Starscream strode across the lab, stopping beside the prone form of T-18. He addressed the small doctor without preamble.
"Scalpel. Was it the Energy Core rejection, or a hardware failure?"
Despite his vanity, Starscream was a scientist by trade. He knew machines.
"Patience, Starscream. I'm still diagnosing."
Scalpel didn't look up. He continued tapping T-18's chest plating with a metallic claw.
"Reedman is already inside. We'll know in a moment."
Nathan watched from his place in the line, fascinated by the dynamic.
Scalpel, a mere Mini-Con, spoke to the Air Commander with zero deference. He was dismissive, almost rude. Yet Starscream tolerated it.
Is Scalpel more than just a medic? Nathan wondered. Or is good healthcare just that hard to find in the Decepticon army?
He entertained the wild theory that Scalpel might be a Headmaster or an ancient Micron, but dismissed it. Occam's Razor suggested Starscream just needed Scalpel too much to kill him.
...
Starscream, bored with waiting, began to wander the lab. He inspected monitors, tapped on glass tanks, and muttered to himself.
As he turned, Nathan caught a glimpse of something on Starscream's upper left chest chassis—a tiny red light blinking with rapid, frantic frequency.
A signal? A tracker?
Before he could analyze it, Scalpel's voice cut through the air.
"Starscream! It's done!"
A creature scuttled out of T-18's open chest cavity. It was razor-thin, insect-like, and moved with a fluid, terrifying grace.
Reedman. The espionage specialist.
Reedman chattered a stream of binary to Scalpel, then dissolved into a pile of metallic micro-beads.
"He's scrap," Scalpel announced, shaking his head.
"According to Reedman, T-18 suffered a critical surge during the data upload. The conflict between the Information Chip and his internal BIOS fried his cerebral module. Total system failure."
Nathan stiffened. Brain death.
"If the brain is fried, strip the body," Starscream said coldly. His jagged teeth clicked together. "I gathered those materials myself. Do not waste them."
"Agreed!" Scalpel cackled. "I prefer brain surgery, but autopsies are fun too."
Strip the body?
A chill ran through Nathan's coolant lines.
T-18 was essentially his brother. They were built from the same batch, activated minutes apart. And now, because of a software bug, he was being parted out like a stolen car.
The success rate wasn't 100%.
Nathan realized how lucky he was. If his download had glitched, he would be the one on the floor right now, with Scalpel drooling over his spare parts.
"T-19. T-20. Dismantle him!"
"Yes, Lord Starscream."
Two of the drones next to Nathan stepped forward.
"Careful, you idiots!" Scalpel yelled, hopping onto T-18's shoulder. "Don't damage the T-Cog! Cut here! Save the weapon module!"
RIIIP.
CLANG.
The sounds of tearing metal filled the room.
T-19 and T-20 worked with brutal efficiency. They ripped plating from the chassis, disconnected servos, and piled components on the floor.
Starscream watched impassively. To him, this wasn't a funeral. It was inventory management.
Nathan watched in silence. The brutality of the Decepticon cause was being demonstrated in 4K resolution right in front of him.
If I don't want to end up like T-18, I need power.
And I need it now.
His mind raced, pulling up his knowledge of the timeline.
The AllSpark.
The Cube. The source of all Cybertronian life.
It was currently sitting in a cryogenic bunker inside the Hoover Dam, guarded by the humans of Sector 7.
Starscream doesn't know where it is yet. He hasn't found Megatron either.
Nathan recalled Starscream's earlier rant about being alone. That meant Barricade, Blackout, and the others hadn't arrived on Earth yet.
It's just us. Starscream, Scalpel, and a handful of drones.
This was the calm before the storm. The plot hadn't started.
If I can get to the AllSpark...
The Cube could create worlds. It could turn a Nokia phone into a killing machine. What could it do for a Middle-Tier Warrior?
It could evolve me.
If he could touch the AllSpark, he might jump from Middle-Tier to Senior, or even Elite. He wouldn't have to fear being scrapped for parts.
But getting into Sector 7 is the problem.
The Hoover Dam was a fortress. And worse, if he touched the Cube, the energy surge would alert everyone—Autobots, Decepticons, and the US Military.
He would become Public Enemy Number One.
But if I succeed...
Nathan looked at the pile of scrap that used to be T-18.
The alternative is waiting for Starscream to decide I've outlived my usefulness.
He made his decision.
I'm going to steal the power of God.
While he plotted, T-19 and T-20 finished their work. T-18 was gone. In his place was a neat stack of recyclable alloys.
Nathan's sensors picked up a faint, rhythmic signal emanating from T-19 and T-20.
Pleasure.
They were enjoying the violence. The destruction of their kin gave them a chemical rush.
Nathan watched them with cold, glowing eyes.
I am surrounded by monsters.
Good thing I know how to be one.