The Good, the Bad and Starscream

Chapter 1: Partners

"I have been a fool. Made mistakes. Monumental ones. I now realize I was never destined to be a leader, or even an equal partner. And, I am 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: second in command, humble servant to Lord Megatron. Thank you for listening, Soundwave."

That was what Starscream had decided anyway...until he was sent on a mission by Megatron to guide Airachnid to a crashed Decepticon ship named the Harbinger. The warlord had been very displeased with the Seeker not telling him about his scouting of the ship, even less displeased with knowing he had not retrieved the weapon onboard. As Airachnid then mentioned he had not even logged the ship's location into the database, Megatron had grown increasingly impatient with him.

Lucky for the Seeker he had imprinted the location in his processer. Less fortunate was it that he had to guide the malevolent Airachnid there. He trusted that spider as far as he could throw her.

They arrived at the edge of a forest, where they transformed and conversed about the ship...and other things. Such as Starscream degrading Airachnid's helicopter mode and attempting to win her respect by telling her of his past as the Air Commander of some Energon Seekers...which, not surprisingly, failed to impress her. Then, however, the talk moved on to Cliffjumper.

"Just recently, I personally vanquished one of Optimus Prime's fiercest warriors. Cliffjumper," he said the last part in a nefarious tone.

This made Airachnid turn and look at him. "You snuffed an Autobot?" she asked, perhaps mildly surprised though not overly impressed.

"Yes I did," he replied in a satisfied tone, "Without mercy."

"Oh," she said, sounding even less interested than before. "Even Megatron showed you mercy when he planned to terminate you at the mine."

"What?" he exclaimed. "He told you about that?"

"We talk."

Starscream snorted. The thought about Airachnid and Megatron conversing without him was unbearable. He was second-in-command to the Decepticons, not her! He then remembered overhearing Megatron and Airachnid's conversation just before the Seeker had interrupted them and then sent on this mission.

"The wreckage lies just beneath where we stand," he muttered. "I will need to find a point of entry—"

But Airachnid had already initiated her drill-mode and dug underground, leaving him behind on the surface. He looked down the hole and snorted once again.

"Showoff."

He crawled down the hole Airachnid had made, folding his wings tightly against his back to make room. On the way down, he thought about Airachnid's words and her and Megatron's conversation again. His thoughts moved on to the episode in the mine, and then a horrendous thought struck him.

What if Megatron hadn't considered keeping Starscream around after all? What if he secretly ordered Airachnid to take him down once they were inside the Harbinger, where no one would find him nor ever know what happened to him? What if he was planning on making Airachnid his new second-in-command?

No, it couldn't be. First of all, the warlord didn't like the spider any more than the Seeker did. Second of all, Starscream had sworn his loyalty and owed Megatron back in the mine, so Megatron knew the Seeker wouldn't betray him again...at least for now.

As he finally reached the bottom of the hole and met up with Airachnid inside the ship, he decided to forget about these paranoid thoughts for now. Megatron would never replace Starscream, he was too valuable. And he certainly wouldn't have Airachnid assassinate him. He knew the warlord would want the pleasure of doing that himself, however unnerving this thought was.