Something Wonderful

Chapter 5

The two weeks passed rather quickly, too quickly for Starscream's liking and as the day of his trial inched closer he found himself falling more and more into despair.

Ratchet started appearing in his ward more often, always for just a few kliks and always with a worried expression. The seeker barely paid any attention to the older mech though. What worried him, besides his trial of course, was that Knock Out had just... disappeared.

Ever since that day, the vain mech had not shown up to visit the silver mech even once.

And then.. the day came.

Starscream hissed, his wings rising angrily as he received a harsh shove by one of the guards, his claws curling in his cuffs.

"Hey, watch it, you brute!"

He snapped. The mech didn't reply, instead giving the flier another hard push.

"Shut your mouth and keep walking, decepticon scum."

The other guard growled as they walked down the hall. The seeker scowled but obeyed. He didn't need any additional crimes to his already long list.

"Starscream, you are found guilty on all charges."

The silver mech hung his helm, his servos hanging limply in their cuffs. He had expected this.

"Normally, execution would be in order, but since the war has ended and peace has been installed, your sentence would be life in prison. However.."

The seeker lifted his helm.

"Bots that wished to not be named have spoken on your behalf and it was decided that you would be given a chance to integrate into our society and become a respectable member of our community."

Starscream couldn't believe his audios. One minute he was waiting to be executed and the next.. He was told that he'd be pardoned of his crimes that he'd committed during the war!

"Until you've recovered, you'll be staying with one of the bots who had spoken for you. But, you will be monitored until we're sure that you are no threat to Cybertron and its people."

Was that a smile pulling at the corner of the Autobot SIC's mouth? He refused to believe that that was possible.

The seeker was torn away from his thoughts when the same guard that had shoved him earlier approach him and reluctantly undo his cuffs.

Absentmindedly rubbing his wrists, Starscream turned to Ultra Magnus once more.

"The bot who has volunteered to take you in will meet you outside. This meeting is finished. You may leave."

The seeker could not have left the courtroom faster.

"Screamer!"

The silver flier halted in his tracks, staring disbelievingly at the red medic skipping giddily towards him with a broad smile on his faceplate, a disgruntled looking Ratchet on his heels. Smirking at Starscream, who was momentarily speechless(for once in his life!), the red medic spoke.

"If you haven't realised yet, I'm the bot you're staying with until you've become a 'respectable member of our society'."

Knock Out quoted in his best impression of Ultra Magnus's voice. Ratchet rolled his optics at the smaller mech's antics before addressing the slightly taller mech.

"I spoke to Ultra Magnus and convinced him to give you a chance, Starscream, do not waste it."

As the seeker hastily nodded in agreement, the red and white medic glanced at his younger colleague.

"Knock Out was the one who offered to take you in, but since both of you are former decepticons, you will be monitored to ensure that you aren't planning to gather an army and restart the war, as I'm sure Ultra Magnus has already informed you."

A grimace darkened his features before clearing just as quickly. He patted Knock Out on the shoulder as he turned to leave.

"Starscream's next check-up is in a few months. Up until then you will be responsible for his recovery."

Glancing at the seeker, he added quickly.

"And no flying. Not until I give the okay."

Starscream nodded, albeit somewhat reluctantly as he watched Ratchet leave, leaving him alone with Knock Out.

The seeker didn't like traveling underground. Slag, he hated traveling any other way but by flying really. But now he was trapped in a moving metal box, deep underground, too far below Cybertron's surface for his liking.

His wings twitched behind his back as he thought wistfully back to the times before his injury. When he'd sneak out for a short flight.

Glancing at the red mech beside him, he resisted the urge to curse. Knock Out didn't seem to be at all bothered, indeed he was too busy skipping through a datapad, his optics flicking back and forth as he read. From what Starscream had seen, the smaller mech was reading some kind of detective novel by Aftershine.

The seeker was surprised. He'd read some of her books, before the war, he hadn't expected that she'd survive though. 'Must've found a neutral colony, far away from the front.' He thought.

Luckily, Knock Out's apartment wasn't far. When he opened the door, the red medic couldn't help but laugh at the seeker's stunned expression.

"Welcome to your new home, Starscream."