Chapter Text
Being dragged aboard the Nemesis was always bad, but the Autobots had wiggled out of it before. So when Cliffjumper got three words in before a high strung Starscream stabbed him, his dying spark was heavy with- deep disappointment.
Arcee, Optimus, Bee… I’m so sorry.
The pain went away soon enough. It was replaced with a planet-sized light that would have been completely terrifying if it wasn’t so familiar.
‘Dear child. I’m sorry it had to end this way.’
Cliffjumper smiled faintly. Not really a smile, since he didn’t have a face anymore, but he was sure that Primus knew what he was going for. The creator appeared most like a warm light, though still a bit veiled. Cliffjumper dared to hope. “Is there anything I can still do for them?”
‘I have a plan for the Autobots.’ Primus gazed down with a faint glow of mischief. ‘But there may be something, if you so accept it.’
A not-literal grin spread over Cliff’s not-literal face as Primus gave him instructions without words. It was a crazy plan. His favorite kind.
‘Do you so accept?’ Primus asked, knowing the answer.
“You’re the boss,” Cliff replied, bowing low without a back to bow.
With a new flare of warmth, Cliffjumper found himself back on to the cool, open air. Still no body, but still aware of where he was. He knew automatically that a bit of time had passed, but that was probably for the best. In the meantime, he could basically fly, and shot off for his target.
Starscream maintained an air of reverence until he retired to his new lordly barracks, swept free from any whiff of Megatron.
“Ha! Good riddance, you silver-backed brute! My time has finally come!” he cheered into the silence.
“Congrats, Scream! You really got one on him.”
Starscream’s spark went cold. His optics swept over the shadows of the room, but there was nothing. Not even an echo. He shook his head. The revelry was getting to him- He thought he had heard that cursed Cliffjumper.
“Won’t even tell me to sit down? Wow, that’s what I get for being polite.”
“Show yourself!” Starscream screeched, raising his missiles.
“No can do. So what’s the plan, now that you're leader?”
“This is- some effect of the dark energon used on you-” Starscream muttered.
“Yeah, I caught wind of that,” Cliff said, frowning. “But Megatron actually threatened to use it on you before I stepped in, am I getting that right?” He laughed. “Messed up.”
“You did not ‘step in!’” Starscream shouted, though unsure what direction to shout in. “And you have no right to mock me!”
“You had no right to stab me through the spark, yet here we are.”
Starscream’s optics swelled, horror sinking in. He backed up, not that he was any farther from Cliffjumper. “What are you here to do?” he demanded in a shaky voice.
Cliffjumper stopped taking in the room in all its incredible detail that came with not being limited by two optics. He turned his attention fully to the quivering bot. His spark tightened at Starscream’s tightly clasped claws- but they were only defensive. Terrified, really.
“There’s actually not much I can do, being dead. But it’s different for you.”
Starscream arched an eyebrow, his calculations interrupted by the lack of vengeance.
“Don’t get too comfortable, my guy. Megatron’s gonna come back in a few days.”
“What?!” Starscream screeched.
"Talk later!" Cliff vanished back outside of time.
Starscream shouted at the air for another minute before enough silence told him to pipe down.
He shook his head rapidly. Recharge. A recharge would fix this. A chatterbox phantom, what nonsense.