melodiesofeternity | The Final Loop

The energon isn't poisoned, though given it has been converted from native materials it might not quite be the caliber Starscream is used to.

"And this is better?" Megatron asks before following Starscream's gaze to the clear blue sky above them. "What do you see up there?"

Starscream's comment about annoying Minimus causes him to frown, however. "You waste your talents on such trivial matters, you know. These...pranks and games you insist on playing." He regards the other 'bot out of the corner of his optics. "You could be so much more." He knows it's possible for Starscream to do more, be more than this; he's seen his own universe's rise far higher than anyone would have ever expected him to, Megatron included. "Here especially, where the old factions and grudges are meaningless."

Megatron's comments sort of hit a nerve, but probably not for the reason he would think. Starscream shifted his gaze back at the former warlord.

"You sound like someone I know," he responded, his optics briefly glancing at the Autobot symbol on Megatron's chest.

But to answer Megatron's other question ...

Starscream gestured towards the sky.

"The sky up there is an illusion created by light reflecting off particles in space. A normal illusion compared to what we saw before but one nonetheless."

That was followed by a bit of a smirk.

"Not my counterpart, I take it." Megatron replies. From what he's gleaned of his other self from his conversations with Starscream, the Megatron of his universe is much like he once was; violent, megalomaniacal, cruel to both enemy and ally alike. And without even the noble intentions he'd had starting out, of equality for all, the right to self-determination. Even if those had quickly been cast aside once things started moving after he ended up in the gladiator pits of Kaon, at least they'd been there to begin with. It seems the other Megatron had never had any illusions other than simple conquest for conquest's sake.

Was he truly so much of an outlier in that regard? Not just for his attempts to atone but for the reasons he'd formed the Decepticons to begin with? Was there no version of him anywhere that didn't invite such death and destruction? And if not, how many of them ever experienced his own change of Spark? And if they did, did it stick?

Chilling thoughts to be having, so for the moment he pushes them aside, following Starscream's gaze to his Autobrand. "An Autobot?" He asks.

He follows Starscream's gaze up to the sky and nods. "Yes, that's true." He says. It's basic scientific stuff and yet to hear it coming from Starscream of all people is still somewhat startling. "But this illusion is one I much prefer to what we had at the start of all this. It means we are succeeding; we are saving this world." It's a feeling he's come to treasure far more than he ever did the sight of worlds burning.

Starscream almost laughs. "No, your counter part doesn't think I have any talents beyond being an instrument of destruction. Nothing he'd ever admit to anyway. He would have called me an idiot and we would not be having a civil conversation."

And Starscream probably would have ended up in many pieces scattered across the city by now. All in all it was probably a good thing he was stuck here with a different Megatron.

Not that he enjoyed any of this one bit. If anything he wants to go back. He has stuff he needs to deal with. Important things.

"But yes, an Autobot. It's kind of ironic now that I've had time to think about it. Almost everyone I knew before the war went on to join team good guy. No wonder I thought they were all boring."

"Then he's an idiot in that case." Megatron replies, bluntly-perhaps surprisingly so. "I admit I've not known you long but even I can tell dismissing you as a mere blunt instrument is foolish." Though he'd once felt the same about his Starscream, and while at the time he hadn't exactly been wrong to think that, Starscream had risen far higher than Megatron had ever expected him too. Of course having the prophecy of an ancient Prime to prop him up helped, but it hadn't entirely been that either; his Starscream had learned. It took four million years and the entirety of the Great War to run its course, but he'd learned. Perhaps something similar was true of this version as well. "I suppose that's why I find myself disappointed, Starscream; you could be so much more than you are now, but you channel all your efforts into trivialities instead...your pranks and games."

He takes another drink. "I'm curious." He says finally. "Before the War I didn't know my Starscream to have any friends, certainly none who had joined Optimus' forces. Who was the Autobot? I'm curious if the identity matches up with my world." Assuming Megatron can even put a face to the name, of course.

Though Starscream would never openly admit it, that might have earned Megatron a few more points on the respect scale. Something very few ever managed. Starscream's visible smirk at least gave away that he's amused.

Well that is until Megatron asks who it was he knew. The seeker visibly stiffens and takes a drink to mask his slight hesitation in responding.

"Jetfire. We met at the science academy. He used to frown at my attempts at terrorizing half the school's population. But I was so good at it. Especially at not getting caught."

The Final Loop

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