Title: Ghosts
Characters: Perceptor, Skyfire, Starscream/Starscream's Ghost
Summary: G1. Skyfire questions the supernatural. Perceptor has his own demons. They both just want to be left alone. One-shot.

This came into my mind while re-watching old episodes from season 3 of G1, and I'm afraid I just had to spit it out.

GHOSTS

The scientific laboratories were quiet today. Then again, Perceptor mused, they wouldn't be as quiet if Wheeljack were still around. There had always been trouble to look forward to when the mad scientist was near. Wheeljack had always caused some form of excitement or commotion, with his many experiments going haywire most of the time, sometimes blowing up half the lab in the process. Perceptor had always dreaded them while he'd still been around, wishing Wheeljack would create something less...explosive, but now he'd give anything to see another one of Wheeljack's famous explosions again. Maybe then things would seem normal for once, and the weird fantasy dimension he felt himself living in would crack and return to reality.

But the fantasy he felt was the reality. Now Wheeljack was gone, ripped from existence, like the many other countless Autobots during that fated Decepticon attack. Things had passed by his head in a daze that day, with little to no time to stop and reflect on what was truly going on. So many dead, so many gone in the blink of an optic. An eerie chill came over him, and Perceptor shuddered.

The laboratories were always quiet nowadays. Truthfully, there was barely anyone left. Barely anyone left to talk to. Most of the other Autobots remaining knew little on the subject of science, and so stayed away from the labs, only coming to visit when something was needed. Or when there had been another attack. The new faces met upon their return to Cybertron were too busy trying to rebuild what was left after the war, trying to return their planet to its former glory. Everyone was trying to move on, despite the countless reminders. It left half the base as an empty graveyard, a cold expanse of thought. Only two ventured here. To his knowledge, the only scientists that remained now were himself, and Skyfire.

Skyfire had never been overly involved in the war, mostly because he had refused to fight. The shuttle had accepted to aid in transporting the crew to and from missions, but always stepped aside when it came to actual conflict. Being an Ex-Decepticon, many of the other Autobots had been wary of him – his impressive size only adding to their caution. His pacifistic views had angered some.

But even after everything, Skyfire had survived, and Perceptor had learned more of his scientific background. During their time on Earth, Skyfire hadn't bothered to dabble much in the sciences – Perceptor guessed this was for two reasons; one being another trust issue (he'd been partners with Starscream, of all mechs), and two, Perceptor believed that working with science perhaps reminded Skyfire of a time he could no longer be a part of. A time that had long passed and could never be recovered.

Now, Skyfire seemed to be ready to move on, ready to come back to science. They had spoken for a time, on the possibility of a laboratory partnership. Upon receiving a request from the shuttle to join him in the labs, Perceptor had welcomed him with open arms; the company was a nice change, and intelligent conversation was a hard thing to find nowadays.

"Perceptor...?"

The smaller mech snapped from his daze back into the present. The data pad in front of him glowed in emptiness. The chemicals at his work station had been pushed aside, one vial shattered, the liquid inside split across the desk. How long had he been daydreaming? He turned, Skyfire sat at the work station behind him, a questioning and concerned look in his optics.

"Are you alright?"

Perceptor glanced back at his work, seeing now that the split liquid had dripped down the side and onto the floor. He rushed to clean it up.

"Ah yes, Skyfire, I'm alright. Just, lost in thought for a moment there, I suppose."

Skyfire smiled at that. "We both seem to be victims of that as of late, haven't we?"

The liquid had stained the surface of the metal, leaving a muted smudge of burnt green.

"I suppose." For once, Perceptor wasn't in the mood for conversation, but Skyfire continued.

"If I might," The shuttle was overly hesitant, treading carefully. "I've been, well...I've been doing some research as of late, on a...peculiar subject, and I have to ask for reference; do you believe in ghosts?"

The question came as a surprise, and Perceptor stopped in his tracks. Ghosts? Perceptor had never pondered over the foolish notion of the existence of ghosts before – well, not since he'd been a youngling. Skyfire however, seemed agitated with the idea.

"I-I mean, with everything that's happened so far; Optimus' death, Megatron being reformatted into Galvatron, the deaths of so many of our...friends. I've never believed in the concept of Primus being a God, or the Pit, or the fated idea of being "one with the All-Spark" once again."

Perceptor sighed in thought, leaning back against the counter-top. It certainly was an odd question, coming from Skyfire. He'd expect something like this from Wheeljack, and not the shuttle. At last, he formulated enough of a response to speak.

"Well, when the spark extinguishes, it extinguishes. We die. There has never been an exception to that rule; that's how the process of life works." He shrugged, further diving into the idea. "We all suffer from mortality. There are certainly many theories of what happens afterwards - the afterlife so to say, if there even is one to begin with. There have been many tales of mechs seeing things during near death experiences; a paradise, a never-ending horror, even nothingness."

"However," he continued, "None of these experiences have ever been properly studied to take true account of them, and they were more than likely vague images ground out of a processor when faced with inevitable termination. Truthfully, no one knows what happens after we die. In all these billions of years we've been around, Cybertronians have yet to find an answer to that question – I doubt we never will."

