Thank you for all the reviews! O w O
Beta: BrewedSugar :D
klik: second, breem: minute, joor: hour, orn: day, decaorn: week, lunar cycle: month, vorn: year
Reunited
The previous Council would have granted him the luxury of termination; they would have never considered leaving such a perspicacious mech to continue functioning. The way the Council once operated was cruelly predominant. But this Council, this new batch of Elders, they were even worse according to Starscream.
The Seeker was forced to be under the constant supervision of Skyfire like some sparkling. For a vorn! But that wasn't the worse of it.
Starscream was forced to wear a specialized collar to insure that he doesn't attempt to abuse the verdict. The collar was a detection device used by the Cybertron Security-Force. They know his exact location anytime and anywhere. If the device was somehow removed, they would be alerted within kliks. Control commands for the collar were also programmed into Skyfire. With this feature he could summon an electric current from the collar, sending a painful flow of electricity through to the Seeker's frame whenever he so desired. But if that wasn't enough, if Starscream strayed too far from Skyfire, the collar would activate automatically.
BUT the worst part was that the collar wasn't even stylish.
Starscream's steps ceased just outside the exterior gates of the High Council Pavilion. He had created some distance from his "sparkling-sitter."
"What did you say for them to spare my spark?" The Seeker's voice was cold. He kept his back towards Skyfire but looked over his shoulder plate to make sure the other flyer could see his enraged optics. Skyfire avoided his glare and remained quiet. The lack of response only made the ex-Second in Command more annoyed than before. "You lied to them, didn't you?"
Skyfire finally looked up. "…Yes. But you also lied. Your collar was clearly defective."
Starscream fully turned with a gloat. "Yes, that was highly obvious, was it not?" Of course the council would believe what the respectable Skyfire said. "What I want to know is why you lied. You could have simply told them that our bond was forever blocked. With no hope of ever becoming complete." Starscream gave a disgusted look. "Or do you still have feelings towards me?"
Skyfire, infuriated more so by the look given to him than the comment, replied, "No, Starscream, I do not have any kind of feelings towards you except negative ones. I lied and told them that my end of the bond was still open because I did not want to be the one who initiated the consent to have you terminated. I know I would have felt guilty and would have never forgiven myself. When they told me that their verdict would be me being stuck with you, I really regretted what I said before. But I couldn't simply announce that. It took me forever to gain the Autobots's trusts after I defected from the Decepticons. I didn't want to lose that trust. So I agreed to their verdict." Skyfire gave a baffled look at Starscream who looked more surprised than angry at this point. "Look, I honestly thought the Elders would just grant you some kind of punishment… like a few hundred vorns in a spark-stasis."
The dazed Seeker turned livid. "This is punishment! Worst than being in spark-stasis for millions of vorns!"
"Do try to make the best of this situation," said Skyfire as he exhaled from his air vents.
"There is no 'best of this situation'!" Starscream turned again to avoid his unwanted bondmate. A pregnant pause. "Your end, it is also blocked?" He said it trying to make it sound more like a statement than a question.
"Yes." This was an awkward and infuriating situation. That will last for a vorn. How could the Council just stick him with such a cantankerous mech? Why in the Pit did he bond with such a mech?
Starscream began to walk but stopped after a few steps for fear of the collar activating. "I want a drink," ordered Starscream. He crossed his arms around his cockpit and cocked his hip to one side. "I want high grade. Need high grade."
"You don't need it, just want it," answered Skyfire as he approached him.
"High grade will help me cope with this situation."
"So you plan on overcharging for a whole vorn?"
"Yes. I would much rather remember my punishment as one big blur."
"I have high-grade energon back at my apartment," replied Skyfire. Part of him did not want to bring the Seeker into his home, nor did he want to even be around the Seeker.
Starscream turned and leaned forward, servos at the side of his hips. "I want a drink at a cyber-pub."
"I want to go home where there is energon."
"Well I want to go to a cyber-pub!"
Both flyers glared at each other before they quickly turned around and headed towards their own desired destinations.
After some distance, Skyfire heard the faint sound of electricity, then a shrill cry, followed by a flow of curses, and finally the sound of thruster heels approaching him.
Skyfire's apartment was located in Centurion, quite a long distance from their current location, Iacon. They had flown in complete silence, both captivated by the way Cybertron had changed to summon any words. Some city-states were destroyed beyond recognition while others were re-build like new. The Cybertron they were once familiar with had become foreign to them.
They arrived at Skyfire's apartment exhausted and in need of recharge. The shuttle nonchalantly pointed to the five rooms: private quarters, washrack, rec room, laboratory, and a storage room. Despite being so huge, the place was rather bare. Most of the things he did own were stacked in the storage room.
Too exhausted, and not caring enough, to clear out a room for Starscream, Skyfire pointed to the large couch in the rec room. "That is where you will recharge."
"I refuse to recharge on anything besides a berth!"
"It turns into a berth. And it is only for tonight."
"It's a slagging couch!"
The shuttle paid him no attention and headed towards the energon dispenser. He poured two average grade energon cubes all while he kept his audio receptors focused on what he was doing rather than the persistent nagging in the background. Once full, Skyfire turned and walked up to Starscream.
Starscream looked up at Skyfire, and then at the cubes, then back up at Skyfire.
"I want high grade!"
Both flyers just stared at each other for a moment with acid glares. The bigger of the both then shoved an energon cube at Starscream and walked away.
"Where are you going?"
"Quarters. Going to recharge."
Skyfire entered his quarters then hit the security lock on his door before the former Air Commander began another obnoxious rant. The shuttle expected Starscream to knock viscously at the door, but when he heard nothing he assumed it was because the Seeker was wary of Skyfire's control over the shock collar.
Starscream remained standing, and stared intently at the couch. He was more puzzled than anything at the moment. This wasn't the way Skyfire usually acted. The Skyfire he knew would offer Starscream his berth and volunteer to sleep on the couch. Skyfire might have sour feelings towards the Seeker but there is no way in the Pit he can be this uncaring and not even offer Starscream a room. The Seeker hesitantly sat down on the couch. He fully expected the sentimental shuttle would come back, apologize, and offer his quarters to Starscream. Skyfire couldn't have changed that much. With a sip of his energon, the Seeker waited.
The next orn, Skyfire reactivated from recharge and headed towards the rec room. He was surprised to see a recharging Seeker on his couch. And by the looks of it, no attempt was made to convert it into a berth. Well, Starscream was a stubborn Seeker. Skyfire poured himself some energon, back towards his new unwanted roommate, when curiosity suddenly took over his possessor. Could he really shock the Seeker? Now wasn't the best time to test that out, especially with a slumbering Seeker. He barely reactivated, his processor was clearly not operating at normal capacity, but still…He initiated the commands and heard a shriek behind him.
"Oh. It does work."