Clipped Chapter 1

"Oh scrap," Starscream cried out as he saw the motorcycle autobot enter the small enclosure he'd found in the cave. He had one hand on a minuscule deposit of energon, and was otherwise preoccupied with keeping himself clinging to the rock face a good twenty feet off the ground.

"Starscream, I had a feeling I'd find you here," Arcee said with a cold stare, raising two guns and preparing to shoot. "This is for Cliff-"

"Wait! WAIT! This cavern is unstable from over mining-!" He curled up and covered his head with his arms as two blaster shots came his way, descending to the ground at an alarming rate. The relatively short tumble was not nearly as concerning as the small rocks that hit him while he lie on the ground; only a warning of the much more substantial boulders that hurriedly followed.

~~
~~

Starscream moaned in discomfort as he came to, a sharp pain twinging right broad wing. Without thinking much of the situation he was in, he jerked left as he sat up. A sharp metallic sound echoed through the cave.

Craning his head to see what happened he screamed in denial. "N-no! No, this... this can't be...!" Nestled between two rocks, his wing remained, while he twisted and immediately tried to pry it out. It wasn't like when he finally wrenched it out he could do anything with it; though, and he ended up just holding it and whimpering at the clipped wing.

His attention was pulled from his grievance as another cybertronian came to. He heard Arcee call out in fury at being pinned beneath rubble. It seemed his adversary was trapped and he could make a clean getaway... but Starscream knew that he was in no condition to crawl out of this hole himself. They were completely caved in, and he was low enough on energon that he could barely move a boulder half his size.

Crawling over to where he heard Arcee's attempts to get free, he noted that she wasn't buried very deep, but had little leverage. Where as, the decepticon had all the leverage he needed. As much as he hated letting out the autobot that wanted his head on a platter, Starscream knew he needed her help to escape this mining cave.

"Why do I always find myself in these sort of predicaments?" The con lamented as he set his beloved wing to the side, dug his claws into an immense stone, and hefted it to the side. Three more removed and Arcee's face came into view.

He could hear guns charging up as she screeched," Starscream! I swear, as soon as I can move, I will-"

"Piteous autobot, do you really think I will save you if you threaten my life?" He purred out, relishing her look of confusion.

"Why would you waste your time to dig me out," She asked, her guns powering down. Her expression was hard and it was clear she didn't trust him at all.

"You know me better than you would like too, autobot. I help whom ever can help me."

Rolling her optics, she scoffed," Of course, that's the only answer."

"Among other reasons," He murmured to himself and then added in full voice," Seeing as I have had little luck these past few... well there's really no time frame applicable; I've never had particularly agreeable luck... I am in little energon supply. Digging you out is already seeming impossible and you've buried us under a scrapload more than just a few boulders." With a sigh, he asked," So shall we call it a truce? You can't even hope for a ground bridge down here, the alloys in this cave destroy signals of every kind."

"I don't see how I can work with the killer of my comrade," She spat out," I'd rather rust."

"Oh, come now, we've both done quite considerable damage to each other's teams," He dismissed. Seeing her incredulous mien, he explained," Do forgive me, sometimes I forget that while one is a tragedy, a million is merely a statistic. How many vehicons have you slaughtered?"

She growled out something incomprehensible and Starscream took it as his cue that he could continue to dig her out. As soon as her elbows were exposed, she was able to wrench her arms free and throttled Starscream by the neck with one hand and held a blade to it with the other.

"Please! Please, don't hurt me! I used my last form of defense saving you. I can't transform, I can't even fall back on my missiles, I'm completely at your mercy!" Relief flowed through him as he was released and shoved back. He watched Arcee dig herself out now that she had freedom to move her arms.

"Why did you save me from Airachnid?"

"Why, I told you. So we were even. What other reason would I have?" He asked, his voice slightly defensive.

"You're a decepticon, why would you care about becoming even?"

"Was! Was a decepticon," He corrected," and I felt it needed to be done. I may be megalomaniac, but a demon I am not."

With a shrug, she objected," I care to differ." With piercing optics, she stared at the con as she brushed off the last of the rubble that had trapped her.

