Title: All Hail Starscream (1/2)
Title: All Hail Starscream (1/2)
Author: dreamerchaos
Fandom: IDW's comic-based Official Movie Sequel 'The Reign of Starscream'.
Rating: R. Warning. Dubious consent and gore thrown into several parts.
Pairing: StarscreamxPerceptor.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are owned by Hasbro.
Characters: Perceptor. Starscream. Various characters from the comic as well.
Summary: Starscream has returned to Cybertron, dealing with the small group of Decepticons who had threatened to overthrow the Seeker upon his return. Now that the immediate threat is over, Starscream, as the current Lord of the Decepticons, must deal with the small refugee groups and neutrals who continue to evade the grasp of him and his soldiers.
Author Note: Main character focus is on the scientist and microscope, Perceptor. And since I have not seen a visual rendition of Perceptor in any IDW comics based on the Transformers movie, I am going to assume that Perceptor will remain in appearances fairly similar to his G1 form. In the general color scheme and overall schematics, but like all other movie-based characters from Transformers, all the bits and bobs will be a complex mixture of metal and interwoven pieces. In the case of this fic, and any fiction that I write featuring Perceptor in the movie related universe, I am going to pretend that he is around the same size as Jazz.
Time Units, following nova_myth's references from recent drabbles:
Kilk- 1.2 minutes
Breem- 8 min
Joor- 1 hour
Orn- 1 day
Meta-cycle- 13 months-1 year- 400 orns
Vorn- 83 years
Perceptor knew that he was shivering ever so slightly. His adrenal circuits were firing wildly, causing the microscope's hands to tremble and his knees to quake as he walked alongside his fellow Cybertronian.
"Calm yourself." Hardline hissed, bumping his shoulder against the slighter mech to draw his attention. He kept his black helm lowered, not daring to lift his optics and possibly draw the attention of the surrounding and flanking Decepticons, drones, and slaves walking unhurried up and down the streets of Trypticon. "You have to remain calm and collected. If any of these soldiers are running random scans and your behavior catches their attention, you know what they will discover with their scans, and you know what will happen!"
"Y-Yes." Perceptor shuddered at the thought, forcibly collecting his composure, drawing in air through his overworked vents with a deep gust of breath, the rattling of his chassis becoming a steady hum to focus upon.
Hardline and Perceptor were risking a great deal by daring to venture into the Decepticon occupied city. But their choices were little to none if they wanted to scrape together enough energon to supply their small group of refugees hunkered down outside the city, hoping to avoid the constant sweeps from the aerial drones.
As refugees, and wishing to side with neither the Decepticons nor the Autobots, Perceptor and his companions were considered prominent targets for the Decepticons. Once captured by those feared troops, imprisoned refugees were electronically tagged as a form of identification. Then placed on the open market for sale. Treated as obtainable, highly desirable property, immediately available for sale or offered to the highest bidder…Or to the biggest and meanest soldier.
Worse still, unlike the older caste of slaves, who were registered to their owners, refugees originally went unregistered, and when any happened to end up scanned by the specialized drones, they were electronically tagged and marked for retrieval, the signal firing to any nearby squadron of Decepticon soldiers. By Lord Starscream's command, were to be retrieved and contained immediately.
"Now come on." The black masked mech urged Perceptor to hurry and follow, insisting that the scientist remain close so that they would not accidentally be separated. "It's only a little further, and then we can use some credits to buy the energon and take it back to camp."
A short distance behind them, there was an outburst of frantic shouts and mechs struggling against another. Hardline stretched his hand back to snag Perceptor's tugging at him to hurry and to not look back.
"Unregistered Mech." A drone barked from the direction the two refugees were quickly striding away. "You Are To Be Held And Contained For Questioning."
"No! Let me go!" The screams escalated, drawing a pair of Decepticon soldiers to shove past Hardline and Perceptor, moving to intercept and contain the resisting prisoner.