"None of those theories seem legitimate, after what I've recently encountered." Skyfire looked away before continuing. "But what of ghosts? Spirits? I've heard stories from the others of ghosts haunting the crypt. I've heard Decepticon rumours of a wandering apparition, a ghost able to impersonate the living, take host of people's bodies and use it for their own means."

Perceptor shook his head. "Skyfire, those are merely rumours and tales, much like the theories. Besides, the existence of ghosts seems hardly plausible –"

Skyfire interrupted him, continuing on. "How would you know if you were being haunted by a ghost? Would they show themselves to you? Do they actually have the ability to do so – make themselves solid enough to be seen by others? Or would you merely feel their presence? Would a ghost still give off an energy field?"

Skyfire was bothering him now. "Skyfire, I think you're dwelling too deep on this."

Skyfire didn't seem intent on listening.

"And how would one rid themselves of a ghost? Would there even be some form of removal, a special trinket or incantation? Or would it simply be up to the ghost to leave? Would the ghost be able to leave, or would the victim be its tether to simply remain as a ghost? To remain deceptively among the living?"

"Skyfire-"

Skyfire was obviously not himself any longer, seemingly becoming more and more upset with every question he asked.

"What happens if you are haunted by a ghost that won't leave you alone for a day because you've become its sudden interest in its death? What happens then? Do you ignore it, or welcome it and hope that it eventually passes on to whatever afterlife or paradise or Pit it belongs to? What if it won't move on, only intent on aggravating you for the rest of your life because you knew them while they were still alive? What would be a ghost's vendetta against something they gave up? Against something both of them had given up because of they had no say in the matter-"

Skyfire eventually trailed off, mouth set in a grim line, wings held high and shoulders tense. Neither of them spoke. For once, Perceptor realized why the others had been intimidated by the shuttle's size.

"Skyfire...are you, alright?"

There was a pregnant pause. Slowly, the shuttle seemed to deflate like a balloon, coming back down to the ground. He finally looked up, catching Perceptor's gaze with his own.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Perceptor. I don't know what came over me." He pushed his work station's bench aside and sat down. "It's just been...something on my mind, pestering me. I've been questioning everything as of late. Over analyzing everything. After all that's happened in such a short period of time, everyone lost...I guess the ghosts of the past came back to haunt me."

Perceptor didn't respond. Back while they were still on the Ark, Perceptor had never understood why Skyfire could still care for a mech who had virtually abandoned him. Someone who could be so dangerous and unpredictable. Someone who was always too busy with their own devices. Now, Preceptor did understand.

"...It's understandable. Everyone was affected by the loss – even Ultra Magnus, though he denies it more than ever now." He paused before continuing. "But...I suppose if one were to believe in the concept of the afterlife, one could say that all those who were lost are now in a better place – they certainly don't have to fight in the war anymore. They've moved on."

When the silence became awkward, Perceptor took a data pad from his desk, eyeing it with dread. "I for one know I should get going – as much as I don't want to, this report isn't just going to get up by itself and walk into Rodimus' hands. Of course, it would be wonderful if it could, however it won't."

He stood, moving towards the door, report in hand. Then he turned, almost hesitating before he spoke again.

"And besides, Skyfire, I don't think any ghost would bother to haunt you in the first place – even if they did exist. You're too kind. I don't think anything could have a vendetta against you." Perceptor laughed. "Even in a war, you've done nothing wrong."

Oh, how wrong he was.

With that, Perceptor left, leaving Skyfire alone with his thoughts. A heavy silence filled the room.

The solitude wouldn't last for long, Skyfire knew that already. Subconsciously, Skyfire knew he was already waiting. Already plotting. He would only be left alone for so long. Minutes later, he could already see the tension in the air, and Skyfire turned his back to face the monitor.

At one point, time alone was wonderful. It was time to relax and recharge, time to reflect. Skyfire didn't enjoy being alone anymore. Not with his current situation. Around others, he didn't appear. Alone, he always did.

Alone, things started to set in. He could feel it now, the presence other than his own. The eerie chill in the air that could send unexpected shivers down his frame. He knew it wasn't Perceptor. He was back. Skyfire turned his head, looking away, but from the corner of his optics could still see the crackle of energy reflected in the monitor. Skyfire could still see the glow of those maddening optics. He'd come back. He felt the airy weight on his hand, a sudden pressure. He felt the fleeting surge of ice wrack through his frame, and Skyfire flinched.

The shuttle earned a sound, a scratchy laugh in response, and the pale blue hand merely curled tighter around his own.

"Oh, Skyfire."

Skyfire ducked his head in defeat. Starscream's ghost still remained, tethered to him in his death.

"And here I thought you enjoyed my company."

END

Starscream's a jerk, but we already knew that.
It never was mentioned where he went between his death, and the confrontation with Octane in the Decepticon crypt. Who ever said he didn't go to bug his once former partner?