There’s enough time for a lifetime in an instant. It feels like everything is in slow motion while I’m in fast forward, and you know what? I really AM seeing my life pass before my optics. What scares me is that it looks like a rip-off of Starscream’s career…

I mean, after that old ghost possessed Waspinator and betrayed everyone enough times to confuse even Tarantulas, we all tried to research him. We didn’t have too much luck. Keep in mind that our ship is a war ship; it doesn’t waste a lot of memory on mere historical records. There were a couple mentions of his name in the Air Strikes: Strategic Defense section, but most of what we knew was pulled from our own heads. He’s one of those guys from WAY before our time—notorious enough that he’s remembered, but we’re not exactly clear on what we’re remembering him FOR. The name’s familiar; the actions are not. That’s how he managed to fool us all…except for Blackarachnia. She has a better grasp of history than she let on, and I thought Megatron was going to blow a fuse over the whole incident.

He didn’t, though, and I got laughed at instead. Yeah, our voices were pretty similar, and Megatron really thought it was hilarious that Starscream was a traitor, not a loyal warrior like he’d claimed. Well, after he cooled down a little over the whole betrayal bit, that is. I’ll admit that the connection between us hadn’t slipped my mind, but I hadn’t thought it was THAT funny. Everyone poked fun at me for a few days, and then we went on with the Beast Wars. If things had stayed like that, it wouldn’t have been so bad.

But one day Scorponok presented Megatron with some little device, and he came up with a plan to steal the Axalon’s computer files with it. Like most of Megatron’s plans, however, it didn’t work. Most of us ended up in the CR Tanks, and all we had to show for it was a stupid bunch of historical files the device had gotten out before the Maximals destroyed it. There was a war going on—who needed those things?

Megatron looked through them just in case…and then I never heard the end of it. Turns out that the Maximals have a much more complete historical database in their computer than we do. I had the feeling Megatron had found something of particular interest and was picking on the Starscream thing to keep us distracted, but at that point I was so harassed by the other Predacons I wasn’t able to read through many of the files before he encrypted them. There were a few things about the original Megatron that had looked intriguing…

While the files had still be available, though, I had only been looking through the parts about Starscream. Oof. Not a very flattering ‘bot to be compared to. The most frequently mentioned thing in those files was how he kept trying to take over from Megatron and failing miserably.

Go ahead. Laugh. You might as well; I’m kind of used to it by now. Besides, Tarantulas was much better at it than you. He used to make me so mad…so, yeah, I got laughed at a lot by the others. I mean, I got so used to it that if someone yelled, "Starscream!" I’d turn around and yell, "What?!" Everyone thought that was funny…but I hated it. And I couldn’t STOP reacting to it, which is why it was so hilarious for everyone else.

They thought I hated it because Starscream acted like an idiot when he possessed Waspinator, but I’ve looked at the history. The guy was actually a decent Air Commander, even if he did try and backstab anyone and anything. Slag, that’s how the Predacons act today if you want to think about it. There’s really nothing wrong with that. But I’ve let the others think that I hate being compared to him.

It’s easier than trying to explain that I just hate being compared to a Decepticon.

Look, I’ve talked to a few other Predacons while I was still back on Cybertron—I KNOW my view on this is a little strange. But the Decepticons FAILED to win the war against the Autobots. They FAILED to build an empire. The whole entire reason I joined up with Megatron is because he seemed to have a chance of separating the Predacons from the Decepticons. Ever since we lost the Great War against the Maximals, we’ve had the Decepticon comparison looming over us. The Maximals kept on saying how history repeated itself, and it looked like they were right. I couldn’t accept that. I still can’t. I have a loyalty to my faction that made me throw in my chances with the ‘bot who seemed the most likely to break the cycle of failure. I thought his name was a strange coincidence. Megatron was planning on finding enough energon to fuel a Predacon conquest, and even though his plan was risky and wild—stealing one of Cybertron’s most heavily guarded relics? That’s a do-or-die mission!—once we actually escaped intact with the Golden Disks…we were going to succeed where the Decepticons had failed.

Or, at least, we WERE. But then this pesky exploration ship full of annoyingly persistant Maximals started pursuing us…

Don’t be fooled by what I said about following Megatron, though. I joined him because he had the personal magnetism to make me believe he could pull off what he was saying. Our theft of the Golden Disks seemed to confirm that this was the leader the Predacons needed. But as soon as the Axalon took those final shots at us, I realized, like Starscream, that my leader was an idiot. And as soon as I began thinking it over, the thought of ME leading the Predacons to victory became a lure I couldn’t resist. Unfortunately, I have the same bad luck as the ancient jet when it comes to disposing of Megatron.

Now I can only hope that Megatron can salvage the Predacon’s future from the hated cycle of history. Our faction deserves better than the Decepticons’ fate. They failed, but although I hate being compared to Starscream I can see how I, too, am a failure even thought I’m not a Decepticon. In trying so hard to bring the Predacons to power, I ended up sabotaging our cause from within. It’s a weakness I wish I had seen earlier. It’s too late to do anything about it now, and I wonder if I also will become one of those names remembered yet forgotten, with nothing distinguishing me from any Decepticon compared to me.

Or, worse yet: have I been compared to a Decepticon…and found lacking?

It was too sudden to brace for impact. The energy wave smashed into the world below, and on the surface a Predacon ship rocked with the impact. Sensors went crazy, and two ‘bots within were knocked against each other. Their hoverpads tilted, and they tumbled off. Scorpinok screamed as he fell, knowing that he was about to die. He wasn’t a flyer!

Strangely enough, although Terrorsaur was too disoriented to fly to safety, he wasn’t panicking. His screech had been short and full of surprise when Scorpinok’s hoverpads had hit his, but now he plummeted towards the lava…and his expression, if anyone had been able to see it, was almost thoughtful.

Almost sad.

There’s enough time to regret a lifetime in an instant, but even as I realize that I realize there’s one thing in my life that can never live up to comparison when it comes to Starscream. My life passes before my optics…and then I see my death. I, unlike that old Decepticon, do not have an immortal spark.

And an instant doesn’t last forever.

Good luck, Megatron.

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