Perceptor dared a look back, sadly noting the slender ground based mech struggling with his wrists caught in the drone's grip, kicking and striking feebly at the much larger entity. The pale blue painted prisoner twisted his frame away from the two soldiers, failing as their hands fell down to grasp his shoulders and halt his struggle.
Hardline's harsh jerk tore Perceptor's optics away when the soldiers yanked the mech's wrists behind his back, snapping on the stasis cuffs, stifling the prisoner's sharp cries with a large hand over his mouth. "Come on!" Hardline hurried.
Perceptor practically melds his frame against the Hardline's back strut, following closely, optics averted from any and all other passersby.
Hardline led them down several twisted streets before halting in front of a store front, keeping his frame in front of the microscope as he greeted the mech waiting for them. "Greetings, Swindle." The refugee nodded his head in deference to the strange mech.
The stranger…Swindle…smiled coyly, claws drumming atop his folded arms, the gesture and chilly grin drawing a cold shiver from Perceptor. Immediately he felt uncomfortable, feeling anxious and nervous with an individual he had only just encountered.
"Ahhh…Hardline." Swindle's lavender optics narrowed, black helm bowing as he purred in greeting. The gold and bronze paint of his metal skin gleaming in the bright rays of Cybertron's nearest sun. His gaze ran up and down the scuffed and dirty frames of the two refugees, noting the poor quality of their paintwork in distaste. "I was becoming worried that you wouldn't arrive."
"I was slightly delayed." Hardline assured, waving his hand as if to dispel the unsettled ambiance between them.
"Hmmm? And who is this?" Swindle asked, leaning over to the side and peering over the ridge of Hardline's shoulder. The purple gaze settling on the smaller mech hiding behind his customer, noting the teasing glimpse of red and cobalt paint and scope upon the mech's shoulder. "You brought a friend."
"Yes." Hardline laid a hand atop of Perceptor's, the one digging into the seam of his hip. He detected the steady tremble, and from previous excursions and experience working alongside the smaller mech, Hardline trusted that the microscope's agitated state was for good reason.
Swindle smiled benignly, spreading his arms in greeting. "How wonderful!" The mech chuckled. "The more, the merrier."
Even Hardline could not fail to note the menacing calm that followed such a statement. He was thankful for the black faceplate that concealed his worry, allowing him to focus his efforts on subspacing the handful of credits from a small chamber in his right thigh sheath. He quickly held out the credits towards Swindle, eager to commence and close the transaction between them. "I believe this is the required payment for our purchase." Hardline offered the credits.
"I see, I see." Swindle sounded pleased, hand outstretched to take the credits.
Perceptor sensed the slight lessening of tension in Hardline's frame, the mech relaxing, certain that they would soon be done and away with the precious energon.
Swindle's smile widened, his optics as cold as a glacier. "Although…" He slid the word along his glossa, leaning closer, laying his hand on top of Hardline's outstretched and open palm.
Hardline's optics blinked, unconsciously tilting his head back from the invasion of personal space.
Striking like a mecha-serpent, Swindle's taloned hand encircled Hardline's wrist, cuffing and refusing to budge as he held the stunned mech prisoner.
"I'm afraid that there has been a change in plans." Swindle said with a benevolent smile, optics flickering to focus behind his customers.
Hardline turned as far as he is allowed by the stubborn grip, blue optics flaring wide as he felt the abrupt beginning of invasive scans running up and down his and Perceptor's forms.
Hardline was face to face with a small alpha drone unit, the three drones easily standing over two heads above the two refugees.
"I believe I have covered my end of the deal." Swindle greeted the small squad, their singular optics focused upon their prey.
Perceptor, abruptly pushed backwards by a rough shove of Hardline's shoulder, stumbles as he is again shoved towards the side, Hardline using his only free hand to tear the microscope away from him. "RUN!" Hardline shouted in desperation, barely visible through the thin seams of the much larger frames as the drones surrounded him, hands grappling at the struggling mech.
