NOTICE: There is a rewrite in progress for this old story! Please check out SHATTERED SILENCE. The plot varies, but I made this choice because I do not think this plot here is the most logical. I also wanted to develop the Predacons more. Naturally, you can read whichever you prefer. I will leave both versions up! I apologize however for the plentiful typos in this story and that there seems to be a chapter missing later on.

Starscream transformed and landed before the throne of Darkmount. It was there, empty, and welcoming him.

The seeker stood proudly, feeling overjoyed. Sure it had taken a long time, but after a life time of struggles, treachery, pain, and effort, he had finally done it. The throne- his throne, stood in front of him.

"This is not quite how I envisioned my rise to the throne," he said to himself, "but since Megatron all but left it to me, I will gladly revive the Decepticons in my name."

Just saying those words out loud made him feel even more ecstatic, but then how startling it was that this feeling vanished in an instant. Slow and powerful wings beats had sounded behind him, and all his emotions plunged into a profound, cold feeling of fear. He cringed, turned around, and gasped.

Looking even more fearsome when illuminated by the moonlight, stood the three menacing figures of the Predacons. Predaking let out a screech before his glare of icy proportions found Starscream. Darksteel and Skylynx let out growls behind Predaking to add to the air of intimidation.

Starscream gasped out, "But of course, the throne would be more fitting of an actual- king?"

Predaking transformed and marched towards him. His body moved in grandiose motions as he proclaimed, "I did not come here to seek throne, Starscream..."

The Predacons walked forward with an all too startling purpose. Starscream stepped backwards in an attempt to keep precious distance between himself and Predaking.

Predaking finished, "But to settle old scores."

Starscream was overwhelmed with terror. He continued backing away until finally he crashed into the throne and fell into it. He squirmed as the silhouettes of the Predacons towered over him in his trapped position. He quivered, and mewled, "Wai-wait, no-

Predaking snatched Starscream by the ankle and hurled him away. Starscream skidded across the floor towards the other Predacons, and his shriek was cut off when he crashed into Skylynx's claws. Starscream was stunned for a crucial moment, thus he did not have the time to scramble away before Skylynx seized one of his wings in his mouth and snapped his thick fangs into it. Starscream hollered and immediately slashed at Skylynx's eye. Starscream's eyes lit up in excitement as he was dropped. Skylynx screeched and shook his head, and for a moment, hope had filled the wounded seeker.

The feeling was short-lived, for Darksteel promptly pounced and trapped Starscream under his claws. Starscream panicked, struggling madly, but to no avail. Darksteel shifted his grip so that one servo had Starscream thoroughly pinned, and the other could rake across Starscream's chest. The claws scored deep and all the way down to his abdomen. Energon splattered Darksteel's remorseless face.

Starscream writhed and screamed in agony. Skylynx now came back over and he nudged Darksteel aside so that he could have a go at the seeker next. Darksteel lifted his claws, both assuming that Starscream was too injured to flee. Starscream knew that to be a grand mistake, hope sparked again within him. He flipped over and sprinted as fast as he possibly could to the edge of the tower. He did not look back.

The pain that should have rendered him crippled, he couldn't feel at all. His only instinct right then was self-preservation. He was absolutely filled with fear, and even with a bloodied form, he leapt off the edge, transformed, and jetted away.

He flew until he could no longer. He transformed and landed in a building with a hole in the wall. There, he fell forward onto all fours, choking on the energon that trickled out his throat.

"Oh Primus, oh Primus..." he gasped out raggedly.

Starscream was startled then by a burst of colour that exploded out on the dawning horizon. Through the hole, he saw how a rainbow firework erupted and how its sparks flew swiftly out into different directions. Right away Starscream knew that those were actual sparks, released from the Well. And even he felt awed, despite the pain.

Some were flying toward him. They were travelling so fast; it did not take long for them to reach him. Then, something strange happened. Instead of zooming onward and past him, some of the sparks flew into the building, stopping abruptly. As if caught off guard, they hovered and watched him.

More stopped and regarded him until a crowd of them had formed. They began to move then. Suddenly they were swirling around him; colours bright and twinkling until they became only streaks as they moved faster and faster. Soon he was blinded as he sat in the tornado of colours. As he looked around himself, he was struck with unbearable pain and he felt as though he was being torn apart. Starscream screamed, long and loudly, as the energon poured from his wounds, more than he would have thought possible.

He collapsed, and the colours left him. His vision went black and cold filled the room. Conclusively, the world went dead quiet.