Chương 36: LOG-034.

It had been a little under an hour and a half since we'd sabotaged Unicron's t-cog. We'd been advancing down yet another series of tunnels when a sound had registered in my audio receptors. Raising a servo, I scanned the darkness ahead of us with my optic raised to it's brightest setting. The red beam barely managed to make out multiple shadowed figures standing a few meters away from us.

"Halt and prepare for a potential altercation." My Zakus closed ranks around me, some kneeling behind others in order to overlap their lines of fire. Then three pairs of optics blinked to life, two golden and one orange, all staring us down. I raised my cannon, but kept from firing for the moment.

"Identify yourselves." A second passed before a Predacon stepped out from the darkness.

"Adam, creator. Alongside Airazor and Backbite." I tilted my helm as the femme strode in behind the mech, clutching a visibly wounded shoulder. Behind her, Backbite sniffed at the air for a moment, silent. Lowering my weapon, I advanced towards the trio.

"Judging by the fact it's only you three, I believe I'm safe in assuming that something is wrong?" Airazor nodded, wincing as I moved her tightly clenched servo out of the way and inspected the wound. Hm, burnt and punctured. A particularly lucky blast from one of the antibodies, most likely.

"We were separated from the main force when another strong tremor hit. Caused one of the tunnels to cave in. I think everyone else made it out fine but-ow!" I grasped the femme's shoulder, keeping her still as I continued to spray a light mist of nanites into her wound.

"Don't squirm too much or you'll make it last longer. I'm sealing the breach in your armour." She nodded, wincing again but staying still nonetheless. Adam stood nearby, arms crossed.

"Not that I'm displeased about linking up with an allied group, but... what are you doing down here creator?" I shrugged, ignoring Backbite's staring as the green mist slowly began to seal Airazor's damaged shoulder.

"Satisfying my curiosity and implementing a few contingencies, mostly. It's fortunate that you happened to run into us, the terrorcon presence in this sector of Unicron's frame has been getting stronger. Presumably due to the vanguard force getting further away and no longer drawing as much attention." Adam nodded, pounding a fist into his other servo.

"Not to worry, we'll cook those things before they can get anywhere close to you!" I allowed the slightest hint of amusement to enter my voice, even as the withering shadowplay protocols tried to lock it down.

"I'm relieved to hear that. Now, let's go. I think we're getting close to Unicron's equivalent of a fuel pump." Airazor rolled her shoulder as I backed away, before grinning.

"Sweet! Uh... why are we heading to robot Satan's fuel pump?" I paused at that particular phrase.

"Robot Satan? Where did you get that from?" The femme shrugged, waving a servo around.

"The internet. I spoke with the Autobots a little and Primus is meant to be like, God and stuff. And Unicron's his evil brother so... robot Satan!" Ah. Well that had a few implications.... Meh, they'd be fine. The Predacons were mature enough at this point that they hopefully wouldn't be too influenced by human data. Besides, I couldn't really fault her logic on that one.

"Very well. As for why we're heading towards his fuel pump? We're going to blow it up." Her optics widened, before the Predacon grinned, denta glinting slightly.

"Oh heck yes! We're gonna metal gear this thing!"... Airazor began to stride into the darkness, waving at us with her newly patched up arm.

"Come on slow pokes! Let's go!" Exchanging a look with Adam and Zero, I shrugged before following after the excited femme. As our group began to move deeper into the next tunnel, I noted Backbite's constant glances.... Hm.

A large set of doorways stood before us, all presumably leading to different areas. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Adam strode up to one, peering inside.

"Scrap, there's all kinds of stuff in here!" Nodding, I allowed myself to briefly inspect each door, before turning to stare at the rest of our motley little task force.

"Everyone, assemble into groups of three. The doorways likely lead to the fuel pump's main connective segments. We'll have to disconnect each one individually in order to render it fully inoperable." The Zakus were quick to form up into their own teams, with Adam and Airazor making to walk over to me. I held up a servo, shaking my helm.

"You two will go with Zero." The Zaku nodded silently, even as the two Predacons made to protest.

"But that means it'll just be you and Backbite!" I glanced at the large Predacon standing next to me, before nodding.

"Correct. His larger size and power will account for our lacking a third member, now go." Airazor seemed ready to argue, before her brother put a servo on her shoulder, shaking his helm. Sighing, the femme gave me a worried "Affirmative..." before turning to enter one of the doorways. I waited until each group had left for their own paths, before turning to Backbite and gesturing towards the last door.

"Let's go."

It had been a few moments of walking before we'd finally stopped inside a large chamber with several overlapping cables running through the walls, each as thick as my torso, at least. I remained silent as the sound of transformation echoed out behind me, before slowly turning around. The large mech sneering down at me with distinctly orange optics shifted one of his servos into a large blaster before grinning.

"Alone at last. How long I have been waiting for this, creator." The fact the last word was given the same inflection as a curse didn't escape me. Instead, I simply continued staring at the glaring Seeker turned Predacon. Huh, his helm almost looked like his old one. Similar to the 'G1' version if I was going by human terms. That was interesting.

In fact, his entire body seemed to be a blend between what would have been Predaking's form and his original frame, before he'd elected to go for his more streamlined shape after the Nemesis had made the original trip to Earth. All wrapped up in a fresh blue and dark grey paintjob.

"Starscream." The former commander nodded, levelling the glowing blaster to aim directly at my optic.

"Of course! That's the one thing I've managed to regain after you disfigured me!" I nodded, crossing my arms.

"I was wondering how long it would take before your processor found the exposed firewall I left you." Starscream's face took on a confused expression as the blaster dipped slightly.

"Well of course I-wait. What?" I continued staring.