Perceptor lost his footing at the sudden assault, but quickly rose up, vents gasping, shock and terror racing through his energon cables. The microscope laid his optics upon the area where Hardline valiantly fought before finally heeding the mech's frantic command.
He evaded a hazardous lunge from Swindle, the mech attempting to capture another victim, but the microscope's arm slipped free. "He's getting away!" The mech shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Perceptor's back as the mech ran for his Spark.
"Out of my way! GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Stockade thrust the slaves and other pedestrians out of the way with a well-aimed fist, snarling at those too slow to get out of his path. The Decepticon's visor never left the fleeing refugee's back, and he was followed closely by a designated squad of drones.
The pedestrians froze, startled by the sudden violence of the small squad tearing through the crowd. Slaves and workers moved as quickly as possible to clear a path for the larger mechs.
"Unregistered mech!" Stockade roared. And soon following the Decepticon's loud bellow, the crowd parted like the Red Sea, lurching left and right, away from the fleeing escapee as if he carried a deadly virus within his systems.
"This one won't escape." Stockade swore with dark promise. "Not on my watch."
Perceptor used his slighter frame to squeeze through the meandering pedestrians, ducking and weaving to slip further away from the Decepticon squad.
But the Decepticons were beginning to gain control and direction over the crowd, and the crowd began to part, allowing the squad a clearer path.
'No…' Perceptor allowed his momentum to swing him around a sharp corner, zigzagging past clusters of startled pedestrians, racing to reach the city limit and the haven of the maze caverns of the underground tunnels and bunkers.
There was a shift…in the air current just above him…
He instinctively ducked-
And then Perceptor stumbled, and he and the other pedestrians covered their audios in agony as a sonic blast ripped through the street, a cobalt Seeker tearing through the sky above them, sailing tightly over Perceptor, close enough for the microscope to leap up and touch the underside of mech's cockpit.
Twisting and transforming in midair, the Seeker fell to rest upon his knees in his bipedal form, a snarl grooved upon his face as red optics focused upon the running refugee.
Audio receptors still ringing from the blast, Perceptor couldn't decipher the Seeker's shouted command. He turned tail and began to run once more, unable to ignore the loud foot falls as the Seeker's pedes severely decreased the distance spread between he and the fleeing mech. Seekers ruled the sky, but Perceptor also knew that they were almost equally dangerous on the ground as well.
A shadow cut ahead of him, severing the width of the street as another Seeker flew ahead, cutting off the microscope's path of escape.
The Seeker transformed, landing in a crouch, already in bipedal mode, too close and too fast to safely avoid.
'Oh no. Not him. Any Seeker but this one-'
Out of all the Decepticon Seekers, Starscream was the most frightening. Even before the mech and his Decepticon unit had taken to the stars and towards the organic planet, the mech's body had wielded gold and silver plating, fuselages adorned in gold atop his shoulders arching upwards, proud spikes marking the Seeker's status as a conqueror of the heavens. Helm crested in gold, teeth aligned in the silver to brighten his sharp grin. But after returning from the planet Earth, revealing to all Cybertronians the extent of his adaptation to the strange planet, Starscream's current form was far more hideous and terrifying. Gun metal and silver, wings and claws eloquently sharpened as if they would further cut through the sky as the Seeker tore across the surface of the planet.
Perceptor literally stumbled into his claws, and immediately lifted off his pedes, kicking and struggling helplessly, jerking and trying to twist at the fingers clasped upon his shoulder and upper torso.
"Let me go!!" Perceptor twist and writhed, no better than an aquatic animal clenched in the fist of an avian predator.
The cobalt Seeker snorted in contempt, stepping closer to his counterpart, peering at the smaller struggling mech with disdain but a slight measure of curiosity. "Is this the one that has caused such a ruckus, my Lord?" He deferred to the Seeker holding Perceptor captive.
