His Air Commander was sulking on a rocky ledge; it was dusk and there was a beautiful pattern of blues and milky stars across the sky. This was not remotely interesting, as he'd seen it millions of times before—the evening sky that is to say. The sulking was not a first, but nonetheless out of the ordinary.
Normally if Starscream had a problem he made Megatron well aware of the details by screeching them into his audio receptors—mercilessly. And Starscream called him cruel.
He wasn't sure exactly how or for whom, but this was going to be dreadfully painful.
"Planning on defecting again my little traitor?" Megatron asks, landing behind his pouting Lieutenant.
The wings flick down and Starscream half turns his head. "No! I just wanted a few moments to myself, is that a crime? Must I be at your side every second of my life?"
Megatron rolls his eyes and says blandly, "With your background, I find myself more at ease knowing where you are at all times."
"Afraid of me, master?" It isn't coy teasing, but blatant mocking. This means he's not just angry but hurt, andMegatron has never understood an emotionally injured Starscream. If any one thing in this universe could actually terrify him….
He huffed, "hardly, merely concerned for how you'll manage to further set us back."
Starscream turned fully and sneered up at him. "Then why not get rid of me at long last?"
Megatron sighed. "Must we have this conversation every day?" Starscream glared. "You are useful to me."
"Great. Just what I always wanted to be." Oh he was getting really petulant now; it was frustrating and Megatron felt himself getting increasing irritated.
But the best way to beat Starscream was to not let on that he was affected, so he smirked and said, "speaking the truth at last, are we?"
"Shut up!" He shrieked.
Megatron held back a growl. "Watch your mouth, fool. Come, we're going back to the Warship."
"Go yourself. I want some time alone."
It was a blatant act of disobedience, and Megatron's control over his temper was slipping. "So you can pout like an organic juvenile? Don't be absurd, we're going back." Why wouldn't he just give in for once?
"I said I don't want to!"
All of this over a little comment. So he'd chosen to listen to Shockwave's important briefing over this fool's useless prattle, so what? "You're too sensitive, Starscream."
"You're too cruel, Megatron….Sir."
"Continue to disobey me, and this ridiculous tantrum will mark your last moments; though I suppose such an ending would be befitting of you."
Starscream lunged from his crouch with a battle shriek, racing for Megatron who caught him easily. He held up the seeker with one hand then slammed him unto the rocky ground. He kneeled over the other and placed a hand on the back of his head, firmly pressing the other's face into the rock.
Megatron nearly laughed out loud; he gave an imperceptible caress to the helm in his grasp. "You are a wonder Starscream. How can one so cowardly in a fight be brave enough to stand up to me? How can one renowned for his intelligence be such an unforgivable fool!"
"You sound impressed, Master. One could say it's embarrassingly obvious why I don't need to fear standing up to you!" Even kissing the ground he managed to sound smug. Megatron's spark and temper surged together indistinguishably.
Growling, he slammed Starscream's face into the ground a few times, his victim clenched his fists but made no move to stop him—it would be futile to try.
"Will you never cease to disgrace me Starscream?"
"If me speaking the truth is what you call disgracing, than perhaps you ought to change your ways, Master."
Megatron slammed his head against the ground again, "Silence fool! Will you cause yourself such pain for a few arrogant words?"
He let Starscream turn his head slightly so they could see each other, "Will you always be so easily offended by mere words?"
Megatron smiled in a way that would have the bravest of wreckers whimpering. Almost whispering, he gave a promise, "You're pushing it Starscream."
"Let's see how far it can go shall we...?"
Megatron roared and began repeatedly slamming his head into the rock below in unrestrained rage. With every lift Starscream spit more insults, "oh what...restraint...you have...you usele...ss uncouth...lout...imbecile...petty temper...mental...greedy...glitched up...ugh."
With a few more slams, Starscream's grunts faded to faint squeaks of agony. With one final lunge Megatron stopped the beating; he hunched further over his Lieutenant and let his intake systems regulate.
"Are you finally done with your incessant backtalk?" He asked through pants.
There was no answer, Megatron sighed in relief. "Finally…I thought you would never stop."
He stood up and gave a disdainful look down at the suffering bot. "I should leave you here to die slowly…but I need all the subordinates I can get. Don't think you've been forgiven just because I'm to have Knock Out repair you...once again."
He made to start for the Nemesis alone...let some drones retrieve the idiot...perhaps they'd give him a good mocking for his wretched state.
"I'm so sorry I spoke disrespectfully Master." Megatron froze.
The only reason Starscream had been quiet was to stop the punishment, he'd waited until Megatron was satisfied before he broke the command for silence with a backhanded apology. Megatron's face was impudent fury for all of five seconds before he let out a cacophony of delighted guffaws.
"Oh how I missed these interactions of ours Starscream. I'd been thinking you'd become a tad less petty in your old age, but you're still as flippant as ever. Now who would ever stand up to me if I were to lose you?"
He walked over to Starscream and hauled him up by an arm. When he was on unsteady feet Megatron lifted him up by the underarms until they were eye to eye. It was most degrading treatment, and the affronted glare Megatron received was deliciously gratifying.
"You asked why I don't just get rid of you dear Starscream?" He brought their faces close together, "It's because you're mine."
A heavy moment passed in silence.
The tension was broken by Starscream huffing. Laughing incredulously, he said, "You've got a glitch my Lord. You're a senile old fool; and you really ought to be retired by now."
Megatron smiled and let Starscream drop to the ground.
"We're going to back to the Warship; can you make it on your own?"
"I won't be on my own," the 'you fool' was wisely left unsaid.
"Not now and not for the rest of this night my most prized Decepticon."
With that and a promising smile Megatron transformed and flew off. When he was probably, but not definitely, outside hearing range Starscream muttered, "Slagging glitch of the Matrix."
But he was smiling as he followed the master who belonged to him.