With no more prompting than just the insistent gaze, he snapped. "By the Allspark! Can't a man keep his reasons his own these days," He cried out," If he is to be reviled by both sides and abandoned, left to his own devices for protecting himself, can't he at least keep his secrets his own?!" Standing up, he paced to the other side of their narrow pen.

"What was all that about?" She asked, noticeably less angered then before, now a little amused to add to the previous brewing of negative emotions.

Looking back, he stammered out," The last while has been... stressful... I'm just a little wound up i-is all..." Trepidation shivered through him and he averted his gaze.

"I hate being stuck in caverns," He spoke up suddenly in a last ditch effort to change topic. "It makes me feel so... grounded."

With a small laugh, she taunted," Like you need a cave to feel like that. Last I heard, your T-Cog went missing. And as I see it, your wings have been clipped."

She picked up his recently detached wing and he cried out in fury," Don't mess with that, it's mine!" She shrugged and dropped it the ground carelessly. "Y-You are an accursed wretch with no value for things that don't belong to you," He howled. He didn't care if she retaliated at his words, he was sick of  being everyone's chew toy and being bullied around and receiving none of the respect he should've!

"Relax, it's not like it's ever going to do you much good," She brushed off, mildly amused by his choice of words to describe her.

"Sh-shut up!"

She was vaguely surprised with just how much emotion rang through his voice as he commanded her silence. "I'm just saying-"

"No more! No more from you! Do you know how it feels to be stripped of power so many times as I? And finally discarded completely? To be a seeker incapable of flight?" He demanded to know. "How long and hard I worked for that lowlife, immoral, degenerate, and how shamelessly he tortured me over and over again?!"

"MY LIFE SUCKS," He shrieked with emphasis striking every word as he then stuck the cavern wall, egging more rocks to roll down upon them. "I don't need you to rub it in!"

"I- I didn't..." Arcee stumbled over her words as she took in the other cybertronian screaming in frustration. Her optics swept up to the rock above them that seemed a little closer to falling once more. Concern for her safety made her say," Look, we can talk rationally about this, we don't need to pound the wall in and trap ourselves even further."

His knees shook slightly before giving out beneath him and he dropped to the ground in pain. "I don't have the strength to argue, I'm afraid," He spat out, cursing lightly as he coughed up energon. Scrap, he had an internal leak again.

"Starscream?"

He couldn't help but notice actual concern in her voice, like she even cared about him. "MECH," He cursed. "MECH may be learning of our biology and technology, but they leave much to be desired in the caring department. I don't think it's possible to cause as much damage as they did while thieving me of my T-Cog without personally trying and putting in extra effort."

Quietly picking up the useless wing and walking over beside her enemy, she held it out to him and said," Here."

Snatching it away with an angered growl, he muttered out thanks and sat back against the stone wall.

Something iridescent and blue caught the femme's optic. Arcee left his side and inspected the small hole in the wall, confirming that it held a small pocket of energon. The autobot plunged her first in and seized the crystal, pulling it back and finding a surprisingly clear sample about the size of her palm. "Starscream," She called, grabbing his attention before lightly tossing it to him. "Now we're even."

"Thanks," He sneered," I would have never been able to obtain this on my own had you not shown up." He'd had his fingers on this very piece before she caused the cave in.

"You're welcome," She said, completely ignoring the tones of anger and abhorrence lacing his words gratitude.

"Sometimes I don't even know what I see in you. Sure you have a slim body, that with a few modifications would be perfect for a seeker, and command a very bold and intrepid air..."

"What?" The autobot squeaked with surprise.

"I'm sick of being ridiculed for no reason, I might as well come out with how I've been crushing like some young sparkling on the autobot, and enemy, that probably wants me dead the most," He laughed, slightly hysterically.

"You need your head examined," Arcee said quietly in a shocked voice.

"Perhaps. It started well before you spared my life, as well," He continued," Similarities in how we deal with situations, our shared hatred of Airachnid-"

Stomping up to the fallen con, she furiously plunged her heel into his chest, earning a strangled groan of pain from him. "I hate that spider because she terminated my partner!" Stamping his chest again, she growled," Something you did as well!" He dropped the crystalline energon and moaned in pain.

"Yes, well," He coughed out, slipping his fingers between her foot and his chest. "That puts a strain in-" He squeaked out," Things!" as she reached down and backhanded him.