Perceptor's captor released a gust of disappointment, but whether as a result of the short chase - or the amount of time it was taking for the Decepticon squad that had been chasing Perceptor to finally join the two standing Seekers - the microscope wasn't certain.
"Lord Starscream." The leader of the squad bowed low, fist resting over his Spark chamber. "My Lord, I was not aware that you were visiting our humble sector of the city-"
"Spare me your insipid groveling, Stockade." Starscream growled in warning. "Your kowtowing would be amusing in any other situation. Yet I find little amusement or reason for why it takes more than one of my soldiers to apprehend a single refugee."
"And a small one, at that." Thundercracker muttered sullenly.
Perceptor wheezed past the cage of fingers holding him tight. "If…If I'm such an inconvenience, my Lord, then I'll gladly walk away and remove myself from your presence." The microscope now hung limp, fingers remaining threaded over the Seeker's, faintly hoping to discern any degree and lessening in pressure or grip.
To his surprise, the beseeching inquiry met with amused laughter, the Seeker Lord chuckling at the stunned microscope's audacity. "Now, you are far more amusing." Starscream approved, raising the mech to optic level.
'Terrific. Amuse and draw further attention to yourself. Brilliant move on my part.' Perceptor bemoaned. "Then how about quiet…I could be quiet…oh, silence your output, Perceptor, you're not being quiet right now…" The microscope whimpered in self-flagellation, optics shutting down as he cringed away from the Seeker's gaze, hissing with dread within the embrace of the infamous Seeker and Lord of the Decepticons. He has heard plenty of the rumors about Starscream's temper and cruelty when the mech's ire was tested.
Starscream's chassis rattled with sibilant amusement, optics flashing like red magma.
Stockade dared to inch closer, beseeching his Lord's attention. "Lord Starscream. Allow me to remove this mech from your presence. He is an unregistered refugee, and thus must be tagged and made ready for any suitable buyers."
"I am aware of what is to be done with unregistered mechs, you fool." Starscream growled, ruby gaze boring into the smaller Decepticon's. Thundercracker echoed his superior's snarl, leaning over to further intimidate the soldier. "I was the one who signed the edict for their retrieval and containment!"
"B..but, my Lord. We captured another one who was with him. They may be members of a small party of refugees hiding outside the city limits. If we were allowed to question him-"
Thundercracker sneered. "Your methods of interrogation usually end up with prisoners being too damaged physically and psychologically. Thus we end up losing precious slaves in order to satiate your thirst for violence and torture."
"But…my Lord!" Stockade began to whine.
"Enough!" Starscream barked, snapping sharp denta. Stockade reared backwards. "Thundercracker will be in charge of the interrogation of both refugees." The subordinate Seeker bowed his helm in agreement. "Escort Thundercracker to the other prisoner."
"And this one, my Lord?" Thundercracker bobbed his chin in Perceptor's direction, arrogantly shoving Stockade forward in silent instruction to follow Starscream's command.
Starscream's gaze flicked back to the mech held tight within his grasp. Perceptor gasped in discomfort as the grip tightened ever so slightly, as if the Seeker detected the microscope's patient silence waiting for a small sliver of opening to allow for his escape. "I will attend to this one." The Decepticon Lord informed his fellow Seeker.
Perceptor coughed as he was once again shoved under the torrential spray of the shifted shower heads, while hip deep in the rushing water. Held down firmly by the pair of servant drones and forced to sit on a submerged seat in the sunken personal bathing section of the washrack chamber, while the drones insisted upon trying to scrape the grit and scuffs off his frame.
Moreover, from the feel of it, trying to peel away all of the paint off from his person.
A drone moved the shower head, adjusting to allow the water to pour over his helm and down his neck. Thick streams of brackish water poured from between the microscope's seams, indicated the state of his previous living conditions.
An arm was tugged forward to stretch flat upon the other drone's lap, the servant vigorously scrubbing at the scuffed body work with an oversized sponge soaked with large suds of cleaning fluid.
