Starscream's Secret.
Summary: Starscream has a secret…one that the Seeker will go to great lengths to protect. Which becomes an issue when someone finds out… Twoshot.
Rating: T
Pairings: Implied Starscream/Thundercracker/Skywarp, Limited Starscream/OC for plot purposes.
Disclaimer: Transformers belongs, alas, not to me but to Hasbro and Dreamworks/Paramount. Much to the relief of all the characters, considering some of the situations I put them in…
A/N. One orn is about 13 days, one vorn is about 83 years. Derma(plates) are lips.
This story is done as a request for user Honor.
Thanks to user Anne Clothier for the use of her character Dr Syn.
Starscream's Secret.
Chapter One.
Starscream turned towards his door as he received a comm requesting entry from outside. He checked the identity of the sender, pulled a face. It was Weldline, the new medic who had made Earthfall a few orns ago.
Starscream knew little else about this medic than that, except that he found him profoundly irritating for a variety of little reasons, mainly the medic's habit of pushing limits just far enough to irritate, but not so far that a punishment was justified. That, of course, and that his loyalty was dubious at best.
He had been a Megatron supporter during the war, but once he had made Earthfall, found out that the silver overlord was dead and that Starscream had succeeded him, he immediately pledged his allegiance to Starscream with barely a pause: as such, Starscream had immediately added him to his "not to be trusted" list. Someone who would change so readily could easily switch sides once again if an able-seeming challenger arose. Starscream trusted Barricade more than he did Weldline: at least Barricade's distaste for but acceptance of Starscream's leadership was honest and open.
"Come in." the Seeker called: he was curious to find out what the medic wanted.
The medic walked in with even more of his customary swagger, and gave his version of the respect-bow - the head-down-arms-out gesture that all non-fliers were supposed to give any flier, and that any non-Seeker was supposed to give a Seeker. Weldline's was neither as low or as wide as Starscream would have liked, but again was satisfactory enough that punishment would seem too harsh.
That was another reason why Starscream was none too fond of Weldline - the medic made all the right noises and gestures, but did so in such a way that Starscream felt was faintly mocking. He had no proof, but his instincts told him that this odious little groundling fancied himself as an equal to any and all Seekers, including Starscream himself.
Straightening back up, Weldline boldly looked up at Starscream, not averting his gaze as most of his other non-Seeker underlings tended to do. It was not disrespectful as such, again it was too small a thing to punish, but it made Starscream press his derma together in annoyance. One day, Starscream knew, the annoying little medic would push just that little bit too far, and on that day, Starscream determined that he would duel this arrogant little ground-pounder into his place!
"What do you want?" Starscream demanded waspishly, wanting to get this audience over with as soon as possible. To calm down from this dirt-eater's visit would require a couple of cubes of high-grade and the assist of the rest of his trine.
The medic, perhaps realising he was risking going beyond the limits of Starscream's limited patience, brought his gaze to the ground, but not before running them down Starscream's body and legs in what appeared to be an appraising manner. Starscream clenched his fists: he would be the first to admit that he had a superb frame but it was the boldness of the look: was this irritant arrogant enough to think that he might have a chance to interface with him? It was true that a few of his groundlings possessed forms that either pleased Starscream's optics or raised his inquisitive side enough to try, but Weldline fitted neither category!
"I have completed my analysis of the result of your medical examination, my Lord Starscream." said the medic obsequiously, but his optics flickered back up to Starscream's face, another mild challenge. This time, Starscream pointedly ignored it. He was annoyed that this medic had been the only one they had to carry out his once-a-vorn health and maintenance check, involving physical examination and deep scans of all of his systems. To add insult to injury, just over an orn afterwards, Dr Syn, another medic, had landed, and Starscream was sore that he'd not known to wait till Dr Syn was there.
"Is there something wrong?" asked Starscream, his Spark flickering nervously, for with these general exams, usually the medic would only visit if there was a matter needing addressing.
"Nothing serious." Weldline said, taking a step closer to Starscream. "A few torn energon lines, some wear and tear in the joints, a few sluggish valves in your coolant system, that sort of thing, all things that can be easily sorted." He took another step closed to the Seeker. "No, nothing to worry about as such, although one of my scans has raised a few questions, and piqued my curiosity." He took another step closer. He was now almost within touching distance. He cocked his head to one side. "However, I noticed something a little - unusual - about your Spark." the medic stated.
Starscream gave no external sign of concern or shock, but the medic's comment made his processors hit full alert. He had his suspicions about what the medic was going to say, if he was right, his secret was out, a secret that he had tried - and so far succeeded - in keeping secret from the moment he had entered the Flying and Science Academy as a young and inexperienced Seeker.
"My-Spark? He asked, as if he had no clue what Weldline was going to say next. "What about it?"
"It is a very bright and very intense Spark." the medic stated. "Unusually so for a mech."
"I have heard it said that the Autobot leader Optimus Prime himself has a strong and steady, bright Spark." Starscream told the groundling medic. "Perhaps it is a characteristic of those who are born and destined to lead." he said, fixing the medic with an intense look.
It seemed that the medic had little sense, for he didn't take up the out Starscream had given him, but instead confirmed Starscream's worst fears with his next words, as he took another step closer.
"Oh, such a Spark would be considered normal - although still wonderfully bright - for a femme, my Lord - or should I say my Lady - Starscream." the medic said with a smirk as he placed a hand on Starscream's hip.