Author's note: Hello there. Back again for some Soundscream(?) Starwave(?) frivolity. I've been wanting to write this for awhile, so we'll see how it goes. This takes places a few months after the events in my story "Mechmerized," but you don't have to read that story to follow this one. There won't be any overt sticky/valvesex/plugandplay, but there will be mentions of it. Also this is slash AND G1, so be warned.

Starscream sat up, rubbed his bleary optics and demanded shrilly: "Repeat that!"

Scavenger's breathless rumble came again, immediately. "I said, our leader, Megatron, has been murdered, Starscream! He is now nothing but twisted, burned, useless scrap!"

The Seeker got to a sitting position and sleepily massaged his cockpit. When wasn't he that?

Starscream kept this opinion to himself, however, as his systems tried to recalibrate themselves to cope with his sudden jolt out of recharge. It wasn't every night that a Decepticon burst into his private quarters shouting at the top of his vocalizer. If it had been any other situation, Starscream would have vaporized the mech on the spot. But the announcing of Megatron's death was music to Starscream's audios.

Megatron's death … wait a moment …

The impact of Scavenger's words hit him at once and his ruby optics went wide with sudden glee.

"Dead? Megatron is dead? Dead! Then I am the new leader of the Decepticons!"

The Air Commander jumped to his peds and felt the irrepressible need to shake his aft in delight. He held back, however. It wouldn't work to be so giddy in front of a subordinate.

"I am your leader, Scavenger! I command you to gather everyone in the Control Room immediately for their new orders! I also command that you get Megatron's berth ready for my occupancy. Make sure there's no trace of that dissipated old fool. And from now on, I am to be addressed as Lord Starscream, supreme ruler of the Decepticon forces!"

"Yes, Lord Starscream," said Scavenger, bowing until his faceplates almost touched the floor. "I'll see to your new quarters. Megatron's remains have been removed for examination by Hook. I'll do as you command, but what about the murderer?"

Starscream barely registered that Scavenger was still speaking. The jet was pawing through his personal items absently, murmuring excitedly to himself.

"Now, by Primus, I know I packed my crown before we left Cybertron, where is – ahah!"

He pulled out the shining circlet and eyed it critically. It was a little tarnished after four million-plus years, but a little polish and it would be as good as new. He was just about to put it on his head to see how it fit when he heard Scavenger discreetly clearing his vocalizer behind him.

"Why are you still here, you imbecile? I've given you an order!"

Scavenger lifted his helm slightly. "You must see to the murderer, Lord Starscream, and dispense justice, as is mandated. He's in the brig being guarded by Mixmaster."

Starscream halted as the Constructicon's meaning became clear to him. "You've captured Megatron's killer?"

"He was still in Megatron's private quarters and the weapon he'd used was still smoking in his hands. He used Megatron's own fusion cannon to … to … deactivate him!"

Starscream shook his helm in amazement. "Primus. That took brass manifolds."

Obviously the Autobots had sent someone with quite a lot of brawn, but no brains to match if he was able to offline Megatron in his own berth and not get away with it. It wouldn't have been that fragface Mirage, then. Probably that rusted-out hulk Ironhide, thought Starscream with a sneer. Perhaps Optimus Prime had tired of wasting energon on that useless wreck of a mech and offered him a chance to go out in a blaze of glory on a suicide mission.

"Well, if we have him, then he shall be destroyed! We will send his carcass back to Prime – that will show the Autobots what happens to those who trespass on Decepticon domain!"

In truth, Starscream wished he could shake the servo of the mech who'd finally ridden him of Megatron, but that would be bad for morale, and additionally, what better way to inaugurate his new reign than with the offlining of a pain-in-the-aft Autobot?

He smiled triumphantly, but noticed that Scavenger didn't seem eager to carry out his orders. In fact, Scavenger was starting to look a little green around the faceplates.

"Optimus Prime? But he … he has nothing to do with this, Lord Starscream. Our late leader was not attacked by an Autobot. He was deactivated here by … by a Decepticon."

The crown fell from Starscream's servos. "He was what?"

"It's true, Lord Starscream," said Scavenger. "Hook summoned all of the Constructicons to form Devastator so that we could contain the killer. He was trying to make his escape when Hook found him leaning over Megatron's frame!"

Starscream digested this. Just about every single Decepticon had hated Megatron, though the silver mech had commanded a certain amount of respect from all of his troops.

Well, almost all of them.

Still, Starscream couldn't think of anyone who would actually kill Megatron in cold mech fluid in his own berth. This could be quite bad – for him. Whoever it was obviously had no respect for authority.

"Who was it? I will tear the traitor's spark out personally!"

Scavenger's optics glimmered. "The last person any of us would suspect."

"All right, so that lets me completely off the hook. I'm sure some of these idiots will be so disappointed," the Seeker murmured. "Astrotrain? Blitzwing?"

"No."

"One of the Insecticons?"

"No, Lord Starscream. They were on a recon mission during the time that Megatron was killed."

Starscream noticed that Scavenger was shifting around nervously, not able to look him completely in the optics. His spark hammered painfully when he considered the implications.

"Not … not someone in the Command Trine?"

Starscream didn't think Thundercracker had the bolts to do such a thing unprovoked, and he was sure Skywarp didn't have the processor, but stranger things had happened.

"Oh no, Lord Starscream. Not a flier."

Starscream bit his lower lip thoughtfully. The last person any of them would suspect, Scavenger had said. Not a flier, not an Insecticon or Triplechanger, and the Constructicons had been around to form Devastator, so it couldn't have logically been any of them, either. Besides, they worshipped the ground Megatron tread on …

He looked up sharply. Scavenger caught his optics and then quickly looked away. A chill raced up the jet's spinal connections.

No … no, it can't be!

"You said the murderer is in the brig now?"

"Yes, my Lord."

Starscream took a huge intake of air, and his optics dimmed slightly. "Then take me to him."

He barely saw Scavenger bow to him and lead him down the corridor. They passed the Control Room and the Command Center and to the interior of the ship where the brig was just a bolt's throw from the medbay.

An odd odor drifted into Starscream's olfactory sensors when he passed medbay and he nearly purged his tanks when he realized it was the scent of charred metal mixed with mech fluid. It was ironic: Megatron's half-afted plans often stank to Primus, and now his destroyed frame did, too. After he'd gotten things sorted out, Starscream resolved to have the entire ship decontaminated.

Scavenger halted at the entrance to the brig and had a quiet conversation with Mixmaster. The gestalt mates looked around at Starscream and after a klik of silence, Mixmaster lowered his helm slightly and moved aside.

"The prisoner has been secured, sir," said Mixmaster crisply. "His frame was dented a little when we apprehended him, but …"

Starscream wasn't listening. Pushing past the two Constructicons, the Seeker entered the hold and gasped. Sitting quietly in a cell behind a forcefield truly was the last mech he would have expected to see there.

"Soundwave …?"