Important note: I didn't write this. I only translated it ( from the French).
All credits for this story go to its original author: Shade-lady. ( you'll find a link to her page on my profile, please click it and show her your appreciation)
First published on in June 2012 under the title: ' La multiplication des rédemptions"
Xx- MULTIPLICATION- xX
Megatron walked slowly through the halls of the base, his fusion cannon powered-up and ready. The first winged frame built with a narrow waist he'd spot would receive a shot in between his optics before he had the time to swear his last ' scrap'.
How could this traitor have breached the security of the ship?
Megatron had given his orders and they were clear, not to mention, straight forward.
His soldiers had obviously misinterpreted them. Fools they were!
They shouldn't be sprawled there, on the floor- spoiling it with their energon - in such a variation of grotesque positions, their wires sparkling and their frame lacking a few limbs.
Such incompetent idiots!
Although those were simple, disposable vehicons, Megatron could only admit that he was surprised.
Starscream had, all by himself, defeated that many of his soldiers? This was surprising even for him.
Megatron could think of two possible explanations for this: Either his former second-in-command had found partners in crime or his little trip away had had a very positive effect on him. The second option was unlikely, but the first one wasn't very realistic either.
That idiot had only had enemies.
How, in the span of a few weeks, could the seeker have gained the respect of the small number of unknown Decepticons still hidden on this planet?
In all logic, this option was perfectly impossible.
A noise coming from the vent shaft above his helmet suddenly attracted the warlord's attention.
He abruptly turned around, his cannon raised toward the ceiling. After a few second, carefully listening for the smallest of sound, and as just silence could be heard, Megatron lowered his arm back down. He glanced one last time at the piping up there, then walked on down the hall.
He was almost there.
He was about to enter the control room where the ex-commandant had last been spotted.
The lord of the Decepticons walked a few step more before standing in front of the large door. He raised his arm again, ready for the kill, as the reinforced airlock opened before him.
That is when he saw him.
He stood there in the middle of the room, his frame turned toward the monitors, his hands joined behind his back in a proud and straight stance that only made him look that much thinner.
Megatron frowned but controlled himself not to fire yet.
First, he wanted to know what kind of twisted plan his ex-second had come up with. He'd turn him into scrap soon enough afterward.
The lord didn't want to, and would never dare admit to it, but being able to see Starscream again spawned a pleasurable something inside of him.
Anyway, among the typhoons of hate and the storms of vengeance that raged in his spark, that faint innocent breeze didn't get a say.
Starscream, of course, heard the doors lock behind the lord. A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he turned around to face his ex-leader
" Megatron...The time has come for me to change the rules."
Those words didn't surprise the warlord, no. They only amused him. It had become so painfully obvious, so familiarly pathetic!
His sarcastic laugh made the tyrant's own shoulders tremble and his scarred mouth revealed a predatory smile.
Starscream hadn't changed at all, he was still the same arrogance-boosted coward. Megatron lowered his weapon, aware that his fallen commander wasn't a threat to him anymore.
" Really, Starscream? All by yourself?" He asked, his sarcastic tone dripping false sweetness.
The seeker smiled.
" Actually..."
That single word came from the same voice, somewhere behind Megatron. But there was a strange echo to it, as if many mouths, speaking with the same vocalizer, had said the word at the same time. Megatron turned around promptly, only to discover...Three more Starscreams.
Were his optics fooling him? He was certain he still had his sanity, though. Those three robots, looking exactly like his ex-second, and who were holding him in respect with their raised guns were real.
But...?
How...?
…
Oh! There has to be a logical explanation for this.
Yes, this reminded him of something, an ancient project, a crashed ship that sheltered several protoforms stored there for cloning purpose.
The ship had crashed on Earth eons ago, but if Starscream had found them, then it could only mean that those clones were still functional.
The proof was standing right in front of him on that very moment.
Four Starscream, four times more trouble than worth.
Megatron would have to take care of these little problems and quickly.
Or...
Perhaps, if he played this game smoothly, could he turn the situation to his advantage?
Oh, nothing big, just get those clones to bring the real Starscream back by the steel of his hides, so Megatron could give the seeker a rightful reward for his scientific prowess: a nice and thorough beating.
Because, obviously, the warlord could only expect, from an infamous coward like Starscream, to hide behind his clones and send them do the dirty work in his stead.
And If his clones proved to be as stupid as the seeker himself was, Megatron could hit four birds with the same stone.
" Well done, Starscream!" Megatron smiled, observing the three cones who faced him. " If you can hear me through your subordinates, I would like to congratulate you!"
" Subordinates?!" the clone who stood behind Megatron repeated, clearly offended by the 'title'.
" We are as one!" Retorted one of the three seekers who had rounded on the warlord.
" Although many!" Added the one closest to him.
Megatron straightened to his tallest to look down at those clones. He placed his fists on his hips and smiled viciously, which made the 'copies' frown.
" Bring me Starscream's head on a stick." The lord commanded. " and I'll make you all my seconds-in-command."
The clones faltered slightly upon hearing the tempting offer. How could those creatures, spawned from one who's greed was a strong as his ambitions, could not react to this bait?
But more than feelings, those clones had memories pertaining to their model. The original Starscream's own experiences made them wary of the hypocrisy- laced proposal
" No!" One of the Starscreams said. " You are trying to trick us!"