Starscream remained standing at the chamber's entrance, frowning in disapproval at the quality of the water of the baths, the brackish surface doing nothing to hide the mess that had covered the smaller mech. "Do you roll around among the dirt and decay everyday, little mech, or is today an special occasion?"
The bath water sloshed upon the metal tiled floor as the microscope struggled in an attempt to break free of the drones yet again, but was quickly dragged back into their tender mercies. The servants beeping in disapproval, single optics narrowed as they persisted in the cleaning of their ward. "We don't have the luxury of washracks readily available for personal use, my Lord!" Perceptor bit out after hacking up water once he resurfaced after being shoved bodily under the water in an attempt to further remove the dirt from his person.
"Ah, yes." Starscream purred in thought. "Lest we forget about your little…friends…who are still in hiding?"
Perceptor hushed, shoulders slumped, refusing to say anything else and risk exposing further information about his fellow refugees in hiding.
"Hmmm." Starscream smiled, idly running a talon along the seam of his chin. Watching while Perceptor was coaxed from the bath and pushed into an adjoining chamber in order to stand underneath the lamps and warm air vents to dry off his wet plating. "No access to washracks means that they are not near any of the main pipes. They would not be deep enough underground to have access to the underwater springs, either. So that means…" Starscream paused to wait until Perceptor entered the main chamber again. "Your friends are hiding in the tunnels near the main corridors and bunkers but not too far underground where some of the old mines remain."
The microscope turned his helm away, refusing to speak further.
Starscream chuckled at the mech's stubbornness, Perceptor's expression furious while he bit his lip to remain firmly silent. He would allow the microscope to believe that his silence would be enough to protect those who remain hidden.
The Lord flicked his claws at the drones in dismissal, leading Perceptor out of the chamber with a coaxing hand lightly pressed between his shoulders. "I trust that you will find my home to be suitable to your needs." Starscream beckoned for Perceptor's attention, indicating with his other arm to sweep across the expanse of the large room and adjacent guest wings.
"This is…" Perceptor halted, but was pushed forward by the hand at his back, "…why are we in Megatron's residence-"
Starscream's fingers slid upward, lightly squeezing around Perceptor's nape. The microscope shuddered at the warning clack of the talons drumming along the struts of his collar.
"This estate is mine." The Decepticon Lord coldly educated his guest. "Megatron is gone. A cold and broken shell, left to decay on that Primus forsaken organic planet. And he can stay there."
Perceptor found he was being led deeper into the furthest room, Starscream punching in a five digit code into the keypad beside the door. "Where are we going?" Perceptor dared to ask.
Starscream merely smiled down at the mech's nervous question as the door slid open.
Perceptor had no choice but to follow the Lord, optics blinking in surprise at the private quarters spread out in front of them. An ornate table and seating arrangement sat in the middle of the vast room, presenting a banquet of plates of large and small energon cubes, chalices of oil, and decadent energon truffles upon the gleaming tabletop.
Timid now, not knowing what was required for him to do when standing in front of such a feast, Perceptor only sat down because Starscream coaxed him forward by bodily lifting the smaller mech. Once seated, the Lord sat Perceptor down, partially in his lap and upon the arm of seat at the head of the table, the microscope situated against his right side. Optics wide at his unusual seating arrangement and closeness to the Decepticon, Perceptor was literally frozen due to fright.
Perceptor shakily accepted the small cube of energon that Starscream dropped into his hands, not willing to test the Lord's patience by stubbornly refusing the vessel of glowing liquid. Starscream then picked up a larger cup for himself, downing the cube's succulent liquid offering in four large gulps.
Perceptor barely sipped at his container, glossa rolling and tasting the rich quality of the expensive energon, no doubt finer than any he has tasted in vorns. But regardless of its richness and splendor in taste, it could have been no more than ashes within his mouth, the microscope too unsettled by his current predicament to honestly savor the drink.
