Transformers Prime *The Decepticon Femme* Optimus Love Story

Ch. 38 No Turning Back

NightWave POV

I listened as the monotonous hum of the cellblock droned on, a dull reminder of my captivity. The cold metal walls enclosed me, dimly illuminated by the faint overhead lights. I had long since grown used to the solitude, to the endless waiting that stretched into an eternity. My limbs ached from the unyielding restraints, and my frame slumped against the unforgiving surface of the wall. My spark was weary, my processor a whirlwind of unanswered questions and regrets.

Then, the sound of heavy footfalls echoed through the corridor. I straightened instinctively, my optics narrowing toward the cell door. It was routine, I told myself, likely another ration of Energon or a check-in by a Vehicon or Dreadwing. But as the door hissed open, my spark clenched.

Dreadwing stood at the threshold, his imposing frame silhouetted by the dim lighting beyond. Yet something about him was... off. His usual composed demeanor was fractured, his expression shadowed by something grim and unspoken. His optics burned with a distant storm, and for the first time in all the cycles I'd known him, I sensed uncertainty in his posture.

": Dreadwing?:" My voice barely rose above a whisper, laden with cautious concern. ": Hey, what's wrong?:"

His silence was unsettling. His servos clenched at his sides, and for a long moment, he simply regarded me. The weight of something unseen pressed upon his shoulders, and then with a decisive motion, he stepped forward and knelt, his digits deftly unlocking the cuffs around my wrists. The sharp clatter of metal hitting the floor was deafening in the stillness of the cell. I stared at him, my processor struggling to catch up.

": What... what are you doing?:" I asked confused.

"Freeing you," He replied, his tone quiet but resolute. He reached out, gripping my arm with surprising gentleness as he helped me to my feet. My body protested, weakened from captivity, but Dreadwing's firm presence kept me from collapsing.

": Dreadwing, what the hell is going on? Why are you doing this?:" I demanded, my optics searching his for answers. He exhaled slowly, as though the weight of his next words might crush him.

"I've come to set things right," He said at last, voice rough with conviction.

": Huh? What are you talking about?:" I asked. He hesitated only a moment before his voice dipped into a dark growl.

"It's about Starscream," He replied, and the name alone sent an involuntary shudder down my spine. My fists clenched as a bitter taste coated my glossa.

": Huh, what about him?:" I asked. Dreadwing's optics darkened. His servos curled into fists, his entire frame trembling with barely contained fury.

"I... I... during the cortical psychic patch... I saw everything. I watched his actions, his betrayals. I saw what he did to Skyquake," He said as the air thickened. My intake hitched, my optics widening.

": Skyquake?"" I echoed. He nodded stiffly.

"I watched him wake my brother from stasis. And get him killed," He answered as the weight of his grief pressed down on both of us, the gravity of his words suffocating. But before I could speak, he continued, his voice raw, edged with something far darker than sorrow.

"And it gets worse," He muttered. "Starscream... he used Dark Energon to reanimate Skyquake. Turned my brother into a mindless Terrorcon. A puppet, trapped somewhere between dimensions, neither alive nor dead." A wave of nausea rolled through my systems.

": Dreadwing... I...:" I began, but the words died before they could form.

"And Megatron?" Dreadwing spat, optics burning. "He knew. He saw it all. And he did nothing. Instead of condemning Starscream, instead of avenging Skyquake's honor, he told him to keep it hidden. And despite all of this, despite his treachery, Starscream was allowed to stay."