Darkness filled the cave that Starscream, Airachnid, and Shockwave all stood in. It was a bit humid in the cave, but being non-organics, the three Decepticons didn't mind. Shockwave had started his tests earlier that same day, and had made sure that Princess Luna of Equestria was in a secure containment cell since then. The one eyed behemoth in question started to walk towards the force field he had set up halfway through the cave. It was a translucent blue, and one could clearly see Princess Luna on the other side, resting from whatever presumably horrendous tests the "good" doctor had put her through.

He looked at her. Her mane had lost the ethereal quality it had only a short while ago, and her wings were extremely battered. Her fur was matted with sweat, and her sides were bruised. Earlier, she had been put through rigorous physical tests, so Shockwave could gain information on his "test subject". She had initially fought back, that is, until Shockwave put his experimental shock collar around her neck. So far, the tests showed the second greatest raw power of any subject Shockwave had ever used. Hopefully, this trial would turn out better than his last failed attempt at a Decepticon super-soldier.

Shockwave turned his head (well, his box with an eye) towards Starscream. "Starscream, transport the vial of Dark Energon to me." he said to the lanky, stiletto toed 'Con.

Starscream looked at Shockwave with disbelief. "You must be out of your CPU! Giving Dark Energon to something that powerful?! She'll tear us apart! Not to mention, I AM NOT YOUR LACKEY!" Starscream said, speaking as much through words as complicated hand gestures.

Shockwave looked at Starscream for a second, then turned his head. "Airachnid, transport the vial of Dark Energon to me."

The sleek spider fembot grabbed the vial and handed it to Shockwave, while Starscream grumbled about what a bad idea this was, and how he was above all of this.

"This Dark Energon has been altered. I have put the DE through the refining process that most Energon was is through on Cybertron, as well as I taking an extra step further and isolating the CNA of Unicron. I have isolated genetic material of the Chaos Bringer himself, to make this Dark Energon extremely potent." Shockwave told the two Decepticons in the cave with him, and presumably the pony as well. The vial he held was a very small amount, about the rough equivalent of one gallon (not very much, considering that it was usually used by giant robots).

"I know what CNA is, Shockwave. I was a scientist on Cybertron, you know. Do you really think you need to explain that to me?" Starscream asked.

"Frankly. Yes." Shockwave responded.

He plunged the vial into a tube, and connected the tube to a port on the console generating the energy field. The half of the cave Luna was inhabiting started to fill up with a purple smoke, and Shockwave turned on the systems monitoring her vitals. Her heart rate picked up a bit, but nothing too big seemed to happen.

"Starscream, enter the force field to attach this monitor to our test subject's horn." Shockwave said, holding an Alicorn-sized microchip (which was about half the size of a Cybertronian microchip) carefully between his fingers.

Starscream once again stared in disbelief. "I will not! I am LORD STARSCREAM, FORMER SECOND IN COMMAND TO MEGATRON, CURRENT LEADER OF THE DECEPTICONS." Starscream said, angry to be told to do such menial tasks again.

"There are only three Decepticons left." Airachnid pointed out. "And you're not our leader."

Starscream threw his arms up. "Even so, my second reason is valid. The ponies nearly wiped out our kind. They are extremely dangerous, and they hate us. She would tear me apart if I walked in there."

Shockwave looked back at Starscream. "I am not asking you to go into the field. I am telling you to. I am more competent then you, I have stayed in Megatron's good graces longer than you, and I outrank you."

"I resent that remark." Starscream said, crossing his arms.

"More like you resemble that remark." Airachnid taunted, with her usual smirk.

"You offer nothing to this group that is not already offered by myself or Airachnid." Shockwave continued, as if the two side comments hadn't been said. "You have experience in battle with Autobots, and Airachnid has experience terminating Autobots. You were once a technician on Cybertron, I was head of Megatron's technology division. You managed to salvage a cave for yourself, I managed to hijack an interstellar ship from Autobot occupied Cybertron. You will do as told, or be left to defend yourself from the Autobots. Is that understood, subordinate?" Shockwave finished, never changing his tone, despite the implications his statements held for Starscream.

"Y-Yes Lord Shockwave, I understand." Starscream grumbled, more like a child being forced to apologize than a former Decepticon Lord.

Starscream approached Shockwave, flinched, and then grabbed the microchip, walking through the portal.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Starscream asked, as he grabbed the chip.

