The Dead Don't Heal
(Part 1) you are here
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The decepticon miners had halted their work and stood at attention as Megatron walked through the icy cavern, flanked by Starscream.
"This better not be a waste of my time," Megatron warned, "I don't need to see every fossil you did out of this place."
"Yes- spending more time than nessiccary in the cold - do you know how long it takes to defrost wings??" Starscream complained. This was the only situation he'd ever feel jealous of ground vechiles. He could already feel the frost creeping along his wings.
"I'm pretty sure this is something you'd want to see." Breakdown assured. He lead them deeper into the mine shaft until they arrived at the end of the tunnel, barely illuminated by the temporary lights.
"Surely you called me out for more than simply reaching a dead end." Megatron growled.
"We stopped mining because we found something." Breakdown tilted one of the lights to hit the wall, illuminating the silhouette of a large mech frozen in the ice. "Er-, someone."
"Decepticon?" Megatron raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Don't know, the scanners can't get a reading through all the ice." Breakdown shrugged, "Big guy could be long dead."
"We could make use of a warrior of his size," Megatron mused
"And if they are dead, they can be used for spare parts," Starscream waved a hand dismissively, this was hardly a reason to drag them all the way to the arctic.
Megatron waved the vechicons forward to continue digging. Their heavy machinery shook the whole cavern, slowly chipping closer and closer to the frozen cybertronian.
Breakdown's hammer struck a crack that sent a rain of ice shards down, revealing part of the mech's upper torso and head.
They were mostly white, with a blue stripe on their head and a red stripe on each of their wings.
Starscream's gasp echoed through the cave as the ice fell away.
Skyfire.
"Work faster!" Starscream snapped at the miners, lunging forward to join the digging. Carefully clawing chunks away from their grey face.
He had been here, all this time..
Breakdown and Starscream each took hold of a shoulder, and with some difficulty they managed to finally pry them free from their icy prison.
Starscream cringed as Skyfire's armor creaked and joints crunched from the ice buildup.
He placed a hand over Skyfire's inactive vents, before gently tracing his claws up their chestplate, he was so cold...he frantically checked for any sign of life. Surely he'd be able to feel the warmth of his spark...
"We have to get him defrosted immediately!" He ordered, "You-!" he pointed to Breakdown, "Call Knockout, he-"
Megatron grabbed Starscream roughly, wrenching him away from the lifeless bot, "I give the orders, Starscream." He snarled.
"Lord Megatron, please- he needs a medic-" his wings now trembled from more than the cold.
"Why so invested, Starscream?" Megatron questioned, "Do you recognize this mech?"
"I knew him, a long time ago.." Starscream trailed off, staring down into Skyfire's unlit optics.
"Chose the wrong side?" Breakdown interjected
"No-!" Starscream snapped, "He.. went missing before the war... he is a scientist, he would be a great asset to the decepticon cau-" Starscream was cut off by Megatron, his tone cold as the cavern they stood in.
"His name?"
"...Skyfire, " Starscream answered, confused by Megatron's apparent curiosity.
"Skyfire..." Megatron seemed to mull over the name, before asking, "isn't that your missing conjunx?"
Starscream felt as though the energon in his lines had turned to ice. He hadn't expected Megatron to know that.
He really shouldn't be surpirsed, afterall he had made quite the fuss when Skyfire had initially gone missing.
Trying without success to get a search team- any search team to find him.
But that was long before the decepticons.
He stuttered, trying to deny it, "How- no- no I-"
But Megatron clearly wasn't convinced.
"It's fortunate he died, such a weakness is not tolerated among decepton ranks." Megatron towered over Skyfire, retrieving a purple crystal from his subspace, "But he can still be made useful..."
Starscream lunged forward, grabbing for Megatron's arm, "No!"
But Megatron swatted him away, "I thought you cared for this bot Starscream. I'm giving him a purpose, even in death - as a member of my undead army!"
"Lord Megatron, I beg of you- he's not a fighter-!" Starscream's pleads fell on deaf ears,
"Ever the more reason to raise him to my command."
Megatron plunged the shard of dark energon into Skyfire's chest.
Starscream watched on in horror as the shard sank into Skyfire's chest, sending pulses of purple veins across his frame.
"Arise my minion! " Megatron yelled, cackling as an evil grin spread across his face.
The purple veins faded until there was no trace of them. Starscream silently hoped that it wouldn't work- that Skyfire would not be ripped from his resting place.
Skyfire's eyes flickered alight with an eerie purple glow. His frame creaked and groaned as he picked himself off the ground. Chunks of ice still clinging to his armor.
He towered over all the bots in the cavern. His eyes glowed a solid purple.
"Kneel," Megatron ordered.
Starscream couldn't move. The scene playing out before his eyes left him rooted in place. He was only able to stare on in horror as Skyfire obeyed, slowly dropped to one knee and bowing his head