A little guilt must have prickled at her, because she retracted her limbs and stalked away. Starscream just seemed so pathetic and helpless, she couldn't bring herself to further beat him down.

He hated regret and hindsight... Staring down at the crystal, he suggested," Let's forget that I ever-"

"Agreed," She interrupted, not wishing to dwell further on it. "Let's just work on getting out of here."

"Just give me a bit," He said, claws gently tracing the contours of the crystal. "This energon is well needed."

"Whatever," She dismissed, inspecting their prison and how they could possibly get out. She began work of shifting boulders, soon joined by Starscream who seemed a little more stable. Contrary to what Arcee expected, he actually pulled his weight and went for the boulders that were too big even for herself.

They burned into the midnight oil, to the point that both were exhausted, but pleased with the progress they made.

"Scrap, I was hoping I'd be rid of you by now," Arcee mock-complained, taking a spot in the corner to relax for a bit.

Taking a comfortable position as far from the autobot as possible, Starscream brusquely replied," And I of you." He turned his back to the blue autobot, feeling he'd suffered enough humiliation for today.

"Starscream..." She trailed off, then in much different tone said," You know, when your loyalties aren't in question, you're actually quite proficient at your work."

"I'll keep it in mind," He said sourly, tagging on for amusement's sake," I'll just keep my loyalties to myself and assume everyone else as an enemy."

"That's a shame."

"Is it?"

He received no reply and went back to merely sulking at the general poor quality of life he currently lived through. "It's hard to keep loyal to any one group when every time you align with any of them, they inevitably try to kill you or use you," He commented faintly, in almost a dulcet voice. "I can't count the number of times Megatron threatened my life before he finally decided I'd outlived my usefulness. I helped MECH and in exchange I underwent organ theft. Before, when I pledged my  allegiance with the autobots, I let slip something I did in my previous life as a decepticon, and I was nearly murdered..."

"I spared you..."

"Yes, and I have your mute friend to thank for that."

"He has a name. It's-"

With a sigh, he handwaved it and said," Yes, yes, I know. Bumblebee." He turned his head slightly to see the other. She appeared to be thinking something over, and had a sullen expression. "Don't waste your time pitying me," He hissed bitterly," If you wanted to waste your time doing that, you could've a millennia ago. Nothing's changed."

Getting to his feet with a groan, he said," Let's continue on. At least I am." He couldn't take another iota of this, time for emotional thinking, or whatever it was. His optics displaying images in low quality as he exhausted his systems, he continued the digging, just wanting to escape this cave already.

Examining him working, Arcee advised," You should sit out a bit longer, I'll take on some work right now."

"I'm fine," He dismissed, though clearly lying. He was making it out of this cave as soon a fragging possible, and escaping the autobot even sooner if viable. He sidled away slightly as she came up to help the process along.

They continued chipping away at the walls,  both feeling progressively better as the wall seemed to be thinner. Abruptly, a mace of sorts came barreling through, catching Starscream across the jaw. Flying back and painfully making contact with  a stone wall, Starscream yelled," You bumbling buffoon! Watch where you are swinging!"

The decepticon was ignored as Bulkhead clamored," Arcee, thought we'd never see ya' again!" He pulled her into a brief hug, much to Starscream's dismay. The large autobot was followed by Optimus and Bumblebee.

Her optics flashing to the injured decepticon, Arcee said," Yeah, same. Actually, it was Starscream who saved me from a large pile of rubble." She pointed to the fallen con and Bulkhead looked between the two with a mild air of confusion.

"Why would Screamers help you?"

The most panicked look that Arcee had ever seen came to Starscream's optics as Arcee began to answer. "Why else? The same reason as always. He needs medical attention. Again."

He looked away, seemingly embarrassed, but she caught the huge gust of relief blowing over him and the gratitude in his countenance.

"And," She added, smirking a little at the way he physically jumped," He wouldn't have been able to get out himself.

"I am proud of you, Arcee," Optimus Prime said in a deep, gratified voice, obviously alluding to the fact she'd managed to keep herself from killing to con who killed Cliffjumper.

"Well, the unexpected is always waiting to happen," She brushed off the praise.

