Starscream was injured... grounded... Energon depleted... and stuck on earth's waste landed Colorado desert- or at least, what was left of it... after earth's fallout, the war between Decepticons and Autobots had grown more desperate; desperate enough to cause an apocalyptic tragedy upon earth's fragile ecosystem... humans were almost entirely wiped out, and the west and south hemispheres of earth were considered the war zone for all bots alike...

Starscream had no allies- that is, not that he ever had any in the first place...

and to make matters worse... he had lost his wings. the only thing left of them were the jagged stumps of metal on his back that throbbed like open sores...

All seemed hopeless for him.