Megatron lifted an optic ridge. " Really?" he said, teasingly.
The clone glanced at his closest copy, seeking support. " Is he?"
" Accept my proposal and you'll all benefit from it" Megatron insisted. " You'll have power and freedom, isn't that what you all want?" he asked. " After all, it is in your nature."
A dense silence fell in the room. The clones didn't know what to do, tormented as they were by ambition, pride and the conflicting memories of their model. After a short while, one of them suddenly spoke.
" Will we get to refuel?" He asked, his tone hesitant.
Megatron's smile broadened: He knew he had won.
" Of course!" He assured.
" Will we be free to go wherever we want, whenever we want?" The clone asked again.
" Yes, as long as you remain in contact with the base" Megatron explained calmly.
" What about the orders? Will we get to command whoever we want?"
" With the exception of Soundwave and myself, yes, you'll get to command whoever you want!"
" Cool!" One of the other clones exclaimed, lowering his weapons.
His look-alikes did the same and they all assembled around Megatron as the warlord watched them. Then, in a show of perfect coordination, the four clones kneed at the feet of their new lord.
" We are yours to command, Lord Megatron!"
The intimidating mech smiled at the sight. Finally! Four Starscreams pledging allegiance to him... The scene was four times more pleasant to watch.
He didn't let himself be fooled by the prospect, though: those were the copies of a traitor. Soon or later, he would have to get rid of them.
" Good! You know what you have to do to become my new seconds." Megatron said, his voice dripping with malice.
" Now that I think of it..." One of the clones said, lifting his head. " If our feelings change, Starscream will perceive it!"
The Decepticons leader regarded him, one of his brow lifted in enquiry.
" All you have to do is control your thoughts, idiot!" An other clone berated the one who had talked.
" I'm not talking about thoughts but feelings here!" he was corrected. " He will feel the difference, that makes no doubt!"
" Your model can feel you?" Megatron inquired.
The two bickering Starscreams met their gazes on the mech who dominated them, ready to reply with large, hypocritical smiles. It was one of the other clones who answered their lord though.
" The original Starscream can feel everything we feel, my Lord." He explained. " He could very well be aware of our arrangement and might attempt to escape."
" Do you want us to hunt him down now?" Asked the fourth mold.
" No."
The clones lifted their head and watched their new leader attentively, surprised by his thoughtful tone.
His optics looked at nothing in particular, he seemed absent, troubled.
" When you say that Starscream feels everything you feel..." He repeated calmly. " Does it apply to physical sensations?"
" I think so." The clone answered honestly.
Megatron frowned lightly, adding this information to the shaker of his reflections.
What if...What if he took advantage of this formidable occasion to try and calm the storm that raged in his spark ever since his subordinate's betrayal?
Four Starscream. Maybe they were four times the trouble, scheming and lies, but maybe also four times more vengeance and pleasure...
Vengeance...Oh, he had come up with so many plans, none too logical. Twisted hypotheses that had kept him up for sleepless nights on. He went as far as to imagine new forms of torture.
How could Starscream, his right-hand mech, his Air commander, could have abandoned him after what he had told him?
He had admitted it, they both had admitted it to each other...So why? What? One more lie? One more hypocritical declaration, only so he would be satisfied? No, this time he had really believed him. This was probably why it hurt so much.
It hurt, it still did. For the first time, Starscream had managed to hurt him and that alone explained his need for vengeance, his need to strike back with twice as much force, to make sure the seeker would suffer twice as much as Megatron did.
He had nothing to complain about now: Thanks to his ex-second's stupidity, he now had the possibility to enact his vengeance, four times.
Megatron smiled.
" Before you can go anywhere, you'll have to pass a test!" He suddenly declared.
The clones looked at him anxiously. They knew, from their model's experiences, that this augured nothing good.
" We should go and get the real Starscream instead." Said one of the clone, frowning. " He might already be on the r..."
Smoldering purple plasma hit him in the chest, effectively silencing him.
Megatron didn't even grant him a look as he lowered his smoking cannon.
" A test, as I was saying, that those who pretend to the post of second-in-command have to undergo."
The other clones listened in rapt attention, no one daring to move, more out of fear than out of respect for their fallen companion who was slowly collecting himself. The wounded clone kneed with difficulty, cursing himself for his stupid move. Why did he have to be the one used as an example ?
Now at least, the clones had gotten the message which was to never speak against Megatron.
" This test." Megatron continued. " You are going to do it in the dichromatic room." The lord walked toward a door and gestured to the clones to follow him.
Megatron moved toward the exit, the four Starscreams hesitated. They followed the warlord with their optics, looked at each other briefly, then eventually chose to follow their new leader.
Megatron smiled viciously while they couldn't see him.
Starscream, the real one, could start bracing himself. Megatron had all the time in the world to make him suffer.
Oh yes...
He wouldn't use violence, no, not this time. The screams he wanted to hear weren't screams of pain. At least, not exactly.
Megatron knew what Starscream feared the most.
This knowledge was a weakness he'll soon use, abuse in all kind of ways, in order to feel his rancor melt under the pleasure.
Megatron pressed his comm.
"Soundwave ?"
A faint crackle in his audio informed him that his communication officer was indeed listening.
The warlord gave his orders.
" Meet me in the dichromatic room...Bring energon cuffs."
To be continued...
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