Two Seekers leaned against the wall in front of Starscream. One, his paint a cool gray-blue, peered at Starscream through half-shuttered crimson optics. The other, shorter and broader than the blue one, crossed his arms as he looked Starscream over. This one was painted black with broad purple stripes over his wings
"So you're the new Air Commander," the blue one said after a moment.
"So," Starscream answered, sidling up to the pair, his thin mouthplates shifting into a smirk, "I am."
The blue one revved his engines. Starscream winced as the vibration rattled the wall behind them and the floor under their feet, and filled his audio receptors with unbearable noise.
"Thundercracker here thinks you're a little young for that," said the black and purple one when the noise had died down. Starscream noted with interest that he'd barely reacted to it at all. You two know each other well, don't you?
Still smiling, Starscream turned toward him. "And what do you think - er - I'm sorry, I don't believe I know your name."
"Skywarp."
"Skywarp, then. Tell me - what's your opinion?"
"Well," the black Seeker answered, his optic ridges furrowed as he concentrated. "You obviously know how to fly, or you couldn't have just come in here and outflown us."
Thundercracker frowned. Starscream winced, expecting another roar of sound, but it never came.
"And you obviously know somethin' about energon, or else you wouldn't have been able to find those deposits we were looking for for a week."
"Skywarp -" Thundercracker warned, his optics gleaming bright.
Skywarp shot a look at his blue friend. "Aw, calm down, Thundercracker."
"Yes," Starscream purred, wings twitching at the praise. "Calm down, Thundercracker. I'm here because we all desperately need energon, and my skill at flying combined with my scientific training ensures that we'll find it."
The blue Seeker scowled. "True. And you'll be good at it. That's obvious. I can see why Skywarp's so intrigued. But -"
"I wasn't done," Skywarp protested. "You do look young, Starshriek or whatever your name is."
Starscream scowled. The black mech was obviously toying with him now. He had to know his new Air Commander's name. So what was he playing at, exactly?
"Pretty, too. Not a scratch on you. When exactly were you built, anyway?"
Starscream raised an arm, pointing the missile atop it directly at Skywarp. His red optics blazed. "My name is Starscream. And didn't anyone ever teach you it's not polite to ask someone his age?"
The rumble of sound came again, a deafening roar that vibrated through the ground, making Starscream stagger back.
Starscream carefully shifted his faceplates into a chagrined smile. "I meant no threat, Thundercracker," he said when the sound finally died.
"You'd better not have," the blue mech answered.
Starscream's optics widened. "Of course I didn't," he crooned, his voice soft and lulling. "We're supposed to work together, aren't we? It's best we get along. And we will." He gave the other Seekers a broad smile. "As long as both of you stop saying things with... unfortunate implications."
Thundercracker sighed. "Much as I hate to admit it, he's got a point."
"Fine," Skywarp huffed.
"And what's with you anyway? First you fawn all over the new mech. Then you insult him." Thundercracker twitched his wings. "It's like you can't decide whether you're interested in him or want to slag him. I don't know why I put up with you."
Skywarp studiously ignored him. "Bet hot wings here just came off the assembly line. Slag, I'll bet today was his first real energon scouting mission, whatever High Command says his rank oughta be."
"So what if it was?" Starscream huffed as he rose out of his crouch. "Clearly I'm better at locating energon than you old hands. Perhaps you two are simply... obsolete."
"So what?" Skywarp mimicked, looking over Starscream's newly-built frame with an unmistakable leer. "So, I'm wondering what else you haven't done yet."
Starscream grinned back. "Why don't both of you come over here and find out?"