"Do you really think you just... miraculously regained your memories? I spent several centuries studying and refining upon the initial Shadowplay procedures the Functionists used on me, Starscream." I shrugged.

"If I wanted your personality completely erased, I would have ensured it by replacing your spark entirely and giving your frame to someone else." The fact that I wasn't entirely sure whether I actually could kill him permanently was something I elected to avoid mentioning. The mech snarled, waving the blaster at my not-face.

"Then why?! Why... why mutate me into a beast and leave me coherent enough to get my revenge!? Where's the logic in that!?" I turned around, inspecting one of the cables.

"Because it was the closest I could get to giving you a fresh start." A sparkbeat of silence. And then?

"What!?" I tapped a digit against the cable, noting the way a few lines brightened up in response, before nodding.

"I gave you a second chance." His voice was remarkably deadpan.

"By turning me into a monster." Hmph.

"No. By upgrading your frame and giving you an entirely untarnished new identity. Nobody trusted Starscream. He burned all of his bridges in his lust for power and prestige, leaving him with no resources, and no allies. A fairly competent officer utterly wasted due to his own mistakes and the way others chose to treat him." I turned to regard the confused mech." Backbite on the other servo, is an up and coming Predacon. Strong in frame, and intelligent of mind.

And after he distinguishes himself in assisting in the neutralisation of Unicron, he'll have plenty of future prospects." His other servo shook, clenching and unclenching as he stared at me, before leveling the blaster upwards again.

"So what! I'm just meant to forgive you!? Be thankful for you brainwashing me and reformatting my frame against my will!?" I tilted my helm.

"Would you have preferred I simply offlined you in revenge for leaving me to die on that damned spacebridge? For leaving me stranded on Cybertron, forced to salvage and use dead economy vehicon parts in order to prevent my own slow and painful demise?" The Predacon flinched, taking a step backward.

"You-you..." I stepped forward.

"I would like us to act like adults, and move on from this point in our lives, Starscream." Another flinch, the blaster shaking slightly.

"W-what's to stop me from just blowing you to pieces here and now? With this new body... I'm more powerful than I ever was!" His confidence flagged as I took another step forward.

"A new body that I personally designed. Do you really think I wouldn't have implanted contingencies?" Within the confines of my own processor, I woke up a dormant packet of code. [OBEDIENCE PROTOCOL ACTIVATED.] Yellow electricity crackled around his shaking frame as Starscream let out a strangled scream, falling to his knees. I began to circle around the struggling Predacon.

"I'm offering you the best possible outcome you could hope for, considering your circumstances. All that you had possessed is gone, Starscream. Your command. Your prestige. Your reputation." Smoke began to emit from his frame, the mech groaning as his own spark was used to electrocute him from the inside out.

"You've lost everything you once had. Megatron is no longer in play, even if he would have accepted you back into his ranks. No other Decepticons will follow or work with you either, not anymore." I shook my helm, kneeling in front of the struggling blue Predacon as he fell forward into a twisted parody of prostration, servos clawing at the ground in pain.

"Pit, even your trine has fallen apart. Skywarp and Thundercracker were some of the few cybertronians left that actually cared about you, and they're dead and gone thanks to the damned war. But you already knew that. You were the first to feel it, after all." More arcs of electricity, orange interspersed with yellow now, travelling across his frame every few seconds.

"... Don't lie to yourself, you have nothing left." [OBEDIENCE PROTOCOL DEACTIVATED.] Smoke continued to curl around in the darkness of the chamber as the former Decepticon air commander looked up at me with broken optics. Oh. It seemed that last bit had been... a bit more effective than I'd initially anticipated. Time to dial it back a little. Standing up, I stared down at the defeated Predacon.

"... Starscream has nothing left. So move on. Cast aside that tarnished identity and embrace a new one. The one I've given you despite your attempt to get me killed." I raised a servo, clenching it into a fist.

"You're capable, just misguided. Join me willingly, and I'll guarantee you a position of command within the ranks of the Predacons. Indomina's abilities are... impressive for her age, but she's still young. Inexperienced. She could use a teacher." I stared down at him as he continued to grit his denta, emotions clearly running rampant across his processor. There was an obvious sense of longing there, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

"I'll give you back everything you've lost. Your command. Your prestige. Your authority. I can't bring back Skywarp and Thundercracker, but what I can do is give you a new family. One in desperate need of an elder sibling that actually knows what he's doing half the time." I allowed my arm to lower back down. My cannon hummed ominously, though I kept it pointed downwards for the moment.

"Or refuse, and I can end it all here. One way or another, Starscream dies in this chamber." I held out my servo.

"Which will it be? Death as Starscream? Or rebirth as Backbite?" The prostrated mech glared up at me, looking like he was on the verge of fucking crying. Unfortunately, cybertronians lacked tear ducts, so his emotional state was simply represented by his rattling frame and clenched servos. And then finally... he bowed his helm.

"I... I don't want to die here. I don't want it to all be for nothing..." I stretched my arm further.

"Then join me and be reforged, Backbite. The future awaits." A taloned set of servos interlocked with my own, even as I slowly pulled the Predacon back up to his pedes. Backbite still looked slightly pained as the last of the smoke wafted off his back and shoulders, but a wiry smirk had somehow managed to sneak onto his facial expression nonetheless.

"For a mech without emotions, you are incredibly dramatic, Shockwave." I shrugged, before letting go of him and turning to the cables, already pulling a small explosive pack from my subspace.

"I am not dramatic. I simply keep things interesting." The Predacon snorted, stepping up next to me.

"If you ever do that shocking thing again, I will find a way to kill you. And if you ever bring up Skywarp and Thundercracker again, I'll do worse." I just nodded in response, affixing the explosive to one of the larger cables as the mech crossed his arms.

"How very logical of you."