He spent almost a joor until he finally finished his smaller container of energon, taking small sips, one at a time. There was no conversation to be shared between the Decepticon and neutral, except for when Starscream reached for a truffle or two, taking one and holding out the other for Perceptor to partake. Again, Perceptor nibbled at the delicious treat, finding that both the energon and treat settled like a rock within his fuel tank.
Once the container was empty, Starscream took it from his smaller companion, settling it upon the tabletop. His hand returned, but instead to idly run his talons along the circumference of Perceptor's throat, energon cables thrumming beneath the soft dermal plating. "You managed to remain unregistered for quite some time." The Lord sounded faintly impressed.
Perceptor swallowed, nervous. "…I don't..want to be leashed. I am - I was - a scientist. My schooling and my existence did not pertain for me to end up as merely a piece of property." Perceptor spoke softly and honestly, fingers twisting together, trying to ignore the tingle of the mech's talons tracing his sensitive dermal plating.
"A leash, hmm?" Starscream chuckled at the word. He continued to trace the mech's throat, deep in thought. "Yes…A collar would probably look quite pleasant." His thumb bumped Perceptor's chin up until the microscope's blue optics were riveted to his red.
"I don't wish to be a slave." Perceptor could not remove his gaze.
"Perhaps you would become more than that." Starscream pondered, bumping Perceptor's chin up further to meet him, the Lord leaning forward enough to nuzzle the side of the smaller mech's helm. His prey trembled violently at the close brush of sharp denta, as if fearing the Seeker would suddenly strike and tear open the expanse of his face or throat.
"Perhaps you would be more suited as my pet."
Perceptor dared to not break their shared gaze, back strut trembling, but his face obstinately remaining even, mute of expression and retaliating words.
Starscream's private communication link pinged, alerting the Lord of an incoming message. He tilted his head, listening to the garbled speech of the drone indicated that he had a visitor. "Thundercracker is finished with his conversation with your companion. He will be here in a few kliks."
The Decepticon Lord shifted, releasing his grip upon the microscope, permitting Perceptor to swiftly slide from his lap, dropping onto his pedes in front of the towering Seeker. "I will converse with Thundercracker. Meanwhile, I expect that you are exhausted from your adventure today. You will require rest, and that is nothing that recharge can not assist."
"But-" Perceptor faltered, torn between the opportunity to flee in the direction that the Seeker prods him – Starscream lightly nudging the microscope towards one of the sealed doors at the far corner of the room – While wishing to remain and hear any news about Hardline and the conditions of his imprisonment.
Starscream tsked in disapproval, prompting the microscope to move, Perceptor's tentative footfalls joined by the increasing strike of larger pedes striding towards the Lord's private chamber.
Perceptor hurried along, dreading the realization that the other Seeker would soon join his superior. He ducked into the room, ignoring the large recharge berth and slipping outside of viewing range from the other room, outside of the occupant's vantage point. Not that that was necessary since the thin sheet of metal snapped shut once he entered.
Remaining silent and leaning against the wall flanking the sealed door, Perceptor hushed any movement, audio sensors heighted in order to listen to the muffled discussion currently between the Seekers.
"My Lord." Thundercracker's voice solemnly greeted his superior.
"Were you able to determine anything from the prisoner?"
An ominous chuckle of laughter. "Was there any doubt?"
Starscream echoed the other Seeker's laughter. "And how long until the squads will be ready to proceed and move into position in order to collect the refugee party?"
"By the end of the orn."
"And their instructions were made precisely clear?" Starscream asked.
"Absolutely." Thundercracker swore. "No lethal force. The priority is capture and containment. We do not plan for too much resistance. I highly doubt that they would be prepared for the force and number of the soldiers tasked for their retrieval."
"Excellent." Starscream clearly sounded pleased. "Our stock of prisoners is overdue for a fresh supply. I'm sure the buyers will be excited by the newest additions."
Perceptor's fist clenched upon his chassis. 'That's impossible. Hardline…Hardline gave up the coordinates of the camp?'