Bumblebee posed a question, immediately followed with Prime answering," We will offer medical assistance since he helped one of our own." He still hoped that the other could have a change of heart and still regretted not offering Megatron the chance to change earlier in their war. "But we're going to need to take him back with us." He walked up to the ex con and took a knee beside him.

As the large bot reached for him, Starscream trembled and jumped at contact, but then looked down at his hand, perplexed at seeing the Prime actually helping him to his feet. He didn't understand... None the less, he rose to his feet with the other's help and looked around at the surrounding autobots.

Even when he knew they were here to help, it unnerved him to be surrounded by so many of the bots he had considered dire enemies for a very long time; especially since while they could all transform to escape should they need to, he was completely flightless.

"Forgive us, but you understand we can't let you enter our base consciously," Optimus apologized as Ratchet walked through the ground bridge holding an instrument that would put him into stasis no doubt.

Starscream meekly nodded as the doctor made his way over, began to use the device, and the con slumped into Optimus Prime's arms. "Autobots, let us return to our base."

"Just one second, something was left behind," Arcee excused herself, swiftly transforming to her motorcycle mode and heading back to where they had been trapped. She returned on foot holding the wing their enemy had left behind. "Um, he lost it, while saving me," She said, hoping it would be convincing to reattach it. She didn't actually know how the con lost it, and without his T-Cog, it was completely useless, but she knew would mean a lot to him.

As everyone headed to ground bridge, Ratchet took the broad wing and hummed in thought. "I'm not very practiced with wings, but I should be able attach it with little trouble."

As Arcee trailed the group, she kept her gaze to her feet, not daring to let her optics trail on the unconscious decepticon that had admitted feelings for her less than an hour earlier. Bumblebee pulled her out of her thoughts with a simple question, and she said," I'm fine, just a little exhausted. We dug through a lot of rock." As the word 'we' rolled out of her vocalizer, her optics found themselves on Starsream, and she wasn't so sure she was fine.

~~
~~

"This handiwork, it's so intricate," Ratchet commented as he worked on the decepticon in stasis. "Look at how many times it's been reinforced," He said, gesturing for Arcee to come over.

A mission had the other three autobots out of base, but the group had unanimously agreed that another bot had to stay behind with Ratchet since they had the enemy at base and it wouldn't be good if he awoke.

Coming over, Arcee felt a little uneasy about looking into Starscream's chest cavity, but she had seen worse, so she peered in anyways. "All I see is a whole lot of welded metal."

With a shake of his head, Ratchet continued," It tells a story. Everything done medically does. It takes a genius committed to the job to heal without marks of what happened." Tracing a particular section with his forefinger, he expounded," It's been reinforced right there so many times, it's almost as if he was getting healed only to get beaten immediately after."

'How long and hard I worked for that lowlife, immoral, degenerate, and how shamelessly he tortured me over and over again?!,' rang through Arcee's processors and she averted her gaze. "I'm sure working for Megatron wasn't easy," She mumbled out.

"I imagine not," The doctor concurred. "And the damage left by MECH would have become irreparable if he didn't get medical attention within the next few months." A few sparks flew as he started up work in the lower abdomen.

With a small laugh, Arcee said," I guess he's lucky to have gotten us trapped in that cave." Immediately feeling awkward in having phrased it like that, she went silent.

Ratchet was oblivious to the other's sudden muteness and agreed," Who knows how fate works, but his has an odd way of traveling."

~~
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Starscream awoke in the middle of a forest, propped up by a boulder, and as far as he could tell, far from human civilization. He was dazed and confused, and couldn't recall how he got there, but remembered being put into stasis by the autobots. Surprise warmed the con as he realized how much better he felt. His systems must have been functioning at near optimum.

The joy was halted as he remembered his poor wing, but it didn't feel missing. Twisting his head around, he found to his surprise, it was once again attached. A thin band of lighter grey marked where it had been welded back on, buffed almost enough that one wouldn't notice.

His gaze fell to his forearms, only to be astonished once again. Though they weren't as impressive as what he was used to, a small missile adorned each arm.  Had the autobots decided to give him full aide out of thanks? Or had Arcee...? Starscream plunged that thought out of mind. It was ridiculous and absurd; Arcee's only response to her finding out he had affections for her was to tell him he was insane.

It didn't truly matter he supposed, it was just good to be back in near fighting condition.