"No." Shockwave said, honestly. "I have released a sedative into the field, but there is no guarantee it worked." With that, he pushed Starscream through the field and closed the entrance.

Starscream slowly approached the sleeping Pony Princess. He let out a d'aw at the sight of her sleeping (as he was wont to do) and attached the chip to her horn. The princess was as adorable as he remembered her being, but he didn't want to discover if she was as deadly. He patted her back, and felt her move a bit. He looked at her for a second, but when she didn't move again he started walking away.

Shockwave watched from outside. Starscream activated his comm.

"That wasn't too hard, Shockwave. Perhaps I exaggera- OH DEAR PRIMUS HELP ME!" Starscream said through the comm, as Luna awoke and pounced on him.

The stoic cyclops graced Airachnid with the rare scene of him chuckling at Screamy's misfortune. Airachnid tapped on his shoulder.

"Lord Shockwave, would you like me to help Starscream?" Airachnid asked, more out of need to look good than out of concern for the Seeker.

"No, let him learn." Shockwave said.

Luna pounded Starscream's face hard for about a minute, and then flew away.

Starscream got up, wiped the leaking Energon off his face, and started limping back towards the cave entrance.

"This isn't funny!" the battered Decepticon yelled. "The joke's on you anyway, Shockwave. You're going to have to take time away from your precious project, to patch me up. And Airachnid. Don't think I AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Starscream screamed like a little filly. Luna flew at speeds that would impress Rainbow Dash, straight through Starscream's leg.

"PLEASE! PLEASE, PRINCESS! HAVE MERCY! I'M SORRY ABOUT THE WHOLE TESTS THING, THAT WAS SHOCKWAVE'S IDEA! JUST PLEASE, PLEASE, DON'T HURT ME!" Starscream screamed, in a rather pathetic attempt at garnering mercy from Luna.

The Princess flew away again, leaving Starscream scared witless and paranoid about another attack. He started crawling towards the entrance, hoping Luna wouldn't return. His hope was false.

She flew back, and bucked him in the air, before impaling him on her horn.

"AIRACHNID, HELP ME! IN WILL RUIN YOUR ALLIANCE WITH SHOCKWAVE! IF I GO OFFLINE, SO DO YOU!" Starscream shouted through his comm hoping to get a response.

His response to Airachnid jumping through the air, kicking Luna, and picking him up.

"Um... Thank you?" Starscream said.

"This isn't for you. I'm saving your hide so that you can tell Shockwave you were bluffing. You got that?" She said, looking at Starscream murderously.

"Y-Yes. Very much." he said, almost wanting to go back to Luna.

Airachnid walked all the way out with Starscream, and set him on the medical table. Starscream's optics filled with terror as he noticed that the field was still open, and that Luna was barreling straight out of it.

He grabbed the extra leg on the table, snapped it into place (while yelping loudly), and pushed Airachnid into the path of Luna.

He then began running away as fast as he could. "Oh, wait. I'm a jet." he said, as he transformed. Flying away, while Airachnid and Shockwave were presumably being torn apart.

He then glanced back and noticed that Airachnid and Shockwave were both completely unharmed, and Luna was missing.

"She must have gone home." he said to himself, before feeling four hooves slam into his back sending him onto the ground.

"WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME?!" he screamed as Luna continued to beat him up.

Shockwave ran out, and raised his gun, ready to take Luna down, when Luna did the unexpected and stood down.

Shockwave grabbed the lower part of his head that roughly equated to his chin. "Hmm?"

Luna walked up to him, and bowed.

"I am sorry, Lord Shockwave. I just really don't like him." Luna said.

"Hey!" Starscream shouted weakly.

Shockwave patted her lightly. "That is not unusual, my creation. None of us do."

"Hey!" Starscream shouted once again.

After a short while, Starscream had been sent to the medical bay and Luna formally welcomed to the Decepticons.

"We'll have to make you more menacing." Airachnid said. "A sparkly pony doesn't exactly instill fear the way, say, a spider does."

"I beg to differ." Starscream said through the mask of his life support.

Everypony ignored him.

"I am inclined to agree with Airachnid, Luna. Intimidation can be a valuable asset." Shockwave said.

"Then allow me to slip into something a bit more frightening." Luna said. A flash of light later, and she had on a dark blue helmet, as well as several pieces of armor with the same coloring. Her coat had changed from navy blue to black. Shockwave and Airachnid looked impressed.

Luna smiled evilly. "It's time for the return of Nightmare Moon."