'They won't stand a chance!' He felt nauseous at the thought of the helpless refugees, fuel tank churning violently at the notion. 'Hardly a handful has ever handled a weapon, and we have even fewer weapons available. There isn't a sliver of a chance that anyone would be able to put forth an impressive show of resistance.'
Perceptor stifled a yip of terror as steps approached the door he was huddled nearby –
– If he was caught in the act of eavesdropping!
Scrambling, he dashed for the recharge berth, just managing to heave his weight upwards and collapse across the sprawling divan, curling on his side with his back facing the doorway. His optics shut off just as the door slid open with a soft hush of moving air.
He fought not to flinch as a hand tickled across the strut of his bicep; a gust of breath sweeping against his averted helm.
"I know that you are still online." Starscream's utterance shattered the microscope's attempt to feign recharge.
Perceptor's optics remained mostly black, except a tiny pinpoint of azure flickered to life. His fingers burrowing into his forearms, facing the wall connected to the recharge berth, trapped beneath the Seeker's hand.
"It must be hard to relax." Starscream sighed. Petting the microscope in concern as if the sharp talons running up and down his arm and across his helm would prove anything remotely comforting. "I will move my meeting into another chamber and leave you to gain some rest. If you require anything, then you only need to summon one of the service drones. The doors will open for you whenever you awaken and require their service."
Perceptor had to swallow a sound of surprise and confusion. Did Starscream not realize that the microscope had been listening to their meeting? And if not, then why would he go out of his way to provide the microscope a chance to regain his strength, as well as free reign to roam anywhere within his estate?
'Maybe you should not look this gift quadruped in the mouth.' His CPU admonished.
Perceptor waited in heavy silence as the Decepticon Lord retreated from the room, and he did not mistake the sound of two sets of pedes leaving the main private chamber.
He laid still, remaining in place, not wishing to move too soon in case the Seekers were anywhere round the corner.
When his chronometer indicated that several breems safely passed without a sound or sight of either Seeker, Perceptor quietly slipped off the berth. Treading cautiously, he moved towards the door.
Ducking his head through the open doorway, the microscope timidly whipped left and right to ascertain that the room was clear.
Perceptor made a beeline for the main door, flinching at the loud snap of the metal sliding open.
The hallway was completely clear, wall mounted lamps dimmed, and there were no service drones visible on any of the staircases.
Seizing this one chance, Perceptor dashed towards the entryway, ducking behind a podium and bust of the Decepticon Lord.
Noticing that there were no sentries or guards visible, Perceptor hastened through the large open archway, putting all of his Spark into coaxing for more speed into his limbs as he ran towards freedom.
'I have to warn everyone!' Perceptor noted the street he was currently on, banking sharply to the right, pulling forth a memory file, a miniaturized three-dimensioned map flashing across the screen of one optic outlining the quickest path to reach the coordinates of the refugee camp. 'We'll barely have enough time to evacuate everyone before the Decepticons reach the bunker!'
Thundercracker peered curiously from atop the arched statue, the metal gargoyle resting upon the stylized sculpture of Primus from several stories above Starscream's estate.
"He's on the move, my Lord." Thundercracker informed his superior, ruby optics tracing the small mech's flight.
"He didn't wait long, did he?" Starscream chuckled over the comm.
"Staging the conversation outside the room was a brilliant tactic." Thundercracker shifted restlessly, crouching down closer to the building. "The other prisoner didn't give up any useful information. We will only need to follow your pet, and he will lead us right to them."
"Follow him." Starscream commanded. "But not too closely. Do not risk his sensors picking up you or the other squads. Payload will rendezvous with you outside the city limits."
"As you command, Lord Starscream."
"And Thundercracker."
"Yes, my Lord?"
"Make sure to return my pet as quickly as possible once the mission is a success." The Decepticon Lord advised his subordinate. "I already miss him. Terribly."
TBC in Part Two: All Hail Starscream