the ground, his sleek frame battered and scorched. His once-majestic wings were bent at odd angles, and his usually vibrant red and silver plating was dull with damage. It was a sight Skydove never thought he’d witness—Starscream, the proud and arrogant Decepticon, grounded and vulnerable.

For a moment, Skydove’s spark surged with adrenaline. This was a golden opportunity. He could take down one of the Decepticon’s most notorious leaders right here, right now. All it would take was a well-placed shot. He could end it.