Chapter 23: Fallen From Grace

"Oh Primus.. this isn't good." Starscream mumbled under his breath. He darted in and out of rooms, frantically searching for any sign of Megatron. So far, nothing. He was growing more and more worried by the second.

The seeker whirled around a corner and nearly ran face-first into Shockwave, who hadn't been paying attention anyways due to the datapad in his servo.

"Ah, Starscream. I heard the mining operation was successful." Shockwave stated, though Starscream was already trying to push his way past him.

"No time to talk, sorry!" Starscream sputtered. As soon as he was able to get around the one-eyed mech, he sprinted down the hallway. Shockwave stood there in confusion for a brief moment, then went on his way.

***

Starscream ran until he reached the Communications Hub. Inside, Soundwave was hard at work monitoring the multiple computer screens that surrounded him. His movements, however, seemed rushed and frantic.

"Soundwave!" Starscream gasped, practically out of breath from running so much. He stumbled over and attempted to gather his thoughts before he spoke. "Have you seen Megatron anywhere? I'm worried that something has happened."

Soundwave slammed his servos on the keyboard in silent frustration, his hidden gaze focused on what was currently displayed on the screen.

Starscream looked over at the screen, wondering why Soundwave had gotten so upset all of a sudden. His spark plummeted into his stomach.

In the log that tracked groundbridge usage, there was a fresh entry. That meant someone must have used the groundbridge from that terminal within the last ten minutes or so.

"Soundwave, did you ever leave this terminal unattended? For even a moment?" Starscream questioned the mute mech, his optics wide with fear. Somehow, he already knew what the answer would be.

Soundwave stood still for a moment. Then, he slowly lifted his long arm to point at the empty cube that sat on the dashboard. He had simply gone to refuel.

"Scrap.. why would Megatron leave and not tell anyone?" Starscream knew Megatron must have not been in the right state of mind, as if being choked by him wasn't enough to prove it. He would never leave so suddenly without at least telling someone about it.

An audio recording began playing from Soundwave's speakers. "You might as well leave before you make a fool of yourself. Wait, you already have!"

Starscream narrowed his optics, his wings twitching with annoyance. "That sounds like... Airachnid! Where is she now?" He demanded.

Within moments, Soundwave displayed video feed from one of the hallway security cameras, which showed Airachnid heading down the hall.

"Thank you, Soundwave. I'm going to have a word with her. Keep trying to pinpoint Megatron's signal. We need to find him before the Autobots do!" With that, Starscream swiveled around on his heel and rushed out of the room.

***

Crisp snow crunched under Megatron's weight. He left massive footprints in his wake, but did not care if he was followed. The bitter wind whipped in his face, stinging his sensors. This barren wasteland had yielded nothing but frigid temperatures and winds that threatened to topple him.

Yet, there was something peaceful about being out here. He was alone, with stretches of snow and ice as far as the eye could see everywhere he looked. Out here, it was just him and his thoughts.

He received a ping from his sensors stating that the outside temperature was becoming too cold. His core temperature would begin to drop if he stayed out here for too long. But where would he take shelter? There was nothing but flat land and in this blizzard, it was impossible to see anything distant.

The thought of giving in crossed his mind. If he just laid down and allowed himself to succumb to the cold, everything would be over. His discomfort and pain would be alleviated. No more fighting. No more bloodshed. He would finally be at peace, embraced by the warmth of the Allspark.

His mind soon became numb like the rest of his body, too frozen to form any real thoughts. His legs moved on their own, trudging him through the snow despite the fact that he could barely feel anything. His sensors had long since ceased to function. His vision grew hazy, the sky and the ground melting together into one grey blob.

Something tugged on his spark.

It compelled him to continue, no matter how badly his body wanted to give up.

The strange force eventually guided him to an ice cavern. He stumbled across the glassy surface of the ice, finding it hard to maintain his footing with what little strength he had left.

He could not go any further. The force that had led him here continued to pull on his spark, but he simply could not go on.

His locked-up joints finally failed, sending him first to his knees then the ground. Tiny particles of snow exploded into the air upon impact, raining back down upon him. They melted as soon as they touched his frostbitten armor. He didn't fight to keep his optics open. In fact, he welcomed the darkness that enveloped him into its inky depths.